I'm not Lazy, I'm just Messed Up!

For many  years now, I have thought myself a lazy person. I needed a solid nine hours of sleep each night and often still needed an hour long nap in the afternoon. Even with all this sleep, I would get tired easily. I couldn't do too much labor intensive work or I would be wiped out. It was no big deal to me. I figured it was just because of my asthma. I have been precluded from many activities due to asthma. I came to terms (mostly) with that when I was a teenager.

I thought I was just made to be a lazy person. We are all given some ucky things to deal with in this life. I decided that asthma and laziness where mine. I came up with ways to cope with this, to work around the weaknesses.

I've done pretty well.

However, I've come to learn in the last four weeks that I AM NOT LAZY!!

I've been taking some Thyroid meds for a couple years now. They have not done a thing for me. I've learned with my asthma that no change is often a good thing. So I just kept taking them.

Except, over the holidays, I talked to my sister in law Kay. She and my sister have the same Thyroid diagnosis problems, which are opposite of mine. Anyhoo, Kay and I were talking and she was telling me how the Doctors were trying to figure out which dosage of X medicine was the right dosage for her, but in the meantime she was SO TIRED and felt SO LAZY. After talking with her I wondered if maybe my dosage wasn't the right one.

So, after all the ENT appointments dealing with my Sinuses, my Doctor started playing with my thyroid dosage.

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!

The change in me is AMAZING!

I can sleep for SEVEN hours and feel great!

I don't need naps in the afternoon!

I don't get ginormous headaches in the afternoon!

I have energy to get my work done and to play with my kids!

And after I have worked hard, I don't just want to lie down and die anymore!!!

My doctor adjusted the dosage about three months ago, but it took a while to get all through my system and for the changes in my body to take place. What a difference!

It really hit home about four weeks ago. My new dosage had run out and I was waiting for a refill in the mail. I had about two weeks between the two. I had still had some of the old dosage and thought, well, I better just take the old dosage so that I at least have a little of the drug in my body. It only took a week on the old dosage for all the good changes to go away. I'm actually quite grateful for that backslide!! It proved unequivacally to me that...

I AM NOT LAZY! My body is just a bit Messed Up!

I have my refill now and the changes kicked back in. It is so, so nice to know that I'm not lazy. It is so nice to know that a small adjustment in medicine can make such a huge difference.

Thank Heavens for Modern Medicine! It is truly one of the best blessings in my life. :)

4-H Values

Our family joined 4-H this past year. It is a great organization and my kids are having a wonderful time.

One of the requirements for showing at Fair is attendance at Community Club meetings. At these meetings the business of the particular 4-H club is conducted. Reports are made on things like how much money has gone out of the club and how much money has come in, events that are coming up, service opportunities available, and so on.

Recently, they have started reporting our members' results at various animal shows. Attending these shows has been quite the eye-opener for me.  "How so?" you might ask.  Well, let me tell you...

When showing swine, beef, or lamb, you strut that animal all around a ring, showing off the animals to the judges and audience. The judges look at the size of the body. They watch how the animal carries itself, how it walks, how it stands. They judge their personality and demeanor.

The animals are then taken back out of the ring by their handlers. The judges then "call-back" the animals that they liked. Those animals walk the ring again while the judges scrutinize their every move. This process goes on and on until finally the judges declare a winner. A winning animal is worth a lot of money. That animal is quite a prize!

What's so astounding about this process...

It is just like the try-outs/auditions for actors, models, Miss America, and more! In particular, it reminded me of the musical "A Chorus Line".

Now, I feel that I must make a disclaimer. I am not trying to belittle anyone. I'm not bringing this up to bag on anyone or any organization. Frankly, I love watching the Miss America pageant every year. Mostly, I love see the gorgeous gowns and imagine how I could make them for myself but modest. Haha!

The reason I'm posting this is that I am amazed a the similarities between the two processes. Anyone who really knows me knows that I love to see how things are connected. To see how things have evolved over time. It seems to me that the one process evolved from the other. Can't you just picture the original casting directors--people who had maybe grown up attending Fair and seeing how the animals were judged--adjusting that type of judging to fit their own purposes? Because that's what I see!

I wonder if that's how it actually happened. So interesting!

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Another great thing from 4-H: it is teaching my kids wonderful values and skills.

