Lydia, You make me miss having small children and being young, NOT

You sound like you are having so much fun Lydia. I would come to your house and play but I just don't know if I could stand that much fun. You need lots more vitamins. Some Stress Tabs And some Garlic, Echinacea and goldenseal tablets. They sell this at Sun Harvest. You should also start drinking Green Tea boosts the immune system and helps you lose weight but you do not have to put as much sugar in it as I do or any since it would conflict with your diet. Strep Throat Sucks. Used to get it all the time, carried it around for years. Now my tonsils are little shriveled useless things at the back of my throat. As I said it sucks. So sorry to hear you have it. And Ranger being allergic that would be very very scary.

I am a bad mother when it comes to sick children. I have no soothing touch, I made them clean up their own Puke. Actually I cleaned up plenty but it was a good threat to get them to the toilet on time. I never know what to say, tend to obsess over the wrong things generally make the situation worse. Part of that never knowing when to shut up charm that I have. When my daughter had her Gallbladder removed. She let a friend of mine change the dressing but I wasn't allowed near her. She wouldn't let me brush her hair either. Daddy got to do all the fun stuff. I would make a horrible nurse, but I mean well. That counts for something doesn't it?

A recent example in my life, a horror I never thought I would have to face and one my daughter probably wishes she hadn't told me about until it was over. A few weeks ago there was an abnormal pap smear. Then more tests and a verdict of possible cervical cancer given to my daughter by the doc. Biopsies were taken and sent to lab. At first I was fine. My magical prediction meter said it wasn't a problem. There was no initial gut wrenching. Usually I trust this aspect and go on with my life as it is rarely wrong but somehow over time it just got worse. I started doing research, it wasn't good. Survivor rates were high especially with early detection. But as I said I tend to obsess. It is amazing how much research a person can read in a few short weeks when someone tells you your child has cancer. I can imagine my parents with cancer, My husband even myself. But it is not something you imagine for your child.

Then I started reading the survivor stories. Talk about gut wrenching. Women whose lives were stopped and changed in the preverbial New York Minute. Okay I admit it I am crying even as I write this and I know I have nothing to cry about. The possiblities were finite. Biopsy could come back in 4 or 5 various ways I could accept. but if it was even remotely bad, the ordeal would be harrowing. 100s of thousands of women ever year come back with abnormal paps most go away by doing nothing. Or they do a little looky loo and see nothing. But then there are those damn Biopsys when they do find something. And the treatment choices narrow. The Lightest treatment being a basic freeze and scrape and pray. Next being cutting out the bad parts and hoping they don't come back. The most often treatment when they find actual cancer cells is a radical hysterectomy. Everything gone in an instant possibly followed by chemo and radiation implants that they put inside your body and let sit there while you lie alone in a lead lined bed for a few days. Women with permanent internal radiation burns to bowels and bladder but still alive and still functioning some for decades which makes it all worth it. The worst story I read was of the women 5 months pregnant with her first child that had to give it up with the radical hysterectomy or die. What a horrible choice to have to make.

One of my character flaws or strengths depending on how you look at it is to see all possible futures and ramifications. Things such as housing, care, and nursing not to mention babysitting. Plans of all types put on hold. School plans, career plans, life plans. Possibilities of Hospitals, Housing etc... were running endlessly through my mind and I had no one to truly talk to. I was trying hard not to worry the daughter but failed miserably at it.

Finally almost 2 weeks later the pathology report was in. Couldn't have asked for better diagnoses. Ended up being an "it looks bad but isn't" and should clear itself up with no further treatment. I should have trusted my first instinct and not obsessed but I am not sure that is possible when your children are involved. I thank everyone for their prayers and support and I thank God that it was just a scare and not a reality. Does bring some perspective to life.
Nothing matters but family, not jobs, not money, not politics just the family. I would be perfectly happy to live in a cave using leaves for toilet paper and catching my own dinner as long as I could have my family. Of Course the family wouldn't be willing to live with me in those conditions as they all prefer running hot water and meat that comes in little white packages and real toilet paper. But if it would guarantee their health and happiness I would live there by myself to grant them that. If only life were so easy.

On to how to invite someone to the blog. You have a tab marked settings at the top of the page. Click on it. Click on Members, click add team member button. Large Red button on top right of page. put in their email address and hit send. Did you ever get your DSL working?

Glad to hear about the house cleaning. Enjoy it. You deserve it and maybe it will help you feel better. And if they come back every week it will be clean all the time which I know will make you feel better. About The Plum books all I can say is I told you so. Dona had the same reaction until about half way through the 1st one, and when my mother gave them to me I felt the same way but we are all hopelessly addicted to them now. BTW #10 is out in hardback and no I haven't bought it yet but I will bet my mother has. WIll call her tomorrow and see if she can stuff it in the box of baby clothes for Emmy. If so I will pass it on. I very rarely read bad books though sometimes desperation does come into play as anything is better than the cereal boxes which I will read over and over if there is nothing else in my house.

Dona you still owe me a real blog. I am seeing one about the evils of family for some reason. Mishy we miss you, but I know you are busy and Melisa I really thought being able to play with the fonts might get you to write but I guess the boyfriend is still more fun.

Night all