There Is No Pause Button on Life

Take for example, a 7 1/2 hour detour that included the ER, my life didn't pause to account for that lost time.  Although of course it wasn't really lost time.  I got to be there for my mom and help her and that is always important. Thankfully it is just a nasty infection that time and medicine should clear up just fine. 

My mom has been sick for a few days and was too tired to drive to the doctor on her own.  I told her I would leave work a little early to bring her yesterday and to see how late her doctor could schedule her.  She called her doctor's office around 3pm and left a message and never heard back (and I feel totally bad for not trying to get her to her doctor even sooner!) but Urgent Care clinic said she could walk in up to 6 pm.  Perfect.  We got to Urgent care right around 5pm and they said that she needed testing done and that she should go to the ER because it would take them a couple of days for results but the ER would have them this same night.  I think the meningitis outbreak has everyone kind of scared too....  So off we went. 

We had to pick up my crazy, yet sweet, Keegan first.  The wait before going back was 2 hours.  They did some triage beforehand but the bloodwork and IV she needed couldn't be done until we were in the back.  Thankfully all 3 of us were able to go in the back.  Keegan was so good.  In a weird way, I was just so incredibly proud of him.  He was there for a total of  3 1/2 hours before Jay could come and get him.  I am also thankful for Netflix and Disney Channel on my iPhone (Mickey Mouse and Diego rule!).

Keegan was thankful for the Uncrustables available in the hospital cafeteria during our wait (and I glad we still had a little bit of time before the cafeteria closed):



The adventure wasn't too bad - my mom was able to rest finally and get some antibiotics and thankfully all is well.....

.... but my life did not pause during our foray in to ER misadventures.  I had "big" plans for yesterday evening.  Okay, so not "big" but still plans.  I was going to grocery shop, make chili, and prepare the food for tonight's Ladies Guild that Megan and I were hosting at.  We have food at the house so no big deal except I still had to prepare the food for Ladies Guild.  Jay was awesome and went to Walmart at midnight when I got home to get eggs and apples and then I baked (from Tastefully Simple mixes) beer bread, apple cake, and made spinach and herb dip.  Can I just say this mama is TIRED?  Not just a capital T but a capital I R E and D as well.  A 2 a.m. night isn't so awful in itself, but the night before Keegan, who is having his own health issues at the moment, did not sleep but a couple of hours because his awful cough would not let him.  This meant we didn't sleep either!

Poor Keegan is snotty, wheezy, and coughing.  I was planning on trying to make an appointment with his doctor today.  It could even just be allergies but I want to know what I can give him because I want him to be comfortable and also because of his potential for asthma, his wheezing always concerns me. Would you know that he slept really well and seemed much better this morning!?!?  Of course we can tell it's still lingering though and I actually wish the symptoms were still more obvious than they are so we can get it figured out and then for him to be all better vs these highs and lows and dragging on forever.  So to the doctors or not all depends on if his school, who knows to keep me updated, lets me know what is going on and if he gets worse again (we and the school don't think the other kids are at risk or he wouldn't be there!).

So yes, there is no pause button on life, but I have to tell you, as tired as I am, I also feel energized, happy, and thankful because I have a mom to spend time with, we have competent hospitals and healthcare providers to take care of us, I have an amazing child, I have a good hubby who is a good daddy, I am a part of Ladies Guild, I get to meet with said awesome Ladies tonight, and I am just all around blessed.

I am blessed to have so many people in my life and so many activities and opportunities that I have to just appreciate the chaos of life sometimes.  Sometimes the chaos is a result of the blessings!

Flashcard Organization

In case you haven't noticed (which if you know me, you probably noticed all to well), I become easily consumed (okay - obsessed!) with things.

One of my more recent obsessions has been Keegan's schooling and all things knowledge.  Recently, to coincide with my obsession, the Target Dollar Days section had lots of flashcards.  I had already been obsessed with their and Dollar Trees flashcards that were usually of the Mickey, Pooh, and Veggie Tales variety.  Now they had all sorts of learning ones, including ones that will be above Keegan's head for a while.  I stocked up.

Something I noticed about flashcards is how hard it is to keep the boxes in shape.  I was able to buy index card holders at Walmart on clearance to organize them.  I am "building" my mommy school supplies in coordinating Thirty-One gifts (www.mythirtyone.com/karawilliamson) organizers and the index card holders matched perfectly.

I printed labels for the holders on 2"x4" mailing labels and used packing tape on top of that to secure them better and somewhat water proof them.  I am happy with the end result.  Pretty and Functional and Educational.  Triple Win.

