This is Kelton's special part and I have to say, this mommy was swimming with happy tears and lots of laughs. He is just too cute! :)
And here are the rest of the songs....it's short and cute factor is very, very high! :)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Kelton's Music Show
Last night the first grade of Kelton's school put on a music show/concert. It was adorable and so much fun! Here are a few photos and then a couple videos. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :)
This is Kelton's special part and I have to say, this mommy was swimming with happy tears and lots of laughs. He is just too cute! :)
And here are the rest of the songs....it's short and cute factor is very, very high! :)
This is Kelton's special part and I have to say, this mommy was swimming with happy tears and lots of laughs. He is just too cute! :)
And here are the rest of the songs....it's short and cute factor is very, very high! :)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Really Good Day
Yesterday was one of those really good days. I love those days because the make the most perfect memories to look back on during the really not good days. :)
The morning started out with the craziness surrounding getting everyone ready and out the door to Kelton's doctor appointment before school. I'm usually rushing every which way and barking directions at the kids (Shoes! Kelton, you need socks on first! Kaylen, please be sure you have gone potty. etc.) but yesterday when I walked into the living room I found this perfect little scene:
They were playing "Go Fish" and it was the most adorable thing. Kelton was helping her out but trying not to ask for all the cards he knew she had. He's such a sweet kid and a really amazing big brother.
Then we had the good doctor appointment.
The rest of the day went along per usual and before long, Kelton was home. He was happy and helpful and even happily did a bunch of chores to earn $5.00 that he so desperately wanted. Everyone ate a good dinner and helped clean up and then we all headed out to buy a bouquet of tulips, a birthday card and birthday balloon to deliver to the kids grandpa. We went over to the grandparents house and, even though we were pushing bedtime by a lot, the kids were well behaved and polite.
When we were at the store, there was a table set up by a group of Camp Fire kids and they were selling my beloved Camp Fire Mints. I love, love, love mints and I totally missed out last year. There was no way I was missing out this year. The kids and I stopped by and bought two boxes. A small, possibly unknown fact to you, is that I was in Camp Fire for 10 years and I am the proud recipient of the Wo-He-Lo Medallion (think Eagle Scout for Boy Scouts). I sold mints for years and years which sparked a conversation with the kids so on the way to and from the grandparents house we talked all about Camp Fire. They both want to join. :)
I answered questions and told them all about my ceremonial gown, the beads and badges and my charm bracelet. They were practically beside themselves with eagerness to see everything.
Once we arrived home we opened the box of mints and each had a couple and then the fun began. I pulled my gown out of the closet for them to see. They were mesmerized and asked a zillion questions (which of course I couldn't answer because at this point I have no idea what I did to earn the Tri-Ad bead or what hundreds of things I did to earn the beads. And the patches? Yeah - no clue. I tried my best to explain things but then Kelton's eyes got really big and he asked "Can I try it on?"
Sure - why not. So both kids tried it on.
From there we moved to the jewelry box so they could both try on my charm bracelet and see my medallion.
Kaylen said, with her voice dripping with awe, "Mom! I'm so impressed! I didn't know you were so important."
And there you have it. A perfect day. Plus - my kids think I'm important! :)
I put the kids to bed and I happily floated through the rest of my evening. What a great day!
The morning started out with the craziness surrounding getting everyone ready and out the door to Kelton's doctor appointment before school. I'm usually rushing every which way and barking directions at the kids (Shoes! Kelton, you need socks on first! Kaylen, please be sure you have gone potty. etc.) but yesterday when I walked into the living room I found this perfect little scene:
They were playing "Go Fish" and it was the most adorable thing. Kelton was helping her out but trying not to ask for all the cards he knew she had. He's such a sweet kid and a really amazing big brother.
Then we had the good doctor appointment.
The rest of the day went along per usual and before long, Kelton was home. He was happy and helpful and even happily did a bunch of chores to earn $5.00 that he so desperately wanted. Everyone ate a good dinner and helped clean up and then we all headed out to buy a bouquet of tulips, a birthday card and birthday balloon to deliver to the kids grandpa. We went over to the grandparents house and, even though we were pushing bedtime by a lot, the kids were well behaved and polite.
When we were at the store, there was a table set up by a group of Camp Fire kids and they were selling my beloved Camp Fire Mints. I love, love, love mints and I totally missed out last year. There was no way I was missing out this year. The kids and I stopped by and bought two boxes. A small, possibly unknown fact to you, is that I was in Camp Fire for 10 years and I am the proud recipient of the Wo-He-Lo Medallion (think Eagle Scout for Boy Scouts). I sold mints for years and years which sparked a conversation with the kids so on the way to and from the grandparents house we talked all about Camp Fire. They both want to join. :)
I answered questions and told them all about my ceremonial gown, the beads and badges and my charm bracelet. They were practically beside themselves with eagerness to see everything.
Once we arrived home we opened the box of mints and each had a couple and then the fun began. I pulled my gown out of the closet for them to see. They were mesmerized and asked a zillion questions (which of course I couldn't answer because at this point I have no idea what I did to earn the Tri-Ad bead or what hundreds of things I did to earn the beads. And the patches? Yeah - no clue. I tried my best to explain things but then Kelton's eyes got really big and he asked "Can I try it on?"
Sure - why not. So both kids tried it on.
From there we moved to the jewelry box so they could both try on my charm bracelet and see my medallion.
Kaylen said, with her voice dripping with awe, "Mom! I'm so impressed! I didn't know you were so important."
And there you have it. A perfect day. Plus - my kids think I'm important! :)
I put the kids to bed and I happily floated through the rest of my evening. What a great day!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Kelton Report
Kelton went in for his weekly weigh-in this morning. He gained 4oz (totally acceptable. I don't want him gaining too much too fast. That just sets up other problems.). YAY! The biggest surprise was his height. On January 7th he was 49.25 inches tall. Today he measured 49.5inches. A quarter of an inch in 3 weeks. WOW! (Of course, we all know measuring at a doctors office in an inaccurate science but still....)
It probably won't take long for him to be towering over my 5.25inch frame. Eeeek!
I sent an email to his doctor this morning to see if we can push off the test for CF because in my motherly heart of hearts I know he doesn't have it (way too healthy and the strongest immune system in our family!). He seems to be doing better overall which leads me to believe we have been struggling with two issues: energy output vs. fuel intake AND severe constipation (poor boy!) and that part makes sense that it started in September. He started school full time and what child likes to have to p**p at school? The doctor, at the onset, said that if constipation was at the root of it, it makes sense why he wasn't eating enough....he always felt "full".
So anyway - hopefully she will let us push it off for a while and see where this all takes us. The time and expense to find out what I already know seems silly at this point.
But I'm not a doctor. I don't know. I stated my case and now I wait to hear back. You know what they say about mommy intuition though. :) I knew something was wrong with him and now...I just have this feeling that we are on the road to being A-OK. And I'm totally fine with it all boiling down to constipation. :)
It probably won't take long for him to be towering over my 5.25inch frame. Eeeek!
I sent an email to his doctor this morning to see if we can push off the test for CF because in my motherly heart of hearts I know he doesn't have it (way too healthy and the strongest immune system in our family!). He seems to be doing better overall which leads me to believe we have been struggling with two issues: energy output vs. fuel intake AND severe constipation (poor boy!) and that part makes sense that it started in September. He started school full time and what child likes to have to p**p at school? The doctor, at the onset, said that if constipation was at the root of it, it makes sense why he wasn't eating enough....he always felt "full".
So anyway - hopefully she will let us push it off for a while and see where this all takes us. The time and expense to find out what I already know seems silly at this point.
But I'm not a doctor. I don't know. I stated my case and now I wait to hear back. You know what they say about mommy intuition though. :) I knew something was wrong with him and now...I just have this feeling that we are on the road to being A-OK. And I'm totally fine with it all boiling down to constipation. :)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Yippie!
My Facebook account is back in working order. I'd like to think it was the email I sent to the tech question email address but most likely that had nothing to do with it. Whatever the cause - I'm just glad it's back. I missed it today....which I realize is sad and a bit pathetic but hey - that's life. :)
In other news today; we had snow! After a very sleepless night (Don't ask.....I don't know. Some nights are like that for me.) I got up at 7AM to no snow on the ground. By 8AM there was enough for the kids to get dressed in their snow clothes and head out for 45 minutes of snow play before it was time for Kelton to get into school clothes and get to the bus stop. They had a blast! All told we had about 2 inches. The temps warmed up in the afternoon and now there is but a wee trace out there but we loved having it. I love the snow. So, so much. And we've had several snow falls this year which I think surpass any other year in the six years we've been here. Gotta love that!
Tomorrow Kelton will have his weekly weigh in. If he is holding steady I am going to see if we can move to every other week. It's stressful for all of us to get to the clinic and then to school on time and if he is doing ok, I can just pop him on the scale here in the weeks between. I'm feeling "zen" about it all right now - which is a nice feeling.
