I Choose To Worship

Yesterday was a bad day. I didn't want to get out of bed. Not a "lounge-around-and-read-all-day" kind of desire. A "it took a lot of effort to get out of bed, plaster a smile on my face for the boys and start yet another monotonous day" kind. (***I'd like to clarify for those that don't know me beyond this blog that I truly am a happy person and enjoy life, even though it hasn't seemed like that lately.***) Between the migraine I was dealing with and the tears that kept creeping up, it overshadowed that Easton had his best day in 8 days (at least until 5:30pm when his fever returned yet again). When Rob got home from work I went to a volunteer meeting downtown. I had a little commute so on the way to the meeting I was listening to the choir CD, learning more songs for our Easter special. This song hit me like a ton of bricks and made me realize I have so much to worship Him for. Easton's illness will be behind us soon and I won't be cooped up inside 4 walls for much longer. What a difference a song can have on one's attitude! I choose to worship!
Click on this link if you want to hear the song that touched me so much...

http://youtu.be/mqKGVoB5ylI

Wishful Thinking

I'm having a rough, homesick night and I'm blogging this from my phone so it won't be happy and it won't be long. But this blog is like my journal, a very public journal. I don't share every detail of what's going on when I'm sad but I write enough so when I look back on it I know exactly what was happening in my life at that moment. Tonight I wish more than anything that I could just spend one night in Tahoe with my close girlfriends. Enjoy the beautiful lake, go to dinner, laugh until my stomach hurts. Just get away from sick kids and just be a lady, carefree. To laugh instead of cry and to have a chance at miss being a mom. I don't want to administer medication every 4 hours to kids and a dog. I don't want to hear my boys coughing until they vomit. I don't want to hear them cry because they're miserable. I don't want them to fight over my lap because they both need to be held and comforted at the same time. I just want them better because I'm at my breaking point with illnesses. I just want to be a lady without a care in the world. If only for one night.

Our Comedian

Although P has not had a lot of my attention lately, he has been in good spirits. His sense of humor has been a welcome relief from the stress of playing nurse (read blog below this for more on that). Earlier this week he informed me that he was going to become a cooker because he doesn't like what I cook. I told him that was fine but he'd have to use his money that he wants to buy a shed with (his latest obsession) to buy food instead. After a moment of thinking about it he said, "Ok, I decided I'll just deal with what you make so I don't have to spend my money."
Today he had me in stitches! This morning when we went to the vet he took his stuffed monkey in with us. He actually talked the vet into a medical check up for his stuffed TOY monkey because according to him he wasn't standing up very good. He also talked the vet into giving his monkey a REAL shot. She thought it was great and I laughed hysterically the entire time. He wrapped his monkey around his neck after the monkey's medical visit and tried to convince me to buy it a Saints collar since it was so brave. Later today when we were on the way to the dr's office he said, "Mommy, I'm a picky eater and I saw on a commercial that if you're a picky eater you should drink chocolate milk. That helps you not be a picky eater so I think I should try it." Then at the dr's office he randomly told a little girl, "My daddy's not that into girls." I was laughing so hard at his random statement because last I checked I was a girl. His last comment that had me laughing is when he told me that he doesn't like Daddy's nights to read to him because Daddy doesn't know how to read. According to P, "he tries but he just can't read." There have been many more incidents this week that have made me laugh but the above ones are the ones that are my favorite. Happy Friday everyone!

