So, I am typing with 9 fingers...and ended up getting my first stitches since I was little. Kevin heard me yell in pain and when he came out to see what was wrong and said the craziest part was that I seemed more frustrated than hurting...which I was. I was mad at myself, because it was one of those stupid things. I was opening a can of pears, and our cheap can opener did not cut it all the way and I couldn't get it to work. So, thinking of my impatient hungry son i tried to pry it open enough that I can pour out the contents. Unfortunately, I ended up with a u shaped slice.

Hoping it wasn't that bad, I did the first aid thing...elevate and pressure. Unfortunately, this did not completely help, it kept bleeding...so after debating, we decided to go to urgent care. My wonderful neighbor took Jack and it only took about an hour there. Four stitches later, I am typing with 9 fingers.

I rejoiced yesterday at the sight of a normal poopy diaper...something I never thought I would do. But, after almost a week of changing stomach bug affected diapers, it was a sign that it may have finally passed. Unfortunately he just started pushing through another molar so we are up at night again. Luckily we had finally caught up on all the laundry the other day so I don't have piles of that to deal with.

I started feeling better on Friday and started getting my appetite back. With being sick I hadn't been worrying about counting calories and then once I had my appetite back again I wanted to enjoy food, so I have been "off the wagon" for a few days but I am planning on getting back on task today. This really seems to work well for me because I can still eat what I enjoy and not feel like I am restricted that way (which usually would cause me to indulge), but I just have to watch amounts and be more careful with planning. Plus, with writing it down, it keeps me accountable. I even picked up a cute little notebook yesterday to use...it was 30% off the dollar section at Target!

Speaking of deals...I have really been excited about the deals I have been able to get lately. I have become a big coupon person and am now learning to use manufacturers coupons on top of a store sale. So, the other day, Rite Aid had Cover Girl makeup buy one get one free. I needed a few things and thought I would check it out. I had 2 coupons for Cover Girl. One was $1.00 off one and the other was $2.50 off 2. So, I picked out to regular priced items and got the bogo and used the $2.50 coupon. Then, they had some foundation on clearance at 75% off and I used the $1.00 coupon. So, I ended up paying a little over $6.00 for $24.00 worth of product. Then, last week, our Price Chopper had triple manufacturers coupons. They had the conditioner I use 2 for $6.00 and I had a coupon that was $2.00 off of 2...I also used them for some chocolates for Valentines Day and some granola bars. We ended up paying sales tax on things but that was it. It is fun!!

So as we get going this week, I was able to take yesterday and go shopping to get out of the house and today I am hoping to get back into a routine with Jack and maybe even get some baking done or a closet or 2 organized. Kevin and I are also starting to talk through this years VBS as he is handing over some of the reigns to me, so I am starting to research and plan. I also have to work on SPIGS for Junior Weeks, which I am really excited about.

On friday there is a book sale at the library and then story time. I took Jack 2 weeks ago and was able to connect with some other moms and he really enjoyed it too...she not only reads a book or 2 but plays guitar and sings as well. So we have that to look forward to as well (i am a huge sucker for book sales).

I had one of those "scheduled" weeks. You know, the ones where you have multiple things going every day. We had a death in our church and had calling hours and a funeral. I also had scheduled time with various people, along with a ladies event at the church. I was even going to get a chance to hang out with my friend Sara who was home for a few days from Kansas.

Well, Tuesday, I am working with some girls from WOLBI, helping make valentines for their boyfriends, when I started feeling sort of yucky. I thought it was something I ate. Then, Kevin yells frantically for me. I walk into the living room to see my son's first real experience with losing his stomach. Kevin takes him to the bath to clean up with I try to help the girls finish up and work on a ride. It then hits me and I pay homage to the porcelain throne.

Needless to say, my husband is freaking out because he in no way needs to get this as he has a funeral to do. He immediately tries to figure out how we can keep Jack contained to a spot that is easy to clean up (yes...you mothers are not rolling your eyes and laughing at that thought). He has since gone on to wipe down everything we touch with Clorox wipes.

We are quarantined to the living room though thankfully most of the chucking was contained in one night. I did give Jack a little piece of toast that didn't last, so his diet has been water, electrolyte drink, and saltines. My stomach is still not completely stable so I don't feel like I should go to the funeral and contaminate anyone...which is hard...I really want to be there.

We will see what today brings. Maybe we can progress to some rice. I may even try a banana. I guess the bright side is I haven't had to doing my calorie counting the past few days...although I had really been doing well at sticking to under 1200. We don't have a scale so I don't know if I have lost poundage but it feels good to be disciplined. I also like it because I don't have to restrict myself to not eating something...I just have to keep account of it and adjust or watch the portion size. Thanks to Wendy, I am also working on eating slower. It is more enjoyable that way too.

