On the way to the grocery store, Zaya (5) was watching Bluey (season three, episode eleven) on our minivan DVD player. The episode was about Bluey’s mom Chilli needing a twenty-minute break.
Chilli says to her husband Bandit she needs “20 minutes when no one comes near me.”
I chuckled when I heard this line because, as a mom of six kids, it is very relatable. Bluey always has the best teachable moments for parents kids don’t you think? 😉
And as it turns out—today has been one of those crazy, busy days for us (Tuesdays usually are).
The past few months, my email inbox and phone text messages have been buzzing with appointment reminders from the optometrist, dentist, primary care doctor, gynecologist—and now health screenings for cancer.
Today, for instance, a Cologuard rep called me to remind me to complete my colorectal cancer home screening kit.
It initially triggered my anxiety, but the rep was so kind that I felt the tension lifting from my body, and I ended up sharing with her my anxieties.
“I just recently turned 45, and it seems like now I have to do a lot of health screenings,” I said to the Cologuard rep. “It’s a bit overwhelming, if I’m being honest.”
“Ahh yes,” she said to me. She said she completely understood how I was feeling.
“It just feels like it all came crashing down, doesn’t it?”
We both laughed, and I replied, “Yes! That is EXACTLY how it feels—it feels like it’s all crashing down on me.”
The rep was very compassionate and shared a way I can reframe my anxious thoughts on the health screenings.
She encouraged me to look at it like this: I’m simply taking good care of my health by getting routine preventive care. She reminded me that screenings can catch things early—before they become serious.
I didn’t mean to unload my heavy feelings onto a complete stranger 😆, but I am thankful for her kindness and helping me out!
“Cast your care upon the LORD, who will give you support. He will never allow the righteous to stumble.” Psalm 55:23
Today felt weird because we didn’t go to Mass. 😕 Well, Travis went to Mass last night because he had a group meeting, and they always go to the Saturday vigil Mass right after the meeting.
I’d say I’m about 80% better. Zhen (13) still has sinus congestion. Zaya and the boys seem to be doing much better.
I’m just very grateful we are all recovering and getting healthy again. 🙏🏽
I’m a little nervous about the upcoming week. I didn’t realize how sick I was actually feeling last week until today when I noticed I didn’t feel anymore brain fog or super low energy.
So, naturally, I feel a little out of sorts because my usual routine got off track. I feel like I lost a lot of time even though it was just a week. Lol 😆😂
Not weird at all! We always have donuts on Sundays. Last Sunday, we had to skip donuts because the kids and I were sick. We were excited to have our Sunday donuts back! 😊
Dragons and slime. The kids played with their dinosaurs, dragons, and slime toys.
Zephaniah (8) putting together one of his green dinosaurs. 🦖
Encanto Lego House. Zhen put together her Encanto Lego set.
I did a little jewelry making today. I spent a few hours working on earrings for my oldest daughter and I. This set is one of the earrings I made today.
Time to get back to homeschooling! After making the jewelry, I did some homeschool lesson planning for the week.
I’m looking forward to starting our Art unit study this week! I can’t wait for us to visit more local art galleries.
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures forever.” Psalm 107:1
Another thing about being sick—everything shifts. Appointments get canceled or rescheduled, plans get postponed, and regular routines get thrown out of order.
Today, I canceled my dentist appointment (scheduled for next week). My energy is slowly starting to come back, but I know my body still needs time to recover.
The kids are also slowly getting better, too. They still have lingering coughs. So, this weekend, we are taking it easy and resting.
Photo from our garden last year. Being sick and stuck in bed this week made me realize—I can’t wait for gardening season!
I’ll admit, though, I am starting to get a little bored. 😆 I can’t wait to feel 100% better again!
Earlier today, I was watching an episode of Heartland, and seeing all the sunshine and green grass in the background instantly made me feel ready for spring.
Now I’m already dreaming about gardening season and warmer days ahead. 🤩🌸💐
“The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25
My cold symptoms hit me pretty hard last night, so I had to take the day to completely rest.
I spent the day resting in bed watching TV. I normally don’t watch a lot of TV in a day, so it felt a little weird watching movies and Netflix shows all day. 😆
I’m so grateful for my husband’s love and care. He’s been a big help while I’ve been sick.
Even though he still had to work, he did some light grocery shopping, made sure food was prepped for meals, took care of the laundry, and picked up our two oldest kids from work.
Today, I rested in bed and binge-watched a lot of TV!
Three of my little ones are also recovering from their colds, so today was a rest day for them, too.
Whenever one person in the family gets sick, it’s just a matter of time before someone else gets it, too. It can take three to six weeks for the whole family to get sick and get well again.
And right now, we are on week three of this viral bug making its way through the house.
I have a feeling this is what the month of January is going to be like for us.
Here are a few moments from today’s sick day.
To help pass the time, the kids enjoyed making crafts, playing games, and watching shows.
Zaya (5) cutting out one of her paper crafts.
I watched the 2023 film Priscilla. It wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be.
Zephaniah (8) made sure to check on me throughout the day. 🥹🥰
He showed me one of the games he was playing.
