tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188604372024-03-13T13:41:48.007-05:00The Monk's WifeMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.comBlogger499125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-68262792614860953862010-08-30T23:30:00.002-05:002010-08-30T23:39:09.400-05:00In Case You Were Wondering...I accidentally deleted my old blog template.<div><br /></div><div>Yep. Some things never change. I'm just as technologically impaired as ever. I went in to try and clean some buttons off and remove all of the links and then ... ooopsy. I realized a little too late that I accidentally copied, then deleted, a few too many things. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ahem. </div><div><br /></div><div>I contacted my designer, who so GRACIOUSLY sent me another copy of my template, but Michelle the Wonder Monkey can't figure out how to install it. </div><div><br /></div><div> And I'm too embarrassed to ask for help. I'm telling y'all, I need a 12 step program.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sooo, this is how it will look for now. I was looking to change things up and simplify a bit anyway, but never planned on annihilating the whole template. Hopefully I won't annihilate the content as well. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>I have to tell y'all, I wanted to end this post with a picture, but Blogger makes it so stinking hard to upload a picture that it's not even funny. Look at me. I'm not laughing.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I'm not posting a picture either. So there.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-36664029501829512072010-08-24T01:00:00.001-05:002010-08-24T01:03:36.577-05:00I Was a Rock. If You Don't Count the Ugly Cry.<div style="text-align: left;">So... yesterday was <i>THE</i> day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I sent my 10 year old Grace and 7 year old Liv off to public school for the very first time. Grace attended a private school last year and we simply didn't have the funds (as in COLD HARD CASH! Private school is ex-PENNNN-sive, ya'll!) to send one of them back, much less TWO of them. It's this little thing called <i>eating</i> that our family likes to do occasionally. Liv has just homeschooled for the past 2 years.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I'm not going to get into as to <i>why</i> we chose public school and whether or not it's wrong or right for Christians to send their children there. I might tell that story later - because I used to be one of those that said it could only be one way. Let's just say that I believe there is grace in many things and for my own personal sanity (quite literally), this was the best decision for us at this time in our lives. And look at me ... talking like people are actually READING this thing! Ha! (With exception of you, Jennifer! Thank you!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It was a hard morning all the way around for me. The getting up part, especially. I am not a morning person, y'all. The girls, however, were JACKED up! And when the lunches were packed and the backpacks on their backs, making them look like cute little pack mules ... it was time. We had to walk out the d00r</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wow Liv. Thanks for that shot of the paper towel and Kleenex. Real classy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4922114517/" title="1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4922114517_6a4b7f9914.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="1" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4922114937/" title="2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4922114937_3ac3cc998d.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="2" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And then one in front of the school... and again, the paper towel.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4922708908/" title="3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4922708908_3d70d9b5f3.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="3" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And then came the long walk in. Okay, not really, but it sounded more dramatic that way. Bet ya can't guess what's under Liv's left arm..</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4922129947/" title="4 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4922129947_cc424a14fb.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="4" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">BUT...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I begged for just ONE more picture. Because we all know that there is nothing more special than a shot in front of dirty, red brick.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And guess what?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">AGAIN... that lovely roll of paper towel forever preserved in our 2010 Back-to-School pictures!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4922723358/" title="7 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4922723358_c0d3d80874.jpg" width="500" height="371" alt="7" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And then we walked into the building taking Liv to her class first so she could finally unload that cumbersome roll of paper towel. And as we stood there waiting for the teacher to greet her and send me off, I felt the lump swelling in my throat. I did not want to break out into the Ugly Cry in front of a bunch of 2nd graders, so while we were waiting I leaned down and whispered into Liv's ear that she was going to have a fantastic day and how much I loved her. That's when my voice cracked. I tried to cover with a throat clear, but I'm not 100% sure she was buying it. I managed to not sob into the teacher's bosom, waved goodbye and left.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I had to take Grace to her classroom. Y'all, I SO did NOT want to be <i>THAT</i> parent that walked into her kid's 5th grade class. But I was. She can get therapy later. I sat her at her desk and again told her I loved her, said my goodbyes and left. And I kid you not ... she was SO stinking small compared to the other girls! In more ways than one.. ::wink wink:: ... holy cow! But that's for another post. I could tell she was ready to be on her own and when the girl next to her said 'hi' to her I felt a whole lot better. </div><div><br /></div><div>I walked down the hallway, supressing the emotional wave that was engulfing me, then out of the school. I had to walk across the street to get to my Suburban and dang it all if I didn't have to use the crossing guard. I so BAD wanted to take a picture of her, but thought that would look a little creepy to the other parents standing around. Yea. So I didn't. I finally made it across the street, got into my Suburban and proceeded to cry <i>the very definition</i> of the Ugly Cry.</div><div><br /></div><div>No sir-ee, it was not pretty in the least. I went on a guilt trip or two, beat myself up a little, wiped the mascara from my weepy eyes and then drove off. It was over. </div><div><br /></div><div>Good thing I had a busy day planned out or I KNOW I would have obsessed a time or 52. I took Hope and Charlie with me to the chiropractor and then we headed to the Land of Shoes and Great Clearance ...</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Target. </b>(angel voices singing loudly)</div><div><br /></div><div>This would be the Target where walking through the Ladies Shoe Department, Hope loudly proclaims,</div><div><br /></div><div>"Mommy! You have boobies!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Charlie decides she wants in on the fun and begins yelling,</div><div><br /></div><div>"Boobies, boobies, boobies!!" And then proceeds to start poking the aforementioned area.</div><div><br /></div><div>I shushed Hope, but apparently not enough because the next (loud) thing out of her mouth was, </div><div><br /></div><div>"WHY do you have boobies, Mommy? Are they to feed Charlie?"</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm certain that is some mother out there who could have used this as a learning opportunity, I however, was NOT that mother.</div><div><br /></div><div>We exited the shoe department swiftly. I'm not ashamed to say I ran.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and only showed up 30 minutes early to pick the girls up. I thought that was pretty good for the overprotective momma that I <s>am</s> can <i>sometimes</i> be.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am proud to announce there were two very happy, exhausted girls. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was good until last night when I was reminded that we have to do it all over again today. ::sigh::</div><div><br /></div><div>But hopefully without the Ugly Cry.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-79945665419841551532010-08-23T00:42:00.002-05:002010-08-23T00:43:09.307-05:00I'm Back.Why, you ask? Aren't I off photographing something magical for someone somewhere else and now have a 'professional' photography blog?<div><br /></div><div>Yup.</div><div><br /></div><div>And in the meantime I've quit my own life. And I hate it. Not the photography, just the fact that I'm not documenting the life that matters. My own. My children are growing and time is slipping away from me and a gazillion and one funny things have happened and milestones have been achieved and I've written how many down?</div><div><br /></div><div>Zilch.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I'm back. I don't even care if anyone reads this blog. I don't really even like the 'looks' of it anymore. Funny how tastes change over time, isn't it. The point is, I'm here to tell my story. I'm here to celebrate my children.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm here because I need to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>So if you've lurked around in hopes that I might come back ... you're in luck. If you just forgot to delete me from your blogroll, then guess what? You're in luck. Or not. Because I'm back, baby.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is my photography blog important? Yes. It's terribly behind, too. But guess what? I don't care. This is the life that matters to me. The here and now. And for whatever reason, I just can't spill my guts over there and tell funny anecdotes from the things that Hope does or how I love wrapping my fingers around Charlie's soft blonde curls or how Madgirl got her driver's license this past week. I just can't.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here I am.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure how much I will be around but I WILL be around.</div><div><br /></div><div>First up on the order of discussion: School.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grace and Liv start public school for the first time tomorrow ... uh .. today. I. Am. A. Wreck. For many reasons, but mostly just because I love having my babies close to me. Call me overprotective and I'll .... I'll...I'll .... agree. ::sigh:: I am SO one of those moms.</div><div><br /></div><div>At any rate, there's lots on my mind concerning this big day, but seriously people... I have to go to bed lest I get up late, making my children late for their first day of school.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that is SO something I am capable of.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-32198930444846535012010-01-31T20:04:00.003-06:002010-01-31T20:50:51.448-06:00Your Eyes Do Not Deceive You. I Have Actually Posted.Two months.