Veinot Family

Phew

2011-10-02T07:06:00.000-03:00

What a week! I want to clarify something. I hope I didn't give off the wrong impression with my last blog post. I am very grateful to housing for being able to provide us with an affordable safe place to live and I know they're just doing their job when certain things come up since we are just renting. I am just a nervous, timid person who is always scared of doing the wrong thing or getting in trouble, even at my age. I'm not a naturally tidy person and it is physically hard to do many things, especially for reasons I'll soon get to. My greatest fear is losing our home for one reason or another, my children's safe haven.

As some of you may of heard, I was in the hospital this week. For months now, I've been having this weird fluttery sensation in my neck area but it wasn't too troublesome so I didn't get it checked out. I thought it was stress initially from Shaylee's hospitalization and then other issues I've been going through. Then this past week, I woke up with my heart pounding so hard it was scary. My whole left side was throbbing so bad I couldn't even lay down and I was dizzy and nauseous. It woke me up from a dead sleep at 5am. I tried to calm down because sometimes I get the pounding heart for a little bit but it dies down. It wasn't. Finally around 6, I went to the hospital. I had all the usual tests done, I was monitored for most of the day. My heart rate would range from 70 to 150 bpm, even with me just laying in bed. It would just sporadically start racing.

So apparently I have Atrial Fibrillation. The doctor described it as the top chamber of my heart isn't squeezing the blood down to the bottom chamber which for some reason causes the racing heart. There isn't really anything they can do about it. The biggest risk is blood clots forming from the heart not properly squeezing the blood through, which can cause strokes but he felt that I wasn't a high risk for that right now. Apparently it's usually older people who have this and he was surprised someone my age has it. He thought it may be from high blood pressure or maybe my weight, he wasn't sure. I'll be wearing a heart monitor for a 24 hour period this week and there may be other tests involved.

It's kind of scary. Now when I have that, it worries me a little bit. I was cleaning the basement and unthinkingly did something very stressful moving things around and it started the mad pounding again. I have a feeling I am going to be very aware of this now.

Other things going on.....we went for a valley day trip the other day. It was fun and nice to just get out for the day. We bought a lot of squash (50lbs for $16 at Gouchers!) and sausages at Meadowbrook Meat Market. We didn't have to buy a lot of produce because our CSA basket is so plentiful, but squash is something that stores well and we eat a lot of. I could have just that for a meal personally! We didn't do a whole lot. It was just kind of like a last hurrah for fall, although we may be going to Halifax later this month.....maybe.

Even though it's Sunday I need to get back to organizing. I thought they were coming Tuesday but I found the letter yesterday and it's Monday (tomorrow). There isn't much to do and I'm probably stressing over nothing. I'm scared I"ll end up in the hospital again over this, my nerves are so bad at the moment! I am trying to take it slow and easy but like I said, my nerves!! I really need to get back on meds.

Flying By Again!

2011-09-26T13:33:00.002-03:00

Yeah, time is just flying by! The kids are still doing good in school. Shaylee started Brownies and swimming lessons last week. There weren't many girls at Brownies but I don't know if they advertised it much. I hadn't heard anything but since I registered online, they let me know when the meetings started. It's on Tuesdays and at Beacon church, which I'm glad about since it's much closer.

I am not too impressed. We failed our Fire Inspection. Now I have to empty out our basement, which sucks! I've gotten rid of so much already that it's basically down to stuff I don't want to get rid of. I am donating a lot to the food bank (mostly stuff close to the date we won't use in time). Despite popular belief, we do not have much food storage any more. I don't like canned goods and basically limit it to soup for the kids and Mark's lunches. I also had problems with other things plus it's too expensive to stock up much. We can barely make ends meet let alone shell out a lot to build up our storage. Our freezer is jam pack full though, not of meat since we don't eat much of that.

Anyway, back to cleaning. I think a big part of it was we had a pile of cans and bottles to refund at the recycling depot so it looked a lot worse than it was. But I'm gonna purge anyway. I've been keeping up with cleaning better anyway so I might as well get around to the basement. It hurts though. I feel like the person who is responsible for this is sometimes a little harder on us than she should be (but I can understand why). Some of the things she says makes me feel about an inch tall because I can't take harsh criticism. I have a mental illness and physical limitations which makes it hard for me to be normal (I am not totally over the hoarding plus OCD and borderline depression, in case anyone wonders what I'm talking about. I've said it before, there is no shame in talking about our infirmities, especially those we do not bring upon ourselves!). Even with medications, I can't be totally normal since meds deaden me but I have learned to embrace myself; I accept and love myself more right now than I ever have in my life, and that's a good thing! But for the sake of keeping a roof we can afford over our head, I will comply the best to my ability, even if it means getting rid of things dear to me. I filled several bags just by not looking and stuffing because if I saw, I might of had a break down :(

One of the things that give me something to look forward to is cosplaying. I'm working on another family cosplay for a Halloween shoot I'm hoping we can attend in October in Halifax. It will be a Black Butler ( Kuroshitsuji) cosplay. I am going to be Grell, Mark is going to be Sebastian, Ethan is going to be Ciel and Shaylee will be Lizzy. The theme is Halloween style characters and since this is a dark anime/manga, it fits the bill :). I haven't watched or read it all yet but I'm in the process of it. Anyway, here is a picture of the characters; it takes place in Victorian times. (Ciel is a boy, btw. I may do a different outfit if I can't find the stockings. Shaylee's dress may end up purple if I don't have enough pink, and I'm sure I don't):

Edit: This is the new line up. I am changing Ethan's because I cannot find the stockings anywhere! His coat will probably be purple since I have lots of purple, lol!

I really love cosplay and wish there were opportunities to do it in my hometown. It sucks we have to go 3.5 hours to meet up with others of the same interest. I am totally anxious for Animaritme next year! This year the kids will have to miss the last day of school but it's no biggie (I think we're going to PEI before we go to Moncton). I think we may stay at the hotel this time as it has the biggest waterslide in New Brunswick (plus it would be nice to have our room right there for resting or to change and go swimming and whatnot). Plus people going to the con get a room at a reduced rate, although I'm going to be searching for deals over the next 9 months ;). Some people may think I'm too old for this but I don't care! It's fun :)

Not much else going on. Same old, same old.

Falling In

2011-09-14T12:34:00.000-03:00

Wow, I hadn't realized it has been so long since I posted an update. So much has happened, including the ever glorious going back to school!| I am so glad they are back. They seem to like it and are doing well, like their classes and their teachers. Ethan is learning French, which he loves (although he doesn't love not having gym as much). Shaylee is happy to see her friends and is making new ones. I am enjoying peace and quiet, lol!

Most of our summer was taken up by Mark's commitment to being in the play "The Baltimore". It was awesome and he did a great job. Everyone who saw it loved it!! He has been going through play withdrawal although he's back in choral for the fall. I think he is enjoying the slower pace of not so many rehearsals and never being home. Mark is looking forward to being in more plays at the Y'arc, just not right away :). Christmas is always a busy time even without extra commitments.

The finale was on Shaylee's birthday. My baby girl turned 7! So hard to believe. Even though she's nearly as tall as me, she is still my baby. She had a great birthday and we held her party at Nanny Veinot's house (since it was rainy; we were going to have it at the park). It was fun :)

We didn't get to go many places but it's ok since we're broke. We are still tying to recover from the car fiasco of last year and dealing with how expensive everything is getting. Other than our Moncton trip, we had a weekend in Halifax (cheapest vacation ever minus gas; we had a super dealfind coupon and used free gift cards for food :) ) and an overnight trip to the Valley (another cheap trip. actually these trips were both within a week of each other, lol!). We are planning a day trip to the valley at the end of the month on an inservice day to get our fall produce and have a fun family day.

