Well, after a year of fighting with a bad jaw tooth, I had it extracted! Such liberation! Such, er, pain!
Here's how my journey was with my tooth.
Back in March or April of last year, my tooth chipped. I knew it had been filled, so I figured the fillings had probably come up. Well, I got to the dentist before it started hurting and they said that the tooth had broken and some of the nerves were exposed. This meant they had to 'open' the tooth and sort-of do a root canal. I was pregnant, so they didn't do a full one. My family dentist referred me to have an endodontist look at it. Well, I didn't jump on that (I don't jump on ANYTHING in the medical profession...ha) until I woke up in excrutiating pain one morning in July. It was right before my due date. We headed over to see the endodontist which happened to be a sort-of friend of mine. He worked me in and once again just opened the tooth, cleaned it out, and told me to come back when I had the baby. Well, I was in so, so, so much pain that day. I will never forget that pain. Anyway, once again, I fooled around and didn't go back. I *Just* finished paying for that little operation (it was like $600..insurance pd. some, I think I had to pay about $400 or so). Well, I went to my family dentist in February for my cleaning and to see if he would just pull the blasted thing. Well, he hemmed and hawed around and didn't want to do it (basically because his endodontic friend wouldn't receive the $$$$ it would cost to fix it) so I left again with said tooth in my mouth.
Well, a few weeks back, I put on my Researcher Hat and got on the internet to look up root canals. I was looking to see how safe they are. Well, I found that in about 75% of root canals, the canal isn't sealed off all the way and infection constantly leaks into the bloodstream. I also learned about the paste they use to seal the canal has some properties of formaldehyde? Anyway, I decided then and there, I just wanted it out! The author of the article went on to say that teeth are the only thing 'dead' that doctors want to leave on the body. Why leave something dead in your mouth? It decays and rots! Anyway, I decided to get another opinion!
So, I went to my Dh's dentist. I told the hygenist (thank goodness, I knew her, I taught her son) that I wanted it out!! She didn't seem to keen on the idea but said she's tell the dentist. I could here them talking in the hall. Anyway, surely he thought I was a wacko to want my tooth pulled when I could have it left in my mouth! :o) But, he gave me two options: a root canal, or tooth extraction. Here I sit before you, toothless! :) I'm so glad to get this love/hate tooth relationship behind me! I'm so glad I wrote the Dear John letter to him. I'm so glad I cut all ties (er floss) with that tooth! It has caused me some pain (don't all 'broken' relationships?) but I'm relieved it's over! Now I can get on with my life!! :o)
Sigh, my Spring Break is almost over. It has been wonderful. I'm so excited about my SAHM status that begins May 18, 2008. God is good.
Thanks for listening about my tooth. Sometimes it helps to put it on paper. You know, the first step in getting past a relationship is acceptance. :o) (No, I'm still not under anesthesia) haha
Tonight I made my first ever batch of homemade tortillas. The shells, you know. :) They were way better than those bought in the stores and they don't have 20 ingredients in them. Actually, it's just flour, shortening, salt, and water. Nothing artificial, no preservatives. Cool, huh?
We had Chicken/Spinach Quesadillas along with Chips and Salsa (semi-homemade). Everything was good and since I had just nursed Evan, I gorged myself. :) After I nurse, I can eat heaps of food and drink lots of water or tea. It's amazing the difference nursing can make with your appetite.
Anyway, that's not my subject. :) What kinds of foods do I prefer? Well, if I am not at home, I will eat almost anything. I don't eat a lot of packaged (processed) foods, but since I eat in the cafeteria at school, probably lots of foods are processed made out to be homemade, kwim? But, just stopping by the store and grabbing some packaged type of junk food? Nope, not me. I can't force myself when I know there are some awful *fake* ingredients in these foods. Now, honey, if you read this, I know I will occasionally get something at the store when we are on a trip. ;o) I enjoy it too. Ha.
When we are home, I usually cook about 3-4 times per week. I fix most things from scratch. No premade Lasagnas or anything like that. It's not that I try to be all Martha or anything, it's just that I can't stand all the 'extra' ingredients that are put into prepackaged foods. I have educated myself on the harm that preservatives, artificial colorings, and hydrogenated oils can do to your body. I enjoy cooking nutritious, fresh meals for my family.
When I shop, 95% of the food items in my buggy will be organic. I have a sense of pride in knowing that I am feeding my family the best and the healthiest. You can afford Organic. If you don't buy a lot of prepackaged foods like cookies, chips, mac and cheese dinners, mash potato dinners, canned goods, etc., you can afford organic foods. What do I usually buy organic? Well, I will buy Organic Orange Juice, Organic Milk, Organic canned goods (veggies, I save them for emergencies and use fresh first), Organic cereal, Organic canned chicken, organic PB & Jelly, organic baby foods, organic yogurt, and organic produce. Some things I can't get organic like butter and cheese. The chicken I buy (other than canned) isn't organic, but it is antibiotic-free. Some things I can get from the health food store, like organic grits. I could get butter and maple syrup there, but it is too expensive (butter=$7).
