Family Night - Wonka Dreams

Sunday nights are our Family Nights. After church, we do something fun and interactive together...no cell phones, no housework, just family time! Last night, Mark and I were so tired that we decided to watch a movie. We try not to have television on family nights, but if we are give out and I have a migraine coming on, we find a good, family movie and we make yummy orange rolls and we snuggle up in the living room together for the evening. Last night, we watched "Willy Wonka"...the original.
By the time it was over, Maggie had left her rocking chair and cuddled up beside me...not for affection. She was terrified. I kept asking her what she was scared of and she would just shake her head. Finally, toward the end of the movie, she burst into tears and said, "I hate that those children are so spoiled and tacky and they get horrible things done to them because of it and those Umpa-Loompa things are freaking me out!!!"
When the movie was over, we read a soothing book together and put everyone into bed.
Phoenix would NOT stay in bed by himself, so he spent half the night with us. Before midnight, Maggie had dragged her pillow and blanket into our room and was asleep on our floor. I asked Mark if he wanted to go get Luke so we could all sleep in the same room. He smiled, but we left Luke in his own bed. We all finally got to sleep, but I realized that Willy Wonka wasn't as pleasant for my children as I'd thought. I was remembering the candy and chocolate and colorful scenery.
So, on a scale of one to ten, this family night gets a 3. (The orange rolls were yummy, after all.)

Spring

I have a challenge for everyone...for myself as well. Let's redefine "Spring" in our lives. What makes a trampoline fun?...the springs. Why do kids like to jump on the bed?...springs. What is the mechanism for any object that is able to bound from here to there?...SPRINGS!! Springs enable us to bounce from one place to another easily and with fun! Let's use this Spring to move into whatever area of our lives we've been hoping to move into. More Spirituality? Weight loss? Better relationships?
This Spring, let's envision our goals "over there" as we stand "over here". Now, list the springs needed to bounce you over to your goals. Here are mine:
Attending church (service and extra activities) whenever possible.
Being vigilant about my diet and exercise.
Treating others with care, no matter what the situation.
Remember, springs are useful, but they are also the element that brings fun. Make springing to your goals a fun experience! (Picture Tigger!!)
Welcome, Spring!!

The Church of...

Just a thought. There are so many churches out there. We (our family) call some of them, in fun, Holy Rollers. So, what does that make us, the Church of Christ? I've decided that, since we eat for every possible situation, we're Roley Polies!!

Meet Me In St. Louis...

We just got back from a wonderful trip to St. Louis! If you've never been, be sure and put it on your To-Do List. This city is full of history and aged beauty. We met Mark's parents there and visited the Arch (my kids are daredevils!) and the Science Museum (so many interactive things there!).
Our first night there, we ate at a little Mexican restaurant called Azalea's Mexicana. Mark thought he'd be adventurous and ordered the cactus. Cactus? Well, more power to him. As he was eating it, he told us we should all try some because it was really delicious! I tried a teeny tiny bite...it wasn't bad. Mother was more adventurous (which is where Mark gets it!) and tried a couple bites. Soon after we'd finished eating (well, you all know me...I was still finishing my plate when everyone else was done), Mark said he wasn't feeling right. He was very pale and said he thought he might pass out. I immediately dipped my napkin in my ice water and started mopping his neck and forehead (this seems a little silly now...but at the time, I really didn't know what else to do).
He and Father got up and walked around a bit and, after several minutes (15?), Mark said he was okay to drive to the hotel. I joked with him that it was the cactus. But we rationalized that Mother would've had a reaction too.
So, after we'd been back in the hotel about 10 minutes, Mother said she was feeling strange. She said there was no pain really, just a strange sensation in her left eye. Then, she said she was seeing a strange shape out of her left eye that wouldn't go away whether the eye was open or closed. She drew the strange shape for us and, wow, it was awfully scary!
We all went to bed wondering about the power of cactus.
The next day, mother suffered from a little headache but said her eye wasn't seeing shapes. Upon looking at her, however, she looked as if she'd had some crazy night...her eye was slightly blueish and swollen and she admitted that it did still feel quite strange. {We realized that this probably had nothing whatsoever to do with cactus and she is going to the doctor today!}
After a wonderful day about town (and a new experience with pizza...anyone ever eat at Imo's?), we again returned to the hotel. It was time to say goodbye to Mother and Father. They had thoroughly spoiled us all and it was so hard to see them leave. We comforted our sense of loss with reasoning that we would surely see them again soon.
Mark, Maggie and Phoenix went swimming while Luke and I rested. Mark had a Harding Lacrosse game to attend that night, so the kids and I settled in with Bravo's Top Chef, several books, and the length of our room as a racetrack.
We came home yesterday and were so glad to get back. It seems that no matter how wonderful a trip is, it's always nice to come home again.

However...

After my surgery, I spent three or four days knowing that I was so much better. I knew that the only reason I was still feeling kind-of yucky was just recovery from the surgery. After a week, I was able to get up and do normal things. I was still feeling yucky, but I knew it would pass. I felt better after two weeks and then the third week I was able to plant a little in my yard, trim my hedges, actually play with my children and do the dishes before bed! This, to me, meant total healing. Mark kept having to tell me that I needed to slow down. I was still feeling very feverish and achy at night and, to be honest, I was still having some yucky moments in the day. But, I DID feel better than I'd felt in ages. So...I was healed, right?

During the fourth week, I justified my lingering yuckiness to the fact that I was having, I thought, a tummy bug. HOWEVER...

I just got back from the doctor yesterday evening. Not a tummy bug after all. The infection in my body is still severe. I received a high-powered antibiotic shot and a bottle full of antibiotic pills to take. If the infection isn't "a whole lot better" in a week, I'll be back in the hospital for I.V. antibiotics.

I was down about it at first. I'd so hoped to be over all of this. I mean, I was already feeling tons better. How depressing. HOWEVER....

Why is that depressing?! If I feel good now, imagine how amazing I'll feel when the infection is completely gone!!! This is GREAT news!!! I'll be feeling outstanding in no time!!

This is infection is no match for all of your prayers. Thanks, everyone.

My Daughter's Addiction

Maggie is so addicted to sugar. We thought she was like most children and just really liked sweets. Then we thought she just had an intense sweet-tooth. Now we know. She's addicted. I cut back her sugar and she was almost impossible to live with. I couldn't take her off of it cold-turkey because she literally had headaches and screaming fits. Now, I'm not blind...I realize that part of it is just being spoiled. Part, however, is a real, physical craving for sugar. She will do anything for it.

She's doing so much better. Only three or four sweets a day...and this is a lot better than it's been. Any advice? Please be praying for us! Thanks.