I've been tying to hold things together. My OCD is at an all time bad. I can barely eat (so please don't be offended if I turn down an opportunity to eat somewhere). I am keeping myself nourished well enough and have lost a lot of weight, which I do like since I have a lot to lose. It's complicated and hard for people who don't understand OCD to understand. Other than that, I have been happier than I've ever been in my life. I am very content and find joy in lots of things. I am keeping up with the house better (but not in a sterile OCD way like some people do; no matter how bad my OCD gets, I'll never have a truly clean home but I'm ok with that). I'll probably go back on meds soon so I have a better balance.

So that's it in a nutshell. Probably other things I wanted to write about but can't remember. I just sometimes forget about updating :)

Vacation Pictures

2011-07-19T11:04:00.001-03:00

I accidentally posted the other blog before adding pictures so I'll add them as a second post :)

Shaylee Swimming, on "waterslide"

Fun at the Playground

Just arriving at Animaritime

Me and the kids

Being silly

Inside the hotel

Family picture

Plushie making

Onigiri (rice ball) plushies, not finished.

Taking a break, munching popcorn in the cafe

Downtown Moncton Canada Day

Mark getting into the dancing at the Masquerade

Shaylee showing off her badge

Dance Dance! They got a round of applause after their turn

With another Ouran cosplayer

Our home away from home

At a panel

Waldo! He was awesome, very friendly :)

Hetalia World Conference

Standing up to do the Caramelldansen

At Crystal Palace

Whee!

This was her favourite ride :)

Even Ethan enjoyed it, even though he was usually on the roller coaster

Awesome wax hands

Bumper cars!

Games and fun!

Me pirate kiddies

Awesome bathroom!

Ethan also loved this ride, star jump

Taking a break at Chapters on the way home, not feeling well

Cha ching!

July Update

2011-07-19T10:28:00.000-03:00

Wah! It seems that so much time goes by and I totally forget about blogging. Nearly a month and so much has happened!

Good news first; Shaylee has been given a clean bill of health regarding her pneumonia. Her last x-ray was so good that she didn't even need a follow up. We're pretty excited about that. Hurray for healthy children!

Our trip to Moncton was awesome! I loved the con so much and had so much fun! I was tempted to leave the first day because we had to wait in line for three hours. Yes, it was traumatizing to all of us, lol! I am so clausterphobic and hate being in large crowds my spidey senses were screaming. Ethan complained the whole time and Mark often brought the kids out while we waited. I had no idea registering would be such an ordeal but there were so many people there (at least 1500). It was worth it...to me at least!!

Our Ouran cosplay was a success even though we didn't have most of the pieces due to the postal strike (I have everything now though, lol!). Shaylee got a lot of attention as Honey <3. I had my picture taken a few times and the family together with someone else dressed as an Ouran character.

I was so excited seeing cosplays of animes I watch and manga I read and games we play. I really regret not taking more pictures but I have a lot saved that were shared on groups I belong to. I bought a ton of manga (I've been saving money for a while), so much cheaper than buying it otherwise as thy had a garage sale and many of the vendors sold things cheaper than retail and without tax plus deals like buy one get one free and so on.

We did fun things like make plushies, attend a masquerade where everyone shows off their cosplays, Hetalia World conference was fun, they had a games room, J-Idol (Japanese Idol), Anime Jeopardy and so much more. There was always something going on. Mark and the kids weren't as into as I was. I think next time, I'll go alone and Moncton is easy enough to get around that I think Mark would be comfortable driving around. It is such a great city!

The first day was Canada Day and there was a lot going on downtown. The streets around the hotel were actually closed off making it a little hard to get to. There were concerts all day (April Wine was one, but we missed it) and lots of things for the kids to do. That night, we had an awful time finding somewhere to park to watch the fireworks. We made the mistake of leaving the hotel (we had to eat and the kids wanted to swim). So we just drove around Moncton and Dieppe slowly and watched them. We eventually parked in Dieppe because they were so long I couldn't just keep driving. They were super awesome!

We went to Magnetic Hill one night. I was so impressed! I didn't think I would be but the car just zoomed right up that hill so fast I had to apply the brake, lol! I understand how it works and that it is an optical illusion but it still impressed me so much that we had to do it twice, lol! (It was night but it was open. There was another car there too).

The kids LOVED Crystal Palace! Ethan wasn't feeling well but he said going on the roller coaster made him feel better, lol!! He must of went on it at least 20 or 30 times. It wasn't busy so they could go on things over and over again. They definately got their moneys worth from that place! It was a scorching hot day so it was nice to be somewhere cool (we went there instead of Parlee Beach; we'll get to that beach some day!!!).

We ended up not going to Magic Mountain. Ethan's not feeling well turned into an ear infection and stomach sickness the next day so we headed home early (plus it was raining hard with thunder and lightening, the only thing they close for). We were camping and it rained most of the time so it was kind of a relief. We were happy to get home and had a great vacation. We did a lot more than what I wrote here, shopping, eating out, swimming, playing and so on. I love Moncton!!!

Since then, we've been laying low since we are totally broke now, lol! The kids have been going places with their cousins and grandparents plus we've done some Seafest stuff. It is easy to keep busy :) But in a way, it will be nice when they're back to school; I'm starting to already miss the routine of school.

The Con is almost On!

2011-06-28T06:50:00.003-03:00

Before I start prattling on, Ethan had another ear infection. He was up all night Saturday crying in pain. He was nearly back to normal Monday, although I need to get his ears checked out. Mom thinks he has glue ear, something I had often. He is practically deaf anyway so I wouldn't be surpried.

Only two more days until the kids are let out of school for the summer!!! They can't wait. I can't either but it's going to be hard for me to get stuff done. I wish they would like to go to day camps or stuff like that (not that we can afford it but still, there are some things I think they'd like).

I'm so excited and nervous! I have two days left to get everything done and there simply isn't enough time!! Pack, clean, sew, create, agh! I'm definately planning ahead next year! I at least hope the convention is closer next year. There is a Hal-con I am thinking of attending this fall and a Comicon in Montreal I would love more than anything to attend!!! (my favorite voice actor ever is going to be there as well as a lot of other big names, such as Stan Lee).

Ethan and Shaylee in their cosplay
before alterations. Shaylee also needs
a bunny, which I have to make.

Basically what we're attending is is a convention devoted to lovers of anime/manga (Japanese comics; I LOVE these!!), gaming and Japanese culture. At this one, they have 8 events happening at any given time. Two rooms have events, two have panels (a speaker discussing topics of interest), two have screenings (of anime), one for video gaming and one for regular gaming. People dress up in cosplay, which is basically costumes of their favorite anime or video game characters, or some just dress up, like in Steampunk or Lolita styles. There are things like kareoke, J-Pop Idol, plushie making, Art Jam, an artists alley, garage sale (can't wait!!!!), book signings, masquerade, fashion show and so much more.

One thing I am looking forward to is the Hetalia World Conference. Hetalia was a webcomic that grew into a manga then anime where each country is represented by a person who is a stereotype of that country and it covers events of world history, primarily WWI and II (I've only seen about 7 episodes of the first series). It is so funny! Anyway, people are going in cosplay as the characters and they are having a world conference where they will discuss topics and argue them as they do in the opening of Hetalia. I would of liked to participate but I didn't have enough time to get a costume together plus I think it will be more interesting to watch :)

So once again, today I will be busy sewing, cleaning, packing and getting ready to go. I also have to get the car serviced (a long one) today, invited to a family BBQ tonight, need to get Ethan a hair appointment and a million other things I can't think of. I wish I had more time to do everything!!!!

2011-06-11T22:05:00.000-03:00

Well, Shaylee is doing pretty good. I kept her home a couple of days this week because she was having pains in her side but otherwise she's doing really well. She only has one bottle of medicine left (three to start with). I still haven't heard from the pediatritian. She has an x-ray July 20th but other than that, not much else going on.

