This is a “day of rest” for me at home.  I am here with Grace, who seems much better but did not sleep well last night.  I am about to go lay outside in the sun with her on a quilt. . .

But first, I wanted to share a photo from this weekend.  My name is unusual so it was pretty exciting for me to find a “Shanda Lane” not too far from my own house. . . . .

I know my family will get a kick out of this!

*Rest in the Lord today and spend time with Him. . .He is the very real hope and comfort of our souls. . . .

I’m drinking my coffee and spending a little bit of time blogging while waiting for Rich to get back.  He’s out walking the dog. . . .

As was expected, yesterday was a busy day around here.  The basement workers were on time and it was a flurry of activity downstairs all the way until 4pm.  They have the whole basement framed in already and we are so excited.  This is our first experience in hiring people to build for us, and it has been a great first day~the guys were so kind, and really seemed to enjoy the children and I checking out their progress now and then.  They also were impressed with all the different sized boys we have around here, and the frogs and turtles that they were carrying around. 

Having all the hammering and sawing going on was an expected part of the day, but taking Grace to the doctor’s was not.  Yesterday morning, after breakfast, we all got ready to go outside.  For whatever reason, Grace didn’t wear her usual long dress or pants…..she put on a pair of little short biker shorts instead.  Outside in the bright clear sunshine, I was shocked to see a large round “bulls-eye” rash on her leg.  It was then that her “red eyes” made sense to me. . .for the past couple of days she’s had a funny look to her, almost like she hasn’t slept a wink all night.  Her actual eyes are clear, but the skin around and under her eyes was pink, like a raccoon mask.  After checking her out, I found another round rash under her arm.  The rash was pink, smooth to the touch, with a darker pink ring around the outside.  I called the doctor and they got her right in.

That feeling, in the pit of my stomach, when I am concerned about the health of one of my children, is so hard for me to deal with.  I drove with my sunglasses on, and cried a little, which helped some.  My heart goes out to all the parents who truly have seriously ill children.  It’s heart-wrenching. 

We arrived at the Pediatrician’s and got settled in the room.  Dr. came in and was curious about how David’s bite was healing, so I took him in to be looked at, as well.  I left sleeping Caleb in the van, with Jacob and Ethan looking after him.

The doctor checked Grace, and we found another bulls-eye rash starting on the back of her arm.  He said right away that it was the beginnings of Lyme disease, which is sadly almost common round here, because of the dreadful ticks we have.  (oh how I HATE them, they are part of the curse for sure).

I am so grateful for antibiotics, and wise doctors.  Grace will be on the meds for 3 wks, and it will completely cure her of Lyme.  In the old days, children often died of Lyme disease, and that has been such a sobering thought for me.

(Did I mention that I hate ticks???  They are the blight that proves to me I do NOT live in paradise!!  That, and the venomous spiders!!  LOL)

The doctor was pleased with David’s bite.  He wants me to rub Neosporin on it 3 or 4 times a day.  He noticed David’s blotchy eczema on the back of his knees. . and guess what he told me to do?!  He said to run him a bath and pour 1/4 of a cup of BLEACH in the water!  He said that soaking in bleach water would take care of the eczema and also sterilize his bite, as well.  Good grief, I just had to laugh.  My mom laughed and laughed when I told her as well, she had the mental image of me sterilizing my children in bleach baths!  He said I could do it 2 times a week.

Just goes to show, you learn something new all the time. 

The other thing I learned, which I am so grateful about, is the use of PROBIOTICS.  Last week, when David first started on his strong antibiotic, the medicine was making him sick to his stomach.  When I mentioned that to the Dr. I was told that I needed to get “probiotics”, I had NEVER heard of them before!  Antibiotics not only kill bad bacteria, it also kills healthy bacteria, like what you have in your tummy.  I was told that a course of antibiotics could destroy that bacteria in your stomach, and sometimes it never recovers!  The Dr. told me to give David 2 capsules a day, of a probiotic, while he was on his antibiotic, and continuing another month beyond that would not hurt.  I just open the capsule and mix the powder into applesauce.  He never was sick again from the meds!  So I was sure to get another box (you have to ask the Pharmacist for it) when I filled Grace’s prescription yesterday.  I will give it to her, as well.  (I’m using a brand called “Culturelle” click on link to see more info.).  I personally am also going to take it as a supplement. 

While I was at Target, I also got 2 big bottles of “OFF” with Deet in it.  Apparantly it repells ticks.  I don’t like spraying bug spray on my kids, unless the bugs are really bad, but the Dr. encouraged me that a small amount of deet, absorbed in the skin, is much better than coming down with lyme.  Okay then!

I let Grace pick out a small toy while we waited for her medicine, because she was sick, and I like to baby my sick ones just a little bit.  On the way out of the store, I gave Jacob and Ethan the evil eye and said, “Don’t you boys even think about getting sick!!”  And Jacob said, “Well, I’m seriously thinking about it, so that I can have a new toy.”  I had to laugh. 

