I have a Disease

It's called ICantStopItis.

So, I've been strung out as usual. Last week I had a couple of days when I had no orders to fill because I was waiting on a large shipment. So I had a garage sale for three grueling days. Then I did a mural. Then I came home and burned the midnight oil for several days to fill six orders and get them all shipped out. The end was in sight, at least for the time being (until my next shipment of five orders), and at this moment, I have six completed orders sitting on my front porch, waiting for the postman. So what did I decide to do? List my letters on a different website, an eBay-like site that sells all handmade items. I got two orders within the hour. Now I have two auction sites to manage, endless e-mails, shipping to handle and of course, orders to fill. Because I have this disease, I am painting switchplates for one of my customers and canvas-painted letters for another, because apparently one of the symptoms of this grave illness is to continually accept any and every job and to never be satified with JUST selling ONE thing.

I'm trying to do all of this while still being a good and attentive mom. Yeah.

Actually, I do feel like we've had some good time together. My letter-painting obsession has kept me at home more than usual, so we're not constantly driving (can't afford it anyway) and going places. I've had some one-on-one time with each of my kids, and Andy is having a blast getting outside with them. Audrey is a little slugger and can knock an overhand pitch nearly over our fence. Wesley is a bicycling maniac. Ashton has taken to singing. He's also goofier by the minute, and his budding vocabulary makes him all the more interesting. Cole-7 months- is gorgeous, and smiley, and a real cuddler (my first). He is STILL not sitting up. Why sit up when you can get carried everywhere? He is still mega-high-maintenance (like I said, why sit up when you can get carried everywhere?) and wins the award for Crying Endurance. There's no CIO in this house, only C. "IO" simply does not exist.

Which reminds me that there is WAY too much C in this house. I think there is someone crying during every waking minute of the day. I exaggerate. But it's at least every OTHER waking minute. Audrey and Ashton will be walking along and just drop to the floor, tripping on air. Wesley will cry about every injustice done to him in life. Cole will cry if someone is not bowing down and catering to his every whim every second of the day.

So someone asked me why, during this hectic season of my life, that I would take on a side business ("side"...HA!), and I told her it's because I'm an idiot. I blame the disease. Are there meds for this?

Doctors and Hospitals and Dentists, Oh My

The Molhoek family is making up for lost time in the fields of medicine and dentistry. I am not the sort who goes rushing to the doctor for every cold. I am also not the kind of mom who goes to the doctor (right away)when I've got bronchitis for five weeks or a developing case of strep. I just hate having one more thing on my to-do list and I hate spending money. But when you've gotta go, you've gotta go. And it seems we've had to go a lot lately.

First, Cole had his six-month appointment. No biggie. But he was a week early for shots so we planned to come in the following week for pokes. 2 days later we're in there because of his horrendous growing rashes, and then promptly sent to the hospital because he had a fever. Meanwhile, I was developing what felt like strep, but ignoring it because I'm cheap. And gargling continuously with hydrogen peroxide - which WORKED. You must try. Anyway, I digress. Cole started improving, and when he went in for his shots, he didn't even cry. He just sat there. I guess that after having little gremlins eat all the skin off your neck for a week, crying over a wee shot is for sissies. (Or, in other words, for AUDREY, who had to get her boosters a few days later. She didn't kick the nurse or hide behind the door or anything, which is a bonus, but she cried! And cried! And cried! But this is not new).

So, after Cole's shots, two of my kids were roughhousing and Ashton got shoved into a lamp by a certain unnamed 5yo female and so we loaded everyone in the van at 6:00 pm and took a Molhoek Family Outing to the Urgent Care for stitches. Ashton got three and he was a real trooper. Didn't move or flinch and even sat there saying "needle inside" as he watched the dr. with the needle poking around, one inch from his eye. He cried a lot less than Audrey did, but I guess I should expect that. Boys. You know, they have to be tough.

So, while all of this medical drama was unfolding, we had scheduled dentist appointments. I blogged that I was worried that Ashton and I might have cavities. Nope, we were both cavity-free and received commendations on our excellent brushing skills. Then came Audrey. She's had two cavities before and now it appears she has TWELVE. I really do brush her teeth and make her use anti-cavity rinse! And she only drinks water and eats more healthfully than the boys! She just inherited rotten teeth (and apparently I mean that literally). So we'll be spending half the summer in the dentist's office. Joy of joys. Since then I've become the ever-vigilant brushing police. She has two wiggly teeth, almost ready to come out. But yes, you guessed it, the ones about to fall out are two of the six remaining teeth withOUT cavities.

Wesley lost his first tooth on Sunday. And then lost his lost tooth. So he put a note under his pillow to explain. There was no money under the pillow in the a.m. and my husband told Wesley that he checked his cell messages and there was a call from Ms. Fairy explaining that she was behind in her schedule but hadn't forgotten Wesley. So there was a dollar under his pillow later that day. Silly Fairy, she really should get her act together. She must have four kids six and under at home.

Today we have a follow-up at the dermatologist for Cole and stitch removal for Ashton. And my nurse-practitioner friend thinks I should really get an x-ray for my finger, which - six weeks later - is still red an inflamed and hurts like crazy. But you know me. I think I'm all doctored out for the time being.