Category: Totally Tatum

A million pounds I feel upon my shoulders daily. However, on the flip side, I love all that I do!
Performing my responsibilities is part of the joy of being a wife, mother, and worker. Something about accomplishment is in my DNA.

But with this compromised health situation, all I feel is guilt for not doing enough or at least doing it well.

I’m haunted by….WHAT are my my root issues… (with my health)

When Tot was born 2012, I had barely been to doctors. Now, yes, I have been dealing with gut issues for a few years past, but not to the point of non-functioning. I used to be able to swim a mile 2x/week, workout daily, walk a ton, and experience life! (including travel). Oh, I’ll include writing often, drawing, and SERVING /ministry.

Now, somedays, I wake up and wonder HOW WILL I EVEN get through my day?

I just wish I had a diagnosis so I could focus on the CURE to getting better. Feel like I’m just throwing darts seeing what moves the needle. The Dupixent has helped my gut. 
I wake up DAILY NOT rested. My legs are so weak and my fatigue is beyond functioning.

My wonders:

1. I have EOE (eosinophils were 845 on my last blood test (vs 15 which is high/normal)). Dupixent is working. I am regurgitating only like 2-3 times a day vs like 30. Nausea is way down but not gone.
2. My Autoimmune markers are positive. Further testing is being done to rule out any type of specific autoimmune. Seeing a Rheumatologist to guide me
3. Also T3 is low. (Multivitamin?: SELENIUM)
4. My RBC is low showing potential anemia.(MULTIVITAMIN and the HBOT?))
5. My heart numbers are quite high…(Cholesterol, ApoB) (Trying Coq10 + Red Yeast Rice)
6. Saffron for sleep? 
7. Peptides?
8. Did the HBOT help? Shall I try infrared?
   

I want to be ALL IN with Tatum’s homeschooling. It’s my dream and passion. I want to have dates with my husband. I want to see my family more (mom, Connie, Kas…) I’d like to have an occasional coffee with a friend. (or walk). I MISS my CHURCH and serving.

Are these selfish thoughts? These wants line up with scripture? They line up with having a full life.
All is this is part of my story. I TRUST he has a plan for me.

In the meantime, I SHOW UP forTatum every day for school. We will get through this. I pray for answers and cures to come SOON. Please Jesus…just tell me what is next for me?

After homeschool yesterday, Tatum wanted to do some “Beautifying.” Now for me, this would have taken a whole day, some wizardry, a ton of Holy Spirit, and some miraculous ingredients.

For my beautiful 12 year old? A few odds and ends from our frig.

What do you get when you mix oats (made into flour via Cuisinart), greek yogurt, and honey?

FACE FOOD!

And 15 minutes later,

“Mommy, feel my face? It’s like baby soft.

Wow, I wish it was that easy! The beauty industry would be BANKRUPT.

This is how we ROLL!

Not sure if this was the best choice since Cooper kept wanting her mask to fall. Hmmmm

So, we move onto something more doable. Stay tuned for our beauty tips.

After $^#&T$ years, I have finally learned how to play Chess.

It took my brilliant daughter to help me.

We set up the pieces, and she gave me the details of how you win.

WikiHow gave us a bit more info, but she really did a great job explaining.

guess who WON!?

She’s such a good teacher that I’ll let you figure it out.

I had her write a story using FIVE of the stems…into words): I LOVE HER USE oF PARTICIPIAL PHRASE

I gave her a prompt about a monkey in a zoo. She turned it into this:

My great escape (again) 

I never liked the zoo. Too many bars, too many rules. So one night, when the keeper forgot to lock my enclosure properly, I made my move.

Slipping through the gap, I scurried past sleeping lions and dozing flamingos, climbed the tallest fence, and leapt into the unknown. The city was loud—honking cars, flashing lights, and strange smells. But I didn’t stop. I swung from trees, scrambled over rooftops, and eventually found myself in a quiet neighborhood.

That’s when I saw him—a small human sitting by an aquatic pond, staring at the fish swimming in neat, concentric circles. He looked lonely. So, being the generous monkey that I am, I decided to introduce myself.

