I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post.
After a week of deep thought, prayer and personal reflection, I have decided to continue this blog. I was asked to discontinue certain parts and I have come to this decision that it is good to continue and it is a great way to disseminate information to multiply people at the same time. The intent of this blog is to update family and family friends all over the country. Judging from all the emails about wanting new information, I'm guessing you all think it is a good thing too. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. I am continuing to collect emails and blog notes for mom. The really uplift her spirits as she does not have access to a computer at this time. Please keep sending them, she is saving them.
Here is the latest: Mom is continuing her journey toward recovery. I'll just say that I am so proud that she is holding her head high and staying so positive in the face of life-changing events. There is so much to do and all the kids have taken on a portion of the load to help balance things out. My part is dealing with the house and the move itself and we are making some very tough decisions and there will be many more ahead. I said earlier that the new place was like a "cruise ship". Mom does get to read this blog and what I meant and obviously didn't say very well is that there are people to help her at the complex and help fulfill requests as needed, much like a concierge. It is a pretty place but much smaller than she is accustomed to and it will be a major adjustment. I only meant to be encouraging and hopefully positive for her benefit. I hope that explains my wording choice a little bit better.
On a personal note. I have had concerned calls and emails wanting to know why I've dropped off the face-of the earth. Thank you for caring for me and for my family. I have many many thank you notes to write and many calls to make. I am here, I am (or at least feel like) I'm drowning and promise to return each and every phone call as I have said I would. Thank you for the offers to keep my kiddos and bring us dinner. I would not be sane if it were not for my friends. I have a hard time reaching out and asking for help, so thank you for knowing that and offering anyway.
EB - I'm sorry I haven't call yet. I know I promised I'd call you next and I will! I miss you tremendously and I have no excuse other than to say I'm a drowning slacker.
Honey - Thank you for the hugs this morning, I really needed them.
TR - Thank you for calling just to check on me.
Michele and Gret - Thanks for keeping my secrets. I really needed a place to let go and be open without worrying about "leakage" I felt much better afterward.
For general information and FYI - To anyone concerned about Blogger privacy information - I have taken special precautions to ensure this information is not readily available to the general public and someone must have the exact link or be given the link to access this information. Many people care about this family, given the road we've traveled to this point. To say uplifting things about my mother's present and future situation is to uplift and encourage her. I apologize if some of those comments were misunderstood or taken out of context
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Thursday, March 02, 2006
We now know some more of the story.
I have not written in a bit because the news was the same. Here are the facts up to date.
- Mom is on dialysis for the rest of her life or until she gets a kidney.
- She will be moving out of her house very shortly into a terrific 55+ apartment complex in Plano where she will have a really cute two bedroom apartment. It's just enough space for her to manage.
- She will no longer be able to work.
- She is okay with all of this because she (and we all) believe she has a chance to really enjoy the life she has left.
She gets out of the hospital tomorrow (Friday) sometime. As I have said before she will be recuperating at KayKay's and Ken's for about 2 weeks. During that time we are having the house looked at by a professional realtor, the foundation checked antiques appraised (and possible sold, defiantly moved!) and the drawers and closets cleaned out after 35 years of accumulated "stuff". My Mom and Dad, God bless their souls, were/are the biggest pack-rats I've personally ever met. We will be cleaning a lot out before she even goes back into the house;sort of the principle "out of sight/out of mind." Melissa and I have already had several good laughs at the 8 broken radios dad kept in his bedside table and the tube of ointment that expired in 1984. Ohhh, but there is so much more where that came from.
Mom's spirits have been lifted daily by all the calls visits and prayers. She seems to be ready for this next phase in her life, however I also know and fully understand how difficult if will be to leave it behind and forge a new lifestyle. It's really neat but it will be an adjustment. My grandmother will also not be able to live with her but we are working that out with my Aunt in Georgia. Gran has never been happy in Texas because it's not home and we've tried to make it as nice for her as possible but she has never truly been happy and I believe will not be until she is back in Georgia near to her brothers and sisters. We can and will all travel to her which is more appropriate give she is almost 80 and hates to travel alone back and forth. It's safer for her and mom has basically bee told by her doctors that she is NOT capable of caring for her any longer. That is the 1st hardest piece for mom and the 2nd will be giving up the house. She will wear a brave face and do what is best for everyone but I know there will many quiet tears.
- Mom is on dialysis for the rest of her life or until she gets a kidney.
- She will be moving out of her house very shortly into a terrific 55+ apartment complex in Plano where she will have a really cute two bedroom apartment. It's just enough space for her to manage.
- She will no longer be able to work.
- She is okay with all of this because she (and we all) believe she has a chance to really enjoy the life she has left.
She gets out of the hospital tomorrow (Friday) sometime. As I have said before she will be recuperating at KayKay's and Ken's for about 2 weeks. During that time we are having the house looked at by a professional realtor, the foundation checked antiques appraised (and possible sold, defiantly moved!) and the drawers and closets cleaned out after 35 years of accumulated "stuff". My Mom and Dad, God bless their souls, were/are the biggest pack-rats I've personally ever met. We will be cleaning a lot out before she even goes back into the house;sort of the principle "out of sight/out of mind." Melissa and I have already had several good laughs at the 8 broken radios dad kept in his bedside table and the tube of ointment that expired in 1984. Ohhh, but there is so much more where that came from.
Mom's spirits have been lifted daily by all the calls visits and prayers. She seems to be ready for this next phase in her life, however I also know and fully understand how difficult if will be to leave it behind and forge a new lifestyle. It's really neat but it will be an adjustment. My grandmother will also not be able to live with her but we are working that out with my Aunt in Georgia. Gran has never been happy in Texas because it's not home and we've tried to make it as nice for her as possible but she has never truly been happy and I believe will not be until she is back in Georgia near to her brothers and sisters. We can and will all travel to her which is more appropriate give she is almost 80 and hates to travel alone back and forth. It's safer for her and mom has basically bee told by her doctors that she is NOT capable of caring for her any longer. That is the 1st hardest piece for mom and the 2nd will be giving up the house. She will wear a brave face and do what is best for everyone but I know there will many quiet tears.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Tonight 02-24-06
There were a few minor setbacks tonight. She is a bit nauseated and her blood pressure is back up to 200/100. Apparently her main doctor did not want to release her from ICU but the kidney doctor felt it would be okay since this is a "stepped-down" version of the critical care unit.
It took us 45 minutes to get her blood pressure checked tonight which is quite a change from the 15 minute checks she received around the clock. I couldn't help but be a bit frustrated but then again they have three times the number of patients per nurse so it takes a while to get things moving.
Mom was sleeping when we left. They had given her a shot to keep moving the PB to a normal range. Her room-mate has pneumonia and is coughing constantly (poor thing!) Mom is so sleep deprived I'm hoping she can actually sleep since they only check every 4 hours in this unit. No dialysis tomorrow or Sunday. She will start again Monday...
On the home front, I'm knee deep in dirty laundry! Sean has been washing dishes but the laundry!!!!! My goodness at the laundry. Some clean/not folded; some dirty/not washed! I may never recover so if you come over just be forewarned that it is a scary mess. It would take a team three days to get this place back in shape. I guess this is not really important. My children are fed, my husband is fed and they have all slept and are in pretty good health despite the rampant health code violations in this house! That is important.
It took us 45 minutes to get her blood pressure checked tonight which is quite a change from the 15 minute checks she received around the clock. I couldn't help but be a bit frustrated but then again they have three times the number of patients per nurse so it takes a while to get things moving.
Mom was sleeping when we left. They had given her a shot to keep moving the PB to a normal range. Her room-mate has pneumonia and is coughing constantly (poor thing!) Mom is so sleep deprived I'm hoping she can actually sleep since they only check every 4 hours in this unit. No dialysis tomorrow or Sunday. She will start again Monday...
On the home front, I'm knee deep in dirty laundry! Sean has been washing dishes but the laundry!!!!! My goodness at the laundry. Some clean/not folded; some dirty/not washed! I may never recover so if you come over just be forewarned that it is a scary mess. It would take a team three days to get this place back in shape. I guess this is not really important. My children are fed, my husband is fed and they have all slept and are in pretty good health despite the rampant health code violations in this house! That is important.
Good News At Last!!!
Good morning/afternoon!! We've got great news. They've moved mom to a regular room and she isn't hooked up to ANY machines at all!!! They took her off the Blood Pressure drip last night and no IVs either! Mom is in a semi-private room of the main building: Room #922A. Visiting hours are open until 8:00 PM. Several have wanted to send flowers and cards....she can get those now. Unfortunately, with dialysis she has to be careful about the fruit she eats so please refrain from sending that temptation. I think she almost passed out yesterday when they told her "NO WATERMELON". Her favorite thing...too much potassium!
They want her walking around today. She's still VERY weak and shaky but the doctor's say her strength will come back soon. She will have another treatment this afternoon, around 3 1/2 hours of dialysis. (She has already started her 3rd treatment as of this blog) We are hoping she will be home from the hospital by Monday or Tuesday. We know are waiting on her strength to increase and permanent dialysis schedule to be set. Once those things are in place she'll be headed to the Polk B&B for a lot of R&R.
On that note, I truly believe we have found angels on this earth. I've always believed they existed just never really knew I could see them....Ken & Mary Kay, Kathy and Charlie (don't feel slighted if your name wasn't mentioned there are just so many and we know who you are and God knows who you are!!!) are just a few of the angels God sent to my mother. We've all be blessed by so many friends and family. We've never felt so much love and been so acutely aware of God's presence in our lives. I know 38+ years ago when my mother moved to Texas, God placed her at Prestoncrest knowing the friends she would meet and the support she would have in those relationships. In that respect, we feel this week has brought a positive perspective out of such hardship. Thank you all for your constant prayers and love.
To my brother and sister Melissa and Marcus, you are so strong and amazing. I'm in awe of both of you and how you balance work, family, law school and this crazy, difficult situation. I love you beyond words.
Thank you to Mrs. Traci at Sunshine School as well for extending an extra measure of grace to Garrison. He's really been out of sorts and trying to understand where his Nan is right now. Peyton and Kamy have sort of rolled with the punches a bit better than he has. We tried to hide it as much as possible but he is very perceptive and asked too many questions so I was very honest with him. We also sunk him into the ICU for a couple of minutes and he saw all the cords and plugs but it was the only smile we got out of mom for a week.
Also I have to say a special thank you to my wonderful husband who despite the piles of laundry and the stacks of dishes has kept a smile and a shoulder available for me no matter what. He is my rock and I want everyone out there to know what an amazing man he is. I adore you, Sean! I'd be lost without you.