Okay, that’s enough.  I’ve written a lot this morning.  Rich came in, and then went right back out with Caleb.  They are mowing the yard.  I’ve given David, Caleb, and Grace breakfast during this time, too! 

It’s the last day of May.  Seize it.  Hold it.  Enjoy it.  And if your little one puts his hand on your knee, cherish the moment, that small light touch.  Kiss the little hand.  Love is a beautiful thing. . . . . .

What a nice day it’s been so far, so sweet and busy with happy work.  We were done with school at about lunch time today and we spent some time out in the nice hot sunshine.  I sat on the yard by the pond and wrote a letter while Caleb played around and in the big rubbermaid container that the children keep pond water and pond critters in.  After a while he got tired so I put him down for a nap and then went out with my camera.

Grace has been observing a nest of baby robins for a couple of weeks now.  She climbs the tree about every other day to see how they have changed and then comes to the house to report what she sees to me, in great detail.  She knows that the mother and father robin both take care of the little young birds and she knows what they do when she approaches their property.

(Grace the bird-watcher, a picture from last week):

I thought it would be nice to climb the tree with my camera and take a few snaps for her journal before the little birdies fly away.

It was hard to climb that tree, because the branches are so close together!  I did it though, with my camera around my neck, the mother (or father?) robin making a racket above me, and my daughter talking a mile a minute to me (and the robins) below me.

I took my pictures and started my hot struggle back down (not too far, really) when I put my hand on “something”.  I immediately sensed a creepy feeling come over me as my eyes focused on a whitish gray blob tucked up in the crook of the tree.

It was a tree frog that I have never seen before.  Actually, I’ve never seen a frog in a tree in my life.  I knew they were there, I just never thought I would see one with my own eyes.  I thought they were tiny but this one was a good healthy sized frog!!  I took a few pictures of it, but could not bring myself to carry it back down (because of the creeps) so I called the boys over to see our “new discovery”.

They were thrilled, to say the least, and I was very quickly in the middle of a flurry of activity, “I want to hold it!!!  Give it to me!  Mom!! I want it!!!  Let me hold it!  It’s sticky!  It’s slippery! Wait, David, wait!” on and on.  Finally we got the little guy back in the tree.  It was breathing rapidly.  I think we all were, LOL.  Grace and I looked him up on the computer. . .and discovered that they change color depending on the temperature.  If it’s cold outside, he’s dark brown!  Neat!

After a while I called everyone in to watch a movie.  Caleb was asleep so I wanted to take advantage of the quiet time by letting the older ones watch Black Beauty.  Soon, dark clouds starting rolling in and we heard some thunder.  Then the rain came down heavily and I went out on the porch to watch it.  I pulled my rocking chair right up to the steps so I could see.

The best seat in the house, ready to watch the show:

The porch is at it’s most welcoming during a downpour.  The movie was turned off and the kids came out to play on the porch and listen to the rain.  We were out there for several hours.

Now and then the rain would stop and the sky would clear, only to start pouring again minutes later.

The older ones were happy to have a chance to set up a train-track while Caleb was asleep upstairs.

When Caleb woke up, it was his turn to be happy, because he got to play with hi
s choo-choos, all set up nicely by big brothers and big sister.

And I’m all relaxed because. . . .well, because my little corner of the universe is freshly washed and the air that blows through my windows is calm and content.  The greens I see are bright and vivid.  I hear the outdoor sounds that I love so much. . .and can imagine our new friend Mr. Treetoad, tucked away in the pine tree, sharing  living quarters with the Robins a few branches up.

My children are all happy and healthy.

My laundry is all caught up, the children are folding it as I type!  Now, that’s something to be thankful about!

Not only that, I also have dinner already made, in the crock-pot.  Small girl helped me with the recipe. . . . .we made a mess out of measuring, so our brand new recipe looks like it’s tried and true already!  We’ll eat this with left over fruit salad and some sort of vegetable.  I hope the ribs taste as good as they smell right now!

In just a few hours Rich will be home and we’ll eat dinner together. 

Thank you, God, for these happy years.  We are so very busy, and experience plenty of low points, but such golden years they are.  Help me to always remember to cherish each moment of each day.  Thank you for the sparkle in my children’s eyes, and thank you for my husband working hard for us during the day.  I’m grateful, so grateful.  Words just are not adequate.

Well, it’s been a busy weekend for us!  Thankfully, my emotions are starting to normalize after last week’s trials.  David is healing and seems better every day.  Patches’ death is a little less hard to bear.  Having Rich home for a long weekend has been wonderful.

On Saturday, I made baked beans and a jello cheesecake for our church picnic and we went to the park for a little while.  It was very windy and almost down-right cold!  Strange weather, but it was good to talk to friends and watch the kids play.  I found David pushing his little brother on the swing. . .without being asked!  So cute.

This is what the boys were doing in the backseat of the truck on the way home from the picnic:

They were wild and crazy!~constant noice of laughter and squeals. 

