The Christmas Trek

Part One: Off We Go . . . Eventually

We were supposed to leave for Spokane on Saturday. If we had, there would likely have been a very different tale to tell (at least part one).

As always, I procrastinated doing the laundry, and so late Friday night I was rushing the last couple of loads through the wash when the power went out. And stayed out . . . until I finally gave up on the laundry and went to bed. Saturday morning I happily finished the laundry and packed up our suitcases. By that time it was well afternoon, and Sven and I discussed our options. We could either load up the car, run our last few errands, and make it out of town in time to drive to Spokane by midnight; or we could wait until the morning to leave, and drive fresh and in the light of day. We opted for option #2. I went out and ran our errands, and we went to bed ready to make our trip.

Sunday morning dawned and we started to load up the car. It was at this point that we came to a horrifying realization. There was no possible way to fit everything in the car without leaving the kids at home. We unpacked the suitcases, and repacked. We arranged and rearranged the car. Finally everything we absolutely needed to take was packed. It was two or so in the afternoon.

At this point I was not open to staying at home another night.

We loaded the kids in the car. Correction- we started to load the kids in the car. Olly's shoe was missing. We searched the house high and low. We looked everywhere possible, and a few places that weren't. Her shoe was gone. We looked for her shoe for about 2 hours. I was boggled and dismayed.

Eventually The Z-Monster confessed to stealing Olly's shoe and throwing it off the deck into the fruit trees. Sure enough- there it was, so finally we were on the road.

Type 1 Diabetes

On Thursday, I got some of the most difficult news I've had in my life. I took Z in for what I thought was a simple UTI, and instead learned that he has Type 1 diabetes. This was completely unexpected, but once I heard it, everything that's been going on with him lately really just clicked, and I can't say that I was really shocked.

We still don't know what his blood sugar was at our pediatrician's office. It maxed out their meter's ability to compute it. Three and a half hours (and eight trips to the toilet) later, his blood sugar was 413. He was in the beginning stages of keto-acidosis. Thursday night and Friday Z had an IV in each arm (one to put stuff in, one to draw blood) and a variety of other monitors to keep track of all his other vital signs. He didn't like the IV's, or the finger pokes every hour to check his blood, but he really liked flirting with his nurses and doctors (they are all girls), and watching 12 hours of Phinneas and Ferb back-to-back. Friday night they took him off most of his drips, and took out the extra IV. He started his subcutaneous insulin (shots) and they started adjusting his dosage, and since then he has been back to being a normal hyper boy who happens to hang out at the hospital and gets a shot before meals and bed.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Sven and I attended a crash course in managing diabetes. This included nutrition classes, classes on administering injections, classes on calculating dosages, classes on treating high blood sugar and low blood sugar, and classes on having a normal life despite diabetes. Z will not be able to be: an airline pilot, in the military, an astronaut, or an interstate trucker. Scuba diving might also be complicated. Aside from that there are very few limitations on his future because of this. I'm not sure, but I think this also means he will serve his mission stateside. Which is convenient, because when asked what he wants to be when he grows up he said, "A missionary." When asked which country he wanted to serve in, he said, "Texas".

Right now Z's diabetes is under control, and treatment-wise we are fine-tuning his doses, but he will be cleared to come home as soon as he lets mommy do his finger pokes (blood sugar tests). He doesn't mind his injections at all. We were hoping to bring him home tonight, but he had to stay overnight because he still fights the pokes. Hopefully he will do well for his 3am and morning pokes so we can bring him home tomorrow.

I want to take a moment to share a couple of the small miracles we have had this week that have really made things bearable for us. Thursday afternoon, as I was sitting in the doctor's office still reeling from the news, I got a phone call from one of my good friends in the area, Vanessa. She knew that Sven was out of town all week on a 50-mile hike with the Boy Scouts, she knew that Z was feeling under the weather, and she called to let me know that she felt like we needed dinner, it was ready, when could she bring it by. I called Vanessa, let her know what was going on, and 15-20 minutes later her husband showed up at the clinic to give Z a blessing and take the girls to their house. Vanessa gave us a bowl of chicken and pasta salad to take with us for dinner. Since then, the girls have had a babysitter every day without fail.

The next miracle we had this week started on Tuesday when one of the Scouts had a log collapse under his feet and sprained his ankle. This was very sad for him, I don't argue that it wasn't, and I am sorry that it turned the 50-mile hike into a 25-mile hike; but because of this sprain the Scouts weren't able to do their entire hike, and had to turn back early. So, Thursday afternoon, sitting in the doctor's office, head still reeling, I received a text from Sven informing me that he was on his way home. He arrived around midnight, and was able to take the girls home to sleep. Since then we've taken turns staying at the hospital and at home with the girls for the night.

The final little miracle I want to mention is actually the first one that started. Sunday evening I noticed that Z felt a little warm. The thermometer said his temp was 100 on the dot. He kept having the occasional warm spell, so on Wednesday evening when the thermometer again said 100 I decided that I should just take him in. When I took him in to the doctor his temp was normal and he hasn't had a temperature that was even slightly elevated since. Why do I call this a miracle? Because without this fever I might have waited another week before I took Z in. And in another week he would have been much more dangerously ill than he was when he went in. We caught his diabetes much earlier than most new diagnoses, and so he skipped the time in the ICU that many first-time patients have.