My "stash" of flashcards:

The printed-at-home labels on the index card holders - I doubled up on most of the sets:

Stashed away neatly in a Thirty-One Gifts All-in-One Organizer:

Foot Prints in the Sand

I have "Footprints in the Sand" hung up in my bedroom. Every day I get to see this poem and how fitting it is.  God never promises that our lives will be easy and without challenges - how can they be in this sinful and broken world.  But the glorious thing is, I know Jesus is with me every step of the way, even during the hard times.  The hard times may not disappear, but Jesus carries me through them.  We don't always know what another person is struggling with.  Sometimes the challenges are out in the open, sometimes they are hidden away.  Even with the very public challenges of life, we don't know how one is feeling or coping with them.

I am far from a strong person.  My mother once told me she was amazed at my strength, through all of my grief, to go on with life after my sister died.  I told her it wasn't my strength, but my faith, that got me through it.

So last night, as I looked at this Poem and read it for what must be the millionth time, I thought, thank you, Jesus, for carrying me yet again. I hope you can take as much comfort from this as I do.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson

Pumpkin Lunch and Belk Charity Sale

I wanted to take a walk on the wild side with Keegan's lunch today.  Of course I was running late as usual and, well, my wild side just isn't too wild.  I was planning on making Mickey PB&J because Keegan always eats his lunch when it is fun shaped PB&J and lately he hasn't been eating much.  But then they caught my eye!  My extra large tub of Wilton Cookie Cutters!

I haven't really used these cookie cutters yet but there are 101 awesome shapes that were dying to be put to good use.  The first few I pulled out were actually too big for the bread (think large gingermen!).  Then I saw a pumpkin.  I love fall.  Pumpkins = Fall.  Keegan loves pumpkins.  PERFECT!

The next question that crossed my mind was, will Keegan (or his teachers for that matter!) know that it is a pumpkin?  Solution!  Use food safe markers to make it look more pumpkiny!  And just to play it safe, I showed Keegan his sandwich and told him it was a pumpkin too....

The "tools":

The "Pumpkin":

      


I thought it was kind of fun and I am thankful I FINALLY have a good use for some of those fun cookie cutters that I got at a SUPER GOOD price at a Belk Charity Sale.   And since the next Belk Charity Sale is coming up - why not talk about it!?


FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR LEE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS:  

On behalf of Marshall T. Bower, Esq., President & CEO


The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools will once again participate in the Fall Belk Store’s Charity Day Event. Please see the attached flyer for all the great savings during this 4 hour event at all participating Belk Stores.


The Foundation is selling $5 tickets which you can redeem for the full value of $5 on items that cost more than $5 at a Belk Store on Saturday, November 3rd from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. Purchase as many $5 tickets as you can expect to buy items. The best part is your purchase is a donation to The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools. All proceeds will benefit Foundation programs and initiatives such as the Teacher Resource Center, Classroom Grants and The Academy of Teachers.



To purchase tickets (checks or cash only)or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Beverly Burke at Beverly@leeschoolfoundation.org.



See me if you want a ticket!  $5 donation per ticket to The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools (if you purchase your ticket before hand through me or the The Foundation - cash or check) and then you save $5 off of your bill.  Win-Win.  And you can purchase more than 1 Coupon (the local Belk will let you use more than 1 coupon on your bill as long as you have as many items and are spending as much....no cash back).

The Flyer:

Comments

Please feel free to comment - I have enabled anonymous comments as well.  Don't be offended that I have to "approve" the comment being posted.  I go back and forth on this.  I will "approve" just about any comment but let's face it, there are some mean people out there! I'd love to hear from anyone!  The good and the bad (just not the ugly comments!).

I couldn't make it up if I tried....

Feeling in a bit of a slump lately.  So much to do, so little time.

Work has just been plain weird.  File-wise we actually aren't too busy, but some of what we've been dealing with, well, I couldn't make up if I tried!

I don't want to really go in to it on a public blog, but man, it's just absolutely bizarre and one thing after another.

So my motto these last few days is, "This too shall pass."

That goes for all aspects of my life.

The good news is that I went to WW tonight and even with going out of town this weekend, I was still down.  Only .4 but I'll take it.

Speaking of going out of town - I had my first visit to an Ikea! Wow!  I got two cute chairs for Keegan, a Lack coffee table to make a Lego table for Keegan, and other odds and ends including a wooden train set for Keegan (notice a trend?). 

Coming soon to a blogspot near year: Ikea Lack Hack!

As Promised: Mickey Mouse Lunch

Today I made Keegan Mickey Mouse sandwiches as promised. I used both a bread "stamp" (which I always thought was just for toast but it shows up cute on regular bread too!) and a Mickey cutter. Both were purchased at Downtown Disney. The rest of his lunch and snacks were simple (note the FOUR sides hehe).

PS - The funny thing about the 4 sides is he almost always comes home with at least 2 of them.  But sometimes they use what I send in for his snack times and I don't ever want to send not enough.  Plus if we go somewhere right after I pick him up, usually there is a snack waiting for him.  And like I said in my previous post, I MUST send FOUR snacks for my SANITY.  Weird, I know.