To my precious friends who have been keeping my kids and bringing my family dinner (especially when I had a migraine and 1/2 last night) and just loving us even from a far, I LOVE YOU and I'm proud to call you my friend and if the time comes and I can return the favor I all over it, day or night!
We love you more than words can say!!!!
They want her walking around today. She's still VERY weak and shaky but the doctor's say her strength will come back soon. She will have another treatment this afternoon, around 3 1/2 hours of dialysis. (She has already started her 3rd treatment as of this blog) We are hoping she will be home from the hospital by Monday or Tuesday. We know are waiting on her strength to increase and permanent dialysis schedule to be set. Once those things are in place she'll be headed to the Polk B&B for a lot of R&R.
On that note, I truly believe we have found angels on this earth. I've always believed they existed just never really knew I could see them....Ken & Mary Kay, Kathy and Charlie (don't feel slighted if your name wasn't mentioned there are just so many and we know who you are and God knows who you are!!!) are just a few of the angels God sent to my mother. We've all be blessed by so many friends and family. We've never felt so much love and been so acutely aware of God's presence in our lives. I know 38+ years ago when my mother moved to Texas, God placed her at Prestoncrest knowing the friends she would meet and the support she would have in those relationships. In that respect, we feel this week has brought a positive perspective out of such hardship. Thank you all for your constant prayers and love.
To my brother and sister Melissa and Marcus, you are so strong and amazing. I'm in awe of both of you and how you balance work, family, law school and this crazy, difficult situation. I love you beyond words.
Thank you to Mrs. Traci at Sunshine School as well for extending an extra measure of grace to Garrison. He's really been out of sorts and trying to understand where his Nan is right now. Peyton and Kamy have sort of rolled with the punches a bit better than he has. We tried to hide it as much as possible but he is very perceptive and asked too many questions so I was very honest with him. We also sunk him into the ICU for a couple of minutes and he saw all the cords and plugs but it was the only smile we got out of mom for a week.
Also I have to say a special thank you to my wonderful husband who despite the piles of laundry and the stacks of dishes has kept a smile and a shoulder available for me no matter what. He is my rock and I want everyone out there to know what an amazing man he is. I adore you, Sean! I'd be lost without you.
To my precious friends who have been keeping my kids and bringing my family dinner (especially when I had a migraine and 1/2 last night) and just loving us even from a far, I LOVE YOU and I'm proud to call you my friend and if the time comes and I can return the favor I all over it, day or night!
We love you more than words can say!!!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!
For the email for the calls for the hospital visits for my wonderful friends who take my babies to the aquarium, Garre to the movies and days off from work just to help.... Everytime the car holding my babies pulls away I say a little prayer that they are safe and they behave themselves. There are simply no words to express my feelings. I feel blessed and peaceful and I know I can speak for Melissa and Marcus when I say we feel very loved and in His spirit. It is nearly impossible for me to respond to every email and phone message but I am getting them, Melissa is also getting them and I am going to make mom a book full of messages to take to her at the hospital. Your words will lift her up.
On to the update.
Mom got her dialysis ports today about 2:00 pm. It was a minor procedure that she said did not hurt. She then received the first of many treatments to cleanse her system of the toxins. We now know more than we ever wanted to know about the procedure and what it does for the body. I think after getting this one under her belt she feels a bit more calm. I walked with her to the elevator to get the ports and her portable monitoring system was going crazy concerning her blood pressure. The nurse kept saying lots of deep breaths and relax over and over again. By the time she left me she had calmed herself down.
The dialysis tech.nurse was waiting on her when she got back and he explained everything.
SIDE BAR: This hospital and their staff must train in "Medicalidiotesse" a language I speak fluently because everyone is really good at explaining things to a Medical Idiot, (AKA Me)
Mom seemed much calmer late today and reassured that this was indeed something that was going to make her feel 100% better. Kay Kay and Ken saw her tonight and she was tired but feeling a bit better. They have asked her to come stay with them for a couple of week post surgery. Melissa, Marc and I have talked about it and it may be the best option. It's quiet, very comfortable, she will have time to really rest without the kids pulling on her all day long, she will be with someone constantly( a big concern of mine) her meals will be cooked and they have someone to clean her room. I was more than willing to do it all of that but we also have additional areas of concern, such as de-stressing moms whole life, so that this type of thing doesn't happen again.
We have a very long an tough road ahead of us but my sweet friend Pam who knows better than anyone I know, says, "Take it one day at a time, One hour is you have to and do look too far down the road." We can do that to a certian extent but we do have to make some plans for her future and find the new balance in her life.
Mom will have two more treatments, 3 hours and 4 hours, over then next wo days and then we are looking a a potential release from ICU and maybe the hospital. I'll know more tomorrow after I talk to Mellissa who is staying at the hospital druing the day shift so I can work at school and feel a bit normal.
On to the update.
Mom got her dialysis ports today about 2:00 pm. It was a minor procedure that she said did not hurt. She then received the first of many treatments to cleanse her system of the toxins. We now know more than we ever wanted to know about the procedure and what it does for the body. I think after getting this one under her belt she feels a bit more calm. I walked with her to the elevator to get the ports and her portable monitoring system was going crazy concerning her blood pressure. The nurse kept saying lots of deep breaths and relax over and over again. By the time she left me she had calmed herself down.
The dialysis tech.nurse was waiting on her when she got back and he explained everything.
SIDE BAR: This hospital and their staff must train in "Medicalidiotesse" a language I speak fluently because everyone is really good at explaining things to a Medical Idiot, (AKA Me)
Mom seemed much calmer late today and reassured that this was indeed something that was going to make her feel 100% better. Kay Kay and Ken saw her tonight and she was tired but feeling a bit better. They have asked her to come stay with them for a couple of week post surgery. Melissa, Marc and I have talked about it and it may be the best option. It's quiet, very comfortable, she will have time to really rest without the kids pulling on her all day long, she will be with someone constantly( a big concern of mine) her meals will be cooked and they have someone to clean her room. I was more than willing to do it all of that but we also have additional areas of concern, such as de-stressing moms whole life, so that this type of thing doesn't happen again.
We have a very long an tough road ahead of us but my sweet friend Pam who knows better than anyone I know, says, "Take it one day at a time, One hour is you have to and do look too far down the road." We can do that to a certian extent but we do have to make some plans for her future and find the new balance in her life.
Mom will have two more treatments, 3 hours and 4 hours, over then next wo days and then we are looking a a potential release from ICU and maybe the hospital. I'll know more tomorrow after I talk to Mellissa who is staying at the hospital druing the day shift so I can work at school and feel a bit normal.
Latest news 02-21-06 PM
Let me start of by saying that I am completely sleep deprived and scared for mom so I might ramble more than usual.
I spent 40 minutes on the phone yesterday with the kidney doctor, Dr. Ashgar. He feels strongly that it is time for dialysis. Mom will go on the national donor list and she is scheduled to get a permanent "port" in her shoulder around noon today.
It is through this port that she will receive dialysis three times a week for the rest of her life or until she receives a new kidney.
She is frightened and in shock at this turn of events. We knew that some time in the future this was going to happen but this soon was definitely a surprise.
Melissa and I are going to be at the hospital with her and Kathy J will be there until they take her back for the procedure. I'm taking the kids to my sister-in- Law's for the day and I'll have me cell phone if anyone needs me.
I'll update more later.
I spent 40 minutes on the phone yesterday with the kidney doctor, Dr. Ashgar. He feels strongly that it is time for dialysis. Mom will go on the national donor list and she is scheduled to get a permanent "port" in her shoulder around noon today.
It is through this port that she will receive dialysis three times a week for the rest of her life or until she receives a new kidney.
She is frightened and in shock at this turn of events. We knew that some time in the future this was going to happen but this soon was definitely a surprise.
Melissa and I are going to be at the hospital with her and Kathy J will be there until they take her back for the procedure. I'm taking the kids to my sister-in- Law's for the day and I'll have me cell phone if anyone needs me.
I'll update more later.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
A better night
Mom had a decent night last night. She is still not resting very comfortably. The nurse sent everyone home to sleep. Today they are going got do some additional testing to determine the cause of the constant nausea. They have basically ruled out the meds as the cause and are looking at other possibilities. I will report more after lunch.
Thank you Pam for keeping my kids!
Thank you Pam for keeping my kids!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Two posts in one / Mimi and Steph
02-20-2006 / Melissa's birthday!
I just got home from the hospital and I'm pleased to report that physically she is doing pretty well. BP is 154/68 and holding pretty steady, with the strong medication Melissa wrote about in the email and following blog section below (keep reading). They have lowered her BP med drip significantly and her kidneys are "resettling" after all the stress. It will be a couple of days before we get any consistent numbers from her renal output. I am learning quite a lot from the amazing doctors and nurses at Medical City. Every single person that we worked with or even met has been kind and patient and sincere. They have really taken the time to talk in a manner that is clear and understandable without talking down or condescending . I'm just in love with the staff!
I am concerned about mom's spiritual and personal progress. She seems very, very down and it's frightening to see her in this state. Kathy J is with her right now and Marc and Mimi will be back at the 4-6 visiting window. I'm taking Gran back up there tonight. She is extremely weak and doesn't talk, almost at all. She occasionally asks for something but other than those few times she has been very quite. If you know Mom you know how much this is not her. She is extremely sore in her chest from the CPR and keeps getting the hiccups; not a good combo. I did stay the night mainly because Mom was frightened. She had a lot of questions yesterday and I feel like she was shocked that all this has happened. It's also a real wake-up call for her about the realities of being as physically frail as she is. It's had to reconcile when you are strong of spirit and will and weak in the flesh. If she is better this evening I'm going to talk to her about Paul. We've been praying and praying together. God id so faithful and He is responding to our prayers and she is getting better. Now if she will turn her attitude in a more positive direction, we will be making more dramatic progress.
A special thank you to all the amazing friends who have come to the hospital. Every time I see a familiar face I am personally strengthened and renewed. I am keeping a list for mom of who has come so that she will know how much she is loved and needed. Thank you for the phone call and the emails. I am printing them and taking them to her to lift her up. I told God Saturday night that He could no have her yet, that she was still needed here and I meant it. I believe He is taking compassion on me and we are getting another chance to let her know how much she is needed.
________________________________________________________________________
Melissa's email / 2/19/2006
________________________________________________________________________
Well Mom is the first to tell you she doesn't do anything the easy way. We love her but boy do we all wish she'd be easy!
On that note, during the day yesterday she was doing much better. After they removed the vent she was resting well. The BP medicine she is on is the strongest medicine possible and can only be administered in ICU....so the plan is for her to stay in ICU until she can get her BP regulated and on a different medication.