So, yes, these are small things, but they add up to a big thing. That has helped me so much this week. Thank you to all of you for your support and kind words. I'll keep you posted.

In Gratitude

This was supposed to be written and published before Thanksgiving Day. I, true to form, am running behind. In light of the season, however, I think that this is appropriate now as well.

My Dear Family and Friends-

The one thing I am most grateful for is the gospel of Jesus Christ. My faith in our Saviour has been my one sure place in the turmoil that seems to surround my life. I am grateful for Him, for His love and sacrifice, for the peace and strength I receive through Him.

I am grateful for the blessed nation in which I live. I am thankful for the sacrifices off all those who have come before, who have worked to make our country strong. I am grateful for all those who serve today, or who have served in the past, as members of our armed forces. I am thankful for those who work today to keep our nation free, and protect the liberties which are being silently stolen from us.

I am grateful for my family. They have made me who I am. I have three of the most wonderful children in the whole world (no bias here ;-). Through them I have learned the meaning of unconditional love. Although motherhood is undeniably the most frustrating thing I have ever attempted (and if I am bald by thirty, we will all know why), it also brings me joy and happiness everyday. I have a patient, funny, generous husband, who honors his priesthood, and supports our family so that I can be a full-time mother to our children. I am grateful to my father who taught me algebra and theoretical physics at the breakfast table; who taught me to take a double fistful of dreams and hang on for dear life, because the only way you are guaranteed to fail is to not try. I am grateful for my mother who taught me that if you aren't confident in who you are, no one else will be confident in you; and who taught me that if it truly matters to you, you will find a way to make it happen.

I am thankful for true friendship. I am blessed beyond measure in the friendships I have made over the years. I am grateful to those who have been there for me in the darkest times in my life, and for those who have let me serve them as well. I am grateful for letters, telephones, emails, and even (dare I say it) facebook, which have all allowed me to maintain these friendships despite my vagabond lifestyle. I am grateful for kindred spirits, who understand what I mean, even when it doesn't quite come out right, and who appreciate (or at least overlook) my strong opinions.

I am thankful for my life. Not a day goes by that I don't remember the nurses holding up the tiny bundle of my daughter so I could see her once before I was rushed to the OR, wondering if I would ever have the chance to hold her. Even now, two years later, every day seems like a precious gift, all the wonderful experiences I get to enjoy.

I am thankful that a year ago when a starving little waif of a kitten showed up on my doorstep, I softened my heart and let her live with us, despite having proclaimed a ban on new pets three months prior. Francesca (Frankie) is the sweetest, most loving cat I have ever met, and aside from a penchant for sleeping on clean black clothing and fishing eggshells out of the trashcan, she is pretty much a perfect pet.

I am grateful for a warm house and bed to sleep in, clean clothes to wear, clean water to drink, and good food to eat. Even these simple things are so much more than many in the world have, and I have so much.

There are so many more things that I could list here, like literature, and music, and art, and the smell of freshly cut grass, or the sound of windchimes, or that moment when the snow first starts to fall, and you can dance with the snowflakes, before your body reminds you that it is cold and you are not wearing a coat. Those and many, many, many more things, more than I could realistically ever write. So I will keep them in my heart, and speak them in my prayers, and be grateful.

With Love and Thanksgiving,

Leisl

Bizzarre Muffins

The Z-Monster is a muffin maniac. The last week or so he has been begging for some pretty odd combinations. Specifically, he wanted peanut-butter and jelly muffins, and tuna-fish muffins. My first reaction was YUCK! On reflection, however, I thought his ideas had some merit, so I made them. We had pb&j muffins for breakfast earlier in the week- and they were a hit!

The tuna muffins were pretty good too. The Z-monster didn't like them, though, figures.

Tuna-fish Muffins

I created this recipe on my own, and it still needs some tweaking. All in all, though, I'd say it isn't bad.

2 eggs
2 cans of chunk light tuna in water (drained)
2 oz of sharp cheddar, shredded
3T grated parmesean
1/3 c oil
1 c milk
1 t salt
1 t garlic powder
1 T dried oregano
1/8 t ground sage
1 T baking powder
2 c flour

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a muffin pan.
Mix together eggs, tuna,cheese, oil, milk, salt and spices. In a seperate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. Stir together with the tuna mixture, just until combined.
Fill muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.


Peanut-butter and Jelly Muffins

I got this recipe off of the flour bag. What are the odds? It isn't bad, but next time I'd just as soon put the jelly on after i bake them. I think I'd also cut down the sugar.

2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 c peanut butter
1 c milk
1/3 c oil
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 c jam

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a muffin pan. Mix together the first five ingredients. Add the flour and baking powder. Use half the batter to fill the bottoms of 12 muffin cups. Put 2 tsp of jam in the center of each cup. Fill the cups with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the tops with more sugar (I skipped this). Bake for 20-22 min.

Happy Muffining!

Yummy Curried Rice

I got the start of this recipe from a friend, I tweaked it a bit (it's me- like anyone's surprised). It is pretty yummy! As a bonus, if you use chicken broth instead of water, you can leave out the bullion, and have a gluten free meal. Plus, use olive oil instead of butter, and it is also dairy free!

