Say What?

1. Post these rules on your blog.

2. Just list 10 things that won't likely ever come out of your mouth.

3. High-five (or 'tag') any amount of people to do the same on their blog.

4. Then come back here to Lifesong and let me know.

So here are 10 things that will never come out of my mouth:

1. Yes, I would love an extra large portion of deep fried chicken livers, with a side of mushrooms.
2. I can't believe I just read another book...what a waste of time!
3. It's okay, I don't mind climbing on the roof to put the Christmas lights up.
4. Let me take care of that spider problem for you.
5. I can't wait to go clothes shopping!
6. Can you embroider "Bootylicious" on that?
7. I decided to go ahead and wear my new white shoes before Easter.
8. That was so much fun crawling around in the attic!
9. Do you mind if I smoke in here?
10. I'm so glad we don't sing those boring old hymns in church anymore!

Okay, I realize that I am supposed to tag people for this, but I'm going to leave it open ended. If you are reading this, you are tagged and should go directly to your blog and post. Or not. Whatever. It's a free world! If you decide to participate, just remember to link back to Andrea at Lifesong so she can see what everyone has to say.

Family Secrets

I frequently post things that my children say, because I think they are cute. I want to remember those little moments in years to come, so I blog about them. But there are some things that are said within the confines of the nuclear family that become part of our lexicon forever. We are the only ones who know what it means, whether it's a phrase or just one word.

For instance, Rachel Anne at Home Sanctuary uses the term "company girl" in her family. When I was growing up, my sister would accuse my brother of "eating it all" if he ate the last cookie. Never mind that she had eaten most of the cookies and that he was just trying to get one before they were gone. In her mind, he ate them all. So, the phrase "he/she ate it all" became a family phrase that is still used today. If you are caught with the last bite of anything, you ate it all.

I also picked up the habit of saying "it deserves you right" instead "it serves you right," and I am incapable of saying it correctly now.

There are many other stories that I could share bore you with, but what I really want to know is your family secret. Is there a word or phrase that just makes you snicker privately every time you hear it out in the real world, because you know what it means in your family? Is there some phrase that you say incorrectly because it is so much a part of your language that you don't even recognize that you are saying it incorrectly anymore? Come on....what's your family secret?

Breakfast Conversation

Every Sunday morning we leave the house 30 minutes before Sunday School starts in order to go through the local doughnut establishment and purchase klobasnek and doughnut holes. We take them to my classroom, and dole everything out before everyone dashes off to their rooms.

Trevor was dispensing the doughnut holes, and in anticipation Nathan said, "Come to Papa!" Gracie was seated next to him and promptly said, "Come to Nannie!" (The kids call my parents Nannie and Papa) I still laugh every time I think of it!

Note: A klobasnek is basically a pig in a blanket, except the dough is not biscuit dough. It's slightly sweet and is also the dough used to make fruit kolaches. My husband's family is Czech, and his grandmother makes these amazing fruit and cheese kolaches that are incredible.

Friday Fun

I found Nathan and Grace in the backyard Friday evening doing this...

(Does anyone know why the video shows up twice when I publish it?)

One More Time

I've been tagged by Mo at Gratitude Journal for a meme. Strangely enough, I did this one back in November, but if you are interested in knowing 7 random and/or weird things about me, click here.

Blogging With a Purpose

My friend Leslie at Do You Weary Like I Do?, gave me this really great award, which originated here. I am so blessed to be a part of this blogging community, and I have received much needed encouragement from so many of you. (And I am in serious need of building up and encouragement after my dismal typing performance!)

There are some blogs that I visit because I am sure to get a good laugh every time. There are some I read because I have apparently found several blogging soul-twins, and it's a bit like reading about my own life. But there are some that I go to because I know that I will be encouraged and sometimes convicted. These blogs are honest and open, and the authors are obedient to God in that they edify and teach the truths of the scripture in a way that makes me want to put on the new man daily.

So, according to the rules, I am passing this award on to Heather, Sue, Linda, Kelly, and Rhonda. This is, of course, not a complete list, but I am a total rule follower and I.must.comply.

Here are the rules for passing this award along....

1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.

2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.

3. In their post about the award they need to link back to this entry.

4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to the above linked site.

What's Your Speed?

This little challenge from Andrea was fun. Actually, it was quite sad. Actually, I should get an award for posting at all, because my typing is so bad that it takes me 3 times as long as everyone else! (How's that for looking on the bright side?!) Nope, I think the original evaluation is accurate...it's just sad. How about you?