Sometime around 4:00 they noticed her central line that is inserted into her main artery (I believe they said Vena Cava, but what do I know), started leaking. They can't figure out why and so they ran many blood tests to see what the problem could be. Luckily the tests came back clear so they think she may have stretched the incision with her constant moving around. Around 5:30 yesterday she started getting nauseous again. They had lowered her BP meds and on top of the nausea her BP started going back up to the 190's. They gave her some nausea medicine which really didn't help and increased her meds. The nurse made me leave about 6:30 due to visiting hours and at that point mom was still feeling very sick to her stomach, but the BP was back in the 140s, luckily. The nurse is a little concerned about her Renal output. She isn't sure if the ordeal mother went through on Saturday is the cause or if her kidneys are having other trouble. They intend to keep an eye on that. Steph & Marcus got there around 8:00 and after Mom still have so much nausea and irregular BP issues, Steph decided to stay the night. As of this morning, they have given Mom some sedatives so she can rest.
Thank you all for your visits and prayers. Like Steph said, Mom is a fighter!! We know she'll get pass this test too; the Lord ALWAYS pulls her through! His grace is extraordinary, isn't it?
Love to you all!
Melissa
I just got home from the hospital and I'm pleased to report that physically she is doing pretty well. BP is 154/68 and holding pretty steady, with the strong medication Melissa wrote about in the email and following blog section below (keep reading). They have lowered her BP med drip significantly and her kidneys are "resettling" after all the stress. It will be a couple of days before we get any consistent numbers from her renal output. I am learning quite a lot from the amazing doctors and nurses at Medical City. Every single person that we worked with or even met has been kind and patient and sincere. They have really taken the time to talk in a manner that is clear and understandable without talking down or condescending . I'm just in love with the staff!
I am concerned about mom's spiritual and personal progress. She seems very, very down and it's frightening to see her in this state. Kathy J is with her right now and Marc and Mimi will be back at the 4-6 visiting window. I'm taking Gran back up there tonight. She is extremely weak and doesn't talk, almost at all. She occasionally asks for something but other than those few times she has been very quite. If you know Mom you know how much this is not her. She is extremely sore in her chest from the CPR and keeps getting the hiccups; not a good combo. I did stay the night mainly because Mom was frightened. She had a lot of questions yesterday and I feel like she was shocked that all this has happened. It's also a real wake-up call for her about the realities of being as physically frail as she is. It's had to reconcile when you are strong of spirit and will and weak in the flesh. If she is better this evening I'm going to talk to her about Paul. We've been praying and praying together. God id so faithful and He is responding to our prayers and she is getting better. Now if she will turn her attitude in a more positive direction, we will be making more dramatic progress.
A special thank you to all the amazing friends who have come to the hospital. Every time I see a familiar face I am personally strengthened and renewed. I am keeping a list for mom of who has come so that she will know how much she is loved and needed. Thank you for the phone call and the emails. I am printing them and taking them to her to lift her up. I told God Saturday night that He could no have her yet, that she was still needed here and I meant it. I believe He is taking compassion on me and we are getting another chance to let her know how much she is needed.
________________________________________________________________________
Melissa's email / 2/19/2006
________________________________________________________________________
Well Mom is the first to tell you she doesn't do anything the easy way. We love her but boy do we all wish she'd be easy!
On that note, during the day yesterday she was doing much better. After they removed the vent she was resting well. The BP medicine she is on is the strongest medicine possible and can only be administered in ICU....so the plan is for her to stay in ICU until she can get her BP regulated and on a different medication.
Sometime around 4:00 they noticed her central line that is inserted into her main artery (I believe they said Vena Cava, but what do I know), started leaking. They can't figure out why and so they ran many blood tests to see what the problem could be. Luckily the tests came back clear so they think she may have stretched the incision with her constant moving around. Around 5:30 yesterday she started getting nauseous again. They had lowered her BP meds and on top of the nausea her BP started going back up to the 190's. They gave her some nausea medicine which really didn't help and increased her meds. The nurse made me leave about 6:30 due to visiting hours and at that point mom was still feeling very sick to her stomach, but the BP was back in the 140s, luckily. The nurse is a little concerned about her Renal output. She isn't sure if the ordeal mother went through on Saturday is the cause or if her kidneys are having other trouble. They intend to keep an eye on that. Steph & Marcus got there around 8:00 and after Mom still have so much nausea and irregular BP issues, Steph decided to stay the night. As of this morning, they have given Mom some sedatives so she can rest.
Thank you all for your visits and prayers. Like Steph said, Mom is a fighter!! We know she'll get pass this test too; the Lord ALWAYS pulls her through! His grace is extraordinary, isn't it?
Love to you all!
Melissa
Sunday, February 19, 2006
First update on mom 02-18-2006
After a very long night in the ER and in ICU I am pleased to report that mom in no longer on the vent and is doing much better. As you all know she is feisty and quite a fighter. She was awake and still intabated when Marcus first got there this morning. She fought the tubing pretty hard and that was a good sign because not only was she able to get out of the restraints and tug at the Vent tubes but she was trying to talk around it. Dr Motta concluded that she could be off the vent; which was really a precaution when anyone has any kind of heart problems like she had last night.
Speaking of last night this is what happened. My grandmother called me at about 8:15 pm very frightened because mom was in great distress vomiting, her head throbbing and sort of in a strange state of consciousness. She talked to me for a second on the phone and I told her I was calling 911. The ambulance was there in a matter of minutes and I arrived just as they were leaving for Medical City. That is when her blood pressure was extremely dangerous stroke level. 270/128. (Her heart beat was 150+) Gran and I arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and I went right back. She was talking out of her head and vomiting profusely. She was shaking violently and I begged the PA for something for her nausea, which seemed to be the biggest issue at the moment. They gave her a Blood pressure med and a nausea med, via I.V. and the bottom dropped out. She began to seize as her heart rate dropped to the opposite extreme and I didn’t react very well. I thought she was dying right then. I screamed for help, they called a code blue and I went down to the floor. Without a word, they flipped her over on her back, like a rag doll, ripped open her gown and one of the doctors grabbed me by the shoulder on the floor and said, “Either leave of get it together! We need to focus on her now!” The last thing I head was, “Starting chest compressions…” I ran down the hall to my grandmother and relayed what had happened. I felt sick and I was hysterical so I walked out to get some fresh air and about that time the ER doctor came out and reported that they, “Got her heart restarted and we’ve had the vent her as a precaution. She is also sedated and we’re trying to get her BP down to a reasonable rate.” Once she is stable we will get a CT scan to look for an aneurism or a hemorrhagic stroke.” Marcus and Melissa arrived. Gary Brantley arrived and the nurse came out and reported that she was stable and going up for a scan.
What seemed like forever later, Sean arrived, the Polk’s arrived and the Johnston’s had arrived, (Greg French drove out in the middle of the night to sit with our kids THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!) Dr. Motta called us in and it was second most frightened I’ve ever been. (The first, of course, being just 1 hour earlier.) He told us what all Sean stated in the previous email: ICU for 48 to 72 hours, vent tube for some undetermined time, NO STROKE (Praise God!) and that she is indeed a fighter. Even as we were talking she managed to get out of her restraints and pull on the vent tube.
That bring us to today . Visiting hours are from 10-1, 4-6 and 8-10 pm. She is very, very weak and really need prayers now more than visitors. She will be more receptive to visitors once she has been moved to a regular room, hopefully in the next few days.
My grandmother is with me this week and the kids are all dividing time at the hospital in shifts. Please continue to pray for her safe recovery, she is not yet out of the woods. With a pressure that high there is still the possibility of a stroke or a bleed. For now she is holding her own and fighting hard as mom always does.
THANK YOU doesn’t seem to say if enough but thank you for all the prayers calls and visits to the hospital. I sincerely do not know what we would have done had it not been for the support of our family of friends that encircled us and wrapped us in prayer. Just barely 18 months ago we lost Dad and I’m not ready to loose mom.
Speaking of last night this is what happened. My grandmother called me at about 8:15 pm very frightened because mom was in great distress vomiting, her head throbbing and sort of in a strange state of consciousness. She talked to me for a second on the phone and I told her I was calling 911. The ambulance was there in a matter of minutes and I arrived just as they were leaving for Medical City. That is when her blood pressure was extremely dangerous stroke level. 270/128. (Her heart beat was 150+) Gran and I arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and I went right back. She was talking out of her head and vomiting profusely. She was shaking violently and I begged the PA for something for her nausea, which seemed to be the biggest issue at the moment. They gave her a Blood pressure med and a nausea med, via I.V. and the bottom dropped out. She began to seize as her heart rate dropped to the opposite extreme and I didn’t react very well. I thought she was dying right then. I screamed for help, they called a code blue and I went down to the floor. Without a word, they flipped her over on her back, like a rag doll, ripped open her gown and one of the doctors grabbed me by the shoulder on the floor and said, “Either leave of get it together! We need to focus on her now!” The last thing I head was, “Starting chest compressions…” I ran down the hall to my grandmother and relayed what had happened. I felt sick and I was hysterical so I walked out to get some fresh air and about that time the ER doctor came out and reported that they, “Got her heart restarted and we’ve had the vent her as a precaution. She is also sedated and we’re trying to get her BP down to a reasonable rate.” Once she is stable we will get a CT scan to look for an aneurism or a hemorrhagic stroke.” Marcus and Melissa arrived. Gary Brantley arrived and the nurse came out and reported that she was stable and going up for a scan.
What seemed like forever later, Sean arrived, the Polk’s arrived and the Johnston’s had arrived, (Greg French drove out in the middle of the night to sit with our kids THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!) Dr. Motta called us in and it was second most frightened I’ve ever been. (The first, of course, being just 1 hour earlier.) He told us what all Sean stated in the previous email: ICU for 48 to 72 hours, vent tube for some undetermined time, NO STROKE (Praise God!) and that she is indeed a fighter. Even as we were talking she managed to get out of her restraints and pull on the vent tube.
That bring us to today . Visiting hours are from 10-1, 4-6 and 8-10 pm. She is very, very weak and really need prayers now more than visitors. She will be more receptive to visitors once she has been moved to a regular room, hopefully in the next few days.
My grandmother is with me this week and the kids are all dividing time at the hospital in shifts. Please continue to pray for her safe recovery, she is not yet out of the woods. With a pressure that high there is still the possibility of a stroke or a bleed. For now she is holding her own and fighting hard as mom always does.