He didn’t scream. Instead, he held out a banana. A banana. I liked him immediately.

As I reached for it, a centipede scurried across his hand. The boy yelped, tossing the rest of the banana into the grass. I clapped—I always love a good surprise.

Then, his parents came outside. The big one squinted at me. “Well, he doesn’t seem dangerous.”

The other one nodded. “And he has great auditory skills.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I did know that their garden trellis was perfect for climbing. So I scrambled up, wrapped my tail around it, and chattered happily.

The boy laughed. His parents sighed. And just like that, I had a new home. No cages, no bars—just a family, a backyard, and as many bananas as I could eat.

SO GOOD!

HARD AT WORK WHILE THE MUSIC PLAYS

Then, her academic paragraph. I gave her a topic sentence. We are reading FEVER by Laurie Halse Anderson. She did! Schaffer style with TS, CD, CM, CM, CD, CM CM, CS (2 chunks)

FEVER paragraph:

Mattie is unsure of what the future holds. For example, when her mother gets yellow fever, she starts questioning everything. “But she’s so pale, can’t the medison wait a day or two?” (Anderson,72) Her mother got yellow fever, and everything caved in for poor Mattie, her and her grandfather go on a ride to another village to get away from yellow fever and her grandfather gets sick, but not with yellow fever, no he got sick from all the heat. Well, the wagon driver throws them off and rides off with everything they had in the wagon, food, water, and even clothes.  Well on that same day mattie faints from yellow fever bc she got it. And a few days later she wakes up in a hospital which her grandpa had risked his life to bring her to. Well, her grandpa is fine now. Soon she starts hallucinating and thinks she hears and sees dead people getting buried and carried off.  Another example is, when they get back to their house. “The front room was a jumble. Tables and chairs lay Helter-skelter. The clock was missing from the mantle.”   (Anderson,122)  When they get home the first floor is a total junk yard, half the stuff is gone, food is gone, tons of stuff is broken, the parrot is gone. And the money pot is still there. The second floor has not been touched. 
When mattie goes upstairs the mother who has yellow fever is not there. The room stenches of sickness. And grandfather is cherry red, and he goes to his bed to rest. Matilda’s life is a twisting turning road. 

I love it! She is getting so much better. Love being her teacher.

xxoo

My AUNT CONNIE! It’s so exciting. She comes now every Thursday to TEACH her art ideas.

Connie gave the first assignment.

She worked hard!

Let’s see what Connie thinks!

Homeschooling has been a joy. It’s also been a revelation of some challenges we can conquer. One is that of ADHD. It’s the diagnosis du jour in America right now, but unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), Tatum has many of the symptoms.
Just the other day, we finally went to the right doctor and got some final answers. She is now on a new medication which has been remarkable!
She is FOCUSED for long bouts of time now!

She is in the middle of making an illustrated manuscript for Shakespeare.

She has also discovered a new love of drawing since she can sit and focus now.

I do believe that the ADHD is her GIFT as she is probably one of the most creative people I know.

Her YOUTUBE channel has now 199 subscribers, and the content blows my mind. She thinks up things and makes them happen.

She is also continuing to write her book…chapter by chapter.

Her birdies also have keen focus! They love to visit as we walk by.

We are moving along in our journey, and I’m so proud of her progress. AMEN!

Let’s just start with the first born. COOPY. Yes this little fluff ball cannot get enough of Daddy and play.

He stares at the toy with a “PLEASE GOD THROW IT!!” look.

I’m talking laser beam focus.

From Daddy’s view:

PLEASE DADDY!!!

But we still love you…as we remember how adorable you are. (and was as a mere pup!)

Now, you are fascinated by our feathered friends. Rio even said, “Love you Cooper” yesterday!

Oh how we love our youngest. He is like an oversized baby who wobbles and falls as he doesn’t know how to keep himself abreast!

And now, guess what!!
The two of them, Rio and Ollie, are inseparable. Rio kisses Ollie and sings to him.

The joy!