Smart Martha's

Catholic Guide for Busy Moms.

Overall this book is about Mary's & Martha's approaches to running a household (Luke 10:38-42). Jesus is visiting and Martha is running ragged playing hostess and Mary is at

awe at the foot of Christ. This book is how to balance the Mary&Martha in all of us. We must busily do out household tasks yet stop and enjoy our loved ones and find Christ in them.

We are reading this book for Moms' Group. Chapter 1 is about TOYS. Too many toys and kids don't play w/ them anyhow. Author Tami encourages us to askourselves: do these toys engage the imagination/mind? Can they be stored easily? Less is more. Does it teach values? 

Then she speaks of organizing toys and rotating. She has 9 children so this is very important in her household. Limit toys to a specific area of the house, limit the amount of toys (who needs 10 baby dolls?). And best of all: play w/ your kids!

Chapter 2 is on Media: TV, movies, video games, etc. Limit time, content, keep in a common location, check the lyrics, and lol up movie reviews on "plugged in" for appropriateness of movies. 

Grandma's Garage Sale Stuff. Lovin' Spring Cleaning

Whoop whoop. Spring cleaning is my favorite season. Throw, throw, throw. All my stuff (and what I can throw when my kids aren't looking) go to Grandma's garage sale.  Bye bye boxes, bags, toys, and stuff. 

Record breaking temps for St Patrick's Week

Poor Baby Illnesses

This poor little girl. I think the most illnesses for kiddos is from age 1-2. Everything goes on the mouth and they are so mobile, and spring brings out new adventures and new colds. 

This kiddo had the flu Feb 20th. An ear infection Feb 27th. An odd fever March 6th. Now either roseola or 5th disease (or slapped cheek syndrome-see pic) this week. It's an all over body rash following a fever. 

Dave and I have been taking so many days off. He's been so good. And with the new daycare, we're probably not scoring many points. 😜 poor baby. When it rains it pours. 

Before kids I had never heard of 5th disease, RSV, hand foot mouth, etc. and the answer to it all is to "wait it out". The good thing is many of these illnesses are a one-time-only sickness. Poor 20 mo baby!

Jobs of Essential Oils

Essential oils

Frankincense and sandalwood increase the amount of oxygen in the lymbic system of the brain particularly around the pituitary gland.

To relieve STRESS: lavender, ylang ylang, frankincense, pine, grapefruit, chamomile, thyme.

ACNE: melaleuca (tea tree), eucalyptus, chamomile, lavender, lemon, rosewood, thyme, juniper, lemongrass, sandalwood.

ALLERGIES: eucalyptus, lavender, patchouli, spikenard.

ANTIBACTERIAL: cedar, citronella, cinnamon bark, lavender, thyme, oregano

ADRENALS: nutmeg, peppermint.

INFLAMMATION: frankincense, helichrysum, lavender, myrrh, wintergreen

LIVER: myrrh, carrot seed, sage lavender.

METALS/chelation: helichrysum, cardamom, drink lots of distilled water.

SCARS: rosehip, 6 lavender & 3 patchouli & 4 rosewood & vitamin E oil.

SORE THROAT: thieves, melaleuca, oregano, ginger, lavender, eucalyptus, thyme, sandlewood, myrrh, bergamot.

SPLEEN: laurel, marjoram.

Big Changes: no daycare, illness, New daycare, less work.

Big changes this week in our household. My daycare spontaneously closed on Monday d/t the state and false accusations of a parent. Breaks my heart b/c these wonderful people have been in our lives everyday since E was 3 months old. 

Felicity got over the flu, then an ear infection, then popped out w/ a new tooth. Now she's feeling good and talking up a storm.

Mama took three days off from work to spend with the girls. Loved every moment. Interviewed six potential day cares/nannies. Landed an awesome daycare. Tough in a small town to find good help especially when there's 6 other families looking on the same week. 

Being home with the girls made me realize how much I'm missing them. So the hubby and I came to a conclusion: work part time or not at all. So I called my boss at work and asked if I could go down to three days a week. I was reluctant and doubting that he would agree.  He came back with a resounding, "sure. We can make that work. Let's talk next week. " my eyes open. This was not the answer I expected. I was more so expecting to have to put in my resignation, but was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you to all my prayer warriors who helped me out.  I didn't know which direction the Lord is going to lead me, but it's been a whirlwind of a week. The optimist in me is giddy with joy. The pessimist in me is waiting for it all to backfire.  

It also made me feel good that my new daycare told me she was praying for my old daycare. Now I know that I made the right decision.

All I can pray for is "that thy will be done".

Nighttime Talks

I recently read an article on when kids ask you to stay a little longer to talk with them when giving goodnight kisses, to stay because "that's when the good stuff comes out." Before reading this I stayed about 40% of the time, David the other 40% and the last 20% the answer was "no its too late."

Now I stay almost all the time. Tonight Elizabeth was talking about Jesus, heaven, souls, and clothes. Why didn't he have any clothes on the cross? Do we rise like Jesus when we die? Did Mary 

make Jesus' clothes. What are casting lots? Then she tells me "mom, I don't want to go to heaven." I tell her of course she does ... eventually. She just still had a lot to do on earth before she goes. Heaven is where we get to worship God and Jesus and meet all of our ancestors. "But we two won't be together." "Yes we will." I tell her boldly. "You're going to grow up and get married and have babies and when the two of us are old and grey we'll go meet Jesus."  Ok so maybe I'm wrong in telling her that because I'll be 100 and she'll be 81, but my little worrier is afraid to be w/o her mommy at 4 years old. And she loves earth she's afraid of what's to come. 

Either that or she's afraid I'm not taking the elevator up!! Lol. 

Either way, it's still when the good stuff comes out.