4:13

Serena had 2 basketball games on Saturday, and as usual, she had a good time, and we had fun watching for the most part. Sometimes it gets a little crazy on that court, both with out of control kids (always the other team, of course!:) and sometimes lazy refs. Both result in injuries and sometimes angry parents. Isn't that just crazy? Well, I had fun and so did Serena until she twisted her ankle. So she spent the last few days with her foot propped up, and she didn't like it one bit! She doesn't like being waited on. I think that is so weird, but she truly has more of a servant's heart, and feels better when she's doing the waiting on. She really needs to feel the humility that comes when someone is doing something just for you and just feel that love, not guilt. Natalie, however, would be in her glory if someone had to wait on her hand and foot! Amazing how they are so different sometimes.

Natalie had a game last night and I have to say it's a joy to watch her team play. I know I've praised them before, but they have improved even more from last year, and just play so amazingly well. Every single one! I think what impresses me more is that they are such good sports. They don't gloat over a win. They don't grandstand. They play as clean a game as possible. They are respectful to their coach and play well together as a team. Last night Natalie scored for the first time since the season began. She's had lots of shots, but this one went in....."finally"! (as her coach yelled :) She had such a big smile on her face. She got a chance to play longer and with the "better players" (according to coach's starting line up), and so she pushed herself harder. She got steals, blocked shots, ended up in a scrap heap on the floor a couple times, got rebounds, and a turnover. Coming out of the locker room, she said, "where is Serena? Where is Grandpa?" I thought it was so cute! I know Grandpa would have rather been watching her first basket than being at a meeting! Oh well. She'll just have to do it again, just for Gramps. She got home and the first thing she said to her sister was, "I scored!" Serena was so happy for her and they hugged. (Sorry girls if you ever see this)

I always write "4:13" on Nat's Powerade bottle. It stands for Philippians 4:13...."I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." I pray before each game for all of the girls, and I always ask God for special favor over Nat. To let our girl have one moment. Just one. We'll take whatever you give. And to prove to her that nothing can stop her. Not scoliosis! Not a shorter leg! Not anything! But that with God, she can do anything. And with God, I can put up with a not-so-great week that is actually turning out better than I thought it would. Again, God used something we could all relate to (basketball) to get His message across. Or maybe it's that we're looking for His message a little harder these days. Whichever it is, I hope it keeps happening!

4:13

The Talks

I always enjoy just having one daughter to myself at home, especially when she's chatty! We've had some interesting conversations over baking, jigsaw puzzles, listening to a new CD, and just riding in the van somewhere. Lately those talks have been with my older daughter, and the nature of our talks has gotten more challenging, at least for mom!

I have always told my girls that they can ask me or their dad anything they want. As they've gotten older, I've maintained that by not overreacting when they actually do catch me off guard with a question. And believe me, I've gotten some doozies! I've had to take many deep breaths! I've even had to say, "God, you take this one!" and somehow, I found the words. PTL!

These talks have brought us closer together in a whole new way, as she becomes more and more of her own person and less and less of mine. Soon I will have to release her into the world and I won't get to tell her all I know. She won't want to listen then! At least not for awhile anyway. I love that she has her mind made up about so many concepts, so that I can help her with those goals. We practice "what to do if..." situations in order to prepare her for certain peer pressures and temptations. We look up Scripture on many subjects, and I have to say, without the Word of God, I really wouldn't know what to tell her about a lot of things I don't even understand. I've encouraged her to pray for certain people at school that concern her, and to invite them to youth. She is developing a heart for people that she didn't know she had.

Ahh, yes. My baby is growing up. And I don't want to fight it anymore. I want to sit front row and cheer her on because I'm so very excited to see where she's going to go next! I'm excited for her future and to see her realize her goals and accomplish things in life. And as long as she lets me hug her a bit longer now and then, I think I can handle letting her go a little at a time these next few years.

Today's question first thing this morning (before my coffee) was, "mom, what is incest?" Oh, dear. So I patted her dear daddy and said, "this one's for you, love." And of course, he aced it. Whew.

HE IS!