Nurse Herrington

The start of 2014 has been a rough one for little Easton. He has been sick for most of it and has been to the pediatrician 3 times and Urgent Care once in the past month. Last week, when I was sick, he was actually healthy the entire week....the first entire week he's been healthy this year. On Tuesday of this week he woke up with a cough but no other symptoms. Rob was in TX for a training course and I was thrilled to get the heck out of dodge for a few days and visit him. He asked if I thought I should wait a day to come to make sure Easton was ok. But I selfishly put Easton's health second to my wants...and I paid the price. We got there Tuesday after Easton cried almost the entire 3 hr drive. After dinner I was giving the boys a bath when he threw up the little he had eaten for dinner. By the time he went to bed he was burning up with a fever. I thankfully had brought the fever reducer medicine so I gave him that and prayed for a good night. I wish I could say my prayer was answered but it was a horrible night for all of us. The next morning I packed up my car and listened to Easton  cry for the entire 3 hr drive back to Baton Rouge. I called his pediatrician and was able to get him in when we got back to town. She said it was a cold and GI infection after the strep and flu tests came back negative. So home we went with no real answers and a very sick kiddo.
Fast forward to today. This morning I decided to take Coco to the vet because he was losing patches of fur and he needed puppy shots that he was behind on. The vet told me he was born with a skin condition and it had gotten out of control. So for the next 3 weeks I have to give him up to 3 medicines a day and give him 2 baths a week. She was optimistic that this would clear up the issue and we wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. She also said that this should clear up his "dog smell", which she commented on immediately. (That's what made me the happiest!)
By the time we were done with the vet and grocery shopping, Easton was exhausted. I held him while paying for the groceries and he fell asleep in my arms. When we got home I put him to bed and he slept for 2 hours. His eyes were so filled with mucus when he woke up that he could barely get his eyes open. He was also burning up with a fever...again. So I called and got him in for yet another dr appt. The doctor thought he had Adenovirus but checked him for Flu A and strep just to be on the safe side. He came back 10 mins later to tell me that for the first time in 4 flu swabs, Easton had tested positive for the flu. The good news is that we FINALLY have an answer. The bad news is that the only way he'll get over it is by pretty much quarantining him. I pray that both of the little Herrington boys (both the 4-legged one and the human one) get well soon because this nurse stuff is for the birds!

Fishy Kind of Day

I didn't realize how much I NEEDED a day full of sunshine and quality family time until it actually happened. Yesterday was picture perfect from beginning to end. It started and ended with some fishing time at the pond across the street. It also included a trip to the Aquarium of Americas in NOLA. To top off our fishy day, Rob fried some bass he had caught the day before. Here are some pictures of our beautiful, family, fun-filled day....

Happy Hallmark Holiday!

OK, instead of doing my annual "Bash on Valentine's Day" blog, let me give you some background on why I'm not a huge fan of this holiday. Maybe it started when I was a little girl, watching my parents' relationship. They have one of those rare marriages where they never stopped dating. My dad "courts" my mom by bringing her home surprises and/or flowers on a regular basis. My mom writes my dad loves notes and sticks them in his lunches that she faithfully packs every morning. They rarely sit next to each other without holding hands or snuggling in some way, share or form. So, although they did little things for me and my brother and for each other on Valentine's Day, it was just like any other day in our house.
Or maybe it started when I was 14 yrs old and started my 7 yr stint working in a flower shop. I'd go to school and then work until 10 or 11 at night, taking orders and making arrangements. From the time I was 16 until I was 21 there were times I'd work until 1 or 2 am on Feb. 13th, trying to get last minute orders taken care of. My boss wasn't the nicest guy so between him yelling at us (his employees), irate customers and my hands bleeding from stripping so many thorns off of roses it left an unpleasant taste in my mouth and by Feb. 14th I was just done with it all.
Or maybe it's because, like most girls, I've had my share of heartbreaking Valentine's. I've had a few good ones that stand out but for the most part it was a holiday filled with anticipation and letdown (even when I was in a relationship).
Or maybe it started when I became a teacher. I'm such a structured person that Valentine's Day and the day AFTER Halloween became my least favorite days to teach. All day the kids would be so hyped up, ready for the party, that it was all I could do to even keep the class under control (I quickly learned to forget about teaching on those days). At the end of the day I was exhausted and just wanted to go home and sleep.
I don't want my boys being cynical of holidays. I want them to form their own opinions about what holidays are a big deal and which ones they can do without. So, until they're old enough to form those opinions, I am doing my best to make each holiday a fun one and not share my opinions. To me it's just a Hallmark Holiday, but to many it's a day to celebrate love. So I'll celebrate my gifts of love that God has blessed me with~ loving parents who-from Day 1-have set an example of a strong marriage, a husband who loves me 365 days a year (even when I push his buttons), friends who are there through thick and thin and my two boys who are the greatest gifts of unconditional love that I could ever imagine! So, whether you celebrate this Hallmark Holiday or Valentine's Day or you could care less about the day know you are loved because that's what today-and every day- is about.

