Pneumonia : (

Ethan does in fact have pneumonia.  We went back for x-rays on Tuesday, then for two rocephin shots and a new oral antibiotic.  The shots were about as fun as wrestling an octopus with two heads.  An angry one.  Took three of us..same as the flu test on Monday.  I tell you, that kids got some fight in him. ; )  It's a good thing we sat in the parking lot and prayed before we went in.  (He said he needed a few minutes to *get ready*  So..it could have been WORSE than a two-headed angry octopus, eek!!)

He's still coughing, but getting better.  Still no school.  He's just tired (and cough-y).  I know I already said that, but he's been really good about keeping a water bottle in his hand all the time.  He's a precious.  It's been good to have the time with him.

Momma's too lazy to go see if he cleaned his room..so she sends him up to take pictures.  I personally think I'm a GENiUS!

We've 'homeschooled' this week.  We did some writing, counted coins (more than he'd like), subtracted and added coins, and did some spelling.  He missed last week's spelling test, and it looks like he might miss this week's. : (  But he's ready just in case.
 

Gigi brought him some cappuccino..he's happy.  Except about the coin counting.

I love him and that cutie I'm potty-training, but I'm pooped.  (no pun intended, haha!)  My pre (religious education) class is more than I can handle with 32 kids in a moldy, tiny, noisy room.  I'm overwhelmed, and I don't feel like they are getting the best out of the class either.  It speaks volumes about how our church feels about these kids too.  I'm not happy, and something has to change.  Obviously I have loads of self-confidence since I'm venting here about it rather than doing something about it. (ha!)  I actually have typed a letter to our director..I'm just sleeping on it, and I'll read it again tomorrow to make sure it wasn't written too hastily/with too much emotion.  I kinda know how I can be. ; )  Emotional?  Nah..

..still potty training.  More pee in the potty than out, woohoo!  In this picture, he was still pant-less.  He's sooo modest, he wraps his lovely blankie around his body.  But he doesn't dare pee on it!!  ..And he's now up to wearing undies.  SO cute.  Love those little tushies in teensy undies.

Tonight Clay played (with the marching band) at the junior high game!  We went to watch and to serve snacks after the halftime show.  He's a sweetie.  I'm glad he made it, there are some great kids in his group!

See the young lady on the 40 yard line in the dress?  He's behind her between the 40 and 45 yard line..if that makes any sense!

Yes, I have a nice camera.  No, I don't use it.  I don't even know where the battery charger might be.  I might learn to use it again.  In the next year.  I'm busy right now, ha!  
One more picture for you.  I have seriously cried today.  I don't know if it's stress or high emotion (the potty training, maybe?), hormones (have you ever tried to take a shower while your adorable child is sitting on the potty chair watching tv?), (and the potty hasn't come yet?) (and you've already waited two hours?), nervousness at sending a distress email, the need to go to the store for some groceries with two little boys who are both having bathroom troubles (one on STRoNG antibiotics, hint, hint! ..and did I mention the other was potty training?), or maybe I was just feeling sorry for myself.  But this ministered to me:

Ann Voskamp often ministers to me.  She is gentle, loving, and understands.  And she's an artist, bonus.

We all get to those places where we have given a-l-l we have..and there is nothing left.  It's painful, and we have to lean into God.  I've been here before, and it won't be the last time.  If you are there, I understand.  (If not, pray for me to get out!)  (Just kidding..kinda.)  It's not the worst ever, I just have to cry out to God.  To direct me.  To show me the path.  To keep my family covered in prayer.  Ches wants to let Clay go on a retreat with another church this weekend.  I think it is a Good Thing..but I'm crazy nervous.  Think Diabetes.  Meds.  Alone.  Without Guidance.  I guess I'm growing my faith one gigantic step at a time.  This is something he very much wants to do..and I'm trying to let go (of control, I think).

Praying for you right now.  That you can let go, and let God.  Whatever is weighing on your heart.  The Bible never tells us to worry.  Not once.  I'm going to turn this day over to Him.  Hope you can too! : )  Hugs!

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6 

More doctor visits..and fewer strips.

As usual, I was so busy at Courtney's baby shower, I forgot to take pictures!  I will say it was SO much fun.  We ended up having enough little glass jars with string and ribbon tying on scalloped circles with numbers (since you could pretty simply get your drinks mixed up!).  We had LOTS of cookies (I had TOO many left over!), and plenty of food.  I would totally rather make too much than not enough, haha!