<div><br /></div><div>That's how long it's been since I've posted. I know. Bad. Not conducive to good blogging conduct as well. Some of you have even been worried about me and for that I am VERY sorry. And just for the record I am fine, Monk is fine (maybe not mentally, but that is neither here nor there) and the kids are fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>The gist of my absence largely rests upon my photography business. It got way out of control, way fast and I didn't know how to handle it, a large family and a blog. Things were way out of balance and I had to give up something. </div><div><br /></div><div>And it was my blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>Y'all. It was like giving up a child. Okay, maybe not quite that bad, but close. I mourned over not blogging and I cannot tell you just how many times I thought to myself, "I can't WAIT to blog this!". And then I couldn't. It was hard people. Very, very hard. And for a long time I didn't think I would ever find time to get back to it. So many things happened, including the demise of my Dell laptop.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, THAT Dell. The Dell I just got last year. I killed it. In one year. What can I say, it's a gift.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent weeks crying because I thought I was going to lose clients pictures because my computer was malfunctioning so badly. I didn't have enough money saved in my business to be able to buy a new one and I didn't know what I was going to do. My computer was working so slowly that it was taking 3 times as long to edit pictures as it should. I was behind. Very, very behind.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent many evenings during the weeks leading up to Christmas at a local Border's Books just editing away. I would come home and stay up late into the night, going to bed at 1 am and getting back up at 7 am. It was a rough time, a learning time and a time I care to never revisit again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then my husband rescued me. He bought me a new computer. Not just any computer either. A 17 inch Macbook Pro with a 17 inch screen. It's a beauty, y'all. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this computer. It has made my job a whole lot easier. And slowly but surely I am digging out from under the mountain of editing that had piled up. </div><div><br /></div><div>And guess what else? I'm blogging again. But more on that later... First, I'm going to give you a brief list of the things that have happened since I last blogged. Just so you know I'm not kidding when I say I was busy!</div><div><br /></div><div>- In October I second shot my first wedding. LOVED IT!</div><div>- In November I did MANY family photos, children's photos AND photographed an entire wedding ALL BY MYSELF!</div><div>- In December my sweet Charlie turned 1!! It killed me not to blog that! My Liv turned 7 and I shot ANOTHER wedding as the lead photographer and shot a birth! By this time my computer problems were in full swing and things were not good at all.</div><div>- In January I got my new computer 2 weeks ago and since then I've shot two births, booked to be a second shooter in 3 weddings AND My Boy was accepted the University of Arkansas!! He's a HOG, y'all!! This saddens me greatly due to my undying love of my beloved Texas Longhorns. However, because of my great affinity for bacon I do believe that I can deal with him being a Hog. Sooooiiiee!!</div><div><br /></div><div>And here's the BIG news I've been saving for last. Some of you may like it and some of you may hate it. And that's why I'm throwing it out here because I really want your opinion. And if nobody comments then I can assume my decision is made for me. So here's your chance for your voice to be heard. So SPEAK, people!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm fairly certain that I'm going to stop posting at all on Monk's Wife. I'm going to try and find a service to back up my years of blogging on here and call it a wrap.</div><div><br /></div><div>HOWEVER. (Now that y'all have sucked all of the oxygen out of the room and your children are gasping for breath!)</div><div><br /></div><div>I have purchased a professional photography blog. And because it's my personality to be totally different (or weird if you may), I'm not only going to post my photography work there, but post my personal stuff as well. Yes, even the crazy, disgusting things that occur with 6 children. I want clients to know me. The real me. And I also want to keep up with all you fine people, but I want to do it all under one roof ... er.. um...blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some have told me that it's photographical suicide. Others have said it's brilliant. I need to do what my gut tells me to do and my gut says this is right for me. So here's the deal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Go visit the new blog all week this week. I'll be posting personal and professional stuff all through the week. Then come back and tell me what you think. And be honest. Keep in mind that I haven't finished tweaking my blog yet. I just haven't had time. I've got the basic stuff up that I needed to get going and I'm starting there. I'll get all technical-ish later. Tell me what you like, what you don't and if you like my hair. </div><div><br /></div><div>And the new "professional" (oooohhhh!!) blog address is: </div><div><a href="http://www.michellemonkphoto.com">www.michellemonkphoto.com</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>So go on. Get out of here. And if you're still reading here after a two months absence ... God bless you. </div><div><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-78368704645518415712009-11-11T23:47:00.002-06:002009-11-11T23:50:34.259-06:00The Gist of It...If you're wondering where I've been ... it's to Crazy Town and back.<br /><br />Take a look over <a href="http://www.michellemonkphoto.wordpress.com/">here</a> to see what I've been up to. Then tell me I'm supposed to have time to entertain you people. Sheesh. :)<br /><br />Sometimes crazy is good and sometimes it's bad. I've got a little bit of both going on right now. But I'm always thankful for the crazy.<br /><br />It means I have a life. :)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-53986742697939895092009-11-03T16:40:00.003-06:002009-11-03T16:56:45.054-06:00Little Girls and Sweaty CurlsCharlotte's hair normally has a little wave with a curl or two here and there. However, nothing compares to this kids hair when she starts sweating. She doesn't even look like the same child!<br /><br />So last week, at the beginning of her illness and one of the few times her fever broke, I took a few pictures just to prove it.<br /><br />See. I'm not lyin'...<br /><br /><a title="charlie curl 1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4073544726/"><img alt="charlie curl 1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2586/4073544726_02a8e91ea6.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br /><br />Oh my goodness... swirls of curls<br /><br /><br /><a title="charlie curl 2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4072784871/"><img alt="charlie curl 2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/4072784871_2c4192580e.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br /><br />And even more...<br /><br /><a title="charlie curl 3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4072785263/"><img alt="charlie curl 3" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2773/4072785263_5c68182999.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />And we wondered why the thermometer quit working. Now we know...<br /><br /><a title="charlie curl 4 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4073545790/"><img alt="charlie curl 4" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2720/4073545790_5b03c92fd9.jpg" width="500" height="377" /></a><br /><br />And the cutest little curly headed sick baby ever!<br /><br /><a title="charlie curl 5 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4073546118/"><img alt="charlie curl 5" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2469/4073546118_194d4a0b1f.jpg" width="500" height="335" /></a><br /><br />Here's to sweat. And the curls it produces.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-40580617867572408302009-11-01T21:21:00.003-06:002009-11-01T23:02:56.662-06:00I'm Here ... In Spite of the Plague. Feed the Children. This is a Long One.Oh, y'all. It has been a doozy last 4 or 5 days. Whew. I need a do-over.<br /><br />The Plague 2009 <em>has been</em> upon us, <em>is</em> upon us and <em>will be</em> upon us ... as in, I don't think we're quite finished with it yet. I can hardly believe what has transpired in the last week.<br /><br />When I went on my small bloggy break we had just finished Day 8 of our cleanse. Charlotte had started running fever on Tuesday evening (Day 7) and thought it was just a simple viral thing. And we're still pretty sure it was a viral thing, but there was nothing ...<em>NOTHING</em>, simple about it.<br /><br />This child ran fevers between 101 and 102.5 for FOUR straight days. I only managed to break it twice and it was short lived when I did. I don't treat fevers that are below 101 usually and for the meds to not be able to break the high ones was ...well ...FREAKING ME OUT A LITTLE!!!!<br /><br />I took Charlie to the doctor on Thursday and he (who -was- not- her- normal -doctor and whom I did not care for ...especially his little dig about vaccinations ...) didn't really know what was wrong with her. Probably a virus was his best guess, but said if her fever spikes we might want to take her to the local children's hospital. He did a flu test ~ which was negative ~ and sent us on our way. For only 25 bucks and a prescription for Amoxicillon for something that may or may not be there. Whaa?<br /><br />Anyway.<br /><br />That night (last Thursday) I was in the recliner horking up my left lung and telling Monk that it felt like I was coughing out razor blades. I was also congested and sounded like I could take out a pack of Camels in no time flat. Monk kindly (and wisely) suggested that I head to our doctor's after hours clinic, there was still an hour left before they closed and he wanted to make sure I didn't get any sicker. I hemmed and hawed and finally conceded and headed out the door.<br /><br />Y'all. I have bronchitis! Dang it all.<br /><br />That time the 25 bucks got a diagnosis and TWO prescriptions. An antibiotic and a cough medicine with Codeine. Now before you get too excited about the doctor prescribed narcotics, it was pretty much a bust. But I'll get to that later.<br /><br />Have I confused you yet? Good.<br /><br />So Thursday night I take my Narcotic Num-Nums and proceed to go to bed. Charlie wakes up crying. I nurse her (which is a very loose term because she was not nursing well at this point) and check her temperature. It's 11:45 pm and her temp is 102.4. I give her some Advil and we both go back to sleep. I'm awakened at around 1 am by her squirming around. Out of habit I touch her forehead and she is BURNING UP! I take her temp again and it is now 103.8!!!<br /><br />I JUMP (and I seriously mean JUMP!) out of bed and proceed to throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I wake Monk and tell him I'm taking Charlotte to the children's hospital. I grab and extra set of jammies for her, some socks, wrap her in a blanket and head out the door. It's now 1:15 am. Children's hospital is only about a 15 minute drive and I was ever so relieved when I pulled into the parking lot to see it wasn't that crowded. I throw open Charlie's door, get her out of the carseat and proceed a few steps. I pull her to me as I'm walking and touch her forehead to my lips.<br /><br />Nothin'.<br /><br />The fever was practically gone. I stood in the garage for a few minutes contemplating what I was going to do. I walked back to Phil and got into the backseat with Charlotte. I sat there with her held next to me for probably 15 minutes and then decided to head home. I wasn't going to expose her to every other germ in Fort Worth if she wasn't running a dangerous fever anymore. And so we headed home.