Medical Monday: Daily Blog Review

Behind every great doctor stands an accomplished nurse. Do you think this statement is true? Ask any person who has had a personal medical experience and you will hear stories of great acts of service performed by the nurses on duty. A good nurse can save your life.

Today's blog has been around for years. Emergiblog (The Life and Times of an ER Nurse) was created by Kim, a very experienced nurse in the San Francisco area. Reading Kim's blog entries will give you insight on life as a nurse--the good times and the not-so-good times.

Popular with blogging patients and colleagues, Kim is an often sought-out host for blog carnivals. Just recently she hosted this one and this one.

Visit Kim at Emergiblog for a good, honest look at the inside of the nursing profession from someone who knows it very well, and lives it bravely. With heart.

Home School High School: My Knees are Shaking! (and other senseless ramblings….)

We fell into homeschooling quite by accident many years ago and have always been open to other choices, should that become necessary. However, I must admit that I never actually pictured a different lifestyle for our family.

This year is our second year of a mixed bag-public school elementary, junior high, and preschool; post high school; high school-and with the start of this school year, we are all going in different directions. Crazy.

In years past, we waited a week or two after the start of the public school and sauntered to the kitchen table. Welcome to school. *Yawn. Scratch.* This year, three kids are up and gone before 7:30 each morning. And that means I have to hustle!

Public school has been a good choice for some of our kids. So far. My one complaint from last year AND this year ALREADY is the sickness that comes along with it. It started, no kidding, the first week, and has slowly worked through the family. As I type my nose is dripping endlessly. DRIPPING. Dripping, ya’ll. I know. Gross. I am trying to decide whether to cram tissue in my nostrils or to just spread it out across the keyboard. No worries of anyone borrowing my laptop today! {Cue the congested, nasally evil chuckle}

All of this illness has delayed the start of our homeschool year, much to my relief. My palms are all sweaty and my throat’s all dry. *gulp* It’s high school. Freshman year. Maybe it’s just this viral illness… I don’t know. It feels connected.

I have some experience with high school at home, but that was with my daughter. My daughter who has never, ever been on the college path; she’s set on cosmetology school. But this is my son. My son who wants to go to college. My son who will someday support a family. I know. I Know. That statement sounds….ummm….old fashioned? My daughter may very well need to support a family. Still. It’s just…different.

And so, as I gear up to start high school tomorrow, I am a bit unnerved.

Weekend Edition: Daily Blog Review

I love art. With all my heart. *giggle* And poetry. Just kidding. Anyway.... I love art. My love began when I was very, very young and continued all through my life. I took art classes in junior high and high school, and even in college.

Since art makes me so happy, I thought I'd find an art blog to review and share with you all for the Weekend Edition of the Daily Blog Review.


Don't let the name fool you: Art Projects for Kids. This art blog is for young and old, school child and adult art patron, people looking for an art project and people wanting to learn a bit of art history. In other words, this blog basically covers all things art!


Kathy Barbro has designed this blog well. It's colorful, has great photos and instructions, and even includes a gallery from which you can purchase. *Editing to add that the gallery is actually art project templates....totally cool!! Blog posts are organized by artist name (check out the mini history lesson!), grade levels, art medium, and many more. Here's a sample art project that grabbed my attention.


If you have any desire to learn about art, this is a great place to start! (There I go again with the rhyming!)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


For the Spiritual Sunday selection, I'm sharing a spiritual blog that warms my heart in many ways. Like a Warm Cup of Coffee is a blog after any woman's heart. Literally.

Sarah Mae blogs about her relationship with the Lord (and how you can have one, too), coffee, marriage, family, and much more. She also hosts the 5:16 Club , an early morning forum club meant to encourage fellowship and time with the Lord every day.


Oh...and the coffee. Don't forget about the coffee!

Family Friday: Daily Blog Review

When you think family blog, you picture a blog filled with life, laughter, and love. Loads of photos, funny tales, daily happenings....all of these are important elements for a well-rounded family blog.

So, in choosing a blog for today, I decided to turn to a long-time favorite that included all of the above listed elements. And then some. This blog could easily fit in every category featured in the Daily Blog Review: Medical (patient), Tech, Homeschooling, Food, Family, Misc., and Spiritual. Every. single. category.