48 words

Speed test

(And no cheating...first attempt only. Of course, these were the results for my first, second and third attempts, so good luck with cheating to begin with....)

(Amendment: I would like to say that my score went up to 59 words when I used a regular keyboard, instead of my laptop. That is all.)

A New Beginning

Have I recently mentioned that I am not a morning person? I'm not a morning person when I wake up at my normal time of 6 or 6:30. I am most definitely not a morning person at 5 am.

But this is when I have to drag myself out of bed to have my quiet time. Because, you know, one of the qualifications of quiet time is that it's actually quiet while you're doing it. The cacophony of two children getting ready for school/the babysitter is hardly conducive to studying the Word and prayer!

I renewed my pledge to have a consistent quiet time last September. You can read here and here about my experience. According to my journal and blog entries, that commitment lasted all of about 2 months. The holidays arrived with all of the extra stuff to do and my quiet time was the first thing to be pushed to the side. I am here to report that my family noticed it. They couldn't have put their finger on it exactly, but the quiet and gentle spirit that I was praying for during my time alone with God went away with the disappearance of the special time set aside for just the two of us.

I felt more stressed and I was less patient with Trevor and the kids. I felt a disconnect at church and with my friends. Coincidence? I think not. My prayer life was in shambles and I felt so out of touch with God in a very personal way. The longer I rebelled, the worse I felt about myself and my life in general. Never mind the guilt and stress of commenting on all of my favorite blogs as though I had it completely together in all areas. In case you were wondering, smugness is not a fruit of the spirit.

Monday I decided to pick myself up and dust off the dirt the world is always leaving on me, and begin my quiet time. I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time that I have to start over, but praise God, I'm doing it! I have felt such a peace this week, and I know that starting my day in the Word and prayer is the reason. My heart (and my head) knows that I need this. I covet this time alone with God and know that I will be renewed each morning, but I really struggle with my faithfulness.

So, how do you guys stay faithful in your quiet time each day? I'm so tired of feeling like I've failed over and over again. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about how to maintain the motivation to stick with it.

Do You Get It?

If you enjoy Star Trek, then you will totally get this post. If not, well...you might just want to skip it.

And my personal favorite........

The Interesting Blog Award

Andrea over at Lifesong gave me this incredibly flattering award today. Although I often feel like I have nothing interesting to say, it's gratifying to know that you guys don't feel that way! (Is anyone else noticing all of the unintentional rhyming going on here?)

Anyhoo, thank you Andrea, for thinking of me when you received this award for your own very interesting and entertaining blog! Now the stress begins...I have to pass this on, and I live in constant fear of hurting someone's feelings. If your name is not listed here, not to worry. I still find your blog very interesting!

I'm passing the love on to Kate, Alana (my blogging bff even though she is not aware of it, and probably thinks I'm stalking her with all of the memes and awards I send to her!), Karen, and Leslie. I think that each of you has something interesting to say every time you post to your blog, and I get a particular thrill when your names come up on my Google reader!

Talk About It!

During the Christmas holidays, we were blessed to have my whole family here with us for about a week. It was a refreshing time of fellowship and outright craziness (which is wont to happen when my family gathers), but we also had some serious conversations. One of those happened one evening when we found ourselves alone with my brother and sister-in-law.

Someone in Ronna's family has been struggling with their marriage, and one of Patrick's dear friends from childhood and college recently divorced. All this to say that Patrick's spirit has been heavy with concern for the marriages of those he loves, and came to the conclusion that no matter how uncomfortable or awkward, he would talk about marriage with his friends and family. Talk about it within the context of scripture, ask questions and make sure that those he loves are not careening towards an unbiblical divorce. Not in a rude or pushy way, but in the spirit of Christian love and bearing with one another with patience.

As background to this conversation, Patrick and Trevor had already had several conversations over the course of the week regarding marriage and role of a Christian husband. So, as we were sitting there drinking coffee and enjoying the fire, Patrick began asking questions about our marriage and sharing things about his own. As the conversation progressed, Trevor shared some things about our marriage that had been on his heart for a long time. In particular, the fact that he felt like I nagged him.

Imagine complete and total shock here.

"I do not nag!" I thought. "I have to remind him of everything because if I don't, it won't get done unless I do it!! He gets mad when I remind him of stuff, but I get tired of doing everything!!" And do you know what it all boiled down to? Laundry. His greatest issue with our marriage involved laundry, and how much he hates doing it. We share pretty much all of the housework equally because we both work full-time, and we both hate doing laundry. Not just that, but we have completely different methods for completing the job. I do it in spurts during the week. As the laundry finishes in the dryer, I fold and/or hang the clothes and then put them away. Trevor tends to wait until Sunday afternoon, and then do all 6 loads at once. He leaves the folded clothes on the dining room table and the hanging clothes in the utility room.

