Strep

Turns out Clayton not only has thrush, but strep throat as well. So we decided to treat him with anti-biotics to kill it all quickly and then give him pro-biotics to build up the "good stuff" in his body 'cause he needs to eat and with his mouth and throat being so sore he hasn't wanted to eat. We started him on the meds yesterday and he's already doing a little better. At least he's sleeping and eating better (and when that's mostly what you do...). He actually slept 10-11 hours straight last night! This is the first time...ever?

Oh Clayton my Clayton...

We tried a new doctor (actually a nurse practitioner) Wednesday night. We went to Barbara Herdman in Tillamook because Clayton was kind of listless and really grumpy. He's been slowly getting over his pink eye, his eyes are still goopy though and he hasn't had much appetite. He was also really pale. I think he was partially dehydrated. It was nice to have someone listen to his lungs and heart and look in his ears (the ND doesn't even touch him...) and tell us that that all sounded and looked good. But we got sidetracked and she forgot to look in his throat. She had some good advice on how to keep his skin moisturized and told us to get creative and get liquids in him somehow, whatever he'll take. We mixed some apple juice and water with a little pedilyte and he drank some but was up all night screaming until I put some clove oil in his mouth. I was thinking allergic reaction to something he drank...but then when he woke up later I noticed that his mouth was covered in white...yep...thrush. Explains why he doesn't want to drink anything and I'm sure the sugar in the apple juice only made it worse. So I've been treating him for thrush now. We finally decided to try a little 1/2 percent cortizone cream to give him some relief (cause he's still itching) and this morning his legs are the softest they've been since this whole thing started. You could almost call it smooth soft baby skin again. He's still miserable though with other things and his skin is blotchier but not itchy.
We would appreciate prayers offered up on his behalf and ours as we still struggle with this. We're not sure what to do next or where to go from here. Erik thinks we should check out Dorhmbecker Children's Hospital and see a Pediatric Dermatologist...it sounds like a good idea but I'm still not sure. I'm not sure if I'm more scared of all the tests they might have to run or the medicines they might try to prescribe or if I'm more scared that not taking care of this will do more damage or that we're missing something serious that is causing all this. Thank you to those that are praying. God bless you.

Marked For Life

So it's done. It's only about 3 hours old in this picture, so it's very shiny and red but I was too excited to wait any longer. The pain was not to bad and it didn't take that long.
Psalm 104:33 "I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Here I Go

I'm going to get my tattoo today. My wonderful sister in law, Michelle is watching all the kiddos so I can go. I'll post a picture when I get back.

Theme From...

I wish my music writing capabilities were on par or exceeded my playing abilities. I've started "writing" a piano piece...maybe someday it will have words... but because it's not chords I'm not sure exactly how to write it. Well, to be honest, I want an easy way to write it; I don't want to have to work at it but since all I have right now is my memory I think I'll try really hard. Or I might try and find our digital camera (we lost it already) and check out the video quality.
Maybe I'll find handwriting it strangely fulfilling but I'm not holding out to much hope for that end.

Literary Discussions

"I hoped that we might go on discussing art and literature like this..." (Cold Comfort Farm)
Today Hannah asked me to read "The Secret Garden". I started to read and we made it through the first chapter and then Hannah started asking questions like, "Why did you say 'glad'? Why did you say 'believe'? Why did he hate?" And many other "why" questions till finally I stopped trying to read and asked, "Do you want me to keep reading?"
"No," she said, "I just want to talk about Mary Lennox."
"Oh," said I, "you just want to talk about Mary Lennox?"
"Yes." She replied, "About whether Mary Lennox had a bunk bed. I had a bunk bed but it changed. I don't know if Mary Lennox had a bunk bed."

Sunny Side Up

I got a new Reader's Digest Collection of music. Found this song, written in 1929.

Keep your sunny side up, up! Hide the side that gets blue. If you have nine sons in a row, Baseball teams make money, you know! Keep your funny side up, up! Let your laughter come through, do! Stand up on your legs; Be like two fried eggs; Keep your sunny side up!


Love it. Or as my sister would say...."lurve it!"

Pink Eye

Erik is gone this weekend helping his grandparents move and so it seemed like the perfect time for the kiddos to get pink eye. Ivan has had a cold and very snotty nose and then his eyes started getting goopy so I started treating him for pink eye and then started treating Hannah and then Clayton but I wasn't soon enough. Ivan is looking a little better, Hannah didn't get it all that bad but she did have a fever and complained of her ears aching yesterday but Clayton, oh my littlest boy...his eyes are almost swollen shut this morning, he's pretty miserable and with his allergies I'm not sure exactly how to combat this. Lots of prayer and holding and loving. And hopefully Erik will be home soon.