David was all worn out by the end of the day, so I kept him home with me on Sunday to rest.  The quiet of having just one child around was almost like a massage for my brain.  I was outside for a little while, laying in the sun on a blanket, and I felt so secure. . I knew David was safe inside the house and I didn’t have to try to keep track of 4 other children.

I did have a couple of meltdowns this weekend.  The worse one was Saturday night.  All of a sudden, after dinner, when I turned around to see my kitchen a disaster yet again, I just could not do anything more.  I don’t know exactly how it happened but I ended up yelling, “I’m DONE.  I’m going in my room and you guys are all going to clean this house for me!!!” And I did, I went in my room, shut the door, locked it, and got into bed.  After a while, I started to regain my sense of humor so I went out to see how they were doing.  Jacob was the busiest. . . . .what a tender heart he has.  They all were working, but he ended up not only washing the dishes that were in the sink, but mopping the kitchen floor as well!

It felt so GREAT to put my foot down.  LOL  And I did get a clean kitchen out of it.  It was wise of Rich to just let me vent. . . . . .we had a nice laugh over it later.

Okay.  Well, today was busy again, but we stayed at home all day, which was good.   This morning I tried to do various other things but decided (after lots of interruptions) that my family needed me in the kitchen most of all. . .so I basically puttered around cleaning, organizing a couple of cupboards, cooking, and generally making myself available to anyone who might need me.  I made potato salad.  I already had made 3-bean salad and a huge fruit salad so, along with Rich’s grilled hamburgers, we had a very nice Memorial Day picnic outside at our picnic table.  The kids were so wound up, happy.  Caleb sat next to Rich and hugged his arm after every bite of his hamburger.  When he wanted a “peekle” (pickle) he said, “I want a peekle!” and put his whole hand in the jar to get one. Then, he dipped it into his potato salad before he took a bite. Ethan and Jacob were also silly. . .David was too cold. . .Grace was the only relatively normal one of the bunch.

I spent time after dinner, folding a gazillion loads of laundry and putting it all away.  I made David’s bed and cleaned up their room a little (picking up lots of choo-choos).  I made the older kids clean their bathroom.  Rich gave Caleb and David a bath.  All that cleaning added another gazillion clothes to the “dirty clothes pile”. . .

The children are all in bed now.  It’s getting dark outside, my windows are open and I can feel a cool breeze.  I can hear all kinds of night time creature noises. . birds singing goodnight, the peepers, the frogs, all those sounds.  It’s actually pretty noisy out there.

Rich just opened a can of soda.  He’s watching a baseball game.  Guess what he did today?  He took Jacob and Ethan for a bike ride.  The boys were so tired when they got back, but I didn’t think anything of it.  Then, after dinner, Rich took Ethan in the truck to go measure how far they went.

10 MILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I cannot believe my boys rode their bikes 10 miles!!

By the way, I didn’t just clean and cook all day.  I think my favorite part of the day was watching Rich and the boys all fish.  I sat in my chair in the sun, with my sunglasses on, and watched.  It was quite entertaining.

Here are some random photos from the day;

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I was sad this morning because I had to clean this quilt.  I keep it folded on the top of our armoir in the livingroom and it was Patches’ favorite place to curl up and sleep the day away.  Today I took the quilt down, aired it on the porch railing, and used the lint roller to clean off all the white kitty fur that she left behind. . . . .

Since I had the quilt down, I took a picture for my xanga friend Polly.  She loves quilts.  I think Hannah will like to see it, too.  It was given to me by Rich’s Grandma.  It is a family quilt, made in the 1800’s by one of Rich’s ancestors (I can remember just how many “greats” back she was.)

Grace picked me these lovely purple flowers, from down by the stream.  I promptly put them in my lilac fiesta disc pitcher.

I think this next series of photos is amusing.  I can’t seem to even take photos without a small someone coming along to “steal the show”. . . . .

You may think I was all alone, enjoying some solitude when I snapped this one:

But, no,

“David, David!  Back away!  You’re getting in my picture!”

“Oh forget it!  I’ll j
ust make him part of it. . .”

My little buddies are always seeking me out! 

This is my favorite picture of the day, of lil’ Caleb (my 2 year old):

“By golly!  My mama put my life-jacket on me, but I put my goggles on myself, thank you very much!!”

And he walked around like this, perfectly content!

In other news, David caught his very first fish!

See it?

As you may have noticed, I wrote a bit more tonight.  I sort of made myself.  I’ve been thinking and talking in fragments lately. . . .I thought it was time to try to be a little more descriptive.  I hope it wasn’t too boring or confusing to read.  I’m tired out so I’m off to get ready for bed and go cuddle with my husband. 

Good night~

Today is my brother David’s birthday so I thought I would take a nice picture of the kids for him.  We don’t live close enough to say “Happy Birthday” in person. 

As you can see, the children all had different ways of expressing their many happy returns of the day~

.

And no, I did not tell Ethan to hang upside down.  But it seemed fitting.

I just never, ever know what to expect!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful brother, David, my very first best friend!  I love you~