Nett’s blog

The great McD's cold has run it's course. Tay is better, Bug is better, I am not. This is what happens when my immune system goes on high alert for too long. I wake multiple times a night gagging, yeah it's gross but you try living it. A few more days of this and I will wake up puking. I TOLD the Doctor this was going to happen, I ASKED him to suppress my immune system and get rid of the sinus infection BEFORE I got something to compound it and I was told to go home, take it easty, snort some Afrin (which I had sucessfully weaned myself from after a few years) and do some OTC medications to relieve the symptoms. And now, NOW I am this close to puking multiple times day, I have a cough, sore throat, my ears hurt and I am dizzy. Sounds like fun doesn't it?

So I am going to see my allergist again and give him ONE more chance to help me out. I will be ugly about it. Very. I will make sure I take NO OTC or prescription meds, I will make sure he sees me in all my raging sexiness. IF he doesn't give me an antibiotic and immunosupressant, he will not be my Doctor anymore. Enough is enough. So let the ugly begin, actually, let the ugly stop. I am really pissed.

When I spill a drink, or whatever, or when the children do and I am nearby, I curse, get a towel, clean it up, decide how much effort it requires to look passable and then go back to whatever I was doing. Doesn't matter who is there with me, I just clean it up. OK, I make Tay help if it was HER drink or HER fault.

When Glenn spills a drink, or whatever, or when the children do and he is nearby he curses at ME to HELP him clean it up.

Anyone else own one of these?

Just curious.

I was driving home tonight, having spent a rousing round of 'guess where the book I want is' at the Barnes and Nobel, when I got to thinking (I do that when I am alone). I pondered the things, the really small things, that we take for granted everyday. Not the existential stuff, life and all that. The really simple tangible stuff. Like the fact that I was driving at a rate my Great Grandmother couldn't even fathom. The blackness of night all around me, red tail lights ahead of me, Bon Jovi on the new stereo speakers and the tires spinning at a rate of 21.48 times per second getting me swiftly to my destination. Not that Great Grandma DIDN'T think about traveling at a fast rate, I am sure with a dozen kids running around she certainly would want to expedite delivery to the required destination. It's just, I imagine these things weren't important to think about to her. Why would they be? If she wanted to go anywhere, it was a major event. One just didn't jump in the car and head to the book store. Who gave a crap about speed when she needed to figure out how much food to take?

I also thought how many times I have opened my eyes to the unfairness and injustices of life. How many times I saw the ugliness and yet opted to search for the beauty. How many days I accepted the strain to achieve balance readily. To look at the good things, the simple things, to look beyond the moment. To stretch into that being within us that gives us insight and perspective. To not outweigh the good with our own self-indulgent selves. We shoot down what would take us up, by seeing what had not happened that we wanted to happen. We break our own spirit by deeming as 'bad' what others might be grateful to have.

I recognized that my days are stitched non sequiturs. I wake up, maybe after a good night's sleep, maybe not, to breakfast, a yet to be determined food, and then I check email. The children eat, and the begging to go outside to play begins, these are the constant. The randomness begins AFTER breakfast. Will Bug play with anything inappropriate and create a mess that is gag-worthy? 5% chance of happening so we move onto will Taylor bring home a friend. 25% chance of happening. Bug needs a diaper change 100% and Tay will beg for something sweet and completely unsuitable for the time of day, also 100% but today...here's the really random stuff, the nice neighbor walked Taylor home. She told me she is unexpectedly pregnant. I would be thrilled, but my thoughts are not everyone's thoughts and I can not judge someone on what MY reaction would be. THAT invalidates who they are and what they are feeling. She hasn't decided yet how happy to be, they thought they were done. I get that. I really do. I also believe, perhaps naively, that she will be thrilled eventually. She did the whole trying to conceive thing, all the tests and what not, she understands what it take sometimes. Today, I also learned about the frontal lobes of our brains. The most developed part of our brains, the sets us apart from animals. In most cases anyway. And that led me to the book store. I wanted to learn more about our lobes. 

But, not only did they NOT have the book I wanted, I learned that either no one writes books about epilepsy, or they just don't think that they need to carry any. In fact, the Chemistry and Biology section was one bookcase. Physics and Astronomy: also one bookcase. If you want to learn how to bake cookies or entertain guests you have to peruse 6 bookcases. An entire wall of cook books. Eating is important, but so is Chemistry. Cooking is chemistry. But not as many people want to actually learn what ares of our brains control speech and motor functions, they want to learn how to prevent that green film on a hard boiled egg.

That's what I get for thinking. Green slimy eggs. 

What a week. Started some new projects:

http://isthisbug.blogspot.com

http://tayisms.blogspot.com

And one more but it's not ready for debut, as if Tayisms was..but I did it anyway. I needed a place to put all the info about Bug without depressing my few friends here. This will be about the family time and personal stuff. This is Bug is all about his day to day events, or lack of them. Tayism's - just what it sounds like, she says some really great stuff and I didn't want to forget that.