The good news for him is that tonight he says his body "just feels better now". So maybe it was that he was so constipated and uncomfortable that it took all the energy he had to function. I do know that in the past few weeks he has gone from a little boy who would come home, drag himself into my bedroom to watch TV and hardly ever asked for food (and did a poor job eating when food was given to him) to a spunky energy-filled boy who is asking for food every time I turn around. He is happy and engaged and his presence feels different to me than in recent months. I thought he was having trouble adjusting to full school days but maybe that wasn't it at all. I don't know...all I know is he seems like the kid he used to be and that makes this mommy VERY happy.
I can't thank you all enough for all your prayers and good thoughts. I know they all counted and more than that - I know they make me feel better knowing that people care about us...even though most of you have never met us in real life. What a gift. Thank you!
I'm tired and ramble-y tonight so I guess I will wrap this up and go do something while I wait for Dakota to arrive home. Hopefully sleep will be easy to catch tonight because tomorrow is a busy day. But then - what else is new? :)
In other news today; we had snow! After a very sleepless night (Don't ask.....I don't know. Some nights are like that for me.) I got up at 7AM to no snow on the ground. By 8AM there was enough for the kids to get dressed in their snow clothes and head out for 45 minutes of snow play before it was time for Kelton to get into school clothes and get to the bus stop. They had a blast! All told we had about 2 inches. The temps warmed up in the afternoon and now there is but a wee trace out there but we loved having it. I love the snow. So, so much. And we've had several snow falls this year which I think surpass any other year in the six years we've been here. Gotta love that!
Tomorrow Kelton will have his weekly weigh in. If he is holding steady I am going to see if we can move to every other week. It's stressful for all of us to get to the clinic and then to school on time and if he is doing ok, I can just pop him on the scale here in the weeks between. I'm feeling "zen" about it all right now - which is a nice feeling.
The good news for him is that tonight he says his body "just feels better now". So maybe it was that he was so constipated and uncomfortable that it took all the energy he had to function. I do know that in the past few weeks he has gone from a little boy who would come home, drag himself into my bedroom to watch TV and hardly ever asked for food (and did a poor job eating when food was given to him) to a spunky energy-filled boy who is asking for food every time I turn around. He is happy and engaged and his presence feels different to me than in recent months. I thought he was having trouble adjusting to full school days but maybe that wasn't it at all. I don't know...all I know is he seems like the kid he used to be and that makes this mommy VERY happy.
I can't thank you all enough for all your prayers and good thoughts. I know they all counted and more than that - I know they make me feel better knowing that people care about us...even though most of you have never met us in real life. What a gift. Thank you!
I'm tired and ramble-y tonight so I guess I will wrap this up and go do something while I wait for Dakota to arrive home. Hopefully sleep will be easy to catch tonight because tomorrow is a busy day. But then - what else is new? :)
Is anyone else having trouble accessing their Facebook account? I'm wondering if it's just me and if I happened to trigger something last night by my flurry of activity and ummm...the accidental spamming of the 83 people on my friends list.
I promise that I did not mean to hit everyone with a valentine theme from the Hug Me application. I highlighted the person I was returning a Hug Me to and hit send only to have it pop up a message that it had been sent to my entire list. I was shocked and well...embarrassed. Thank goodness I didn't pick one of the umm....not generic valentines day greeting.
I finally was able to get on this morning but I couldn't do a status update and when I went to my Wall....it was empty. So where my photo files. Hmmmmmmm......I'm trying to not be all paranoid but part of me is.
So...? Are you having trouble with FB?
I promise that I did not mean to hit everyone with a valentine theme from the Hug Me application. I highlighted the person I was returning a Hug Me to and hit send only to have it pop up a message that it had been sent to my entire list. I was shocked and well...embarrassed. Thank goodness I didn't pick one of the umm....not generic valentines day greeting.
I finally was able to get on this morning but I couldn't do a status update and when I went to my Wall....it was empty. So where my photo files. Hmmmmmmm......I'm trying to not be all paranoid but part of me is.
So...? Are you having trouble with FB?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Big Girl
My daughter will be turning 4 in two weeks. Two weeks! Will someone please tell me how this is possible??? Four? Really? Impossible.
But.....like it or not (and I do not like it, thank you for asking!), she is and the proof is in the growing. We've been going on daily bike rides/walks and it came to my attention that the little bike she has been riding for the past year (Kelton's hand-me-down 12 inch) was getting small. She was still ok with it and probably would be for another 4-6 months but she began to talk more and more of a "pink or purple" bike that was "just for girls" instead of a "blue boys bike". I figured a new bike for her birthday would be just the ticket.
This weekend we were out and about and I happened upon the row of bikes so I figured it was a good time to have her try out the size I was thinking (16 inch) to be sure it was a good fit. And she fell in love with it! It's perfectly her - a purple and pink princess bike. They had one and it was already assembled so we ended up buying it as an early birthday gift.
Much against Dakota's desire, the girl wanted to take her bike for a ride (and I can't blame her! See post below re: patience. *grin*) so I let her. She was hesitant at first to go too fast - she said "Mom! It's so tall and a little scary."
She did great though and she was quite proud of herself.
And speaking of taller....today the kids and I went for ride/walk and I happened to notice how much Kelton has grown since this fall when he was riding his bike. Holy moly! We are going to be raising his seat about 2 inches before his next ride. How in the world did he grow so tall in such a short amount of time! And the really strange part is it has happened before my very eyes and I haven't noticed. Not at all.
Will someone please tell my babies to stop growing up so fast? While I adore the kids they are, I miss the babies they were.
But.....like it or not (and I do not like it, thank you for asking!), she is and the proof is in the growing. We've been going on daily bike rides/walks and it came to my attention that the little bike she has been riding for the past year (Kelton's hand-me-down 12 inch) was getting small. She was still ok with it and probably would be for another 4-6 months but she began to talk more and more of a "pink or purple" bike that was "just for girls" instead of a "blue boys bike". I figured a new bike for her birthday would be just the ticket.
This weekend we were out and about and I happened upon the row of bikes so I figured it was a good time to have her try out the size I was thinking (16 inch) to be sure it was a good fit. And she fell in love with it! It's perfectly her - a purple and pink princess bike. They had one and it was already assembled so we ended up buying it as an early birthday gift.
Much against Dakota's desire, the girl wanted to take her bike for a ride (and I can't blame her! See post below re: patience. *grin*) so I let her. She was hesitant at first to go too fast - she said "Mom! It's so tall and a little scary."
She did great though and she was quite proud of herself.
And speaking of taller....today the kids and I went for ride/walk and I happened to notice how much Kelton has grown since this fall when he was riding his bike. Holy moly! We are going to be raising his seat about 2 inches before his next ride. How in the world did he grow so tall in such a short amount of time! And the really strange part is it has happened before my very eyes and I haven't noticed. Not at all.
Will someone please tell my babies to stop growing up so fast? While I adore the kids they are, I miss the babies they were.
Sunday Morning Snow
We woke up to a light smattering of snow on Sunday morning but it doesn't matter if there is .25 of an inch or 22 inches - my kids are going to out to play! We did our best to keep them inside until the sun came up but after that - they were outside (sorry neighbors!). Oh the fun to be had in an inch of snow. :)
Kaylen climbing up the play structure because there is big fun to be hand in sliding down a snow-covered slide.
Kelton's snow angel. And look at that perfect hand print.
Throwing snowballs for the dogs to catch. See? Everyone around here loves the snow - even the dogs! :)
Jordan eating a handful of snow.
Waiting.....waiting.....waiting......"Come on Kelton- drop it already!"
Collecting snow for a really big snowball to throw at Mama (Dakota).
Kelton making his giant snowball to throw.
Ready? Set! THROW!
Sledding in the front yard. (See? Precious little snow. But we know how to make the most of it, that's for sure. :) )
And after snow play? It's time to warm up by the fire! :)
And then it's time to try out a "head ride" which is what Kaylen calls shoulder rides. She saw someone on TV doing this and just had to try it out. They had way too much!
The snow was gone by lunch time but boy did we have fun!
Ready for Change
I'm not a patient person. I know this probably comes as a surprise to no one but seriously...not digging the whole "Have patience" stuff. I do not have patience and I imagine that is to my great detriment. I've tried to develop it and I can pretend really, really well but to be honest, it is just nothing I have seemed to master.
To that end - all the economy news is tough for me. I want things to change and I want it NOW. No, actually, I want it last week. I heard today that Home Depot is doing a huge lay off. I also heard Microsoft is doing the same and so is some other big place (whose name escapes me right now and I'm too tired to Google it. Sorry.) It's scary out there and so many of us are just a month or two or three away from being in really big trouble if trouble were to come knocking.
So...again I say, I'm ready for change. I keep waiting for there to be an influx of jobs. For the housing market to turn around. For the dollar to get stronger. For the stock market to go back to being something I don't pay a ton of attention to. I want to know that investment banker jobs are plenty because that would mean we are all doing ok again.
I want to stop worrying and start looking ahead with happy anticipation instead of concern. They say it's coming. I just want it here....and now. I promise you, I'd sleep a lot better at night and I know so many of you would too.