<br /><br />After getting home I nursed her in the recliner and we stayed there to sleep. She woke me up and hour later throwing up all over me. It was fun times, my friends.<br /><br />I had a chiropractor appointment on Friday and I took Charlie with me so we both could get lasered and adjusted. She was still running a high fever and very lethargic. Luckily for me, her normal doctor called while I was driving home and asked about her. When I told the nurse what was going on, she told the doctor who in turn wanted me to bring Charlotte back in that afternoon!! Oy.<br /><br />Now are you confused?<br /><br />We went back that afternoon and had yet another flu test done (Charlotte is not a fan of a giant Q-tip thingys being shoved up her nose!) and had a strep test done. Negatory on the deuce. Her doctor was perplexed and a little concerned. She ordered a blood test and an xray.<br /><br />I left her office and proceeded to the lab. Y'all. Consider yourself lucky if you have never had to watch someone draw blood from your baby. Oh my. When we walked in I told the girl she had better be a <em>One Stick Wonder</em> because my baby was not going to be a pin cushion. She assured me she was and she kept her word. She only stuck her once, but she dug around with the needle in her arm for about 10 MINUTES! I'm pretty sure that if I stuck a needle in my arm that at some point I would, in fact, hit a vein! Then once she did hit the vein the blood came out very sloooooooooooooooooooooooowly. My word. I was never so glad to be done with something in my life<br /><br /><br />The x-rays weren't much better. There were issues there as well. Then on my way home Monk proceeds to call and tell me that Liv has a fever of 102. Um ... okay. I was never so glad to pull into my driveway in all my life.<br /><br />The doctor had put stat orders on both of these procedures and was going to call me that evening (Friday) with the results. Would you believe me if I told you that the doctor called and said the xray place messed up and we weren't going to have the results until Monday?! And would you believe me again if I told you that the doctor called back an hour and a half later to tell me that THE LAB DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH BLOOD TO RUN THE TEST?!?!?!<br /><br />Needless to say, she told me that if Charlie wasn't any better by Saturday evening then we needed to go to the children's hospital. ::sigh::<br /><br />Saturday came and Liv woke with a fever of 103. Charlie was 102. I had to go to my great-nephew's birthday party and had determined if Charlotte wasn't any better by the time I got home I was taking her in. After arriving at my niece's house I noticed that Hope was a little quiet and pale. We took her temperature and it was 101. Really? Three kids with temperatures and a momma with bronchitis. I was fairly certain that at this point if anyone came to our house they were going to need a hazmat suit. It was that bad.<br /><br />When I came home from the party Charlotte seemed to have perked up a little. Hope was miserable, Liv was doing better and Grace just bebopped around as if the world was her oyster. I, on the other hand, wanted to collapse.<br /><br />Charlotte's fever broke Saturday night and she stayed fever all night and all day today. Thank you, Lord! Liv on the other hand woke up feverish and ended up vomiting. (Which interestingly enough, Hope felt the need to reinact the vomit scene by coughing and gagging into a bucket. She told Monk, 'I frow up, Daddy. ' HA!) She was extremely miserable all day today until this evening and she seemed to have relief from the relentless stomach cramping. Charlotte is still fever free, but very fussy and needy still. Hope seems to be fine. Freak incident or calm before the storm? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.<br /><br />And me?<br /><br />Well. I'm still taking my antibiotics and hacking my brains out. I ditched the cough syrup with codeine and went old school. I made myself up an old hillbilly remedy that my mom used to give us as kids: Honey, Whiskey and Lemon. The honey coats your throat to soothe it, the whiskey dilates your bronchial tubes and the lemon helps break up the congestion. It's done more for me today than the prescription one has for the last two days.<br /><br />The recipe is as follows:<br /><br />Honey, Whiskey and Lemon Cough Syrup (and hot toddy)<br /><br />~ 1/2 c. honey<br />~ 1/4 -1/2 c. whiskey<br />~ 1/4c. lemon<br /><br />That's it. I put all mine in a Mason jar and shook it up. Done. Take about a tablespoon every 4 hours. Or more if the kids are driving you nuts.<br /><br />It's so pretty ...<br /><br /><a title="hwl jar -2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4066729725/"><img alt="hwl jar -2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/4066729725_2bfcbd2d5b.jpg" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Some of you may say, 'But Michelle! That has whiskey in it!".<br /><br />I say, 'Yep. And if it doesn't stop me coughing at least I won't care."<br /><br />Okay. Not really. I'm not a teetotaler anyway, but I can assure you that there is not enough alcohol in a measley tablespoon to turn you into some babbling lush.<br /><br />Unless this post could be considered written by a babbling lush then disregard that last statement.<br /><br />Today has been spent recovering, recouping, cleaning and trying to get the general mayhem that has permeated our lives for the last 5 days under control. I will tell you now that after Day 9 of the cleanse, all deals were off. For our own sanity we chose to go off for the weekend just to make things a little easier. As you could imagine. We are going right back to it tomorrow and we don't feel one single bit guilty about it. (You should see how much weight Monk has lost! Wow! I should have taken before and after pics of us!)<br /><br />But today was for comfort. So I made this ...<br /><br /><a title="soup 2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4067481712/"><img alt="soup 2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/4067481712_49f782e242.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />.... and we called it a day.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-36248932971568015172009-10-28T22:11:00.002-05:002009-10-28T22:14:25.978-05:00Small Bloggy Break.Sorry friends.<br /><br />I am very congested and feeling pretty lousy due to a miserable cold. My little Charlie Bird is running a high fever and feeling pretty crummy as well. So I'm going to be taking a break from blogging until both of us feel a little better. Carry on amongst yourselves.<br /><br />See y'all soon!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-68056483765906508162009-10-27T22:01:00.002-05:002009-10-27T22:28:25.061-05:00Day 8 ~ Not the Best Day Consider the Whole Fat Lip, Fever and Vomiting Thing.Today has not been a great day. <br /><br />For some reason I'm just mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I've struggled all day long and fought some MAJOR sugar cravings. I didn't eat any sugar, but the cravings were still there. I think a large part of it stems from the fact that I'm exhausted from not getting sound sleep. Monk's phone went off in the middle of the night last night TWICE. When you add Hope's screeching, grunting and general murmurings in the night it just makes for a very tired momma.<br /><br />I was going to cover some pretty unusual, and almost humorous, observations I have made over the last few days concerning the cleanse, but the day has been long, non productive and a little stressful so I think I'm just going to wait and share those later.<br /><br />However, I will quickly cover the other exciting, but not necessarily good, things that have happened today.<br /><br />Charlie has learned how to climb. She climbs in and out of one of the little rocking chairs in our family room on a regular basis. What she hasn't mastered is leaning forward in them without doing a face plant onto the floor.<br /><br />This would be the fat lip part of the day. She fell face first out of the rocking chair today busting her top lip and tearing that little skin thingy that holds the upper lip to the gums. There was a lot of crying, a fair amount of blood and WHOLE lotta fat lip.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4051267059/" title="fat lip 1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/4051267059_2586f7e6c4.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="fat lip 1" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4051267341/" title="fat lip 2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/4051267341_ae4cdbd12d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="fat lip 2" /></a><br /><br />...and a fairly pitiful look...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4051267575/" title="fat lip 3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/4051267575_b2298e7743.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="fat lip 3" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4052012570/" title="fat lip 4 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3529/4052012570_dbd71581f1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="fat lip 4" /></a><br /><br />I still think she's pretty doggone cute ~ fat lip and all!<br /><br />Then poor Charlotte's day didn't get any better. She started running a fever around 5 pm and by 9pm she had a nice little fever going. And then came some vomiting. On me.<br /><br />Oh yes, my friends, that is one way to curb your appetite. It was so bad the dog didn't even like it. Are y'all profusely gagging now? Good. Now we're even.<br /><br />Time for me to go line the bed with beach towels and find the bucket to keep handy. Good times, friends. Good times.<br /><br />Good night, y'all. Everyone sleep well!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-9776188779617379932009-10-26T21:26:00.002-05:002009-10-26T22:32:02.755-05:00Cleanse Day 7 ~ Confession is Good for the Soul. Plus I Really Hate Guilt.So I cheated a little this past weekend. Not as bad as Monk, but I did cheat. (How's that for deflection?)<br /><br />I let myself get too hungry and then ate a few french fries. Oh, the guilt y'all! I wanted to get down in the floorboard of Phil the Suburban and start confessing rightthatverysecond. I was more mad at myself than anything after I did it, but let me tell y'all ...<br /><br />...there was definitely pleasure in sin for a season.<br /><br />But my conscience bothered me the rest of the weekend. Monk on the other hand ate two chocolate cupcakes at a birthday party, drank a cup of coffee with a hot chocolate chaser and didn't have nary an ounce of guilt. I think he needs to have a little talk with Jesus.<br /><br />What I have come to realize is this: I. Can. Do. This. <br /><br />Some moments are harder than others, but by and large I'm managing to get through the days without thinking about food 24/7 like I was those first few days. As a matter of fact, I'm starting to 'crave' particular salads and vegetables. WHO KNEW!! This is what's supposed to be happening and that is a good thing. It means that I'm retraining my taste buds to like things that are good for me!<br /><br />Does it mean that I still don't crave a Ding Dong? Um..no. I still crave sweets, chips and soft drinks .... just not all-the-time-every-second-of-the-day sort of craving. It's occasional now and fairly short lived. (However, the other day I did want to jump some kid with a bag of Doritos, but I don't feel the need to go there right now.) I also have a supplement called Gymnema that is supposed to help curb those cravings. My plan is to start taking this supplement tomorrow to see how it affects me.<br /><br />(That is if I <em>remember</em> to take it. I am <em>horrible</em> at remembering to take my supplements!)