THANK YOU doesn’t seem to say if enough but thank you for all the prayers calls and visits to the hospital. I sincerely do not know what we would have done had it not been for the support of our family of friends that encircled us and wrapped us in prayer. Just barely 18 months ago we lost Dad and I’m not ready to loose mom.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Potty Training, Valentine Mommy
It's been months now and I am still on the neverending quest to potty train my daughter. She is the most stubborn little thing this side of, well, me! I guess she may not look a thing like me but she sure does take after me in the stubborn way.
She has these Princess panties; She will only wear the princess panties and God help me, they are positively threadbare from the constant washing and washing and washing and washing and washing... you get the picture.
Now if you keep a timer running and drop everything to take her every 30 minutes she will go, without fail. If you for any reason forget to reset the timer, or heaven forbid, not hear it go off then forget it.
She can tee-tee on command, she can poop on command (and that, ladies and gentlemen, is really hard to do.) I only say this because at the doctors office... Never mind.
I consider today a victory, if in theory only; we only washed one pair.
I've tried gummy bears, jelly beans, chocolate(her favorite) reading books, water running, warm water, and a million other methods to get her to actually go. We've got that part down. Now how do you keep them from actually tee-teeing in their pants. SHE DOESN'T CARE. Garrison comes to get me if she has an accident. Her doctor said once you make the transition to panties don't go back.
HA! Let him pay the $200 carpet and upholstery cleaning bill from February!
Other than this, she is a delightful and charming child in almost every way. Today she would only respond if you addressed her as Cinderella. I was the Fairy Godmother, thankfully not the wicked Step-mother, and Garrison played the part of Prince Charming. He will tolerate this only as long as he gets to use his light saber, space gun and fight the evil Wedlock and a eventually rescue the princess. (And I worried about him not being interested in Boy things....)
Garrison asked my to be his valentine (only after Alexis and Sophia were not available for goodnight kisses.) I was proud to accept his offer anyway and he melted my heart when he deemed me, "...the most prettiest Mommy ever in the space of the world!" I tell you what that little boy has a key to this mom's heart. I ache when I think I only have the summer and then he goes out into this mean old world. I'd rather spend this entire summer playing and swimming with Garre and Kamy than anything in this entire world and I really mean that. More than ANYTHING!!!
Speaking of this Fall, we are moving Kamy to and local pre-school. I will miss the day school that I am now teaching at and that Garrison has spent the last three years. The decision was really a simple on of need and logistics. I needed to be nearby logistically if the kids needed me! I couldn't even conceive of being 45 minutes away from Garre if he were to get sick or hurt or just scared. Since we met with Dr. Kirkham several weeks ago, we learned that Garrison is terrified of change and failing. We've been working on this but it flat out terrifies me to think of not being there if he needs me. It's no even an option. Her school will only be 5 minutes away from the house and Garre will be 5 minutes the other way. NICE!!!
Well be looking for my Tickelopes to start appearing in your local store just any darn day. My art comes out in March and I have 8 offerings (without signature) in this batch. I have been given the fantasy line for children's birthdays. It will also cover some other areas not related to children's birthdays. What is fantasy? Frog prince, Knights, princesses, fairies, castles, superheros, pirates, stuff like that. It is a blast and I LOVE IT!!!!! The kids love it too because we get to paint and draw together a lot. Garrison wants to be and artist when he grows up, that or and oceanographer/Zoologist and work with whales. This is right from his mouth. Mrs. Rutledge has been teaching his about the ocean and it seem to nearly consume him.
Well I'm tired and wandering all over the place. Sean and I ate for the 9th year at the restaurant where we dined the night he proposed 9 years ago, for the very last time. It's been out Valentines tradition and now it's over. I have had the same dish every year, Picatta de Vittelo. Tonight I savored every delicious bite and memory and the feeling of sitting alone with my handsome husband (that doesn't happen often enough.) He is my rock.
Happy valentines day.
She has these Princess panties; She will only wear the princess panties and God help me, they are positively threadbare from the constant washing and washing and washing and washing and washing... you get the picture.
Now if you keep a timer running and drop everything to take her every 30 minutes she will go, without fail. If you for any reason forget to reset the timer, or heaven forbid, not hear it go off then forget it.
She can tee-tee on command, she can poop on command (and that, ladies and gentlemen, is really hard to do.) I only say this because at the doctors office... Never mind.
I consider today a victory, if in theory only; we only washed one pair.
I've tried gummy bears, jelly beans, chocolate(her favorite) reading books, water running, warm water, and a million other methods to get her to actually go. We've got that part down. Now how do you keep them from actually tee-teeing in their pants. SHE DOESN'T CARE. Garrison comes to get me if she has an accident. Her doctor said once you make the transition to panties don't go back.
HA! Let him pay the $200 carpet and upholstery cleaning bill from February!
Other than this, she is a delightful and charming child in almost every way. Today she would only respond if you addressed her as Cinderella. I was the Fairy Godmother, thankfully not the wicked Step-mother, and Garrison played the part of Prince Charming. He will tolerate this only as long as he gets to use his light saber, space gun and fight the evil Wedlock and a eventually rescue the princess. (And I worried about him not being interested in Boy things....)
Garrison asked my to be his valentine (only after Alexis and Sophia were not available for goodnight kisses.) I was proud to accept his offer anyway and he melted my heart when he deemed me, "...the most prettiest Mommy ever in the space of the world!" I tell you what that little boy has a key to this mom's heart. I ache when I think I only have the summer and then he goes out into this mean old world. I'd rather spend this entire summer playing and swimming with Garre and Kamy than anything in this entire world and I really mean that. More than ANYTHING!!!
Speaking of this Fall, we are moving Kamy to and local pre-school. I will miss the day school that I am now teaching at and that Garrison has spent the last three years. The decision was really a simple on of need and logistics. I needed to be nearby logistically if the kids needed me! I couldn't even conceive of being 45 minutes away from Garre if he were to get sick or hurt or just scared. Since we met with Dr. Kirkham several weeks ago, we learned that Garrison is terrified of change and failing. We've been working on this but it flat out terrifies me to think of not being there if he needs me. It's no even an option. Her school will only be 5 minutes away from the house and Garre will be 5 minutes the other way. NICE!!!
Well be looking for my Tickelopes to start appearing in your local store just any darn day. My art comes out in March and I have 8 offerings (without signature) in this batch. I have been given the fantasy line for children's birthdays. It will also cover some other areas not related to children's birthdays. What is fantasy? Frog prince, Knights, princesses, fairies, castles, superheros, pirates, stuff like that. It is a blast and I LOVE IT!!!!! The kids love it too because we get to paint and draw together a lot. Garrison wants to be and artist when he grows up, that or and oceanographer/Zoologist and work with whales. This is right from his mouth. Mrs. Rutledge has been teaching his about the ocean and it seem to nearly consume him.
Well I'm tired and wandering all over the place. Sean and I ate for the 9th year at the restaurant where we dined the night he proposed 9 years ago, for the very last time. It's been out Valentines tradition and now it's over. I have had the same dish every year, Picatta de Vittelo. Tonight I savored every delicious bite and memory and the feeling of sitting alone with my handsome husband (that doesn't happen often enough.) He is my rock.
Happy valentines day.
Monday, February 06, 2006
It's been really busy
I have been drowning here of late and now that the ladies Retreat is over I can actually just roll with the punches for the next few months. The kids are fine. We are all a bit under the weather today. While I was out of town, Kamdyn came down with a big cold. I am sleep deprived from the retreat (I was 1/2 of the "Snack Chicks") so that has led to a nasty cold for me as well.
Retreats are fun but they are also a lot of work. This is my 7th retreat to serve on the committee for and each year I say it's the last but I have already signed up for next year. I know, I know.
The kids played Moses in the Jordan river ( Garrison is confussing the story of Naaman and Moses) today and then they ran around playing Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. I am glad that there are more male parts in these new movies. Garrison pretends he is the evil Wedlock or the good Adian. Kamy is always Princess Annaika. I love watching them play. They are at a great age for that right now.
I also think I have found a new pre-school for Kamdyn this Fall. Sachse Christian Academy is only 3 minutes from our house and actually less than anywhere I've looked at on this side of town. This will be the first year they are having a 3 year old pre-k class and they use the Abeka method of education. I've been researching it and it seems to be a Christian based curriculum much like she has been learning at Prestoncrest. Garrison will start Cox Elementary in the Fall and will study with Dr. Sally Kirkham two hours a week. She focuses on more of the Science and History he loves so much and won't get much of in public kindergarden.
Standard parenting stories apply, nothin out of the norm here in the house. It was good to get home and sleep in my bed.
__________________________________________________________________________
Old post reposted / by request
Thank you to everyone who called and asked about little Garrison and his testing. He's been acting out a bit in school, biting his fingernails and giving us some fits at home. Dr. Sally Kirkham had been recommended to us last year and we just waited, well I'm not sure why we waited, but we did.
Now we are a little bit better equipped to understand him and how his little mind works and why he's acting out like he is. We didn't know what to expect and got mainly good news about Garre. I've talked to some of you and this below is a comprehensive report on his meeting and testing. I've probably said bit's and pieces to different people so forgive me if this sounds a bit different. I'm typing from my meeting notes now.
If this looks like a lot, it is. I am sharing this in this format for a couple of reasons. First, I can look back at it and refocus. I am not a very organized scheduled person and Garre needs that a lot right now. Second, because I have one of the older kids in my group of friend and I wanted to share our experiences and maybe encourage you, if you're reading this, to remember that you know your child best and a little encouragement goes a long way. I was afraid that he might be labeled a problem and I didn't want him to have that stigma. So no matter the outcome of the testing, as least we know and have a game plan for his education. We are not just roaming around in the dark.
Garrison did terrific in his academic testing on Monday. In fact he surprised us a bit. The doctor (Dr. Sally Kirkham, expert in psychology and education)that he tested with, met with Garrison him for a little over an hour and evaluated his abilities in the areas of spacial reasoning, general knowledge, math aptitude, and reading level. Over all he fell in the late kindergarten to mid-1st grade areas in most of the evaluation. In other areas he was more advanced, for example his verbal skills. He averages out at about a 6 year level.
Sean and I were very excited to hear that he does not tend or lean toward ADD or hyperactivity, although it's a little early for an official diagnosis. Some of the tasks she had his perform are as follows:
1. First he was asked to write the alphabet for memory in a room alone, stayed on task and not get up and roam around. Guess what?!!! He DID it. She said she was impressed to find that he stayed in his chair, wrote 24 of the 26 letters and never left his chair. He sat quietly until she came back in the room. She had been watching him. I was the most proud and surprised at this.