To that end - all the economy news is tough for me. I want things to change and I want it NOW. No, actually, I want it last week. I heard today that Home Depot is doing a huge lay off. I also heard Microsoft is doing the same and so is some other big place (whose name escapes me right now and I'm too tired to Google it. Sorry.) It's scary out there and so many of us are just a month or two or three away from being in really big trouble if trouble were to come knocking.
So...again I say, I'm ready for change. I keep waiting for there to be an influx of jobs. For the housing market to turn around. For the dollar to get stronger. For the stock market to go back to being something I don't pay a ton of attention to. I want to know that investment banker jobs are plenty because that would mean we are all doing ok again.
I want to stop worrying and start looking ahead with happy anticipation instead of concern. They say it's coming. I just want it here....and now. I promise you, I'd sleep a lot better at night and I know so many of you would too.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
No Way!
Seriously. No way. You are not going to believe what I woke up to find in my inbox this morning. Are you ready for this? A Starbucks Gift Card. No really. There it was.
I received an email from MyChoice Gift Cards and it told me that Emily(A Jersey Girl) & Rebecca(Tribe Mama) were sending me a special gift. They wrote: "Because we are 3000 miles away and cannot invite you over for coffee and a break, we did the next best thing!"
Isn't that sweet?
I am totally touched, you guys. Thank you so very much - I am overwhelmed by your kindness. I'll drink a toast to you! :)
I received an email from MyChoice Gift Cards and it told me that Emily(A Jersey Girl) & Rebecca(Tribe Mama) were sending me a special gift. They wrote: "Because we are 3000 miles away and cannot invite you over for coffee and a break, we did the next best thing!"
Isn't that sweet?
I am totally touched, you guys. Thank you so very much - I am overwhelmed by your kindness. I'll drink a toast to you! :)
Friday, January 23, 2009
I Read A Book!
It feels weird to be excited about this fact but I am. I read a book. In one day (well - minus the two chapters I read over the Christmas trip to see my family)!! I don't have much time (or focus) to read so it takes me a while to get through books but this one grabbed me, dragged me in and wouldn't let go until I finished it.
Great book and I highly recommend it! I latched onto it after watching the YouTube of the author reading an essay. I'[ll post it again for those of you who haven't seen it and/or want to take the 5 minutes to watch it again.
This book touched me. This YouTube touches me.
Kelton's Update
I realize I neglected to do an update after Kelton's weigh in on Wednesday. As you may remember, his weight increased by 1.5lbs for last weeks weigh in. It is a weight I knew was not 100% true since well...gaining that much weight in one week would be just as "not good" as losing that much in one week. I also knew that later that day his prescribed laxative began to work - and work well. :)
So...this last weigh in showed him back to his December 31st weight.
To break this down:
Dec 31 58lbs
week 1 57.5lbs
week 2 59lbs
week 3 58lbs
Now those of you with kids about this age are probably saying "Wow - my kid only weighs 42lbs!" and that may be. But my kid weighed 42lbs when he was 3.5 years old. He's tall too. :) In fact, Kaylen weighs 40lbs right now and she isn't quite 4. :)
It isn't the number that we are looking at - it's the number of pounds lost in a short amount of time. So yes, while he is a healthy sounding weight (thank God! I don't want him weighing 42lbs....or 52lbs) his weight loss is a concern.
The 3 day stool test that was run on him turned up nothing (again, Thank God!) and we are waiting on a call to schedule to the CF test. Other than that, we are in a holding pattern and just waiting to see what his weight does. If it holds steady - we're golden and can chalk it up to energy output being greater than fuel intake. And that is what we are all praying and hoping for.
So...this last weigh in showed him back to his December 31st weight.
To break this down:
Dec 31 58lbs
week 1 57.5lbs
week 2 59lbs
week 3 58lbs
Now those of you with kids about this age are probably saying "Wow - my kid only weighs 42lbs!" and that may be. But my kid weighed 42lbs when he was 3.5 years old. He's tall too. :) In fact, Kaylen weighs 40lbs right now and she isn't quite 4. :)
It isn't the number that we are looking at - it's the number of pounds lost in a short amount of time. So yes, while he is a healthy sounding weight (thank God! I don't want him weighing 42lbs....or 52lbs) his weight loss is a concern.
The 3 day stool test that was run on him turned up nothing (again, Thank God!) and we are waiting on a call to schedule to the CF test. Other than that, we are in a holding pattern and just waiting to see what his weight does. If it holds steady - we're golden and can chalk it up to energy output being greater than fuel intake. And that is what we are all praying and hoping for.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
My Day So Far
I'm having a low key day. I'm talking really low key - as in I sat on the couch for two and a half hours and did nothing but watch shows like Clean House and The Dish. Oh I know high quality shows when I see them. :)
Now to be fair - I never, ever have days where I just sit around and do nothing. I can't remember the last time I have watched anything during the day other than the Hot Topics part of The View (while folding laundry) and no, inauguration day does not count.
Kaylen was happily playing games online (and yes, when she called for help I would pause the show and go help. I'm not being *that* much of a slacker. And I did do all the regular morning stuff and got Kelton off to school. And I did two loads of laundry. So there.) and I was all too happy to sit on the couch under a blanket and just watch tv. I am desperate for some time when I am not taking care of someone or something. Or worry about this, that or the other. It's no secret that I'm struggling a bit to find a balance right now.
I've even thought about looking into a mood enhancer like Ephedrasil hardcore (which conveniently enough doubles as a weight lose product. Win/win. I'm just saying.) but I know I just have to find my balance and I think, for me, that means finding some time to take care of myself instead of taking care of everyone else BUT me. Sure, I know the Dakota is suffering law school fatigue but she isn't the only one. After four years of doing virtually all of it alone, I'm tired. And sometimes, I just need to come first. And I'm terrible at putting myself first for anything.
So today I did. I watched shows I enjoyed and just kicked back. It was nice.
Then lunchtime rolled around and after that Kaylen and I went on a bike ride/walk. I'm trying to get us out every dry day just to have some fresh air and get a little exercise.
And here we are. Three hours until Kelton arrives home from school and life kicks back into high gear of getting it all done and keeping it all together.
Remember the joke about sitting around watching soap operas and eating Bon Bons? Yeah - I could use some times like that a lot more often. :)
Now to be fair - I never, ever have days where I just sit around and do nothing. I can't remember the last time I have watched anything during the day other than the Hot Topics part of The View (while folding laundry) and no, inauguration day does not count.
Kaylen was happily playing games online (and yes, when she called for help I would pause the show and go help. I'm not being *that* much of a slacker. And I did do all the regular morning stuff and got Kelton off to school. And I did two loads of laundry. So there.) and I was all too happy to sit on the couch under a blanket and just watch tv. I am desperate for some time when I am not taking care of someone or something. Or worry about this, that or the other. It's no secret that I'm struggling a bit to find a balance right now.
I've even thought about looking into a mood enhancer like Ephedrasil hardcore (which conveniently enough doubles as a weight lose product. Win/win. I'm just saying.) but I know I just have to find my balance and I think, for me, that means finding some time to take care of myself instead of taking care of everyone else BUT me. Sure, I know the Dakota is suffering law school fatigue but she isn't the only one. After four years of doing virtually all of it alone, I'm tired. And sometimes, I just need to come first. And I'm terrible at putting myself first for anything.
So today I did. I watched shows I enjoyed and just kicked back. It was nice.
Then lunchtime rolled around and after that Kaylen and I went on a bike ride/walk. I'm trying to get us out every dry day just to have some fresh air and get a little exercise.
And here we are. Three hours until Kelton arrives home from school and life kicks back into high gear of getting it all done and keeping it all together.
Remember the joke about sitting around watching soap operas and eating Bon Bons? Yeah - I could use some times like that a lot more often. :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
*sigh*
After we returned from our bike ride(her)/walk(me) around the neighborhood this afternoon, Kaylen asked me to play doll house with her. Now playing dollhouse is not my most favorite thing to do but I love my daughter and agreed to play. I thought things were going along fine when she suddenly got up and walked to the back of the dollhouse, removed the little girl doll house person I was playing with, shot me a dirty look and proceeded to walk the girl down the stairs and out the front door of the dollhouse. She turned to me and said "Don't you know *how* to play with dolls?"
*sigh*
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Check Those Smoke Detectors!
For months now I've had "smoke detectors" listed on a Costco list. I knew they would be less expensive there (two of them for $22.00) and I had been reading and hearing a lot about needing to replace detectors every 10 years. I knew we had been in the house for 6.5 years and that we have never replaced them.
It's been weighing on my heavily lately so when I needed to make a (very rare) Costco run today, I dropped a two-pack into the cart.
Time to stop procrastinating.
I replaced the detectors just a few minutes ago and you can imagine my horror when I discovered the age on the detectors I removed. Check it out:
Oh yes - these puppies are date stamped 1985. That was ummm....yeah....23 years ago. Yikes! And double yikes!
