Also Known as "Mom"

When did you last feel you were required to jump through meaningless hoops to get something you wanted?  I often feel the more hoops you jump through the better the prize.  Life is not easy and we are always in need of growing, learning, and changing based on the path God has set for us.  So bring on the hoops!!!

What kinds of hula hoop memories do you have?  None because I suck at it!!!

How do you feel about basketball?  I use to  love to play it now it’s just something fun to do with the kids and sometimes watch on TV.

What do you think of hoop earrings?  I like them on the medium to small size.

What’s your favorite Whoopi Goldberg movie?  It would have to be the Sister Act movies for sure!!!

Well at least when it comes to me and my ideas. I have been thinking that there has to be a better way to get some better reading light in our room without the horrible glare of our over head light. I’ve already gotten rid of the ideas of replacing the light with a fan and light combo, wall sconces, floor lamps, and even dresser lamps. Now I have no idea what that really leaves me because there isn’t much else but maybe I can find something that sits behind the bed and only use it when I read??? Who knows…guess I’ll just keep falling asleep every night by 9pm instead!

Logan is quite a little pistol these days.  Lately his new thing to do is to attempt to help around the house.  He tries to help but for the most part it’s more work for me.  Granted his most lastest attempt to help was one that I was so thankful Joel was not around for.  He had made a mess on the table and wanted to clean it up on his own which is great, but and of course there is a but, he then proceeded to use the dirty washcloth to wash Daddy’s LCD TV with. Oh man was I freaked out that it was going to mess that TV up. Thank goodness our TV seems to take to Logan and his help…even the drawing with Crayola washable markers he used on it about 6 months ago!!!

What’s your favorite “just add water!” food?   Instant mashed potatoes!!!! Who doesn’t love those?

What’s your favorite thing to add vinegar to?  Cucumbers… it makes them taste even better!

What’s something weird you’ve added to normal food? Well it’s not weird until you mix in a lot of peoples opinions but I like Ketchup on homamde Mac n Cheese, and also ham and escalloped potatos.

What’s your favorite thing to add whipped cream to?  Strawberries!!! Reminds me have strawberry shortcake yogurt outside calling my name.

What’s something you refuse to add anything to, even though most people add something?  Humm  that’s a good one… I tend to prefer my pizza just plain no toppings besides the cheese.  I know it’s seems kiddy but it’s how I like it.

I know a while ago I mentioned that Joel’s cousin was suppose to come on either 2 or 3 occasions to go over some home, car, and life insurance rates. I just realized as I was looking at updates from friends on Facebook not only has he not rescheduled with us but I haven’t even seen him do much of anything online these days. I wonder if not being in the college scene and able to be out there with a job really cramps alot of people’s Facebook/online fun. I feel so lucky to be able to spend time with my kids and have time to just goof around online in between play time with the kiddos, gym time, and even just stuff around the house. Joel is also lucky because he is at his computer all day so he is able to keep active with online things when there is lulls in his work stuff through the day.

I know it is so mean and so not normal of me to talk about other people but seriously they do it to theirselves. There is a company that advertises on every local channel from what I know here in the West Michigan area that the commercial makes me giggle a bit each time. The company is called The Sam Bernstein Law Firm and they are a family firm that does personal injury cases like
Mesothelioma, car injuries, health care abuse/malpractice, and other similar things. Now that is not the part that makes me laugh unfortunely it is one of the sons. For some reason he is either never looking at the camera or when he does he looks almost crossed eyed. At first I felt bad for him but it’s almost like they use him to make people feel like they are a more to earth family because they are not perfect. Honestly it seems he normally wears glasses but never for picture or commercials. What is even worse is when you see the family picture he is not the only one with issue. Some of his siblings also share more mild cases of this same issue… makes you wonder if they are purposely not wearing glasses to appeal to the people who are more likely to use TV advertised law firms or what? Still giggle though!!!