What a week it had been. And it was only Tuesday. The girls had the day off school on Monday and silly me had scheduled an early orthodontist appointment. We decided we'd go out for breakfast afterwards, then go to the mall. The girls spent their gift cards and we met up with Dad for lunch and had a nice visit with him. On the way home we stopped at the dollar store and played with all the electronic stuffed animals, having a battle between a horse and a large dinosaur. Then we bought candy and went home. Great day, right? It really was.

That night I went to bed not feeling so well (could have been that candy!)and ended up being awake ALL NIGHT LONG. Well, you know when you get no sleep that life is just unbearable! My eyes looked horrific, I suppose like a junkie's, and I was limping around, feeling my bursitis again...sigh. What a change from Monday, skipping around the mall with my girls, having fun. I then decided to file a year's worth of bills. Why oh why did I do that, I don't know. But I certainly didn't rest that day. My plan was to rest when I was finally done with my school run and then my last pick up at 5:00. It wasn't to be...Nat called me and said, "mom, there's a game...tonight." UGH!!

So I called my mom to tell her and we ended up talking for an hour or so. She had to tell me her funny story about trying to clean the rec room and having a bat fly up out of there and into her bedroom 2 floors up! My mom is just like me- not a fan of critters! So poor dad had to find the tennis racquet and go in search of this elusive bat. Mom felt bad that dad was up there tearing up the closet, looking for a bat, while she sat paralyzed in the living room! She suddenly thought-hey, I'll pray! Minutes later, she got the courage to grab a broom and go up to help him out. After tearing up their whole room, mom got the idea that the bat was hiding by her dresser, and lo and behold (who says that anymore?) there he was cowering in the corner. She told me this story to try to encourage her daughter, who was ready to throw in the towel after feeling like she was dragged behind a truck!

So, okay, I'm calling it "bat week" then, when something suddenly flies up that I didn't expect and it threatens to ruin my day. A sleepless night, an achy body, a lack of something...all of them BATS!

Mom ended up not getting her task done because the bat shenanigan made her so tired. I vowed not to let my sleepless night ruin my day too. If God can use a bat to show his power, then I wonder what a sleepless night could do? I don't know the full extent yet, but I was given a hint this morning as I turned on my computer. I never turn my computer on before I take the girls to school. I know now why I did it today.

I walked over to my computer, and sitting on our insurance file was a Bible verse that I had typed out and matted on pink paper. I haven't seen one of those in a long time, having put them in various places in my house. Since I had just cleaned my desk and just put that file there, there was absolutely no way that verse could have gotten there by my hand. I asked everyone if they had been by the desk, and no one had.

So I walked into the kitchen and read the verse that was sitting on my file by the computer I may have even chosen to turn on today. And I shared it with my husband, who I had just poured my heart out to the night before, in frustration. And here is what it said:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid."- John 14:27

And that was an amazing way to start my Wednesday, don't you think? It's going to be a good week after all. Red eyes, limp, and every other rotten thing. It's all good because HE IS.

Bad Day Gone Good

What a day it started out to be! Steve told me goodbye and added, "be careful driving out there today." I just kind of looked at him and said, "uh, yeah, I drove in that yesterday.No biggie." He tells me it snowed a bit last night and might be slick. Okay.

I headed out to the garage and before I could even open the van door, I felt snow in my face. What? Snowing in the garage? Weird. After Steve told me to be careful I looked outside and nothing was happening. Just minutes after, it was a blizzard! The wind was blowing so hard that snow was blowing into the garage right up to the house door.

With a few "yikes" from the girls, we piled in the van anyway and I began to back out. I don't know if I've ever seen snow that hard and that fast in such a short period of time. We barely made it to the neighbor's driveway and I turned and came back home.