I scored another pair of free glasses this week. I ordered a pair of Fendi glasses! How awesome is that to get a $400 pair of glasses for the cost of shipping ($10).

We're still planning our trip. Our cosplay idea has changed and we're all going as Ouran Characters. Ethan is going to be Haruhi and I am going to be one of the female students. It should be interesting. I ordered wigs and patches but with the postal strike, I'm scared they won't be here in time. 20 days left!

Other than that, not much else that I can think of. I have been struggling with OCD again. It is amazing how it can totally take control of my brain. It is hard for people who have never had it to understand because it is something you cannot easily control. I've had extensive cognitive training yet at times it is not enough. I do not want to think this way (it's mostly about germs and getting sick). Its strange as I have come to more fully accept and love myself lately than I ever have in my life and feel happy and content yet I have this burdensome thing in my life. Maybe its because I finally actually like myself that I worry so much something will happen to me. I told Mark the other day I'm not scared of dying but I have so much life left to live and that is what scares me more than dying (not that I'm planning on dying any time soon!). I want to be with my kids as long as possible, then grandkids and so on. So I end up freaking out that every little thing will make me sick and I've become obsessive about things like handwashing and not touching or eating many things again. Sigh. I don't understand it myself so anyone who reads this and wonders why, you're not alone.

Ok, I did not mean to let this get depressing, lol! The weather has been improving a lot. I was able to have 3 loads of laundry dry on the line one after the other today (could of had more but was late starting).

The kids and I had fun at Frost Park tonight. I forgot how much they love going. I think they like it there more than any playground.

We'll be going to the park and beach more as it warms up. I can't wait!

She's Home!

2011-06-06T08:02:00.000-03:00

After a solid week in the Yarmouth hospital and 3 nights at the IWK, Shaylee was able to come home on Thursday. My father drove up to get us and we didn't get home until almost exactly midnight.

She had no changes healthwise but she didn't get worse, which is good. They did two x-rays and an ultrasound while there. There were no changes in the infection but the doctors were confident that it would gradually be absorbed by the body. It is a long process, at least two more months. She is to go for an x-ray on July 20th to see how it is going and she is supposed to have a follow up appointment with the local pediatritian. She is on a very strong antibiotic for the next two weeks as well.

Hopefully it will go away since she is otherwise fine. It's hard to believe she has something wrong as she shows no physical signs of being ill.

Yesterday my family had a gathering in her honor. My mothers side, fathers side and Mark's local family all showed up to my cousin Trina's house for a big BBQ and get together. It was a lot of fun and Shaylee was very pleased. Some people gave her little gifts and some money to help out. After everyone left, Ethan and Shaylee got to soak in my cousins hot tub, which was probably the highlight for them, lol!

Today Shaylee is going to school for the first time in two weeks. It has been so long since I've gotten them ready for school. I'm especially happy that I get to be home alone today. I need to recharge and spend time cleaning. It seems things have gotten behind while I was gone (big surprise). Thats ok. I'm in no hurry to clean since we already had our housing inspection last week (not that I'm going to relax too much but I need to learn to keep up better).

Well, it looks like the kids are about done their breakfast and I need to bring them to school. I'll try to keep updated more!

Update

2011-06-01T14:11:00.000-03:00

It's been a while so I thought I should update about Shaylee. She was in the Yarmouth Hospital for exactly one week with no improvement. She was on IV and oral antibiotics and the infection in her lungs was not going away. She was perfectly healthy in every other way except the infection in her lung. So they made the decision to send to to Halifax to be admitted to the IWK childrens hospital. She came by ambulance, which was long drive. She is in the PMU on the 7th floor. It is a really great hospital. Everyone is so nice and attentive. It is so child and family friendly. Right now she is in the playroom playing with other kids and I'm updating this :). We went to a tea party yesterday. This afternoon we're planning to have a little picnic in the park outside.

They have done a total of 4 x-rays and one ultrasound. They will do another x-ray tomorrow to determine what they are going to do. If the fluid has diminished, they will send her home and she will be on a long course of anti-biotics. If it hasn't, they will administer a chest tube, which must be in for 3-5 days. This is to drain the fluid. I am hoping and praying they send her home tomorrow! Although it is really nice here and it's kind of like a little vacation, it will be nice to get home.

So for anyone worrying about her, she is feeling great and is in great spirits. If it weren't for the x-ray, you wouldn't know there was a thing wrong with her. It has the doctors puzzled since similar patients are quite sick (they have had 4 others this past week alone. I guess it's a bad year for pneumonia). Just pray she can come home soon!

Dredging On

2011-05-26T18:37:00.001-03:00

Shaylee is still in the hospital. She's doing better but she still can't come home for another day or two :(. They ended up giving her IV yesterday. I was with her and she has narrow, disappearing veins like I have so it took forever and a ton of screaming and tears for them to get it in (I was crying just as hard as her :(. Hurts to see your baby in pain and not being able to do anything). They did more bloodwork and x-rays this morning but still no improvement (well, her lungs are expanding but not as much as they'd like). She's not eating much either :( It will be at least until Saturday and possibly longer that she'll be in the hospital the way things are going.

I'm on my way up to spend the night with her so Mark can come home and have a break. I hate the hospital but love my kid sooooo.....love wins out!

One of the things we told her to cheer her up is that we're going to Moncton after school lets out. Last night I realized I never got a present from Mark and the kids for my birthday and for my present I want to go to Animartime!! This is a convention for Maritime fans of anime and video gaming, something I've always wanted to attend. I was on the fence before because they don't have a schedule up and their special guests kind of don't appeal to me but as I looked at the previous schedule, it looks really cool! It probably won't be the same but there are things like workshops, karaoke, anime screenings, video game rooms, panels on various topics related to anime and games and so on. Last time they even had several plushie making classes, which sounds fun.

Honey and Mori

The best part is cosplaying! I have to get started on our costumes right away. Shaylee has wanted to cosplay as Mitsukuni Haninozuka, aka "Honey" from OHSHC for a while and Mark will dress as Takashi Morinozuka, aka "Mori", Honey's cousin. Honey is the sweetest little character. He always has his Usa-Chan (bunny stuffie who is half as big as he is; I need to make one) and likes to eat cakes, often up to 10 a day, lol! He is very adorable but tough; the national karate champion at a young age and his hands are considered a weapon of mass destruction but looks like an elementary student. Mori is tall, very quiet and protective of Honey. He is the national Kendo champion. I have already been in contact with some people going as Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin (twins from the same show but in the costumes in the pic below), so I hope to get some pictures. I have been looking for blazers without any luck so they may have to go in their karate/kendo clothes or from the Haruhi In Wonderland episode (the twins are going dressed in their Cheshire clothes so it would be neat :) I could also dress Ethan as Tamaki/Mad Hatter which would make an awesome picture!).

From the episode "Haruhi In Wondeland". If I can't get the blazers,
Honey was the March Hare and Mori was the Dormouse. Don't know if Mark
would be too crazy about that though, lol!

Ethan is going to dress as Edward Elric from the Fullmetal Alchemist. I have the State Alchemist pocket watch and will start soon on his cloak. He will probably just wear black clothes underneath as I don't have time to make a gakuran (the black uniform with the white trim). I should be able to braid his hair and get his antennae and bangs with a bit of hair putty.

Ed is an awesome character. Smart. Devoted. Loyal. He's short for his age and very sensitive about it. He lost his right arm and left leg while attempting a taboo human transmutation with his brother Al to bring his mother back to life when he was only 10 years old. Al lost his body (Ed gave his leg to bind Al's soul to a suit of armour; his arm was toll for the knowledge he gained passing through the gate; Al's toll was his body) and the show centers around them trying to get their bodies back to normal. Ed was the youngest state certified alchemist at the age of 12, which is roughly the age Ethan will be cosplaying. Ethan is the same height, which is pretty neat.