For example, one girl proudly reporting how she did in a show said:

"Well, I showed my goat at XYZ Show. I didn't place. But I didn't get last place like last year either."

We all clapped and cheered for her. It was great! She might not have won, but she was getting better and that's what counted.

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Also, our family is getting ready for Fair. It is crazy! We aren't doing animals this year. Thank goodness! I don't think I could have handled all the time and effort required for an animal. I'm too busy with my dear children. :)

We do have projects that have to be finished though. Anne and Rose are sewing their hearts out to have their quilts ready. Joe and the girls are all testing recipes to see which will be best to enter. They have a pre-Fair contest coming up next week for cooking. Anne and Rose are in the same category, but they're being good sports about it. They are just hoping that one of them places and they don't care which one. Hooray for being good sports! And sweet Joe is in the non-judging category. 4-H doesn't let the little kids be judged. They feel that the little ones can't handle it. I completely agree. My little Joe would be quite discouraged if judges told him his entry was too dry or a bit under-cooked. The bigger kids, while not liking the criticisms, don't get discouraged...they take the criticism as advice and use the information to make their cooking/baking better the next time.

I'll post pictures and results after we finish the contest next week.

We are loving 4-H!!!

Caveman Say Ugh!

My previously mentioned diet has been thrown out the window by my lovely allergist. It has been replaced with the "Caveman Diet".

I told that to my Mom and she groaned in sympathy for me.

For those who don't know, when you are on the Caveman Diet you may "eat all you want" of

-Fresh fruits (or frozen if home prepared)

-Fresh vegetables (or frozen if home prepared)

-Broiled, boiled, or baked meat & fish

I may drink all I want of pure fruit juice, pure vegetable juice, and water (bottled or filtered is better)

I may NOT have

-any prepared food products (boxed mixes, etc.)

-cake, cookies, candy, or soft drinks

-any grains or nuts (including rice & soy)

-any dairy products--milk, butter, margarine, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.

-any fruit, vegetable, or meat to which you have been found allergic

-fruit drinks. They contain corn syrup and are NOT allowed

I may have one teaspoon of honey per day.

I really appreciate the upbeat spin they tried to put on this diet by stating that I may "eat all I want" of those three precious food groups.

This is DAY 3 of the Two-Weeks required for this diet.

I don't know if I'll make it...

So far my will-power is holding out.

Actually, I am quite impressed with myself. I have cookies and crackers and bread and chocolate and oats and granola and many other yummy but forbidden foods filling my pantry and fridge. But I haven't succumbed to temptation yet.

Hooray for me.

I just have 11 more days to make it through.

ELEVEN!!!

This CaveGirl says UGH!!!

Decisions, Decisions

I am so hungry!

But I can't figure out what to eat. In November, when I visited the ENT's office and was diagnosed with more polyps in my sinuses, I was also sent for allergy testing.

I hate allergy testing.

It usually involves a lot of pricking and a very itchy back.

I was fortunate this time. Instead of the back pricks, they tested my blood. Hooray! I just had to sit still while a nice man drew a couple vials of blood.

The results came back a month ago. I had my consultation with the Allergist a week later.

The results, my friends, are not good.

Turns out I am allergic to:

Wheat

Oats

Corn

Soy

Yeast

The yeast is particularly bad. My Allergist recommended that I stay away from it all together. As for the grains, my Allergist suggested that I avoid them for a few months then add them back to my diet one at a time, keeping a couple weeks in between each addition to be sure that there are no adverse effects.

That's right. I am supposed to cut out Wheat and Oats and Corn and Soy!  Do you understand???

That means I can't eat Bread, Pasta, Cookies, Cake, Donuts, Rolls, White sauce (it uses flour in the roue), Cream of Wheat, Bagels, Oatmeal, Tamales, Tortillas, Chips, or Tofu.

Now, I am allergic to a lot of things. I have known this for years and years. Dust, molds, trees, pollens, these things practically kill me a couple times each year. There are foods I avoid because they set my throat to itching and swelling and make it difficult for me to breathe. But never have I thought that I was allergic to the grains. I don't know if I've ever even been tested for them.

My Hubby, trying to make me feel better, said, "Well, You can always just eat an apple."