"MOM!!! WE HAVE EXAMS TODAY!! EXAMS!! I'M GONNA BE LATE!! LATE!! That was from dear Natalie in panic mode, which these days is pretty frequent. Teenagers. Yikes. She began texting her friend. I can just imagine what she wrote....omg(goodness)mmimmlforjtlskdhthedikdlsl!!!!!! Her friend's reply..."oh, you're so lucky to be home...but you're gonna miss exams.." Oh, dear. Luckily the snow died down after a bit and we piled back in to try again. I scribbled a quick tardy note for Nat and we were on our way. It was fine all the way to her school. Whew! She lamented the whole way...I hate being late! Oh, maybe someone else will be late! Do you think any buses are late? What will Mrs. T say? As she got ready to exit the van she panicked again, "DID YOU WRITE ME A LATE NOTE??" Yes, dear. It's sitting in your lap, where you put it. See, sometimes it's not just the moms who are demented. I didn't say that part out loud, I just wanted to.

By then the snow picked up again, and Serena and I slowly rolled our way to where her band class is held...a different building. We get there and there are no lights and the door is locked. Footprints leading to the door, but no people! What? I quickly called the school and found that the substitute got into a car accident on the way to school. I guess I wasn't the only one having a bad day. She's ok by the way. Car not so good. So we drove over to her school. "mom, are you sure I'm supposed to go to the cafeteria?" Yes, I just asked Mrs. D. Cafeteria. "Do you think you should come with me?" She should have known better than to ask me that. I'm wearing my too big "around the house" pants, my too big comfy shirt, and I barely combed my hair. I just drove in a snowstorm. I'm sure I look a fright. I just said, "no, sweetie. You know where to go. You'll be fine."

As I turned to make the several mile drive back home, the storm picked up again and I couldn't see the small city streets around me. I tried in vain to make it back, but I was forced to stop and visit with some kind people in their jammies having coffee. My parents. They even made me coffee, as mine was sitting in a pot at home. :)

The snow cleared. The sun came out, and while I didn't have my sunglasses, I made it home alive and grateful. And then my display on my van reminded me not to get too content as it blared out.."LEFT TURN SIGNAL OUT" and then "RIGHT TURN SIGNAL OUT". Hmmmm.....I turned them both on just to see, and they both worked just fine.

Looks like I win again. :)

Woe is Me in Winter these Days

Today proved it. Just when I was getting used to a snow-free winter, we got bombed with a winter storm. My lack of excitement just proves that I've been ready to move south (anywhere south, for that matter!) for a long time.

Steve will come home from work and begin a sentence with, "guess what happened today...", and my eager reply is, "We're transferring to Houston? Georgia?" He laughs....and breaks my heart..."no, at least not today anyway."

And so I will have to put up with this white blanket of doom. This cold slush in my soul. This nightmare on every street.

Now I know what you're going to say..."it's so pretty!" and yes, it is, especially in the woods. But what it says to me is that summer is a really long way off and I have to survive this for another few months. I just don't have it in me!

It will be a private summer in my house, though. I am going to dig out some summer tunes, turn up the heat, put on the bright worklamps and lather on the coconut stuff. I am doing summer anyway!

So, go enjoy your pretty snow and have fun digging yourselves out of the ditch. I am praying for spring....and a warmer state.

Broken to be Blessed

I've been trying to get over the "crud", that is, ear, nose, throat,common cold junk. So, I've been a little fuzzy lately! I'm just now starting to feel a bit more human.

I posted recently about changing food and exercise habits, and that's normal for me, but as I thought more about it, I started to think about it in a more spiritual sense. Spiritual food. Spiritual exercise. At the same time, God revealed to me some areas of my thinking and personality that he wants me to change.

It's hard for me to admit this. I always want you to see my "best face". I don't want you to think bad of me. I am afraid of your criticism of me. It's only natural that God would want to address those very things with me! Yes, I am too critical. I am too judgmental. I can be opinionated. I can be rigid. I can be too quick to speak. And I hate ALL of those things about me, which is why I would fear them from others! Bingo. Bazinga!

Of course, I don't struggle with this as often as I used to. I'd like to believe that with God, I have overcome a lot of the insecurity that used to drive that behavior. See, it's no one's fault but mine when I get that way. It's not who I'm with, it's not who I grew up with, it's not my parents. It's my own choice to be wrong. So, in turn, it's also my choice to do right. I get critical when I'm hurting. I get judgemental when I get rejected. I get opinionated when I feel attacked. It's a knee jerk reaction to a bigger problem. God showed me that. I will take no credit for that insight at all! If I want joy, I have to choose to let God correct me.