Today's family blog is The Shades of Pink, created by Sheri S. Sheri blogs about her family, and her love for them (and her life) is so very evident in each post. Through thick and thin, whether there is turmoil or peace, Sheri manages to pull you in.

If you're a homeschooler, the notebooking tab on the left will take you to lesson plans and ideas for a wide range of grade levels. Aspiring cooks, you must see Sheri's recipes. She's a baker-just check out the photos!

And for you hopeless romantics.....Sheri's writing her love story. Each week she posts a new chapter, and don't miss this.....her husband is also posting his perspective.


Go ahead and get ready to click 'follow'. The Shades of Pink is a blog you'll want to revisit time and time again!

Tasty Thursday: Daily Blog Review

Just because it’s that time of year, and it’s so dang hot…they’re saying 90’s today (again!)….I thought I’d find something summery and fun for today’s food blog. And I did!

ICE CREAM!!!!!

Shelagh Caudle is the creator of A Blog of Ice Cream, as well as the website, Ice Cream Recipes. Shelagh’s website is one of the world’s most popular ice cream websites. And for good reason.

Blog of Ice Cream highlights interesting and unusual stories that involve ice cream, like a dog saved by eating ice cream and a recipe for rhubarb popsicles. You’ll find tons of great ice cream recipes and links to more recipes, not to mention the links to other ice cream related articles like this one.

What is better than ice cream in the last lingering days of summer?

Nothing, I tell ya.

Ab.so.lute.ly nothing!

Homeschooling Wednesday: Daily Blog Review

If you held a gathering for homeschoolers, the talk would quickly turn to curriculum choices. Homeschooling is big business these days and there are programs and textbooks to fit a gajillion different styles and personalities. Homeschooling parents find what fits for each subject, and then often modify the programs to match each child’s needs.

But, bring up the subject of math with this same group and you’ll probably get a few hems and haws before you get an answer. More homeschoolers struggle with teaching math than any other subjects combined! This isn’t to say that homeschoolers are not math-minded. Far from it. There are just so many different approaches to teach math and often, what works for one child in the family is a dismal failure for the others.

So, today I have found a blog that is all about math for homeschoolers! Aren’t you excited? A little?

Homeschool Math Blog is just what it says. All about math. Maria Miller is a former math teacher turned homeschooler and author. She is the creator of Mammoth Math. Maria recognized the need for math support for homeschoolers so she created the math blog.

This blog contains reviews, links, worksheets, and more-all related to helping the homeschooler teach math. Maria also blogs about living math. Here’s a post regarding living math and high school.

If you have trouble teaching math, or if your child is struggling in the school setting and needs extra help, this site is a must.

Wordless Wednesday

Tech Tuesday: Daily Blog Review

For Tech Tuesday I am highlighting a very popular technology blog that has been around and going strong for more than four years. With thousands upon thousands of page views daily, Mashable is easily the world’s largest social media blog.

This blog covers all areas social media from product reviews to blog reviews to latest breaking news topics. One of the best features of the whole blog is the Mashable Lists across the top just under the header. Categories like Twitter, How To, Music, and WordPress are clickable links to detailed and informative posts.

Directly underneath the Mashable Lists, you’ll find News Channels. These clickable categories include Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Blogger, and many more. Each category leads to a plethora of information. If you use Blogger, don’t miss the Blogger tab. You’ll find postings like this. Lots of good information located in one easy stop on the Web.

Happy digging!

Waiting for the Bus

Backpacks ready…..

“Boys” in hand….(It’s a sensory thing.)

Concentrating on the wait…

Here it comes!!!

Medical Monday-Daily Blog Review

If you’ve ever been directly involved in the medical community, you know that the surgeons are the mystery men (or women). There’s a real sense of awe for those who have dedicated their lives and careers to cutting into human flesh and rearranging what they find underneath. Why do they do what they do? What makes them tick? How the heck can they handle that? What happens when surgery takes all day? When do you eat? Or go to the bathroom? The questions we have for and about surgeons are endless.

