Whew!

Things have been absolutely crazy over here. The last month or so has been full of things I never could have pretended to see coming. We've been taken to small claims court (not even GOING there), had a few minor changes come and go in our lives, and are still trying to make do with no income. The applications keep going out but nothing comes in with the exception of a few interviews that land us nowhere. It's the curse, I guess, of optimism - but we manage all the same, just like we always have. Life may not be completely hunky-dory, but our kids are happy and well-fed.

I'd say they're healthy, too, but right now that would be a lie! Everybody randomly developed wicked colds mid-March; it started with the kids and then spread to me, then to Hubby. The kiddos have been stuffy and drippy and coughing, and the coughing has led to sore throats, and the mucus in their tummies has led to more puking episodes than I could have ever wanted to see. A has had some trouble keeping things down, and did me the great favor of ralphing all over my lap the other night, and G has been somewhat testy. We ended up giving a Hyland's cold and cough medicine to both, and while it works wonders, it has made G into a terror with a bad attitude. It's hard to tell if he's like this because he doesn't feel well or because of the medicine, but Hubby suggested an allergy to one of the ingredients. This is possible, of course, but in all honesty I'd rather deal with him having a bad attitude and at least not throwing up everywhere because of the sinus drainage into his stomach. It's a tough call either way, but I think the illnesses are finally winding down (with the exception of Hubby, who has gotten a rather nasty ear infection out of nowhere, unlike the rest of us). Allergy season is next, and I'm not gonna lie: I HATE allergy season! Oh, well.

I managed to get some planting done at the beginning of the month. I ended up doing tomatoes (beefsteak), a red and green pepper blend, broccoli, butterleaf lettuce, parsley, green beans, and strawberries. Everything stayed inside up until a nice streak of 70 degree days we had last week, but I accidentally left almost everything outdoors one night, and of COURSE that was the night that temps dropped and it SNOWED! Gag me. It looks like almost everything survived except for one pot of parsley and the lettuce. I over-planted on purpose, and the strawberries and peppers didn't go out (peppers weren't sprouted and I'm babying the strawberries), so in a worst-case scenario I should still have everything but the parsley and lettuce. Not bad for a pretty serious mistake! Luckily, I think most everything will more or less survive, but we'll have to see. I'm keeping everything under light and watering with lukewarm tap water for now. I think my undying love and affection for my plants will hopefully keep them in better shape than the creeper in our front window and my poor, tortured African violet.

Last, but not least for today, I have to share something I found in one of our local Hy-Vee stores yesterday while out on a shopping trip: Noosa Yoghurt. This. Stuff. Is. Amazing. I've always eaten yogurt off and on, but to be honest it's usually too tart for me to really enjoy it. Greek yogurt is okay, but not what I'm looking for. Noosa, though, is freaking amazing. To me this stuff tastes almost like cream cheese, which I absolutely adore, and it has an awesomely thick texture that's a hundred times better than the "velvety" they keep advertising. It is better than velvety. I don't even have the words to properly express how great this stuff is. It tastes like heaven - maybe better - and is undoubtedly the BEST stuff I've ever tasted. And no, they aren't paying me or rewarding me for saying any of this. It is GREAT, and I figured that out all on my own. :) The kids love it, too, and it's made from all-natural ingredients, so it gets an A+ in my book! Go Noosa!