My So-called Weekly Link Round-ups

Hi!  It has been so long (2 months!!!!) since my last round-up post.  I have written about this many times...Life happens.  Many things get in the way, you re-prioritize or you are just so mentally drained that it is impossible to share anything more.  My Google reader had about 850 unread blog posts.  I have been trying to tackle that and document which ones I thought were awesome.  So without further notice..."My so-called weekly links from my reader" post.

Recipes
Ice cream without a machine                         (Honey and Jam)
Grandma's Zucchini Cake Recipe                 (Simply Recipes)
The perfect chocolate tart                             (Cheeky Kitchen)
Tzatziki Recipe                                              (Good Life Eats)
Caprese Salad                                              (The Pioneer Woman Cooks)
No Bake Chocoalate Cake                           (101 cookbooks)
Spaghetti alla Carbonara                                (Closet Cooking)
Flatbreads with honey, thyme and sea salt       (Smitten Kitchen)
Spicy Garlic Cashew Chicken Recipe             (Simple Recipes)

Children
Meet the Light box                                              (Modern Parents Messy Kids)
DIY Scavenger Hunts and I Spy Games              (Modern Parents Messy Kids)
Homemade finger paints                                      (Easie Peasie)
Quiet time with audio books                                (Modern Parents Messy Kids)

Eye Candy
First Day of Summer Blues                  (Censational Girl)
Julia Hoersch Photography                  (Decor 8)
Perfect Recipe: Clay and Terracota     (Delight by Design)
Children's Book Choices for July        (The Crafty Crow)


Spiritual, Organization and about a million motherly things!
People are what you expect them to be                 (Blog of Impossible things)
Q + A session                                                       (Marta writes)
6 Money Lessons for My College Aged Daughter      (Zen Habits)
The 2011 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen               (Green your way...Life your way)
Let Go Of Perfect                                                 (The tuckers take Tennessee)
In which I'd totally buy these                                 (The Badass Geek)
Has Blogging Transformed Motherhood                (Design Mom)
Computer Buying Guide                                        (Technology your way)
Using Routines to Become More Productive          (Productivity your way)
Travel Photography tip  (Great idea)                      (Becky's Blog)
Nella Cordelia a birth story                                    (Enjoying the small things)

Crafts
On the Go Crayon Organizer                       (Gingercake)
Decorative Tile Message Board                   (Tatertots and Jello)
Hostess Gifts                                               (Narrating Life)
10 Etsy Lessons from a Top Seller              (Peace and Projects)

Enjoy the up-coming weekend!

Sick Child

I want to begin this post by telling you that we had a gorgeous weekend.  As a family, we enjoyed each other, spent time at the pool and enjoyed our extended family.  It was an awesome weekend!  I cannot explain how much we were looking forward to one of the two family get-togethers we have a year.  I blogged about "The Loving 4th of July Celebration" here .   It had been a while since we enjoyed their company.  We had not seen Chip's aunts and uncles since Christmas and I was even asked to baked my coconut cake!  But of course ... life happens...

My little man woke up on the fourth with a very congested cough.  I sincerely didn't think much about it, summer cold, nothing important...right?  As the day progressed, he got worse and worse, so much so that instead of leaving early, I decided to let him have a short nap.  Once he woke up, we immediately decided against taking him to the get-together.  He was very congested, weepy, coughing and had labored breath.  We thought that because he didn't have a fever, things weren't that bad.  Boy were we wrong!  If I  could turn back time, I would change one thing, I would have taken him to the ER.  When my husband asked if we should have gone, according to the doctor, it wouldn't have change much of the situation but I would have not spent all night worried if he was breathing.

My child was diagnosed with Asthmatic Bronchitis this past week.  The doctor says it could be a virus or it could be something having to do with his allergies.  I cannot even begin to describe how long Monday night was for us.  It seemed to last forever.  The next day we took him to his pediatrician.  After the doctor saw him, she prescribe nebulizations and steroids.  We were not happy campers.  Needless to say, that I normally would not chose to give my son steroids but once you see your child so sick you will accept anything to make him feel better.

Honestly, nothing prepared us for Carr's reaction to the steroids.  He is three and a half so everything was compounded,  talk about hyper and at times so mean and rebellious!  Luckily, he has been off the medication since yesterday.  While he is still very congested, he is no longer wheezing.  I called his doctor today, worried about his congestion and if we should return to the medication.  She said that as long as he did not have a fever, we would just have to let it ride it's course. Really?  So we do no prevention nor we make comfortable. We do not do anything until they are sick and weak.  Do not pay attention to me, I am tired and worried and want my son to get better.  I know it's not the end of the world and that there are other children battleling real illness, I know.  Still this does not bring me solice nor does it make me care less about his overall health.

Gosh, he absolutely loathed the treatments.  We had to invent this story that the fire truck you see in the background was really an autobot and that when he were in trouble, it would come to his rescue.  He seemed OK with it afterwords, but he still needed coaxing to do them. 

Well, as soon as he gets better, you will see me back.  Hopefully soon!  Have a great week!

Celebrate! It's your birthday America!

thanks to nixxphotography

I want to take this opportunity and reflect on what it means to be American to me.  I spent 18 years away from "home".  Only people that actually have had to live somewhere else other than the United States understand what this means.  It feels like the first day at a new high school day, after day, after day.  Yes, you adjust, you make friends but EVERYTHING is diferent.  You make yourself forget, not want and not talk about "home" but TV, Movies, and Music set off memories.  What does America mean to me?  That I can disagree with the majority, that I can choose to do what I want, where I want, as long as it is legal.  It means that we try to be the best at whatever we want and it means that patriotism is not just another word it is an honor.  What were the things that I related to "home":  Friendly strangers, broken fire hydrants in the summer, hot dogs, apple pie, Bruce Springsteen, the Statue of Liberty, McDonald's fries (I don't care what anyone says, no one makes fries like McDonald's) saying what you think whenever you want (without the fear of being hit) and Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

When you are feeling that you are not in love with this great country of ours please think of all the things that we take for granted.  Yes, we can be better but we are blessed to have what we have when there are so many others that lack even the essentials.

Happy Birthday USA!  May God Bless You!

Poolside Summer Fun

Hi!  It's been a while.  I apologize but I have been enjoying some relaxation poolside with my family.  It has been so hot that the only place where I can get my little man to burn some of his energy has been at my in-laws pool.  It has been great!
Little man has finally learned to "swim" with his floaties, Puddle jumpers are the best!  I have literally tried them all, either I felt they were unsafe, uncomfortable, too bulky, too scary, etc.  This device has allowed him to go around the pool at his leisure, he learned how to kick and is slowly learning how to use his arms.  This only after wearing them for a day and a half!  I never recommend anything because it just looks bad and because someone might blame you for their bad experience.  PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN UNATTENDED.  I am only saying that this has worked for us and has given my child enough freedom and security to actually enjoy the pool.
What can I say, life is good!  We have had a very hard, stressful and insecure few months.  It is such a relief that God keeps looking after us and everything seems to be fixing itself on it's own.  Just remember one very important thing:  What you can't fix leave it in Gods hands, He will know exactly what to do.  Again, sorry for my absence but I need some time to enjoy my family and the simpler things in life.