I Am Doing Soooo Much Better!!

Thank you all so much for your kind words!! I needed all of them!! I am doing much better and have managed to even squeeze in some healthier foods over the last couple of days. I feel so much better and have been pain free. Not sure why I have not made a doctors appointment yet (hello procrastination!!), things have been crazy this week.

I have been working nights (7pm-3am) for the last 2 weeks then had to be up at the crack of dawn to take a class for work today. I am now certified in neonatal resuscitation, which means I learned how to intubate and put an IV through the umbilical cord of a neonate. Neither which I can actually do in the scope of my practice, but I had to learn how. Then had to stand in front of a teacher and run a neonatal code by myself, and tell her all the steps I would take if someone delivers a baby at 30 weeks and the baby is not breathing, is blue, or flaccid. I needed a Xanax, when are they going to make those available OTC?? Its so hard to stop and say what you will do because when patients are that sick, there isn't much time too stop and think. You just DO it.

Hopefully I'll be getting some well needed rest this weekend. I hope so.... we'll see!!

Recipe For Disaster...

I tried this new diet for the past 2 weeks. Portion control?? Not so much. Low fat?? Whats that?? counting calories?? Puh-lease!! It was high fat, high portions, and Lord knows how many calories. So needless to say it did not work out for me. Not at all. I got sick over the weekend.... real sick. I think it was my gallbladder, actually I know it was my gallbladder. I had a similar attack while pregnant with Red and one after she was born which landed me in the ER. I seemed to be doing fine with a few small aches here and there, but totally manageable... until Friday night when I had an attack to end all attacks. I had dinner with my family (chili, not such a great choice) then went over to a friends house. I felt it start up on my way to her house, by the time I got there it was ON!! I stayed for like 20 minutes thinking it would subside, then decided to leave. I vomited twice on the way home (did you read the part where I had chili for dinner? Nuf said). I really did not feel better until the next morning.

I hope to make an appointment this week with the doctor, for some reason I have been blowing this off for YEARS!! I guess I am waiting for pancreatic involvement. Or more attacks. I am really not sure. I am also not sure why I continue to spiral out of control when it comes to eating right. Sometimes I totally sympathize with drug addicts or alcoholics, I know how they must feel. The craving, the overdoing it, the guilt. LOTS of guilt. The knowing how you sometimes have no control, yet have the knowledge, power, and support to take control. But don't.

I AM A WINNER!!

I feel like the luckiest girl winning a couple of amazing prizes from two of my favorite blogs!! These women are amazing!!

First off, from Emila over at Emila's Illustrated Blog I received this beautiful bag. Aren't you jealous!! It is an awesome bag of excellent quality. She is an amazing artist & I feel truly honored to have one. I scroll through the pages of her blog and everything she creates is beautiful. She is a true artist with a special touch!!



And everyone knows how I have been making small green changes in my household, right?? Well this could not have come at a better time. I won a case of Primo Water from Beth over at I Should Be Folding Laundry. She makes it ok to have a mess in the kitchen and a couple loads of laundry waiting to be done. She is real and she is funny and speaks from her heart everyday!!

Thanks so much for the awesome prizes!! I love them and nothing brightens a girls day more than to get a package in the mail with goodies inside!!

Green Friday #8

Its been a while since I have done a Green Friday, things have been crazy here at Casa De Irish Mom. Today's Green Friday is dedicated to face care. There are so many natural and clean ways to take care of our faces, yet when it comes to taking care of ourselves for some reason we tend to be neglectful.

One of the first things to do is drink plenty of water. So easy, but so seldom done. I have noticed when I have a good week or so of consistent water drinking my skin looks so much better. Not to mention all its other great effects on our bodies!!

Another thing is to remember to wash all the impurities off at the end of the day. I know, duh!! Our mothers taught us this, and our mothers DID this. There are so many impurities in the air and in the foods we eat, that it is so much more important for us to this. I have been much better about this lately, but honestly for years I was a huge slacker, well now I am paying the price. I can't get those years back on my face, but I can help prevent them from coming with a fury. I to this day remember my mom massaging her Ponds into her face as she smoked, she probably loved the irony in that.

