Some Things I Can't Control.....But Other Things I Can!

My weekend was an exhausting one, to say the least.  My mom and I spent 12 hours (from 7pm Fri night to 7am Sat morning) in the emergency room with Matthew waiting for the doctors to make a decision on how they were going to treat him.  Matthew is 7 years old and has a history of constipation/distended belly/extremely dilated colon, etc.  At the age of 4 he had surgery which resulted in an illeostomy.  At the age of 5 1/2 the procedure was reversed because his colon had made such wonderful progress.  For 2 years, Matthew was doing incredibly well, but as of 3 weeks ago, it's deja vu' all over again.  The same symptoms are coming back and it scary to think of the possiblity that Matthew will have to undergo yet another surgery.  I have a follow-up appointment with the specialist on Thursday and am hoping and praying that he will reassure me that everything is fine.  Fingers crossed! 
Having been through so much with all my kids, medically speaking, it re-enforces how lucky I am to have the opportunity to work from home.  Not only does it allow me the flexibility I need to work around my childrens' schedules, but I am learning so much about natural health alternatives, which enables me to provide a safer, healthier home for my family!  Certain aspects of my childrens health is completely out of my hands and left in Gods!  However, the one thing I CAN control is what I allow into my home, which I why I choose to provide my family with safe, non-toxic products, and healthy food choices, which has benefited the health of my family on so many different levels!
If you are intested in learning about safer, healthier alternatives, I would recommend visiting http://www.ahealthcafe4u.info/.  This site is packed with very valuable information!

Miraculously, I AM Surviving School Vacation Week!

It's "hump" day a/k/a Wednesday!  Woo-hoo!  To my amazement, I have made it half way through February vacation week with my three, ever-so-rambunctious boys and one very demanding puppy!  Let me tell ya...having 3 boys close in age is no easy feat!  They are very competative with each other, whether it be who gets dressed the fastest, who runs the furthest, who plays Wii better, etc!  You name it, they compete for the title of "The Best!"  Sometimes it's fun competition like who can find mom's keys, or who can find the missing sock, etc., but most of the time it's hardcore competition that not even the toughest of referree's can control!  But, as much as they compete and disagree and argue and fight and..............they love each other and help each other and are always there for each other!  With all that said.....and as bad as it sounds.....I CAN'T WAIT for vacation to be over!  I love my kids....but momma needs a break!

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is not just for lover's!  It's also a day to remind friends and family how much you appreciate and love them!

To all my friends and family, I love you and I'm so blessed to have each of you in my life!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Beware of the Toxins you Have Under Your Kitchen Sink

Many people want to learn about the potential health hazards that everyday cleaning and personal care products can have on their health.   Environmental and advocacy groups are on a mission to elimate the use of toxic products in hospitals, schools and many other public buildings.  The toxins found in cleaning and personal care products have been linked to allergies, asthma, cancer, skin conditions, upper respiratory problems, among many other health challenges.  It is so important to educate yourselves on these potential health problems and do something to change it.  Please view the link below to learn more about the harmful affects that such products can have on your health and the environment.  Take a stand to make a change!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqgxoZdwCY

Working from Home and Loving It!

How many people can say they LOVE their job?  I get up every morning and "commute" to my home office!  That's right!  I work from the comfort of my own home!  It allows me the flexibility to work around my kids schedules and to have much needed family time!  It also helps that I love what I do!  I represent a wellness company which manufactures safer, healthier, natural products!  These products have had a wonderful affect on my families overall health, from severly dry skin to allergies, etc.  I no longer have to worry about my children getting into the products or breathing in toxic vapors while I'm cleaning my house!  My boys love helping me clean now because they know the products are safe!  What more could a parent ask for, then to provide their family with a safe, healthy home environment!  The personal care products are wonderful, too!  My family's skin has never been better due to the amazing bath and personal care products!  My boys love using the kids shampoo and bodywash!  They always smell delicious after shower-time!  Oh, and lets not forget about the energy level of myself and my husband!  My husband absolutely swears by the vitamins!  He works a very demanding, labor-intensive job and he says that he's never felt better!  The vitamins work wonders for me, too!  I can get through my "work" day and still have plenty of "pep-in-my-step" during and after supper!  And, after I put the kids to bed, I still have enough in me to clean-up my house!  It's GREAT!!!  I love helping others learn about the wonderful benefits of these products!