<br /><br />Today was a chilly, dreary, rainy day here in this here part of Texas. The perfect weather for soup! Rainy day + soup = comfort. One of our standard favorites around here is Tortilla soup. Normally tortilla soup has corn, tortilla chips and cheese, but today we left those things out and just added some carrots to add some color and texture to the soup. I didn't feel like we were missing anything eating this soup! It was extremely flavorful and filling and we walked away from the table not feeling deprived at all.<br /><br />(Although Monk missed the tortilla chips a little and I missed the cheese ... well... a lot. But it was STILL good!)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4048874008/" title="Cleanse Day 7 -2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4048874008_4815100ea1.jpg" width="500" height="338" alt="Cleanse Day 7 -2" /></a><br /><br />Another little gem I have come to discover is the Pomegranate.<br /><br />Y'all the Pomegranate is like a little burst of sunshine in your mouth! You open it up and it's like a little game of hide 'n seek trying to find the juicy little bits of goodness!<br /><br />And guess what?! I convinced 3 of my girls to try it ~ very much against their wills ~ and they LIKED it!! This would lead me to Tip #3 ..<br /><br />Let your children try all the fruits and veggies! You wouldn't believe the things I've discovered my girls will eat! The pomegranate was proof enough for me!<br /><br />But who wouldn't love this...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4048874232/" title="Cleanse Day 7-3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2716/4048874232_0f358646f5.jpg" width="500" height="314" alt="Cleanse Day 7-3" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4048874460/" title="Cleanse Day 7-4 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4048874460_947ca46d9e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 7-4" /></a><br /><br />The only area of the cleanse that I'm slacking in is sleep. Mostly because our non-sleeping child named Hope tends to yell and talk and scream in her sleep which pretty much means I'm awakened sometimes hourly. Nice, huh? So that means I'm trying really hard to go to bed earlier. Which is really hard for this night owl.<br /><br />So I'm wrapping this post up and hitting the sheets! I'd love to hear any questions or comments from y'all out there. Especially you lurkers ~ you know who you are! Do you like me chronicling my journey or am I boring the daylights out of you?! I need to know these things!<br /><br />Goodnight, y'all!! Hoo-hoo.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-68269825232859845832009-10-26T09:47:00.003-05:002009-10-26T10:01:30.552-05:00Weekend SnapshotHope's love for Charlotte is deep and abiding .... in that choke hold sort of way.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4046763200/" title="Pumpkin patch 5 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/4046763200_6bf8bfb206.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Pumpkin patch 5" /></a><br /><br />I think they will be alright. Eventually.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4046763626/" title="Pumpkin patch 7 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/4046763626_7bbe3c3af5.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Pumpkin patch 7" /></a><br /><br />But Hope's need to have a firm <em>grip</em> on the situation at all times could prove to be a little problematic... Especially when Charlotte learns to, you know, <em>grip</em> back. And that day is coming my friends, it is.<br /><br />Because this little crooked tooth grin right here ....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4046764272/" title="Pumpkin patch 10 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4046764272_017250ef60.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Pumpkin patch 10" /></a><br /><br />... it pretty much means she's up to somethin'. Yup.<br /><br />So you better keep an eye out Hope ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4046761942/" title="Pumpkin patch 3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3535/4046761942_ba0e38aa04.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Pumpkin patch 3" /></a><br /><br />Charlie's comin' to get ya ...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4046761394/" title="Pumpkin patch 1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/4046761394_77e5c4b24d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Pumpkin patch 1" /></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-90759977886106098282009-10-23T22:49:00.002-05:002009-10-24T00:12:34.719-05:00Day 4 ~ What a DIFFERENCE a Day Makes!!Oh. My Word. Y'all.<br /><br />I cannot even begin to tell you how incredibly different I feel today! It is absolutely amazing! All along people told me (and the program did, too!) that the first 3 days were incredibly difficult and once you could get past those first days then you would feel totally different.<br /><br />They. Were. Right.<br /><br />I have had NO headaches today and the cravings have decreased SIGNIFICANTLY! I just can't believe it. Monk agreed with me and said he felt really great, too! I even went to the grocery store today, yet once again to buy MORE vegetables, and it didn't bother me a bit. I actually found myself wanting a spinach salad of all things!<br /><br />If someone had told me the difference between Day 3 and Day 4 would have been this great, I never would have believed them. It's been very interesting to witness these things first hand. It's almost as if I were a 'junky' trying to come clean. I truly believe my body was in withdrawal from all of the caffeine and sugar. <br /><br />And the best part about these last four days?<br /><br />I went to get dressed this morning and I only had one pair of clean jeans. I wore this particular pair of jeans last week and they were a little ... um .... snug. As in, I had to go old school and do a few squats to be able to wear them. Well this morning I pulled them out of the closet and lo, and behold, guess what?<br /><br />They zipped right up ... and WITH NO SQUATTING!!! They didn't even feel tight!<br /><br />To say I squealed with delight would be a <em>severe</em> understatement. I might have even done a little jig and quite possibly <em>whooped</em> a time or two!!<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, it's still hard. I still have cravings and moments where I think I can't do this another second. But if today is any indication of how the next few days will go ... then I think I can make it. And I <em>really</em> want to make it. Remember? I don't like quitting.<br /><br />I'm also learning some new things to cook and that would be my Tip #3 for this cleanse.<br /><br />~ Have meal ideas prepared <em>before</em> you start the cleanse. Talk to people, get ideas. Then make a grocery list and buy at least a few things more than what you think you will need. Trust me, you <em>will </em>eat it! Let me just say that Portabella mushrooms make a <em>great</em> meat substitution!<br /><br />Today's fare included some stir fried veggies and they were yummy!! Monk even said he could eat them ever day! Well isn't that the point of this whole thing? To change our tastes and habits? Score for <s>me</s> us!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4038397003/" title="Cleanse Day 4-1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/4038397003_5263674847.jpg" width="373" height="500" alt="Cleanse Day 4-1" /></a><br /><br />And some more for dinner along with some brown rice and a little fresh cod for me!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4039147156/" title="Cleanse Day 4-3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/4039147156_57151d612c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 4-3" /></a><br /><br />(And can I just say that my dinnerware is SO 1990's! Ewwww. I've been looking for new stuff for a while, but I just don't know what to go with. Something simple yet classy ... but kidproof. Yeah. That's why I haven't found anything yet. ::sigh:: Any ideas?)<br /><br />So I'm taking the weekend off from blogging about my little 'cleanse' ( I <em>really</em> hate that word), but I'll be back Monday to fill you in on all my new, clean, veggie ways!!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-49060079612013274572009-10-22T21:11:00.002-05:002009-10-22T21:54:03.190-05:00Day 3 - Just Kill Me Now...Today is the end of Day 3. I hated it. I hated every cotton pickin' last minute of it. Why?<br /><br />Well for one, I had the most horrendous headache of my entire life for most of the day. It was like someone had my head in a vice and just squeezing all day long. I was not a happy person, my friends. As a matter of fact, I was just downright mean. I was absolutely going crazy with pain and Lord help anybody who got in my way. Monk was pretty smart and just tried to lay low and acknowledge me with grunts and hand signals. The kids just stayed in the other room and tried to ignore my ranting. It was a fairly ugly situation.<br /><br />Then I texted my friend Cindy. I begged her to tell me I could take a Tylenol, an Advil ... a 5th of Vodka. ANYTHING!! Seriously. I just needed some relief from this headache. She told to try and sip a little unsweet tea to sea if that would help. I hate unsweet tea, y'all. But you know what? I did it. And guess what? About six sips of unsweet tea and a little bit of chicken breast took that headache right away. Holla! You've never seen a happier momma.<br /><br />Well, except if she had a cheeseburger and a Coke .... she'd be really happy then.<br /><br />Today has just been crap. I usually don't use that word on my blog as I really don't want to offend anyone, but I just can't help it. I'm miserable and I don't want to do this anymore and crap is the only word that seems appropriate. I mean, what was I thinking? 21 DAYS?? REALLY? Birthing a child doesn't even take 21 days!<br /><br />I guess I'm just mad. Mad that I let myself get in the position where I need to do something like this. Mad that I can't have what I want. Mad that what I want is a cheeseburger and a Coke. Mad that I spent money on this. Mad that I sound like an ungrateful sin wad who can't be thankful to see an opportunity to get healthy.<br /><br />But mostly I'm just mad because I want to quit. I hate quitting anything and yet here I am. I'm tired, my head is throbbing again and I just don't want to care anymore.<br /><br />But I do.<br /><br />And so I will just go to bed and pray that tomorrow is a better day. Pray that the visual assaults I see while driving in the form of advertisements, billboards and restaurants, just won't get to me. Pray that I won't gag when trying to choke down yet another shake/smoothie/gag-me-with-a-spoon drink. Pray that I can get through another day even if it means hour by hour, minute by minute and moment by moment. Pray that the stupid headache will go away. Pray that I won't want a bowl of cereal in the morning. Pray that my unnatural love for the Ding Dong would be replaced by the more natural love for the ... eh .... carrot.<br /><br />Because I could cheat. I could SO cheat. I have plenty of things in my kitchen rightthisverysecond with which I could cheat. Namely this....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4036425152/" title="Cleanse Day 2-5 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/4036425152_9c0a9c9eb4.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Cleanse Day 2-5" /></a><br /><br />See! I'm healthy! It's organic for crying out loud! And do you see the price on it?!?! Do you?! I got it for HALF it's normal price!! And I can't even eat it.<br /><br />When I showed it to the girls their little eyes lit up and they bared their little Piranha-like teeth and I just looked at them and said, "<em>Seriously</em>? You seriously think I'm going to give you <em>my</em> chocolate? <em>My</em> Green & Black's <em>Organic</em> Chocolate? That I only paid $1.72 for?". And I promptly placed it upon the shelf to act as some trophy or prize I've yet to attain.