Bug had another EEG and spent some time in the ER this week. He was sick, not because of his Epilepsy. Details are on his Blog. I will try to update with pictures and about the missed events. Easter, Tay's Birthday, Memorial Day, I'd say Mother's Day but...that wasn't that big of a deal. Although, her class did some things I will post about.

After I sleep for a few days.

I was a little surprised that the day I thought was the Kindergarten program was also Bug's graduation. Found out when I pulled the invite out of his bag the day before. Must have missed that part. But wasn't going to MISS it. Tay had to go to school and his program started at 1:30, she gets picked up at 2:15. This was gonna be cutting it close but I figured: How long can 5 and 6 year olds possible sing? The answer is: long enough for me to MISS the graduation ceremony because I had to pick up Tay. Seriously, the program was over a half hour.

The top of his head is sooo cute!

Bug did not REALLY participate of course, what with him not being able to talk and all. :) But his phenomenal assistant, Nellie, held him and sang with him, while he spun a car, for half the program. She then filled us in on the practices. (I love this woman, I would adopt her if I could.) Bug had been going to them and doing fairly well. She told us that he made it through the ENTIRE program the day before. She said that he would somewhat participate on a few songs and while he was on my lap, when the kids were singing, he did sound like he was singing along. And he clapped when they clapped and got quiet when they were done.This was a big deal. It was great to see.

The hat and Bug's Nellie!

We went back to his class for cookies, Sprite, the video and the graduation. Luckily, Cheryl was with me, because I had to leave to get Tay at this point. Now, Tay's school is 3...that's right 3 minutes away. I was there and back in 8 minutes. Yea, I timed it. And in that time, I missed it. They were done. I was upset but Cheryl assured me she got pictures. Turns out she didn't. The picts I have are blurry at best but at least the video is OK. Doesn't matter. He got his certificate, which is hanging on the board, and a hat! They made him a hat! It IS the cutest thing I have EVER seen on him, for the 3 seconds it was on him :). I can't believe he actually is finishing Kindergarten, Resource Kindergarten but Kindergarten all the same. This means we have 1st grader living in our house!

Bug and the hat with Mom

3 comments

We had his IEP a few days before. Bug is going to a new school next year. 1st Grade will be at Dan Peterson Elementary. We are VERY thrilled about this and I think Bug will do well. At least I pray he does. I still don't think they know what they are in for. With him, or his Mother. Congratulations Bug!

Taylor asked for a Butterfly Birthday Party. Sounds fun. But everyone that could be there, wanted to be there and her Birthday was on a Tuesday and that meant, no one she wanted there would be there for very long. So we planned a Chuck E. Cheese birthday on the Saturday before her birthday and a small get together on Tuesday. We bought a special birthday dress, shoes and wings. Every 4 year old girl needs wings for her birthday. I think.

Saturday, April 25, 2009 

We invited our Neighbors, The Schmidt's, and their 4 children to attend the Chuck E. Cheese Butterfly Princess Party /*-with us. All together, there was 8 adults and 6 children. Good ratio I say.

We made some Butterfly / Floral arrangements (thanks Grandma Susan for the guidance, she KNOWS what kids will like) and Tay and Cassie wore Butterfly....stuff. The Chuck E. Cheese folks had ALL sorts of available swag. And we got the all sorts of swag. The kids loved it and the big people could just sit back and let the kids love it.

Some may say Tay is spoiled and she is, but why not? As long as we keep things in perspective and reign her in why can't she have her Barbie bike at 4? Because she got one, and she got a Barbie Scooter, thanks to Nana and Papa. And that thing is more popular than the bike (although Bug loves the bike and rides it downstairs). She got a few other things but really, nothing was as important to her as having her friends there to run around with. She was on fire, running and laughing. It was lovely and I will do a Chuck E. Cheese party again in a heartbeat!

Aunt Cheryl made Tay a Butterfly cake and we left a little before 10. We were supposed to leave at 7:30. Oops. But we gave them a good tip and they didn't mind. Go figure.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Her official birthday. Smaller, at home, much shorter time frame. Nana, Papa, Cheryl and Scot came down and again, we invited The Schmidt's over...to help break the Pinata. Yep, Pinata. Turns out, they are professionals at breaking the Pinata. Us? Not so much.  

Tay opened the rest of her presents, we broke the Pinata and she had her Strawberry cake that she had picked out a few weeks earlier. Seriously, she had been planning her birthday for months. MONTHS. It was cute and starting to get mildly annoying, but she was thrilled with how it all worked out and we were thrilled to have a 4 year old girl living in our house. Now, let's hope she makes it to 5 before I sell her.

Happy Birthday 4 year old Girl! 

Maybe I'm the odd man out here, but I really do not like sunny days all that much. Cloudy days with a bit of rain to them, that's more me. When people say: Hooray it's sunny! What a beautiful day! I think:

Great.

I really do prefer clouds, a little snow. It's so much easier to get warm than it is to cool off. Getting warm can involve other people, getting cool screams: stay away you'll make me sweat.

