Laid back & Chill....I wish

So went to my general physical doctor check up. - That was hell in a hand basket to get seen....

So I called for a check up- It's really urgent, something is wrong. Earliest we can see you is August 17... I'll take it, but can I get seen in an emergency sooner - Something is seriously wrong. You can walk in and wait... Well... this was at the beginning of July. I did walk in, and I kept my appointment to use it as a follow up and get my full physical.

So I got there early to make sure I was at the right office, because its a collection of Doctors and office building on the west (?) side... like west side San Antonio, not west side down town if that makes any sense? Natives get it.

AND I WAIT.....

I crochet an entire poke ball. (Which I gave away to a girl at the James Jamboree Free School Supplies fundraiser I was at this weekend.)

2 hours... just sitting in the waiting room. My appointment was at 10:30... and finally at 12:45 I get pulled back to take my measurements.

I get put into a room and asked questions about my health. She hands me a cover and tells me to strip. Then leaves me alone. I'm there in my gown for over an hour on the bed... by myself... bored out of my mind. (My sis Robin has the funny snaps to prove it. - Well she cant show you, because their snaps, but she was witness to my insane boredom.)

He finally comes in maybe around 1:30....


Have you gotten your mammogram?  Not yet. How old are you? 31. oh too young for that.

How's your skin? You're cleared up a bit but its not much better. Have you started your medication.

Nope. Actually my appointment is next week. Good Good. There's some great medications that will help.

He checks my orifices. Where all has it spread? (I'm thinking... well lol you are about to see me naked. You tell me.) Every where.

10 minutes later he is done with my entire check up. I look good with the exception of the psoriasis.

He tells me that the smallest amount of stress will make me flare. So I need to be as stress free as possible.

He leaves so I can change. I ask the nurse when I'm getting the xray, oh... right.. you paid extra for that. So they make me change again so I can do the EKG... and I'm sent back to my room to wait. I finally give up when I hear that the portrait guy is waiting for my doctor.

You know what. I need to leave. You've wasted my entire day and I don't have time for him to finish his picture session while I wait for results. You can call me. Adios.


So having to work all week and being a full time mommy, because the spouse isn't around... Stress free isn't always an option.

Also being required to do community service hours for several organizations your in doesn't help the situation. I'm not supposed to stress, or get extremely hot. The skin dries out and I flare and start peeling the flakes off which leaves red skin and its not exactly pretty. But service hours needed to be completed.
But after both events.. On Saturday and Sunday I relaxed. I gave the babies the option to get on any electronic they wanted and they could watch whatever that I needed to chill. So xbox, apple tv, phones, and tablets were used this weekend. They relaxed and watched tv with me, they read their books, played with their toys, and cuddled with me. But it was a chill weekend and I loved it.

Which also helped not doing anything because I went without my deodorant this weekend (so gross - well not stinky gross, but I felt gross without anything on) to give my armpits a break. Turns out you can't use antiperspirant with psoriasis... only deodorant. I have the dual one. I understand completely now the difference. Because without just the single one, I needed something to get me through the day today - so I put mine back on this morning. My pits are on FIRE.
Yes, yes this is how I feel.

Pokeball Bow

So Pokemon Go is a big deal in my house.

Everyone is obsessed. It started out with a random car stopping near my house and when I asked what they were looking for - Pokemon. Then the meme's started popping up on facebook.
So I searched the apps and found the game. I downloaded it to see what it was about.

Since then, the kids have found the app and played on it. Then my kids favorite  Youtube channel started posting information on it.

So now we all have accounts on the game and take turns playing on my phone.

So my baby girl loves playing and I decided to geek her out in a fandom bow!

Pretty awesome right!!

 So I started with a chain. It all depends on how big you want the bow. This one I did 22.

 Then Sc all the way... Turn your strip and go back. I counted 5 rows of red and added black.

 To make it even - I added 3 rows of black and then switched to white. Just back and forth.

 The magic circle in white and then sc 2nd round in black, add a tail to wrap around the center of the bow and you have the large bow.

My smaller bow was more intricate with chain 11. 

 2: Sc 10, chain 3

 3: Triple crochet , TC, DC, Half, sc, sc, 1/2, DC, Tc, TC

Flip over and SC 2 rows of black to chain side of red. 

Then sc 10 white across

 7: SC 10, chain 3

8: Triple crochet , TC, DC, Half, sc, sc, 1/2, DC, Tc, TC

create a magic circle (6) and round 2 is 2sc in black. (12)

add a chain to one side and tie onto bow.

James Jamboree

 Jeff started the program in memory of his friend James. Every year they do fundraisers and get donations for school supplies. Then they set up at Rainbow Hills Park the weekend before Northside starts and hand them out. I helped this weekend filling up back packs and handing them out to the first bunch of kids that showed up. It was raining so there weren't many.

It's a great event and helpful for the community. If you'd like to help next school year, hit up Jeff on his contact info!