1 small onion, minced
1 c finely minced celery and leaves
1/2 c finely minced mushrooms
1 small sweet pepper, minced
2 T butter
2 bullion cubes
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 T chopped parsley
2 tsp chili paste
2/3 c rice
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c chopped peanuts

1. Saute minced veggies in butter.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except the raisins and peanuts, cover.
3. Bring to a boil, cover. Reduce heat and cook 20 min. Do NOT peek!
4. At 20 min, dump the raisins on top of the rice and cover it back up as quickly as possible. Let stand an additional 5 min.
5. Stir in peanuts, serve!

Unbreakable Crayons

Hello all! I have been less than faithful in my posting, I know! I apologize. And this isn't a real whats-going-on post either. There is one coming.

I just wanted to share a new-ish discovery of mine.

When I was a kid, we would take our crayon stubs and melt them down in cupcake papers, to make little rainbow crayons. Lots of fun, and a good way to take care of waste.

Well, I have a pair of little girls who seem to take great joy in breaking our crayons into unusable size pieces. Having grown weary of rainbow crayons, I came up with the idea of melting down individual color crayons in mini muffin pans (with mini muffin liners).

The result is a chunky little crayon that is nearly impossible to break. Please note that I said nearly. Have fun!

Growing pains . . .

Yup- three of them.

The Z-monster is getting so big! He is wearing size five everything- most of the time. He is also doing big-boy stuff like swim lessons and gymnastics classes at our local YMCA. He loves it! The Z-monster has had great improvement in his speech development, a lot of it is from reading lessons. Taking the time to sound out each letter of a word on paper has really helped him take time to stop and sound out words he says. There are still sounds he has trouble with, of course, but we understand most of what he says (and he has LOTS to say . . .)!

Didi is talking up a storm as well. She is at that lovely stage where she parrots everything she hears. Yup- everything. The best part of that is hearing her sing. She sings all the time, with a surprisingly pleasant tone. Bedtime, of course, is her favorite time to sing. We have her in swim lessons, which she loves, especially the parts that involve lots of kicking! One of the most fun things about Didi is that she carries a book with her everywhere she goes. She just loves story time, and "reads" to herself out of anything with pages. Her favorite book is a battered, tattered, very worn book about a frog.

LW is growing. She has finally topped 20lbs, just in time to start Nursery at church. She is starting to talk as well, speaking in full phrases, generally running the show, and throwing unbelievable tantrums when she can't. (By unbelievable, I mean hitting, kicking, throwing things, and screaming until she gets petechia on her face- not kidding). I feel like she is having her terrible twos a year early. When she isn't throwing tantrums, though, she is very sweet and loving. She has a great propensity to laugh, and loves playing games. She also loves hats, and usually can be found with something (not neccesarily a hat) on her head.

Sven and I are doing well, Sven is contemplating a career change, and we are doing a lot of work on our house to get it ready to sell. I have been working on losing some weight, and getting back into shape. Sometimes it seems to be going better than others, but I try not to get too down about things.

I don't have a computer during the day, and I'm generally pretty busy, so I'm sorry for the dearth of posts.

The battle of the sexes has already begun . . .

Earlier in the week, we were discussing Speed Racer (The Z-Monster's favorite movie) on the way home from a birthday party. The Z-Monster was expressing how much he liked his new cars (he got Speed Racer cars for Christmas), and the movie in general. I made a comment about Mommy and Daddy and Didi enjoying the movie too.

The Z-Monster responded emphatically that Didi was not allowed to watch Speed Racer. When we asked him why not, he responded in a disparaging tone, "She's a girl Mommy. Speed Racer is a boy's movie. Her not watch it!"

I responded, "The Z-Monster, it's a boy movie and girl movie. Mommy likes cars, and so does Didi. Plus, there are girls in the movie too."

The Z-Monster thought about that one for a while, and then resignedly said, "Otay, Mommy." (which, being interpreted is: If you say so, I'll concede, but I still think you're wrong.)

A few moments after that, he piped up again with this, " No, mommy, it a boy movie. There are one two three four five six seven eight nine TEN Boys, and one monkey. It's a boy movie.

And that was that . . .

What you hear when they think you aren't listening.

We just recently put the baby monitors back in the girls' room, since one of them has a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night. We are still getting used to having the monitor on again, and it is providing us a little insight into our daughters behavior when we aren't in the room.

When separated into their cribs the entertain each other for 15-20 minutes with a rousing (and giggle filled) game of peek-a-boo. After this Little Wonder seems to drift off to sleep, while Didi sings her a chipper lullaby consisting mostly of Happy Birthday and assorted nursery songs. (Yes, my kids like the birthday song. A. Lot.)

If, at this point, we were to intervene, we would find her contentedly bouncing in bed with nothing but a diaper on, playing with her blankets and pajamas. She would insist on being taken out of bed, re clothed, hugged and kissed, and placed back in bed. At which point she would start over by calling "Hello! Are you there?" to Little Wonder, then the songs and pajama removal.

But, we don't intervene anymore (well, usually), so in the morning we find Didi redressed, with her shirt on inside out and backwards, and her pants on inside out.

The kid is a mystery.

Holding Pattern

Life right now is basically a holding pattern.