So...here is where the Public Service Announcement part of the posts come to play: Check those smoke detectors! If you can't remember how old they are, replace them now. When you do replace them, take a marker and write the date they are being installed. It will be helpful for you and the people who live in the house after you. (I suppose, though, it's sage advice to change your smoke detectors when you move into a new house. That way you will never have to wonder how old they are.)
So what are you waiting for? Go check. I'll wait.
No really - go check. Better safe than sorry, you know?
It's been weighing on my heavily lately so when I needed to make a (very rare) Costco run today, I dropped a two-pack into the cart.
Time to stop procrastinating.
I replaced the detectors just a few minutes ago and you can imagine my horror when I discovered the age on the detectors I removed. Check it out:
Oh yes - these puppies are date stamped 1985. That was ummm....yeah....23 years ago. Yikes! And double yikes!
So...here is where the Public Service Announcement part of the posts come to play: Check those smoke detectors! If you can't remember how old they are, replace them now. When you do replace them, take a marker and write the date they are being installed. It will be helpful for you and the people who live in the house after you. (I suppose, though, it's sage advice to change your smoke detectors when you move into a new house. That way you will never have to wonder how old they are.)
So what are you waiting for? Go check. I'll wait.
No really - go check. Better safe than sorry, you know?
The Update
It's been *how* long since last Thursday? A lifetime, you say? Yeah - that feels about right.
So - where was I? Oh right - going up to see my dad.
We left here bright and early and got to Everett 4 hours later. The kids were good in the car although little missy is definitely turning into a chatterbox. She talked and talked and talked while her brother played about 3 hours worth of Pokemon on his Game Boy. We stopped for lunch at McDonalds before I called to let people know we were in town. My dad was still in the hospital but was awaiting transfer to the rehab center since the hospital had done all they could. After all that happened there, we were all relieved and ready for the transfer.
The break in his cervical spine will go without intervention, for which I am very grateful. It means a cervical collar (Miami style for 12-16 weeks) instead of surgery and a halo brace. His leg, a tib-fib break will require 12-16 weeks of him being non-weight bearing - which will prove interesting since he has left sided weakness from a stroke years ago.
Thursday night brought us new information alerting us to the fact that he has a pseudoaneurysm which will need to be addressed at a later date. I don't have enough information to share on that fun little twist but they have decided it was not a result of the accident.
Anyway - when we arrived at the hospital to see him, the transport team was there waiting to move him to the rehab place. The guys were the same two who, as they put it, "scrapped him off the pavement" a few days before and where happy to chat all about it - which my dad actually enjoyed.
The kids said their hellos and then as my brother and I loaded up balloons, plants and cards and my dad was wheeled out of the hospital, Dakota took Kelton and Kaylen to the local children's museum to play. I went with James and we met my dad in his new room and get him all set up.
My sister met us as soon as she could and Cara was not far behind. We all hung out until my dad was ready for us to leave him so he could rest.
We headed out to pick up various things that he would need from his apartment and the store and then we met up with Dakota and the kids at my sister's house. We all had dinner and then we headed up to James' house where we would be staying.
The next day James, Cara and I left Dakota and the kids to enjoy their "vacation" (playing on the trampoline, going in the hot tub, playing Wii and having lunch) and headed down to the rehab center where we stayed for hours before my dad kicked us out so he could nap. We left to have a late lunch and then James and Cara wanted to go to the wedding expo for a short go around. Ummm....fun? Beingheld captive the nice person that I am, I went along. We met up with Cara's mom and checked the place out. I even got to witness Cara trying on her first, second and third wedding dresses. She didn't find "the one" there but still - it was fun to see her in the dresses.
We were out of there in no time and Cara went off with her mom to go look at more dresses and James and I headed over to my dad's apartment to pick up even more stuff. when we arrived back at my dad's room he was still semi-sleeping and asked that he leave him be for a bit longer. We went to the day room and hung out there until Lannon, Dakota and the kids arrived.
We visited a while more, stayed through his dinner and then said our good nights.
James, Cara, Dakota, the kids and I went to dinner where James amazed Kelton with his "pulling money from people's ears" trick. We were all laughing as hard as Kelton as we watched him run around the table trying to find his own stash of ear money. :) When James pulled a $20 from Kaylen's ear I had her say "My ear, my money!" which was pretty darn funny! (And no, she didn't get to keep the money.)
The next morning (Sunday) we packed up and headed down to the rehab center to see my dad before heading out of town. We hung out for about an hour, grabbed lunch at McDonald's (which brought us full circle for the weekend) and then started the long drive home.
I talked with my dad yesterday morning and then James in the afternoon. My dad is requesting only Tylenol (though he does have pain meds available should he request them) and did well at therapy. James outlined the goals set up by the doctor and filled me in on the auto insurance piece of all this....get this; as of yesterday, the guy who hit my dad has yet to contact his insurance carrier (which was listed on the police report; the same report which lists the guy as being 100% at fault). SERIOUSLY?????
I don't know about you but if I were to hit someone (especially a pedestrian!) I would call my insurance company ASAP but definitely by day 2 (Hey - I'm willing to concede that he was too shook up to think clearly the first day.). We're a week plus one day into this and still......he hasn't filed a claim.
I find that unbelievable and honestly, unforgivable as well.
Here are a couple pictures:
So - where was I? Oh right - going up to see my dad.
We left here bright and early and got to Everett 4 hours later. The kids were good in the car although little missy is definitely turning into a chatterbox. She talked and talked and talked while her brother played about 3 hours worth of Pokemon on his Game Boy. We stopped for lunch at McDonalds before I called to let people know we were in town. My dad was still in the hospital but was awaiting transfer to the rehab center since the hospital had done all they could. After all that happened there, we were all relieved and ready for the transfer.
The break in his cervical spine will go without intervention, for which I am very grateful. It means a cervical collar (Miami style for 12-16 weeks) instead of surgery and a halo brace. His leg, a tib-fib break will require 12-16 weeks of him being non-weight bearing - which will prove interesting since he has left sided weakness from a stroke years ago.
Thursday night brought us new information alerting us to the fact that he has a pseudoaneurysm which will need to be addressed at a later date. I don't have enough information to share on that fun little twist but they have decided it was not a result of the accident.
Anyway - when we arrived at the hospital to see him, the transport team was there waiting to move him to the rehab place. The guys were the same two who, as they put it, "scrapped him off the pavement" a few days before and where happy to chat all about it - which my dad actually enjoyed.
The kids said their hellos and then as my brother and I loaded up balloons, plants and cards and my dad was wheeled out of the hospital, Dakota took Kelton and Kaylen to the local children's museum to play. I went with James and we met my dad in his new room and get him all set up.
My sister met us as soon as she could and Cara was not far behind. We all hung out until my dad was ready for us to leave him so he could rest.
We headed out to pick up various things that he would need from his apartment and the store and then we met up with Dakota and the kids at my sister's house. We all had dinner and then we headed up to James' house where we would be staying.
The next day James, Cara and I left Dakota and the kids to enjoy their "vacation" (playing on the trampoline, going in the hot tub, playing Wii and having lunch) and headed down to the rehab center where we stayed for hours before my dad kicked us out so he could nap. We left to have a late lunch and then James and Cara wanted to go to the wedding expo for a short go around. Ummm....fun? Being
We were out of there in no time and Cara went off with her mom to go look at more dresses and James and I headed over to my dad's apartment to pick up even more stuff. when we arrived back at my dad's room he was still semi-sleeping and asked that he leave him be for a bit longer. We went to the day room and hung out there until Lannon, Dakota and the kids arrived.
We visited a while more, stayed through his dinner and then said our good nights.
James, Cara, Dakota, the kids and I went to dinner where James amazed Kelton with his "pulling money from people's ears" trick. We were all laughing as hard as Kelton as we watched him run around the table trying to find his own stash of ear money. :) When James pulled a $20 from Kaylen's ear I had her say "My ear, my money!" which was pretty darn funny! (And no, she didn't get to keep the money.)
The next morning (Sunday) we packed up and headed down to the rehab center to see my dad before heading out of town. We hung out for about an hour, grabbed lunch at McDonald's (which brought us full circle for the weekend) and then started the long drive home.
I talked with my dad yesterday morning and then James in the afternoon. My dad is requesting only Tylenol (though he does have pain meds available should he request them) and did well at therapy. James outlined the goals set up by the doctor and filled me in on the auto insurance piece of all this....get this; as of yesterday, the guy who hit my dad has yet to contact his insurance carrier (which was listed on the police report; the same report which lists the guy as being 100% at fault). SERIOUSLY?????
I don't know about you but if I were to hit someone (especially a pedestrian!) I would call my insurance company ASAP but definitely by day 2 (Hey - I'm willing to concede that he was too shook up to think clearly the first day.). We're a week plus one day into this and still......he hasn't filed a claim.
I find that unbelievable and honestly, unforgivable as well.
Here are a couple pictures:
Words Fail Me
I kept Kelton home from the beginning of school today and he, Kaylen and I sat on the couch together and watched as Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America.
Those 30 lost minutes of school are nothing compared to the memories my son will carry with him for the rest of his life.