King of the Cakes

Up until a few years ago, I had never heard of a King Cake. The only thing I knew about Mardi Gras was the beads and partying in NOLA that I saw on the national news. Up until last month, I had never tasted a King Cake. Once I did I didn't really get what all the fuss was about. Up until a couple weeks ago I hadn't had a King Cake that had me wanting more. But now that I have I can't get it out of my system...and I only have a few weeks left to indulge!

Down here people definitely have their preference as to where their King Cake is baked/bought. It's like Pepsi v. Coke, Burger King v. McDonalds, Dryers v. Blue Bell (well now that's just a silly comparison because everyone knows that Blue Bell can't be beat). Well I have found my King Cake bakery....Ambrosia. I stopped by there the other day only to find that the King Cake I was craving had been sold out. Which, in hindsight, was probably a good thing since P and I would've been the only ones eating it. This morning, however, I must've instinctively known Rob was coming home (yay!) because I called the bakery and placed an order for a mini (which still feeds 4-6 people in case you're wondering) cream cheese King Cake. I can hardly wait to pick it up in the morning (yes, they made me wait 24hrs!). I think I could get used to Mardi Gras...or at least the King Cake part of it. 

Beating the Blues

The boys and I have been cooped up in the house a lot recently. Part of it is due to the weather and part of it is due to the fact that one of us has been sick at any given time for over a month now (and I'm sick of it!). I pulled the lucky "sick" straw this week and was in "Survival Mode" Monday and Tuesday, feeling like it was an accomplishment when I unloaded the half empty dishwasher yesterday. Because I have had bouts of Winter Depression (SAD) when I lived in Sacramento I know the symptoms. I realized yesterday that the symptoms have been getting stronger lately and I needed to do something before it got too bad. When I was in Sacto, I could spend a day or two in bed all day and then hit the tanning salon to get a good dose of Vitamin D, which helped (and left me sunburned in the middle of Winter) but I don't have those options with 2 young boys. So I decided to be proactive and plan to do housework AND fun stuff with the boys today. That one decision had me out the gate at a lightning speed this morning! I sent P to clean his room while I did a load of laundry, cleaned the boys' bathroom, wiped down the windows and mirrors, shot off a couple quick emails and put my clean laundry away. (Yes, it takes him forever to clean his room because he gets distracted and plays!) Then I found a play group activity at a local library. When he said he wanted to go I cringed because secretly I wanted to find an excuse not to leave the house, to just get back in my jammies and shrink back into "Survival Mode". But his confirmation was all I needed to get it in gear. We went to the library for the craft project and then on the way home I decided we were going to have fro-yo for lunch. P was thrilled and Easton decided he was a big fan of the stuff! Both boys still wanted lunch when we got home and our sweet neighbor made a big pot of veggie beef soup for me so we ate some more. Before naptime I got a wild hair to bleach the kitchen and pantry so I tackled that while the boys played. (And then afterwards I realized why I haven't used bleach in several years. P-U!! Even all stuffed up the smell was bothering me!) I continued on my cleaning spree and wiped down some of the baseboards and in the crevices by the doors. After naptime I topped off the day by taking the boys to Chic Fil A for dinner because that's the place P chose. I'm glad I made the choice to get out and about today because it really did help my mood. The weather is going to be better by this weekend and we'll be able to get out more. That should help beat these Winter Blues!

Lineman's Wife

10 years ago if you would've asked me if I would be married to a lineman I would've said, "What is that?" (To this day I still don't know all that my husband's job entails.) My friends teased that I'd be married to a cowboy and I am~ a retired one. But his career is a journeyman lineman. His profession causes fear, loneliness, and pride. Every day is a day of fear until he returns safe and sound because if one mistake is made it can be a fatal one. There's not a second chance when working with electricity. Right now it has caused loneliness. He's been out of town/state for almost a week now working on a storm. Because my family is not around and I don't really have close friends here yet (Other than Rob's cousin, who graciously offered to bring me chicken noodle soup today), I feel like I don't have any support. I'm sick and no one is here to help me with the boys like I would've had in NV. There are days when I haven't had any face to face adult interaction (unless you consider Face Time). But most of all I am prideful of his job. I'm thankful that my husband is a hard worker who takes pride in his work. I'm thankful that he's a hero to many when he gets their power and heat back on during an ice/snow storm. I take pride in the fact that when someone plows down a powerline he is one of the first on the scene (sometimes it's still gruesome) to restore power as quickly as possible. I take pride in the structures that he's shown me that he's built. I take pride in the fact that I can be a stay at home mom thanks to the paychecks his job provides. Despite the difficult factors of his job, I can honestly say I am proud to be a lineman's wife!