Today’s blogger is a general surgeon. Sid Schwab blogs about his life as a surgeon and attempts (successfully, I might add) to educate, inform, and entertain his readers with his stories at Surgeonsblog. He’s even written a book. Can you say multi-talented?

I usually choose a few posts to highlight and link directly, but Sid’s done that for me with his section entitled, Sampler. He has sampler categories for patients, diseases, the OR, and the mind of a surgeon, among others.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and your mouth will hang open in amazement (real life shock and awe, people!) as you read some of the stories Sid tells from his personal experiences.

What’s Up With That Appetite?!?

My 3 year old just brought me a third Butterfinger fun size to open.  And I opened it.  I know…chocolate??  Why start that habit at such a young age?  I can’t help it.  He's eating.  And it makes my heart sing happy tunes and fast food jingles.

This child was a fat baby.  HUGE.  He only weighed seven and a half pounds at birth, but by 5 months of age he was 25 pounds.  Yes!  I know.  Like I said….HUGE.  Being a heart kid, we were told to expect feeding problems and high calorie formula early on.  That never happened.  He had horrible problems with SVT (a fast heart arrhythmia) and the medical team would struggle to find an IV site under all that fluff.  And once he was feeling better, the nurses would bring his favorite formula in those cute little four ounce glass bottles….two at a time.  We’d be buzzing the nurse for more. “Keep ‘em coming. He’s still going.”

Then he hit the baby food stage.  Oh, he liked that, too.  Until he hit the 2nd stage.  That’s when the baby food becomes a bit more textured.  He ate, but not as well, so he ended up drinking way more formula than he should.  He held his baby weight, never losing an ounce, but he didn’t gain either.  From 5 months old until 22 months old he weighed 25 pounds.  He was put on Pediasure.  Vanilla.  Three bottles a day. For 16 months. Oh, how he loves vanilla Pediasure.  If Abbott Labs decided to have a “Got Pediasure?” campaign, Eli would be their man.  Anyway, can you say limited diet?  No meat, no fruit, no veggies.  Bread.  He just wanted bread. And noodles.  He gets that from me.  (It’s probably genetic.)

It’s been six months since his open heart surgery and immediately after surgery we noticed a bit of weight gain.  His heart isn’t working as hard so his food is sticking to his ribs. Literally.  So, the cardiologist said those dreaded words….."No more Pediasure”.  I was immediately worried about his nutrition and his addiction. lol! The next thing I knew we were being referred to the children’s hospital for feeding group-an intensive feeding therapy.  (He was diagnosed last fall with sensory/texture feeding issues.)

We started weaning the Pediasure down to one each day by mixing it with vanilla soy milk.  He transitioned well and the next thing I know, somebody has decided that food is good.  All food. (well, almost)  Bananas (gomeenas)??, apples, cheese. Oh. my. gosh. the cheese.  Even a bite of chicken. And strawberry Nutrigrain bars-two at a time. The feeding therapy group doesn’t even start until September.  Whoa…..  Okay. After years of begging this child to eat…  Now how do I slow him down??  Maybe I should look into OA instead….

Daily Blog Review: The Weekend Edition

Can you believe the weekend is here again? The days are just flying by. Once the lazy days of summer end it seems the time just moves faster. Such is life, I’ve always been told….

For Saturday’s miscellaneous blog, I’ve chosen a blog all about frugality. In today’s economy, most of us are trying to be frugal. And if we aren’t trying, we probably should be.

Charlene at My Frugal Adventures blogs about her frugal finds and even offers to help us all get started. You’ll find posts highlighting special offers and coupons, as well. If you are looking for ways to save a few bucks, visit Charlene at My Frugal Adventures-where less is more!

For Spiritual Sunday, I have found a blog that is billed as a Christian blog about healthy Christian living. Zach, the author of Bought For A Price, tells his personal story here. His blog is organized in topics like Bible Study, life, and Worship (and many more). Be sure to check the left side bar for the complete category list. And speaking of frugality, don’t miss Zach’s thoughts on Christians and money.

I hope you’ll all take time to enjoy your weekend, save a little money during your ‘frugal adventures’, and think about what it means to be ‘bought for a price’.

Family Friday: Daily Blog Review

There is no other way to say it…. Today’s blog is just dripping in good ol’ Southern charm. And being a true G.R.I.T.S (*girl raised in the south) girl, I find that charm especially comforting and familiar.