So:

yes, we are home. Yes we had Christmas. Yes, we have a working bathroom. (thank you Robert and Lawanna.) Yes the kids are cute. Yes pictures have been taken.

No, home is not fit for habitation. No, there is not Christmas blog post. No there is no further bathroom post. No, there are no pictures posted yet.

All of that will happen when I have time. And I will have time when all of that happens.

The Z-monster is glad to be home. He hasn't asked when he's starting school up again, which is good, because I'm still looking for a new preschool for him. (Slow going during winter holiday, you know).

Didi has really gotten into the concept of full sentences. She still whispers, but she's talking. She is also really getting into the potty training thing, and is doing pretty well.

Little Wonder is getting TALL, (well, compared to where she has been). She is also doing pretty well on the potty training, some days better than Didi.

That's all for now.

The Joys of DIY

Well, this weekend, Svwn took on the monumental task of redo-ing our dilapidated bathroom floor with the help of our wonderful brother-in-law Robert. So far so good. (I say that here, because . . . well, you'll see).

Friday night after work, they tore up the bathroom floor. (This is the part where it stops being quite so good). Under the linoleum they discovered that the subfloor was all different thicknesses, and therefore different heights. Yikes- but still workable. Under the floor boards, they discovered that the sewer main was cracked, and leaking. And the toilet was improperly installed, and leaking. And the sink was improperly installed, and leaking. Not only this, but one of the joists was sawed 3/4 of the way through to run wiring for the chandelier in the breakfast nook. At this point, they girded their loins like the gallant heroes of old and pressed forward (since they were WELL past the point of no return).

By Saturday afternoon, they were getting ready to put the new sub-floor down when Robert got thirsty and headed down to the kitchen for a drink. (This is the part where it goes from bad, to worse). Arriving in the kitchen, he saw water pouring off the end of the above mentioned chandelier. Ohhhh joy. So, back up the stairs he trudged (actually, I imagine it was something quicker, more of a break- neck sprint) to find the problem. Lo and behold, the water main in the bathroom is now leaking. YUP.

At this point our brave heroes called the retreat, and are currently calling in the reinforcements. (A friend of ours, Kenny, came out to try and help Sven patch it, unsuccessfully).

So Sven is staying at a friends house, as our house has no water and no toilet.

She Speaks

No Way!

No, seriously, "No way!". Didi's favorite words. She is gaining a pretty large vocabulary, but by far the most frequently used phrase is "no way". Her response to EVERYTHING phrased as a question or command is either "no" or "no way". Even if she is nodding yes at the same time.

Current words I love to hear:

Momma
Dadda
Buwah(Z-monster)
Lala(Baby)
Mehma (Grandma)
Dapda/Danda (Grandpa)
Donk Dan (Uncle Dan)
Doggy
Kitty cat
Ball
Catch
play
happy
that
Duck
tree
walk
me
book
blue
Yellow
yes
please
more
drink
cup
baby
hat
car
Thank you
movie
pee pee
underwear (she only said it once, and poorly, but I'm counting it)


and of course, "no. way."

I'm sure that most of you are pretty bored by this post, but after waiting so long to hear it from Z-monster, it is so exciting to hear it from Didi.

The Z-monster had his progress report today, and is doing very well. He has a great bond with his preschool teacher, and it will be sad to leave.

"Lala" is sprouting more teeth, so she will soon have eight instead of four.

You know your driving is wild when . . .

Your two-year-old shouts, "Wheeeeeee!" every time you turn a corner.

Why?

I just have a few questions . . .

Why does the baby who screams as soon as you put her toe in the tub, REPEATEDLY stick her hands in the toilet bowl?

Why does the toddler who loves to pour water on her head, SCREAM BLOODY MURDER when you wash her hair?

Why does the toddler who is afraid of her own poop, think it is funny if it's big brother's?

Why does the preschooler who doesn't want to wear diapers still deliberately soil his pull-up when told to go sit on the toilet?

Oh, yes, and please PLEASE PLEASE someone explain to me why said preschooler asks for a drink, throws the drink down the stair in a fury, and then throws a three hour tantrum because he wants a drink???

And seriously WHY did I have kids again????

Still Alive

Aaah, well I've been falling down on the job!

I have very sporadic access to the internet here in VA, so I don't expect to be able to do much in the way of blogging.

Baby has started walking, though!

The Z-monster is learning to read, and spell a few words (the spelling is thanks to Word World, I think.)

Other than that, not much new!

In Virginia

Well, we're here! We drove all day Monday (last week) and got here in the evening. Things have been crazy, but I'm finally able to hop on and post a bit.

Baby- is off to a flying start with her walking. Literally. She stands up, and then hurls herself forward, landing face-first with a painful-sounding thud, only to repeat it until she reaches her desired destination. (I must point out that this was only attempted once on Grandma's tile floors). She somewhat resembles a clumsy frog.

