I got up this morning about 5:30 – my normal time, but in a panic. It was one of those times when you wake up thinking it is a school day and crap I got to hurry before I make everyone late! After the initial I’M UP! moment, I realized it was Sunday. A gloomy and rainy Sunday. I love it – the type of weather that can get me to clean a house and get other stuff done. Something about weather like this makes a house cozier. And makes me want to get up and get moving, not veg out on the couch watching tv all day {not that my kids would allow that, unless of course, it was a show of their choosing.}

The next thing I did was run downstairs to see if there was any pancake mix because we always have pancake mix! And what the heck …. there is no pancake mix. If you have followed me lately, I’m not eating things like pancakes – but it is Mother’s Day and I’ve had 4 kids come out of my body! I’m eating me some pancakes! THIS is the day to celebrate. I haven’t celebrated a birthday in years – other than when my friends or husband force me to do something. But Mother’s Day is huge. And something I love so much. This is the one day a year it isn’t just any other day. {My kids’ birthdays aren’t either.} BUT this is the day that I have looked forward to pretty much my entire life. As should most women. In hindsight, this day is bigger than any day I can possibly think of {except the birth of your children who put you in this spot in the first place!} I just thought my wedding day was the biggest. But in the words of my four year old daughter, “What fun was that, there were no Wheeler kids there?!” after she saw pictures of our wedding. And you know, that is my sentiments exactly.

But back to my pancakes … I’ll be waking my husband up shortly and sending him on his way to the grocery store – poor man.

So far, I have taken a shower and made up the bed. I put on paint clothes, because I will be heading into that studio shortly {and after I eat my pancakes.} I’m so behind. From painting to emails and my studio is trashed again!

The past two weeks have been rough. Hudson started testing positive for protein in his urine after he got strep throat about 5 weeks ago. I was hoping it was a typical positive – the kind that anybody would have after being sick. So I held out before giving him steroids. It wasn’t a typical situation. He woke up on a Tuesday {almost 2 weeks ago} with his eyes swollen shut. I fa-Reaked out! It was scary. He literally could NOT open his eyes. I immediately started giving steroids at the appropriate dose when he must start on them. It took about 36 hours before the swelling completely went down from his eyes, but his legs – oh my word, looked like sausages. He had cankles. And looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Where he has been steroid dependent for so many years, it normally takes a month sometimes a little longer for the swelling to go down and to get a negative reading in his urine. But where he has been off of them since the middle of December, we had a “trace” reading {which is as good as a negative when you have weak kidneys} in one week. Seriously, my mouth hit the floor! Now, normally it takes about 5-6 months to taper off to zero steroids – but that was part of the problem. The weening off took so long, that his body got dependent on them. This taper is going to be different – and shorter.

And it is going to have to be. I can barely afford to feed him right now. He is eating non-stop. I need to use this to my advantage and make him try new foods! He actually ate Domino’s Friday at a end of year celebration for one of our schools and said he liked it. That is huge. He only eats Little Caesar’s pizza – ONLY. But he was that hungry. Lonnie and I just kept snickering because he kept asking for more! Fortunately, his metabolism is working great.

Speaking of metabolism, mine is too! I’ve now started eating some foods that I restricted at first. Like I had said, I want to eat clean and without all the refined sugar, but eventually eat something if I crave it. Such as mac and cheese! But I wanted to drop 10 lbs so I didn’t eat anything bad – absolutely no cheating! But now, on Tuesday because it is double punch card day, I eat Sweet CeCe’s with my babies. I have convinced myself it is somewhat healthy because it is frozen yogurt. I’m sure there is some health benefit in the heath bar  I top my birthday cake flavored frozen yogurt with as well. Now check this out, since I have been eating so good, I’ve noticed when I eat junk, I actually drop more weight! What’s up metabolism – it has been a long time. So glad you came back to see me!!!! And because of the small spurts of junk, I have now lost past the 10 lb goal and weigh where I was about the time I got married 10 years ago. I really don’t know how much I want to weigh. I just figured if I keep eating good, then my body will eventually level out to where it should be for my height and frame. I promise to post a few recipes. And no, I’ve not added exercise – the time has not been there.

Time … the end of the school year takes it all up! Between 4 kids and 3 schools – wow. Last week, there was not a day that I didn’t go to bed before 1 am and woke back up at 5ish. The only donations I do is for Carson and Emme’s school. I donate a gift card and call it day. But I wanted to offer up the Christmas painting I did recently so I had to paint a sample. I’ve not taken a picture yet – actually it is still at the school. As well as a painting for a neighbor that is about to pop with her first child! Unfortunately, end of year gifts for teachers will not be a small words custom piece. I am currently working on these crazy and whimsical birds and bird cages – I’m dying to show you all. They are part awesome, part hysterical. And there is 4 of them! I want to finish them up today! Just maybe, oh just maybe!

Somebody has joined me. And I can hear classic Smurfs on the tv in the boys’ room – I love the classic Smurfs. We have every episode on dvd – over 15 hours of pure clean entertainment! I have a story about the Smurfs, I’ll tell you about it sometime! But for now, I’m off to wake my husband and deliver the news that we need pancake mix.

Happy Mother’s Day!