My kids enjoyed getting the chance to play in the drizzle and puddles in their wellies. Jeff also gifted each kid a backpack since they were there. The boys were thrilled to get new super hero packs and baby girl got a new zebra pack.

It was fun seeing everyone and helping out. After I got my wet kids home, they got warm showers and its reading time. Sadly my book is in my truck and I'm not walking in the rain again. ;)

Community Service

So with being in so many organizations, they want you to give back to the community. Fine. Here's some hours right now.

Our school is required to clean our church. The parents earn community service hours helping that is required throughout the year. It's either 10 or 20 hours for each family during the year. So we stayed after and cleaned.

After seeing my kids clean that church... they are never allowed to complain about cleaning AGAIN!!

They were running around with so much enthusiasm and asking what else, what else, what else...

This is one of the only pictures I took that wasn't full frontal and didn't have another child's face in it. But this is my son trying to clean this and my other two are back there asking my mom what else can they clean, because they just finished wiping down ALL THE PEWS. 

So one hour for each of us helping = 5 hours... woo hoo....

and although my daughter will be required to attend this again with the girl scouts because she's joining the school chapter, they boys just earned their requirement for their cub scouts. yay!

I am so exhausted. The air wasn't on and everyone was sweating. Not only from lack of air but all the hard work. We came home and went straight to the pool. Now everyone is bathed and chilling. They are all exhausted, but because its their only night to stay up... They are fighting sleep.

Crocheting - not just your grandmothers hobby

I have tried to learn to crochet... and the yarn gets thrown against the wall or in a box to be hidden from my site until it behaves.

It never does.


However, in February with my mom's coaxing... and help from my grandmother and new best friend Brit... I finally got it.

There were some embarrassing starts - Brit still has my "pea pod" as a rearview mirror decoration.. which of course was not what I was trying to make. But I figured it out and then crochet'd with a fury. The end of the year brought goodbye gifts for everyone and my children put requests in.

So with Billy - I had to make 10 dinosaurs for his classmates. I tried several different patterns.. I ended up creating my own pattern because I HATE sewing parts together, so I if I can just increase and decrease to make one. I'm happier. If you want the pattern - message me. If i have energy I might put it on the page.

Beau wanted octopi for his class. So I knocked out 18 octopi in different colors (because I kept finishing the yarn). The good part is I learned how to take a pattern and change it for size.

I made Baby's class diplomas. She graduated kinder this year. So I gave them each a keepsake crochet diploma and a ring pop.

All my pictures are on my phone... so until I can get to them through maybe my laptop. I also might finally give in to the google photo app.

You can check out any of the patterns I'm interested in on My Pinterest board.

Psoriasis Awareness Month

Did you know that it was Psoriasis Awareness Month? Me either!

So how convienent for me right? I find out I have it - days before a month full of helpful information! So if you want to take part in finding out about psoriasis and understanding that it is NOT contagious, you can click Here






Maybe I might find this funny with time....

The good news is - my face is clearing up and my scalp isn't horribly on fire and itchy any more. Now its just kinda constant gunky with the cream....

New Journey

"I hope that now that you have something, you won't use it as an excuse to quit."

I went to the doctor because something was wrong. He gave me a diagnosis. When I shared the diagnosis, this was a response I got.

Internally I chuckled. 

See - it isn't something new. It's just finally showing. I have had so many problems growing up with allergies and the unknown. I could handle the allergies. I knew what to do. Black eyes - take medication. Stuffy nose - runny nose... take medication. I knew my limits with my allergies and I became aware of my surroundings so that I could stay away from what set my allergies off. Pollen is high - Well, that meant its an inside day for me. Instead of planning an outdoor adventure, go see a movie instead. Get a book and stay home and read. I did that a lot. 

But the unknown was what I hated. 

I knew something was wrong with my body. But Doctors couldn't figure it out, so they played it as mental.

But I knew it wasn't mental...

You arn't supposed to get itchy after half a mile as a teenager and scratch so much that you bleed in pe class. 

Your muscles arn't supposed to be so sore, tired, and tight that when you bend over to pick something up that you pop in three different places. 

Yes, I understand as you get older, this tends to happen. But I am only 31, and this has been happening since at least middle school.

I know my periods are abnormal because when alllll of my friends look at me and say, "you're still on your period? you were on it last week." and your mom has to write notes to all of your teachers every year to please allow me unlimited bathroom breaks because of those extra long - extra heavy periods. Something is up.

and those are just a few symptoms. Sometimes they don't coincide or are caused by the same thing. Sometimes you don't like the option you are given. Like after 2 years of a crazy long and unpredictable periods my mom refused the option when the doctor suggested her 13 year old get put on birth control to regulate.

But this... finally is a diagnosis for something. And it explains a lot of things! 

I have psoriasis. 