Didi- is in love . . . with Grandma and Grandpa's dog, Tori. Tori is a Great Dane, and weighs about 150 right now. Didi is tipping the scale at about 21 lbs. So they make quite the pair. Tori is very patient with Didi, and puts up with her constant attention. Didi gives her hugs, leans on her, pats her, and blows her kisses. A few days ago, she wandered off, and when I found her she was on her tummy, nose to nose with Tori, just chatting up a storm.

the Z-monster- is having fun visiting Grandma and Grandpa's house. We got him registered for school, and he is OH SO VERY eager to start. He likes to go on walks with Tori, and gather rocks. We have a whole collection of rocks he has toted home in his pockets. the Z-monster has enjoyed helping Grandpa build a floor in the basement, and playing with Uncle D's toy cars and airplanes.

Grandma and K are off shopping for K's last minute needs before she's off to Scottland, but the kids have really enjoyed spending time with her too.

A Tragedy in Three Parts

Part One: Kix, Tweezers, Surprise!

Thursday was a crazy day. Summer session of preschool ended on Tuesday, and the Z-Monster has been going a little stir crazy. All day he picked on his sisters and looked for trouble.

Finally, Thursday afternoon I got the girls happily entertained by a bowl of Kix cereal, and was playing with the Z-Monster, trying to work off some of his excess energy. I periodically glanced at the girls to make sure they weren't throwing Kix on the floor, choking, or fighting. None of the above (well maybe a little Kix throwing) was in the works. I admit that I had joyous visions of a peaceful happy orderly afternoon to come. HAHA.

Suddenly Didi let out an earsplitting shriek. You see, what I failed to notice, was that Didi was paying a little too much attention to her nose. Upon investigation, I discovered a Kix wedged almost out of sight up her nose. So, I went to fetch the tweezers, and proceeded to perform a Kix extrication, which, considering Didi's current state of mind (scared out of her wits) was extremely difficult, complicated, and required all my attention.

The Kix was shoved up so high in Didis nose that I could just see a little round yellowish bump when I looked up her nose. I stuck the tweezers in and made a hole in the part I could see, and then grabbed the inside and outside of the Kix and PULLED on it. Didi fought and screamed and grabbed at her face, my hands, the tweezers, ANYTHING; so I finally wound up essentially sitting on her.

But finally the offending bite of cereal was rmoved and thrown away. Didi was very traumatized, and needed lots of cuddles and love to help her feel better.

Just as Didi was starting to feel like the world will indeed go on turning, the Z-Monster called out from the dining room. "Mommy! I 'prize you!!" And then, he dashed into the living room, singing his very own fanfare. "Dah-da-DAH!!!" and made a sweeping gesture to encompass his entire body.

Part Two: Paint, Paint, and Paint Again!

the Z-Monster had discovered the tempera paints, and managed to open three of the sealed bottles. He was covered in purple, green, and orange paint from head to toe. He then proudly revealed to me his artwork on the shoe bench and buffet. (picture will be coming if I have a chance to get it off the camera).

Horrified, I quickly planted the girls in front of a movie and hauled the Z-Monster upstairs for a bath. After thoroughly scrubbing him down (I actually washed his clothes in the tub too), I hauled him out of the tub, and back downstairs. After providing a damp rag, I set the Z-Monster to work cleaning the paint off of the bench while I hopped into the kitchen to throw a frozen pizza in the oven.

About three minutes later, I emerged from the kitchen to discover the Z-Monster had climbed up and retrieved the paint, re-opened it, and had re-painted himself, plus added artwork to the walls and doors. Soooo . . . back into the tub he went.

the Z-Monster was quite upset about needing another bath, after all, I had JUST washed his hair and all of him! This time around he decided to push the limits, and before too long (despite my MANY warnings) he slipped and fell, and hit his head on the bottom of the bathtub, and his stitches started to bleed again. GRRR.

The day finally ended with the kids in bed, stomachs filled with burnt pizza, the paint cleaned up, and my own resolution to get a babysitter the next day.

Part Three: When I said I needed a break, this isn't what I meant!

A friend of mine does daycare in her home, and was kind enough to take my kids on Friday, so I could make some progress. The day progressed relatively uneventfully, and then it was time to pick the kids up and head to Dublin to pick Sven up from work.

On the way out the door from K's house, my shoe went kaput, and I went down, hard, holding Didi. I landed just about as wrong as wrong could be, except that Didi didn't get hurt at all, so I did something right, at least.

My leg started swelling up right away, and it got one lump on it that stuck out and was purple. K's husband drove me to the ER while K watched my kids until Sven could beg a ride home off a co-worker. At this point, I was pretty sure that I had broken my leg, I'd heard a pretty sharp snap when I went down.

Eventually they got me x-rayed, and sent a Dr. in to look at it. The x-rays didn't show any breaks, but the Dr. still thought that my leg looked broken, so she sent me back to radiology to get a few more shots at a different angle, just to be sure. Still no breaks. (What a relief!)

After ruling out a broken bone, another doctor came in and poked and prodded, and asked questions about how I fell, and manipulated my leg (I would have kicked him, but that would have hurt worse). He declared that I had Severely sprained and strained both my knee and my ankle, and pretty much everything in between, plus banged things up really well- but that nothing was torn.

So- I can't walk, but I should be able to in about two weeks. Just what I needed. Right?

Just another boring day in the life of . . .