She's so beautiful pregnant! : )

I even wished I'd taken pictures of her cute gifts, so sweet in brown kraft paper, tulle and ribbon.  Ah, next time!  Praying she feels blessed by her friends in memory! : )

I'd bought some cloth diapers to monogram/embroider with the letter C (we know it'll begin with a C!), or the letter S for his last name.  BUT.  As I was sitting down to work on a design (or several!), my hasp/dongle broke!  It is a little USB thingie, and the sofware won't even OPEN without it.  I'm so sad.  The store I bought it from is out of business, so I'm trying to find another dealer that might be able to send it back for repair/replacement.  I am up a creek with an embroidery machine..and no way to use it.  Sadness.  Praying it's ready by the time she has the baby!!

working on their computers.  Carter loves this old white Mac that we can't even find the charger for!

My little Ethan has been home since last Wednesday.  We went to the doctor last week, and he had an ear infection.  He's had a consistent fever since then (like 99.6-102.1), and we're now on day SiX.  Not good.  Not only do I feel for him..he's missing school.  We really studied for his spelling test, just in case the fever dropped..but No.  Mary Claire is also home today..is this a crazy fever virus?!  Her blood sugars are more on the low side (we've seen a 46 and a 56 today!), so I'm baffled.

Sweet girl.  Pictures are tomorrow, and she'd like her hair straightened, please.  After having me hot roll it the last two weekends. ; )

**Update: Ethan rose to 103.2, so I took him back to the doctor..and if he is still feverish in the morning, we go for a chest xray.  His flu test was negative.  (And they are only testing for the enterovirus if the child has to be hospitalized.  The state complained it was too much paperwork to just test for testing's sake.) (Feeling so sorry for them and all their paperwork.)

Towels are my insurance.  So I can walk away once in a while. ; )

But on the upside..we are trying harder actually trying to potty train Carter!  He's a doll in his little underwear.  He's used the potty a few times, but not with any consistency.  We usually (with the other three kids..) let them go bottomless for two or three days, then graduate to underwear.  This is Day One.  (yes, go ahead and laugh!)  I don't know if it's me or him.  I kinda love having a baby to change.  (Ok..maybe it's me.)

Ok..as the day has worn on, my attitude is less than positive.  Do you ever just feel like your day is less than.. oh, I don't know..below average?  I'm wearing down and probably need a decent night's sleep.  I just don't get those anymore. : (

He loves the baby.

I can see why some students commit suicide.  And I'm serious.  My son is in four pre-AP classes are they are tough stuff.  We did math until 10 tonight, and I made him take it with us to pick up his new glasses, work on it in the car, at the doctor's office with Ethan, and all night.  He has multiple assignments to work on at any given time, and it's like playing whack-a-mole.  Whatever is due soonest..whack it!  I worry about him.  (He is not suicidal, I just mean it would be easy to lose sight of a way out, and become incredibly overwhelmed.  Schools push harder and harder to have the highest scores and the "best" students.  He has harder stuff in Algebra 1 than I had in college algebra.  Not kidding.  He's writing quadratic equations for weird graphs.  I can't elaborate.  It hurts my head.)

His religious education class isn't any picnic either.  I know he wants to be confirmed with his classmates, but she's tough.  He's supposed to be reading a book of the Bible every night, memorizing answers to questions, and there are assignments for EVERY night of the week (7 days of homework for a one hour a week class!).  He's just getting more and more behind.  There's no way he can do it all.  And forget a social life.  I hear about things going on at school, but he doesn't have a spare minute.  He did campaign for a friend to be voted into student council (and she did!), but he said he couldn't even consider one more thing.  Makes me sad.

Soo glad we listened to Ethan, and we went to play at a park.  May be just what we needed. : )

And he already has issues with self-discipline.  He's on medication to help him concentrate, but when we increase that to help him make it through the day, he picks at his skin and eyes.  He is covered in scabs right now, and his eyes are infected again.  We have an open prescription for antibiotic eye drops, but I can't even stand to watch him dig his fingernails into his eyelids.  (Like between his eye ball and under his lids.  It is sooo creepy!!)

And..We got letters from our insurance company, UMR, than they will only pay for FiVE strips a day for checking the kids' blood.  Umm, we sometimes use up two just to get one reading.  And five?  So.. which checks should I eliminate?  When do you want to see them go high/low/unchecked?  And is hospitalization so much cheaper than preventative care?  This makes no sense.  It's a battle they hope I won't fight.  And tonight, I'm tired.

And I need to get ready to teach on Wednesday.  (And remember my kids don't need nightly homework!)  Breathe in, breathe out.  Pray.  Pray some more.  God's got this, I'm just sure of it.  I know when I'm teaching religious education, I go though the most pain and emotional trauma.  Drawing the little children closer to God is dangerous work.  And I'm not kidding.  Say some extra prayers for our family.  It's tough stuff.  Prayers for your family too.  Hugs.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them,

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19: 26

Baby Shower!

I always get excited when I get to give a Baby Shower!  My friend, Courtney, is pregnant with a sweet baby BOY!  This really works out well for me, since I have a lot of white and baby blue in my house right now!  And I'm so excited for her!

