My children's war wounds are making my hair fall out!

I'm taking a D. E. E. P. breath tonight. A sigh of relief. A quick glance in the mirror to check and see if all my hair is still in my head and contains a color! The gray is defiantly trying to peak through as my children continue their constant shenanigans! I will soon be investing in hair dye and I'm just getting into my 30's!

Spencer had a bike wreck with his twin Ian tonight. Ian was uninjured and feared he would be in trouble. Of course, he wasn't in trouble. But Spencer smacked his mouth straight into the handle bar. He busted out the tooth to the right of his top front teeth and really jacked the front right one up good. It will be falling out in the next day or so. Thankfully they are both baby teeth! With a busted, swollen lip and blood soaked gums, he entertained the ER staff as only Spencer could. Showing them is scratch on his ribs from running into a parked truck the day before. And my favorite, pushing his tooth straight out with his tongue...ewe!

This experience tonight brought back so many memories of when Parker, Spencer's older brother, broke his bone in his mouth and shoved 2 teeth back into his mouth. Parker was 2 and all the kids were jumping from the hearth of the fireplace onto a bean bag. For some reason, Parker decided to jump into the bean bag from the opposite direction and slide face first into the hearth! I was home alone at the time (with the 4 children) and it was a Sunday. I remember because I didn't know what to do, take him to the ER or call a dentist, but there would be no offices open. I frantically called Jason at work and told him over a scream child what was going on with Parker. I didn't know much, because I couldn't see inside his mouth for all the gushing blood!

We got him to the ER and they did an x-ray and checked him out then referred us to the nicest dentist. He got us in the next day and took great care of Parker! For the next several months his teeth were grayish and not in place, but over time, everything looked normal. We are now having issues with his teeth growing in right though. Oddly enough, Parker lost his side teeth before his front two teeth. And now it seems as if only the side teeth are growing back in, but where the front teeth should grow in. His front teeth have yet to emerge and it's been MONTHS since he lost those teeth. Unless those are the front teeth that grew in, but then where are the side teeth? It's a mystery for now.

We will know more about Spencer and his recovery in the next day or so as he sees a dentist and gets x-rays. I don't know if I should be thankful for having the experience with Parker already, because it helped me keep perspective and KNOW that it would be ok. Or if I should invest in Hockey gear and mouth guards for all my children. That probably wouldn't be the worst thing! My sister-in-law is an occupational therapist, and she was saying that that most often child brain injuries are a result of bike (skateboard, etc) wrecks w/o helmets. Spencer had forgotten to where his helmet as he rushed out the door this evening, but fortunately, he only hit his mouth! We were SO lucky!

After all was said and done tonight and the stress levels started to lower in our home, I told Spencer to quit trying to eat his handle bars, they don't taste well......he didn't think it was funny, but I did of course!

Because After-all
There is No Cure 4 Crazy!!!

Lesson #1 Always try to make friends, even if they are not the same species as you

Things my children have taught me:

Lesson # 1
Always try to make friends, even if they are not the same species as you.

One day my husband took our then four year-old Parker out on some errands. While they were out, Jason took him by the park to play for a while. Parker is my middle child and he has always felt a little left out at home. He has an older sister and younger twin brothers who bother and annoy him constantly, except for when he is happily playing with them. At that time he was desperate to make a friend his age. You know it's that time in life when children aren't in school yet, but they are old enough to want to socialize. Parker is a serious guy. Often, he is referred to as a grumpy old man in a little boy's body. So when he opens his mouth, people listen. And he often has very profound things to say.

On this particular day, he was alluding to the fact that he is not like the rest of us mere mortals. Which I happen to have know since his birth! So he was at the park and he looked up at his dad and said, “ I’m going to go over there and meet some humans. I’m going to make a friend with that one in the yellow shirt.” Oh did I forget to mention that Parker is a superhero??? Well, he is you know! The world just hasn't discovered him yet!

Because After-all
There is No Cure 4 Crazy

We survived the first week of Summer!!!

Well I'm happy to report that we survived week one of summer break! My children are all still alive and kicking and I'm actually hanging in there pretty well. My husband even quit smoking this past week...Wednesday maybe, and he is doing well too! It really is a miracle!

Tomorrow I either have to set up the slip-n-slide or fill tons of water balloons for my spawn. I'm voting for the slip-n-slide, but one of my boys has already expressed a preference of water balloons. I'm just not looking forward to hours of filling and tying a 100 balloons for them to bust them in about 5 minutes! BLAH! Is there a better way??? Please enlighten me if you know of one! What are you doing this next week to occupy your offspring?