When I visit Kelly’s Korner I feel like I’m visiting a neighbor. I think of church socials and hometown heroes-things that make you think true American. Oh, and did I forget to mention the Razorbacks? If you spend just a little time at Kelly’s Korner, you’ll discover her love of the Hogs.

While Kelly is the master behind this blog, taking wonderful photos and talking about her life and friends and hobbies, Harper is the true star with her huge hair bows and big round eyes! (Case in point….check out the blog header photos. ADORABLE!)

Kelly is openly a child of Christ, posting prayer requests and displaying her faith for all to see. It’s refreshing.

I encourage you to look around for recipes or go to her recipe blog. Kelly also has a very popular feature called “Show Us Your Life”.

Choosing one post to highlight was extremely difficult. I found this one that shows so many sides of Kelly.

Kelly makes you feel like a next door neighbor or a sorority sister, and this is what makes Kelly’s Korner so fun to read!

Tasty Thursday: Daily Blog Review

Oh.my.goodness.

I stumbled upon today’s food blog yesterday entirely by accident.  I had already chosen a food blog for today’s review,  and then I saw this blog.  The first entry that popped up on the screen grabbed me and as I worked my way down the page I found post after post of yummy goodness mixed with interesting tidbits.  I will definitely be going back for more!

Today’s blog is called The Kitchn.  And no, I didn’t misspell it.  This blog will appeal to the diehard foodies out there.  It has mouthwatering recipes, awesome food photographs, foodie tips, and everything kitchen.  Or kitchn. 

You’ll find everything from ice cream recipes to cheap kitchen makeovers on this blog.   Not to mention the real food.  Oh, be still my beating heart….

You’ll find a quick recipe index by clicking on Top Recipes in the left sidebar and be sure to check out the Top Post section in the same area.

And this.  This is what grabbed me and reeled me in….

Enjoy~

Wordless Wednesday

Home Schooling Wednesday: Daily Blog Review

In searching for home schooling blogs, I have discovered that, A. MANY home schooling moms blog about their daily lives, and B. Each home schooling blog showcases a very different feel. Even the families that have the same style, reasons, and ideas of home schooling seem to come across in very different ways in the blog world. And this is what makes the whole concept of home schooling so...well...wonderful. YOU make the decisions. You set your family’s goals and you make it all work.

I have been a part of the home schooling community for many years and already have a wide selection of familiar home schooling blogs to share. I’m sure many of these familiar (to me) favorites will make their way into the Daily Blog Review over the next few months. But for now my goal is to find new places to visit.

The feeling I get for today’s blog can be summed up in one word….GENTLE. Everything about this blog is gentle from the template to the tone. Even the name is gentle~ Urban Wild Flowers. And another thing…..it’s an unschooling blog. Which is probably why it comes across as gentle. Unschoolers live a life of learning-every day and every experience is a chance to learn something new.

Christy, the author, takes a lot of pictures, reads a lot of books, and shares a lot of insight. She hasn’t tagged her posts, so you’ll have to go through the posts one-by-one, but that’s okay. The flow is so nice and natural and that makes this blog very easy to read and enjoy. Don’t miss her entry about tying bows. Her entry on school planning is perfect. We had a couple of years just like this and if I could go back, they would all be like this!

Tech Blog Tuesday: Daily Blog Review

Today’s blog is a little different. I’ve been through several tech blogs in a few different categories and I hit upon this one for you all today. (Tech blogs usually go right over my head. More than usually….) This one really appealed to me because of the artistic touch.

The author of today’s tech blog is an artist. Oliver Widder is an IT guy in Germany who also happens to be a talented cartoonist. His blog, Geek and Poke, is a perfectly balanced blend of his two biggest interests.

Be sure to go through his postings and find your favorite cartoon strip. Each entry is short-just the cartoon and a condensed explanation. I found myself chuckling at a few of them. I really liked this one.

Don’t miss Oliver’s Flickr slideshows in his right sidebar (I haven’t been through all of the shots yet, so fair warning) and his fun game apps on the left sidebar. Be careful! Those games are addictive!