And so I prayed on the way to my dear friend's home this morning. I asked God to help me be a sweet spot in her day, to use my speech to lift her up and to reflect God. To not complain, be negative, gossipy, grouchy, opinionated, or difficult. To be a light on a rainy day. Not to make me look good, but to make God look good and to make her feel good. She made it easy, as she was positive,uplifting, sweet, and helpful in her speech. She was the light in my day! And I was a light in hers, I'd like to think.

When we walk around in the dark, expecting everyone to do something for us, it's a lonely place to be. When we don't realize the impact our attitudes have on others, we can't really put them first, can we? I think God was trying to remind me that I need to put others first and focus on myself last. This was not a new request, believe me! He's reminded me of this before. Hello, baby of the family here!!

And just because I'm a Christian and just because I know a lot of the Bible does not make me all "fixed"! It makes me want to be completely recharged, rebooted, and repaired. Being broken makes me want to be better because I want to be used for better things. And aren't we all a little broken if we'd just admit it? As I found, you can't be fixed unless you do, and you can't be blessed until you let God change you.

At least that's the way I see it. And I am a little opinionated....:)

Love to Distraction..and other thoughts

I know it's not Valentine's Day just yet, but the word "love" has been on my mind lately. I was reading a book the other day, and a sentence grabbed me. "She loved her children to distraction.." I don't want to say it was one of those annoying "light bulb moments", but it did make an impact.

I am one of those people who love to the point of distraction. When I am focused on my kids and my family, no one else in the world exists. When I would hold my babies, I didn't know who was in the room and I didn't care. I was "distracted" by colic and pacifiers, cheerios underfoot, dirty diapers, and while other moms were out doing what they wanted to do, I was pleasantly "distracted" at home. Though I volunteered in many areas of school and community when they were small, my focus was always them first and I didn't care who that bothered.

I am now "distracted" by teenagers, at least one anyway, and the other who is close behind her. Now I'm "distracted" by basketball practices, basketball games, saxophones, contact lenses, curling irons, straightening irons, shoes, friends...and none of those things are mine. Knowing I have just a few years left with them makes me even more focused on them. I don't care who that bothers either.

Distraction. The definition amuses me. At one point it goes from "to draw or direct (as in one's attention) to a different object or different directions at the same time", to "mental confusion"! Yup. I have both.

Is "love by distraction" an actual style of loving someone? I have no idea, but I can buy the fact that it's hard to love something or someone that you're not focused on. When you let so many other things "direct your attention away from..." that person or thing, can you fully give that love?

Can you love God if you're not focused on Him? Shouldn't I be more distracted by God than I am by basketball? Of course, God knows our earthly lives are full of lots of things, some of them good. But he's also jealous for our love and attention, and for good reason. So while I'm loving my kids and family to distraction, I don't want to be distracted from God, or other people and what they may need from me. That's the problem with me.

This is going to be a real challenge for me. Though "multi-tasking" and "woman" are usually used in the same sentence, I try in vain not to try to do too many things at once. I just can't function that way. I can't have multiple obligations, calendars, promises, dates on the calendar...I just can't be productive that way. Some women can. I'd like to know how! I am the type of person who needs quiet, down time, peace, and organization. I like to be around people who are simple in the way of not trying to do too much at once. I like the peace they bring with them. I like to be able to enjoy the person I'm with without worrying about what time it is or where I need to be next. And while life is not any of the above things I just described, I still try to find peace in my distractions.

I'm sure there's some kind of balance in all of this. I hate the word "balance" by the way, because it assumes everything on each side will just magically even out. It really never does! I have to believe that I can love my kids and family productively while still giving myself to God and to other people. I just haven't figured out how to do it well just yet!

Pages from the Exercise Diary

I was standing at the sink just the other day, and my daughter had a friend over. I can't remember what we were talking about, but I said, "hey, come over here and feel my guns!" They laughed, but humored me by coming over to squeeze my arms. I think I pleasantly shocked both of them. They were surprised that not only does mom have muscles, they're hard muscles! I told the friend that these are the only guns I need. That if someone messes with me, they will certainly be sorry afterward. She just smiled and suggested maybe I start wrestling professionally. :) I smiled and said, "what makes you think I don't already?"