But no, No I can't. Because it turns out I'm allergic to apples too.

COME ON!!!

Who is allergic to apples?  Isn't there something unlawful about that? I mean, it's completely un-American to be allergic to apples. Right?  RIGHT??

So, I'm on a restricted diet.

I've put it off and put it off, but it can't be put on any longer. I just have to bite the bullet and do it.

Still, it's only for a few months. Just until my body resets itself. Then I should be able to add the grains back in.

Until then, it looks like I will be eating a lot of Rice.

Wish me luck. I am seriously going to need it.

Oh! And wish me some Will-Power while you're at it.  I'm going to need loads of that.

Meanwhile, I'm going to go eat a pickle for breakfast. I don't think I'm allergic to those. :(

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

During the kids' winter break we visited extended family in the Phoenix area. It was quite the adventure, but I'll save those stories for later. This post is about HAIR!

I am really picky about my hair. You might not think so if you saw me, but I am. And I'm pretty picky about who I let cut my hair. I have had some crazy bad experiences in the past.

My sister V lives around Phoenix and does hair. While we were in town I scheduled appointments for the three Blue Girls to get our hair trimmed.

Anne went first. This girl has been growing her hair out for three years. She's had it trimmed here and there. But no major cuttage. And she has LOVED having long, long hair. Until Thanksgiving. Then she decided that she wanted a bob and to donate her long hair to Locks of Love.

We've donated to Locks of Love in the past. Rose, Anne, and I all donated in January 2008...three years ago. Rose donated again a few months ago. At the time, Anne and I decided to keep our long hair long and just got trims. Now Anne donating again.

First, Aunt V combed and combed Anne's hair. Anne has super thick hair with a bit of wave.

Then Aunt V sectioned Anne's hair into four ponytails.

Then came the cutting.

Miss Anne posing with her cut locks.

Anne has four thick ponytails to donate. Look at that Gorgeous Color!!!

After the locks were cut, the styling began. Aunt V wet down Anne's hair and went to work.  The final result...

Aunt V was going to blow dry it, but we told her not to bother. It was raining pretty steadily outside and we knew it would just end up wet again. :)

Next up was Rose.

She had gotten a bob a few months prior when she donated her longer locks. But her hair grows quickly! She was already in need of a trim.

Aunt V got to work snipping and shaping and buzzing. The final result...

Rose loves that it is shorter in the back than the front.

I came back later that day for my turn.  The only cuts that I have had in the last three years are the occasional 1/2 inch trim and one time I cut bangs. My hair is super-long.

But I was ready for a change.

I don't know if this ever happens to you, but there are times in my life where I just have this insane urge to chop all my hair off just so I have something different in my life. Well, I'd been having one of those urges for the entire month prior.

I was ready to ask V for a shaggy bob and to color the hair black. Hahaha!

Luckily, I had a whole month to think about it and make a rational decision. I certainly didn't want to do anything I would regret.

My end result, a new long style and bangs.

You might not be able to tell, but V cut four inches from my length. FOUR! I thought between that and my bangs short again my crazy urges would be cured.

They weren't.

A few days ago I decided the problem was my bangs were too long. So I chopped them shorter. They now look ridiculous and basically stick straight up. I would include a picture but it is too embarrassing. It's bad enough people have to see me in person with the weird bangs!

But at least now I know that the bang length isn't the problem because I'm still having that strong urge to chop all my hair off and color it cRAzY. 

Maybe the change of going back to school will be enough to shake my hair cutting urges.

Then again, maybe not...

News!

So many things have been happening the past month and I just haven't had time to write any of it down.  I still don't have time! Haha! I figured I better take a quick five minutes to write a few highlights before I start forgetting. Here goes...

1) We had two songs come true for Christmas for our family. Joe had lost his two front teeth in previous months. Christmas week the two teeth were coming in strongly. We also got a hippopotamus for Christmas in the form of Baby Jim. His two front teeth came in the same time Joe's were coming. But unlike Joe, Jim has a big gap between his front teeth. His sisters have laughed and laughed about it. They say that when he smiles he gappy teeth make him look like a hippo. They are right! It is quite funny to see. The sight also makes my pocketbook happy. He's the first kid to have gappy teeth like his Mom...which translates into He will probably be the only kid out of five that won't need orthodontic work. ;)

2) My Sister Bee had her Baby! The Babe is 3 1/2 weeks early and weighs 9 lb, 7 oz. Yowser! I just laughed when my Mom told me. Not because I'm mean, but because Bee is carrying on the Big Early Baby tradition in our family. Haha! All of my Mom's babies were HUGE and we were all super-early.

