Hand, Foot & Mouth....

I can honestly say that I did not know what Hand, Foot & Mouth disease was until this week. It has to be among one of the most painful sicknesses a child can get. Casey started with symtoms on Friday afternoon - fever, not feeling well - and by Sunday night she had sores all over in her mouth, tongue & throat. Her mouth is so swollen, it looks like she got smacked in the face. And it hurts. They say this lasts 7-10 days and this is day 5 of pain and suffering.

Unfortunately for kids, this is highly contagious. The best way to avoid it, is to teach your children how to wash their hands. I would say that I'm a stickler for clean hands, and yet, my dear Casey still got this. I feel so bad for her, if I could take this pain away from her I would in a heartbeat!

Notice all the blisters on her lips and tongue. It really is a horrendous disease. Thankfully, once this is over, she won't have to worry about getting it again.

Grandparents

Casey with Grampa & Gramma Dee


When I was a young girl, I loved to spend time with my grandparents. I grew up just down the road from my mom's parents and in the summertime, I think my sister and I were up there almost every day. I remember watching Grosdoddy clean fish while he would tell us the fishing story of the day. I remember helping Grosmommy in the garden and house. Sometimes she would even put little quilts in a frame for us to "quilt". Growing up with grandparents is a treasure. I'm so happy that Casey knows and loves each of hers!

Oh to be debt-free...

Chris and I are trying desperately to get out of debt. We've put ourselves on a strict budget and are throwing every penny on our lousy debts. I'm a big fan of Dave Ramsey's and have been inspired by all those people who call in to his show to scream, "I'm debt free!!" I want to do that someday. It sickens me to think that we could have been out of debt years ago - long before Casey was born - if we had been sensible and smart about our money... But you can't change the past, you can only learn from it and move forward. Which is what we are doing. And we are making progress, even on our measly little income. We've stopped using our credit cards, which is what got us into trouble in the first place! But now, it's the unexpected expenses that keep popping up - - Chris' appendectomy in February, major car repair in April, health insurance increase - - just to name a few. Amazingly, we're still making progress on that debt, even though we've had a bit of a setback.

I know it will all be worth it in the end. To be debt-free. Can you imagine? What would you do? I know what I'll do - celebrate!! We're getting a sitter and going out on a date - a real one! And we're going to stay on a budget so that this never happens again!!!

Complaining...

I am getting tired of this cold drippy weather! I want summer!! I'm not trying to complain, it just comes naturally when I have to wear a coat to go outside because otherwise I'll get cold... Ok, I'm done complaining. I intend to make a positive impact on my world today, and that means a smile and happy feet.

I'll start by getting off the computer - after I'm done posting this - and cleaning my house! The dining room table has a stack of papers on it, the laundry needs to be done and I think I'll clean the bathtub - it's looking a little grimy... When I get that done, I know I'll feel better - honestly! Oh yes, I also want to make cards with my daughter. That should be fun - nothing like a 4 year old with scissors and glue! *grin*

It's funny, because if it today were a gorgeous warm and sunny day, I'd be complaining because of all the things that need to be done inside... So here's to turning the tables on myself and that attitude!

Mothers Day

I remember how I felt 5 years ago when Mother's Day rolled around. I was sad that I wasn't a mom, and I felt a little sorry for myself thinking that I never would be a mom. But God knew what He was doing, and month later I found out I was pregnant. Now here we are, with the most beautiful, spoiled daughter in the world. And I'm the happiest mom around. Sure, there are days.... But the good far outnumber the bad. And I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

It was a wonderful Mother's Day.

Why do I procrastinate?

I wish I wasn't such a procrastinator. Seriously. If I would just do things right away when I think about it, then I can only imagine how much more I would accomplish in a day. Right now, for instance, there is a pile of laundry waiting to be folded, a dryer waiting to be emptied (and folded), dirty dishes and a stack of papers to go through. At least I stopped to write here - which I've been putting off for the past little while....obviously. Again, I don't know why. I mean, it's so easy to sit down at the computer and take a couple minutes to write something. It's not that hard. But for some reason, I procrastinate. And then, before I know it, way too much time has gone by and the job that should've been done long ago still sits there - waiting to be done. So what am I going to do about it? I think I will take a step in the right direction, and for the rest of today - I will not procrastinate. Tomorrow, I shall try the same thing. And we'll see if taking on this problem one day at a time will help me overcome this particularly unsightly flaw in my life.

Amazing. I feel better already.