It's nice to not only feel the muscles in my body, but to know that they are making it easier for me to move and perform tasks that used to make me struggle. Now, I'm not a bodybuilder...by far! But I have developed strength in my body by doing simple exercises each day.

I'm not a fan of working out. Not a fan of gyms, treadmills, sweat, fancy workout clothes, etc....I'm anti-gym altogether. I think they're gross! Working out can be gross too. However, moving your body and seeing results is anything but gross. So, why don't you do it?

Hmmm...well, let's see. We're busy. We're moms with kids who have various needs and demands. Some of us work out of the home, some of us just try to keep up the home. Our bodies may not be all that equipped for working out. Maybe your knees are bad, your lungs are shot, your back hurts. There are lots of reasons (and sometimes excuses) why exercise is last on the list. For me, I have what I call "baby lungs". They just can't take much, and it's been that way all my life. So, challenge number one. I also take medication to prevent migraines and to regulate my heart rate. Side effects are challenge number two! My medication wreaks havoc with my circulation, my blood sugar, and my energy level. There are some things I just can't do without trouble. For one, I can't get on my elliptical anymore unless Steve is home. That way I will have help in case I faint. Yup. Annoying, but I can't let it stop me, right? Going outside in the cold can make my hands and feet turn white, and sometimes they go numb for hours. That makes walking outside very unpleasant for me. So, what's a girl with challenges to do, you ask? Push through them!!

There are tons of exercises you can do if you have limits. I do free weights while watching tv, squats, push ups, sit ups, resistance bands, leg lifts, walking, going up and down stairs, pretty much anything I can do without getting winded or dizzy! Dancing is fun and a great workout too. I don't care what your neighbors think! Do it anyway. Kids love to dance. Get them involved too!

I guess the point is, find something you can do that fits into your schedule, whatever it is. I started out just doing 10 pushups a day. I then added 10 situps a day. You can do this in just minutes, before a shower, after your shower, after lunch in your office...whatever works. Just don't let excuses or well-meant reasons stop you from moving. My favorite form of exercise has always been playing with my kids. We would go outside and get a kickball game or basketball game started and just have a ball running around. I still maintain that if you do that every day with your kids, your benefits will be tenfold and not just for you!

Movement is the only reason my "itises" are under control. Since dropping weight and building muscle, I don't have the joint pain or the bursitis as bad as I did before. I haven't had lower back pain in months! This after spending over a year in pain! So, I guess my next point is find your motivation for moving, and write it down where you see it every day. Do you want to feel better? Then you better move!

And don't worry about a set time to work out. I stay home and I can't even do that! Sometimes I'm in the mood to work out at 8:30am, sometimes it's 8:30pm. Sometimes I'm running kids everywhere at those times. It's impossible to find just one set time a day. I don't put that kind of pressure on myself anymore. I just do what I can when I can and call it good enough. I don't spend money on work out clothes either! I have actually done my workout in my jeans and sweatshirt because I didn't feel like changing! And not only can gyms be gross, I don't like to be watched while I grunt and groan my way through exercise. I prefer to be alone. I also prefer to put money on other things besides ridiculous gym fees. However, if that is the only way to get you out of the house and it works for you, then do that!

ANd that is point number three. We just have to find what works for us and not worry about what works for everyone else. I'm a pretty unconventional chick. I don't worry about whether my shoes match my yoga pants. Heck, pants that are a size too small qualify for yoga pants, right?? SO, it just makes sense that my workout regime will also be unconventional too.

I could probably do much better, but I figure I'm doing better than I was at this time last year, and next year I'll be doing better than I am right now. I'm willing to be creative about it, to put the necessary time in, and to be patient while I allow myself to adapt to the plan.

And that, to me, is success in exercise.

Pages from the Diet Diary

It's that time of year again when it seems everyone is trying new diets! Well, not me. I'm still on my eating plan from May 9th, 2011, and it's still working. No magical formulas. No monthly fees. Nothing to join. Ever. Tee Hee.

