My mom is back in a big cast, once again sitting in the family room and unable to take a normal shower everyday. There are many times in life when we have to start things over, but most of them don't take twelve months to complete. I feel so badly for her.

Last night (when I should have been sleeping) I researched thrush online more thoroughly and exhaustively than ever before. When Bronwyn was a baby, she and I dealt with this thing often. I think we averaged once a month, actually, and we tried every remedy I could find--sometimes with good results and sometimes not. I really don't want to do that again, as it is extremely painful (for me--fortunately the baby is okay) and makes breastfeeding less than the convenient thing it otherwise is. So I was researching. I found some interesting things--most of which I've known and just never paid attention to--and have decided to change some things in my life as a result. Here are some of my findings and resolutions:

1. People who are anemic are more prone to getting thrush (which is a strange form of a yeast infection, for those of you who are wondering) than others. This is yet one more reason for me to be diligent about taking my iron pills and maintaining an iron-rich diet. I am renewed in my vigor to keep on, in spite of the unpleasant side-effects of iron pills.

2. Since anti-bacterial soap kills the good bacteria that keeps yeast (which we all have, but shouldn't have in excess, in our bodies) in check, I will be limiting my use of anti-bacterial soap as much as possible. At this time of year, I generally don't like doing that since there are lots of things like colds and the flu going around, but I'm desperate! Be forewarned if you eat at our house: you might leave with some runny nose germs you didn't previously have before, but at least your yeast will be held at bay!

3. Jack's pacifiers will be boiled--not just washed--once a day to sterilize them. Yes, a bit of a pain, but not more of a pain than what I'm currently experiencing.

4. I've always known my refined sugar intake is a bit out of control (okay... a LOT out of control), but I've never quite had the motivation necessary to do anything about it. Today, I am motivated! Beginning this morning, I am seriously lessening my refined sugar intake, which means I'll have to be turning down yummy desserts at my parents' house on Tuesday nights, the candy leftover from Valentine's Day, the "brown" birthday cake with "brown" frosting that Gabriel has already put in an order for, etc., because--as we all know but rarely do anything about--sugar compromises the immune system, and a weakened immune system can't fight thrush.

That is totally not helpful to most of you, but some may find it interesting!

Don't tell the doctor, but I let Jackson go without eating for five and a half hours last night. I'm not supposed to let him go more than four, but he was tired and I was even more tired. And, besides, once you've tried waking a sleeping baby to eat, you never try again. It doesn't work.

I really enjoy watching the Olympics. Some of my favorite sports to watch these days are skiing (well, with the exception of cross country stuff, which just looks frustrating and exhausting to me), skating (speed and figure), curling, and snowboarding.

Unfortunately, I really can't get into the hockey games, which my husband immensely enjoys. It has been bugging me that the Canadian channel showing Olympics 24/7 has so much hockey stuff, including interviews all the time with hockey players. Who wants to hear what the assistant head coach of the Canadian women's hockey team thinks about their chances against Italy (what a joke) when there is a luge race going on somewhere else?!

The wind today must be a pain for those who have to be out and about, but I am enjoying the sounds and sights from the comfort of my "yellow house" here in Madrid. When I was sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast this morning, there was an actual breeze coming through the cracks around the back door because the wind was so intense. And, no, the door is new so it otherwise isn't drafty. Usually breezes in the house are a very disliked thing in February, but watching the trees and hearing the howls is so cool to me that I don't even mind. I just put a hat on Jack and figured we'll be fine.

Our electricity was almost turned off yesterday. The ridiculous thing is that the electric company probably never would have realized that we weren't listed as customers except that my very honest husband called them to tell them we had yet to receive a bill even though we'd been getting serviced for almost two months. That's when we all found out that we shouldn't have been getting service at all because we weren't in their records (we, obviously, thought we were). Their response? Turn off the electricity until we get all our paperwork in. Fortunately, the guy who showed up at my house took one look at me with my two toddlers and infant son and didn't have the heart to shut it off.

Joe Boyle is right: customer service in the North Country often stinks.