My goal is to eat healthier and healthier. Not be an 'in your face' person who looks down on others for not eating healthy--most ppl aren't educated about healthy eating. Those that are, it IS hard not to wonder why they won't eat healthier or feed their kids healthier.
Anyway, that is how we eat in a nutshell. :)
What does being conservative mean to me? For a true Christian, being conservative isn't a choice, it is a way of life. If one lives by the Word of God then he cannot ignore such scriptures such as, "Come out from among them and be ye separate..." and "....in the world but not of the world" and so forth. There is no way that we can serve both God and the devil. First of all, how does one serve God after he or she is saved? By dying daily! Paul said, "I die daily". We must crucify this flesh, this mortal body. Each of us should know our downfalls and our shortcomings. We know the area in which we are most vulnerable. I know mine. I know that I must cleanse these things from my mind or body before they are ever an issue. This is dying daily. We die on our knees. Right?
What does this have to do with conservatism? Well, a 'dead' Christian won't allow Satan or the carnality and wordliness he initiates to penetrate his soul. Thus, being 'set apart'. Being separate from the world means one lives Holy and desires a pure life. This is opposite of the 'world'.
You should stand apart from this world. People should be able to tell you are a Christian, even from your countenance. Ask God to give you a Holy Aura (sp?) about you that others will know you are a Christian. People should know you are a Christian because you don't dress the way unsaved people dress. You are modest and look like the gender God made you. Your actions show you are 'set apart'. You aren't rude or discourteous like people 'of the world'. Lastly, you take the scriptures literally. You aim to please God and to live a dedicated life.
Being conservative is NOT a drudgery or something shameful. It is synonomous with being a Christian. Wouldn't you like to stand out for Jesus?? I would love to walk into a room of sinners and have them drop their heads in shame for their sins. I want so much more of God. How much can a person have of him? I want all that I can receive!
Just a small blog in which my thoughts are askew. Some of my words may be used wrong--anyway...my dear husband reads my blogs and I need to use the correct spelling and grammar. Under scrutiny!! :) Just kidding. Gotta love an intelligent man! :)
Too busy to blog right now....when things slow done, I'll be back! Check back every now and then!
Today was a busy Saturday albeit a sick child. Here's what I did:
~Cooked twice: breakfast which included rice, biscuits, and fried eggs and supper which included Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
~Washed dishes twice
~ Cleaned table twice
~Swept
~Mopped
~Rocked baby three times
~Held daughter intermittently
~Raked in two flowerbeds
~Transferred some 'gonna be' flowers to a flowerbed
~Took some sticks to the brush fire we built
~Washed sheets
~Looked partially at a magazine
~Emailed a friend
~Took out trash
~Stare, depressed, at the clutter that I so desperately need to tackle
~listen to my little girl's constant coughing
~wiped her nose 857 times
What I didn't do:
~clean kid's room
~put up the 4 baskets of clothes and some hanging on the clothesline
~clean out my van so I can see the floor
~sweep in the bedrooms
~hang up all the clothing that has been given to the kids in the past few days
~hold my little girl all day even though she wanted me to
~leave my house all day long
Husband was busy today too. We are both tired. So much done, but so much not done either. I'm drowning in the stuff that I want to get rid of. There is so many clothes in this household. I think I will challenge myself to keep 5 outfits for each child and put away the rest. I'm drowning in clothes. Do you have a lifejacket to save me?
Well, around Monday afternoon, I started getting my REAL baby back! Every day he gets better and better. It makes me realize just how sick he really was. We are still having some issues that have arrived from us holding him so much while he was sick. Spoiled, to be specific! :oP I'm working on that, though!
Erin is the last one to get sick. I believe she has the flu also, or at least a touch of it. She started Tuesday night with fever. Today is Saturday and she ran fever all morning. She is still snotting majorly and is not her self. I hope by Monday or Tuesday she will be back to her old self.
Thursday I ended up staying home with the kids. After seeing how idle my kids really are (lying around on the couch) and how this was getting them in to trouble, I decided to implement my schedule that I've made for when I'm a SAHM. It was met with great resistance as I had figured. I explained the schedule and told them I wanted them to go play in their zones while I did my chores. I put Emory in the Block zone and Erin in the Animal zone. She preceded to play with her animals so sweetly. Emory, however (5 yr old) preceded to whine and protest. So, after a few disciplining sessions, he at least sat down by the blocks, but never really played with them. We did our devotions after eating breakfast. Emory did his table chores (that I introduced) and Erin wiped off the table and 'helped' me with dishes. This sort of got better, but it was so not a smooth day that I invision! I invision a day where the kids just follow the schedule and do things without whine and protest. I know it will take a few days of getting used to the schedule and perhaps lots of disciplining, but I have faith that keeping their little minds occupied is the key to their success. It is so true that, "An idle mind is the devil's workshop". I see it so much with my kids. We never got to the homeschool part of our day. :/ At least they have a taste of what things will be like this summer. I'm still excited and haven't lost heart!
Enjoying my Saturday! Off to get busy, busy, busy!