Ed and Al, armoured and in spirit

I will be cosplaying as Dinah Wherever from Bizenghast. I can't find pictures online but my cosplay of her will be after her best friend Vincent dies, she goes into deep shock and mourning. She cut off all her hair and basically gave up on life but realized that was not what Vincent would want for her. Dinah started off as a very weak character who relied on Vincent for everything. Her parents died in a mysterious car cash, which she survived, when she was only 8. She lives with her aunt in a haunted old former sanatorium/boys school. She sees ghosts. One night she is unwillingly contracted to help save troubled souls who are unable to pass themselves or she will die. She helps them be free of what is keeping them clinging to earth and haunting and Vincent helps. Eventually they are joined by two guardians, brothers Edaniel and Edrear. Dinah grows into a very strong character and I've been waiting for book 8 to come out but the publishing company went out of business so I have no clue when it will be released (even the author is unsure and may even self publish. Marty, the author, is an awesome person who loves to chat with her fans!).

Chibi version Bizenghast Characters. Edrear, Edaniel, Dinah and Vincent.

My sewing skills are pretty terrible so I am really hoping I can pull all of this together! I am bringing materials to the hospital so I can have something to do. Cosplay may sound like a strange thing to people not into anime/manga/ect... (it's a huge deal in Japan) but I think it's really cool and have wanted to for years. I didn't know people in the maritimes did that, but I've been in contact with a couple of groups. I am self concious being my size, but I think it will be fun!

Anyway, the convention is on Canada Day weekend and is three days long. Every year Mark wants to go somewhere awesome for Canada Day so I think it would make him happy too. It's right down town, close to where everything is going on so if Mark wanted to leave me to watch bands play or whatever, it would work out good. I also found a camp ground about 15 minutes away that we will probably stay at. Plus there's Magic Mountain, Magnetic Hill and other stuff. I think it's exciting!! I ran it by Mark today and he thinks it sounds like a really fun thing. We were planning to go in July anyway.

I really needed something to keep my mind off things. When I think of Shaylee too much, I cry but I know it doesn't do any good. We also have an apartment inspection tomorrow that I'm freaking out about. I'm still weak from being sick (hurt from coughing so much and can't sleep because it's worse when I lie down) and can't do much at once and you can tell because our apartment is a disaster!! I will do the best I can though. Mom is taking Ethan and I can only work in short bursts. Dad came by this afternoon and helped clean. If he wasn't here to motivate me, I probably would not have gotten anything done!

Anyway, I have been writing this in bits and pieces all day and I should get back to work. I have probably totally outed myself as a crazy person but I guess I'm just a big kid at heart :). As I always say, I feel too young to be as old as I am, lol!!

Please Pray for Shaylee

2011-05-24T04:22:00.000-03:00

She is in the hospital right now with pneumonia. I am worried sick for her. She has been sick off and on the last two weeks but she seemed better than not most of the time so I didn't bring her up. I despise not having a doctor and having to weigh our health against a lengthy weight because of our emergency health system. Mark brought her up as Ethan and I are sick too.

Of course I am thinking the worst and cannot forgive myself for not bringing her up sooner. I am hoping to hear more in the morning as Mark stayed up with her and I know I should rest because I am not well either :(

How To Feel Older

2011-05-03T10:15:00.000-03:00

One of my best friends from when I was growing up who is actually a year younger than me is now a grandmother!

Glad it's not me, lol!

I want my kids to be kids for as long as they can because kids grow up too fast these days.

May

2011-05-02T12:42:00.000-03:00

It's May already. Wow, time is really flying by. I thought I'd better post before certain people start bugging me for an update ;)

Not much has been going on. Life is pretty stagnant here. It's pretty much the same day in and day out.

Oh right, Easter! The kids had lots of Easter. We had ours on Good Friday but we didn't make a big deal out of it. Then on Sunday, we went to an Easter Egg hunt at Dad's before church, then we had 3 hours of church, then to Mark's parents for lunch and a big hunt with their cousins, then to Mom's for supper and another Easter Egg hunt. We were all Eastered out, lol!

Shaylee had her spring concert last week. She did a really good job! We got her hair cut the day before since it is thick and prone to getting tangled. It's shorter in the back than front and is really cute! I'm thinking of getting my hair cut in a similar way as well.

Ethan turns 9 on Friday! It's hard to believe. We're having his party on Thursday at Mark's parents house.

Then Mother's Day. Then my birthday.

These are parts of the reason I haven't been posting much. I kind of been going through an early mid-life crisis kind of thing where I don't feel as old as I am to be as old as I am and to have these two really grown up kids. I feel like a kid inside but then I look in the mirror and it's like, Oh, right. But I know that only I can be in charge of my life so I decided to make a big goal for myself. I'm not telling anyone about it either and it's not weight loss related (although I'm working on that too). So don't ask, lol!! I realized I didn't really have anything for me personally as a goal. Life can get mundane and we need something that is important to us to look forward to. Even if I don't accomplish my goal in the way I want, I will have the satisfaction of having tried my best.

I am really enjoy the longer days. Last night there was still a bit of light in the sky at 8:30 then at 6-ish it was getting light out (not sure of time as I was busy and our clock is broken). It is getting hard to get the kids in bed at a decent time because it is lighter later (they're usually to sleep by 9 despite our best efforts in trying to get them to sleep earlier).

Well, not sure what else to write. I love writing and feel bad I don't blog enough. It just doesn't seem like there is much going on to write about. I'm sure summer will be more exciting. Of course with the extreme prices of gas we probably won't go far but there is always plenty to do close to home.

March Break On

2011-04-03T10:32:00.000-03:00

I have been wanting to write but it just seems like I never feel like it.

Our March Break was good. It flew by but towards the end, I was looking forward to the kids going back as they were back to fighting all the time. Shaylee was sick much of the week, including when we went away, which made things interesting.

Our stay at the Westin was very nice. We ended up paying $25 a night. Parking was a nightmare for someone who lives where parking was free. $18 to $20 a night was a bit of a sticker shock for us! When we got there, we had no idea where to go so we drove around and eventually I made Mark call and ask where to park, lol! You think if you stay somewhere that costs starting $169 a night that parking would be included!

The hotel was really nice. The people there were all super nice and very helpful. Our room was a bit on the small side. I was scared the kids would break or stain something so I felt on pins and needles since everything seemed to have a price tag attached to it (like the $6 bottles of water and the mini bar we made sure no one touched!). The bathroom was tiny, about the size of ours (which is minuscule). The beds were nice and soft but all the bedding was white, furthering my stress, lol! The closet was nice and big, a walk in with a safe in it (which was out of order). A nice big LG LCD TV, lots of channels although it was mostly on Treehouse (ugh). I was disappointed that internet wasn't included in the price except the lobby (so we didn't bother going online during our stay. I was hoping to update my blog while we were there).

The fitness facilities were very nice. The pool wasn't as big as I thought it would be and it was usually pretty crowded. The hot tub/whirlpool was nice and big though.

There were lots of little shops and a couple of restaurants, usually with live music playing in the evenings.

It was a nice experience, one we probably won't have again, not that I mind. I don't mind staying in our usual places. A bed is a bed, a room a room whether it costs $60 a night or $200. Heck, even camping is fine with me :)

The city was pretty crazy. Finding places to park anywhere was a nightmare. When we went to the Museum of Natural History we drove for ages finding a parking spot and eventually parked at the hospital when a space freed up. Shaylee was really sick that day and didn't want to go to the museum. I think she still enjoyed it a bit though. Sue was pretty awesome and I'm glad we were able to go.