I spent a lot of my early life outside in the sun, playing some kind of sport. I hope my children will want to do that too, it taught me a lot, but the sunburns and then stinkiness of it all, I could really have done without. There is something different about sweating from exertion and sweating because the sun is beating down on you. It's more rewarding when you have earned it, and the cool shower is so much more invigorating.

Yeah, gimme some fog and lightening storms, pepper me with only small doses of sunshine and I might just be a lot more even tempered.

I took Tay to the Thanksgiving Point Museum of Ancient Life a little bit ago and she was anxious to go back. And take Megan with us. So we did. Took Bug too. It's a small museum, but very well stocked with a variety of fossils and plenty of interactive displays. I would have loved it as a kid, I sure do enjoy it as an adult. I could detail the trip but really it loses so much when you haven't already been there. Besides I don't remember it all. The picts tell the tale.

She was nervous. Only about the needle. Having had her Hep A vaccine (don't get me started on WHY that particular vaccine is a sham) only a few weeks ago, the memory of the needle in her thigh was very fresh. In fact, since that shot, every few days she asks if I want to see the hole in her leg. We told her that if she had to have an IV the needle, it wouldn't be that bad and it would only feel like a little pinch. Didn't help. On the drive there she asked and asked about the needle and I assured her that if *I* wasn't nervous, there was nothing to be nervous about, she would be fine. She had expressed concerned about 'being put to sleep' earlier in the week. It was funny, and she was relieved when I told her not like a sick doggie.

We got there spot on time and signed her in. We were called back almost immediately and thank heavens there was TV with Over The Hedge playing since we waited almost an hour and a half before the Doctor showed up. It gave us time for her to relax and put on the new shirt the Surgical Center gave her. Pink shirt. Good call. She saw a plastic wagon across the hall from us and asked me what that was for. I told her I wasn't sure but maybe it's what they use to haul kids and/or things. Oh, was all I heard.

When the Doctor got there, he told her what he needed to do to her teeth and how she would wear a mask, blow up a balloon, and then get a Popsicle. Her face lit up. A Popsicle? That was worth it. She then queried: No needle? He looked at me and I explained, he smiled and said: No needle while you are awake. Luckily she didn't catch the "while you are awake' part or I would have had  A LOT more explaining to do. Then the anesthetist came in a explained about the mask again. She was cool with it, told him she liked balloons and was really good at blowing them up. He grinned and then offered her a ride in the wagon...she jumped off my lap and right into the green thing. Didn't even look back, I had to follow her a bit and tell her good luck, love you and I will be here when you wake up. She smiled: OK, bye!

The waiting was tough. Although I have been through all of it with Bug, it does NOT get easier. I texted, emailed, surfed the web, did whatever I could to keep myself occupied for the hour and twenty minutes that it took to see the Doctor again. He assured that all went well, that she was a complete joy and very sweet. She was in recovery and he walked me to a room to wait for her.

While I was waiting, I heard a cry, it sounded a little like Tay and since she would be groggy, I had no idea what she would be like so I went to see if it was her. Now, when Bug has his tests that he needs to be sedated for, we are ALWAYS there immediately following the procedure while he is waking up. Not with Tay, not this time. When I found her little body all curled up with a big hospital blanket on her, she had two nurses by her. They were saying how cute she was and then they saw me and asked me what I wanted and told me to go back to my room and wait. I was a little stunned and then asked them if that was her crying...they told me no and asked me to go back to my room. I did and was a little stunned. I kept hearing a cry and wondered if it was her...but I waited.

After about a half hour they brought her to me, asleep and wrapped up. She opened her eyes and smiled when they placed her in my arms and I cuddled with her tightly. We sat there for another 40 minutes and then a nurse came to check on us...Tay woke up...I told the nurse all was well and she left. On the way out the door Tay said: I didn't get my Popsicle. A few moments later...Tay got her Popsicle and ate the whole thing. It's an old trick to get the child to wake up. The joy of the Popsicle itself is emotionally gratifying and then the coldness of the Popsicle is physically a bit of a shock to the system and wakes them up. She woke up. She woke up a lot and asked when we were going to the Hello Kitty store.

thesisters.jpg

We picked up Megan, went home and ate, Doc said she could eat whatever she wanted and so she did. We ran to Salt Lake to pay rent, get stuff at Joann's and hit up the Hello Kitty store on the way back. She was in heaven and now has three Hello Kitty sisters: Hello Kitty, Daisy and Baby Amanda respectively. She was amazing, and I am in awe of her.

It seems that no matter how careful one is the children WILL eventually get cavities. And Tay did. And she needed

Tay before the knock out

to have them repaired. And Tay did.

Although she was VERY good at the Dentist's office a few weeks ago, she would need to be sedated in order to get it all done in a timely manner. So off to the Riverwoods surgical center we go.

She was nervous about the needle. The I.V. that is. But there was no need. She was sedated by mask BEFORE the needle. Yippeee!!!!

There are all sorts of details I will provide but I have to do that later...gotta run out again. She did well and her teeth look lovely! And she got to go to the Hello Kitty store and go wild. Ugh.