My friends, Tiffany and Veronica, are also hosting, so we are making p-l-a-n-s.  Courtney wanted NO games (haha!  I kinda want to have at least one game as a joke-'cause I'm like that-but we hostesses without the mostess agreed on no games in her highest honor!).  So.. Tiffany listened to her words "if we just get together and have cookies, that's fine!" so we are having a cookie party/exchange!

We are having some soups, cheese, crackers, cake (too many c words?  Her baby's name will begin with C too!!), and CooKiES!  We meant to put on the invitation for everyone to bring a batch to exchange and totally forgot.  Oops.  So now we are having the best baking marathon EV-AH!  Seriously, I've made dough, frozen it, prayed it wouldn't lose it's rise ('cause I don't even know..is that ok?), and kept going!  I'm pulling old favorite recipes she's had (like the time she was teaching my little Ethan at the church preschool) like the Chunky Chocolate Gobs with Mounds and Oreos inside and my choc-oat-chip cookies (kinda like this, but one tablespoon of REAL vanilla extract!).  And new ones, like these lemon-frosted shortbread cookies and THE chocolate chip cookie!

I do love a good party centered around food a baby!  haha!  I picked up balloons early (since they last over two weeks with hi-float!), and I made a cutesy chalkboard and mantle for her, and I've gathered all kinds of white dishes and cake plates to elevate our food.  No pun intended, ha!

She's not expecting fancy, so we'll do fine.  We've been saving Starbucks Frappucino Jars (think like this) to add milk, iced tea or punch and blue striped straws.  Tiffany got some little Chinese take-out boxes for everyone to take home some cookies.  Cute stuff.  You should just have a baby already so we can celebrate! : )  Of just come join us Friday night, I'm sure she wouldn't care, haha!  But no games.

I'll try to take a few pictures of the shower to share.  It should be a lot of fun! (and sugar!)

Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”  Mark 9: 36-37 

Walk to Cure 2014, Hooray!

We had an AMAZING walk this year!! : )  Friends, family, tons of fun..it always makes the work in the weeks before SO worth the investment! : )  Sometimes it blesses me more than we bless JDRF.  I guess it's partly because some of our bestest friends are in JDRF with us.  Them, and their kids, that is.  How did we even get here?  Whew.

2014 Walk to Cure Type 1 Diabetes Team: Team CMC! (formerly Clay and Mary Claire's Friends Who Care)

It was with a tent from my parents, balloons from Party City (and they even walk them out to my van, y'all!), Nestle Crunch candy bars (red, white, and blue!), and the people.

They had too much fun climbing the HUGE hill, as all the moms are screaming not to slide down the wet grass on their bottoms! ; )

I can't begin to tell you about THE people.  The people I've known for YEARS that continue to come even when they are on their way back to MD Anderson in Houston for yearly tests (hugs, Carla and Kenny!), new walkers we are so thankful to know (Clay's new nurse, Candace and her family!), and a doctor we haven't seen in a few years (thank you for coming, Murl & Concetta Baker!).
 

Ethan's good friend, Gabe, who also has diabetes!

And all the friends in between.  Clay's friends who came out to support him, Mary Claire's friends who know how this party goes, MY friends who walk for our kids, church friends, girl and boy scout friends, neighbors, my parents, Ches' mom and stepdad, and the list goes on (praise the Lord!). May I sincerely THANK each of you for spending your Saturday morning with US!!

Sweet Girls!

And then, we are SO thankful for our supporters (even the new ones I've never met, Willeen!!).  The ones who make it work, make it possible, help us dream a little bigger.  And brighter.  The ones who make the research and the CURE possible.  In my kids' lifetimes.
 

So this little guy doesn't get it.

I can't say thank you enough, is my heart even deep enough?  I know you work hard for your money, and to part with it on behalf of my kids is sooo humbling.  But know I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
 

A few of the MOMS who rock.  The ones checking blood sugars at 2am.  The moms who listen when you can't handle one more ketone check or pump site change! : )

Feeling blessed instead of stressed in the midst of it all.  31 units left, and she has to hurry off to school?  Praying.  Take one to the doctor and back to school, only to pick him up two hours later?  Thankful I don't have a job!  One going low every day as he has marching band practice for an hour before lunch?  Rocking lowered bolus ratios.  One wanting to see his poo-poos?  Check.  Getting ready for my son's Sunday school class and my AMAZING helper is out of town?  We'll survive!  I can do this.  Every day is hard, but you know what?  Everyone's everyday is hard.  This is when we give thanks for our crosses to bear, 'cause I'm sure yours are too much for me! : )

God bless you as you go out into your day (or your night!) and slay your dragons.  I'm with you, if only in prayer.  Hugs!

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  Romans 8:26