a blessed April 2011...

family photo at Easter (please just look at the adorable kids...S & I are still half sick here)

April was a month of peace for me...at least as far as my attitude was concerned.  As far as happenings, it was far from peaceful!  Steve had a couple days of meetings in Chicago for work, we dog sat, and we started brainstorming and talking to contractors for a major remodel project that we plan on doing this summer.  And we also got hit with another horrible stomach/flu bug, as did many many people that we know here in the cities.  This was by far the worst one that we have had this season though, as it combined all the yuck of vomiting and diarrhea with the high fever and chills.  C got it first, then W got it 12 hours later.   W had it bad.  Bad enough he could not keep anything down and after 4 days of him being sick and not getting better we ended up having to take him in to urgent care which sent us right to Children's Hospital, where he was there for about 24 hours getting IV fluids.  The doctors there were great and explained the medical down-spiraling cycle that happens in small children with viruses like these, not making us feel like we did something wrong in taking care of him.  The stress of the hospital stay was enough to bring S's and my defenses down and then we both caught the bug.  This was right before Easter and my parents were planning on coming up for the Easter weekend.  I had planned great fun and good food...instead Mom and Dad stayed in a hotel, helped take care of the kids so S & I could be sick, helped clean and take a trip to the laundromat, and ordered (and paid for =) Easter pizza.  We were so very thankful for their help!

washing out the sick at the laundromat

As far as my attitude goes though, you would think that after my post about frustrations last month that this whole thing would take me over the edge.  But while S was in Chicago for meetings, God kind of kicked me in the butt as far as how I have been acting and feeling lately.  Which had been a lot of "WHY ME/US?! and WHY AGAIN?!"  While S was gone I was crabby about being alone and some other issues, and getting frustrated and was retreating to my ugly "WHY ME" mood.  I wasted quite a bit of time on the computer with blogs and random shopping, when I should have been paying more attention to the kids.  I came across a blog post with the title "called to the crazy," and while the post didn't really have anything to do with me or what I was feeling, the title struck me.  Our life is crazy, and will probably always be because we have kids and we live and breathe =).  I needed to stop having that WHY ME attitude and really think about how God is calling me to be a mom and how I can work for God's good in every situation, even our "crazy".  That combined with some thoughts and Bible passage that friends shared here, along with thinking about some great sermons from Rev Sawtelle about God being good, helped me come to a peace that I haven't had for a while.  God is good.  Always and forever.  And He works for the good of those who love him.  Although He works for HIS good.  And HIS good might not always amount to daisies and roses and chocolate sundaes in our lives.  We have to trust Him and have hope.  And remember how blessed we truly are...

being goofy in "new" shorts from Aahma B

G notes:

• Meal: macaroni & cheese, hot dogs, and peas
• Veggie: peas or green beans
• Fruit:  grapes or strawberries
• Snack:  crackers and peanut butter
• Treat:  chocolate chip cookies
• Doesn't like: raisins
• "Oh mom!  I feel like I could just cry forever!"  (wailing as I removed a splinter from her foot)
• "Eeny meeny miny mo.  Catch a tiger by the toe.  If he hollers 'no! no! no!'  Eeny meeny miny mo."

W notes:

• Meal: spaghetti (without meat)
• Veggie: corn or raw carrots
• Fruit: apples or grapes
• Snack:  fruit
• Treat: m&m's
• Doesn't like: potatoes, peas
• (sigh) "Momma, I can't wait until I am a adult and then I can drive a car."
• "Eeny meeny miny mo.  Catch a tiger by the toe.  If you don't let him go.  Eeny meeny miny mo."

C notes:

• Meal: macaroni & cheese
• Veggie: corn or peas
  
• Fruit: grapes or bananas
  
• Snack:  Trader Joe cereal bars (we call them "ba-bars" at our house)
• Treat:  yogurt raisins
• Doesn't like: a whole bunch of things!  very picky 2 yr old right now...
• momma: "what would you like for lunch?"  C: "hmmmmmm....ice cream!"
  
• "Eeny miny mo.  By the by the toe.  Let go.  Eeny miny mo."