OH YES WE CAN!
Monday, January 19, 2009
12:01pm EST January 20th
This time and date marks a new beginning for this country and I, for one, am thrilled that it is finally upon us. WoooHooooo!!!
I hope you will be able to catch the inauguration in real time. I will be watching it a bit behind as things like getting my child on a school bus will take priority but I *will* be watching.
History...and our future.....in the making!
Bring it on- I'm more than ready to move forward. YES WE CAN!
(And check back later because, as time allows, I will be updating on the happenings in my world.)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Update On My Dad
We're going to be going up to see my dad this weekend. I was going to fly up, spend some time and fly back but Dakota thought it would be good for her and the kids to go up as well so we'll head out Friday morning and come back on Sunday. It's a long drive and flying sounded kind of nice but it will be good to have them all there with me. The kids and Dakota will probably spend most of their time hanging out at my sister's house since hospital rooms aren't that accommodating for children with short attention spans and the need for space. Her house is closer to where my dad is so the kids can go in, say hello and give him the cute stuffed animals and card they bought for him as get better presents and then go somewhere to be kids while I hang out and visit.
Bad news for today though...as it turns out, my dad also fractured C2. We aren't sure how it was missed the day of the accident but yesterday he complained greatly about his neck hurting. Still complaining of pain today, they decided to x-ray his neck but didn't get good films. Off for a scan he went and the news came back of the fracture.
So - he's now up to a broken left tibia (broken clean through - not just fractured), a laceration in his head requiring 5 staples and a fractured C2. Poor guy!!!
Tomorrow we hope to have a game plan for what the docs are thinking. Clearly he can't go home and care for himself at this point. And there is the question of a possible surgery for his neck (though given that I have had spine surgery before I am advocating hard for at least one other opinion - maybe two. It doesn't sound like it's unstable (since they are waiting until tomorrow to talk with the attending) and I say why go through a surgery unless it is absolutely necessary.
The guy who hit him was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian and all the witnesses state clearly that my dad was crossing with the light and in the crosswalk. Of course - being in the right sure doesn't fix his broken body.
Bad news for today though...as it turns out, my dad also fractured C2. We aren't sure how it was missed the day of the accident but yesterday he complained greatly about his neck hurting. Still complaining of pain today, they decided to x-ray his neck but didn't get good films. Off for a scan he went and the news came back of the fracture.
So - he's now up to a broken left tibia (broken clean through - not just fractured), a laceration in his head requiring 5 staples and a fractured C2. Poor guy!!!
Tomorrow we hope to have a game plan for what the docs are thinking. Clearly he can't go home and care for himself at this point. And there is the question of a possible surgery for his neck (though given that I have had spine surgery before I am advocating hard for at least one other opinion - maybe two. It doesn't sound like it's unstable (since they are waiting until tomorrow to talk with the attending) and I say why go through a surgery unless it is absolutely necessary.
The guy who hit him was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian and all the witnesses state clearly that my dad was crossing with the light and in the crosswalk. Of course - being in the right sure doesn't fix his broken body.
Gain - and I'm not talking laundry detergent!
He gained! He gained!
Ok seriously, I have not been over the top excited about my children gaining weight since they were newborns but today - I actually had tears of happiness fill my eyes when I watched the numbers on the doctor office scale register as Kelton stepped on it.
He's up 1.5lbs from last Wednesday morning. So given that he lost .5lb last week it's a net gain of 1 lb since December 31st.
YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!
You have no idea how relieved I am nor how many hours I have spent in the past couple of weeks thinking about food, preparing food and standing over Kelton to make sure the food was eaten. And yes, that included lunch time at school. Food and poop. It's become a central focus of life around here. Again, things we have not focused on since they were infants.
I am just so, so, so happy and Kelton he was just as happy. He was high-fiving me like crazy and jumping up and down. What a great way to start off the day.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying and thinking of Kelton. Don't stop now though - we still need to make sure this all evens out.
This rocks. Totally rocks!! He gained. Thank God.
Ok seriously, I have not been over the top excited about my children gaining weight since they were newborns but today - I actually had tears of happiness fill my eyes when I watched the numbers on the doctor office scale register as Kelton stepped on it.
He's up 1.5lbs from last Wednesday morning. So given that he lost .5lb last week it's a net gain of 1 lb since December 31st.
YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!
You have no idea how relieved I am nor how many hours I have spent in the past couple of weeks thinking about food, preparing food and standing over Kelton to make sure the food was eaten. And yes, that included lunch time at school. Food and poop. It's become a central focus of life around here. Again, things we have not focused on since they were infants.
I am just so, so, so happy and Kelton he was just as happy. He was high-fiving me like crazy and jumping up and down. What a great way to start off the day.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying and thinking of Kelton. Don't stop now though - we still need to make sure this all evens out.
This rocks. Totally rocks!! He gained. Thank God.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Are You Kidding Me??
I was sitting down to have dinner with the kids tonight when the phone rang. It was my brother and I could sense an edge to his voice.
(Are you sitting down because you are never going to believe this - I mean seriously, after the last two weeks...this is just too unbelievable. Ready?)
My dad got hit by a car this morning while crossing a street. And yes, I'm serious.
He is doing ok though he has a broken leg, 5 staples in his head and various road rashes. He'll be in the hospital for a few days and then, because he had a serious stroke 15 years ago and was left impaired he may need some sort of transitional care until he is ok enough to go back to his retirement center apartment.
SERIOUSLY 2009! THIS IS ENOUGH!!!!!! We're 12 days in and I have had it.
My poor dad. :( He was in the ER for hours, had CT and MRI scans, etc and no one called my brother (clearly listed as his contact) until tonight. He was hit at 7:45 this morning!!! They are all 4 hours away from me and with all that is going on down here, I can't exactly pack up and go up, nor do I know how helpful the kids and I would be. But wow. I'm just so sad for my dad. :(
(Are you sitting down because you are never going to believe this - I mean seriously, after the last two weeks...this is just too unbelievable. Ready?)
My dad got hit by a car this morning while crossing a street. And yes, I'm serious.
He is doing ok though he has a broken leg, 5 staples in his head and various road rashes. He'll be in the hospital for a few days and then, because he had a serious stroke 15 years ago and was left impaired he may need some sort of transitional care until he is ok enough to go back to his retirement center apartment.
SERIOUSLY 2009! THIS IS ENOUGH!!!!!! We're 12 days in and I have had it.
My poor dad. :( He was in the ER for hours, had CT and MRI scans, etc and no one called my brother (clearly listed as his contact) until tonight. He was hit at 7:45 this morning!!! They are all 4 hours away from me and with all that is going on down here, I can't exactly pack up and go up, nor do I know how helpful the kids and I would be. But wow. I'm just so sad for my dad. :(
An Update
I have 10 minutes so this is going to be short...
The doctor called this morning. Lab work values that are off are not off enough to cause alarm. She does want to recheck the SED rate down the road but even a runny nose can alter a SED rate value. So nothing to report there.
She spoke with a gastroenterologist about the weight lose and there are two additional tests they have agreed are necessary to run: a 3 day stool sample to check for blood and a test to rule out Cystic Fibrosis. She calmed me a bit by saying it is unlikely he has CF but they want to rule it out because weight lose in a child is a concern. She said he does not exhibit many of the signs but because the weight lose concerns them, they want to rule it out. I find it unlikely that he would have CF because until this point, he has been a healthy, chubby child with no healthy issues beyond the usual run of the mill things. I just don't see it as likely and yet - it still scares me a bit that they want to run the test.
So....that's where we are right now. Oh - and they changing his meds for the rectal prolapse (have I even mentioned that? It's what sent us to the doctor December 31st) since the first med didn't seem to have the effect they wanted.
So there you have it - a brief recap. Gotta run - busy day ahead.
The doctor called this morning. Lab work values that are off are not off enough to cause alarm. She does want to recheck the SED rate down the road but even a runny nose can alter a SED rate value. So nothing to report there.
She spoke with a gastroenterologist about the weight lose and there are two additional tests they have agreed are necessary to run: a 3 day stool sample to check for blood and a test to rule out Cystic Fibrosis. She calmed me a bit by saying it is unlikely he has CF but they want to rule it out because weight lose in a child is a concern. She said he does not exhibit many of the signs but because the weight lose concerns them, they want to rule it out. I find it unlikely that he would have CF because until this point, he has been a healthy, chubby child with no healthy issues beyond the usual run of the mill things. I just don't see it as likely and yet - it still scares me a bit that they want to run the test.
So....that's where we are right now. Oh - and they changing his meds for the rectal prolapse (have I even mentioned that? It's what sent us to the doctor December 31st) since the first med didn't seem to have the effect they wanted.
So there you have it - a brief recap. Gotta run - busy day ahead.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Things She Says
My three year old daughter just said "I'm flabbergasted."
Flabbergasted?
Really?
Where does she come up with this stuff because I can promise you I have never once said "I'm flabbergasted." Never. Not once.
Where does she get it from??
Flabbergasted?
Really?
