Strange September

A few years ago Greg and I created alliterations for the fall months...not in order to become a self-fulfilling prophecy but because we thought we noticed a trend. After summer was over, it sometimes just felt like things got harder (usually the back-to-school schedule in graduate school added some challenges).

Anyway, there was "Sucky September" (offensive, sorry!), "Odd October," and thankfully a reprieve, "Nice November."  Since I have young ones now I try not to use the word "suck," so I'm swapping it out for Strange September.  And this September has been slightly strange only in that it's been a very different September than any other!

stitches + a sunburn around his eyes = hot mess

Mainly because we are homeschooling two days a week and Mia goes to school two days a week and our weeks feel busy and full and...different.   And I have a little man who likes to throw wrenches into our homeschool days by falling off a chair the very first day of homeschool, cutting his chin, and requiring 6 stitches (hello, trauma!)  I won't lie, that was a really hard day for this mom as well.  Like, immediate crying in the doctor's office when he told me he would require stitches.  I think it's the mama-bear protection instinct when you just ache inside for your little one.

The other wrench a little man threw into our advent into homeschooling/schooling was when he came down with a stomach bug the day before we were to have our family pictures taken with my girl Laura Hinely before she MOVED indefinitely to NYC 2 days later (speaking of, anyone needing some photos in the Big Apple should check her out!). That meant scheduling was priority and we wouldn't have many options or really ANY option to reschedule.  As a mom, of course I wanted my little man to feel better just for his own sake, but I also was hopeful he'd feel better for the pictures' sake as I didn't want this opportunity to pass by!

Well, as I was simultaneously trying to get things ready for our photo shoot and take care of Gabe, I came across the brilliance that is activated charcoal.  I read about activated charcoal on Wellness Mama's blog and how she used it for teeth whitening, and I'll be honest, my pearly whites were more like pearly off-whites.  They needed some love.  Yet I wasn't keen on the Crest White Strips as I tried them before we got married and they made my gums sensitive and felt really chemical-ly.  So I was excited to see that for less than $8, you could buy some 90 capsules to try activated charcoal in order to whiten your teeth! It looks like you have oreos on your teeth at first but it really works.  It's gradual, but it works.
I assumed activated charcoal had other uses and lo and behold, it can be used for stomach bugs (Gabe's very issue)!  So fascinated about it, I wrote this guest post for Modern Alternative Mama about activated charcoal.  You can read it here:
http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2013/09/21/activated-charcoal-new-must-have-in-my-natural-health-arsenal/

And oh yeah, Gabe recovered in 24 hours and we were thankfully able to get those family pictures made.  Can't wait to see the actual files soon! (These are just screenshots from Laura's computer from her iPhone.)

PS: School has been great for the chiquita!  She's a champ.

A tough time

There is a lot of sadness going around my greater community.
Just recently I learned of an acquaintance who lost her younger brother-in-law to heat stroke. He was only 19.
Friends from our congregation are dealing with stage IV stomach cancer & chemo treatments.
A good family friend's aunt is in her final days battling breast cancer & liver failure.  She is a very special woman, and I've only interacted with her a few times, but those interactions gave me pause, thinking, what did I do to deserve such special treatment from her?  I think that's just the way she is.
And a young newlywed couple just found out that the husband has an inoperable malignant brain tumor.  They've been married just shy of two months.
When does it stop? And that's not even touching on local or national news.

I guess the hard part of being a grown-up is realizing that it doesn't stop.  The world, somehow, keeps turning, and each day we breathe in and out as these lives just slip through our hands.  I still cannot fathom how one minute a person can be here, and the next minute, that person is gone.  As a 30 year old I still grapple with the finality of it.  As a christian, I know there are eternal purposes.  I know their soul still exists, and I know somehow somewhere a piece of them is still operating, manifesting.  But it doesn't mean that for the rest of us here on earth, that the hard news, is any easier to swallow.  It still hurts.

I wish I had some enlightened thought here, but I really don't.  All I know is:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

gifts from above

God does not change (thank you, God!!) The days we have with our loved ones are gifts.  The loved ones are gifts.  The hugs we get from our friends.  The teachings we receive from the older, wiser. The food we eat.  The "American dreams" we live...if any of it is good, it's from the Father above.
So I'm leaving this part of the day a little depressed, a little thankful, and a lot contemplative.  My heart goes out to all those hurting and I pray there is comfort for these families soon.

Back to School and the Forgotten Blog

haircuts & starbucks!

Sounds the title of an amazing book, right?  It's coming out in September.

Totes joking.


While I've sat contemplating how sad my blog's existence as been as of late, I've felt the need to update it yet feel the words escape me as soon as I put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, as it were. It's ever so cliche to say "we are busy!" and I really mean it this time (like I do every other time), and so it's true (like it is every other time), but it's becoming busier in another new way.  I feel like we go through mini growth spurts every few months, as individuals, families, and in our roles in those families, and then it seems as if we go through major growth spurts every couple years.  It's been a couple of years now and this next major growth spurt is that our oldest is big enough for school now!  She's going to be a student! The mind explodes.

all smiles at the dentist
{MUCH improved from the 1st visit}

For real, though, our family is feeling the stretch that will come as we Mia starts a community school preschool, where she'll go to school two days a week, and homeschool two days a week.  And Fridays are optional enrichment.  To say the least, this will be life changing. It almost feels like having another kid, the amount of thought and preparation (and total winging it, lemme be honest here!) that will go on.

The the curriculum's been assigned, the books procured, the lesson plans have already been emailed out, and the uniforms have been purchased.  Back to school haircuts and dentist appointments too.  We want to make sure we're ready to go!!  We are in a for a new ride, and we can't wait to see what is in store for Miss Mia, official preschooler as of next week!

We are trying to make the most of our last few days of summer around here.  I know some things will stay the same, but a lot will be changing, so I'm doing what I do where I cling to what I know is good and comfy, all the while getting ready for the next thing.  Getting Older.  It's not for the faint of heart!!

Living Life Unplugged

Original Photo by MTSOfan on Flickr

About a month ago, I was struggling with my attitude. I wasn't getting the necessary things done around the house I normally accomplished, I was distracted with my kids, and I was feeling guilty and depressed about how I was using my time. I realized it was time to take a Facebook fast. Greg had taken an extended twitter break since May, so I knew I could break some ties with another social media giant. I deleted the Facebook app off my iPhone (horrors!!) and if I needed to check something on there, I'd get on my laptop (which is "more work," which meant if I'm feeling lazy, the extra steps to plug in laptop and point browser to Facebook wasn't always worth it).

Photo by Sparky on Flickr

The fast lasted about two weeks, and then I added the Facebook app back onto my phone.  I also put the Facebook on a different screen and not my homepage, so that it wouldn't be the first thing I'd see when I looked at my phone.

Since the fast, I've thought about what it means to purposefully unplug. I love to be connected to others digitally or in real life so putting down the phone can be a real challenge at times, but you can read my guest post at Modern Alternative Mama about 4 ways to mindfully unplug here.

What are your thoughts on intentional breaks and fasts?

Fútbol prodigy

Don't worry, the video frame will correct itself once you press the play button!

Fútbol prodigy from Megan Ciampa on Vimeo.
Young Gabriel showing off some soccer skills