2. He was given a set of patterns and asked to draw them at the 4, 5 and 6 year old levels. For example one set was a series of lines intersecting in different patterns and he was instructed to re-create the pictures in the box given. He was able to do each one up to the 7 year old level and even at those he understood the basic principles of the layout of the objects as evidenced in his attempts to re-create the patterns.
3. He was given a series of letter patterns in both upper and lower case
for example:
b b d b b d
p q p q p q
and he was asked to name and write and continue each pattern.
He was also given shape patterns and word patterns in the same test, progressively getting more difficult and he was able to follow the patterns and word sequencing up to a 6.5 year old level.
4. They play a game to see how well he could listen and follow instructions. He also did very well. They only had to play twice before he could count the numbers on the dices add them and move the corresponding number of spaces.
5. She tested his listening comprehension. She read a paragraph and then asked his questions. Here he did fairly well but at about a 5 year old level.
There were other tests but at his young age you can not but a "academic number" (ie: IQ) to the results it's just too early. He will get that at 6. He has to have it if he is going into an accelerated academic prep-school.
Garrison's over all assessment was that he is advanced and extremely bright but he is very hard on himself and quite a perfectionist. He does not have the maturity yet to understand and channel his thoughts and energy into productive output. Dr. Kirkham feels he would benefit from a private education and recommended the Greenhill School or St. Marks of Texas for middle school and high school. She was very fair in her assessment and treatment of a public education. Neither Sean or I found her to be a proponent of either in general. She said it really depends on the nature and personality of the child. Her assessment of Garrison's kindergarten through 4th grade was either keep him in Wylie ISD and supplement his education with outside academic stimulation via a gifted program or see if we could get him into the di Vinci School of Dallas.
After Sean and I were shocked into silence. (Shocking, I know, Steph at a loss for words) I asked about his behavior of late and her assessment was that his is not getting enough active mental stimulation or being challenged enough and is looking for things to activate his brain and keep him interested.
It was at this point that she noted that Garrison is not a big risk taker. Her term was a "low risk threshold." In other words he doesn't try sometimes because he lacks the confidence in his own abilities and he's terrified of failing, getting into trouble for doing it wrong or being called out in front of others and being made an example of wrong.
She said he need to build up his confidence to the point where he wants to try new things and is not afraid to fail once in a while. Here I though we were doing such a good job of praising him and letting him know we believe he is a good boy and a wonderful kid.
Near the end we agreed that we would like to start sending him to her once a week to supplement Pre-K and she also suggested he and I start a journal and track his own thoughts about his school fears and his progress. She recommended that he dictate a couple of sentences a couple of times a day and have him re-read them back to me later and talk about them. She also suggested that we take his homework and make two piles; Assignments that he felt he did well and assignments he did not like or refused to do for whatever reason. She also asked that we talk to his teacher and give us a concrete, written down list of daily "green expectations" and have his memorize those and recite them. We are also going to move to a Red Yellow Green daily evaluation system at home to mirror the school program.
Last but not least I am going to involve Garrison in all preparation and plan making throughout the week so that there are no surprises. He doesn't handle change well and that actually is right in synch with his teachers at school. Transition is the hardest time for Garrison. He will get his own calendar in his room so that he know what is coming up and we can mentally prepare for it.
She said somewhere he's getting the impression that wrong or incorrect is "bad" so he wont even try and get very wound up and frustrated if he's pushed outside his comfort zone.
Retreats are fun but they are also a lot of work. This is my 7th retreat to serve on the committee for and each year I say it's the last but I have already signed up for next year. I know, I know.
The kids played Moses in the Jordan river ( Garrison is confussing the story of Naaman and Moses) today and then they ran around playing Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. I am glad that there are more male parts in these new movies. Garrison pretends he is the evil Wedlock or the good Adian. Kamy is always Princess Annaika. I love watching them play. They are at a great age for that right now.
I also think I have found a new pre-school for Kamdyn this Fall. Sachse Christian Academy is only 3 minutes from our house and actually less than anywhere I've looked at on this side of town. This will be the first year they are having a 3 year old pre-k class and they use the Abeka method of education. I've been researching it and it seems to be a Christian based curriculum much like she has been learning at Prestoncrest. Garrison will start Cox Elementary in the Fall and will study with Dr. Sally Kirkham two hours a week. She focuses on more of the Science and History he loves so much and won't get much of in public kindergarden.
Standard parenting stories apply, nothin out of the norm here in the house. It was good to get home and sleep in my bed.
__________________________________________________________________________
Old post reposted / by request
Thank you to everyone who called and asked about little Garrison and his testing. He's been acting out a bit in school, biting his fingernails and giving us some fits at home. Dr. Sally Kirkham had been recommended to us last year and we just waited, well I'm not sure why we waited, but we did.
Now we are a little bit better equipped to understand him and how his little mind works and why he's acting out like he is. We didn't know what to expect and got mainly good news about Garre. I've talked to some of you and this below is a comprehensive report on his meeting and testing. I've probably said bit's and pieces to different people so forgive me if this sounds a bit different. I'm typing from my meeting notes now.
If this looks like a lot, it is. I am sharing this in this format for a couple of reasons. First, I can look back at it and refocus. I am not a very organized scheduled person and Garre needs that a lot right now. Second, because I have one of the older kids in my group of friend and I wanted to share our experiences and maybe encourage you, if you're reading this, to remember that you know your child best and a little encouragement goes a long way. I was afraid that he might be labeled a problem and I didn't want him to have that stigma. So no matter the outcome of the testing, as least we know and have a game plan for his education. We are not just roaming around in the dark.
Garrison did terrific in his academic testing on Monday. In fact he surprised us a bit. The doctor (Dr. Sally Kirkham, expert in psychology and education)that he tested with, met with Garrison him for a little over an hour and evaluated his abilities in the areas of spacial reasoning, general knowledge, math aptitude, and reading level. Over all he fell in the late kindergarten to mid-1st grade areas in most of the evaluation. In other areas he was more advanced, for example his verbal skills. He averages out at about a 6 year level.
Sean and I were very excited to hear that he does not tend or lean toward ADD or hyperactivity, although it's a little early for an official diagnosis. Some of the tasks she had his perform are as follows:
1. First he was asked to write the alphabet for memory in a room alone, stayed on task and not get up and roam around. Guess what?!!! He DID it. She said she was impressed to find that he stayed in his chair, wrote 24 of the 26 letters and never left his chair. He sat quietly until she came back in the room. She had been watching him. I was the most proud and surprised at this.
2. He was given a set of patterns and asked to draw them at the 4, 5 and 6 year old levels. For example one set was a series of lines intersecting in different patterns and he was instructed to re-create the pictures in the box given. He was able to do each one up to the 7 year old level and even at those he understood the basic principles of the layout of the objects as evidenced in his attempts to re-create the patterns.
3. He was given a series of letter patterns in both upper and lower case
for example:
b b d b b d
p q p q p q
and he was asked to name and write and continue each pattern.
He was also given shape patterns and word patterns in the same test, progressively getting more difficult and he was able to follow the patterns and word sequencing up to a 6.5 year old level.
4. They play a game to see how well he could listen and follow instructions. He also did very well. They only had to play twice before he could count the numbers on the dices add them and move the corresponding number of spaces.
5. She tested his listening comprehension. She read a paragraph and then asked his questions. Here he did fairly well but at about a 5 year old level.
There were other tests but at his young age you can not but a "academic number" (ie: IQ) to the results it's just too early. He will get that at 6. He has to have it if he is going into an accelerated academic prep-school.
Garrison's over all assessment was that he is advanced and extremely bright but he is very hard on himself and quite a perfectionist. He does not have the maturity yet to understand and channel his thoughts and energy into productive output. Dr. Kirkham feels he would benefit from a private education and recommended the Greenhill School or St. Marks of Texas for middle school and high school. She was very fair in her assessment and treatment of a public education. Neither Sean or I found her to be a proponent of either in general. She said it really depends on the nature and personality of the child. Her assessment of Garrison's kindergarten through 4th grade was either keep him in Wylie ISD and supplement his education with outside academic stimulation via a gifted program or see if we could get him into the di Vinci School of Dallas.
After Sean and I were shocked into silence. (Shocking, I know, Steph at a loss for words) I asked about his behavior of late and her assessment was that his is not getting enough active mental stimulation or being challenged enough and is looking for things to activate his brain and keep him interested.
It was at this point that she noted that Garrison is not a big risk taker. Her term was a "low risk threshold." In other words he doesn't try sometimes because he lacks the confidence in his own abilities and he's terrified of failing, getting into trouble for doing it wrong or being called out in front of others and being made an example of wrong.
She said he need to build up his confidence to the point where he wants to try new things and is not afraid to fail once in a while. Here I though we were doing such a good job of praising him and letting him know we believe he is a good boy and a wonderful kid.
Near the end we agreed that we would like to start sending him to her once a week to supplement Pre-K and she also suggested he and I start a journal and track his own thoughts about his school fears and his progress. She recommended that he dictate a couple of sentences a couple of times a day and have him re-read them back to me later and talk about them. She also suggested that we take his homework and make two piles; Assignments that he felt he did well and assignments he did not like or refused to do for whatever reason. She also asked that we talk to his teacher and give us a concrete, written down list of daily "green expectations" and have his memorize those and recite them. We are also going to move to a Red Yellow Green daily evaluation system at home to mirror the school program.
Last but not least I am going to involve Garrison in all preparation and plan making throughout the week so that there are no surprises. He doesn't handle change well and that actually is right in synch with his teachers at school. Transition is the hardest time for Garrison. He will get his own calendar in his room so that he know what is coming up and we can mentally prepare for it.
She said somewhere he's getting the impression that wrong or incorrect is "bad" so he wont even try and get very wound up and frustrated if he's pushed outside his comfort zone.
Friday, January 13, 2006
I'm bragging today.
Kamdyn's new princess canopy... I'm proud to say I made it!
I couldn't get her out of the bed to take the pictures! Hopefully this will make naptime a little easier! Her big girl bed is almost finished. It's a creamy four poster bed that was mine when I was little Sean has been working really hard to refinish it and I've been decorating! One of my MOST favorite things in the world!
Other news...
Garrison has an appointment Monday with an diagnostician (SP) Who will look at his whole profile from aptitude to IQ to ADD. She is going to meet with him for an hour and a half to totally evaluate where he is in relationship to the "average" 4 year (if there is such a thing.) Two doctors have recommended that we have him evaluated to see where his strengths are and what are some areas he could improve in, like learning to sit in a chair! We think he is getting bored and that leads to mischief. WE are debating the public private thing right now because he starts kindergarten in the Fall.
