crimson and clover...

...over and over (I want this sickness to be!) Our house is still not well. Hayden went on antibiotics on Tuesday. That makes three out of four Honeycutts all drugged up. I am grateful we have antibiotics but they still make me nervous. I try to feed my family healthy, we wash our hands, I don't let my kids make-out with strangers and still we seem to get some major illness at least once a year. This is the first time Hayden has been on antibiotics and I can say that I feel at least marginally proud of that. But I can't take full credit because I really do not know if there is anything a mom can do to fully protect her kids from germs. It always seems like there is more you could do. Example, a nutritionist friend of mine just told me about systemic enzymes and probiotics needing to be paired with antibiotics. What? When did this happen I ask? So I read about it, totally get it and understand why it is the best course of action. Then I looked at prices.

Being healthy can be REALLY expensive. And time consuming. Being healthy takes A LOT of time. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Just remembering to get the twice a day meds into myself and my boys has proven a feat, not to mention our daily vitamins. The thought of also adding a systemic enzyme and probiotic to the regimen feels overwhelming. On top of the Vics vapor rub, humidifier and nasal lubricating. I am not saying it is impossible... just more than I am accustomed to.

I know I am making excuses because I am sure if I put my mind to it... I could make time and find money for what I call the necessary "extras." However, just typing this all makes me want to bury my head in the sand.

Bury my head in the sand? I want to believe that I am doing enough. That the vitamin I give is enough, that the humidifier is enough, that the antibiotic is enough. I want to believe that the way my mom did things was good enough. I want to believe that the way I do things is good enough. Why? Because it is easier and lets me justify the status quo. It is so much easier to write off remedies like systemic enzymes and probiotics as health quackery instead of opening up and challenging myself to new possibilities.

Balance in all the madness is what I seek. I can't try every up and coming remedy. I would kill myself trying- and ultimately miss out on a whole lotta livin'. But on the other hand, I do not want to become complacent. I want to be open to everything but wise in what I select to pursue. It sounds so simple but feels oh so complicated. I have always said that wisdom is the application of knowledge. With the Internet knowledge is not difficult to come by. You can find information on everything at any time. Since I am new to this vegan thing I often feel overwhelmed with all the new things I am knowing.

Sometimes it feels like I am a baby vegan, just opening my eyes to the possibility of what healthy living could look like for me and my family. Huh?! When I put it like that I feel more excited then I do overwhelmed. So that is my new self-story. I am just a baby vegan. I can't possibly employ all the ways to keep my family healthy, all in one day. Baby steps for this mamma. So today, I will go to Whole Foods, find the most inexpensive probiotic for us and call it an accomplishment of epic baby proportions.

As a foot note: Yesterday was New Food Friday. We had stuffed peppers. It was a new recipe and not one I will use again. However, Cutter made it and for that it may have been the most delicious dinner I ate all week (minus my Roasted Root Veggie Soup)!