Blog hopping a couple of weeks ago I came across this site, I have found tons of useful information on their message board, but the Oil Cleaning Method (OCM) has really made my skin clearer and so much softer than it has ever been. I use 20% Castor oil and 80% extra virgin olive oil with a few drops of tea Tree Oil. When the oils I have mixed run out, I will try the sunflower oil recommended. I had some major break outs initially, but read that it was expected, so I stuck with it. They went away, and my skin has less redness (read IRISH mom) and my black heads are gone. The oil slick on my nose is gone. The biggest change is its softness, I love how soft my face has become.

I think the traditional facial cleaners we use tend to rob our skin of all it natural oils, this causes our skin to overproduce the oils to make up for what was stripped away. With OCM, the oil is massaged into the skin and helps to dissolve the oil that has hardened with impurities in the skin, steam then opens the pores allowing the oil to be removed. I have been doing the OCM 2-3 times a week for about 4-5 weeks. I have been using Cetaphil (not so sure how green this is but its what I have been using) in between. I only splash my face with water in the morning.

The OCM may not be for everyone. do some research and see if its for you. Feel free to share your green beauty routine, I'd love to hear it!! What natural products work for you??

WE DID FINE!!

Blue just loves Kindergarten so far!! I am so proud of him. When the bus stopped in front of us his first day, I could see the reluctance in his eyes. Good thing he had friends there who were all excited and calling out his name. SO I gave him a gentle nudge and told him I'd be there waiting for him when he got home. He jumped on, found his spot and was on his way. I was a little sad... I just can't believe that I am handling it all so well.

I waited for him at the bus stop, I must have been early because it was there FOREVER!! Standing on the corner... I was worried the neighbors would think I was in a new line of work (remember, our water was briefly shut off??). Thank goodness I did not get any offers... mama needs a new pair of shoes.

I learned 3 things standing there....
1) Red is allergic to the peoples grass who live on the corner... her legs were INFLAMMED from laying down for a nap while we waited,
2) I have been spelling my street name wrong for YEARS!! Go figure, and
3. I have to time this all out a little better!!

Thank you all for your well wishes and for checking on me!! I am doing fine!! I am even going to send Red to the sitters tomorrow, I'll have the day all to myself!! I have to pay for the day weather I send her or not, so buh-bye little cutie!! I have floors to wash, laundry to fold, naps to take. The nap will be first, Waking up at 7am for the past 2 days has taken its toll, we usually sleep til 9am.

How are all of you handling back to school?? Will you be crying or doing the happy dance?? I want to know!!

Little Boy Blue... I Am So Proud of You!!

Ok, here we are on the eve of the day. Blue was soooooo excited all day. It turns out his buddy a few doors down is in his class so its nice to know he'll have some familiarity while on the bus and in class. Lord help that teacher with the two of them, but at least I'll be relieved to know he won't be all alone.

I feel I am handling all this WAY better than I expected. Blue has matured so much and is such a great little boy, he deserves this. I was starting to feel a little selfish with my emotions. Over the last few days I HAD to stop my sulking and hide my sadness and be happy for Blue. I needed to show him how excited I was for his new journey in life, this is the first of many. He is going to grow into an amazing man one day, I can't wait to hit each milestone with him. Though I do wish these milestones would slow down a bit so I can enjoy them more, I need to embrace them as they come and make them special from Blue.

My sadness has slowly turned into excitement. I can't wait to see him sitting at his desk that first day. I can just picture him trying to bite back that huge proud smile. I can't wait to hear about his days, his new friends, and even the trouble he gets into (oh, there will be trouble!!). I can't wait to hear which kids are Cubs fans (the true measure of a man in Blue's eyes), who likes the Jonas Brothers, and the latest fads consuming kindergartners these days!!

I will miss you Blue, but am so proud of you!! If your friends ask who the crazy lady is running along side the bus tell them your aunt from Michigan is visiting and your mom is totally cool!! Good luck in Kindergarten.

Old Country Groupies

Ok, we went to Old Country Fluff-fet and UGH I hate that place. Just the thought of everyone diggin in, I don't know... We don't go often, Blue has always been a fan. I think its cause he can go back as many times as he wants and have a little bite of everything. Getting a new plate each time was something that also impressed him.