Peek-a-boo

It's so much fun watching my precious little girl grow up! Today she started playing peek-a-boo with me during diaper changing time. Not a first, but there was just something so grown-up about it that I had to stop and think. Today she also helped me pick up some of the Kix she threw on the floor, and put it back in the bowl. The art of the dismount has been mastered- she can get down from chairs, stairs, beds, and couches! She babbles all the time, too! I'm always mistaking her babbles for Didi, and being surprised at how quickly her language skills seem to be progressing.

At the same time it is sad. She is my last baby(barring adoption or miraculous acts of God). Tonight she fell asleep in my arms. It has been so long since she has done that. It almost made me cry, holding her snuggled under my chin, as she slept. I just sat and enjoyed it for half an hour or so.

The Sound of Running Water.

Is never a good sound to wake up to. Especially not with a three year-old in the house.

I woke up to the sound of water POURING. I popped up, thinking, "Z-monster must be washing his hands." Oh, if only.

I enter the bathroom. No Z-Monster. No running sink water. Oh no- even better. The toilet was clogged, the flusher broken, and the chain pulled out. The bathroom floor was about an inch deep. *sigh* OK. I can deal with this. I stopped the overflowing toilet, grabbed the mop bucket and a pile of rags, and started mopping up.

Then it occurs to me- I can still hear running water- Downstairs. I run down to the kitchen. No Z-monster in the kitchen, but, POURING from the chandelier in the breakfast nook, all the water from the bathroom upstairs. The breakfast room was completely flooded, and the water made it all the way into the kitchen. UGH. I CAN'T HANDLE THIS!

I woke up Sven. He mopped downstairs while I mopped upstairs.

Where was the Z-Monster? In bed sleeping the sleep of the innocent.

So, next on the project list? Replace bathroom floor, and the ceiling, walls, wiring, possibly chandelier in the breakfast room.

Ice Packs

Yes, that's right, Ice packs.

I have a lot of experience with them. A. LOT. My experience with ice packs starts with a Z . . . ok, ok, I'm a Klutz so it goes back waaaaaaaaaaaaay further than that.

Anyway, I have always had three major gripes about ice packs. First, they melt and get all watery, typically leading to significant leakage. Second, if you are smart and use something other than a bag of ice cubes, it is rock hard, and doesn't really work well on a bruised arm or something of that nature. Third, if you buy those fancy expensive ones that are leak-proof and squishy, they are expensive! Plus, they tend to get lost/punctured/stolen/taken out of the freezer by someone who thinks they need it but don't, so you aren't getting your $ worth.

I thought I had it all figured out when my buddy told me about the magic mix. 1/2 rubbing alcohol, 1/2 water. It freezes up to a nice slushy consistency. Problem: My kids like to eat ice. Especially if it feels like it might be a slushy! Plus, once it really starts to melt you have the same leakage problem (my kids ALWAYS know how to make their icepacks leak!)

My solution? Frozen peas! Even when they are thawed, they don't leak (too much). They conform nicely, and they are CHEAP! Plus, when you spend 4 hours in the emergency room, they make a nice alternative to overpriced vending machine junk. :P

I put a scoop of peas in a ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out, put it into a sock (the other half of the sock gremlin pairs) and voila! Ice pack!

I am only half kidding about the snack thing, too- ER trip before last, Z got hungry and ate the corn out of his icepack. Crazy kid!

Follow up

Yes- because I haven't blogged enough in the last couple days . . .

Yesterday The Z-monster had his follow up to the allergist and GI appointments. All is apparantly very normal. Except, you know, for the random, violent, prolonged bouts of diarrhea. *sigh*

So . . .

Official Diagnosis: Toddler Diarrhea.

Official Prognosis: We haven't had a serious bout in a couple of weeks. That means it could be gone for good, or just on hiatus. This is an ideopathic (sp?) condition, which basically means that they are clueless. They don't know what causes it, and they don't know what stops it. What they do know, is that it DOES eventually go away. Here's hoping.

Didi had her follow-up on her bloodwork, which is all normal, mid-level everything. Soooo, who knows. Maybe the last few months have just been meant to torment me.

It's a conspiracy . . .

25 Hints You're Not Voting for Obama

I stole this one off of a bulletin board. I just thought it was too stinking funny not to post. After this I promise I am done for tonight.

25 Hints You're Not Voting for Obama [Peter Kirsanow]

Today's Rasmussen daily tracking poll has 80% of Democrats supporting Obama and 87% of Republicans supporting McCain. There are still a healthy number of undecideds. This conflicts with the stream of media reports that Obamacons, evangelicals, black conservatives and independents are flocking to Obama.

If you're an independent, moderate or conservative on the fence about whether to vote for McCain or Obama, here's a helpful guide:

It's unlikely you'll vote for Obama if you....