Where does she come up with this stuff because I can promise you I have never once said "I'm flabbergasted." Never. Not once.
Where does she get it from??
Friday, January 09, 2009
Abnormal and Yet Not
Ok - here goes. The phone rang a few minutes ago and it was the nurse I talked with earlier today to when I learned that there was abnormal results for Kelton. A doctor reviewed the results. The sed rate is 29 and they like it to be less than 21. it would indication inflammation but it isn't a reason for weight lose.
There are other values that are low but they are"just low". Not ideal but would not be attributed to weight loss.
So.....as far as they are concerned, at this point, there is nothing significant in the blood work relating to his weight loss.
*taking a deep breath*
Ok. I'll take that today. His doc (who is out today) will call Monday to go over things and I will ask her then where we go from here.
This is hard and it sucks and it's scary.
But I'm trying to look at it this way - his blood counts are good enough that they clearly are not concerned for things like leukemia or something awful. So...baby steps and breathing. Right?
There are other values that are low but they are"just low". Not ideal but would not be attributed to weight loss.
So.....as far as they are concerned, at this point, there is nothing significant in the blood work relating to his weight loss.
*taking a deep breath*
Ok. I'll take that today. His doc (who is out today) will call Monday to go over things and I will ask her then where we go from here.
This is hard and it sucks and it's scary.
But I'm trying to look at it this way - his blood counts are good enough that they clearly are not concerned for things like leukemia or something awful. So...baby steps and breathing. Right?
Blessing Amidst the Chaos
Today is the first day in weeks that I feel like I'm standing on solid ground. Well - maybe not solid but certainly not the quicksand I have been standing on for the past couple of weeks.
I credit that to the support all of you have been giving me though emails, comments both here and on Facebook, real life face time, phone calls, etc. Kelton has been placed on several prayer chains (for which I am grateful, thank you!) and is being thought about across the globe. Amazing, really. It's hard sometimes to feel connected to a world outside and yet here is proof positive; we are all connected.
I have family members calling regularly which remind me how much we are loved and cared about and how much they are standing at the ready to swoop in and hold us up if we need it. I have friends dropping of Peppermint Mochas who let me stand in the foyer and cry huge alligator tears of fear as they hold me up and remind me that we can do this; we can face whatever it is and get through whatever comes. Friends and family who absolutely refuse to believe anything serious could be wrong with such a strong, happy child. Friends who bring their babysitting-aged daughter to my house to stay with my kids so she can follow me, and then bring me home, from the car repair place. Who so thoughtfully brought along a peppermint mocha and then was appropriately impressed that I sucked that puppy down in the 4 minute drive. (What can I say? It's comfort food for me.)
I have a friend who sent an email yesterday asking me to allow her to bring us dinner. She ended her email with a "please say yes." so I responded with one word: yes. And a hot, homemade kid-friendly, healthy dinner was in my kitchen at 5pm. I can't begin to tell you how far that simple act of kindness went last night. Kelton was beaming that someone would be so nice to us and Dakota and I both felt "taken care of". So sweet and so kind. Thank you, friend.
I have friends texting just to let me know they are thinking of me. I walk by the computer to find the IM screen blinking at me; a friend from clear across the country writing to see if I'm doing ok.
Connected in a million ways to all of you - and it has all helped, and continues to help, so much.
We have no word on anything beyond the urine test. At this point I'm torn between wondering what will be harder: knowing or not knowing. In not knowing, there is worry and fear and pain and confusion and tears but in knowing the risk of it all being there for the long haul still exists. It may not be but it's still a huge risk. I know people always say it's better to know. I'm just not sure it's where I stand. Denial runs deep in me and it's a safe place. Reality? Well - it can be a very unforgiving place sometimes.
I want to say thank you. Thank you for being there and for helping to keep me standing these past few days. I'm pretty sure the ground I am standing on today wouldn't be what it is without you.
Keep praying. Keep thinking of us. We love you for it.
I credit that to the support all of you have been giving me though emails, comments both here and on Facebook, real life face time, phone calls, etc. Kelton has been placed on several prayer chains (for which I am grateful, thank you!) and is being thought about across the globe. Amazing, really. It's hard sometimes to feel connected to a world outside and yet here is proof positive; we are all connected.
I have family members calling regularly which remind me how much we are loved and cared about and how much they are standing at the ready to swoop in and hold us up if we need it. I have friends dropping of Peppermint Mochas who let me stand in the foyer and cry huge alligator tears of fear as they hold me up and remind me that we can do this; we can face whatever it is and get through whatever comes. Friends and family who absolutely refuse to believe anything serious could be wrong with such a strong, happy child. Friends who bring their babysitting-aged daughter to my house to stay with my kids so she can follow me, and then bring me home, from the car repair place. Who so thoughtfully brought along a peppermint mocha and then was appropriately impressed that I sucked that puppy down in the 4 minute drive. (What can I say? It's comfort food for me.)
I have a friend who sent an email yesterday asking me to allow her to bring us dinner. She ended her email with a "please say yes." so I responded with one word: yes. And a hot, homemade kid-friendly, healthy dinner was in my kitchen at 5pm. I can't begin to tell you how far that simple act of kindness went last night. Kelton was beaming that someone would be so nice to us and Dakota and I both felt "taken care of". So sweet and so kind. Thank you, friend.
I have friends texting just to let me know they are thinking of me. I walk by the computer to find the IM screen blinking at me; a friend from clear across the country writing to see if I'm doing ok.
Connected in a million ways to all of you - and it has all helped, and continues to help, so much.
We have no word on anything beyond the urine test. At this point I'm torn between wondering what will be harder: knowing or not knowing. In not knowing, there is worry and fear and pain and confusion and tears but in knowing the risk of it all being there for the long haul still exists. It may not be but it's still a huge risk. I know people always say it's better to know. I'm just not sure it's where I stand. Denial runs deep in me and it's a safe place. Reality? Well - it can be a very unforgiving place sometimes.
I want to say thank you. Thank you for being there and for helping to keep me standing these past few days. I'm pretty sure the ground I am standing on today wouldn't be what it is without you.
Keep praying. Keep thinking of us. We love you for it.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Waiting for the Ceiling to Cave In
And I mean that literally.
Remember that water leak issue I mentioned in my last post? The one where I said "the snow pack was higher than the flashing and it just got past that and into the attic...." Yeah. Turns out that may have been the case. Or not.
We now have a wet and ever growing water mark our ceiling which is much larger than the original one (which frankly I thought was big enough). It's in a different place, of course.
We have no snow but do have lots of rain.
Our roof is only 8 years old so we called the roof guy and he graciously came out yesterday afternoon free of charge to see what is happening. He crawled on top the roof and inside the attic and the verdict is: the roof is not leaking. Damn. That would have an easy fix.
While the guy was up of the roof he found several areas of concern with the siding installation - the biggie being they didn't cap the chimney which may, or may not, be allowing the water to get in. Why now? It's been 11 months, right? He doesn't really know. It could have been happening in a lesser degree for a while or it could be that the extreme cold temps changed the way the siding sits on the house. Also the siding apparently isn't supposed to be touching the roof desk and it does around the chimney.
Given the day I had yesterday up to that point, I just stood there and listened as the tears filled my eyes. He asked if I would like him to call the company who installed the siding. I did - and he did. Someone from the company will be out this afternoon.
The roof guy said that even if those aren't the sources of the leaking, they need to be fixed. If that doesn't end the leak, then the siding company will need to remove the siding from the chimney, the roof guy will replace all the flashing and then the siding company can reinstall (properly, we hope) the siding.
Fine. Whatever. So we live with a growing wet spot and the possibility of the ceiling crashing in on us in that area. In the long run, I know it can be fixed. In the short run - it's stressful as all get out.
Add to that......
Kelton.
For those of you on Facebook, you already have a good idea of what is happening. Short little sentences were all I could manage lately but I know some of you don't do Facebook and I know others who are in FB are asking for more information. More information I really do not have at this point but here is the short version.
Kelton is losing weight. He has dropped about 10% of his total body weight since a Sept. 27th doctor visit. We have noticed how skinny he has become and other people have commented on it as well. We (stupidly) figured it was growing taller, not adding weight and naturally thinning out and losing his baby look. I was nervous about it but tried to shake it off. But too many people started to say things to not wonder and then Dakota plopped him on a scale. Yikes.
I had to take him in on December 31st for something unrelated (? Maybe.) to his weight lose so I was able to address the weight lose then instead of waiting a few weeks for a regular appointment.
The end result is the doctor is concerned and asked to begin weekly weigh ins to be sure he doesn't lose anymore. If he did lose, then she would run some tests.
I took him in yesterday morning for his first weigh in and even after a week of shoving food at the boy and him doing his part of eating just about everything - he still lost half a pound. With all the food we were putting in him, there is no way he should have lost. He was crushed and I was without words.
They got us in to see the doctor within 30 minutes. after another examination and lots more questions, we were off to the lab to have NINE(!) vials of blood drawn. My amazing child was a trooper! Not a whine or a cry. He stuck out his arm, did what they asked of him and walked away with 4 stickers for his bravery. I was so proud of him!