Garrison will stay on task for hours if it's a computer strategy game or playing chess with his dad. He LOVES chess and anything that has to do with figuring things out. He really loves strategic games like Risk (yes he understands all the principles for conquest) and the adult games like Age of Empires. If you remember Halloween's blog, Garre was Arkantos a mythological hero from Atlantis. This he learned, along with a lot of other mythology, from Age of Empires 3. Now he is wanting to know everything about the Revolutionary War and all the country's flags and key military figures.
Outside and athletic endeavors really do not hold a lot of interest for him. For example, kicking the soccer ball is only interesting if he can measure how far he kicked it with the tape measure and he only wants to play if he has no competition for making a goal. Garrison may do well in independent sports rather than team sports. Never the less we are doing that Monday and then Tuesday Daddy and I will go sit down and hear what she has to say.
Kamy is fine and really getting to be sassy. She has stopped doing so much to get into trouble but she is really talking a lot, and understanding pretty advances concepts for a 2 year old. I swear both of these children area going to surpass me in intelligence very shortly. I just want to do the best for them and get them with the best teachers possible (ie: that we can afford) we have found a program out here by the house that will allow her to work at her level even if it's with older children. It operates using a "peer development" system that matches a child according to her ability rather than her age. We'll see if we can get her into that program.....
On the work front for me, Tickelopes, 7 of my designs will go to press at the end of January. I'm very excited about this. It's really a ton of fun and it will help me fill the void of my kids being in school this Fall. I'm going to miss Garrison so much! In fact I think I'll have a harder time with it than he will.
Well hope you are having a great New Year so far and you are all in my prayers and I'm sending you a hug as you read this.
Keep running the race friends!
Monday, January 02, 2006
Resolutions
2005 was a hard year, just as 2004 was. Our family weathered lives storms pretty well but we need to take stock and re-evaluate for 2006
I have never made New Years Resolutions before. However this year I am making some pretty big ones.
1. I have already become a member of ediets.com. I am now on the Mediterranean Diet. It's basically all the food I want to eat, the diet just shows healthy and yummy ways to prepare them. I will drop a bunch of weight by eating right and learning to maintain healthy portions and a balanced diet.
2. I will add exercise to the routine. I'll start out like I can hold out. I always feel better after I spend time on the elliptical machine so I am going to make time for me and for the exercise I need.
3. I'm going to do all I can to control my anxiety spiritually. I am going to pray more and think before I speak, accessing situations like a grown-up and not reacting emotionally.
4. I will reach out to the people I love more often through notes and phone calls.
5. I have made the choice to be a better house keeper.
6. I will speak more kindly and thoughtfully to those around me.
7. I will share my love for Christ daily in the things I do and the words I say.
8. I will read my Bible more.
9. I have recommitted to my Small Group Ladies Bible Study.
10. I will be a playful parent. I want my children to remember their youth not in terms of a set of strict rules but as a wonderful time of exploration and excitement as they experience this fantastic world and all God has given them to learn and be.
11. I will be a better partner to my husband in all things: finances, communication, spiritual support, ect.
This is a lot for this new year, I know. There is actually more but I tend to take on more than I should so I'll stop here. The last 2 years have been filled with such uncertainty and turmoil and I want to "restock my spiritual shelves," as it were, for the future. I believe God will not send us more than we can deal with at any one time. (1 Corinthians 10:13) G-Pop, Dad, and Mis P are all at peace and I want to have learned something but experiencing these peoples lives and their deaths.
I hope, if you are reading this, that you have a banner year this year full of blessings and hope. I plan on being the person I believe God wants me to be. I encourage each one of you to be what God wants you to be also.
Only you know who that is.
I have never made New Years Resolutions before. However this year I am making some pretty big ones.
1. I have already become a member of ediets.com. I am now on the Mediterranean Diet. It's basically all the food I want to eat, the diet just shows healthy and yummy ways to prepare them. I will drop a bunch of weight by eating right and learning to maintain healthy portions and a balanced diet.
2. I will add exercise to the routine. I'll start out like I can hold out. I always feel better after I spend time on the elliptical machine so I am going to make time for me and for the exercise I need.
3. I'm going to do all I can to control my anxiety spiritually. I am going to pray more and think before I speak, accessing situations like a grown-up and not reacting emotionally.
4. I will reach out to the people I love more often through notes and phone calls.
5. I have made the choice to be a better house keeper.
6. I will speak more kindly and thoughtfully to those around me.
7. I will share my love for Christ daily in the things I do and the words I say.
8. I will read my Bible more.
9. I have recommitted to my Small Group Ladies Bible Study.
10. I will be a playful parent. I want my children to remember their youth not in terms of a set of strict rules but as a wonderful time of exploration and excitement as they experience this fantastic world and all God has given them to learn and be.
11. I will be a better partner to my husband in all things: finances, communication, spiritual support, ect.
This is a lot for this new year, I know. There is actually more but I tend to take on more than I should so I'll stop here. The last 2 years have been filled with such uncertainty and turmoil and I want to "restock my spiritual shelves," as it were, for the future. I believe God will not send us more than we can deal with at any one time. (1 Corinthians 10:13) G-Pop, Dad, and Mis P are all at peace and I want to have learned something but experiencing these peoples lives and their deaths.
I hope, if you are reading this, that you have a banner year this year full of blessings and hope. I plan on being the person I believe God wants me to be. I encourage each one of you to be what God wants you to be also.
Only you know who that is.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Christmas favorites
Here is a little Christmas Q & A, everyone is tagged... I love learning more about people's traditions!
Christmas a la Stephanie -
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg nog for sure!!!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa opens everything and it's fully operational and play ready when everyone gets up!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? WHITE with a splash of red
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? I try the week after Thanksgiving but this year but it wound up being very late.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Honey baked ham and cherry coca cola salad (My mother in laws)
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? The anticipation of Christmas morning and all the surprises. I also loved looking at Christmas lights.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? We were in Georgia celebrating Christmas and My sister and I were already in bed, my aunt had been telling us all about reidneer on the roof and we heard a real thud. Meshaun, my aunt, jumped up and ran Mimi and I also ran to find that my grandmother had fallen out of the attic and shattered her elbow. She had been getting presents down from Santa!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always opened our family gifts on Christmas eve. We often tried to keep it to one but it never worked. We also tried to go around the room but it always dissolved into a frenzy of paper and squeals!
10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Sugar cookies with sprinkles
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? LOVE IT :)
12. Can you ice skate? If holding on to the wall the entire time counts then yes I'm a pro.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Barbie dream house
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Red Velvet cake and chocolate pie
16.. What tops your tree? An angel from my grandmother.
18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Giving because the look on their faces is great.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Carol of the bells and O Holy Night
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I really love the soft peppermints not the chewy but the dry soft ones.
Merry Christmas everyone! It's almost here.
Christmas a la Stephanie -
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg nog for sure!!!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa opens everything and it's fully operational and play ready when everyone gets up!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? WHITE with a splash of red
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? I try the week after Thanksgiving but this year but it wound up being very late.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Honey baked ham and cherry coca cola salad (My mother in laws)
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? The anticipation of Christmas morning and all the surprises. I also loved looking at Christmas lights.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? We were in Georgia celebrating Christmas and My sister and I were already in bed, my aunt had been telling us all about reidneer on the roof and we heard a real thud. Meshaun, my aunt, jumped up and ran Mimi and I also ran to find that my grandmother had fallen out of the attic and shattered her elbow. She had been getting presents down from Santa!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always opened our family gifts on Christmas eve. We often tried to keep it to one but it never worked. We also tried to go around the room but it always dissolved into a frenzy of paper and squeals!
10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Sugar cookies with sprinkles
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? LOVE IT :)
12. Can you ice skate? If holding on to the wall the entire time counts then yes I'm a pro.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Barbie dream house
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Red Velvet cake and chocolate pie
16.. What tops your tree? An angel from my grandmother.
18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Giving because the look on their faces is great.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Carol of the bells and O Holy Night
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I really love the soft peppermints not the chewy but the dry soft ones.
Merry Christmas everyone! It's almost here.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Aren't the holidays insane?
Yes we are alive! Yes we've been doing all the crazy holiday stuff. Getting up the tree (late) wrapping packages, over shopping, running all over town for just the right gift and all the hustle and bustle that goes along with Christmas. I've totally bought into the "commercialism". We are attempting to teach the kids all about the real meaning being all the traditions and start a few new traditions of our own. After we finally talked my mom into using paper plates for Christmas eve dinner, the door flew open ushering in a series of new traditions and best of all options!!! Last year for example we had an Italian feast on Christmas eve. This year it's TEX-Mex at Mimi's! This has been a difficult year for my mom and now Christmas is even harder. She has lost her father, her husband and her best friend in the last 18 months. She did a lot with Mis P during the holidays and now she is gone and mom's having a hard time of it for sure. We are having family come in next week and that will help. Mom seems to flourish in chaos. She will have a house full and love every second of it. She is also having eye surgery next week to remover a cataract that is a result of her diabetes. Maybe she will be able to drive and get out of the house more often.
Christmas eve has always been the biggest time for my family. We opened all the family gifts and then set out cookies for Santa (carrots for the reindeer) and tried to stay up as late a humanly possible to catch a glimpse of the fat man. My mom impressed upon us that if we always "believed", there would be a gift under the tree. I think I was 16 or 17 before I ever admitted I knew the truth. I was great fun because my brother is 11 years my junior and I got to help play Santa for him.
For my kids we start the traditions on Thanksgiving with a letter to Santa with their cousin Peyton. The waiting game and the anticipation builds for the whole month. Garrison has already asked no less than 20 times, "Now when is Christmas eve?" He and Kamdyn just stare at the piles of presents that are stacked under the tree for friends and family.
Kamdyn had surgery on Monday of this week. It was minor and she did a great job. They would not let Sean and I back in recovery with her and I jokingly asked the nurse if they had restraints. She actually did awesome. She has had a sinus infection forever and the ENT removed her adenoids. She really hasn't even slowed down.
Bella (the new Christmas dog)is getting huge already. She is a really sweet dog and I simply must brag on Garrison. He has really stepped up to take care of her. He adores that dog and the feeling is mutual. There is something truly wonderful about a boy and his puppy. All my friends think we are nuts "over here at the zoo" but honestly it has been a great experience.
If she'll just stop pooping on the carpet it will be even better!
We discovered that Chi Chi the cat had cancer. She was put to sleep today. It had advanced to the point that there wasn't much to be done for her. The kids are okay but Kamy keeps asking where she is. The shelter where we got her promised us another cat but you'll be happy to know I turned them down. Thank you but no than you! Duncan, Bella, Clause and Sunny Funshine are plenty for this family.