1. aren't a news anchor.
2. read the New York Times for pretty much the same reason the NSA monitors radio transmissions.
3. automatically conclude that the person laughing in the car next to you must be listening to Rush. Or maybe Obama off teleprompter.
4. dislocated your shoulder trying to explain Obama's position on Iraq to co-workers.
5. find autobiographies generally more interesting when the author has, you know, done something.
6. remember the Carter Administration.
7. would give a month's pay to play Jack Bauer's partner on 24.
8. increasingly agree with Mark Steyn that "almost everything [Obama] says is, well, nuts."
9. think it's relevant — despite what the sophisticates say — that several of Obama's mentors and associates have displayed a dislike for America or a disdain for Americans.
10. think it's relevant that several of McCain's mentors and associates are American heroes of historic magnitude.
11. think about 9/11 more than once a year.
12. have concluded that Larry the Cable Guy makes way more sense than Howard Dean.
13. feel a little safer during turbulence when your pilot is a calm "white haired dude."
14. thought about Hillary's 3:00 a.m. phone call ad when you first heard about Russian tanks in Georgia.
15. wonder why Obama felt it necessary to give a speech on patriotism.
16. get sorta creeped out by 200,000 Germans chanting "Obama! Obama!"
17. think the jury may still be out on Harvard Law School.
18. suspect "merci beaucoup" is French for "empty suit."
19. doubt that teleprompters are really magical dispensers of good ideas.
20. know in your gut that defiantly withstanding 4 1/2 years of torture trumps all of Obama's qualifications and accomplishments combined — regardless of what the elite pundits say.
21. repeatedly find yourself asking "Change to what?"
22. have ever used the term "pompous twit' in the same sentence with "Marx," "Marcuse," or "Sartre."
23. don't like being told what to do — especially by someone who hasn't done it.
24. really like ticking off the media, Hollywood, academics, and PC busybodies everywhere.
25. weren't born yesterday.

Score (# of descriptions that apply to you):

0— Go ahead, write in Dennis Kucinich
1—3 Obama may be your choice after all
4—5 You think Hillary got a raw deal and won't vote Obama
6—24 McCain's your man
25 It's OK to write in Reagan

Stitches

I'm sure you all knew this was coming. After all, The Z-monster hasn't managed to get stitches yet. (until now)

This morning The Z-monster took off upstairs (being naughty), and tripped and fell down. He split his head open on the baseboard on the landing. OUCH.

I cleaned it up and put ice(his head smelled like frozen peas all day) on it, and looked at it long and hard. After the last fiasco, I didn't want to spend time and money to be complimented on my bandaging skills. I decided that there was no way I could justify not taking him in. I also decided that they had better stitch him up- or else.

The gash was about an inch long, and was gaping open about half an inch wide. It's right on the back of Z's head, mostly towards the right side (the side he landed on). He also got some generic bruises and rug burn, but nothing serious.

At the ER (urgent care was closed), they took one look at him and fetched the suture tech (imagine that- doctors devoted to nothing but stitches!). So, The Z-monster is now the proud owner of a new teddy bear, and four stitches, all in a row.

Sorry, no graphic pictures of blood and gore. I was too distracted before, and too busy after. Perhaps I'll post some later. The Z-monster will be happy to pose.

I'm editing this to add a The Z-monster quote. On the way out to the van, I explained to The Z-monster that we were going to the Dr's to make his head better.

He said, "Oh, yes, Mommy, I need a bandaid."

To which I responded, "I'm pretty sure it will take more than just a bandaid."

The Z-monster thought about this, for a few seconds and responded cheerfully, "Oh, FIVE bandaids?"

Bandaids and kisses, people- the height of 3 year old first aid.

I'm editing this again (hmm, maybe I should just rewrite it altogether) to say THANK YOU MARCI for dropping everything to watch the girls while I took The Z-monster in. It would have been sheer torture dragging the whole zoo along with me.

Spaghettio the Yellow Horse

This is a story that The Z-monster, Didi, and I made up this evening. It is as long as The Z-monsters's attention span (when he has more exciting things to distract, like deep-dish homemade pizza). Everything The Z-Monster added will be in this color, everything Didi added will be in this color.

Once upon a time, it was a beautiful summer day, and the sun was shining. Spaghettio the Yellow Horse woke up and went outside. He breathed the fresh morning air, and thought, "I will go exploring in the big world today."

He looked around him, wondering which way he would go. In front of him was a beautiful blue ocean. Behind him was a deep magic forest. To his right was a tall, tall mountain, so tall that you couldn't see the top. To his left was a wide, flat desert, with snakes and lizards. Spaghettio decided to go back inside and get his Mommy.

"Mommy," he asked, "would you go exploring with me in the big, big world?"

Mommy, of course, was delighted. "I would love to explore with you, Spaghettio! Where are we going?"

"Outside, Mommy!" responded Spaghettio.

"Ahh, I see." said Mommy. "What should we bring exploring with us? Do we need food?"

"Yes, Mommy, pretzels and chips!"

"Hmm, Spaghettio, that doesn't sound very healthy. Do you think we should bring some fruit too?"

"No."

"Oh, ok. Do you think we should bring some veggies?"

"Oh, yes Mommy!" Spaghettio said with great glee. "Carrots! Broccoli! Corn! Peas! Tomatos!" Then, with great force, and a meaningful glance, he added, "NO Grean Beans!!"

"Wow, that sounds yummy! Do we need to bring anything else?" asked Mommy.

"Yes, Mommy," he replied. "A telescope!"

So, armed with a telescope and lots of snacks, Spaghettio and his Mommy set out to explore the great big world. They went out the door, and looked around. Spaghettio decided he wanted to climb the mountain! So up they went.

They climbed and climbed and climbed. They saw lots of trees. Then, they saw a great, big, waterfall. Spaghettio the Yellow Horse looked through his telescope, and saw a kitchen!