So cute—Zaya performed a puppet show for me while I rested in bed. 🥰
😸 Sparkles the Cat
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Zaya (5) woke up in good spirits this morning, despite having trouble sleeping through the night (which meant I, too, didn’t get good sleep 😕). I monitored her temperature, made sure she drank water, and comforted her when she needed it most. 😊
I was considering taking her to the doctor today, but thankfully, she didn’t get a fever or have any other symptoms to cause concern.
Zaya snuggling with Stitch last night. 🥹💜
🧺 Clean Laundry Folded — Check!
Since Zaya was feeling a little better today, I took the opportunity to catch up on laundry.
When just one of the children are sick, routine household tasks and any other commitments are put on hold.
It can sometimes feel overwhelming to get out of sync with our routines, so it felt good to knock out some of the clean laundry. 🙌🏾😁
Before — when I dumped all of the clean laundry on the bed.
After — feels good to get it done! 😁
🤗 A Sign That Zaya is Starting to Feel Better
Another sign that Zaya was starting to feel better? All throughout the day she followed me around and asked me if she could help me with whatever task I was working on. 🥹
Zaya LOVES helping. She helped me make tea, clean the top of the dryer, bring the laundry down to the basement, and make lunch! 💜
Zaya helping make lunch. 😊
We made turkey sandwiches for lunch. 🥪
🍪☕️ A Cozy Book, Cookies, and Tea
It wasn’t all work today. I did enjoy some quiet time reading the novel Little Women while eating homemade cookies and sipping lavender rose black tea. 😊
Delicious, homemade cookies I baked today.
🤧 Cold and Flu Season is Here
I started to feel some mild cold symptoms, too. I hope I don’t get sick, but considering E and Zaya are sick, it’s a strong possibility more of us in the family will get it, too. 🫤
Wintertime is usually when we get sick. It takes about three weeks or more for the entire household to be sick-free.
I’m expecting this sickness to make its way through the house soon. When one person in the family gets sick, it’s only a matter of time before the others get it. 🤒🤧
Health alert from one of my apps.
So far to prepare, I cooked a big pot of chicken noodle soup and stocked up on chicken broth and Pedialyte pops.
We’ve already got plenty of herbal teas in the cabinet. Loose leaf tea is our go-to for when we are feeling sick. ☕️🌿
For this week’s grocery order, I plan on getting more applesauce, fresh fruit, boxes of tissue, and other food/supplies we need to be ready for whatever the next few days bring.
I’m anticipating a lot of cozy reading, indoor activities, binge-watching Netflix series, and resting at home! 😌✨️
“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:12
You know you’re an adult when you spend over $60 on a fancy toothbrush and power flosser!
Today, at the dentist office, I decided to splurge a little and purchase the Phillips Sonicare toothbrush and power flosser.
It’s the first time I have ever spent this much on a toothbrush! 😲
Not me getting excited about a pressure sensor. 😂🪥🦷
If I’m doing this, I’m doing it ALL the way! 😄
This is what self-care looks like in your 40s. 😌🦷😂 And I gotta say—I like it!
There was a time I wouldn’t have thought twice about a purchase like this. My parents and older kids gifted me birthday money, and I was considering getting another tattoo (I have 17 tattoos, so far. 😊).
But instead, I asked myself what’s something I can get for myself that can help improve my health? 🤔
Zaya thought this big mouth model was so cool.
Zaya brushing the teeth on the mouth model.
Zaya (5) and Zephaniah (8) had a dentist appointment today, and while I was sitting with the kids in the exam room, I saw the Sonicare toothbrush and power flosser.
That’s it! 💡— I thought to myself.
$140 on my HSA card (and even having an HSA makes me feel super grownup 😝😂)! I’d say this fancy toothbrush and water pick is a very responsible purchase than my getting a tattoo (even though I still really want one! Ha!). 😉
“A joyful heart is the health of the body,but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
All images in this blog post are my own photography. If you’d like to use a photo, please contact me first for permission. Thank you!
Today, I finally made it to the local indoor track to go walking. It felt good to get back to my exercise routine. I got off track with it a few months ago, breaking my 3-year streak of daily walking. 🫤
Why? Oh, because…life! Things have been seriously so busy since the fall.
It’s true what they say when you stop habitually exercising—you start to feel strange.
I have felt kind of off these past three months because I haven’t been walking consistently. I even gained a little weight. 😫
It felt good to get back to my exercise routine of low-impact walking!
About a week ago, I brought up my weight gain to my doctor. Feeling kind of embarrassed, I said to her, “I know I need to lose a little weight.”
But her response to me really surprised to me. She said what matters is I am healthy and I am doing good with my health.
That made me feel good. I thought to myself, Maybe I’m not doing so bad after all!
We can be our own worst critic, unfortunately. I know I can be pretty hard on myself about so many things.
I do feel proud of myself that my annual checkup results showed I am in good health. I was very anxious about that, as I have a fear of doctors and hospitals because of a past medical trauma I experienced when I was pregnant in 2020.
I’m easing back into my daily walking routine, and I will continue to focus on taking good care of my health.
And I will remember to be gentle with myself—because after all, it is okay to start over again.