Because my friend reads this and is homesick (I'm sure) I won't go into detail about how much I miss her and her family. You see, they moved to Abilene last week. While it's not very far away, it seems like forever when I'm used to being 3 minutes from her.
I miss you, Erica. My heart is sad.
Signing off!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Thoughtful and thankful
God is amazing.
Tonight, I read a story of God placing a baby in the arms of two terrific people across thousands of miles. Two people, friends, who longed to have a child and were a perfect match for a baby born 8 months ago in China. Without God this would never have been possible. Who but God would have known how this would turn out.
I learned of my good friends mother, who just a week ago the doctors were not sure she would leave ICU or get over her pneumonia and today she is sitting up, talking to her family and in a private room. They are getting another chance because of the power of prayer. Don't tell me miracles don't exist today.
Every day I look at my children and how their little bodies are growing so fast and how they are changing everyday and I'm thankful for their health but thoughtful of the quick passage of time. I wish I could stop time for a while just to have one more day of play dough and finger paints.
I think of my friends and that one of them os moving very soon. I hurt inside because I feel like a hole in my heart is getting bigger every day but I'm also excited for her family and for what's in front of them, just over the horizon.
I am thinking about marriage and how downright hard it is at times but how richly rewarding it is and that God's plan for one man and one woman is so beautiful and such a mirror image of His unimaginable love for each of us.
I think of a restored friendship with an old and dear friend and the possibilities of the fun we will have tomorrow and the next day and the next day....
God is so good and so faithful. He leads us (sometimes kicking an screaming) right where we need to be to be to do His work. I pray that God leads me the do His will and not ask questions and not complain just know he has a plan and that it is a zillion times more beautiful and wonderful than I could ever imagine.
Tonight, I read a story of God placing a baby in the arms of two terrific people across thousands of miles. Two people, friends, who longed to have a child and were a perfect match for a baby born 8 months ago in China. Without God this would never have been possible. Who but God would have known how this would turn out.
I learned of my good friends mother, who just a week ago the doctors were not sure she would leave ICU or get over her pneumonia and today she is sitting up, talking to her family and in a private room. They are getting another chance because of the power of prayer. Don't tell me miracles don't exist today.
Every day I look at my children and how their little bodies are growing so fast and how they are changing everyday and I'm thankful for their health but thoughtful of the quick passage of time. I wish I could stop time for a while just to have one more day of play dough and finger paints.
I think of my friends and that one of them os moving very soon. I hurt inside because I feel like a hole in my heart is getting bigger every day but I'm also excited for her family and for what's in front of them, just over the horizon.
I am thinking about marriage and how downright hard it is at times but how richly rewarding it is and that God's plan for one man and one woman is so beautiful and such a mirror image of His unimaginable love for each of us.
I think of a restored friendship with an old and dear friend and the possibilities of the fun we will have tomorrow and the next day and the next day....
God is so good and so faithful. He leads us (sometimes kicking an screaming) right where we need to be to be to do His work. I pray that God leads me the do His will and not ask questions and not complain just know he has a plan and that it is a zillion times more beautiful and wonderful than I could ever imagine.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Questionaire....
1. First name? Stephanie
2. Were you named after anyone? Not sure, I think my moms first doll
3. Do you wish on stars? Occasionally, for fun
4. When did you last cry? Today, Death of a baby at our church
5. Do you like your handwriting? Yes
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Roasted Chicken Breast
7. What is your birth date? Jan 27
8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate Almond
9. If you were another person would you be friends with you? Yes, because I'm crazy.
10. Do you have a journal? no
11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? No, well sometimes
12. Would you bungee jump? No! or skydive! But I’d SCUBA.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Special K Strawberries, Maple mini wheats
14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No
15. Do you think that you are strong? Physically no, emotionally yes!
16. Shoe Size? 8.5
17. Red or Pink? Red
18. Who do you miss most? My Dad
19. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back? Yes
20. What color of pants (trousers) and shoes are you wearing? denim skirt, barefoot
21. Last thing you ate? Cheddar Chex Mix
23. What are you listening to right now? Jack Johnson (Brushfire Fairytales) Josh Smith (Only You) John Mayer
24. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Red
25. Last person you talked to on the phone? My friend Traci
26. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes, strong jaw
27. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes / Vinice Lay
28. Favorite Drink? Peach Fresca
29. Favorite Sport? Football
30. Hair Color? Brown speckeled with gray
31. Eye Color? Hazel Brown
32. Do you wear contacts? Sometimes
33. Favorite Food? Tex Mex, Greek
35. Last Movie You Watched? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chicken Little
36. Favorite Day of the Year? Halloween
37. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy Endings (and sometimes scary movies)
38. Summer or winter? Winter
39. Hugs or Kisses? Yes!
40. Favorite Dessert? Crème Brulee
41. Most likely To Respond?
42. Who Is Least Likely?
43. What books are you reading? “Gianna” (Non-Fiction Bio) "The Broker" John Grisham
44. What's On Your Mouse Pad? No Mouse pad/Laser Mouse
45. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? The Office on DRV
46. Favorite Smell? Peony or Ylang Ylang
47. Favorite Sounds? My children’s voices
48. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles
49. Furthest you've been from home? St. Lucia, Netherlands, Antilles Islands 1998
2. Were you named after anyone? Not sure, I think my moms first doll
3. Do you wish on stars? Occasionally, for fun
4. When did you last cry? Today, Death of a baby at our church
5. Do you like your handwriting? Yes
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Roasted Chicken Breast
7. What is your birth date? Jan 27
8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate Almond
9. If you were another person would you be friends with you? Yes, because I'm crazy.
10. Do you have a journal? no
11. Do you use sarcasm a lot? No, well sometimes
12. Would you bungee jump? No! or skydive! But I’d SCUBA.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Special K Strawberries, Maple mini wheats
14. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No
15. Do you think that you are strong? Physically no, emotionally yes!
16. Shoe Size? 8.5
17. Red or Pink? Red
18. Who do you miss most? My Dad
19. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back? Yes
20. What color of pants (trousers) and shoes are you wearing? denim skirt, barefoot
21. Last thing you ate? Cheddar Chex Mix
23. What are you listening to right now? Jack Johnson (Brushfire Fairytales) Josh Smith (Only You) John Mayer
24. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Red
25. Last person you talked to on the phone? My friend Traci
26. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes, strong jaw
27. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes / Vinice Lay
28. Favorite Drink? Peach Fresca
29. Favorite Sport? Football
30. Hair Color? Brown speckeled with gray
31. Eye Color? Hazel Brown
32. Do you wear contacts? Sometimes
33. Favorite Food? Tex Mex, Greek
35. Last Movie You Watched? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chicken Little
36. Favorite Day of the Year? Halloween
37. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy Endings (and sometimes scary movies)
38. Summer or winter? Winter
39. Hugs or Kisses? Yes!
40. Favorite Dessert? Crème Brulee
41. Most likely To Respond?
42. Who Is Least Likely?
43. What books are you reading? “Gianna” (Non-Fiction Bio) "The Broker" John Grisham
44. What's On Your Mouse Pad? No Mouse pad/Laser Mouse
45. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? The Office on DRV
46. Favorite Smell? Peony or Ylang Ylang
47. Favorite Sounds? My children’s voices
48. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles
49. Furthest you've been from home? St. Lucia, Netherlands, Antilles Islands 1998
Thursday, November 24, 2005
I'm Thankful For...
1. God, and that we live in a country where we are able to worship God and celebrate being a Christian.
2. My family; my terrific husband who loves me (no matter my mood), my bright energetic, thoughtful son, Garrison and for my tiny ray of sunshine, Kamdyn, who tells me almost hourly that she loves me. They make my life happy and fun.
3. My mom and my brother and sister. They are many memories that I hold dear and they are my link with my childhood and many wonderful times gone by and time to come.
4. My Dad. Even though he's gone I am thankful for the impression he left on my life. I'm thankful that no matter what he made me feel special and like a lady. I know that he loved me and was proud of me; Still is!
5.My extended family all over the U.S. Joy and Larry, Gretchen, Tracey and Greg, Jack and Bailey, my Granny Woman and Pop, The Walicek's and all my family that I don't get to talk to nearly enough.
6. My very special friend. I do not know how I would have made it through the last 2 years without your love and support. You know who you are. I love you.
7. My circle of girlfriends. Never has there been, in the history of the world a more loving, honest, supportive and kind group of friends and I consider my self blessed to share in your friendship.
8. America and freedom! That I can say what I want when I want without fear and that I have the right to worship and teach my children about God and His plan for this world.
9. My home and all the memories we have made and the ones yet to come.
10. Physical health and doctors.
11. My children's pediatrician, who never makes me feel like an idiot mother and/or a worry wort and because he treats us like we are his only patients.
12. The stories that my children tell, their voices, their laughter and all their craziness, antics and drama!
13. Starbucks White Mocha Grande! Target, Toys R Us, Kohls, Dillards, Libby Lu's, Coldwater Creek, J. Jill and all the rest...
14. Chocolate!
15. Sale shopping! Particularly after Thanksgiving!
16. Blogs, so that I can reach out over the miles.
17. Lexapro!
18. Penson and Tickelopes (www.tickelopes.com)
19. President Bush and his family. I believe he is doing the very best job that he can for this nation.
20. Our troops all over this world who are spending this holiday very far away from their families so that we can all enjoy the holidays with ours.
21. My Camera so that I can capture moments in time and save them forever.
22. Healthcare.
23. Disney, because of the pure, innocent, unadulterated joy that spreads across my children's faces at the mere mention of Cinderella or Mickey Mouse.
23. And many many more people and things that I will run out of room before I could list them all.
2. My family; my terrific husband who loves me (no matter my mood), my bright energetic, thoughtful son, Garrison and for my tiny ray of sunshine, Kamdyn, who tells me almost hourly that she loves me. They make my life happy and fun.
3. My mom and my brother and sister. They are many memories that I hold dear and they are my link with my childhood and many wonderful times gone by and time to come.
4. My Dad. Even though he's gone I am thankful for the impression he left on my life. I'm thankful that no matter what he made me feel special and like a lady. I know that he loved me and was proud of me; Still is!
5.My extended family all over the U.S. Joy and Larry, Gretchen, Tracey and Greg, Jack and Bailey, my Granny Woman and Pop, The Walicek's and all my family that I don't get to talk to nearly enough.
6. My very special friend. I do not know how I would have made it through the last 2 years without your love and support. You know who you are. I love you.