We didn't really do a lot of shopping. I had plans to get the kids clothes at Aeropostale but I couldn't find what they liked online. The Disney store was closing but they didn't have much. There were other things I had planned to get but they either weren't what I was expecting or I couldn't find them. Just as well as we didn't spend much money.

Mark and I got to go to the temple as his parents were there and free to babysit. That was nice. I like the quiet of the temple and peace of mind I feel there.

On the way home, we went to the Double Dragon restaurant in New Minas. It had burned down but they rebuilt and it is way better than before. They had a great buffet with lots of Chinese and "American/English" food.

We stopped at Meadowbrook Meat Market in Berwick and our last stop was Bargain Harleys. We actually bought a snow shovel there for 99 cents but had to leave it as there was no way it would fit in the car. I sometimes hate having a tiny car (it wouldn't of fit even without our luggage and I didn't want to drive home with it hanging out the trunk as we had nothing to tie it down with.).

It was nice to get home. Good to go, good to come back.

In other recent news, the kids had their Kidzact dance exhibition last week. They did great! Shaylee had missed most of the classes due to being sick but Ethan helped her and they both did a really good job. She decided not to take classes this session but Ethan started the intermediate level yesterday. He loves dancing and often reviews past videos and dances along to try and improve. He's still a little stiff though. He needs to loosen up a bit but I'm just glad he has something he loves (even if once again he is the only boy ;) ).

Oh and the night of the dance exhibition, Shaylee broke our camera. Ethan was trying to take a picture of her and she whacked it out of his hand, causing it to break. I was so upset. Here we found it after searching weeks for it and I just bought a new SD card for it and it was unusable. We ended up getting a 10mp Olympus camera which I actually like better and it was only $60. I hate that we seem to go through a digital camera every year and a half but at least I can usually find good ones that are inexpensive.

I have been having problems with vertigo and dizziness this past week. I ended up going to the hospital on Thursday as I was to the point of almost blacking out (I called 811 before I went to see what I should do). 11 hours!! I didn't even really get any resolution except a prescription he said I probably didn't need as this should go away on its own. It's very frustrating as it is very limiting. It is hard to drive, I find housework hard and even simple things like getting up from bed and stairs are hard; even turning my head suddenly can be problematic. So I'm hoping it won't last much longer. All the tests they did were good and they did an EKG, which was fine. I worry about my heart being overweight but everything seems fine (and I've gone back on my "diet" since).

I nearly passed out when they were doing bloodwork. My blood barely trickles out any time I have blood drawn and after 5 vials, I was so dizzy and felt like the life was being drained out of me. A nurse walking by said I looked like a ghost. It took about 15 minutes before I could even stand up and even then I stumbled to the waiting room. I cut my hand on something sharp in my purse shortly after and it wasn't until I got home over an hour and a half after that did it start to bleed. This is why I don't give blood. The nurse thought I was squeamish but I'm not (about that, anyway). For me it feels like they are literally draining the life out of me.

Not much else going on that I can think of. Right now it's General Conference weekend at church, which is why I'm able to write when I would usually be there. The kids are at Mom's as they slept over last night.

Ethan's birthday is coming up as is Easter. I already have presents. I got him Mario Sports Mix for the Wii as he loves sports games lately, but the cartoon-y kind. Not going overboard with presents this year (although I nearly got it free with PC points!). For Easter, they're getting some chocolate and the movie Tangled, which we ended up only paying $8 for due to a sign error at Superstore! I wasn't even going to buy it but I felt I should so I was very happy. I plan to get some clothes and maybe make a couple of things. I have learned a lot about less being more when I see all the little toys and things they never play with, books that don't get read and clothes they don't wear. I know their tastes so it is easier to spend less money yet make them happy.

I'm trying to talk him into having his birthday party at the bowling alley, especially since he wants to invite friends from school. I dread the thought of cleaning well enough to have his party here (although it would save a lot of money...). There is still a month to figure things out.

Well, I'm running out of things to write about. I will try to update more but I am just really flighty lately.

So Happy!

2011-03-11T18:39:00.000-04:00

I found our camera :D :D

I literally gave myself one more day to find it or I would buy a new one. I really want one for our trip and for the kids dance recital. They have been watching videos of all their old one and Ethan was upset thinking I wouldn't be able to take a video of the one coming up on the 23rd.

Since all we could afford is a cheap one, I was very grateful and happy to find the one we had (well, it's a cheap one too but it was ours, it worked and it had tons of pictures on the SD card).

They are having a spring session at Kidzact. The kids really want to go but I didn't realize it and things are tight. I am going to try and find a way. I don't know if I can get them sponsored for a spring class if they want to go back in the fall. Recreation is expensive!

In other news, the kids are happy it is now March Break! Shaylee wasn't feeling well so she stayed home today. It was so much easier to get Ethan to school on time without her fighting not to go. I am surprised as I thought Ethan would be the one to not want to go. Half the time she only wants to go when I mention her friends will miss her.

I am happy it is March Break too. I feel like all I do is run the kids around here there and everywhere. I have been sick more than I have been well since December. It is really wearing on me. I'm hoping that warmer days, fresh air and more probiotic and vitamin D supplementation will help. My immune system is all out of whack. I am starting to breathe better from my chest cold so I am going to start taking short walks and slowly work up to longer ones. I told the kids I want to start going to more walks when the weather is nicer. It's always very cold or rainy or otherwise not so great (especially for sick people).

Pay What You Want!

2011-03-09T15:55:00.000-04:00

Halifax Hotel Deals | Hotel Packages at The Westin Nova Scotian

I am super excited about this and have to share it! The Westin Hotel in Halifax is having a March Break special where you can pay what you want to stay! The kids are so excited, Mark and I are excited, yay!

I found it while checking the Chronicle Herald website. Mark called right away and we were able to get in for two nights. Apparently you have to answer some questions after your stay and video tape your thoughts on your stay, but it's a small price to pay for us to be able to afford a 4.5 star hotel. We usually go to places that wouldn't get a star, lol!

So I guess we will be having a few nice days on our March Break after all :).

Report Card Time

2011-03-04T22:35:00.000-04:00

Well, the kids got their second report cards yesterday, parent teacher meetings last night and they both did really great! Ethan had all A's except a B in gym (for his uncoordination) and a B in social studies (surprised since he is an ace at this at home, but it's ok :) ). Shaylee got a lot of A's and a few B's. Her biggest problem is with writing since she is one of those kids who doesn't like to get things wrong so she won't write out a word unless she knows it's right. Her teacher even said she didn't know how Shaylee learned to read but she doesn't know how to sound things out (apparantly Shaylee gives a lot of blank stares, lol!). They both learned the same way but Ethan doesn't care if he spells things right or wrong.

Shaylee has had a bit of problem on the bus. It seems that she is often upset when getting off in the afternoon. Usually she doesn't talk about it but the other day, a boy punched her in the nose! I was no happy when I heard this. I ended up talking to their vice principal, who has no tolerance for bullying. He is going to talk to Shaylee on Monday and for now, I am going to be picking them up at school at the end of the day. Ethan is thrilled but I think Shaylee will miss the bit of extra time with her friends. I'm hoping it will get resolved. I felt like bawling when talking to the vice principal because I know what it's like to be bullied, especially being a shy girl who is too scared to talk about it.

In other news, I can't find my camera. It has been missing for a month. I have tried using my old cameras, remembering why I had to give them up (not working). I hate to look for another one but I can't live too long without taking pictures! The kids are growing up before my eyes and I don't want to miss too much (not to mention I have a ton of pictures on the camera I lost, everything over the last year and a half or so :( ).

Shaylee has glasses. The reason it is not big news (as in post by it self-worthy) is because they aren't prescription. She kept wearing my glasses and hurting her eyes. We were ordering a pair online for a friend at Zenni Optical and I saw that just the frames with non-prescription lenses were only $3. Three bucks to make a kid happy is a small price to pay. She wears them all the time and just loves them! They are kind of big but she doesn't care. If she ends up needing real glasses, we'll spring for kid ones (they were quite a bit more expensive) but these make her happy and I don't have to worry about her eyes. This is something I would love to have a picture of.