Medical Monday-Daily Blog Review

Today’s blogger is a doctor. A pediatrician. A really cool blogging pediatrician. The kind that, if you’ve ever had a sick child, you would want for your family. We are blessed to have a great pediatrician and if she blogged, she’d be a really cool blogging doctor, too, but that’s beside the point.

When I first started reading Danielle’s blog she was still a medical student. She blogged her way through med school on 6 Year med. When she became a pediatrician, there was great debate over changing the name of her blog.

Danielle’s most recent post sums up what I love about her blog. She’s honest and open about her life as a doctor, and about how difficult it can be behind the scenes, so to speak. And don’t miss her “Best of 6 Year Med” list in the right side bar.

You’ll experience humor, disbelief, anger, and true sorrow all wrapped up in the life of one woman who is making a difference, whether she realizes that or not.

Daily Blog Review: Weekend Edition

After a long week of blogging, (and living a normal, hectic life with 5 kids) I've decided that the Daily Blog Review will take a little turn on the weekends. The Daily Blog Review: Weekend Edition will showcase two blogs; Saturdays' Misc. category and Spiritual Sunday.

For today's miscellaneous blog, I have chosen a green blog. Green, as in Eco-friendly. Green living is a very hot topic and something we should all be at least a tiny bit concerned about. If each of us would do one small green thing each day, we really could make a difference.

The Green Girls covers all areas of green living. Recycling, all-natural products, re-using...you name it. This blog is a small part of a very comprehensive website.

I will warn you that there are links to pages on the blog header and on the website as a whole that may not be of interest to moms with young children! You shouldn't miss this blog for that reason, though. It has great product reviews and Eco-friendly tips that we can all use. You may even find some new recipes.


Switching gears, we'll now move into Spiritual Sunday. I know. A bit of a contrast between Saturday's choice. lol Oh, well. Moving on along....

On the FIAR boards (home school message boards) this past week, struggling Christians, being real, and why Christians treat each other so poorly were major points of discussion. Many sad stories were told and the whole area of discussion has left me pondering my own personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. I'm thinking I'll post more about this at a later date. We'll see...

So, in my search for blogs to review, I came across this blog by searching 'being real'. Written by a pastor and worship leader, Real Worship is a blog that details not only church services and sets, but personal reflections. It's the personal reflection of Mike Ellis that sets the tone for this blog, and undoubtedly for his church. The post Anyway is a must-read (and this one especially for you FIAR ladies). As a matter of fact, don't miss anything in the How We Worship category. Or the recommended category. This blog is definitely going in my personal bookmarks.

Have a great weekend!

Family Friday-Daily Blog Review-Day 5

I think everyone has a favorite "Mom" blogger. Life with kids makes for great blog fodder. When you click into a person's blog, you never know how the day's entry is going to affect you. Moms write and sometimes it's profound, covering current hot button issues. Other times it's engaging, side-splitting, or even heartbreaking. It's life. Every day.

Today I am sharing my all-time favorite family, or Mom blog. My daughter found this blog quite by accident. She was searching Google for something a long time ago (we can't remember what) and came across an entry that had us both rolling with laughter. I've been hooked ever since.

Today's blog is Mom to the Screaming Masses, written by Carmen Staicer. I know that I have been linking specific posts in my reviews, but this time I have to insist that you just read. It's all worth reading! What makes Carmen's blog so popular? Every entry is real. REAL. Okay, maybe I'll link just one entry...just to get you started...

Carmen also has a diet blog called The ELFF Diet. She has weight, diet, and exercise struggles just like the rest of us. She blogs about it all here and once again, she's always real.

Enjoy!

TGIF! or One Week Down, 35 More to Go...

We did it! We made it through the first week of school. It is tough to get back on a schedule after being free all summer. We are definitely not going to bed early enough. I don't know about the kids, but I'm looking forward to the weekend. Pitiful, isn't it? One week of getting up early. It's not like I have to go to school.

We talk about how things will change when we get rich. Publisher's Clearinghouse, the lottery, passing of a rich relative, our ship coming in-all of which we either don't participate or just don't have...but we still talk about it like someday it really will happen. Because you just never know, right?