It's a name. It's an explanation. Now with any diagnosis, there is a time to freak out. I did. I cried when I got home, because I didn't understand.  So here it is Psoriasis in all its glory for you to read and understand. Maybe learn something new. Maybe don't click the link and read. But a lot of my journey will be surrounding this. Because this is not something I can claim. 

When everything is itchy and I'm bat shit cranky... well I've stressed too much lately and its flared up.  So as I go through this.. I'll let you in on my journey. 

Right now - its really bad. I have patches every where and I am putting a cream on it to help until I get my dermatology appt. 

A whole load of update

Well, life got crazy. Some how I didn't keep up with my blog like I had hoped I would. Although I have managed to make new foods and tons of crafts, I never stayed on the post.

So update?

Let's see... after being kept away on the long deployment and several small ones, the hubby finally threw in his hat. He left USMC for civilian mechanics. He is now trying to get into college and works for a local tow company to keep flexible hours.

Billy is now 8. yes 8! He has grown so much in the last 3 years. His articulation is so much better. Before the public school stopped his program last year due to funding, he was almost where he needed to be at his age. His vocabulary is still years beyond his age. He is now a foot shorter than me and can fit inside my shoes. Luckily the only shoes he tries to wear, are my cowboy boots.
After pre-k and a horrible year at his school, we placed him at a private school nearby. He flourished and learned so much. He was very excited about school every day. He joined the soccer and basketball team, some of the teams over the years I coached. So that was interesting. He will be starting third grade at a new catholic private school in the area. He made his communion last year and wants to try and become an altar boy to continue his journey with God. He is still obsessed with dinosaurs and wants to be a Paleontologist when he grows up.

Right now the latest game craze with these boys is Pokemon Go, Minecraft, and Skylanders.

We are also active scout members... fun times.

Beau is still my best snuggler. He is seven and loves Soccer, pokemon, and all animals. He is planning on becoming a Zoo keeper when he grows up. He basically wants to be a Kratt brother. He started pre-k at the private school when he transferred Billy over. He had a hard start being away from mommy but he flourished with wonderful teachers. He graduated kinder and started first grade. He is still my observant over thinker. He will watch you do the activity and see your accomplishments and failures so he can do the activity the correct way the first attempt. Work smarter - not harder. lol He did get tested to have articulation problems, but after one year between speech therapy and his pre- kinder teacher - he tested out of it by kinder year. So he's doing great. We will be working on Wolf stuff this year with scouts.

Baby girl - my adorable little baby is grown up. She just turned 6 this summer. We had an Indian princess themed party for her. Lets see - she was tested for articulation and no one could understand her. It was generally all pointing and pouting. She started speech therapy and with the school district she had two years of therapy and a lot of help from her wonderful pre-k and kinder teacher. I received nothing but praises of her over her first two years in school. Everyone that has met her - fell in love with her. She joined daisies this last year and was adorable. She did run into a little bit of bullying when some girls paid comments that the daisy pinafore was for babies and this year I'm buying the vest for her instead. She graduated kinder this year - a bitter sweet moment for me since she's no longer a toddler. She has always been a princess and wanted to be a princess when she grew up but at graduation she changed that to kinder teacher. She is my girly girl and part of my whole world.

AS for me - well I volunteered at the new kids school as lunch room supervisor, soccer coach, and basketball coach. I helped with all the field trips and parties. I also finally started working on my weight at 30... I had reached almost 200 lbs and realized I needed to do something. So my sister signed me up for a color run as motivation. I started walking every day and lost 50 lbs. I was doing really good, until I was involved in a car accident. My knees hit the dashboard and sent residual damage to my hips and spine. I wasn't able to keep up with my walking and with my busy schedule I also didn't have the time to sit on the sideline for a few weeks to recover and heal.
I started school again so I could finish more hours towards my teacher certification. I had observation hours, class hours, and I was working on top of that. I was also Tiger leader for Beau and volunteered with the Daisies with Baby. I was attending all of Beau's soccer games. Billy was out for awhile due to an ankle injury. I was coach last year for Baby and her pre-k/kinder team. We won all of our games. Undefeated champs but within the christian league there are no special amazing trophies for overall winners.
So slowly I have put back on about 15 pounds in the time since the accident, but my body is finally ready to work out again. So I'll be pushing myself to lose it again. Hmmm... I finally learned from my grandmother and best friend how to crochet in February. So that has been amazing. Ive been following patterns and even created my own. My dinosaurs are sooooooo freaking adorable. The kids wanted their class goodbye presents to be crochet gifts. So I created 10 diplomas for the kinder kids, 18 octopi and 3 for my kids for the first grade class, and 9 dinosaurs for the second grade class. Not including the dinosaurs I created for my kids, my friends kids, and the other weird things I have finished. Dr Seuss "Oh the places you will go" balloon, a frog, a book worm, a slug, and some other random creations. It has been fun and very addicting.

right now - I think thats the majority.