All day.

Or, all week if he has done a load or two on Wednesday.

Can you tell that this really bothers me? So, what usually happens is that I have to "remind" him to do a load mid-week, and then I have to "remind" him all day Sunday to do the laundry and then put it away because for the love of Pete, does it have to STAY ON THE TABLE??!!!

At first (okay, pretty much the whole time), I felt as though I was being attacked. What was he thinking sharing these things with OTHER PEOPLE? I have to add that although I felt a bit ganged-up on, everything said during this conversation was done in a loving, thoughtful way. Trevor did not attack me or say hurtful things. The only thing that was hurtful about it was the fact that I had to recognize my sins when I was faced with them, and it hurt my pride.

When we went to bed that night, I was a bit irritated with Trevor. I wish I could say that I was completely receptive and open to their loving advice and admonition, but sadly, I was just hurt. Not hurt that Patrick cared enough to ask those hard questions, but hurt that Trevor had these issues with me that I didn't even know about and I had to find out in a group meeting. Angry because I still felt like I was right and that he was just blowing things out of proportion. If he would just do the laundry the right my way, I wouldn't have to nag remind him. If he loved me, he would see how much his method bothered me and would change to make me happy, right?

Well, although issues were aired we didn't really resolve anything that night. We prayed together that evening for our marriages and for each of us to be obedient to scripture and embrace the roles that God intended for each of us. In the days following that conversation, I saw changes in the way Trevor did the laundry and I made an effort to recognize when I was nagging (and believe me, it wasn't just about the laundry!).

Over time, I could see that our marriage was stronger because of that conversation. I don't mean to minimize it to laundry, because it was so much more than that, but the laundry example revealed some of the issues that we were having. The amazing thing is that I didn't even really realize that there was a problem, but once it was addressed things were so much better. Our status quo needed a boost, and I am so glad that Patrick was willing to put himself out there and show concern for our marriage.

So this past Monday when it was time to hand over the laundry reins to Trevor for his week of personal hell, I had a great idea. How better to show him that I love him than to offer to take those reins forever? I really didn't like doing it, but my distaste had nothing on his all consuming hatred of all things laundry. So I offered to take over the laundry.

Imagine complete and total shock here.

Now, in my mind, I was going to barter with him. As in, "I will do all of the laundry if you agree to take over the litter box duties." (Oh, how I hate cleaning that thing!!) But as I sat there telling him that I would do the laundry, I realized that making a deal was not the way to serve my husband in our marriage. I needed to cheerfully do this without the expectation of getting something out of it.

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. Romans 12:10

So, praise the Lord and pass the peas, I held my tongue. Although he expressed the opinion that it didn't sound like much a deal for me, he gratefully accepted my offer. We sat there for a few minutes, and this is what came out of my husband's mouth:

"I'll tell you what. Since you are going to do the laundry, I'll take responsibility for the litter box from now on."

Imagine complete and total shock here.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, does He not? I was just knocked over (for the millionth time) at how my obedience results in blessing. I love the way that Patrick described the marriage relationship. He said that it should not be about making deals and making sure everything is split down the middle, rather two people trying to "outserve" one other. When Trevor does something for me, I naturally want to do something for him. One act of kindness or sacrifice just builds on itself and our marriage blooms.

All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. I Peter 5:5-7

All of this to say that I think we need to talk about our marriages. Even if your marriage is healthy and you are content with your spouse, we should talk about our marriages. I thought that we were content until we really got down to the nitty gritty with another Christian couple who love us and fervently desire that we have a Godly marriage. Don't be afraid. Counsel with one another in a safe, non-threatening environment and use scripture as your guide.

The church today is so afraid to tackle the subject of marriage (and divorce) for fear of upsetting members and stepping on toes, but we are called to bear with and lift one another up. How many Christian marriages could have been saved had we talked about it? If people didn't feel embarassed and awkward to share their own failings and seek forgiveness?

So talk about it. Share with and pray for one another. Get it out in the open and demonstrate the Christian love and affection to which we are called. I'm glad that we did, and I look forward to that next conversation.

For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
2 Corinthinans 7:8-10.

Pet Peeve #629

Valentine's Day.