7. My circle of girlfriends. Never has there been, in the history of the world a more loving, honest, supportive and kind group of friends and I consider my self blessed to share in your friendship.
8. America and freedom! That I can say what I want when I want without fear and that I have the right to worship and teach my children about God and His plan for this world.
9. My home and all the memories we have made and the ones yet to come.
10. Physical health and doctors.
11. My children's pediatrician, who never makes me feel like an idiot mother and/or a worry wort and because he treats us like we are his only patients.
12. The stories that my children tell, their voices, their laughter and all their craziness, antics and drama!
13. Starbucks White Mocha Grande! Target, Toys R Us, Kohls, Dillards, Libby Lu's, Coldwater Creek, J. Jill and all the rest...
14. Chocolate!
15. Sale shopping! Particularly after Thanksgiving!
16. Blogs, so that I can reach out over the miles.
17. Lexapro!
18. Penson and Tickelopes (www.tickelopes.com)
19. President Bush and his family. I believe he is doing the very best job that he can for this nation.
20. Our troops all over this world who are spending this holiday very far away from their families so that we can all enjoy the holidays with ours.
21. My Camera so that I can capture moments in time and save them forever.
22. Healthcare.
23. Disney, because of the pure, innocent, unadulterated joy that spreads across my children's faces at the mere mention of Cinderella or Mickey Mouse.
23. And many many more people and things that I will run out of room before I could list them all.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
A Day in the Life...
Today has been one of those days (I can not say rare around here) when it seems like drama is the theme of the day.
It all started about 6:00 am with Kamy coming in and announcing that she was ready to watch "Little Enistein" on the Disney Channel.
The morning went fairly well and we made it to school with time to spare! Major accomplishment. So far so good.
About 10:0Oam, I was looking at some Christmas Card designs in the school foyer area and Kamy's teacher and Kamy come out of the class room. Mrs. Holly is laughing and has a look of aghast on her face. Kamdyn is right behinds her and soon we can all see why Mrs. Holly is laughing. Kamdyn had glued her hair straight up in the front! There is a huge glob of white elmers glue right in her bangs and looks a little reminicent of Cameron Diaz in "There's Something About Mary". Everyone had a great laugh about that. I just had to smile and say what can you do but love her!
I had to wash her hair three times before all the glue came out.
About that same time or a little earlier, in Garrison's class, one of his best little friends is vomiting on her journal. Garrison said her got right in her face after she did it so I'm sure we'll get to enjoy that virus. Poor Lexi! She is such a sweet girl and I hate it that she is sick. I'm sure chaos reigned in that class for a little while. Poor Mrs. Rutledge, too!
For the first day, in my class, no one slept and that makes for a long afternoon. But that was fine. Garrison always comes into my room about 2:00 and Kamdyn usually sleeps until I go down and get her. Today she and Garrison arrived about the same time. I also had promised Garrison, if he had a good day, that he could have our carpool friends over after school to play. He did have a fair/good day so Ashlyn and Trinity were going to come over and play.
Before any of that could take place Garrison opened a cabinet door on his own face and now has a slightly black eye. I'm still not sure how he hit himself but never-the-less, there you go.
Garrison, Kamdyn, Trinity, and Ashlyn played animals until we left school and borded the French Express Van. No major problems there.
Here come the drama!
About half the way home, all is going well. I'm on the cell with my mom and Trinity starts screaming and crying hysterically. I quickly hang up amid the chaos and ask everyone, "What on earth just happened? Trinity, Honey! Talk to Miss Stephanie!"
Garrison says, "Oh my gosh! Trinity's bleeding! There's blood everywhere!"
EXACTLY what you want to hear on the expressway at 65 mph merging onto a tollroad about one of your friend's children in your car!
Ashlyn begins to cry, Kamdyn begins to cry, Garrison keeps saying things like, "She's bleeding a lot, Mom! Look at all the blood! Trinity are you okay?"
Trinity is still extreamly upset. I'm swerving over to the nearest exit ramp to try and find somewhere to pull over and see what in the world has just happened to a 3 year old, strapped into her carseat, in the back row of a mini-van with no protruding surfaces or hard objects anywhere!
It is at this point (mind you this is all happening at once) I happen to glance in the rear view mirror at sweet little Trinity. She has her hands up over hed face and all I can see is blood beginning to trickle between her fingers and her tiny nose. I grabbed my cell, called her mother and said, "There's been an accident and Trinity is hurt!" Of course that was true but a poor choice of words! Steph (Trin's mom) thought we had been in a car accident! I did finally expalain that there had been no car accident!
I managed to pull off the tollroad and the nearest place was: a liquor store! I jumped out of the van, climbed in the trunk space behind Trinity and began attempting to see where the bleeding was coming from. There was enough blood that I couldn't even tell WHERE it was coming from. I could tell that it was not coming as fast. I also didn't see any major gaping wounds so it became clear that we were going to Trinity's house
I'm trying to calm everyone down now. My heart is pounding because there are really two things you don't want to see in car pool.
1. Vomit
2. Blood
I have to say, I was very proud of how well Trinity handled it after I got her some baby wipes (that's all I had in the car) to hold on her face and forehead. Ashlyn was also very brave by attempting to console Trinity and keep her own cool under control.
I got them all the Steph's very fast and she met us in the driveway. We got Trinity out and were all amazed to find that a tiny gash above her left eyebrow caused so much blood. Now how did it happen? What made the cut in the first place? Trinity had been pulling on the center seat shoulder belt attached to the roof/header of the van. It snapped back into place and in doing so, hit her very hard in the forehead!
After a little boo-boo-bear time, clean-up and a Dora Band-aid we eventually made it back to our house. Everyone came home with us like originally planned. The kids played in the yard, threw sand at one another, attemped to cover Trinity in sand, played space ranger (with toy laser guns), and had a terrific time!
I'll tell you I'm glad this is one for the history books. I'm exhausted and ready to go to bed! Kamdyn has already crashed and Garrison is currently fighting it.
Oh one last thing, Kamdyn pooped in her bath water! So in one day I had glue, vomit, blood and poop somewhere in my vicinity. Such is a day in my life!
It all started about 6:00 am with Kamy coming in and announcing that she was ready to watch "Little Enistein" on the Disney Channel.
The morning went fairly well and we made it to school with time to spare! Major accomplishment. So far so good.
About 10:0Oam, I was looking at some Christmas Card designs in the school foyer area and Kamy's teacher and Kamy come out of the class room. Mrs. Holly is laughing and has a look of aghast on her face. Kamdyn is right behinds her and soon we can all see why Mrs. Holly is laughing. Kamdyn had glued her hair straight up in the front! There is a huge glob of white elmers glue right in her bangs and looks a little reminicent of Cameron Diaz in "There's Something About Mary". Everyone had a great laugh about that. I just had to smile and say what can you do but love her!
I had to wash her hair three times before all the glue came out.
About that same time or a little earlier, in Garrison's class, one of his best little friends is vomiting on her journal. Garrison said her got right in her face after she did it so I'm sure we'll get to enjoy that virus. Poor Lexi! She is such a sweet girl and I hate it that she is sick. I'm sure chaos reigned in that class for a little while. Poor Mrs. Rutledge, too!
For the first day, in my class, no one slept and that makes for a long afternoon. But that was fine. Garrison always comes into my room about 2:00 and Kamdyn usually sleeps until I go down and get her. Today she and Garrison arrived about the same time. I also had promised Garrison, if he had a good day, that he could have our carpool friends over after school to play. He did have a fair/good day so Ashlyn and Trinity were going to come over and play.
Before any of that could take place Garrison opened a cabinet door on his own face and now has a slightly black eye. I'm still not sure how he hit himself but never-the-less, there you go.
Garrison, Kamdyn, Trinity, and Ashlyn played animals until we left school and borded the French Express Van. No major problems there.
Here come the drama!
About half the way home, all is going well. I'm on the cell with my mom and Trinity starts screaming and crying hysterically. I quickly hang up amid the chaos and ask everyone, "What on earth just happened? Trinity, Honey! Talk to Miss Stephanie!"
Garrison says, "Oh my gosh! Trinity's bleeding! There's blood everywhere!"
EXACTLY what you want to hear on the expressway at 65 mph merging onto a tollroad about one of your friend's children in your car!
Ashlyn begins to cry, Kamdyn begins to cry, Garrison keeps saying things like, "She's bleeding a lot, Mom! Look at all the blood! Trinity are you okay?"
Trinity is still extreamly upset. I'm swerving over to the nearest exit ramp to try and find somewhere to pull over and see what in the world has just happened to a 3 year old, strapped into her carseat, in the back row of a mini-van with no protruding surfaces or hard objects anywhere!
It is at this point (mind you this is all happening at once) I happen to glance in the rear view mirror at sweet little Trinity. She has her hands up over hed face and all I can see is blood beginning to trickle between her fingers and her tiny nose. I grabbed my cell, called her mother and said, "There's been an accident and Trinity is hurt!" Of course that was true but a poor choice of words! Steph (Trin's mom) thought we had been in a car accident! I did finally expalain that there had been no car accident!
I managed to pull off the tollroad and the nearest place was: a liquor store! I jumped out of the van, climbed in the trunk space behind Trinity and began attempting to see where the bleeding was coming from. There was enough blood that I couldn't even tell WHERE it was coming from. I could tell that it was not coming as fast. I also didn't see any major gaping wounds so it became clear that we were going to Trinity's house
I'm trying to calm everyone down now. My heart is pounding because there are really two things you don't want to see in car pool.
1. Vomit
2. Blood
I have to say, I was very proud of how well Trinity handled it after I got her some baby wipes (that's all I had in the car) to hold on her face and forehead. Ashlyn was also very brave by attempting to console Trinity and keep her own cool under control.
I got them all the Steph's very fast and she met us in the driveway. We got Trinity out and were all amazed to find that a tiny gash above her left eyebrow caused so much blood. Now how did it happen? What made the cut in the first place? Trinity had been pulling on the center seat shoulder belt attached to the roof/header of the van. It snapped back into place and in doing so, hit her very hard in the forehead!
After a little boo-boo-bear time, clean-up and a Dora Band-aid we eventually made it back to our house. Everyone came home with us like originally planned. The kids played in the yard, threw sand at one another, attemped to cover Trinity in sand, played space ranger (with toy laser guns), and had a terrific time!
I'll tell you I'm glad this is one for the history books. I'm exhausted and ready to go to bed! Kamdyn has already crashed and Garrison is currently fighting it.
Oh one last thing, Kamdyn pooped in her bath water! So in one day I had glue, vomit, blood and poop somewhere in my vicinity. Such is a day in my life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)