Well, when our piles of money are fully formed, we have decided that we will hit the road. Big RV, all five kids and the dog-the whole works. We'll be traveling homeschoolers and we won't have to get up at 5:30 every morning. So there. Humpffhhh.

This weekend will be devoted to school planning for my one remaining homeschooler, soccer, and sitting on my front porch in my new chair. If it isn't too hot...




...watching for the happy cows.

Daily Blog Review-Day 4

Have you ever gone through blog rolls that are totally devoted to food? I had NO idea that there are so many bloggers totally devoting their blogs to food. You can find everything from restaurant reviews, to cooking tutorials, to regional cuisine, to frugal recipes. An endless parade of beautiful pictures and clever blog names. Unbelieveable.

I've been going through several blogs this morning that I had bookmarked for review and MAN...I should have had breakfast first.

Anyway. On to today's review.

Today's blog is just.so.cute. This blogger doesn't have a thousand Google followers, or even a hundred. But that's okay. She will. She's young and so is her blog. What she does have is a big love for yummy food and big enthusiasum.

Are you ready? Today's blog is Cookie Monster. The cookie monster, er, lady behind the tray of adorable cupcakes is Ashleigh, a student at UCSD.

Ashleigh cooks and bakes using a wide variety of recipes (always giving credit to the recipe source), takes great photos, and gives a little review of the whole process-good and less than perfect-and the food.

It looks like she'll try anything, but especially enjoys cookies and desserts. After all, she is blogging as a cookie monster....

The food choices look tasty and the photos are awesome. Check out the cookie close-ups. Yum. And I even found my favorite. Yum again. I want cookies!

Don't forget to visit The Funky Heart today....

He's hosting the 5th edition of the 'Patients for a Moment' blog carnival. You don't want to miss it!

Daily Blog Review-Day 3

Ask any homeschooling mom and she will tell you that the number one comment she hears from other people about homeschooling is....."Oh, I could never do that!" It's usually followed with..."My kids do not __________________." (listen to me, like to be at home, care.) And then comes-"My kids would drive me crazy!"

Having lived the homeschooling life for 11 years, this style of education is near and dear to me. Now that I have children in public school and home school, I have an even greater appreciation for the homeschooling way of life and for those women who do the job well.


It's true; homeschooling is not an easy choice. What you need is a plan. Organization. And you need to live by that plan. Of course, you must be flexible so you can take advantage of the many learning opportunities that come your way. But, bottom line. You've got to have a plan.

I am actually going somewhere with all of this. I'm leading up to today's featured blog.

Today's blog belongs to a true educator and one organizing, decluttering mommy! And her blog reflects her mission-to give her family her very best efforts.

Heather at Blog, She Wrote writes about her family life and their homeschool lessons and experiences. (Don't miss her Five In A Row lesson journals in the left sidebar-organized by title, of course! And if you have never heard of Five In A Row, you'll be well-acquainted after visiting this blog.)

Heather is quick to add organization tips and showcase her love of crafting, while injecting much needed humor and encouragement.

Heather has a special interest in preschoolers. If you have preschoolers, this blog is a must for your blog roll.

This blog is jam-packed with so much great stuff that I know I haven't even scratched the surface!

Today's Daily Blog Review

Tuesday means tech blogs here on the Daily Blog Review and I have a nice one for you. This blog is a fairly recent find for me. I don't 'do' tech blogs. Maybe I should. I know very little about the underneath side of blogging and digging around in the brains of a few techies would probably help my cause. I'll put it on my to-do list (somewhere around number 38...)

This lady bills herself as a Wordpress consultant and she has some very informative posts that are easy to understand for a very non-techie person (me). I hesitate to link specific posts because she has a little bit of everything and I don't want to limit your exposure. Her blog is well-organized so if you start at her home page, it will be easy to dig around and explore.

The blog is (Anti) Social Development and the woman behind it is Kim Woodbridge. Kim is a freelance blog developer. She offers many services in addition to her tutorial blog posts. What draws me to Kim's tech blog is the personal touch (like the zucchini post from yesterday) that she interweaves, along with a touch of humor, something that is often missing when you're looking for answers to your techie questions.

Can I have a do-over?