Since starting my new plan, I've maintained a 34 pound-ish weight loss. That means that some days when I'm lucky, I see a missing half pound on the scales! I feel so much better. I look better. I sleep better. Life is the same, but I'm better. Even a little better with the SAD symptoms...so far.

Some of the successes of my weight loss are due to a change in the amount of food I was eating, not just the types of foods. Instead of a bowl of ice cream or a piece of pie, I put whatever dessert I want into a small custard cup. That's a serving! Piece of cake.

I quit eating red meat, and don't eat much bread or white potatoes. I still eat a custard cup size of pasta, but no more. What I've given up in starch, I made up for with vegetables. I also eat a lot of chicken breast. I don't eat much butter, and now favor the butter sprays. I love olive oil on most anything, so we bought an oil mister, and it works great. Um, let's see...what else....oh, I eat blueberries every morning and have green tea up to three times a day when I remember. I love fruit and yogurt combined, so that's a nice breakfast, and when you place it in the freezer for up to an hour, it makes a great evening dessert too. I love pizza, but now have it with thin crust, and if you make your own, you can adjust the toppings to be a lot healthier. Skip the cheese bread and go for the salad. Just a suggestion.

This new eating plan has helped me lose weight, but it has also helped me with my prior digestion issues. I'm thinking bread is probably the culprit and maybe sugar....either way, I cut down on both and I feel better. I love salad, and put just about any veggie you can think of in mine. Add a little light dressing and it's a go!

Do I have cravings? Of course, anyone does. I love sweets, so I have my usual 2 squares of dark chocolate a day. I will also sprinkle cinnamon on apple slices or have a 1/2 cup of dry cinnamon chex. Anything but junk, that's my thought process. Sometimes it works, sometimes I give in. I get back on track much faster than I used to.

Night time can be rough! I keep a little sugar free candy on my nightstand and find that those little sour candies keep cravings at bay. I also will go for a popsicle, a cup of ovaltine, or a carbonated flavored water. If all else fails, I pop up some popcorn and call it good.

Tomorrow (if I'm able) I will share my exercise plan with you. If you're starting a new diet or exercise plan, my best advice is to do it in small baby steps. One change at a time!!

FAQ's

"Why aren't you on Facebook?" "Can we get a monkey?" "Will you braid my hair?" "Can I watch this movie?" "Can I get my nose pierced?" "Aren't i beautiful?" "Where is (fill in the blank)?" "Can I stay home?" "Can we go to the mall?" "Why?" "Can I get a hug?" "Can I go to the family center after school?" "Can so and so come over?" "Do I have to?" "How does this thing work?" "Can I get the straightener out of your bathroom?" "Can I come in?" "Why can't she do it?" "ugh. Can we get high speed?" "Can we get wi-fi?" "Where is dad?" "Who ate the last one?" "Can somebody make popcorn out there?" "Does this make my butt look big?"

Questions. Endless questions. Such is my life on a daily basis. I miss this one: "Why is the sky blue?" and I'm bewildered by this one: "Can I get my nose pierced?" This from the child who faints at immunizations. Sheesh. No, you can't get your nose, your butt, your eye, or your brain pierced. IF you want anything pierced, dad and I will do it for you! Happily.

Why am I not on Facebook? My kids don't ask me, but lots of adults do. I simply don't want to. I don't want to spend my time doing that. I am not interested in it. I don't care about it. I don't like it. Don't need it. Have better things to do with my limited time. No offense. I just don't wanna do it. Just like a root canal. Is that so hard to understand? Sheesh!

Sometimes I just look at the asker with my blank stare before repeating their question back at them. "Can you get a monkey. Hmmm. I don't know, can you?" "You want ice cream, eh? Well, isn't that interesting." "Of course you're beautiful, you look just like your father." "Do I love you. Now what kind of stupid question is that?"

"Do I think that stain will come out? Hmmm...I'll get back to you in about four hours. I'll be in the laundry room. Scrubbing."

I ask lots of questions too. Funny, the most common answer I get is, "I dunno..." Really? You "dunno"? Okay. Can we go to the mall? What's for dinner?Where is your lunch bag? I dunno. I dunno. I dunno.