There you have it. I am a Valentine's Day scrooge. I hope we can still be friends. I don't buy into the whole idea of needing one specific day of the year to be sure and tell my spouse how much I love him. I live in America. I can get chocolate any day of the year, and I am so not a "stuffed teddy bear holding a heart" sort of girl. I don't need the pressure of one more holiday for which I must purchase a gift.

So, at the beginning of our marriage, Trevor and I banned Valentine's Day. We cave in enough to purchase cards (sometimes), but generally speaking it is just another day. We don't go out for dinner or plan a romantic rendezvous. We just carry on smartly with our lives, because we already cherish one another. We verbalize our love for one another often and enjoy being together.

I know that we are in the minority, but I don't care. I think part of the reason I dislike this "holiday" so much, is that I have known (and still know) so many women who set themselves up for disappointment year after year. They come to work (or church, or whatever) the day after complaining that their significant other either forgot Valentine's Day or didn't do what she envisioned that he should do. Even worse are the people who complain about the gifts they received, because they were:

• the wrong color
• the wrong type of flower
• the wrong number of flowers
• a gift but no fancy dinner
• dinner but no fancy gift
• no card
• the card was funny and not romantic

It's a gift, people! Lighten up!

It just seems like people (and by people I mean women), build this day up in their minds and then are not ever really happy with the outcome. Lord help the man who does it right one year, because he will never, ever be able to do Valentine's Day halfway again! I read this on CNN today, and it sums up what I mean:

Thanks to super-sized expectations and over-the-top commercialization, February 14 has gone from a sentimental aside to a pressure-filled gauntlet lined with chocolate boxes, tennis bracelets and cheesy stuffed bears. "The holiday's designed to make you feel (bad)," says Judy McGuire, author of "How Not to Date."

"If you're in a relationship, it's never anything that it's supposed to be. And if you're single, you feel like a big loser because you don't have anybody. I think people should lower Valentine's Day expectations to pretty much nil. That way, anything that happens is good."

Now having said that, I do enjoy putting together candy bags for my kids to take to school and hand out to their friends. I remember making Valentine's boxes with construction paper, lace hearts and glue so that my friends could drop their cards for me through the slit in the top. Valentine's Day was fun as a kid and just as I was coming off the Christmas sugar high, I got another fix. Good times.

So if you love Valentine's Day, more power to you. Enjoy your day of roses and romance, but I will be sitting at home tonight in my comfy flannel pajamas with my husband. As you are staring into the eyes of your lover across a candlelit table, I will be watching mine eat popcorn in the bluish glow of our television. As you tear into your heart-shaped box of chocolates, I will be snacking on 2 day old chocolate chip cookies that I baked Tuesday. I guess we'll both get what we want for Valentine's Day!

You're Gonna Miss This

You're gonna miss this

You're gonna want this back

You're gonna wish these days

hadn't gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you're gonna miss this

I have heard this song by Trace Adkins so many times over the last two weeks, that I felt compelled to write about the images and emotions it evokes every time I hear it.

As I thought about what I wanted to write, I took a fresh look at the reasons that I started blogging to begin with.  At first, it was just a new pet project. Can I blog every single day? Will I stick with it for longer that a few weeks? Well, I did blog every single day for the first few months, but then slowed down as time went on. My reasons for blogging changed too, as I realized that this would be something my kids could read in years to come. I wanted them to understand who I am and how much I love them and their Daddy. I wanted to give them a glimpse inside my marriage, my job and my head.

I can think of no greater treasure than to uncover the writings of my own mother or father. How cool to know what they were thinking when they were 36, and how they viewed their own marriage and life at that particular time!

I also didn't want to forget the day to day happenings that slip so easily through the cracks in my mind. I read some of my posts from 9 months ago, and was blown away by the fact that I had already forgotten many of the things that I wrote. Simple, sweet things that the kids said or did. Thoughts and feelings about a particular time in my life.

Before I was married, I was happily employed with a great little one-bedroom apartment. I was self-sufficient, and made enough money to be comfortable. When I married Trevor, I left it all behind to move to Virginia because the Navy is funny that way. Something about AWOL and a court martial if Trevor stayed in Houston.

We drove from Texas to Virginia after the wedding, and upon arrival our first living space as a married couple was a rent by the week motel room. Notice I didn't say hotel. It was a place called the London Boulevard Motel, and it was awful. The walls were bright pink, the mini kitchen was crusted with years of grease and food, and you can imagine the smell. The first morning that Trevor left me to go to the base, I just looked around and cried. What had I done? I was so far away from home, my comfortable (and clean) apartment was just a memory and I was sitting in a motel room probably used most recently by the hour.