That alphanumerical word has been such a stressor to me in the last few months. I went back and forth so many times on what I wanted to do in reguards to the vaccine and the pros and cons of it. I really struggled with the idea of getting the vaccine because I’m not even 100% sure how I feel about some of these flu vaccine options out there. I do fully vaccinate my kids with the normal vaccines as I feel comfortable with them and it was a choice I made with lots of reading and praying for it. I know that our chiroprator is really against all forms of the modern medicine stepping in on these areas of prevention and treatment unless very nessecary. However I have choosen to take the middle gound for my family and do what I feel is right for them and not what someone tells me to do.

Back in November we ended up having some kind of flu go through the house and it knocked Allie out for almost 2 weeks, Maddie for 1 week, and Logan and I a few days. It was at that point that I decided to get the flu vaccine for both myself and the kids. We only did the H1N1 at the time as it was all that was available. We have not gotten the Seasonal shot at this point as it has not become available for us and well we did pass something around that might have very well been that. However I recently found myself starting to feel like I might be getting the flu again. Normally I would just try to get extra vitimans but this time I had an extra punch on my side. I had recieved just after the New Year a product called Repiratory Guard Lozenger that is suppose to Boost the immune system to help fight off invading germs from getting into healthy cells. The main ingredient is Elderberry which is known as an great anti-oxident that helps to boost the immune system.

Because I had recieved this product and was suppose to use it the minute I started to feel a flu like sickness come on I thought why not give it a try. So last week I started the supplement and followed the directions according to the box. I can’t sit here and say wow it changed how I felt immediately or it stopped my sickness because I don’t know how I would have felt had I not taken it. I do know though that my flu like symptoms like head stuffiness and just soreness only lasted for a few days. It also did not seem to slow me down from going about my usual routine. Now is that because of the supplement or just because I had a head cold? I am not really sure but what I can say is that it did not make me feel worse, I did not have an side effects, and it did not upset my stomach. So I can say it was a good product and I felt very comfortable taking it.

Now it’s up to you to see how it works for you… I can say I’ll probably try it again next time I feel something coming on so that is something in my opinion!

I am not sure what these dry little bumps I have been getting on the back of my arms for the last few years that aren’t noticable to others but I can feel them there are. But I do know that the doctor has thrown around the words as a very mild case of excema and I just need to keep my skin moisturized and healthy. Well between the lotion and the tanning I think I’ve found the perfect treatment of eczema at least for my mild case as it seems to be tons better already! I am really loving this tanning time and these new high pressure beds that they have. They offer less UVB rays and thus making a bit better for your skin. I also have not burnned or gotten those prickly rashes I get from the old school tanning beds. I am thinking about going again this afternoon because it’s been so great.

Well I know I mentioned that I got a new phone this summer and how excited I was to be able to keep more track of things going on in my life and the kids as well. Unfortunely I started having some weird problems with it in the last few months and was getting so sick of it. It also didn’t help that Joel got the new Droid and my phone looked so sucky next to his. I ended up having to relaod the OS last week and it took care of some problems but then is also created some other new ones. I ended up back on the phone with Verizon support again this afternoon and they concluded that it was a hardware issue and they could offer me some options. One was to give me a refurbed phone of the same one I had but I was not really into that since I had barely had the phone 6 months before I had issues. So they also offered me upgrade options at 1 yr plan pricing. I decided to jump on that…now to figure out how to use this silly Droid Eris I have. Joel’s phone is similar enough that he is able to help me but man I do have some learning to do!

I know that is not the way everyone else out there uses that term and they are all use to seeing WTF? but I never say it that way and I always use heck so why change that now? But seriously I was looking at different phones at the Verizon store earlier and I was checking out the browsers and how they worked and was just dumb founded. There were many different web pages viewed that seemed normal to me like facebook, weather channel, verizon wireless, and other common ones. The strage thing was that someone was looking up info on tretinoin gel. I have no idea what that even is yet alone why someone would be looking at info about it on a phone in the verizon store. Umm hello go home and use your own computer weird one. It just made me scratch my head and wonder what the heck? I just had to share that… I’ll tell you more about why I was there in my next post.