And if you ask me where something is, I pity you. If I have to get up and find it for you, you will be ridiculed and humiliated beyond belief. If I find it within 30 seconds, I am calling the local news on you. It's just that question, "Where is such and such?" It's like nails on a chalkboard to me! Have you even started looking yet?? Do I look like the customer service center of lost items? Just because I clean everything doesn't mean I know where the maraschino cherries are. I'm just saying.

So, ask away, but I may not answer right away. I may just give you my blank stare. I may go all "CAPS LOCK" on you. I may just refer you to my special 800 customer service number. 1-800-I-dunno.

Sicky New Year

New Year's Eve day began with the following conversation:

(9:30am) Me: Wow, Serena, you're up early today.
Serena: Yeah, I just threw up.
Me: Did you make it to the bathroom?
Serena: Yup.
Me: Poor baby, I'll be up in a minute.

Did you notice my first question...did you make it to the bathroom? I know, it sounds callous and insensitive, but I had to know what my day had in store right up front. And puke duty was going to take everything I had right away. I love being nurse to my girls, but puke just makes me lose it!

We didn't have plans for that evening anyway, at least not formal ones. We always spend NYE with our girls, playing games and making something fun to eat. If we get invited somewhere, great, if not, well then, who cares. We've had people over before, but it's not my favorite thing to do. I just like to relax, I guess. However, relax was not in the plans according to Serena's flu.

She came downstairs awhile later, looking the worst I had ever seen her look, and she had me concerned. The other clue was that she said she didn't want to be alone. She was looking a bit gray, so I asked her if she needed to go into the bathroom. She did. A few minutes later, as I was upstairs making her bed comfy, I heard a loud thud on the living room floor. Thankfully, Steve was home and waiting for her nearby, because the loud thud was her body hitting the hardwood floor. I came flying back down the stairs to see her white as a sheet and barely coherent. She was responding, but only said, "I'll just lay here". She then broke out into a clammy sweat and it took a bit to get her to make some sense.

I do what any normal mom does. I fret when my kids are that sick. It's not that I don't trust God to take care of them. I just don't trust myself!! We made her up a bed on the couch so we could keep a better eye on her, and she stayed there all day and into the evening, taking small sips of water when prompted. We tried to stay quiet, and it made for a very long day. We tried to play some games with Natalie, but it just wasn't fun knowing Serena was so sick.

Later when she was asking to finally change her clothes, I made her sit up for a bit before attempting to stand, then I made her stand a bit before attempting to walk. She seemed better so I allowed her to go into the bathroom alone. Big mistake. I stood by the door and listened for her, and next thing I knew, another loud thud. I tried to open the door, but she had fallen against it and I was trying to slide her out of the way to get the door open. I finally heard her small voice say, 'give me a minute'. Well, the child is extremely private, and she didn't have all of her pajamas on yet. Fortunately, she was okay, but dad had to go in there and pick her up off the floor again.

She went back to sleep, and upon checking on her frequently, I found she had developed a fever. Now it was really freaking me out. Does fever freak every mom out, or just me? I could tell you stories.... By now it was getting late and the rest of us were hanging out in the bedroom, trying to be close by but quiet. Finally by 11:45, the fever began to break and we were able to watch the ball drop on tv. We toasted with vernors and sparkling grape juice and went to bed. Happy New Year.

I then proceeded to have a rather rough night of stomach cramps (sympathy pains?) and broken sleep, worried about Serena. At 5:40am, my cell phone went off, waking me from a sleep that took all night to earn. Wrong number, but then any number at that time of morning causes the mind to wander, right?

So New Year's Day came and Serena was much better, and when she got into the shower, I stayed close by. Sure enough. THUD. Well, this time it was the shampoo bottle. Whew! :)

She is now doing great and bopping around again in her usual way. We are so thankful that it didn't get any worse. Unfortunately, both girls got sick over Christmas break, but at least they didn't have to miss school. And now the house is quiet again, and life resumes as usual.

Thud. That's me, hitting the couch for the first time in weeks!!