creative

elek has discovered coloring. he sat at the kitchen table today for almost an hour. just him, a pack of crayons and some paper.

right now

Outside my window… are my window boxes full of petunias.

I am thinking... i need to make lunch for elek. mad and ian are with papa.

I am thankful for… my babies.

From the kitchen… i need to decide what i'm making for dinner.

I am wearing… jean capris and a taylor northwest all-star tee.

I am creating… i'm currently working on a few projects.

I am going… to have to go to target later. we need diapers and wipes and they are cheapest there.

I am reading… Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg. not far enough into it to decide if i like it.

I am hoping… to get this house in order very soon.

I am hearing… yo gabba gabba, elek's favorite show.

Around the house… it's pretty quiet with the eldest 2 gone.

One of my favorite things… taking care of my family.

Tired Tuesday

Yes, I realize that I didn't post a Not Me Monday yesterday. The truth is I was too lazy to sit down and think of all the stuff I didn't do this week. The Benadryl may have something to do with that.

I am currently in the middle of one of my crazy, random allergic reactions. It started Saturday night when I busted out in hives and my lips started swelling. I still have hives and I itch like crazy. The really lousy part is that I have no control over these reactions. Most people who are allergic to things (i.e. peanuts) are able to avoid the allergens. I'm allergic to insecticides. Yes, I don't use them in my house, but I have no control over anyone else using them. I never know when I'll come in contact with them. I can go shopping and end up with a reaction. It sucks. I just always stayed well stocked with Benadryl.

I have now sat staring at this page for 10 minutes trying to think of something else to write. Madison is still in bed, Ian is watching My Girl, and Elek is making a mess and yelling every few minutes. He got up far too early this morning and is already a grouch and in need of a nap.

I'm cooking meatloaf for dinner.

And mashed potatoes.

And possibly green beans.

I need a cool new place to take photos.

Well, enough rambling, I'm going to go and try to get something accomplished today. Maybe I'll start doing yoga. I keep telling myself that I'm going to do yoga. I've yet to do it.

And because I can't post without one.

Poor Vermont

http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/07/20/daily22.html?surround=etf

I'm so sorry, Vermont. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. You poor things.

Sassy Hair

I did not find out that I love nutella.
I am not urging that you try it if you haven't already!

I was not up half the night with a pukey baby.

I totally did not stay up until 1 a.m. to finish my latest read. Why would anyone read when they should be sleeping? I totally did not then proceed to bawl my eyes out because the story was so heartbreaking. And I'm not talking just tears, I am talking about sobs...I so did not do that. That's just crazy.

I did not have to go pick up Ian from camp on Wednesday, a full 2 days early, because he was not homesick.

I most certainly did not make Michael drive us to the hood again because I thought of another cool place to take pics. The Heidelberg Project.







I also didn't drag Maddy's friend, Lexi, with us.

And since we were so close, we also didn't make stops at Belle Isle and the really cool graffiti we found last week.






Elek was not sitting in his car seat doing this.

I'm On A Tea Tree Oil Kick

Below you will find some of the uses of Tea Tree Oil. I love it right now.

TEA TREE OIL (Melaleuca Alternifolia)

NATURE’S FIRST AID KIT IN A BOTTLE

Tea Tree Oil is a powerful organic solvent that will dissolve pus in pimples and will neutralize the venom of minor insect bites. Tea Tree Oil is an effective Anti-Bacteria. Tea Tree Oil is safe for healthy tissue and does not inhibit normal cell growth. Tea Tree Oil is a mild local anaesthetic. Tea Tree Oil makes water more penetrating and thereby a better cleaner. Great for stubborn stains on clothes.

Have a good natural moisturizing cream available in the house as well as a good carrier oil such as grape seed oil, aloe, Almond etc. so that you can better use your Tea Tree oil.

HEAD LICE / NITS: Apply ten drops of pure Tea Tree Oil along with your shampoo and leave on ten minutes. Rinse. Repeat in one week. Keep out of eyes.

SINUS CONGESTION: Use Pure Tea Tree Oil in a steam vaporizer and inhale. Rub drops around sinuses, chest and back.

COLD SORES: Mix 5 drops pure Tea Tree oil into your favourite natural lip cream and apply three times per day.

ARTHRITIS: Mix three to five drops of pure Tea Tree Oil into a small amount of carrier oil or cream, and massage deeply into joints.

ACNE / PIMPLES: Add three to six drops of Pure Tea Tree Oil to warm water and rinse affected area daily. Cover treated area with your general purpose Tea Tree Cream.

SORE THROAT: Add three to six drops of pure oil to warm water and gargle, or add three drops of pure oil to juice and sip slowly.

ITCHY SCALP: Add five drops of pure oil to shampoo. Keep out of eyes.

MOUTH ULCERS, SORE GUMS, BAD BREATH, PLAQUE: Dab on pure Tea Tree oil or add three drops to water and use as a mouthwash twice daily

MINOR BURNS

Flush with cold water/ice pack immediately. Apply pure oil to burn.

SUNBURN: In severe cases apply pure oil. For minor cases dilute oil with cream or carrier oil.

DIAPER WASH: Add ten drops of pure Tea Tree Oil to each 4 liters of water. Stir, then soak diapers overnight.

CRADLE CAP: Mix five drops pure Tea Tree oil with olive oil and rub into scalp. Leave five minutes, then wash hair. Keep away from eyes.

PLANTAR WARTS, CORAL CUTS: Dab on pure oil three times per day.

FLEAS: Add ten drops pure oil to shampoo. Repeat as required.

BOILS: Apply pure Tea Tree oil directly three times per day.

CUTS AND SCRAPES: Dab on pure Tea Tree

MOSQUITO BITES, STINGS, SAND-FLIES: Dab on pure Tea Tree oil

LEACHES OR TICKS: Apply pure oil to kill animal, then dab Tea Tree oil.

NAIL INFECTION: Soak nail in pure Tea Tree oil for five minutes and massage in twice daily until infection leaves.

It wasn't me who made my husband drive us to the hood so I could find some cool graffiti just so I could take pictures in front of it.



I did not just send 1/3 of my heart to camp for 5 days.

The above mentioned child was not crying in the bus as it pulled out of the parking lot and thus, breaking my heart.

I was not sobbing all the way home from dropping off above mentioned child.

I have not slept a total of 7 hours in the last 3 nights. I'm no where near being an insomniac.

I'm not already planning for a nap today.

As I prepared to pack all Ian's stuff for the week at camp, I did not make countless lists of things to "not forget". Nope, I keep all my lists in my head...that's how "on top" of things that I am! Aren't you impressed?!

I have not thought on numerous occasions this week that the Jackson family is completely crazy. Certifiably. Especially now with LaToya and Joe claiming that Michael was murdered.

I surely have not left a picture hanging crooked in my stairway because, well, simply because, I haven't fixed it, maybe by next Monday, it will be straight again! I walk by that picture many times a day, and of course would take 2 seconds to stop and straighten it!

Hunky Fest

Friday Five

Kate

I've read Kate's story on several blogs today and felt lead to it post here too.


This is Kate - isn't she beautiful????

On Monday - her parents took her to the doctor for some hand tremors she was having and now they are faced with a very aggressive, malignant brain tumor that is wrapped around the major blood vessels that feed the brain.

She is having surgery tomorrow. They can not remove all of the tumor because of where it is.

Please pray for her.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

Wordless Wednesday