Isn't this beautiful!

I am currently planning some costuming for the family. I have been very interested in Steampunk for a few years but never bothered with creating costumes since where would I wear them? Well, there is now a Jules Verne Steampunk Association in Halifax and I signed right up! I probably won't get to many meetings but they are planning a Time Travelers picnic this summer and I am so excited about it! I have been Frenchy shopping for costume pieces. I have some things for Shaylee's dress (see below), a pile of material, some metal elements and I'm really excited because today I bought some felt to make hats! I will probably just have to alter suits for Mark and Ethan. There is a dress I want to get and I may buy it for my birthday pictured to the left (actually, if I had a ton of money, there are so many things I would love from Holy Clothing! I only have one top but want more items; their clothing is so dreamy!). I have glove patterns. I am also planning some other types of clothing for me just for fun. Some of the clothing I wear is very suitable for Steampunk, but I don't really dress it up like some people do. I'm not really a goggle person, probably because I already wear glasses so it seems a little overboard IMO. I think I like the subtle
aristocrat dress most of all :)

Shaylee's dress will be something like this but different colours and according to my poor abilities, lol!.
I already have an '80's prom dress ready for altering as soon as I wash it!

Not much else going on that I can think of. We're all anxious for March Break. We'll probably get away for a couple of nights. We want to see Sue the T-Rex, among other things. Mostly we just want to go away! We went to Meteghan today and it was the first time I crossed the county line since before Christmas when we went to the Valley with Mom! That's ok. Right now it seems like all I do is bring the kids here, there and everywhere. I can't wait for a day or two where we don't have to go anywhere at all! That sounds really heavenly right now, lol!

Winter Blah!

2011-02-19T20:15:00.000-04:00

Well, I know I didn't keep updating on our gluten free experiment but I feel that it is much better for Shaylee and doesn't make much difference for Ethan. I would still like to have them fully allergy tested so we can know for sure what they are allergic to but we need to come into some extra money for that. Maybe with our income tax refund (unless we need it all for insurance again! Ugh!). We've been eating gluten the last few days and I think I am going to have to cut it out again, especially for me. I look like I gained about 20lbs even though I haven't, just bloat.

Farmers are starting to produce eggs again so it will be easier to stuck to eating lower carb and gluten free. I use a lot of coconut flour and it needs a lot of eggs. It makes very filling, protein rich eats :). I also ordered an egg mold. I like giving Shaylee bento style lunches and I have always loved the cool egg shapes (you put in a hot hard boiled egg and it takes the shape of the mold, very cool!). I don't know which ones I'll get but she will think any of them are cool. Neither kid eats much for lunch at school. Even if I pack a full bag of things they like, they come home with most of it.

Ethan is on a huge salad kick lately so I need to start packing him that. He had salad for supper three nights this week and at least once for lunch when he was home.

Yeah, the kids have been sick. Again! They are picking up everything going around it seems. They are up and down. They should be able to go back to school Monday. I need a day to recover the apartment, lol! I find I can't get much done when I have everyone underfoot and Mark and the kids are always home it seems! I'm not ashamed to admit I need my alone time. To think, refresh and to get things done.

I really can't wait for nice days. It's always so cold out and while I don't mind that or even being cooped up for long periods of time, I miss the days of taking off to the beach, park or Lake Milo. I miss the sun and our little getaways and day trips. I can't remember when I last left the town limits, lol! I have been planning our March Break getaway and I think we'll be going to Lunenburg for a couple of nights. They have stuff going on at the Fisheries museum, its not too far away from Halifax and we want to go to the museum of natural history to see Sue the T. Rex as well as some other things. I am planning on getting a room or a cottage with a kitchen so we can do most of our cooking where we stay (save money and eat healthier). Thank goodness for off season rates! We also discussed staying in the Valley but we really like Lunenburg too and it gives us a chance to see different things. I can't find anything in our price range with a pool, which is got me thinking of summer. It will be here soon enough, I'm sure! Time is flying right by faster than I can stand!

Saturday Update on Kids

2011-02-12T09:31:00.000-04:00

I was going to post every day but life got in the way. Both kids had ear infections this week. Ethan's was major; I had to bring him up to the hospital and he had to get a hefty antiboitic and ear drops. He had a perforated ear drum, ouch! He's doing much better now. Shaylee just had a minor ear ache for a day and a little fever but she quickly bounced back. So they're both pretty much back to normal now, which is good. I was plagued with ear infections my whole childhood, needing tubes constantly, so I'm glad the kids escaped that! I think breastfeeding really helped with that.

On the gluten free front, they went with Mom again earlier this week who brought them to McDonalds. It didn't seem to bother them much other than make them very tired which could of either been from illness or the food, I don't know. Shaylee is pretty much totally gluten free all the time of her choice (she asks about everything she eats, which is good) and Ethan is most of the time with some thing here and there that isn't. Shaylee's rash is pretty much gone and she is down about 7lbs since the start of the year! Her belly isn't as puffy and she is happy to fit in clothes she couldn't before. Ethan is down 5lbs from the new year but I think that is partly from being sick and not eating much. Even though I've been gluten free I haven't lost weight but I have metabolic and other issues at play too.

I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try. I bought a gluten free and dairy free valentines day menu mailer with a lot of good recipes for a couple of dollars. It had a recipe for whoopie pies that I will make as a treat for their lunches on Monday. They are also low sugar, which is good :). I've been having fun planning our menu but I won't write about it since Mark will probably read this.

I babysat all night. Nothing like taking care of someone else's baby to take away the urge to have another, lol! We pretty much decided that Ethan and Shaylee are it due to a number of factors but it is always hard when there are always babies around.

Well, there is a million things to do, none of which I feel like doing but need to, lol! I can't find my camera at the moment so I have no pictures.

Day 4 Gluten Free

2011-02-03T19:08:00.000-04:00

Today was a pretty good day. The kids had a snow day, which meant they could sleep in (only until 8, though. I remember when that was super early for them, lol!). They were in and out playing all day and this afternoon, Shaylee went to her cousins house with Mark to play.

They had eggs for breakfast, brownie waffles for lunch and brown rice pasta with sauce for supper, plus Shaylee had some yogurt, basmati rice and a boiled egg (she didn't have much spaghetti). Ethan said at first it was just like their usual spaghetti but then he started dragging his heels because we didn't have meatballs. I need to get some ground beef to make and freeze some.

The waffles were a huge hit! They are made with coconut flour and lots of eggs and are so good. They are even very easy to make low carb so I can have them too, but they are better with real maple syrup and butter (and I susupect extremely delicious with whipped cream and chocolate sauce for dessert!). I'll definitely be making them again!

They are both feeling good and I think they are kind of surprised by some of the things they can have. It can be a pain to have to read every label since gluten is sometimes hidden under different names. Here is a list:

Avoid any food containing the following:
Wheat, wheat berries, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheatgrass, or any form of the word wheat (other than buckwheat, which is an unrelated plant)

Barley, barley malt, barley flour, or any form of the word barley.

Rye, rye flour, pumpernickel flour, or any form of the word rye.

Oats, oatmeal, oat flour, oat groats, or any form of the word oats, if your doctor has advised you to avoid oats. If your doctor permits oats on your gluten-free diet, look for gluten-free oats.

Flour, including instant, bread, cake, enriched, graham, and all-purpose flours. Flours made from safe grains (such as corn flour, millet flour, and rice flour) are safe.

Triticale

Einkorn

Spelt

Semolina

Durum

Bulgar or Bulghar

Kamut

Cracker meal

Couscous

Tabbouleh

Tempura crumbs

Malt, unless specified as being made from a non-gluten source (such as corn).

