Finally a post...

Ok - I just had to do a post about something. It is late Sunday night and for some reason I'm wide awake - oh wait it could be the caffeine I had to take for my headache! Which leads me to one of my excuses for not blogging lately - I have been dealing with some pretty killer headaches. I have always gotten what seems to be more than the normal number of headaches but recently they have gotten a lot worse. Last month it got to the point, after 5 days of constant pain no matter what I did or took, that I went to the doctor. He told me that my problem then was that I was having a double headache - a migraine and a tension headache - so if I did something that worked for one, it didn't for the other and they just kept aggravating each other. He gave me a shot, told me to go home and take a nap (I like "having" to take naps) and then gave me a bunch of info about dealing with migraines. I had always assumed that some of the headaches I got were migraines, but I always just dealt with them at home and with over-the-counter drugs. Apparently I'm at a point in my life where I figure there is really no need for me to suffer when there are doctors, medications, and information out there that will help me. The doctor gave me a prescription to take at the very onset of the headache - but also told me that if I don't have it around I can take ibuprofen and drink a cola and it will do the same. I'm not a real big fan of soft drinks in general, but I really don't like colas. He really just wanted me to drink something with caffeine. Of all the caffeinated pops, Dr. Pepper is the one I can tolerate - so that is what I have been using. I tried the prescription, but it doesn't work as well or as fast and makes me jittery and slightly loopy. But let me tell you - I wish I had known about the ibuprofen and caffeine thing ages ago. (I can use aspirin or naproxin as well - I just always have ibuprofen on me anyway) He also has me tracking my headaches to figure out the triggers - and then I'll go see him again in a couple of months to re-evaluate. One of my triggers that we have already figured out is skipping meals. Now I try not to do this just because in general it isn't good for you - but we have the 11am-2pm church time right now - so that means I miss lunch every Sunday (and also explains why I have been getting a headache every Sunday night this year and have always tended to get one on fast Sundays). I'm trying to figure out how to get a meal in but it hasn't worked yet - it is too crazy to try and eat breakfast and lunch before church - and I tried just having a snack - but it didn't work out today - so my head doesn't hurt now - but I am also awake...
So anyway, that is one of my excuses - the other is that life has been crazy-nuts around here between camping and day trips to the zoo and wildwaves, and birthday parties and holidays and visits from cousins and aunts and uncles and music and swim lessons and Tyler doing physical therapy 2 times a week and... (wait - did school just let out a month ago???) I'm not sure where to start. But it should be a little calmer this week (Morgan and Kaylee leave for girl's camp in the morning) and so at least the craziness will be mostly contained to being home - so hopefully I'll be able to squeeze some posting in between the loads of laundry and cleaning and the other demands the 10, 7, 6, 5, and 3 year-olds will have for me. (The 6-year-old is the little girl I babysit) I'll miss Mo and K-bob - but I'm sure they will appreciate the break for all the babysitting they have gotten stuck with so far this summer. And just as a special tribute to them here are a couple of pics that make me smile and proof they are truly northwest*...

Morgan at the beach at Fort Worden - with her ski hat in the water - it was about 75 degrees out - just made me laugh...

Ok - so this is Kaylee's feet - and her choosen footwear while camping...

*for those of you not familar with the northwest profile commercials from Pemco Insurance - here is one of my favs...

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