My Farmer Joe impersonation and other such nonsense

Well, the doctor's office was fun last night.  The same kind of fun that causes people to gouge their eyeballs out.  That kind of fun.

We spent two hours in a tiny room.  Kat got to learn all about Sudoku, Texas Hold-Em, and Brick Breaker from my phone.  We checked my FB, read some Bible verses, read a magazine.  She got numerous back rubs and back scratches, and did the toddler puzzle three times just because it was there.  Twitch...twitch...

Have I mentioned how much I love spending two hours in the doctor's office?

Anywhooty, we don't know much more today than we did yesterday.  We know it isn't strep and it isn't a bladder infection.  He told us to try peppermint tea to soothe her stomach in case it is an ulcer or other digestive issue.  Excuse me, what?  Ulcer?  You do realize she is 6?  But, sadly, I could see it.

We have an order to head to the hospital and do another complete blood panel.  We will be looking for mono and its relatives (no family reunions in my daughter's body, thankyouverymuch), inhaled allergens, food allergens, anemia, and any other blood-related things that might be out of whack.  That should be fun.  Last time it took three nurses and three different sticks. 

She hurt really bad this morning.  Tears bad.  I convinced her to try going to school with the promise that I would pick her up after lunch.  So, she made it with flying colors, only going to the nurse twice.  Yes, twice is a successful day right now.  I take my victories where I can get them. 

I picked her up and brought her back to the office.  She was exhausted.  So exhausted she didn't even move when I snapped this with my phone.

She is the blondish-brownish mop in the middle, in case you were wondering. 

Thank you for all your encouragement today.  My last post was extremely difficult for me to write.  I am realizing that it is much easier, short-term, to hide behind the facade we all create.  But, in the long-run, it is so much better to be real, to be honest.  And, maybe, if I am honest, raw, and open, it will encourage someone else to be as well.  After all, isn't that how the body of Christ was originally designed to work?

In other grand and exciting news, our little backyard garden is finally starting to produce veggies!  I was convinced I had killed everything in July when the temperatures skyrocketed and I could not keep the plants watered sufficiently.  But, despite my best efforts, our little plants have blossomed.

We have tomatoes

and bell peppers

and spicy peppers

and even squash.

Madi picked the squash.  Don't ask me why, when faced with the "strawberry plant or squash plant" choice, the 4 year-old picked squash.  I don't understand.  But she is very excited to have squash soon.  And I am excited for squash.  Daddy isn't.  Daddy doesn't really like squash.  But Daddy was working the day we picked out plants, so Daddy doesn't have a choice.

And here was the first harvest from our little garden.

Three little cherry tomatoes, that I had to hide from the girls until I could take a photo for the blog.  You're welcome.  They didn't last 30 seconds after this pic.  I was very happy we had three little tomatoes, or we might have had one unhappy girl.