3) I got a new church assignment for this year. I say assignment because the calling is the same. I'm a "Primary Worker". As such I spent 2009 in Nursery and 2010 teaching CTR 7. This year I am thrilled to be the Music Leader.  Hooray!!!  I have wanted to do this calling for YEARS! The desire was cemented when watching Nancy Face in action. She was truly the best Music Leader EVER!

4) I was accepted into NAU's Master of Education in Elementary Education program. Sheesh, what a mouthful! I begin the MEd program next week. I am ecstatic. I have felt so in limbo with my life. Hubby described it as "stagnating". He's right. I was in the Waiting Place for People Just Waiting. I am so happy to get out of that place and into something that will challenge me and help me grow.

5) We got stuck in a snow storm two miles south of Payson on the eve of New Year's Eve. It was crazy! We passed two semi's (one with wheels spinning) jack-knifed on the road. We were fortunate to get past them safely. I thought we could make it all the way to Payson before the storm hit. Our kids all wanted to spend New Year's in the snow. We knew that the roads from Payson to Strawberry were closed so the cabin, which was our original plan, was OUT. But we thought we could get to Payson and just spend the night there. WRONG! When the storm hit it was the perfect mixture of cold enough to snow and for the snow to stick, but also warm enough for the bottom snow to melt just a bit and then refreeze as ICE! Aargh!

At one point I lost control of the van. The wheels lost traction and we started fish-tailing. I got control back and kept plugging along because we were almost there! But after another mile my tires started spinning but wouldn't grip at all. Meanwhile some four-wheeler trucks were trying to pass me. All I could think was, "You Dummies! You'll be lucky if I don't smash into you."  At that point we just pulled over to the side of the road to wait for the snow plows. After thirty minutes there was a line behind us as far down the road as I could see.

Thanks to a Cute Young Guy in one of the crazy four-wheel trucks, we were able to get back on the road. The guy stopped to help another motorist behind us. They couldn't be helped. Then he moved on to us. He let a bit of air out of our back tires and told all the kids to get in the back seat to add weight. Our van is rear-wheel drive. He and Hubby then pushed us back onto the road. I thought Hubby would run around to the passenger door and jump in. Nope. Instead he hoisted himself onto our back bumper holding onto the luggage rack to keep himself there. He figured his weight in the back would help more than the weight of all those skinny little kids we have. He was right. What he hadn't figured on was the icy wind blasting him and freezing his knuckles in place. Poor guy. He was a trooper (or maybe just scared for his life) and held on tight the whole time. While traveling those last two miles I saw a snowplow going the opposite direction. I pulled in at the Casino, which is the first traffic light in town. Hubby jumped into the van (he could barely get his door open) and we decided that we were NOT going to spend the night in Payson. We slowly hightailed it after the snowplow and were able to get back to Mesa safely. What an adventure!!!

We were sure grateful to the Cute Young Guy. His idea to let air out of the back tires was genius. After that guy got us on the road, he jumped back into his big truck, passed us, then PURPOSELY put himself into a skid...TWICE! What a goofy young guy. :)

And that is the end of my time.

GO OUTSIDE!!!!!

Get ready to go outside tonight. I don't care that it is freezing cold in your town. There is something amazing occurring tonight. Something that hasn't happened in about four hundred years. Something that won't happen again for another eighty years.

The TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE is TONIGHT!!!

The show should start at 11:33 pm Arizona time.

Drag your kids out of bed! Drag yourself out of bed! It is sure to be amazing.  Just cross your fingers that the clouds don't block the view.

Seriously people! You have to get out of bed and see this. It will be such a wonderful experience to have. Rose is currently putting together her telescope so that we can get a better view when the moon turns red!

That's right...RED!

You absolutely do not want to miss this. So set your alarm clock.

We're going to start watching earlier than 11:33 pm. We want to see the entire shift from Full Moon to Red Moon and Back.

What a marvelous planet we live on!