My favorite flowering shrub? bush? what ever, is in bloom.
I'm no P. Allen Smith. I just like it.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Weigela
My favorite flowering shrub? bush? what ever, is in bloom.
I'm no P. Allen Smith. I just like it.
New Name
I think when I started this blog and it asked for a title I was lost!
I wanted to start it then. So I gave it a lengthy name. Forever since I've wanted to change that name to something simpler. Today I did it.
I now christen thee...... Time Well Wasted.
God knows I've wasted a lot of time writing this and reading others. But it's completely worth it!
I've learned so much.
Been so inspired.
"Met" so many nice people online and been completely entertained by the brilliantly routine life of a house mother in WA.
I've seen more of the Yukon, than I otherwise would have.
Heard of old movies I didn't know existed.
Been linked to family member after family member .
Most amazingly of all I connected with someone else who's daughter had seizures. At the time I first found her blog we didn't know it ,but our girls were only born weeks apart andboth had the same seizure disorder. Then, most miraculously, both girls started the Ketogenic Diet on the exact same day! Them in Vancouver, BC. Us in Cleveland, OH.
Well I've wasted enough time on this! Got to go find a new blog to follow.
I wanted to start it then. So I gave it a lengthy name. Forever since I've wanted to change that name to something simpler. Today I did it.
I now christen thee...... Time Well Wasted.
God knows I've wasted a lot of time writing this and reading others. But it's completely worth it!
I've learned so much.
Been so inspired.
"Met" so many nice people online and been completely entertained by the brilliantly routine life of a house mother in WA.
I've seen more of the Yukon, than I otherwise would have.
Heard of old movies I didn't know existed.
Been linked to family member after family member .
Most amazingly of all I connected with someone else who's daughter had seizures. At the time I first found her blog we didn't know it ,but our girls were only born weeks apart andboth had the same seizure disorder. Then, most miraculously, both girls started the Ketogenic Diet on the exact same day! Them in Vancouver, BC. Us in Cleveland, OH.
Well I've wasted enough time on this! Got to go find a new blog to follow.
TrekEarth
I stumbled across the neatest website yesterday and had a hard time tearing myself away from it! www.trekearth.com. It says learning about the world through photography. You can choose a destination and then click through photo after photo! It is so neat.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Forgive me, I know not what I do!
Ohhhhh no. First off I am not someone who wants to be in any kind of spot light. I would rather hold the camera than be in front of the camera. But here's what I've set in motion...
I was watching the news a while ago and they asked if anyone had any ideas for a news show to email them. I had just that day talked to more than one person about Naomi's diet and of course no one knew anything about it or how it worked. So I emailed the news station and told them a little about the Ketogenic Diet.
The health anchor emailed me back and said she was very interested in doing a story about it. She would get in touch with the Clinic and see if they would like any publicity about their Ketogenic program.
A few weeks, maybe months have gone by. Then yesterday I got an email from the Clinic. The news station contacted the media relations department and they'd talked to our doctor and she's on board with doing a story about the diet and thinks Naomi would be a great story.
So I emailed them back saying that's fine just let me know what we need to do. Then I freaked, called a friend and my mom and said "how do I loose 50 pounds fast?".
If it wasn't for Naomi and the fact that the diet has helped her there is no way I'd get on TV with her! I'm fine with her being on TV. She's cute! But it is not exactly on my bucket list!
I was actually hoping they'd find someone who it had been miraculous for and interview them. Though the flip side to that is that this will show the diet can help but it's not always instant and it's not a guarantee cure.
I hope this helps someone. That maybe someone who has had their kid on multiple medications will see this and see it as another option. An option that at least will give them their child back.
We are still on 300 mg twice a day of Keppra. I think I'll wean her down to 200 mg in the morning. But today I heard her call the dog "bear" a word she used to say over and over. I also heard "ball". She sits and looks at us directly in the eyes and smiles this sweet little smile. She also is more aware of what she wants and is jiggling door knobs and getting mad about wanting something and she can't express what it is. Yesterday she had no cluster and only 10 seizures all day long. All but about 3 of those were when she was getting up or I picked her up and she just got this look on her face like she'd gotten dizzy. She started on higher calorie meals yesterday and this morning her urine ketones were only trace. I'm not sure if it's the higher calories or possible teething. I need more than a day to figure that out. If it is teeth. she's still having a pretty good time of it. There was a time when if her teeth were coming in she could have near 100 myoclonics in a day and maybe 80 of them would be in 1 cluster. Today she's had no cluster but is having a few more than she's had other days over the past week.