The doctor said she was "throwing out a broad net" hoping to figure out what is going on but more importantly to rule out things that are not the problem.
And now - the waiting. Which is complete torture.
The urinalysis came back quickly as did a glucose result (I assume from the urine sample). They are fine.
It could be up to a week for all the results to come back.
In the mean time, I'm completely falling apart while working so hard to keep it together for the kids and Dakota is barely keeping it together. This is not good. Whatever it is, is not good. We just have to hope it's a simple fix.
So that ceiling problem? Quite the metaphor for life right now.
Remember that water leak issue I mentioned in my last post? The one where I said "the snow pack was higher than the flashing and it just got past that and into the attic...." Yeah. Turns out that may have been the case. Or not.
We now have a wet and ever growing water mark our ceiling which is much larger than the original one (which frankly I thought was big enough). It's in a different place, of course.
We have no snow but do have lots of rain.
Our roof is only 8 years old so we called the roof guy and he graciously came out yesterday afternoon free of charge to see what is happening. He crawled on top the roof and inside the attic and the verdict is: the roof is not leaking. Damn. That would have an easy fix.
While the guy was up of the roof he found several areas of concern with the siding installation - the biggie being they didn't cap the chimney which may, or may not, be allowing the water to get in. Why now? It's been 11 months, right? He doesn't really know. It could have been happening in a lesser degree for a while or it could be that the extreme cold temps changed the way the siding sits on the house. Also the siding apparently isn't supposed to be touching the roof desk and it does around the chimney.
Given the day I had yesterday up to that point, I just stood there and listened as the tears filled my eyes. He asked if I would like him to call the company who installed the siding. I did - and he did. Someone from the company will be out this afternoon.
The roof guy said that even if those aren't the sources of the leaking, they need to be fixed. If that doesn't end the leak, then the siding company will need to remove the siding from the chimney, the roof guy will replace all the flashing and then the siding company can reinstall (properly, we hope) the siding.
Fine. Whatever. So we live with a growing wet spot and the possibility of the ceiling crashing in on us in that area. In the long run, I know it can be fixed. In the short run - it's stressful as all get out.
Add to that......
Kelton.
For those of you on Facebook, you already have a good idea of what is happening. Short little sentences were all I could manage lately but I know some of you don't do Facebook and I know others who are in FB are asking for more information. More information I really do not have at this point but here is the short version.
Kelton is losing weight. He has dropped about 10% of his total body weight since a Sept. 27th doctor visit. We have noticed how skinny he has become and other people have commented on it as well. We (stupidly) figured it was growing taller, not adding weight and naturally thinning out and losing his baby look. I was nervous about it but tried to shake it off. But too many people started to say things to not wonder and then Dakota plopped him on a scale. Yikes.
I had to take him in on December 31st for something unrelated (? Maybe.) to his weight lose so I was able to address the weight lose then instead of waiting a few weeks for a regular appointment.
The end result is the doctor is concerned and asked to begin weekly weigh ins to be sure he doesn't lose anymore. If he did lose, then she would run some tests.
I took him in yesterday morning for his first weigh in and even after a week of shoving food at the boy and him doing his part of eating just about everything - he still lost half a pound. With all the food we were putting in him, there is no way he should have lost. He was crushed and I was without words.
They got us in to see the doctor within 30 minutes. after another examination and lots more questions, we were off to the lab to have NINE(!) vials of blood drawn. My amazing child was a trooper! Not a whine or a cry. He stuck out his arm, did what they asked of him and walked away with 4 stickers for his bravery. I was so proud of him!
The doctor said she was "throwing out a broad net" hoping to figure out what is going on but more importantly to rule out things that are not the problem.
And now - the waiting. Which is complete torture.
The urinalysis came back quickly as did a glucose result (I assume from the urine sample). They are fine.
It could be up to a week for all the results to come back.
In the mean time, I'm completely falling apart while working so hard to keep it together for the kids and Dakota is barely keeping it together. This is not good. Whatever it is, is not good. We just have to hope it's a simple fix.
So that ceiling problem? Quite the metaphor for life right now.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Crazy Days
I know, I know. It's been days since I posted., All I can say is that life has been very hectic and a little overwhelming. I just don't feel like I have my feet under me yet which makes blogging about anything a bit difficult. But I'm getting there. Step by step.
Here is some of the easy stuff.....
I know it's not the end of the world but my car was in the shop and we walked away $418 poorer but are feeling grateful that it wasn't the $1018 we were quoted at the first place. Apparently one of my O2 sensors failed but instead of recommending replacing the broken one, the first place was insistent we needed to replace all four. OUCH! The second place, a place I was referred to by two of my MOMS Club friends, was much easier to deal with. Sure - it meant having to pay for a diagnostic (it was free at the first place with a coupon) and yes, the first place was right that generic sensors won't fit my car but the service felt better and they felt there was no need to replace the other sensors because they were working properly at this time. He said "Unless of course you are rolling in money and enjoy spending it on, at this time, unnecessary repairs." Umm...no...not really, thanks. :)
Sure - for that amount I could have probably bought a nice little term life insurance policy but that's what happens when you have vehicles. Some times they break. You just have to hope you get lucky and it doesn't break the bank. Fortunately, Dakota's mom let us borrow her car yesterday so Little Miss Attitude...eerrr...I mean Kaylen could go to gymnastics (and her attitude is HUGE these days. Wow. She is 3.75 years hear her roar!)and I could both drop off and pick up my guy from his first day back from winter break.
I still can't believe winter break is over. The snow, for as much as I loved it, got to be a bit much when, as it began to melt off, the water pushed past the flashing on the fireplace causing a wet ceiling in the living room which means we will need to repair the damage at some point. And by the way - not for nothing but we did break a 40 year record for the amount of snow on the ground during the month of December. And again, not for nothing, this was the first time in 112 years that there was greater than 2 inches on the ground Christmas Day and only the 8th time in 112 years there was snow on the ground for Christmas Day. Pretty cool!
We did face our fear of snow/ice/slush driving and made it out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then on the 26th we drove to see my family 4 hours to the north of us. I can't say I'm a fan of driving on it (please note our city/state is not equipt to handle snow. I think this county has *maybe* three snowplows) and I don't think I would dare without 4WD but just the same, I did it and we survived.
So - in a nutshell, that brings you up to date on the non-kid issues. Dakota heads back to school for her final semester next Monday and until then, we are enjoying our evenings together and all the family time we can cram in. I'm actually enjoying family dinners and evenings that stretch out bedtimes a bit further than usual. We're all going to miss Dakota when she goes back but it's so nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally.
It's funny though - at the beginning of this journey the 4 years stretched out F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I had a 6 month old and 3.5 year old and the thought that they would be 4 and 7 by the time school was done felt like a lifetime (or two) away. And yet - here we are. Kaylen turns 4 next month and Kelton will be 7 in April. This last year is going fast and picking up speed. Before you know it, Dakota will be hitting the job search trail hard and fast to begin her new-hard won career as an attorney. Amazing. And I am so, so, so proud of her.
Wow - this is much longer than I thought it would be when I logged in to post something to let you know I was indeed still around. At this point, I may as well go on to share about Kaylen's latest Pallid Breath Holding drama and Kelton's medical stuff but alas...what will I have to share the next time I sit down? :) I guess it will just have to wait.
I'm off to get my afternoon cup of coffee and then I am sitting down and watching "The View" from earlier today. Meet you back here later. :)
Here is some of the easy stuff.....
I know it's not the end of the world but my car was in the shop and we walked away $418 poorer but are feeling grateful that it wasn't the $1018 we were quoted at the first place. Apparently one of my O2 sensors failed but instead of recommending replacing the broken one, the first place was insistent we needed to replace all four. OUCH! The second place, a place I was referred to by two of my MOMS Club friends, was much easier to deal with. Sure - it meant having to pay for a diagnostic (it was free at the first place with a coupon) and yes, the first place was right that generic sensors won't fit my car but the service felt better and they felt there was no need to replace the other sensors because they were working properly at this time. He said "Unless of course you are rolling in money and enjoy spending it on, at this time, unnecessary repairs." Umm...no...not really, thanks. :)
Sure - for that amount I could have probably bought a nice little term life insurance policy but that's what happens when you have vehicles. Some times they break. You just have to hope you get lucky and it doesn't break the bank. Fortunately, Dakota's mom let us borrow her car yesterday so Little Miss Attitude...eerrr...I mean Kaylen could go to gymnastics (and her attitude is HUGE these days. Wow. She is 3.75 years hear her roar!)and I could both drop off and pick up my guy from his first day back from winter break.
I still can't believe winter break is over. The snow, for as much as I loved it, got to be a bit much when, as it began to melt off, the water pushed past the flashing on the fireplace causing a wet ceiling in the living room which means we will need to repair the damage at some point. And by the way - not for nothing but we did break a 40 year record for the amount of snow on the ground during the month of December. And again, not for nothing, this was the first time in 112 years that there was greater than 2 inches on the ground Christmas Day and only the 8th time in 112 years there was snow on the ground for Christmas Day. Pretty cool!
