Vanity, thy name is Lisa

So, I've mentioned that I'm taking Prednisone for my UC flare. It's a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation, but has some unwelcome side effects, including:

-Weight gain (Luckily, the scale has stayed the same. But more on this later...)

-Mood swings (Up, down, up, down... mostly up for 2 weeks, now all over the board)

-Insomnia (What? I'm sorry... I haven't slept much in 2 weeks and can't process this thought)

-Avascular necrosis of bone (Yes, that would be another way of saying BONE DEATH. Hello, aching knees last week)

-Acne (Unfortunate, given that my skin has been so clear the past few months)

Now that we've dealt with these, I'd like to introduce you to Sara Beth. She's been hanging around lately, though I won't be too sad to see her go, hopefully sooner than later. Sara Beth is my... buffalo hump.  There. I've said it. I. Have. A. Hump. I'm going to have to talk to our church about hiring me to ring the bells instead of the electronic system they have. Just call me Quasimodo. Prednisone can cause a "redistribution of fat," which is a polite way of saying that it migrates to places you DO NOT want it to go... belly, neck, and face (hello, moon face! What's up with this terminology, anyway? "Moon face" and "buffalo hump" do not do much for one's self-esteem). So, even though the numbers on the scale are the same, I'm still looking rounder.

While I refuse to display a photo now of Sara Beth, check out this website if you're curious.

This whole process has been interesting, and is really forcing me to get over myself, particularly when it comes to my looks. Post-pregnancy time is already tough, but add a very round face (and I already HAD a round face!), a hump, and an inability to lose weight while on this medicine, plus bloodshot eyes due to insomnia, being a bit sick, and having 2 somewhat-sick kids who wake up multiple times each night, I've had to just see the humor in this season of my life. Thus, "Sara Beth" was named. "Sara Beth" sounds much nicer than buffalo hump. I've accepted her as my buddy during this time, since she won't be going anywhere until I'm off the meds sometime next month. 

This does not, however, mean that I'm giving up all vanity. I seriously need a haircut so I don't look like I belong in Deliverance. Just make sure my hair hides the hump, though, please.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 3)

1. Forget all about how amazing I thought Prednisone was. Yes, it's helped my ulcerative colitis flare. Yes, I had amazing energy for a while. BUT... I woke up yesterday feeling as if my knees were being crushed by a giant. I fell all over the house and could barely walk, as I'm being weaned off the meds. I can't wait to get back to normal (and for my puffy face to get back to normal!). I'd rather have less energy but more physical ability any day!

2. What would I do without my parents and in-laws? I am so blessed that they are able to help out. Mom showed up last night to help watch C while I take H with me to the doctor (for the whole Prednisone side-effect thing).

3. Double ear infection= no fun for Mommy or C. She's pushed every limit possible the last few days and has developed quite the daredevil nature... standing on EVERY chair/bed in the house and then cracking up. She's become well-acquainted with time-outs the past couple of days.

4. Thomas the Tank Engine is awesome. Especially when it comes to entertaining a 2-year-old. Especially when Mommy can barely walk. We watched LOTS of Thomas yesterday. And I don't feel the slightest bit guilty.

5. I always forget how good a fresh pear tastes. Why don't I buy them more often?

6. I love my new Petunia Pickle Bottom bag. It makes me happy. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

7. I'm enjoying working on the blog early in the morning while the kids are still in bed. It's nice to have something just for me.

Mmmm...

My, but my kitchen was bubbling, boiling, and baking today! C and I cooked inside (wish I'd taken pics in our aprons!) while M worked out in the shed, wiring it for lights. I made the chimichangas two nights ago but actually baked them yesterday-- this was what I heated up for M's lunch today:

You've gotta love fresh $0.25 avocados! Way to go, HEB!

Simmering the tortilla soup ingredients-- my poblanos were HOT today!

 

Simmering the tortilla soup after it's been blended... smells sooooo good!

Making "Aunt Debbie's Banana Cake" (see link-- it's AMAZING!)

Time to frost it! I underbaked it a tiny bit, but will know better next time!

The finished product! I only had a handful of pecans, so it's a bit sparsely decorated... not that M noticed as he devoured it!

C and I had such a good time today measuring and stirring and throwing things in pots and pans. She's becoming quite the sous-chef! It must be all of her practicing in her own little kitchen. :-)

A Squirrel Named Cake

We have a new friend around the house... Cake. Cake has made regular lunchtime appearances in our backyard for the last couple of weeks or so. We used to have about 3 or 4 squirrels that ran around and taunted our dogs, but this one has some serious staying power.  I've been working on C developing her imagination lately by asking her the names of dolls, what animals we see are doing, what she cooks in her little kitchen, etc. I asked her what this squirrel's name was, and she immediately, and emphatically, pronounced it to be "Cake." So Cake it is! C watches him eat his lunch each day ("'corns," according to her) and loves to tell me exactly what he's doing ("Jump down! 'Corns! Jump up! 'Corns!"... this is not a complicated animal) the entire time.