<br /><br /><em>*Note to self: Eat ALL chocolate in house BEFORE starting a 21 day cleanse.</em><br /><em></em><br />So I could cheat. I really could. But I'm not going to. At least not today.<br /><br />Hopefully I can say that tomorrow as well. And the next day .... and the next day ... and the...Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-36048018632673336772009-10-21T21:38:00.002-05:002009-10-21T22:19:36.264-05:00The Cleanse - Day 2 ....Day of the Pounding HeadacheWell, I think my title pretty much sums up Day 2 of this cleanse. My head has throbbed all. day. long. I wanted a Coke so bad I could hardly stand it ~ for medicinal purposes, of course ~ but I managed to make it through the day with the headaches coming and going. I know they're going to get better, but let me tell y'all .... it's hard to function with small children when you feel as if your head is going to explode.<br /><br />Food wise I did fairly well. I had some cravings today, but nothing I couldn't get through without a little thing I like to call .... distraction. When I began to think about various foods I just started doing something else. I did accidentally lick a tiny smidgen of peanut butter off of my finger this morning while making Grace's sandwich. After I did it I sort of froze. I wasn't sure what I should do. Should I spit? Should I gargle? Should I ::gulp:: <em>purge</em>? And then I realized I was being an idiot and went on with my day.<br /><br />The morning was the most difficult part of the day and then I made myself this big, honkin' salad for lunch and I felt much better after that. Wouldn't this make you feel better?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4033020461/" title="Cleanse Day 2-2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/4033020461_07f117f6b8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 2-2" /></a><br /><br />And there was homemade dressing on it to boot!!<br /><br />On Day 1 I had felt really woozy by 5 o'clock pm. I truly thought I would pass out. I didn't realize that because I was still nursing Charlotte that I was still allowed to have some protein. WELL, HEELLLLOOOO ENERGY!!! Thanks to my friend (and former chiropractor and wife of my current chiropractor) Cindy, she informed me in the comments of my Day 1 post that I was supposed to keep the protein in there. So because of her wonderful news (Cindy, remind me to kiss you when I see you ... okay, that'd be a little weird.... a hug will suffice.) I was able to eat a few extras on Day 2 and wow (WOW!), did it make a difference!!<br /><br />There was even some hummus among us...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4033020925/" title="Cleanse Day 2-3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/4033020925_d1ab4bf95c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 2-3" /></a><br /><br />My tip #2 (tip #1 is in the first post) for this cleanse is - Have a plan for what you're going to eat. The worst thing I've done so far is let myself get too hungry because I wasn't prepared for the next snack/meal.<br /><br />I had to go to the stinkin' store again and once again ... it was a nightmare. Not as bad as Costco, but still hard. I can't tell you enough, if you're gonna do this make sure you have enough groceries for at least 3 days!! And normally I do, it's just been a very crazy week AND I didn't anticipate just how many veggies and fruits we would go through.<br /><br />Today's trip only happened because the organic carrots that I bought at Target the other day were slimy when I opened the bag. Yea, pretty gross. I needed carrots for Day 2 dinner so I didn't have a choice. I ended up buying some lemons, limes, cauliflower and some butternut squash while I was there. I'm not very good at the whole "I'm gonna just grab one thing" at the store bit. Besides, I figured if I bought it then, then I wouldn't have to buy anything the next day. <br /><br />Well, at least that's my theory.<br /><br />Anyway, I took Day 2's dinner of <a href="http://www.drcindyblog.com/our-lunch-lentil-recipe/2009/">Lentils and Veggies</a> from, once again, my friend Cindy! She finished the cleanse a few days ago and documented a bunch of yummy recipes on <a href="http://www.drcindyblog.com/">her blog</a>. Go check it out!!<br /><br />This particular dinner didn't make us feel deprived one stinking little bit. We loved it! It was a cold weather, meat on your bones, comfort food meal if I've ever had one. And it was healthy to boot!!<br /><br />My picture is not that attractive, but I assure you ... it was G-O-O-D!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4033021303/" title="Cleanse Day 2-6 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/4033021303_aab321dcdd.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 2-6" /></a><br /><br />Day 2 is now complete and I'm feeling pretty good. My moods seem to swing back and forth between, "I can totally do this!!" to "I'm never gonna make it, just pass the chocolate". If I can work past a craving then I'm totally fine.<br /><br />This morning I woke up more rested than I have felt in a very long time. That was because I got ....wait for it ..... wait for it ..... 8 HOURS WORTH OF SLEEP!! I wasn't sluggish and my head felt clear ... until the pounding headaches started, but overall I felt great! I'm looking forward to how I'll feel tomorrow and hoping it continues to get better and better. And that being said ...<br />since I was already asleep by this time last night, I do believe it's time for me to wrap things up my little friends. <br /><br />I need to go to bed before a Ding Dong craving hits.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-80265322728612659652009-10-20T20:39:00.002-05:002009-10-20T21:36:57.099-05:00Because I Felt the Need to Torture Myself...The Cleanse...Day 1You know, it wasn't too long ago that my eating habits were vastly different than they are now. I tried to buy as much organic as I possibly could, I avoided artificial <em>anything</em> and all the snacks at my home were made by me so I could control exactly what I was feeding my children.<br /><br />Well after Charlotte was born I fell off the bandwagon. Not only did I fall off, but I'm pretty sure I rolled under the bandwagon and was backed over about a 152 times. It was a bad fall to say the least. My healthier eating habits went to the wayside and I threw caution to the wind, not really caring what I put into my body. <br /><br />As evidenced by my deep and abiding love for Coca Cola.<br /><br />And Ding Dongs.<br /><br />Well all that tomfoolery (now there's a cool word, my friends) is now coming to an end. Why? Honestly, I just became convicted about what I was putting into my body and my children's bodies. When Hope would see a Sonic and start asking for a Coke, it started making the momma (HELLO, ME!!!) look real bad. When the other girls would beg to go to Sonic Happy Hour on a <em>daily</em> basis, it started making the momma look real bad. I can site several more instances, but since I feel bad enough already I'll just shut up about it.<br /><br />So. I've been noticing several people, that I either know personally or indirectly, that go to my chiropractor's office that have been doing this cleanse. Now y'all. The word 'cleanse' would strike fear in my heart by the mere mention of it. I couldn't imagine denying my body of certain things for a whole 21 days! That would be crazy! Especially sugary things!<br /><br />Well, guess what I started today? Apparently I'm crazy.<br /><br />I've seen and heard of the many positive experiences people have had doing this and I'll be honest .... I'm tired of feeling like garbage. My joints hurt, I'm tired, I have no energy and I just want to feel good again! Believe it or not .... Monk is doing it with me!! When he said he wanted to do it too, I told him, "You do realize you can't have meat for the first 9 days, right?!?!". My bacon-loving man just nodded his head yes and well ... here we are.<br /><br />I'm going to try and document the 21 days on here the best I can. Why? Well, it gives me a little accountability and seeing that it's only the end of day 1 and I want to dive head first into Hostess truck I figured it might be a good idea to 'see' my progress in print ... or type ... or whatever you call what I'm doing.<br /><br />So, here we go ...<br /><br />The first 9 days of this cleanse include the Standard Process supplements, fruits, veggies (lots and lots of veggies), small amounts of brown rice and/or lentils and some special shakes. You can also use healthier oils like Flax, Coconut and Olive oil. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus loves me by the mere fact that I can have butter on this cleanse!! On day 10 I get to incorporate some fish and/or chicken. But right now ... I'm in the trenches.<br /><br />This was my first shopping trip ... I labeled it just because I love you all. You're welcome.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4027759257/" title="Football and cleanse -1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/4027759257_b971ff6b3f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Football and cleanse -1" /></a><br /><br />You're supposed to use all organic fruits and vegetables, but since that is just not fiscally possible around here, I just buy a little organic and a little non organic. I LOVE all the colors in this one!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4028512094/" title="Football and cleanse-3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4028512094_1ed0678e2f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Football and cleanse-3" /></a><br /><br />And here's all the supplements. Exciting, eh? Especially the Gastro-Fiber. Yuuuuup.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4028511666/" title="Football and cleanse-2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2540/4028511666_713cf9a2cf.jpg" width="500" height="367" alt="Football and cleanse-2" /></a><br /><br />I didn't quite finish my shopping on Saturday, so I had to go to Costco today to pick up a few more things. NOT A GOOD IDEA!!<br /><br />Oh, the temptation swirling around me!! Costco is a veritable sampler's wonderland!! I nearly accosted the man giving out samples of chocolate covered almonds because those are one of my most favorite things EV-VER!! I could have literally thrown my body onto the bagel table and rolled around in all the carbohydrate goodness for hours. I was just too hungry to be there and it was dangerous!<br /><br />Tip #1 - Have all your shopping done before you start so you don't have to leave the house for a the first few days when it's SO dang hard not to want other food.<br /><br />Here was my Costco trip today ....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4030249583/" title="Cleanse Day 1 -2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/4030249583_52c06cff03.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 1 -2" /></a><br /><br />Let me tell you something, my friends .... you've never seen a happier woman upon realizing she could make GUACAMOLE!!!! I used carrots and {English} cucumber today to dip with and am thinking I may even try some celery!!<br /><br />It was pretty yummy if I do say so myself...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4031004310/" title="Cleanse Day 1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/4031004310_06e9f2896e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Cleanse Day 1" /></a><br /><br />Around 5 o'clock today I hit a wall. Headache, body aches, no energy, etc.. and I haven't recovered since. I knew I need to cook dinner fast and opted to make Monk and I a raw vegetable soup in the Vita-Mix.<br /><br />It was yummy, but it was yummier after I made sweet potato chips and put them in there!