I've been reading Scary Mommy Confessions (http://www.scarymommy.com) and some of it is intense, but most of it, sounds normal to me. I'm wondering who has been spying on me and taking notes! At first I thought all the posts were from one person, then I realized anyone can confess. I just posted my first confession tonight and I think I may be visiting the site more and more as summer progresses! What was my confession? Oh I will never tell, you'll just have to check it out and decide for yourself which one was mine!

Because after-all
There is No Cure 4 Crazy

Psycho Mom

I was doing ok today. Slept in, then received a beautiful flower arrangement from my father, got the new Frank Turner album on itunes, "England keep my bones", and took all my meds for the day! But then I went to Wal-mart for groceries and toiletries. And while the trip within itself wasn't unbearable something about that place is like a curse. After I got home I had a huge melt-down ALL over my children! I don't know if it was the fact that I'd forgotten to eat lunch, or that I had to clean out the fridge before I could put the food away, or maybe it was the fact that my son dropped my brand new gallon jug of Arizona tea on the floor and it busted flooding the entire floor from the entry way all the way to the kitchen! Whatever it was, I turned into that dreaded Psycho-MOM! She is the one whom I try so hard to not let out to see the light of day, yet I swear my children take bets to see which one of them can make her appear first!

First, I ordered them to bring me all the cold stuff so I could put it away. Next, I huffed and puffed every time they crossed behind me bringing me things, because they were getting in my way! Then, I screamed at them to go outside or upstairs because they were being loud and I couldn't concentrate on putting the groceries into the fridge with all that racket! (Cause we all know that is such a delicate task that takes concentration! Whatever!)And lastly, I lectured them about how many boiled eggs they ate while I was gone, because I had plans for those!

Wow! Then I went to my room and laid down thinking what is wrong with me???? I took ALL my pills, my thyroid, my "happy" pill, my allergy pill, and even some vitamin B & C today. So I couldn't blame it on lack of medication. I had slept in til noon, so it wasn't exhaustion. It could have been the lack of food, but I didn't feel hungry. There really was no excuse for psycho mom making her summer 2011 debut today, but she did and she was noticed by all!

Because After-all
there is No Cure 4 Crazy

http://joplinreliefjune2011.shutterfly.com/

Check out the pics from our Joplin, Mo trip.....I forgot to link it to the last post!

Because After-all
There's No Cure 4 Crazy!!!

a journey

I'm trying to finish up my currant quilt project double time. It originally needed to be completed by Friday, but I need it finished a day early. I am going to embark on a journey Friday and Saturday instead. Turns out that this church I just started going to needs volunteers to go up to Joplin, Mo and distribute goods that they have been collecting. And my husband happens to be off work so he can deal with the kids. I am so tired of saying I want to live and do things but instead I just sit at home and pretend to make a difference in this world by "mothering" my four children. Using them as an excuse to pass on life. WOW! Just had an ah-ha moment with that one! Anyway, the opportunity is in my face.....and I'm going to go and make a difference! For the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm not just wasting away, doing nothing. I'm going to live each day with purpose and set an example for my children. I will leave them a legacy worth following........

Because after-all........

There's No Cure 4 Crazy

Following your dreams

It's a new day indeed! I've had some rest which always gives a renewed perspective on life.
Last night I gave my 7 y-o twins mo-hawks, which they love. S is talking about how he wants it green and wants an earring! HA! He will be a real punk rocker when he grows up! I wanted me to carve an I in his head, but my husband and I agreed that we would draw the line there.
My husband will be taking a photography job soon that will have him out of the house most of the week. If he doesn't take that one, then he is going to go work on a cruise ship as a photographer for 6 months. Either way it will be a nice break for us. I'm used to being the only one dealing with the house and the kids so his being home so much lately has really thrown me off balance. And honestly in the words of Frank Turner, "you wouldn't miss me if I stay".
While he is gone I will pour myself into my children and my quilting. I think it is important that we teach them to chase their dreams until they are living them! My daughter is interested in music so I'm going to help her learn how to play the guitar. I'm sure we can figure it out by Googling it. They have to have some YouTube instructional videos out there or something! She already has a blister forming from just playing around trying to learn. I have such amazing children! I am really blessed to have them in my life. And I have been given the opportunity to "grow" them into the adults that they will become. What a wonderful job to have been given!
And as for my dreams, well I don't know what those are just yet. Beyond quilting, I have no goals. I don't know I would like to be published in a magazine someday. But other than that, I don't know if I want to design fabric, sell quilts, own a quilt shop or what. The only thing that is evident to me is that I want to sew. And truly I have Frank Turner to thank for urging me to follow my dreams through is words that he pours out in his songs. They speak to my soul in ways that no ever music has before. I highly suggest you give him a listen! Maybe you will fall in love too!

Because after-all there is
No Cure 4 Crazy!