 Cake, a very focused young thing

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 2)

1. I am a proud iPhone owner! M has one, too, but he's incredibly jealous (seriously!) of my cool case. It's pink and black and cute all over! I didn't really see the need for me to own one of these at first, but wow... it's already worth it's weight in gold now (which I suppose is actually not a lot, since it's pretty light). C is tech-savvy and can already operate it-- flicking through pages and pics like a pro. It's ridiculous. I'm still trying to get used to the keypad, and she figured out how to turn the silly thing on and off.

2. I can't wait to get this stamp on August 26th:

Reading this blog post by Patrick Madrid is also well-worth your time-- it talks about the furor over this particular stamp being issued by the Postal Service.

3. Following that last note, stamps make me happy! Maybe it's because I'm the daughter of a postal employee, but I've always loved cute stamps. Mom and Dad occasionally still send me some stamps, which just makes my entire week. I recently bought some Simpsons stamps and some kelp forest stamps. They even make my bills look cuter. I buy the boring Forever stamps, too, but seriously-- it's not like I'm going to stock up on those because I'm pretty sure my money is making WAY more in the bank or savings account than in my letter drawer. I heard from the local postmaster that someone bought $1,000+ of forever stamps because he wanted to beat the system. Methinks that guy needs to rethink his own system...

4. "Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody."

Farewell to J.D. Salinger, whose Catcher in the Rye I somehow managed not to read until last year. How did I miss this book?? It's part of pop culture just as much as it is fine literature! Annie Hall, Jerry Maguire, The Good Girl, Billy Joel, the Jonas Brothers, Rick Springfield, and Spandau Ballet (among many, many others) all reference that work.

I'm linking a video that reminds me of why I love teaching-- I love to get students invested in the stories of the authors and the times that books were written, like Craig Ferguson does here.

5. Bring on the Olympics! I've been pleasantly surprised to discover that my hubby loves the Winter Olympics, especially (wait for it...) ICE SKATING! C skates around the living room and does little jumps and spins, so this will be fun. Yay for our TV! Yay for the Olympics!

6. Again about TV... loving the fact that we can watch Netflix movies/TV via the PS3 on our TV. M and I finished Season 3 of Dexter and now we've started back at Season 1 to see everything we missed. C likes to watch Thomas and Friends and I've found other cute shows (The Muppets, Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, etc) that I can turn on no matter what time it is, TV show-wise. Since we don't have cable, it's been nice to expose her to more learning shows besides the morning PBS ones (she often is still asleep for Sesame Street!).

7. M makes the best White Russian drinks ever. That's all I have on that. Mmmm.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 1)

1. So, my brother-in-law lent us Season 3 of the Showtime TV series "Dexter." It's CREEPY. And even though M and I can't figure out if we like it (um, crazy psychopathic guy kills bad people in scary, crazy, and creepy ways... see why we aren't sure what we think?), we're oddly addicted. Particularly me, because I just want to get to the bottom of the season's mysteries. Creepy mysteries.

2. I'm teaching C how to count to ten in French. She already does it in English and is learning it in Spanish, so I figure ma petite fille needs to speak MY favorite foreign language. Plus, she's been to Quebec, but never Mexico, so French has already been far more practical. "Huit" (eight) is her favorite number, so she sometimes shouts it out randomly in the car. It sounds like she's screaming for "wheat."

3. M and I have TV as of this week! C is loving Sesame Street and Thomas and Friends, which I am totally ok with. It's nice to have a few minutes to get myself ready while she's learning something. Abby Cadabby is now almost as near-and-dear to her as Tinkerbell. Plus, now we can watch 24 and Modern Family (best comedy ensemble on TV EVER).

4. When I was in junior high, I used to make fun of moms who had their children attached to kid-leashes. Now, I totally get it. Velcro-ing C to my leg may also be an option when I'm trying to wrangle her and the stroller around in public places. Time for a double stroller!

5. I want one of these:

It's a Bugatti Veyron Mouse, and I think it looks like fun. And it's an affordable $1.5 million. Perhaps I'll just attach ears, a tail, and whiskers to the Ford F150.

6. Scrapblog is fun. I'm working on making a few pages for a scrapbook. Anyone want to take bets as to whether I can make even ONE album without abandoning it like I did blogging??

7. I have found that I like to clean now. Maybe it's the Prednisone I'm taking for the colitis, but I'm like Superwoman around the house these days. Whoo-hoo for crazy steroid-driven energy!

Word of the Year: Peace

I'm stealing this idea from some other bloggers-- I've chosen a "word of the year," something I want to be my driving idea for the year. I picked "peace" because what I want for this year is to create a sense of peace in my family... organized home life, regular schedules with plenty of time to relax and play together, and happy words. I've determined that I'm the single-most influential voice in this family. It's my tone, words, and attitude that shape the way my family reacts and responds. When I temper my words, calm my voice, and respond with patience, I've noticed that our home life is so much more pleasant. I created the image below in order to remind myself on a regular basis. It's the background on my computer now!