We did face our fear of snow/ice/slush driving and made it out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then on the 26th we drove to see my family 4 hours to the north of us. I can't say I'm a fan of driving on it (please note our city/state is not equipt to handle snow. I think this county has *maybe* three snowplows) and I don't think I would dare without 4WD but just the same, I did it and we survived.
So - in a nutshell, that brings you up to date on the non-kid issues. Dakota heads back to school for her final semester next Monday and until then, we are enjoying our evenings together and all the family time we can cram in. I'm actually enjoying family dinners and evenings that stretch out bedtimes a bit further than usual. We're all going to miss Dakota when she goes back but it's so nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally.
It's funny though - at the beginning of this journey the 4 years stretched out F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I had a 6 month old and 3.5 year old and the thought that they would be 4 and 7 by the time school was done felt like a lifetime (or two) away. And yet - here we are. Kaylen turns 4 next month and Kelton will be 7 in April. This last year is going fast and picking up speed. Before you know it, Dakota will be hitting the job search trail hard and fast to begin her new-hard won career as an attorney. Amazing. And I am so, so, so proud of her.
Wow - this is much longer than I thought it would be when I logged in to post something to let you know I was indeed still around. At this point, I may as well go on to share about Kaylen's latest Pallid Breath Holding drama and Kelton's medical stuff but alas...what will I have to share the next time I sit down? :) I guess it will just have to wait.
I'm off to get my afternoon cup of coffee and then I am sitting down and watching "The View" from earlier today. Meet you back here later. :)
Saturday, January 03, 2009
A Day at OMSI
The kids have been wanting to take a trip to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) so I had planned to take them earlier in the week however as the day drew closer, Kelton decided that he really, really, really wanted to ride the simulated ride which would require Dakota to be with us so that she could accompany him. With my back and syringomyelia, there is no way I can go on a ride like that.
So the big day was set for today.
We were there around 11:00 and oh was it busy! We had to park in a parking lot I've never before known existed and the throngs of people waiting to pay was a bit overwhelming. Kelton saw the line and said "I don't want to wait - let's just go." so imagine his delight when, as a card carrying member we didn't have to wait at all.
After beginning the puzzle exhibit, Kaylen grew restless and asked to go to "her part" which is the little kid room. So we left Dakota and Kelton to ponder puzzles and we went upstairs.
Let me just repeat: oh my goodness was it busy! There where small children of every shape and size wandering around with their grown-ups. If I was feeling overwhelmed, I have to wonder how Kaylen, with her all her shortness was feeling. Wow.
But you know, being in a room filled with toddlers never fails to leave me amazed at all the different clothing options available for little girls......and all the different clothing options in which my daughter will never allow me to indulge. The Hannah Anderson clothes, Children's Place skirts with stripped tights, catimini outfits....they all make my head swim and my heart long for the days when my now-fiercely independent (not to mention sensory challenged) daughter let me decide on her outfits. I miss those days. *sigh*
But I digress..... the place was swarming with happy (and not so happy) children and my daughter happily jumped right in.
Soon Dakota and Kelton arrived by our sides. The puzzles, they declared, weren't as much fun as they hoped. Dakota stayed with Kaylen and Kelton and I took off to explore other parts of the building. Then we all met up again, saw a few things together and then it was time for Kelton's big ride and boy howdy did he LOVE it! When he bounced off the ramp he was wearing an ear to ear grin and nothing makes me happier than seeing my babies happy.
We stayed a while longer and then, after three hours of fun, we headed back home. How was the day, you ask? Well - if it's any indication, Kelton put a "Best Day Ever" sticker on his calendar.
I love "Best Days Ever". Don't you?
So the big day was set for today.
We were there around 11:00 and oh was it busy! We had to park in a parking lot I've never before known existed and the throngs of people waiting to pay was a bit overwhelming. Kelton saw the line and said "I don't want to wait - let's just go." so imagine his delight when, as a card carrying member we didn't have to wait at all.
After beginning the puzzle exhibit, Kaylen grew restless and asked to go to "her part" which is the little kid room. So we left Dakota and Kelton to ponder puzzles and we went upstairs.
Let me just repeat: oh my goodness was it busy! There where small children of every shape and size wandering around with their grown-ups. If I was feeling overwhelmed, I have to wonder how Kaylen, with her all her shortness was feeling. Wow.
But you know, being in a room filled with toddlers never fails to leave me amazed at all the different clothing options available for little girls......and all the different clothing options in which my daughter will never allow me to indulge. The Hannah Anderson clothes, Children's Place skirts with stripped tights, catimini outfits....they all make my head swim and my heart long for the days when my now-fiercely independent (not to mention sensory challenged) daughter let me decide on her outfits. I miss those days. *sigh*
But I digress..... the place was swarming with happy (and not so happy) children and my daughter happily jumped right in.
Soon Dakota and Kelton arrived by our sides. The puzzles, they declared, weren't as much fun as they hoped. Dakota stayed with Kaylen and Kelton and I took off to explore other parts of the building. Then we all met up again, saw a few things together and then it was time for Kelton's big ride and boy howdy did he LOVE it! When he bounced off the ramp he was wearing an ear to ear grin and nothing makes me happier than seeing my babies happy.
We stayed a while longer and then, after three hours of fun, we headed back home. How was the day, you ask? Well - if it's any indication, Kelton put a "Best Day Ever" sticker on his calendar.
I love "Best Days Ever". Don't you?
Thursday, January 01, 2009
The New Years Eve Report
For the first time ever the kids attempted to stay up until midnight. It was so cute - they both were committed 100%. We watched a bit of TV, ate popcorn, drank kool-aid (a very special treat) and enjoyed some cheese. We played many of the new Christmas games and a couple old favorites. We got silly bopping around balloons as we tried not to let them hit the ground (and got bonus points for bouncing them on the ceiling). Then we began trying to settle down. But....the "we are so tired we don't know what to do with ourselves" spinning out of control started happening. Kaylen, for her part, tried to settle down and do dot to dots in her new Christmas book. She became incredibly frustrated which was a sure sign she was reaching her breaking point. Kelton started ramping up his energy level and doing odd things such as trying to put his mechanical pencil into his new battery powered pencil sharpener.
I called an end to the fun and games and told them if they wanted to stay up, they would have to settle in a watch TV.
Within 15 minutes, Kaylen was begging to go to bed. It was 10:15 and she was out cold by 10:30. When I returned to the living room, Kelton was snuggled in beside Dakota and looking very sleepy. He insisted he was going to make it to midnight. For the looks of him, I had big doubts.
As it turned out, he was sound asleep on Dakota's lap at 11:20. I felt so sad for him knowing how much he wanted to stay up to yell "Happy New Year!" but there was no bringing him back from the land of lullaby.
At 11:45 Dakota picked him up and we moved him to his bed. I do believe Dakota and I were asleep by 11:50. :)
So there was no wild ringing in of the new year in this house but still - it was a really fun evening spent with my three favorite people. And it was a lot of fun to have the kids up late for a special occasion.
And just because I finally got my scanner to work, here are a couple pictures of the kids that were taken Wednesday. My dad has a frame that holds three 5x7 photos of the kids (both my two and his great grand-kids) and every Christmas it is my responsibility to provide new 5x7's. I was woefully negligent this year (and apparently last year though I swear I gave him new photos. For some reason, they weren't in the frames so either they were lost in the Christmas chaos or I am a horrible daughter). I decided to redeem myself by taking the kids to Picture People. Here are the poses I got (plus bonus! 5x7's come two to a sheet so I have copies for myself too. YAY!):
I called an end to the fun and games and told them if they wanted to stay up, they would have to settle in a watch TV.
Within 15 minutes, Kaylen was begging to go to bed. It was 10:15 and she was out cold by 10:30. When I returned to the living room, Kelton was snuggled in beside Dakota and looking very sleepy. He insisted he was going to make it to midnight. For the looks of him, I had big doubts.
As it turned out, he was sound asleep on Dakota's lap at 11:20. I felt so sad for him knowing how much he wanted to stay up to yell "Happy New Year!" but there was no bringing him back from the land of lullaby.
At 11:45 Dakota picked him up and we moved him to his bed. I do believe Dakota and I were asleep by 11:50. :)
So there was no wild ringing in of the new year in this house but still - it was a really fun evening spent with my three favorite people. And it was a lot of fun to have the kids up late for a special occasion.
And just because I finally got my scanner to work, here are a couple pictures of the kids that were taken Wednesday. My dad has a frame that holds three 5x7 photos of the kids (both my two and his great grand-kids) and every Christmas it is my responsibility to provide new 5x7's. I was woefully negligent this year (and apparently last year though I swear I gave him new photos. For some reason, they weren't in the frames so either they were lost in the Christmas chaos or I am a horrible daughter). I decided to redeem myself by taking the kids to Picture People. Here are the poses I got (plus bonus! 5x7's come two to a sheet so I have copies for myself too. YAY!):
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