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4031004684/" title="Cleanse Day 1-3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4031004684_f2aff74819.jpg" width="500" height="324" alt="Cleanse Day 1-3" /></a><br /><br />It is not even 9:30 pm right now and I am struggling to stay awake. I knew this would happen as the brochure made no efforts to cover up the fact that I'm going to feel wiped out the first 3-4 days, but good golly y'all!!! I certainly didn't expect to be THIS wiped out! Wow.<br /><br />Anyway, I had planned on giving a whole lot more information tonight, but since I've had to wake myself up about 3 times while typing this .... I plain just don't care right now and I'm going to bed.<br /><br />I'm happy to have Day 1 behind me. Now I can go to sleep and have sweet dreams of creme fillings.<br /><br />Obviously my train of thought is not quite where it should be. Then again ... has it ever been?Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-67637011005044466942009-10-19T22:54:00.003-05:002009-10-20T00:01:11.859-05:00Betcha Thought I'd Never Post Again, Huh?Surprise! I still know how to type!<br /><br />In all honesty.... I've enjoyed my break. It's funny because my blog was originally just supposed to be some sort of online journal of sorts. A place to share funny stories, post my opinions or just get my feelings out there. It wasn't really supposed to be read by other, you know... PEOPLE! Little did I know that a few years later I would have actual relationships with people that I've only known online! Crazy! And when those people don't post I actually worry about them. Really. I do. So whether or not you've missed me .... I've missed you.<br /><br />I'm feeling a little revived and I like it. It may something to do with the fact that that the planet Sun decided to finally make an appearance again after two straight weeks of nothing but dreary gray days. And the rain! I could swear I heard the cats talking about finding 'ark buddies'.<br /><br />And I'll be honest. I'm trying very hard to find balance in my life once again. Don't get me wrong ... it's still crazy ... but I'm trying to control the crazy now. I'm trying to ...::gulp:: even make a schedule of sorts. I KNOW!!! You-Know-Where just froze over!<br /><br />At any rate, I'm not feeling so out of control and that, my friends, has made a world of difference. Some days I just have to stop and pray and ask God to show me what's important and where to slow down. I'm here to say, it's working!<br /><br />I feel like I need to catch you up on SO much that's going on, but then that seems like such a daunting task that I figure I might as well just pick it up right here and now. It's easier that way. Y'all aren't scratching your heads saying, 'huh?' and I'm not having a nervous breakdown at my computer because you didn't know that Monk took the girls to the State Fair of Texas last week and ate Fried Butter. (Seriously, he did.) Or that Madgirl started Driver's Ed tonight (BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS!) or that I once again switched my <a href="http://www.michellemonkphoto.wordpress.com/">photography blog</a>, or that I spent the weekend having a blast with old college friends (one that I haven't seen in 16 years!) and I didn't take one dadgum picture! Seriously, I'm stupid.<br /><br /><br />Oh wait. I just caught you up.<br /><br />This past weekend here in Texas was what's known as the Red River Shoot Out. It was the University of Texas Longhorns versus the Oklahoma Sooners college football game. And in case you didn't know ... I LOOOOOVE me some college football! And in case you didn't know again ... I LOVE THE TEXAS LONGHORNS!!! I'll be honest, I'm rather fanatical about it. Monk and I love nothing better than to sit and watch college football on Saturdays together. We bond through the tossing of pigskin. Now that's true love right there, y'all.<br /><br />Anyway.<br /><br />This game is HUGE down here and we've been looking forward to it for weeks! So I made us up some Buffalo Chicken Dip with mandatory Frito's and a couple of Cokes and we planted ourselves right there on the couch. It was a much needed time of rest and quite relaxing if I do say so myself. Might I add that there was a lethal amount of cream cheese in that dip. Amen.<br /><br /><a title="Football -1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4028509958/"><img alt="Football -1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/4028509958_9a2a7bf8b8.jpg" width="500" height="320" /></a><br /><br />We also had a couple of little girls that we're starting out early to be little Longhorn fans. We raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord first ... then we teach'em the Hook'em Horns sign....<br /><br /><a title="Football-4 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4027850763/"><img alt="Football-4" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2618/4027850763_bdbfb10bce.jpg" width="500" height="378" /></a><br /><br />We start young ....<br /><br /><a title="Football-3 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4027756959/"><img alt="Football-3" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2755/4027756959_ca533d42f2.jpg" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />.... reeeaaaal young.<br /><br /><a title="Football-7 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4028511310/"><img alt="Football-7" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/4028511310_f96b99e3ef.jpg" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />And just so you know .... our team won. We were happy. Or ecstatic might be a better word.<br /><br />But in the midst of all of this celebration, I looked to my 4th daughter or 5th child, and saw this ...<br /><br /><a title="Football-2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/4027757413/"><img alt="Football-2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2575/4027757413_88a85e9a9a.jpg" width="500" height="292" /></a><br /><br />Apparently, Hope finds it not only appropriate, but quite comfortable to wear shoes that are two sizes too small and on the wrong feet. And you know what? I let her.<br /><br />Choose your battles is what I always say.<br /><br />See y'all tomorrow ~ you'll NEVER believe what I'm fixin' to do!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-83838128265881904462009-10-07T22:07:00.009-05:002009-10-08T07:32:53.224-05:00Me -1 Discover Card - 0<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LcGNg1vlItY/Ss1pnxurWvI/AAAAAAAADuI/Tq4u3bd_Gy8/s1600-h/daveramsey_button31.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 103px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390080461117283058" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LcGNg1vlItY/Ss1pnxurWvI/AAAAAAAADuI/Tq4u3bd_Gy8/s400/daveramsey_button31.jpg" /></a>I think I mentioned before that Monk and I have started doing <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/">Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University</a>. If you've never heard of Dave Ramsey or FPU, you really need to go to daveramsey.com and check it out. It will change your life. Guaranteed.<br /><div><br /><div><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Anyway, just over a week ago I had the exciting privilege of paying off my Discover Card. (Give me an AMEN!) This particular credit card has been a thorn in my side for many, many years now. When the opportunity arose to pay it off ~ I was more than elated!</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Monk and I gathered around my computer and he watched me check the little circle that said <em>'Pay Full Amount'</em>. And then I held my breath and clicked the button that said <em>'Submit'</em>. Then those beautiful words appeared on the screen ...<br /><br /></div><br /><div><em>Payment Accepted</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Monk and I whooped and hollered and then we fist bumped. I could swear I felt a chain fall from my wrist at that very moment. I logged in a few days later just so I could see that under the balance it read, '0.00'. What an amazing feeling.<br /><br /></div><br /><div>Anyway. I kept meaning to call and close the account and just kept forgetting. Until today.<br /><br /></div><br /><div>Y'all. I tell you it took an act of Congress to close that stinkin' account!! I was nervous at first. Then I found it hilarious. Then I became angry. Then it got funny again and I finally convinced Discover Card that I was <em>D-O-N-E</em>!<br /><br /></div><br /><div>The conversation went something like this:<br /><br /></div><br /><div><em>Discover girl: Hi, this is Mindy, how may I help you today?</em></div><br /><div><em></em><br /></div><br /><div>Me: Yes, I'd like to close my account please.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><em>Her: I'm very sorry to hear that (me thinking: yeah, I bet.). May I ask why you are wanting to close your account?</em></div><br /><div><em></em><br /></div><br /><div>Me: I'm trying to close out all of my credit card debt and only use my debit card. </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><em>Her: I understand. I see that you've recently paid your balance in full. You do realize that credit card debt is not something that we are responsible for (really?) and now that your balance is zero you could treat you card as a debit card and still earn 5 % blah, blah, blah, blah. Are you interested?</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Me: No, thank-you.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><em>Her: I see that your interest rate was recently raised from ?% to ??%. I could lower that interest back down to your old interest rate for you and credit back your account $50 for some of your interest charges (REALLY? $50?? This is where it was almost comical), does that sound like something you might like to do.</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Me: Um, no. Just close the account please.<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>Her: Okay, I understand. I see that you've been a long standing customer with us for the last 14 years</em> (me: don't you mean 'sucker' for the last 14 years, lady?!)<em> and we would certainly hate to lose you now. I could offer you a guaranteed interest rate of 3.4% for the next six months and you could take advantage of that low interest rate on some purchases that perhaps you've been wanting to make</em> (But they don't encourage debt, right?). <em>How does that sound?</em></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Me: That sounds like debt. I think I've paid y'all enough for the last 14 years, I don't care to give you anymore of my money. Please close the account.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>(This is where she changed her strategy. She was done trying to woo me back, now she was going to use fear mongering. This is when I got a wee bit angry. Okay. I was ticked!)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>Her: You do realize that your 14 year relationship with us is on your credit report, don't you? By closing this account you do realize that you are erasing that long credit history and thereby affecting your overall credit score. You don't want to do that, do you?</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Me: My credit score is of very little importance to me at the moment. Getting out from under credit card debt means more to me than that credit score at the moment. Please close the account.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><em>Her: Blah, blah, blah....(</em>I really don't remember what she said here because I was mad and had tuned her out by this time.)<br /></div><br /><div>Me: (interrupting) Have you ever heard of Dave Ramsey?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><em>Her: Yes I have.</em> </div><div><br /> </div><br /><div>Me: I'm doing Dave Ramsey's program right now and Dave told me to get out from under credit card debt. I don't want to waste anymore of your valuable time and nothing you say is not going to convince me to keep my account open or otherwise. Please do us both a favor and close the account.