Real Film

I love real film, the problem is I always forget to get it developed, it just collects on my shelf but Thursday I remembered to take it in to Rite Aid (all 7 rolls!) and these are a few of the gems I found. I also really like black and white film. These were all taken with my Nikon on manual focus (the auto-focus is broken) so I'm especially proud of them.

What Have I Started?

Last night the kiddos were suppose to be in bed and Erik and were sitting down to watch American Idol and yet here they came marching out of their room, Ivan following Hannah. The obligatory question, "What are you doing out of bed?" was answered by Hannah with, "There's a 'saur in our room!" Ivan helped elaborate by saying,"'Saur, room!" and pointing in the general direction. Erik suggested that "Sir Ivan the Clifford of Dante, that brave little knight, should go kill the 'saur." So we gave him his sword and off they bravely went to kill the 'saur. I followed discreetly and watched as Ivan went straight over to Hannah's bed and plunged his sword under the bed a few times, then climbed on Hannah's bed with her and held his sword up high in victory and they both started jumping up and down.
Much better than American Idol I say. I only wish I had grabbed my camera!

Exhausted Ivan

Looks like Ivan fell asleep mid-....something.

Sleeping Boys

My boys slept in this morning until 9am! Talk about strange and amazing. They looked so cute. I think I got my new digital camera on the wrong setting but you get the idea.

Trash Bash

Last night Kathleen and I went to the Trash Bash at Cart'M. It was a lot of fun. We left all six kiddos with the Eri(k)cks and we had a wonderful time. (Her husband's name is Erick also but he spells it differently than my Erik). Who would imagine that a party at the dump with food and a Trashion show and a circus could be that much fun? I think next year I'll take Hannah. It was fun to see people I know from the community and sad to realize that there are so many people I don't know. I met a friend of Kathleen's last night and he asked me (more than once cause I think he had had a little to drink) if I was new to the area...sad to say I've been here 6 years or 7 if you count Ecola. It's about time I got to know my "neighbors" I think. I've been thinking this for awhile and I do have a plan. First I've been shopping in Manzanita more...even at some of the little specialty stores and actually trying to talk with the people working there. Second was the Trash Bash because it is the party of the year in and around Manzanita. It was crazy how many people were there last night, I heard someone say they expected over 1000 people! (At the dump!) Third, I was trying to get Erik to attend the Blues Festival at the Nehalem Winery on Saturday night but I think he's heading to Baker City to help Grandpa and Grandma Dante move, so I think this might be out. And lastly I am really looking forward to the Farmer's Market opening in June on Friday nights. We loved it last year once we remembered to go. Oh, I guess that wasn't lastly, cause I realized that we've also been playing community volleyball on Monday nights. There are just so many people that I don't know around here, it was sad for me to realize that most of the people I come in contact with and know around here are the people I see at church. It's time to step out.

Beautiful Woman

I needed some encouragement this morning and God gave me this. Not for myself but for the many women, friends, sisters and mothers that I know and have encouraged me. Thank you so much.


Beautiful woman
sharing God's rest
a haven for the weary-hearted
for this reason you are blessed
Beautiful woman
not striving for a worldly place
strong arms, strong knees
for lifting others to the throne of grace
Beautiful woman
nurturing as mother, sister, friend
passing on the love God gives
sowing hope in gardens that you tend
Beautiful woman
no blush or lipstick or powder can hide
the God-light shining from your eyes
Beautiful woman
resting near your presence
being hugged by your arms
a clearer picture of our Maker and Sustainer
who fashioned all your charms
Beautiful God
who chose to say so much through you
who every day draws me nearer
using beautiful women such as you.

Tattoos

So I've been thinking of getting a tattoo for awhile and now that I'm not pregnant or nursing I can. The other night I asked Erik the all important question of, "So, can I really get a tattoo. Would that be okay with you?" And his response? "Sure, I guess...what tattoo should I get?"
I almost fell over. And he's serious too, he has no idea what he wants but he wants to get a tattoo also, he thinks on his upper arm/ shoulder. I''m still in shock. Anytime I've mentioned it before he says he doesn't care if I get a tattoo but thinks it's kind of dumb to mark yourself permanently. I don't know if he will and I'll keep you posted if I do actually get one.

