How do I know fall is finally here? Is it the cooler weather? The changing color of the leaves? Or is it the school buses that plague my drive to work everyday?
Believe it or not, none of the above. Here are the top ways I know it is fall..
1. My laundry is piled on the poker table instead of neatly folded in drawers.
2. Dishes from Sunday night are just making it into the dish washer.
3. My bedroom looks like all the clothing revolted and violently flung themselves out of the drawers.
Fall in our house has always been a time of new beginnings.
This year, we totally over did ourselves. With Elyzbeth turning 5 in October, we decided it was a good time to find out what "sports" she would like to try out. This summer we tried soccer, which was a total blast. And now we are trying tap/ballet. So, our Saturdays from now until May are spent at Dance lessons. As much as she loves the class so far, I am a little nervous about scheduling EVERY SATURDAY for the next 8 months!! YIKES!
And if that isn't enough, our church AWANA program started tonight too. And of course it is NOT enough for us to sign up Elyzabeth, I volunteer to teach as well. This will be my 3rd year of teaching, and at the end of each year I say "I am not teaching again next year."
But sure enough, I get the email from Church (2 months later) and I think of all the amazing kids i get to work with, and before I know it I am signing up again to be a Cubbie Bear Leader (3-4 yearolds).
So now, Wednesday nights are also booked for the next 8 months. And don't forget Tuesday night Bible Study. And October begins 10 weeks of swimming lessons.
I ask myself (as you may ask me as well) "Why do you do that to yourself? Are you Crazy??!?!?"
And well, yes, I am crazy! I LOVE doing things that my daughter loves. Dancing is the highlight of her week right now, and I can't wait to see her smile when we walk in the door Saturday at the dance studio.
And I love my bible study. The people in my bible study have been so good for me. They support me, challenge me and make me laugh. They also have such passion for their faith, I am constantly inspired.
And I love the little Cubbie Bears in my Awana group. I love when I walk into Church on Sunday kids run up and give me huge hugs and say they miss me. I LOVE listening to them discover their faith, and their own love and passion for Christ. I LOVE how completely they believe and how innocently they understand all the things that hangs me up as an adult. How simply they see the word "forgive" and how uncomplicated forgiveness is. And Most of all, I LOVE how they TEACH me to see the world through a child's eyes.
So yes, I am crazy. And my kitchen is a mess, my laundry isn't done and don't even talk about how my yard looks!!
But... I am happy. The fall has started and my heart is full to bursting! I am truly blessed.
Laundry will get done when I have time (or run out of underwear). The dishes will wait (or i will go buy more paper plates). The snow will eventually fall and no one will know I haven't weeded the gardens in months.
In the meantime, I will enjoy what I have committed to, and hopefully survive it at the same time!
How do you find the balance? How do you spend your week doing what needs to get done and yet find time to enjoy just “Being” with each other? Should I let the dishes wait? Should I stop watering the yard and hope it withers and dies? Oh, and don’t forget to eat right and exercise?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Be prepared for Unwanted House Guests!
Lice!
First let me tell everyone that we have successfully rid our house and hair of Lice! It was a hard a grueling process but alas we are done.
Second, I would like to give everyone some information about Lice and treatments. Since this was my first time as an adult dealing with Lice, I would like to share my hard earned wisdom sprinkled with a little motherly advice.
Over a week ago I stood in the pharmacy aisle looking at the LICE treatments. There was RID, NIX, some generic brands and a bunch of stuff I don’t remember. What I do remember was reading the warnings
· Do not use on infants
· Do not use if pregnant
· Do not use if breast feeding
· Do not use Blow Dryer – containers flammable ingredients.
· Do not leave on hair longer than prescribed
And the list went on and on. Every single one I read had similar warnings. So, not knowing any better I picked up a couple treatments (obviously I had to treat myself too!)
So, home we went. Treatment in one hand and scratching my head with the other.
As I was starting to apply the treatment to Elyzabeth’s head she asked me, “Mommy, why are you putting that in my hair?”
I said, “It will kill the bugs in your hair.”
At which point she started crying, “No mommy… then it will kill me too.”
So, I got to thinking (after all the cleaning was done), what exactly is in this stuff? And here, is what I found out.
1. Permethrin is the main component in several of Lice Treatments, including NIX.
2. There is a concern of “Resistant” lice, however the severity and extent is yet unknown.
3. Permethrin can cause an allergic reaction in people who have known seasonal/floral allergies. Especially Chrysanthemums.
4. Permethrin is a PESTICIDE! The EPA has issued several warnings on this product when used as a pesticide. Which can be found: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/permethrin_fs.htm
a. Adult exposure warnings are below the acceptable “risk” for cancer
b. Toddler exposure: “exceeded the Agency’s LOC for toddlers exposed to permethrin through food and drinking water, and through post-application exposure during high contact activities on lawns and indoor surfaces”
a. Fever
b. Stomach ache & diarrhea
c. mild and transient burning and stinging
d. Numbness, tingling, headache and siezures.
Needless to say the treatments for lice have some pretty SERIOUS side effects. I mean after all, it is strictly regulated by the EPA (Environment Protection Agency), the same agency that regulates and controls products like paint thinner & gasoline.
Would you pour gasoline on your kids head?
So, I have found an all-natural alternative. It was highly recommended by 2 co-workers, and I am a believer.
IT is called: HEAD-LICE-GONE. It is a highly concentrated blend of several essential oils (Tea Tree, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Manuka, Rosemary).
I purchased it at an herbal store in South Minneapolis called Present Moments. You can also order a bottle online.
What you do is take 30 drops and place in a “carrier oil.” ( I used Coconut oil also purchased from Present moments).
· Smother head in oil being sure to saturate the scalp and all the way to the ends of the hair.
· Wrap in Saran Wrap for upto 4 hours
· Rinse out hair and comb out nits.
· Repeat as desired.
I did one treatment and it was GONE! Amazing! And, we skipped the “rinse” step and just combed it out with the oil in it then let her go to bed with it still in her hair.
This same oil can be used as a prevention oil as well. Take a few drops of the oil and mix in with your condition and wash as normal. The Tee Tree oil will deter any live lice from taking up residence.
Using it once a week during the school year could possible keep your child from getting head lice at school.
Now, the oil is NOT approved by the medical community, but I am telling you I am a believer. Currently living Pesticide free & lice Free!
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