Let me start off by saying I seriously need some routine and organization in my life. Now that school has started back, I am feeling the pinch. Not to mention I'm dealing with severe sleep deprivation and this is only day 2 of school. My late nights have caused me to hit a wall this morning.

*Yawn*

So today started off with two sleep-deprived boys and a grumpy mom. That made for a very pleasant morning, I can tell ya. I finally got the boys out the door and as we were getting in the van, the school bus passed by. I was thinking how nice that would be if it didn't make me feel so dang guilty-and I'm not sure why it makes me feel that way...school kids ride buses...

At that moment the thought of pushing them out the door and climbing back in bed was making me a little drowsy. And then... Click. Click. Clickclickclickclick. That's the sound that came from underneath the hood. No vrroooom. Just click. Clickclickclick.

I headed back in the house and summoned my husband who immediately came to my rescue. (Suuupperrr Dad!!) Click. Click. Click. Clickclickclickclickclick. He thinks it may be the battery that has been coughing and wheezing for several weeks now.

Ahhh, the joys of being a one car family.

I let my eyes move over the deserted neighborhood as the sounds of his repeated clicking echoed through the emptiness. Along with the mooing. Insanely loud mooing. The farmer across the field pulled up into the barnyard and his cows were making a bee-line for the gate, some were even running! Mooing. like. crazy. It made me think of the California happy cows commercials.... "Marco........Polo.........Awwwww."

Two boys are now happily playing Paper Mario on the Wii (no school today!) and I'm thinking about a nap. Looks like I'm getting my do-over after all!

Lisa's Very First Daily Blog Review

Welcome to the first Daily Blog Review!

Today is Monday and that's means MEDICAL. The blog I've chosen today is the blog of a patient, but it's not just a man blogging about his medical issues.

Paul Cardall of Living for Eden was born with complex Congenital Heart Disease and has been waiting for a new heart for nearly a year. A talented muscian, Paul is an award winning pianist, producer, and record executive.

Paul writes about his medical issues, his family, his spirituality, and his music (direct link to Paul's music blog).

Paul lives his life without regret. His blog header reads, "I've been blessed my whole life to have this heart defect. I am far from perfect and needed this in my life to teach me things I could never have learned without it."

Paul waits for a new heart with poise, grace, hope, humor, and faith-great faith! And he allows all of us to watch and learn about living life to the fullest!

Daily Blog Review Details

Okay, here are the details for the Daily Blog Review.

Each day (that's the plan, at least, but I am human) I will post a link and a short review for a blog that fits that day's category. I've been searching for blogs the past few days, and did you know that there are MILLIONS of them out there? Wow. Anyway...

Here are the daily categories:

• Monday-Medical blogs. This includes blogs written by: people in the medical field, patients and parents of patients, specific condition-focused blogs, health and wellness, fitness, diet and weight-loss
• Tuesday-Techy blogs. This includes electronic gadgets, html specialists, photography, etc. These are blogs that teach.
• Wednesday-Homeschooling blogs. This includes blogs written by homeschooling families, curriculum centered blogs, and blogs that directly relate to the legal and other issues of homeschooling.
• Thursday-Food blogs. This includes blogs written by chefs and home cooks, recipe blogs, meal planners, anything related to food!
• Friday-Family blogs. This includes personal family blogs, "mommy blogs", parenting blogs, and anything related to family fun.
• Saturday-Misc. blogs. This is for blogs I have trouble categorizing. lol Also considered the wild card spot. These blogs may fall into any category.
• Sunday-Spiritual blogs. Being a Christian, I'm reserving Sunday for blogs that touch the spirit and soothe the soul. Worship is the main focus on this day.

Notes and disclaimers....

Many of these blogs may contain views and ideas with which you disagree. Please take this into consideration! I will not choose blogs for this review that are morally questionable, but you never know what may be lurking underneath the surface. Click at your own risk! And if you find something you don't like....click the red X. Quick!

Many of the blogs I will be reviewing easily fit in more than one category. I will make sure to mention the many qualities of each blog. For example If your homeschooling blog is chosen for the spiritual category, I will also highlight the homeschooling aspect.