Spaghettio wanted to go look inside. "Shhhh, Mommy. Quiet!" he said. So they very quietly snuck up on the kitchen. Spaghettio looked inside and saw a great big frog.

"Hello!" said the frog, because she was a friendly frog. "My name is Daphne! This is my kitchen."

Everyone was hungry, so they had a snack. They made a yummy salad with the veggies, and ate chips and pretzels, and drank water with icecubes.

After the snack, they washed dishes in the kitchen, and Spaghettio helped! Then, they kept exploring up the mountain. They went higher and higher until there was snow on the mountain, and it was cold. So cold that everyone was shivering. All of the sudden they were at the top of the mountain. Spaghettio looked around with his telescope. He could see the whole wide world! He saw Ducky's nest! Down the mountain went Spaghettio the Yellow Horse, his Mommy, and Daphne the Frog, until they came to Ducky's house.

"Hi Ducky!" said Spaghettio. "Do you want to explore with us?"

"NO!" said Ducky, and stormed off.

The End

GI Appointment

You all are going to think that I do nothing but take my kiddos to the Dr! There are times I feel that way too.

The Z-Monster had his first GI appointment today. His first, and hopefully, his last. :) Well, ok, so I know there will be at least one other visit, because he will need to go in for a follow-up. BUT . . . I can dream.

Here's the scoop: (that is a pun, as you will see . . .) The Dr. DOES NOT really lean towards celiac, because the Z-monster's growth curve appears normal, and his iron hasn't ever been low. BUT, he is testing anyway, because of Z's cousin, and the diarreah. He is also testing for lactose intolerance and parasites (again).

Here's the punny part- I get to scoop his poop out of a bonnet for these lovely samples. ooooh joy.

He also had blood drawn for the tests. That was miserable. As soon as we walked into the lab, the Z-Monster started whimpering, "No, no poke me, please, no poke me!" He fought like crazy for the first stick, (sitting up) and despite the two nurses helping me hold him, he managed to twist his arm around, and blew the vein. SO now he has a nice big bruise on one elbow, and we got to try again.

I tried to explain to him that we HAD to do this, and that we would keep trying until we got it. I held him and hugged him while I told him I was sorry, but we were finding out what made his tummy troubles. I think it helped a little. He still begged and fought, but he seemed to be trying to be brave. It's tough, because he doesn't understand, and he didn't choose it. I just hope thats the last of the blood draws for a few years.

We can't expect any results from the tests for a while, of course, but we should know soon.

Allergist Appointment

Sorry I've been so negligent. I'm sure that everyone's been biting their nails for an update.

The Z-Monster had his allergist appointment on Tuesday, and it looks like he's home free in the allergy arena. YAY! Well, at least the allergist tested him for all the major food allergies. He came back negative on ALL of them.

Next week is the GI. Wish us luck!

Ironically, things in the bowel department have REALLY calmed down the last few weeks. It always seems to work out that way. Go figure.

Isn't it Fitting,

Considering a previous, that this post is an announcement that . . . Yup, you guessed it:







The Z-Monster had to go to the ER today. He was fooling around tipping his chair back on two legs (exactly the way he's been told not to five or six times a day since we got them) when he lost his balance and fell. He landed with his ear on the table, and tore open the skin behind his ear. I wasn't positive, but it looked like it might need stitches, so off we went to urgent care.

When we got there, the Dr. looked at his wound, proclaimed that it would need at least one stitch, gave the Z-monster some stickers, and sent us off to the ER. (I will refrain from expressing my feelings about THAT.)

At the ER, we signed in, and waited, got the Z-monster's vitals taken, and waited, were seen by the triage nurse, and waited, were sent back out to the waiting area, and waited, were taken back to the exam room, and waited, and FINALLY, here comes the Dr, who looks at the Z-monster's injury, states that it is healing really well, and doesn't need stitches at all. He does congratulate me on icing it down really well, and sends a nurse in to wash the wound.

So . . . all in all, a frustrating waste of time.

Ooops . . .

Oooops! I opened my mouth in RS, and I kind of overstepped the bounds. Eeek. I just meant to gently remind the sisters to report their VTing (I'm a VT supervisor), but I got emotional, and it turned into a lecture on the importance of reporting VTing, plus a gripe about how hard it is to keep doing my calling when next to NO ONE returns my phone calls, and I have to call the VT coordinator and report that out of 10 sisters, 1 partnership has reported, begrudgingly, when I cornered one sister at church.

Now I feel guilty for not being nicer about it. AAAACK! I feel like I just made everyone mad.

If you are greeted by name at Urgent Care . . .

You know you spend TOO MUCH TIME there.

Tonight as we were leaving Enrichment, the Z-monster dislocated his elbow, so you guessed it, off we went to the urgent care. At least it was a quick trip

Quiet Time

Is the new secret weapon in my arsenal. I know I'm not the first mommy to dream it up, but oh, is it a wondrous thing. The Z-monster is feeling too old for naps, but still needs them. So, rather than insisting on a nap, which would be certain to bring tantrums and tears, I offer him an alternative. He may choose 2 toys or books, which he may play with or read quietly on his bed during quiet time. If he is noisy, then he has to put them away and take a nap. So far, he has drifted off during every single quiet time so far. YAY!