Craziness

I'm very excited. My sister in law, Michelle, moves in tomorrow and crazy me, in the process of cleaning out the back bedroom for her I decided now would be a good time to re-paint in there as well. This of course I did not decide until yesterday afternoon. I went to the hardware store to pick up more spray paint and as always I took a look at the beautiful wall of colors and right then and there I decided to paint. I just finished rolling about a half hour ago and I must say I really like it. No more blue stripes, it is now a "greenish-grayish slightly khaki" color. I think it's called "Australian Morning" or something like that. Now let's just hope the paint dries quickly so I can put all the furniture back.
Hannah came in while I was painting and told me, "I said craziness like four times out there and then I came in here and said it again, craziness."

Delusions of Adequacy

I start with the best of intentions
To get it right this time
I plan it out and play it through my mind
Then I get up out of my bed to find
I've been entertaining delusions of adequacy
my will collapses with the slightest wind
and the best laid plans of mice and men
are all nothing in the end

But Lord, I will sing of your love in the morning
your strength and your hand they uphold me
your grace alone has saved and sustains me
I think now I'll make it through the day

I start with the best of intentions
then I head out on my own
I think of all the good that I have done
then I reap what I have sown and find
I've been entertaining delusions of adequacy
the wages of sin are just to high for me
and the best attempt to save myself
is worthless in the end

but Lord, I will sing of your love in the morning
your strength and your hand they uphold me
your grace alone has saved and sustains me
I think now I'll make it through the day


I turn my eyes to the God whose will keeps breath in me
I'm humbled that he holds me in his hand

So Lord, I'll sing of your love in the morning
your strength and your hand they uphold me
your grace alone has saved and sustains me
I think now I'll make it through the day
that's how I make it through my day.


This is my newest song. I finished it today while the kiddos were in timeout. Ask me some time and I may sing it for you.

Skinny Jeans

Yes, the title says skinny jeans. I am now the (proud?) owner of a pair of skinny jeans. I think it might be temporary insanity or I am trying desperately to not look like I have three kids. Or maybe...I don't really know. For some reason yesterday at Ross I tried them on under a short dress and I liked it. (I also bought the dress and I will hopefully never wear the one without the other). I think the short dress makes the skinny jeans appropriate and the skinny jeans make the short dress appropriate. It's same way with leggings I discovered...I actually wore the pair I own with a mini jean skirt. Not mini as in "skirt so short it's a belt" but as in above my knees and I liked this too. The leggings make the skirt appropriate and the skirt makes the leggings appropriate. The skinny jeans and the short dress hide the middle hip/stomach area of my body that is the dead-give away to having had children and accentuate the skinnier parts of me...this I like. Let's just hope I don't gain tons of weight now that I'm able to eat what I want. If I do, someone do me a favor and hide the skinny jeans.

Pray Continually

I'm tired this morning. Clayton has not been sleeping well the last few nights (or days either). He looks a lot better but he's really itchy and keeps rubbing the back of his head and his face. But I was reading 1 Thessalonians this morning and chapter 5 verses 16-18 say this , "Be joyful always ; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
This is my great endeavor for today, minute by minute praying for strength and already my day is looking up.

Sir Ivan and the 'Saur once more

I finished Ivan's book today and ordered it from Shutterfly. I'm excited and a little nervous to see it, can't wait for it to come in the mail. I almost paid for faster shipping but then I didn't...it'll be here in a week or two.

Offically Weaned!!!

Clayton is officially weaned, I've started eating food again. Today I made biscuits and rhubarb pie. I thought long and hard about what I was going to eat when I could eat what I wanted again and hadn't decided yet but this morning when I woke up biscuits sounded good, so that's what I ate. Then I made rhubarb pie for dessert tonight because I bought rhubarb the other day and I've never made a rhubarb pie before so I decided to try it. It was yummy. Now I'm looking forward to coffee and other things that are bad for you. I did have a hemp milk latte the other day at Mother Nature's though, it was good. Clayton is looking a little better but he keeps on rubbing his face so his face still doesn't look as good as it could but definently better. I have discovered that I really like hamburger and avocado for breakfast so that may make the rotation of common breakfast foods in this household and I think gluten-free items and "alternative" flours will also always have a home here but it's nice to say hello to wheat again. I just hope my sourdough starter is still alive.