Avoid foods containing the following unless the label indicates they are from a non-gluten source:
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Modified food starch

Vegetable starch or vegetable protein

Gelatinized starch or pregelatinized starch

Natural flavorings

Soy sauce (look for wheat-free tamari as an alternative)

Be especially alert for the presence of wheat and gluten in the following:
Breads, pastries, cakes, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, pies, pretzels, and all other baked goods. The majority are made from wheat flour; look for alternatives by allergy-safe manufacturers.

Breakfast cereals, both hot and cold.

Pasta, including gnocchi, spaetzle, chow mein, lo mein, and filled pastas. Rice noodles, pure buckwheat soba noodles, and pastas from allergy-friendly manufacturers are good alternatives for home cooking.

Snack foods, especially if seasoned or highly processed.

Soups, gravies, and thickened sauces.

Breaded meats or vegetables, such as fried chicken or okra.

Dumplings, meatballs, lunch meats, meat loaves, and similar foods (often held together with breadcrumbs or flour).

Beer (Gluten-free beers are available.)

Salad dressings, Worcestershire sauce, and other condiments.

It looks like a lot but mostly it is store prepared or convenience food. If you stick to real foods and things made from scratch then it is easier to avoid.

I think the hardest part is when you are feeling snackish and there are things still around that are easy to eat. While writing this, Shaylee wanted some dry Mr. Noodles. Of course, they are made with wheat so I said no. She was very upset so I kept offering alternatives (including rice noodles). Even though we just had supper, she was complaining that she was hungry. She needs more fat and protein to fill her and she had too many empty, not lasting things to eat (rice and rice pasta). That is the problem with simple carbs; they are not satisfying for people like me and Shaylee so it seems like if we don't get enough fat and protein, we're foraging for food soon after eating.

So I'm hoping tomorrow goes well. They'll be at school so I will have to pack their lunch, which I dread even on the best of days.

Day Two and Three Gluten Free, plus Winter Wonderland

2011-02-03T09:07:00.000-04:00

Well, on day two, they went to Mom's house overnight and while Shaylee tried, Ethan didn't because they went to Wendy's and he wanted a kids combo, lol! He was kind of scared to tell me but I said he is old enough to decide if he wanted to or not. However because of this, he said his stomach was very unsettled. He felt kind of like he wanted to throw up but not that bad. It continued on to day three where he didn't really feel better until after supper. Shaylee has been feeling fine and other than a few things at Mom's, doing good. I didn't expect them to do perfectly there.

So we got back on track when they got home. I bought some more gluten free cereal and some snacks for their lunches. The only gluten free tomato soup I could find was Campbells Tomato with Basil and Oregano. I hope they like it but I will try to make a satisfactory version with tomato paste. I would like to sneak in butter or other healthy fats but it's hard when they are suspicious of everything.

I made some wonderful gluten free waffles yesterday out of coconut flour. I am glad they liked them. I am planning on making a chocolate version as a treat (basically just add some cocoa powder).

Rather than making another post about this, we've been hit pretty hard with a winter storm. Yesterday and Today were snow days (which is why they stayed at Mom's on Tuesday night). The driving was treacherous yesterday. I was babysitting for a friend so I had to get the baby and bring him back. On the way there at 9am, I was all over the road. It was slip slide the whole way. Every time I stopped, the car spun to its side. Our car is pretty useless in the winter and it doesn't help when the roads are very icy and my tire wells get filled up with packed snow as soon as I start driving. Plus it's low to the ground so its hard getting going when the snow is deep.

I hadn't heard from her all day and finally I called her because I wasn't driving in the dark plus the baby was fussy all day, wouldn't sleep, eat or drink and he should of been home instead of with me (he has been sick for a while). The weather had been bad all day and it was freezing rain. She finally called me back and I was bringing the baby home around 5pm. I couldn't get out of the parking lot. Thankfully the missionaries were over for a dinner appointment and they helped Mark push me out. Then I couldn't get up the street, so I got spun around to Main Street. I got stuck trying to get on Main then was spinning around when I finally got on the street. Yeah, I'm kind of panicking because I have someone else's baby in the car. I slooowwwly drive up main street, which is hard because if I go too slow, I get stuck. I stop, I get stuck. I turned up to Parade Street and I'm wondering why the heck they haven't plowed! The roads are deep with snow and a mess. I manage to get to Pleasant, still having trouble the whole way. There was no place to park in front so I had to get turned around on a side street, not plowed, getting stuck several times, but managing to get around eventually. I had to park in the road to bring the baby and the stuff in since there was no where to put the car. Then I had to bring her friend home (ok, I stupidly offered since I couldn't imagine anyone walking all the way across town in this mess). More of the same, skidding, getting stuck, fun. I got to his street and only pulled onto the street and I got stuck fast. There was no getting out. I brought the shovel and shoveled as much as I could then he tried pushing me, not getting very far. I kept driving up turning a bit, then backing a few inches at a time, but the road was so slick under the foot of snow on the road I wasn't going anywhere. Someone stopped and helped push me on the road and I was very thankful.

I stopped to get milk at Irving and got stuck trying to get out. Luckily the plow had just showed up so I managed to get up by the gas pumps until it was plowed enough for me to get out. Then I get to my street and can't budge. I had been gone for an hour and it snowed more so it was worse than when I left. I pull to the side where the Mermaid motel is and it is a glare of ice, so I'm spinning out of control. I finally get around back and pulled into a spot. Forget this, I thought. I went inside and asked if it was ok if I left my car there until I could move it. It was find so I just went home.

What an ordeal! And I just live in town! Of course if we lived outside of town, we would of got a better car and invested in snow tires. We just can't afford them right now and since we do so little driving, we can't justify getting them (basically just getting the kids to and from school). Under normal conditions, even winter ones, it's not a problem but the weather was really bad and the roads showed it. I normally wouldn't even attempt to drive in those conditions and next time, I think I will just have to say no. It's not worth possibly getting in an accident.

So I'm not sure what is on the agenda today. I think it will be a leisurely day. I haven't been feeling the greatest so taking it easy sounds good to me. I'm still feeling pretty stressed out by the events of yesterday. Maybe some sliding if it's not too cold. I'm glad the hill across the street is just big enough for us since we're not big on big hills.

Day One Gluten Free

2011-01-31T22:31:00.000-04:00

Well, all in all it went pretty well I think. No complaints from the kids really (well one that I will get to).

They were rushing around at breakfast time so they just had a fruit to go and maybe something else; I was too busy getting things put together. They had a big container of veggies and homemade ranch dip for lunch but I overdid the garlic so they didn't like it (one clove of the organic is like a whole head of the regular for potency!). They also had some fruit, puffed rice and a gluten free honey vanilla cupcake I made (they were gross, they didn't eat them). Shaylee had raisins and Ethan had dulse.

When they got home, they snacked on gluten free cereal and, strangely, raw brown rice macaroni noodles. They loved those! I just hope that they like them cooked when I make them homemade baked macaroni and cheese out of them :)

For supper, I made a round steak. When we have on, I slice it up and we share it (we're getting low on them though!). Shaylee and I had eggs with our steak. Mark, Shaylee and Ethan had some gluten free tomato soup I made. Mark and Shaylee loved it, Ethan thought it was too shiny, that it looked like it has glitter in it (it though it looked like it did too). I made it from a can of tomato paste with enough water to get it to a soup consistency plus a teaspoon of kosher salt and a hunk of butter. I suspect it was the butter that created a shiny surface. He ate a little and didn't like it so back to the drawing board. I usually send them tomato soup for their lunches so I need to come up with a recipe he likes. Campbells tomato soup, our usual, has wheat flour in it.

