We interrupt this break...

I know, I know!

Where have you been, Swizz?

Sitting on my tush eating bon-bons.

(I wish!)

So, a little update for all of you:

I got my scopes done.

Check!

(I'll have to show you the pics someday soon.  

They're cool!  

And tell you how funny my sister thinks I was after anesthesia!)

Biopsies came back normal.

Check!

Had a follow up appointment with shoulder doc.

Check!

Scheduled surgery.

???

Yep, I am having shoulder surgery Friday morning to get rid of the tip of my acromion bone.

You see, it rubs on my rotator cuff.

This causes tendonitis.

Ouch!

We finished our Classical Conversations last week...thank goodness for homeschooling!

So I will try my best to post about:

Our ski vacation,

Cool pics of my insides,
EASTER "camping" trip,

Homeschooling updates,

and my general thoughts and feelings on the political state of our country.

In the meantime...

Please PRAY for my surgery!

I'm skeered of pain!

Santorum Stops Campaign and...

Santorum stopped his campaign and...

it made me (pull my head out of the sand and ) go look him up

to figure out who he is and why he needed to drop his campaign for his sweet little girl.

And DANG IT!

I like the guy!

I read his stances on the issues, and from what I can see I agree with him.

What!?!

I finally find a candidate I think I can truly stand behind

and now he isn't a candidate anymore.

You may resume your regularly scheduled activities...

Catching up with Swizz...

Sometime in the last decade I started having what I lovingly refer to as my "Intestinal Issues".

Don't ask.

You do NOT want to know.

I saw doctor after doctor.

Was told time and time again to "eat more fiber."

Really?!?  

I CANNOT PHYSICALLY EAT MORE FIBER!

Whew.  That felt good!

So I have FINALLY seen a doctor who is going to try and figure out what is going on.

He is going to check the top end for my reflux.

Unfortunately it is NOT getting better despite being on uber high doses of meds.

He is going to check the bottom end.

(Thank goodness he's knocking me completely out!)

And hopefully (no not hopefully, PRAYERFULLY) he will figure out what is going on.

What HAS been going on.

FOR OVER 10 years!

And then maybe we can fix the reflux!

And maybe we can fix the other!

Oh, and I forgot to mention...I FINALLY went to a doc for my shoulder.  I mean an orthopod. 

And I have impingement of my shoulder.

And maybe a little cervical involvement thrown in for good measure.

I've been doing physical therapy.

And getting ultrasound and massage while I'm there.

(Do you think I can take the therapist home with me?  Pretty please!?!)

And my shoulder is getting better! 

And I'm going to put it to the test...this weekend...when we go skiing in Park City!

We'll be meeting my friend Baloney there.

I'm sure we'll have all sorts of fun stories to share!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JMONSTER!

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY JMONSTER!

6 years old today.

Our little penguin...

Penguin "cake"!

Face he did make!

Ice skating with friends is GREAT!

JMonster and I spent hours making his "cake".  We had an absolute blast!

Feel free to wish him a Happy Birthday in the comments!

How to afford to "Go Organic"

We live on a fixed budget.

Not as tight as it was the last 2 years, but still not as free flowing as before the move.

And yet, we buy organic.

And local, if we can get it.

And fair trade certified.

And non-GMO.

(More on all of that later!)

If you look in our pantry you will find organic pasta (mostly non-wheat varieties), organic snacks, and organic grains.

In the fridge you will find organic veggies from our CSA (I'll tell y'all all about it later!).

GO COX FAMILY FARM!

You'll find organic fruits, ketchup (sans any corn product), milk, eggs (once again CSA), cheese, yogurt, and juice.  Jelly, sunbutter...the list goes on!

In the freezer is organic meat.  Free range, grass fed, and always tasty.  Fish is wild caught.

If we can find it organic (and local and free trade!) we buy it.

How do we afford it?

Sounds expensive.

And it can be.

But here is the trick:

We eat mostly whole foods.

Yep, you won't find lots of pre-packaged chips, cookies, crackers, etc in our house.

If we want a snack we eat the organic fruits and veggies.

Not having the other things in our home opens up a part of the budget.

It truly does!

When we eat meat, we use a small amount and bulk it up with other things.

Beans, grains, and veggies do wonders!

When we use cheese, it is a small addition to the meal to add flavor.

NOT a staple.

We eat a lot of vegetarian meals.

We eat a LOT of eggs.

We buy in season.

We buy what is on sale, or the least expensive type we can, unless it is something we don't like.

(Example: we do NOT eat Red Delicious apples. Yuck.  Even if it is the least expensive variety we get some other type of apple.)

And we are healthy.  And can tell a difference in how we feel!

And I feel good that JMonster is growing up with as few unnecessary chemicals and preservatives in his body as possible.

And if any of us get cancer, we can honestly say we tried.

And that (as the Doc says!) we must just have #$%@ poor protoplasm.

Questions about how YOU can afford to go organic?  

Or where to buy?  

I'll help in whatever way I can!

Things I want to learn

It's funny, I have so much going on inside my head that it swirls around making it impossible for me to choose what to write about.

Making it impossible for me to "put on paper" my thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

I had an English teacher once who said just start writing and it will come.

SO I'm starting.

With a list, cuz I'm good at lists.  

In fact I live my life by list!

(does that make me OCD or just incredibly organized?)

THINGS I WANT TO LEARN:

To sing.

I sound like a frog.  Always thought it was allergies but now know it is reflux.  

On meds to fix it.  

When we get it under control I want to sound like a princess.

Too much to ask?

To play piano (again!).

I took for years but it didn't stick.

To speak French.

Once again I took classes for years, but they didn't stick either!

To play guitar.

The Rev tried to teach me once, but I didn't want to cut my nails.

I'd cut my nails this time!

To make tile mosaics.

They're beautiful!  I'd love to have them in my home...art I've done!

To take photographs properly.

I'm a hack at it.  I love it, but know absolutely nothing.

To whistle.

You know, the put your fingers in your mouth to call the kids from 2 miles away whistle?

Yeah, I want to be THAT girl!

To have a green thumb.

I love eating fresh, organic foods.

I've tried to keep plants alive.

I really have!

It's just not my gift.

To live life like JMonster does...without caring about what others think.

He has such a zest for life!

He'll dance when and where he feels like it.

He'll bust out in song if the mood strikes.

He lives with gusto!

I wanna be just. like. him.

WHAT WOULD BE ON YOUR LIST?

A Couple More Funny Things JMonster said...

Thought I'd get down these 2 before I forget them!

"Mommy, if I make you a robot that does laundry will you pay me a few cents every month.  Because you won't have to do laundry anymore.  Because the robot will do it for you!"

"I sure will buddy!  But not until I get the robot.  When will you build this robot?"

"Hmmm...I don't know.  Maybe tomorrow?"

I sure wish I had one of those robots right now!

(And what a deal!  Reminds me a little of Austin Powers...one meeelllleeeeuuun dollars!)

You might not know that JMonster is a very gifted musician.

(okay...maybe he's just a child who loves music, but who's keeping score?)

He takes piano lessons.

He takes guitar lessons.

And he makes up his own songs.

GOOD songs!

This morning I heard him singing a wonderful song he was making up...he was singing to God about how he doesn't know where he is going, that he needs His help, and that he loves Him.

In mid sentence the song switches, "Oh God, I need your help!  Oh God, I don't know where I'm going, Oh God...Beyblade, Beyblade let it rip!  Let's fight.  In an epic battle!"

Tee hee!