Finally Back to Normal

Last week was the longest, most exhausting week EVER!  I came down with the stomach bug on Monday and Tuesday, so my husband, Dan, took Tuesday off from work to help me with some appointments that were scheduled for the kids.  Dan drove 45 minutes to one appointment to find out that the appointment wasn't on that day, it was the following Tuesday (today!).  He took my step-daughter, Tara, to an appointment that was 30 minutes away, only to find out that her appointment was the following day.  Ugh!  Needless to say he made two wasted trips....poor guy!  How did I get the appointment dates wrong?  I NEVER mess up like that when it comes to the kids appointments.  Well, never say never, I guess.  I finally recovered from the stomach bug, only to have my youngest son, Blake, who is 4, and my oldest son Matthew, who is 7, get the bug at the same time!  Yikes!  Poor little pumpkins were absolutely miserable and there nothing I could do to make them feel better, which is a terrible feeling.  A mom should always know how to comfort their children and make them feel better, and I just couldn't!  Awful!  We made it through the week without my middle son, Luke who is 6, getting the bug (knock on wood!), and Tara, too.  Come Friday night, however, my poor husband ended up with....yup....you guessed it....the "bug!"  Poor guy was up all night.  He slept most of the morning on Saturday and by early afternoon started to feel a little better!  But wait...it doesn't end there....Matthew has an ongoing medical issue with his stomach/colon.  When he was 4 years old he had an illeostomy and when he was 5 years old, the procedure was reversed because he had made such great progress.  Well, come Thursday, Matthew's poor little belly was starting to look distended and he was very uncomfortabe.  Friday, the poor little guy was even worse, and Saturday, my husband aned I took him to Childrens Hospital in Boston to the ER because of severe stomach pains and distended belly.  We were in the ER for about 4-5 hours getting x-rays, talking to the doctors, etc.  The doctors, along with me and my husband decided the best thing was to admit Matthew for treatment to "clean him out."  A conclusion was drawn that a virus had hit Matthew and his body reacted by slowing down and not functioning the way it should, which is what caused his belly to distend and fill with gas!  Ouch!  Needless to say, it was a long weekend for me, but especially Matthew.  He was so good and so brave in the hospital!  Matthew has been through SO much in his short life, and I'm just happy that he's doing better and that we're finally home!!

My Weekend in a Nutshell

Morning All!  I am pretty groggy this morning...trying desperately to recover from my very busy weekend!  My brother and nephew spent the weekend at my house.  Friday night the boys had a "sleep over" in the same bedroom.  We pushed the beds together to make one big bed so the boys could hang out next to each other.  There wasn't too much comotion or rowdiness, but there was quite a bit of laughing, which I loved listening to!  Satudray morning I made pancakes and bacon (well, my brother made the bacon because I have a tendency to burn it...into a dust like state...LOL), while my husband went food shopping.  The boys had a nice spread of food and juice, which was very tasty!  After a fun, but noisy morning, my brother and I met my dad for lunch!  Oh....we had a great time....laughing, joking, drinking and eating!  My in-laws picked the boys up for another "sleep over" at their house so my hubby and I could have a nice night out together.  We went to see an 80's coverband (who we happen to be friends with!), with a group of friends!  We had an absolute BLAST.....dancing and singing the night away!!!  Needless to say....Sunday was suppose to be the "day of rest" so to speak!  The kids came home around 11:30am, fighting and arguing broke-out between them, I was dragging all day long from shear exhaustion....but it was well worth it for a much needed night of fun!