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><em>Her: (pause) Okay, Mrs. Monk, your account is now closed (FINALLY!). Please destroy all cards and or checks you may have pertaining to this account. (pause) And just so you know, your account can possibly be reinstated in the next 90 days without a credit approval should you wish to reconsider.</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Me: ::sigh:: Okay.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>Her: Thank you Mrs. Monk. Have a nice day.</em> (don't you know she was banging her head on the desk and and sticking pins all over her little Dave Ramsey voodoo doll!!! haha! Then I bet she yelled to the whole room ... ' we lost another one to that dang Dave Ramsey!')</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Me: I will.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Y'all, it took me TWELVE (12!!!) minutes to cancel my dumb credit card! I've heard the stories, but I've yet to experience it until today!! CUH-RAZY!!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Poor Mindy. She probably hates Dave Ramsey. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>This will be the first of many debts we plan on paying off and quite honestly, I can't wait to call the next person to cancel an account!! I'm just gonna have fun with it and mess with some people's heads! Because I'm a little evil that way.<br /></div><br /><div>Oh, y'all. That conversation pretty much made my day today!</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>And in the word's of Dave ...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>"Live like no one else so you can live like no one else"</div><div> </div><div>I think he'd be proud.</div><div></div><div><a title="credit card - 2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3992348240/"><img alt="credit card - 2" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3992348240_c4b6b216ec.jpg" width="500" height="329" /></a></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-83774150377789236972009-10-04T22:56:00.002-05:002009-10-04T23:34:31.581-05:00And Yet ... Nothin'I bet y'all are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">thinkin</span>', 'this is another blog post about her telling us why she's not blogging!', right?<br /><br />Well yea, it is.<br /><br />Except this time I'll try to give a little more of an explanation. One that doesn't necessarily rectify the situation, but at least gives you and idea of why I'm not blogging. Or something like that.<br /><br />Friends and family have been giving me gentle hints about my neglected little corner of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">blogosphere</span> and I have told them that I honestly <em>want</em> to blog. I really do. I just can't seem to find the time these days.<br /><br />Or should I say, I can't seem to make the time. Or I'm mismanage time. Or all the above.<br /><br />Since school has started I've been busier than I care to be. I'm homeschooling one child, taking another to a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">homeschool</span> enrichment program two days a week and yet one more to a private school where I take her every morning at 8 and pick her up every afternoon at 3. I'm not complaining about these arrangements as they are what is working best for our family right now, I'm just having a little trouble finding balance.<br /><br />I've also been doing a fair amount of photography these days which is exhilarating and frustrating all at once. Exhilarating in that I'm am SO excited about this whole new world (hey, isn't that a Disney song?) which is opening up before me and frustrating in that I can't learn things or spend as much time learning as I would like. At this very second I am editing 3 different photography sessions. Whew. I still pinch myself some days because I get to do this! It really has changed my life and I hope it will impact other's lives. I really do love it!<br /><br />Throw a husband, two babies 2 and under and a house to upkeep (and I'm using that term loosely) and you have a woman who is living on the edge.<br /><br />That would be me in case you didn't get that last part. I'm the woman on the edge.<br /><br />I don't like the crazy in my life right now, but it is what it is at this very moment. I'm trying to set things in order to take the crazy level down to just mildly manic, but it's going to be a process. And in case you didn't know....processes to take some time. ugh.<br /><br />There are plenty of things that I want to blog about (namely my new adventure in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University!!) at the moment, but by the time I'm done taking care of the day to day things, putting children to bed, editing pictures and just sitting brain dead for 2 seconds, there's really not much of my good humor left to blog about.<br /><br />Right now I consider my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> page as my mini blog. I tell Hope's latest shenanigans there, post my feelings concerning things like rain, Sonic Happy Hour and how much I love my family. It's just easier and faster. And frankly .... it has made me lazy where my blog is concerned. It's like the fast food of writing. It's a quick fix that limits you to how much you can blabber on about.<br /><br />Unlike now where I just keep going on and on and on... about nothing, really.<br /><br />Anyway, that's my story and I'm <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">stickin</span>' to it. I can't say that I'll be around tomorrow or the next day or even next week, but I'm certainly not giving up.<br /><br />Not just yet.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-28561450463573223842009-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:002009-09-30T00:00:04.927-05:00It's Sort of a Cheat Post Really .... {Wordless Wednesday}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3943737378/" title="Hope - 1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3943737378_487f1c9e46.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Hope - 1" /></a><br /><br />Okay...so I can't keep my mouth shut .... but don't you sometimes wonder what's going through their little two year old heads?<br /><br />And just for the record .... I stuck my hair in fly paper to get this shot. Two words: 'Ew' and 'Ow'.<br /><br />That's all.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-20351712611269166212009-09-23T23:27:00.002-05:002009-09-23T23:36:25.749-05:00Stating the ObviousJust in case y'all hadn't noticed .... I'm taking a little bloggy break. I'm not going away for good, I promise. :)<br /><br />I've just done quite a few photography related things lately and my evenings that used to filled with blogging are now filled with editing photos. And editing photos is SO MUCH more fun for me now because I finally FIGURED OUT PHOTOSHOP!! <br /><br />Okay...well... sort of. But I'm a ton better than I used to be!<br /><br />I've been so tired lately that even my toes hurt. And I even forgot to tell y'all that I got the big ugly boot off last week!! I'm hobbling around slower than ever, just sans the boot!<br /><br />Anyway, I just wanted y'all to know that I'm still here .... I'm just in neutral for a while! Give me a few days and I'll be back! :)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-86288410420003651022009-09-17T00:00:00.000-05:002009-09-17T00:00:01.867-05:0018That's how old My Boy is today.<br /><br />I'm the mother of an 18 year old. It's so hard to believe.<br /><br />It seems like just yesterday that he was 3 years old and causing me to pray for patience about every other minute. I'm happy to say that his little sister Hope has taken up that cause for the time being.<br /><br />Funny, isn't it? Eighteen years later I'm still in the middle of Toddler Chaos and yet today I miss that 3 year old little boy that was a force to be reckoned with.<br /><br />He done growed up on me, y'all.<br /><br />I'm trying really hard not to cry today. But I'll be honest and admit that I'm losing that battle. And that's okay. They're happy tears about a little boy who has made my life fun, interesting, exciting and at times, extremely stressful. And now My Boy has grown into a beautiful young man who's handsome, funny, sensitive, kind and best of all .... he loves his momma. A lot.<br /><br />He flashes that crooked little smile and I pretty much melt. ::sigh::<br /><br />No long, sappy post from me today. I just wanted to talk about My Boy a little.<br /><br />Happy Birthday, son. You've brought more joy than I could have ever imagined.<br /><br />I love ya, kid.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3928251466/" title="Isaac -1 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3928251466_d318c9b8fa.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Isaac -1" /></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-23590281046118998382009-09-15T01:51:00.002-05:002009-09-15T01:54:04.663-05:00In Case You Were Wondering......why I didn't post here.<br /><br />Well that's because I've been a little busy and tired. You can go <a href="http://michellemonkphoto.blogspot.com/2009/09/birth-of-cd.html">HERE</a> to find out why.<br /><br />Be prepared to smile.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-16161330941881632482009-09-11T00:00:00.000-05:002009-09-11T00:33:52.931-05:00Why I Declare Y'all ... It's Good Enough to Eat!Something I haven't done very much of lately is bake. I love to bake. I also love to eat what I bake. Thus the reason I haven't been baking very much. I tend not to have any self control in the area of sweets sometimes. Or all the time. Like I can wipe out and entire pan of Rice Krispie treats by myself within a 24 hour period. Or less. Just ask my family.<br /><br /><br /><br />But yesterday morning I had a hankerin' for somethin' special. Actually, I've had this particular hankerin' now for almost a month. Broken ankles are not conducive to hankerin's. But now that I'm more mobile I just couldn't hold off anymore. Nope. I had to bake. And I had to bake yesterday morning.<br /><br /><br /><br />Do y'all know what Monkey Bread is? Well the recipe I made was Monkey Bread .... on steroids.<br /><br /><br /><br />It's called <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/gorilla-bread-recipe/index.html">Gorilla Bread </a>and the recipe came from Paula Deen.<br /><br /><br /><br />I bet y'all felt your arteries seize up just now at the mere mention of her name, huh? Yea, me too. Actually when I typed her name I do believe my heart contracted a little. And my cellulite jiggled in celebration.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway.<br /><br /><br /><br />This stuff is to DIE for (hopefully not literally!) it's so good!!! If you have some sort of brunch or ladies get together to attend and need to bring a dish ~ This. Is. The. One. I'm not kidding. People will luuuuuurrrrve you for it and then you will become epic. People will start saying, ' Ooooo, I hope Michelle brings that Gorilla Bread!'. You will, in fact, become a food icon at the local Baptist church.<br /><br /><br /><br />I'm not gonna post the recipe. Mostly because I'm a little lazy and don't feel like typing it out. But all you have to do is go <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/gorilla-bread-recipe/index.html">HERE</a> to find it. Easy as that! But the other reason I don't want to post the recipe is that I'd rather just feed your eyes.<br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures of fattening food. It's a whole lot less calories, my friends. But a whole lotta fun to post!<br /><br /><br /><p>First there's the canned biscuits sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar ...</p><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908957392/" title="DSC_0002 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3908957392_0f54b32be6.