***Ad disclosure: This post contains links to Crystal Paine e-courses. I do earn a profit when you sign up for these courses.*** I can be a serious stress ball. If there’s a problem, it’s a “crisis.” When things go wrong, I feel like it’s all my fault. Self-chastisement is my specialty. Getting the kids off to school in the morning is my #1 flip-out trigger. If you don’t believe that I am capable of total lunacy, you have clearly not […]
» Read moreHave you ever felt old before your time or just achy all over the place? I keep wondering. Is this just getting older? Or is this a problem that can be fixed? And how do you know which is which? Several of my readers liked the video with the stretching tips for hip pain, so today I’m including a stretching video for heel/foot pain and swelling. This is another nuisance that I deal with that I think is […]
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Such an anti-climactic couple of days around here. Do any of you have chronic back pain? I sure do. Upper back, lower back. It goes down the side of my right leg. It pops up in my wrist. I’m always hurting, some days worse than others. When I want to pretend like I feel fine, I pop an Advil 800 and head out into the world. When I want to sleep, I take Tylenol PM. I lay on hot packs. […]
» Read moreIs the Christmas stress beginning to set in for any of you? I can feel it. Christmas is more of a Mega-Urgent Task for me this year. I’m spending next week away at Science Camp with my kids. I’m afraid it’s going to be one of those no t.v./no internet sort of deals, since it’s a retreat center. That bums me out. How’s a girl supposed to entertain two pre-schoolers all day and night and do any Christmas shopping, without […]
» Read moreOur home school, Pacific Christian Academy, officially reopened its doors on Tuesday. The first day went so well, I was euphoric really. I felt like I was on a roll! The 2nd year is so much easier than the first! And then the rest of the week just kept on coming, and coming, and coming. School has gone well, but life isn’t just school. Teachers don’t just work from the beginning of the school day to the end of it. […]
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I have been working all day to clean up. My in-laws are on their way! We are excited, but man, we have gotten MESSY lately. By 5:20, I couldn’t even finish straightening up. I just ran out of steam. I told the boys, “Nonna and DaddyO will be here in 2 hours!” “Yay!!!” they all cheered. I said, “We still need to go upstairs and finish cleaning up, after dinner.” Daniel jumped out of his chair, and said, “Me go […]
» Read moreDo you ever get messed up in how you see things? You work, and you work, and you work, but you are never done, and after awhile the sky seems to be falling, you’ve forgotten to take time for fun, and suddenly all of the joy that should be in your heart is snuffed out like a candle on a birthday cake. Well, that’s been me for…well, since we moved, I guess. I just keep telling myself that if I […]
» Read moreAs I’ve mentioned before, I have been a highly stressed and impatient version of myself lately. Last night I made a resolution for myself: Today I am going to be calm. I don’t care what happens. I am going to be calm, cool, and collected. I don’t care what the kids do. I will not freak out, panic, do the eyebrow thing, yell, or act irrationally. This is my goal for today. This morning, when I gathered the boys together […]
» Read moreOn the outside looking in, we have had an amazing week: That’s us at a Washington Nationals game on Memorial Day. We love baseball games, and that was really fun. Plus, we’ve gotten to see some wonderful friends this week. Thanks for having us over, Pastor and Terri!!! Their dog is probably still recovering from what Daniel seemed to think was their ‘play date.’ Poor Annie. So good things have happened, and a few crummy things have happened, but nothing […]
» Read moreSometimes I get stressed out. Like now. I’m kind of on the verge of that right this second. Here’s why my face is all broken out like a teenager this week! It’s Friday at 2pm. The whole weekend is about to smack us in the face, and it’s not one of those nice, breezy weekends. It’s one of those crazy-insanely busy-hallmark weekends that make me want to stick my head in the sand. For starters, we promised a friend we’d […]
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