No one was in their glory like Red, though. I forgot about all the old ladies at the buffet. Red must have once lived to be 107 because she LOVES old ladies. Not just any old lady though. She likes the flashy ones who wear sequins to the Old Country Buffet on Friday at noon. If they pat on the bright blue eyeshadow and wear neon rouge she is a fan for life. You know, the bingo crowd. Red was totally one of them. They all said hello to her and asked her how the corn was and if she tried the fish. She asked one lady if she would be her grandma. I think it was the baseball cap with glitter on it. How does a 30-something plain Jane compete with all this glitz & glammer??

She did tell one lady at the salad bar that her butt stinks, this was when I knew it was time to go. Red was turning on her own people. As we left I heard "Bye Cutie!!" from across the dining room so I turned to wave figuring they meant me, but Red stole my thunder and yelled out, "Bye Cuties!!" I was thinking about putting her in dance class this fall but am know wondering if The Red Hat Society might be better suited.

Feeling Bad 'bout Feeling a little Excited...

Green Friday is on an unscheduled hiatus until next week. I am so busy getting blue ready for kindergarten on Tuesday that I have barely a thing planned. I am starting to feel a bit guilty because I am starting to get a touch excited. There is so much I want to do and can't help but to think how much easier it will be with only one child around. I'll hopefully get my kitchen painted sometime before next June. There are cabinets to organize and china to clean. Who knows how much will actually get done, but one child is so much easier to entertain then two.

I worked extra shifts last week and this week and promised the kids we could go out for lunch. I told them they could pick the restaurant and everything. There are so many fun kid restaurants in the area, but the want to go to Old Country Fluf-fet, as they call it. Blue especially loves the buffet, I mean where else can you have grapes, pizza, spaghetti, and broccoli?? And don't forget the unlimited desserts. They will be in heaven. Don't worry about me though, I hate the whole idea of a buffet. The thought of everyone picking over all the food is a germ-a-phobes worst nightmare.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!! Any fun & exciting plans?? Let me know, I need inspiration and am at a lose for what to do with our last weekend before school starts!!

This Jail Bird Is A Singin'

Today Blue needed to gather up the last of his school supplies for Kindergarten which starts next Tuesday (don't EVEN get me started). One of the things he needed was Velcro gym shoes to leave at school for gym class, so off to the mall we went. Calling it a mall is actually kind of a joke. I mean, its a bunch of stores enclosed with a Sears, JCPenny, & Carsons, but thats really it. We don't have a Gap, Old navy, H&M, Macy's, or any store that features styles from this decade. LOTS of wolf themed decor though, hmmmm.

Anywhoo, he needed Velcro shoes, so we headed to the, ahem, mall. While at the shoe store, the security guard came in. If you are assuming it was a male guard, your sexist... SHE was a female. Believe me, Red asked.

Of course Red had to ask about all the things clipped to her belt, and I am sorry I'd rather see a fanny pack than NUMEROUS gadgets clipped to your belt. Then came the handcuffs. The guard told Red how she needs the cuffs for bad guys and to send bad people to jail. Red, checking her story out of the fiction center of her imagination, proceeds to tell the guard and 3 people in line with us how her mom has been to jail. HELLO!!!! WHEN WAS THIS MIGHT I ASK???? I think I about fell over. I laughed and told Red how I have never been to jail. Then Blue, who has been quite the whole time, decides to speak up. He looks at me all exasperated with his hands held out and says, " Remember mom? The police officer????" OK, I got a ticket with them in the car, THREE YEARS AGO!!!! I never even got out of the car!!

So not only did everyone in line think I have been to jail, they think I am lying about it. The guard followed us to 2 more store with pity in her eyes. With last weeks water debacle, I am shining brighter and brighter. I wonder who else they have told this too. Their teachers? Their friends, The neighbors??

Water- Schmater!!

My last post went from bad to all out worst ever!! I came home from work on Tuesday to find a bright orange placard on my door reading "DISCONNECTION NOTICE". I was able to read it from the street without my glasses. It said I needed to pay $200 or my H2O would get shut off. I checked on line and the payment had cleared like 2 weeks prior. I was like WTF, so I called the village who said their computers were down, so I called the H2O company who said they received my payment and they have no idea why I received a disconnection notice. I thought I was all good in the hood and went about my business. Until Thursday when my husband got home from work to have no running water. No tap, no laundry, no TOILET!!!! You know what a 3 & 5 year old have to do when there is no functioning toilet, don't you?? Of course by the time my husband finds out the water is off, both the village and water companies are closed. So we had to wait until morning.