Dirt, Dirt and More Dirt

With Rob gone, I thought I'd take the boys to the river yesterday so I could do Easton's 1 yr photo shoot that I've had on hold forever due to him being sick. Within 5 minutes of being there both boys were covered head to toe in mud! If it had been a client's photo shoot I would've been mortified. But since it was my own child I didn't mind. Instead I captured him having fun in the dirt because that's the way I'll look back on this time frame of his life. His face is usually filthy (despite how many times I wipe it), his nose is crusty and he usually has drool dripping down his chin. Here are some favorites of my dirty, muddy 1 year old.....

2 1/2 months later...

Due to P's virus as a newborn, I have since learned that his compromised immune system means he tends to get sicker than others with a common illness. Case in point is the virus that he got from Easton on Thanksgiving- Hand, Foot and Mouth. I honestly didn't know Easton had it until P got it a few days later. Easton had 3 blisters on his entire body. P had that on his chin alone! He had them all over his body and spent an entire night, crying and begging for the itching to go away. Thankfully the virus isn't a long drawn out one and he was feeling better within a couple days. About a month after the fact, however, he had a few finger nails turn purple. The hypochondriac in me tried to remain calm as all I could think was, "My child has cancer." (Yes, I can be a little dramatic at times!). I told Rob my fears and at the same time he and I both Googled the symptoms. Turns out that the dumb virus makes children lose fingernails and toenails several weeks after the fact. I don't know if it's because he had such a strong reaction to the virus but to date he's lost both of his big toenails and 2 fingernails. He's in the process of losing one more toenail and then hopefully we'll be done with it all and can put it behind us.....although I don't think P will ever forget the misery that comes with Hand, Foot and Mouth. Not-fun-at-all!

Security Blanket

When Easton was first born P made (with A LOT of assistance from friends) a potholder for Easton as a "Welcome to the World" gift. At the time I thought, "That's so sweet but what is Easton going to do with it?" Well, a year later he has decided that it's a small security blanket of sorts. He doesn't carry it with him every day but the days that he does use it, he becomes fixated with it. It goes everywhere with him and he even tries to use it at bathtime. I'm so thankful for the brotherly bond that began the first day of Easton's life and has grown stronger in the past year. They truly love each other!

Friends, Family and Fun

Before this weekend gets here I have to say a thing or two about last weekend. It was one of the best weekends I've had here. Hunting season is over, the sun was out and we had lot of plans. Our weekend included family, friends, 2 birthday parties, fresh fish....and time in the dentist chair. I may be crazy but I actually enjoy going to the dentist. So, when my Saturday started at the dentist getting an "emergency" filling I considered it quiet, "ME" time. I knew then that it was going to be a good weekend~ and I was right. When I got home Rob went across the street to go fishing. So P and I went out in the backyard while E was taking a nap. Once he woke up, the boys and I went across the street to see Rob. We came back to the house long enough for Rob to clean the bass he had caught and then we took off to a family birthday party for our 5 yr old second (or third or fourth??) cousin. It was a beautiful afternoon so we spent the time chatting with family in the backyard while the kids had fun playing together. We had to leave early because the boys were going to have  a "Guys' Night" at home while I celebrated our pastor's wife's birthday. I met up with a group of ladies from the church at a local Mexican restaurant. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them, getting to know them, laughing with them. It was fun being with women my own age and eating Mexican food. It was a great way to end a fun day! Sunday we went to church together as a family then the little guys and I napped while Rob fished. When Easton woke up from his nap, Rob took him to the store to buy stuff for dinner so P and I could sleep longer. When I woke up the Super Bowl was on and Rob was getting ready to fry some fresh fish for dinner. We enjoyed a small feast while watching the game. It was a great weekend from beginning to end, one I'll look back on with fond memories!