As for changes in symptoms, it's too early to tell. They both have rashes, Ethan has emotional turbulence and they both have trouble sleeping without melatonin. There are other ones I won't mention here. I don't know if two weeks is long enough to tell. There may be other issues as well, which is why I want to get the allergy testing done in Barrington. I may call tomorrow if they haven't emailed me back.

Tomorrow they are going to Mom's and I am a little worried, lol! The kids will probably drive her nuts asking if there is gluten in everything. They are good at reading labels so I'm hoping they can help. Mom usually takes them to McDonalds but I suggested maybe a frosty from Wendys if she wants to take them out (I think they're getting tired of McDonalds. I hope they are, lol!). Ethan even said he could take his hamburger off the bun but the gluten from the bun gets on the burger plus their fries have wheat flour as an ingredient. There isn't much at McDonalds that is gluten free, other than the ice cream (not on a cone).

Cross contamination is one of the biggest issues with gluten. It is like a glue that passes from one item to another if you are using the same surfaces. Some mixed gluten free families even have two sets of dishes and pots and pans to prevent potential cross contamination. I'm not going to worry about it too much in the home. Here, I will cook for everyone the same.

I'm still not sure if Mark is doing it or not; I don't think he's sure! He can go to work and have what he wants. He is worried about wasting things we have on hand but honestly, right now it's not a lot. Well, we do have two big bags of flour and a few boxes of cereal plus the gluten containing soup, but at this point, I don't want to assume one way or another how this will end up. If they do get tested, they need the allergens in their system so the testing can pick up on it. I am trying to find more information about it (I posted a link about it here yesterday).

So that is my report :)e

Tip To Toe Wellness - Computerized Health Testing

2011-01-30T09:07:00.000-04:00

Link: Tip To Toe Wellness - Computerized Health Testing

This is a test I am finding more information about for me and the kids. They do it in Barrington, which is about 45 minutes away from where we live. A friend who lives down there told me about it.

We never got Ethan's allergy tests back from two years ago but from the skin test, I know he was probably allergic to everything he was tested for due to the reaction he had (the doctor wiped it off quickly when he was upset about having 20 needle picks in his arm rendering the testing invalid; yes, I'm still very upset about it!).

I think it is around $100 each but it will be worth it. I'm hoping to hear back soon because it would help so much in knowing what we should be doing instead of me just guessing all the time.

Blog Reading

2011-01-27T08:53:00.000-04:00

If you like to read blogs, I highly recommend getting a blog reader. What it does is let you know when blogs you read are updated so you don't have to keep checking. It is very handy and potentially time saving. Ones I have used are bloglines ( http://www.bloglines.com/index.html ) and google reader ( http://www.google.com/reader/view/ , I currently use this as I use google for just about everything).

I love reading blogs. My problem is I read blogs about the life I would like to live or the person I would more like to be like and I get depressed because I know my life can't be like that for a number of reasons. Some of the reasons may be money, time, circumstances, motivation (or lack therof), location, unavailability, ect...

Yesterday I found an awesome blog I couldn't stop reading. http://farmama.typepad.com . She has the life I would love to have, right down to the organic farm, simple living, unschooling and so on. But I know I couldn't have that life because we are so lazy. I can't even get the basics done.

Today I decided instead of moping about the life I can't have and try to make more out of the one I do have.

If I want my family to be gluten free, it won't happen unless I do something about it. So starting Monday, I am going to do a two week trial of our family being totally gluten free. The kids are pretty excited; I don't know how Mark will react. I think it could help a lot of issues they have, especially Shaylee. She has a lot of tummy troubles and a rash that I think may be a combination of an allergic reaction to chemicals (it's worse when she has a bubble bath at Mom's; we only use chemical free homemade soap at home) and an intolerance to gluten. I don't want her to suffer 35 years like I did before realizing a dietary change could help immensely. I think it may help Mark and Ethan's moods, irritability and trouble sleeping. Two weeks isn't enough to see a big improvement as it can take up to 6 months for gluten to fully leave the system but is is long enough to take it out, reintroduce it and see if it is trouble causing.

So that's one thing.

Another is simple living. We have too.much.stuff. I feel like I am drowning in it and no one wants to get rid of anything. I am starting to feel at a loss since part of the problem is we don't have room and every room ends up being multipurpose because the kids want to be close to me, which leads to them doing everything around me, meaning all the mess is close to where ever I spend most of my time (however I love that my kids are always close by). Right now looking around the kitchen, I am so overwhelmed, I can't even explain it. Depression has been haunting me over it and I feel comatose lately, like I have been wrapped in a wet woolen blanket and can't function, meaning everything I do is physically harder than it should be. I have spurts of energy but it is usually spent cooking or creating/trying out new recipes for my food blog because that makes me happy.

So to start to rectify this situation I think I need to get everyone taking better care of their stuff. I put up some hooks in the kitchen so instead of throwing backpacks and coats on the floor, the kids have to hang them up. I think I need to start doing the FlyLady program again. I have been ignoring her on facebook but I think it's time to listen when she says to toss 27 items, clean a hot spot or to spend 10 minutes doing something or whatever. I need the constant reminding. I have a couple of garbage bags of stuff to get rid of but there is so much more that can go. Even 10 minutes per room is better than nothing.

I also need to start taking my meds again, in a higher dose. I don't know which state of comatose is better, drugged or undrugged but something needs to change. We didn't get one of the family doctors at the Oceanview Clinic which has me left feeling pretty down. Shaylee and I both really need to see a doctor and it's easy to put off when you know you have to wait hours and hours and hours. Our car is getting serviced tomorrow so maybe after school if the weather isn't too bad we'll venture up to Digby. But that isn't ideal either because I need bloodwork and where do the results go? Will I have to go back there to get results? Can I have the tests here? I would like to have allergy testing for both of the kids (Ethan had it but the results were lost). How is that dealt with? It was so much easier when we had a doctor :(

There I go, being a dolly downer again. I just need to find out what is best for me and run with it.

2 Months

2011-01-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

Wow, has it really been two months? So much has happened! I get content writing in my other blog that I forget to come here and write about life. My cousin recently chastised me on a lack of writing here. Sorry!

I guess it's easier to write about food than to write about my life because to be honest, it often feels like my life sucks. I have a lot to be grateful, for sure, but those who know know what I mean.

I know I shouldn't try to play catch up so I'll just write a little.

We had a pretty good Christmas. The kids loved it. They got lots of great stuff and we spent time with all of our families. It wasn't stressful, there wasn't any trying to be everywhere at once, it was nice.

We went to Dad's on Christmas Eve for supper with him and all his family. The kids got some clothes and toys from "Papa". On Christmas morning we stayed home and Dad and Marks parents came to watch the kids open presents. Their big present was a new Wii (yes, we already had one but it kept breaking and we managed to basically get this for free through saved points :) ). Then in the afternoon we went to Mom's where they opened....more presents and we had Christmas dinner there. We had our Veinot family Christmas on New Years Day (well, the day after due to unforeseen circumstances). More presents, more food, more family fun.

Other than that, life as usual. Birthdays, Christmas parties, lots of sickness, and so on.

On December 27th, we brought Shaylee to Digby to see a doctor. Bad when you have to drive an hour to see a doctor for a rash because it takes too long at your own hospital. We waited 3 hours, a pitance compared to the 8-12+ hours people were waiting at our own hospital. We signed up for the new doctors coming to town but we won't know for months if we got in since we didn't get our application in until the last day (they cut off the date with no warning and I was deathly ill that week with the flu).

Trying to think what else was big news but I"m drawing a blank. I'll try to keep up a little better because I know some of my family members like to know the news :). I am trying to get some pictures on without much luck. I'll put them on Facebook so you can see them there. Friend me if you want at mcveinot@ns.sympatico.ca, just let me know you're coming from here if I don't actually "know" you :)