Turns out I made one payment to cover water/sewage/garbage when it should have been water then sewage/garbage separate. So, they put all the money toward the water and none of it went to the sewer/garbage. Even though they told me we were fine, we weren't. They said I had a $75 credit on my water bill, and owed on the sewer portion. Don't forget about those fees!! I asked them why they thought I would pay so much toward my water and not pay my sewer bill. They weren't sure, but instead of clearing it up with us (EVEN THOUGH THE COMPANY HAD MY MONEY) they turned us off. Thank goodness it went right back on in the morning after I cleared it all up.

Nothing makes you feel more low rent then a disconnection notice on the door. I feel like I have to tell the story over and over to my neighbors laughing at how silly the whole thing is. I am sure by the end of the week they will be sending over food for fear we have no water and are unable to feed the children. Or put their houses up for sale to get away from those kind of people. Funny thing about the whole thing is that since I have started going green, I have pretty much stopped buying bottled water, so we did not even have that.

Oh, and about that pink Sharpie, it has been confiscated. Unfortunately Red was able to color on her white dresser with ink pen. My face is clearing up, finally!! I am down to the 2 boobs I was born with (and the one I married lol). And we all remember whats happening on August 19th don't we??

Thanks so much everyone for checking in and making me smile!! I needed it. I was in such a funk last week, but am back to my old self, especially now that I can shower!! I'll be checking in with all of you this week.

A Case of the Yucks!!

UGH!! I am such a bad mood today... well maybe the last couple of days. I think everyone around me is in a funk as well. Even the kids and especially the husband. The decoy undergrounder under my left eye that led to the boob on my right check seem to have re-produced like bunnies and I have the big dipper mappedout on my face. The north star is on the back of my neck and there is something growing in my left ear. Some sort of abcess, I am not sure. It is red and painful in the ear. I don't think its an ear infection, just some sort of funk that seems to be taking over my body

We took the kids to the Bears Training camp in Bourbonnais (or Bur-bonus as I heard the locals call it). Anywhoo, the kids lasted about 8 seconds in the stands (which was about 5 seconds longer than me). I took the kids over to the kids play area, until they puckered out. They had a bunch of emergency vehicles for the kids to climb on. I got a ton of great shots of my kids up in the rescue basket of a fire truck, in the ambulance, and even with the rescue team. Got home to find there was sunscreen smeared on the lens of my camera. Each picture is a blur. UGH.

They had a spin the wheel to win school supplies. My 3 year old won a hot pink Sharpie marker. Yes, its permanent. Perfect prize for a 3 year old. She is so proud she won it and so happy its pink. She keeps it in her pocket, I am trying to lure it out of her grip so I can hide it, but its as if she is on to me and my ways!! I am telling you I have been living in fear on this one. Can't wait to find her adorable little "R" on the wall. Or the cabinet. Or the fridge.

Sorry to be such a downer. I am usually not this way, for long anyway. thank goodness i can still see the humor in things. So, needless to say there will not be a weigh in today. I don't think my family would appreciate my wrath if there is a gain.

Green Friday #7

Remember that under-grounder I posted about the other day? Well it was a decoy for something else a-blooming on the other side of my face. Let me just say how unfair it is to have a boob on your cheek. So. Unfair. Especially after working a 15 and a half hour shift last night. For my exaustion and struggles I should be able to wake up with clear skin. As kind of a reward, ya know? I don't need much in life, just a complexion like my 3 year olds. Or a 25 year old... I am not picky.

With that being said, I have been researching some green facial care regimens and will post more about that next week as my computer is acting up and I don't have patience today. Did you hear the part about the 15 hour shift yesterday?? Thats 15 hours in triage.

Though, I did take care of a man with my first name tattooed on his neck. Granted he had a lot of ladies names tattooed on his body, but who has their nurses name on their neck?? When I told him he said "thats great" and became all googly-eyed. It was either love or the Wild Irish Rose, bit isn't that one in the same?? He also had a naked lady on his arm of which I got the joy to look at while I cleaned his cut. Thank goodness his laceration missed her nether region. That would have been gross.