My dreamy ideals of how married couples started out were crumbling before my eyes.  Visions of unpacking all our wedding gifts and belongings into a perfectly sized apartment with all the amenities went up in smoke and drifted away.  Luckily, we moved within a week or two into an old house that had been divided into 4 apartments. Still not anywhere close to my apartment, but light years beyond the motel!  It didn't have air conditioning, we couldn't afford a phone, our downstairs neighbors were loud alcoholics, and we lived across the street from a crack house, but it was ours.

When I was in the middle of all that craziness, all I wanted was to go home. I wanted my life back and I wanted to get out of Portsmouth, Virginia. I loved Trevor and being married, but this way of living was not something I was accustomed to or liked. But when I look back at that first 4 months of our marriage, it is with longing and nostalgia. I don't really think about the motel or the crack house. When I think of that time, I remember hot summer days spent down by the Elizabeth River getting the truck muddy and (sometimes) stuck. I remember Trevor working half days for the most part (he was being discharged), and coming home at noon nearly every day so that we could play. If someone had told me then that I was going to miss it, I would have laughed.

But I do. I miss that time and also when we moved to Carlsbad, NM and spent a year completely on our own. No family and no friends nearby. We had to go north to Roswell or east to Lubbuck, Texas to see a movie, or eat somewhere nicer than Golden Corral. Our first real house had hard wood floors and ceilings, and my dreams of unpacking those gifts and belongings finally came true.  I was so proud of our little rental place and I was able to work part time and still be home in time to have dinner ready for Trevor at night.

We leaned on each other and grew more in that year than in any other of our marriage so far. It was hard, but I would recommend it for all newly married couples. Get away from parents and siblings and learn how to be married. Drink each other in through the fighting, the tears and the joy. Enjoy every moment together before the babies start to come, because although that part of my life is beyond compare, the time before is precious too.

If someone had told me then that I was going to miss it, I would have laughed.  I missed my family, my friends and my job. I missed home and how lushly green it is compared to the desert. I never would have thought that I would want that back, but I do sometimes.

So why do I rush through these days? If history repeats itself (and it always does), I'm going to miss this. I'm going to miss the small bodies squirming in between Trevor and I when we try to hug. I'm going to miss the sound of baby laughter and of little feet slapping on the pavement. I'm going to miss them asking for one more story, one more kiss, just one more please??!! The mounds of laundry and the stacks of dishes will be forgotten, but the good stuff will be remembered. I will remember, and I'm gonna miss it.

I Had a Dream Last Night

I had a dream last night. Not in itself unusual, but the content was a little strange. I was looking out of my daughter's bedroom window and the booster from a Saturn rocket landed on our swingset. I can still see the glowing debris, and the feeling of dismay that a stinking rocket had destroyed our backyard.

Then the doorbell rang. I went to answer it, and there on my front porch was Heather. Never mind that Heather doesn't live anywhere close to Texas, or that she has no idea what my address is. But I was so excited to finally meet her in person, that I didn't even care that she introduced herself as Karen. She looked like Heather, but her name was Karen. Somehow in my dream it seemed perfectly logical, like she was two people at one time.

We had such a good chat as we walked around the yard, and she was kind enough to not mention the burning Saturn rocket. She then told me that she was going to Washington, DC and that she would like to meet my brother and sister-in-law. I gave her the name of the law firm where he works and encouraged her to give him a call. I even volunteered their house for free lodging.

Why do things that seem so normal during dreams appear completely ridiculous upon waking? I mean seriously, a Saturn rocket was burning in my backyard and it was no big deal. As was the fact that a person who lives in New England and that I have only met through blogging just showed up at my door. With the wrong name. Wow.

So Heather and Karen, I hope you aren't freaked out that I am now dreaming about you. Although I would totally love it if any of my bloggy friends just showed up at my door! Do you think I'm spending too much time here?

High Threshold for Pain

The past few weeks have been quite the roller coaster ride of fever, congestion and medication. All four of us have had some form of illness, but we're finally in the clear. I went back to work yesterday, and Gracie finally went back to the sitter's house this morning. But not before we experienced just one more moment of drama and suspense.

Gracie still had a fever Sunday night, so we called Trevor's mom to see if she could take a day off from work to keep her for us. She agreed, and we made plans to go to work. Right before bed, Gracie told me that her ear hurt. No crying, no whining, just a simple statement. She had been slightly congested for days, but the MD had checked her ears last Monday and they were clear. I figured that she might be getting a bit of an infection, and decided I would call the MD in the morning for advice.