I'm all set to begin the Daily Blog Review tomorrow. How long will the Daily Blog Review last? I know I'll miss days here and there, but my goal is to make up any missed reviews. I'm shooting for my 45th birthday...so one year of reviews!

Okay. I think that's it.

Oh, one last thing. If you have a blog or know of a blog that you'd like to see in the Daily Blog Review (DBR), drop me a comment.

Now, that's it. See you tomorrow!

Not Just Any Sunday

Nope. This is a special Sunday. It is the official last day of summer vacation. School starts tomorrow for my two public-schooled boys. And they are not complaining. As a matter of fact, one of the boys is almost giddy. I hope it lasts. The giddyness. The other boy is mildy amused, but that's just his personality. I'll take that over complaining, though. I'm really hoping for a successful (and happy) school year for both of them.

My oldest boy will begin his freshman year with me at home next week. Because I still haven't finished my planning....

Eli is all set for preschool. He aged out of Early Intervention last December but ended up missing all but 7 weeks of preschool due to a heart cath, EP study and attempted ablation in December and open heart surgery in February. We are looking forward to a full year (hopefully!) of preschool and all the therapies he has lined up. His school is moving to a new building so his start day has been delayed.

Anyway, back to Sunday. I still have school forms to fill out, laundry-always laundry, a handful of Bright Hub articles to write before tomorrow...can you say procrastinator???? All this and it's already noon on Sunday. The first school night of the year is fast approaching. I really should be doing something from my list.

But before I go, I want to tell you about a giveaway at Once Upon a Blog. In honor of her grand re-opening and birthday, Jennisa is offering 3 blog makeover-related giveaways. She does awesome work!

I'm off to work on my to-do list. Twelve hours until midnight....I may be pulling an all-nighter!

Just Posting a Picture...

For no reason, other than he's just so dang cute...

And he's doing so well.

(Notice the paint on his hands? Yep, he's up to his old tricks again....)

The Project is a Go!

Coming soon....

Lisa's Daily Blog Review at "The Box"

I'm busy working out the details now and plan to start posting blog reviews on or about August 10th. Each day of the week will cover a different category: Family, Medical, Homeschooling, and Cooking to name a few.

Doesn't this sound like fun????

Back-To-School (With Patients)

*To see more entries in the 'Patients for a Moment' blog carnival (8/12/09), visit Adventures of a Funky Heart.



As we gear up for the new school year, I can’t help but contemplate what it must be like to have ‘healthy’ children. If you weren’t reading this, and you came to our home for a visit, you would assume the children were just ordinary run-of-the-mill kids. They run and play and fight like any other sibling group. They are great, great kids, but they do have their fair share of medical issues.

I can’t imagine what it might be like to think about back-to-school and not think about IEPs, medication authorization forms, speech, OT, and physical therapies.

As I write out an explanation of Asperger’s Syndrome for my son’s new teacher, I wonder if she will take the time to read it and really understand what it means. Will she look past his differences and find the really great kid just under the surface? I hope so.

As I go over my younger son’s complex congenital heart disease and Autism with his new teacher and the school nurse, I wonder…will they be able to relax around him due to his condition? Will they panic if he has an arrhythmia episode? Will they be over-protective? Or will they fall for his charm and personality and ignore the scar on his chest? I hope so.

I haven’t even mentioned the epilepsy, and the asthma, and the ADHD….

This is our reality. And the truth is every day is a blessing as we juggle inhalers, allergy meds, aspirin therapy, anti-seizure medication, therapies, and doctor appointments.

How can a person truly appreciate how much she has unless she genuinely understands how close she comes to not having it at all?

Maybe this is my way of finding acceptance. I have to admit that I think I have an insight that the mother of healthy children is missing. (And missing out on.)

Just something to ponder…

Check out this laptop giveaway...

Want a chance to win an Acer laptop?

Yeah, I know WE could sure use another computer around here. The six of us (Eli hasn't discovered the computer. YET.) are constantly playing musical chairs with the two computers we have. With teenagers and home businesses it gets pretty crazy around here.

So, anyway. The contest is at Scrutiny by the Masses. All you have to do is leave a comment answering the posted question, or you can blog about it and leave a link in the comments. The contest ends August 31st.

If you're not interested.....well...Wish me luck!