I grew up in a small town and most of the people I started Kind. with, I graduated with. Lately it has been fun connecting with them on facebook. I have one friend, a great girl and though we weren't bffs...you get to know each other growing up like that. She has 2 sons, one is three and the other was born in November on her birthday. Mom called me today...she found out that her 2 month old son died of SIDS. I am so sad for her. I cannot imagine what she is facing. It just hits you hard.

There has been two big annoying house problems as of late...and to find out...one source.

We had been getting an occasional smell of mustiness...sometimes strong and sometimes non-exsistant. I was sniffing around trying to figure out if jack had spilled water on one of the couches and it started to smell. I made kevin go down to the basement to see if it was down there. I mean it was really starting to drive me nuts...and bother my sinuses on top of it all.

There had also been a bunch of little visitors. At first I thought it was mouse droppings in the corner, but I went to sweep it up and they started to move. Then someone said they were snow fleas. Kevin googled how to deal with them and what they looked like...and declared we needed to use vinegar. So, i tried vinegar in the corners they liked to huddle...to no avail. Kevin pulled out the big guns...bug killer...and it seemed to help. They had been bugging the crap out of me...everytime I swept up the kitchen there were more. Thankfully that's basically where they stayed.

So Tuesday I was in cleaning mode. I had taken out a Mary Higgins Clark book on CD so I put that in and started in on the kitchen. I tackled the "I'll get to it someday" stuff...you know, cleaning the front of the cupboards and the cupboard shelves, the inside of the microwave...and then the pantry.

Our pantry is a wonderful place for extra storage. I am very thankful for it. Also, because we take our garbage to the dump and pay by the pound, we try to recycle not only plastic, etc. but paper as well...so I have boxes for all the recycling as well. The problem is...there tends to be pantry build up sometimes. It becomes too easy to stack everything in there...the cooler, large boxes to burn, things to go to the basement, tools...you get the idea. So I decided to tackle all the misc. stuff that has accumulated and organize it.

As I began to pull things out and move things out...I again caught a whiff of the musty smell. I then discovered this kind of sawdust stuff on the floor and more bugs of course. I cleaned up the floor and then grabbed the bag of bird seed Kevin had been keeping...that had been sitting on the stool. I caught a definite whiff of the dreaded smell. I looked down in and discovered it teeming with bugs. Yep, our bag of birdseed was the source of both scourges. I don't remember how long we have had it...and it sort of just sat there for being overlooked. However, it was busy decaying....it still makes my skin crawl and at the same time annoys me that I didn't discover it earlier. Kevin chucked it outside and I haven't smelled the nastiness since....I just get grossed out when I think about it.

On a lighter note...yesterday Kevin was trying to fix his recliner and Jack decided to help by playing with some of daddy's tools and stuck them in one of his favorite hiding places. Kevin was stressing and told Jack, "Help daddy find his tools". Jack, hearing the word tools, immediantly replies "Manny"...His favorite cartoon is Handy Manny and Manny has his talking tools...so that's what Jack thought of. Daddy didn't think it was funny.

Oh...question for Moms...what are some suggestions on what to do with a 16 month old who flops on the floor when he is mad about things...getting something taken away because he shouldn't have it, not wanting to go when we ask him too, etc. We are really trying to have wisdom and not constantly resort to yelling or spanking. A lot of times I just walk away. But I also don't want to allow him to be rebellious...i guess for me it's hard to know what he does or doesn't understand.

And thanks to Sara for her diet suggestion. I am trying to count calories and stay at 1200 a day. We'll see how it goes...I also discovered our netflix has exercise dvd's I can watch instantly...bonus!

Name Game

YOUR REAL NAME: Amy Kristen Warner Radford
WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names) Ann Emerson
YOUR MARRIED NAME: (first 4 letters of your first name, first 4 letters of your spouses first name) Amykevi
YOUR SECRET SPY NAME: (your first name backward) Yma
NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad) Leland Emerson
STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)Radam
DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal) Green Bunny
SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, county where you were born) Kristen Chenango
SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)The Purple Mocha (that one didn't turn out as good)
FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name) Amrd
STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Rocky Road Chocolate Chip
ROCK STAR NAME: (1st pet's name, street you grew up on) Cricket Conrad
YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of last name plus izzle) Amizzle
YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets) Black Kiah
YOUR NEXT CHILDS NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy) Happy Jelly Belly