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0002" /></a></p><p>Oh yes, my friends. That would be a square of CREAM CHEESE in the middle ...</p><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908958644/" title="DSC_0004 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2557/3908958644_25644868b6.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0004" /></a></p><p>Oh, the marriage of the stick of butter and the cup of brown sugar ... mmmmm....<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908179547/" title="DSC_0005 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3908179547_44cc560053.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0005" /></a></p>And we wrap up those little cream cheese surprises because they are a gift, my friends!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908961426/" title="DSC_0006 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2657/3908961426_9f422bea27.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0006" /></a><br /><br />Then the layering begins. The recipe calls for walnuts, but I'm allergic, so I used almonds. Love me some almonds! Use whatever nut you feel like. I bet macadamia nuts would be incredible in this! And add an additional 3,ooo calories. But that's neither here nor there.<br /><br />The first row of our little gifts ...<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908962838/" title="DSC_0007 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2663/3908962838_fe45710712.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0007" /></a><br /><br />Mmmm...mmm....and a little of that butter/brown sugar marriage goin' on ...<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908183613/" title="DSC_0008 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3908183613_398b8098a7.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0008" /></a><br /><br />The second layer that finishes with more of the caramel-like sauce and more almonds ...<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908185041/" title="DSC_0009 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3908185041_7075bafaf7.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0009" /></a><br /><br />Pop it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until it gets golden and bubbly ...<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908968880/" title="DSC_0011 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3908968880_2873429a55.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0011" /></a><br /><br />Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then invert it onto a cake plate. Stand back and cry like a baby at the confection you just created.<br /><br />Can I get an Amen?!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908970558/" title="DSC_0012 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/3908970558_baa9d799c6.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0012" /></a><br /><br />Looks good enuf to eat, dudn't it, ya'll?!?! (That's totally a word. My blog, my say-so.)<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908191073/" title="DSC_0014 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3908191073_230e08bb1b.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0014" /></a><br /><br />I do believe I'll have me a little bite of this. Or half of it. Whatever works.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3908192505/" title="DSC_0018 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3908192505_2b941b9742.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="DSC_0018" /></a><br /><br />Are your eyeballs droolin' yet?!?! <br /><br />Good! Then I've succeeded! Y'all go have a wonderful weekend with your families and make some Gorilla Bread! Let's feed our cellulite together!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-84951510439932722412009-09-09T23:34:00.003-05:002009-09-10T00:47:46.926-05:00It's Just a SeasonYesterday was a challenge. The day before that was a challenge. I pretty much figure today's gonna be a challenge, too. This just seems to be the going trend in my life currently.<br /><br />There is so much that needs to be done right now. So much so that my Overwhelm 'O' Meter is registering off the charts at the moment. I started to make a list of things that needed to be done so I could seem a little organized and systematically check them off as I did them, but once I hit <em>50 things To-Do</em> I just wadded up the paper and threw it in the trash. I'd be happy just to get the toilets cleaned.<br /><br />Oh well. So much for lists, I guess.<br /><br />Monk always likes to tell me that you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time. Well, what do you do when the room is full of elephants and you have no appetite? Hm? Tell me that.<br /><br />Well.<br /><br />You continue to do laundry, cook meals, sweep floors, wash dishes and pray like crazy that the doctor tells you your foot is well enough to be out of the silly boot. You continue to do what you do, even if you feel like you're on autopilot, because it is the only way to keep from drowning in the sea of people you like to call your family. <br /><br />And somebody has to wash all the underwear.<br /><br />You block out words like: failure, inadequate, overwhelmed and weak. Those are words to lose by - not to live by. It's what you feel, but you simply can't give in to those destructive words. They will eat you alive. I know this.<br /><br />These are the things we do in this season of life because it's just that ~ a season. Mine just feels like it's a very looooong winter at the moment. But rest assured this season is only temporary.<br /><br />How do I know this? Especially when I'm smack dab in the middle of it? Because the Bible assures me that this is only a season and it won't last forever. <br /><br />Even though it feels like it.<br /><br /><em>Ecclesiastes 3:1-8</em><br /><em>For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:<br />2 a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;</em><br /><em>3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;</em><br /><em>4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;</em><br /><em>5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;</em><br /><em>6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away;</em><br /><em>7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;</em><br /><em>8 a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.</em><br /><br /><br />I just wish there was something in there about a time for Sonic's Happy Hour. <br /><br />Or any Happy Hour for that matter.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18860437.post-86318432511030600192009-09-07T22:23:00.002-05:002009-09-07T23:52:52.452-05:00A Little of This and a Little of That, But Mostly a Whole Lotta Nothin'This last week has been a little challenging for me. Not counting the <a href="http://monkswife.blogspot.com/2009/09/yes-this-really-happened.html">sweat attack to beat all sweat attacks</a>, it's just been a very frustrating week in a lot of different ways.<br /><br /><br /><br />Charlotte has been sick all week which has really put a damper on some things getting done. Poor baby. I've more than obliged her in the area of attention and one night I slept almost upright in the recliner just so she could breath. Wouldn't you know it was the night <em>after</em> I had gone to the chiropractor. ::<em>sigh</em>:: Needless to say, my house and my sleep are suffering.<br /><br /><br /><br />...my poor little snotty nosed baby ... you can tell she doesn't feel well ...<br /><br /><a title="IMG_2490 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3899483506/"><img alt="IMG_2490" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/3899483506_be2459a180.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And this boot on my leg? Well, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna burn it once the doctor lets me take it off. It is really becoming ANNOYING! I sort of liked lounging about for the first week, but now that it's been a month later I'm fairly certain I might have a hissy if the doctor makes me keep it on any longer! It's driving me cUh-RaZy!!<br /><br /><br /><br />I've also acquired some extra poundage over the last month. All that lying about and eating highly fattening comfort food and drinking Sonic Happy Hour Cokes has had an impact. And not a positive one. My <em>Mommy Muffin</em> is now officially a <em>Mommy Meatloaf.</em> With mashed potatoes and gravy. So I've put myself on a new eating plan. It's called ... Eat Less and Drink More Water. I'll be doing ELDMW for about a week and then I'm gonna try and Low Carb it again. My carbohydrate, sugar loving genes just cowered in fear and are begging for chocolate to make them feel better. Don't worry, I shut'em up with some salt 'n' vinegar almonds. That'll teach'em.<br /><br /><br /><br />I did get most of the grocery shopping done this week already and that is a definite plus. Well, besides the 5-10 items I forgot because you know, I didn't make a LIST! Hope went with me to Target and we had a swell time with one another. She belted out <em>'Jesus Loves Me'</em> 5 of 52 times all through the store. And I let her. We had our own little praise and worship time right there in the midst of the Ethnic Foods aisle. People were looking and I just smiled and started another rousing chorus with her. It was just precious if I do say so myself. And it made me not be so mortified whe she announced to me quite loudly in the Paper Goods aisle that she found a .....<br /><br />'Boo-guh'.<br /><br />Monk found out this week that he has to go away on a business trip later this month. He'll be gone for a week. He was a little taken back after he told me and I exclaimed, "LUCK-EEE!". It was quite reminiscent of Jr. High when my friend Nat got her bi-level haircut (read: mullet) and I was jealous because I didn't have one yet. But anyway. He moaned on about how he would be all alone and I just clicked my tongue and shook my head. I reminded him of how he would have a fancy hotel room ALL. TO. HIMSELF. and that he would be able to sleep through the night without a baby in the bed and a toddler next to the bed waking up at all unholy hours. He just looked at me with his sad face. Then I said,<br /><br />"Dude! (Oh okay, I didn't really say 'Dude', but I wanted to...) Honey, I would give anything to be able to get 4 <em>full nights</em> of sleep!! Think of all the reading you can do! Think of all the non-Barbie movies you can watch! Think of all the food you can eat and not have to share one single morsel"<br /><br />Sleep, reading, movies and food are obviously things I highly value. Anyway, he's still been moping about. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to miss him, but I'd still kill to get all that uninterrupted sleep. I think I'm going to call him in the middle of the night a few times just so he'll feel at home.<br /><br /><br />And finally, I went for my sonogram at the Doctor 'O' Gynecology this week ~ you remember, that was one of the 'tests' I had to have done after the Appointment of Sweat. And I was quite pleased to learn from the sonographer that my uterus looked really good. Her words, not mine. I immediately texted Monk and said,<br /><br />'Sonographer said uterus looked really good. Wanna have another baby?' BUAHAHAHAHA! Oh, I do love messin' with that man's head. Not that he thinks babies are bad because he doesn't, I just like to mess with his head.<br /><br /><br /><br />And I succeeded.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p>And we wonder why our children all act so weird...<a title="IMG_2545.CR2 by MadMommaMonk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkswife/3898702763/"><img alt="IMG_2545.CR2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/3898702763_45752da8b8_o.jpg" width="353" height="530" /></a></p><br /><p> </p>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08673854422888328362noreply@blogger.com5