My first clue that something was amiss came when I was brushing her hair Monday morning, and the brush snagged on something in her hair. This is not unusual, because Gracie frequently gets food in her hair when she eats, so I grabbed wet washcloth to clean her hair. That's when I noticed the crust all over her right ear. When I checked it the night before, it was clean and pink. What I was looking at in the morning was not clean and pink. I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that I called the MD immediately to make an appointment.

Trevor's mom called me after the appointment to inform me that Gracie had a ruptured eardrum from an ear infection, and that's why all the gunk had drained out. Apparently the worst of it was over because it's the pressure that hurts, and once the eardrum perforates, the pain pretty much stops.

Well, thank goodness for small favors.

This is not the first time that Gracie's superhuman pain tolerance has delayed a diagnosis. She has had one other ear infection before, and the only reason it was caught because I took her to the MD for a completely unrelated issue. The MD seemed really surprised that she had not been complaining of pain, but she had never said a word.

Another time, she broke out in a rash all over, and when the MD diagnosed her with scarlet fever I couldn't believe that she had not complained of a sore throat. Scarlet fever is a rash associated with strep throat, and she had a pretty nasty case. I had strep throat once, and drinking water felt like swallowing razor blades. Gracie was sitting in the MD's office munching away at a package of crackers as though there were nothing in the world wrong with her!

I suppose all that pain tolerance will serve her well in childbirth, but for now I wish she would tell me when it hurts so I can provide adequate medical care before her stinking eardrum perforates from the pressure of the infection!!! More importantly, adequate medical attention before my child reaches a point that looks for all the world like I don't take care of her!

So now we are back to our normal schedules with the added routine of antibiotics and ear drops morning and night. Did I mention that she hates the eardrops? Trevor's mom gave her the first round, and she did fine because she had no frame of reference, but last night Trevor had to hold her down so I could get them in. This morning, I caught her before she woke up, but that will only work once with Grace. Tomorrow morning I'm pretty sure that no matter how early I go into her room, she will be sitting quietly on her bed, fully dressed and waiting for me. "Fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice...."

It's hard to ever fool Gracie more than once! Any suggestion from all of you ear infection veterans for getting the drops in without a straitjacket and sedatives? She loves to take oral medication...she actually asks for it...but these ear drops are going to do me in before it's all said and done.

Apparently the NyQuil Was Not Enough

Neither was the vitamin C chaser. After spending all day Tuesday in bed or on the couch, I decided that I should probably go to the doctor and get checked out.

The strange thing was that I felt good Wednesday morning. This particular phenomenon always seems to happen to me. I could have a fever of 104.2, vomiting, diarrhea, shingles and enough snot running out my head to keep the horror movie genre in business for the next 15 years, but as soon as I step foot into the doctors office my symptoms miraculously disappear. No wheezing when I exhale, no fever, no nothing. I look like a total hypochondriac, but strangely enough, he always believes me.

So, I left the office clutching a prescription for Tamiflu, an antibiotic (no lectures about how antibiotics don't work on viruses...it's just a precaution because I don't have a spleen), and my personal favorite, the codeine based cough syrup.

You would have though that I was all set, wouldn't you? A veritable pharmaceutical utopia at my fingertips, and the path to better health spread out before me, right?

Wrong.

Because apparently I know more than my doctor does. I couldn't really have the flu. I felt better after only one day, and usually the flu doesn't let up for days. It was probably just a bad cold, and the Tamiflu (which, by the way, is not available in generic form and would have cost us $55) wouldn't help a cold anyway. So with my vast medical knowledge and expertise, I filled the cough syrup and antibiotic, and confidently told the pharmacist (who looked, quite frankly, a bit skeptical) that I didn't need the Tamiflu.

Some time around 3pm on Thursday, the thought occurred to me that my decision to bypass the Tamiflu might turn out to be a fatal one. I was seriously miserable, and to top it all off, Gracie was sick too. Trevor actually stayed home from work Thursday and Friday because I was too weak to take care of her.

So here I am Saturday morning, freshly showered and dressed and ready to go back to bed. It's amazing how the very basics tire you out when you've been sick. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, and I have been trying to some catch up on blog reading , but it's slow going for now.

If I take it easy today and tomorrow, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to return to work on Monday. And I promise that I will never, EVER disregard my doctor again when he prescibes Tamiflu. Cross my heart.