Run For Your Life!!

Filmed in barfovision for your viewing pleasure!

Sickies

Don't know (yet) if it's strep throat or just a bad sore throat, or scarlet fever (strep with a fever & rash - it's going around at Elliot's daycare), or just "die off" as the yeast in my body finally gives up the ghost.... but I. Hurt.

Tonsils are swollen and nasty looking. That seems more than the simple "sore throat" listed in the die off symptom list. Why does this always happen on a weekend? Ok, ok, I knew yesterday, but with all my other appointments I didn't have time to go see my doctor for a throat swab (gag). The walk in clinics (all 2 in the city) open in 2 hours. Each are 30 minutes away, in opposite directions. This is shaping up to be an awesome day! Are you as excited as I am?

**UPDATE: 5pm: Yep. Strep. Joy.**

In boy news, Santa arrives at the mall today and so we've been thinking of taking them over for pictures. That'll be interesting. Here's last year's picture...

Christmas 2009

Lessons Learned

Apparently, shaking your head and stepping back are both signs that you want to get on the approaching bus and when you make no move to board said bus the driver will take it upon herself to yell to catch your attention and then lecture you on proper bus-declining etiquette.

Who knew?

I sure learned my lesson today. Thank you, #10 bus!

Also learned today - vitamin B shots BURN going in. Ouch.

And sitting in a greasy spoon diner eating a plate of eggs and hash browns by yourself while reading a book is relaxing and only costs $3.45

Gonna have a nap now. B12 is low and I found out this week that I'm suddenly quite anemic. No wonder I can't keep my eyes open for more than 7 minutes at a time. 3 full hours before I need to go pick up the boys. Sweeeeeet!

Scrub a dub dub!

So tomorrow, a professional cleaner is coming in for 3 hours - I bought an awesome coupon on one of those city-specific sites that are popping up all over the place. 

So this means I should probably put some effort into picking up the house, right? I want them to do the floors. Which means the floors should be visible, unless there have been some sensational advances in the cleaning industry since I last looked. Anyone know? Anyone?

Swampwater, day 5.

I went hunting for a scale last night, but it seems ours has gone AWOL. The last time I did a candida diet change, I lost 14 lbs in 2 months. Simply from changing the way I ate. I'd like to track my progress this time, but I don't think I should get caught up in the numbers. Not yet, anyway.

I found it this morning, in our room under a pile of clothes. 170. Eep!

But this time, I have my secret weapon, the aforementioned Candida Cleanse and added Herbal Fiber Blend. Picked both products up at my chiropractor's office, of all places. She has successfully used them herself and recommends them to her clients so frequently that she decided to bring some in to sell, instead of sending people to the health food store at the end of the street. 

Today is day 5. I'm still hanging in there. In fact, I haven't had this much success in the early days before. I'm crediting the Fiber Blend for working it's magic on my digestive system, cleaning and healing it and showing it how it can be full with only a normal size of food. And of course the candida pills and tincture, which are dueling with the yeasties currently kicking around in my body.

I've been having fun with my food - you have to when you're working with a limited spread. Supper the other night was Ryvita crackers spread with goat's cheese (a candida no-no, but I've learned in the past that I can handle it), mashed avocado, halved cherry tomatoes and fresh ground black pepper. Soooooo very good!

 
I'm also nearly 5 weeks into my No Caffeine Adventure. And doing great! I don't miss coffee and I'm not even having decaf. I've been drinking tea, but my go-to drink in the morning is a coffee substitute made by Bambu. It is made from rye, chicory, figs, acorns... (ok, I know I just lost a few readers!) But it's tasty. And hot. And dark. And it meets my needs of having a mug of richness in the morning.

In other news, we had our first snow overnight! When I brought the boys downstairs, I told Elliot to go look out the window. He did, and seconds later there came an exuberant cry of "SNOW!!!!!!" He's been asking for weeks when it was going to be winter. Ever since Halloween.

Have a bunch of errands to run in it today, so that should make him happy. (Well, not the errands themselves because one of them is a doctor's appointment where he's gonna get an immunization. Shhhhh.) But it's drizzling now and I don't expect the snow to be down long. What little of it there was is fast turning to slush and running away.

Going Yeast Bustin'

Ok, I did it. I've been talking about it forever and have tried it - unsuccessfully - many times in the past. I've made it 6 weeks on the Candida Diet previously before the sugar craving put down it's mean little foot and slapped me silly for even thinking I could go sweet free.

But this time, I have a secret weapon. And a plan.

Yeast overgrowth in the body can cause so many things, from fatigue to all over body aches, to constant itching - and not just in the girly bits. During my last half-hearted attempt, my naturopathic doctor told me that since my body was so broken, it would take at least 6 months of being off of sugar, dairy, wheat, yeast and alcohol before it could start to heal itself properly. That's a depressing statement. But I fully agree with her.

This time around, I'm going a more direct route - a 15 day cleanse, complete with powders and pills to take twice a day. 

And to make it even more wonderful - and effective - I'm also taking a fiber supplement twice a day.

Bottom's up! Wish me luck.

It's only 15 days. I can do it. Just take the supplements and stay away from sugar and everything else on the huge list on the fridge.

Baking with the Boys

Today we made gingerbread cookies and pizza dough.
The cookie dough ended up dry and crumbly, so I had to improvise and add some warm water to make it roll-able. Worked like a charm, so now we have a collection of dinosaurs, moons, dogs, cats, bears, hearts and stars cooling on the table. Smells divine!

The pizza dough was more fun. After the basic mixing and rising, punching down and re-rising, I turned it out on the table with more flour and kneaded it until it was very soft. Then split it into two balls and gave one each to the boys.

Now the dough is rising for a third time, and will soon be rolled onto a pan and topped with a hearty mix of sauteed onions, garlic and peppers and some soy pepperoni. And maybe some pineapple, if it hasn't turned.

In a few more weeks, we'll start Christmas baking in earnest. Sugar cookies, fudge, chocolate bark, cheesecake, squares, pie... Mostly to be given away, of course. Before I sneak down at 3am to gobble it all up like the Grinch.


Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, I still have my fingernail. I call it my cityscape, see:

Or an erupting volcano...