The clinical nurse called today and I asked him if I was going to see a problem with withdrawal would that have already happened? He said , absolutely. That made me feel much better going ahead and dropping a dose in 1 week as opposed to 2. We've seen nothing but improvement so why wait!
I was watching the news a while ago and they asked if anyone had any ideas for a news show to email them. I had just that day talked to more than one person about Naomi's diet and of course no one knew anything about it or how it worked. So I emailed the news station and told them a little about the Ketogenic Diet.
The health anchor emailed me back and said she was very interested in doing a story about it. She would get in touch with the Clinic and see if they would like any publicity about their Ketogenic program.
A few weeks, maybe months have gone by. Then yesterday I got an email from the Clinic. The news station contacted the media relations department and they'd talked to our doctor and she's on board with doing a story about the diet and thinks Naomi would be a great story.
So I emailed them back saying that's fine just let me know what we need to do. Then I freaked, called a friend and my mom and said "how do I loose 50 pounds fast?".
If it wasn't for Naomi and the fact that the diet has helped her there is no way I'd get on TV with her! I'm fine with her being on TV. She's cute! But it is not exactly on my bucket list!
I was actually hoping they'd find someone who it had been miraculous for and interview them. Though the flip side to that is that this will show the diet can help but it's not always instant and it's not a guarantee cure.
I hope this helps someone. That maybe someone who has had their kid on multiple medications will see this and see it as another option. An option that at least will give them their child back.
We are still on 300 mg twice a day of Keppra. I think I'll wean her down to 200 mg in the morning. But today I heard her call the dog "bear" a word she used to say over and over. I also heard "ball". She sits and looks at us directly in the eyes and smiles this sweet little smile. She also is more aware of what she wants and is jiggling door knobs and getting mad about wanting something and she can't express what it is. Yesterday she had no cluster and only 10 seizures all day long. All but about 3 of those were when she was getting up or I picked her up and she just got this look on her face like she'd gotten dizzy. She started on higher calorie meals yesterday and this morning her urine ketones were only trace. I'm not sure if it's the higher calories or possible teething. I need more than a day to figure that out. If it is teeth. she's still having a pretty good time of it. There was a time when if her teeth were coming in she could have near 100 myoclonics in a day and maybe 80 of them would be in 1 cluster. Today she's had no cluster but is having a few more than she's had other days over the past week.
The clinical nurse called today and I asked him if I was going to see a problem with withdrawal would that have already happened? He said , absolutely. That made me feel much better going ahead and dropping a dose in 1 week as opposed to 2. We've seen nothing but improvement so why wait!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Change in Diet
Today Naomi got an increase in calories. She went from 1050 calories a day to 1150. That means each meal is 288 calories. The dietitian is willing to go to 1200 calories but I want to just adjust by 100 calories for now and I'll keep in mind that the other 50 is there if needed. She just feels so skinny! We're not used to that in our house. She's 37 1/2 inches and 32 pounds now.
Last Friday we started weaning her off Keppra. It's going good. We've seen absolutely no negative side effects from weaning her and it's been quite a few days now so I feel like if something big was going to happen it would have.
She was averaging 30 seizures a day and about once a week we'd see about 50. That was split between 2 clusters (after waking overnight and nap) and some random here and there seizures. A cluster would usually have about 15. Since dropping her to 300 mg. twice a day she's having about 15 all day. She has days where she doesn't have any cluster. The largest cluster I've seen all week is 5! Those are really light and you have to be holding her to know she's had most of the seizures. One morning the first 4 seizures I only felt because I had my hand under her bottom and could feel the muscles inside her thighs slightly tighten. There was no eye movement, no head drop just that little muscle tension, quick as a hiccup.
Today she's eating better after being sick for quite a while. Eating and drinking.
She had a stomach bug, thrush, green goop in one eye and to top it all of one of those darn 2 year molars is coming in too!!!! But the fact that she's teething and we've still seen no big cluster is awesome!
Here's my latest Keto-dreams! I dreamed Bill told me "she's eating good" and there she stood in a corner eating Reese's pieces. I yelled at him that she couldn't have that.
Then I dreamed I was feeding her birthday cake in the car while driving. When we got out of the car I looked at her and said "what's that red and blue all over your face? Oh SH*T it's frosting! I can't feed you that!!!!! "
I think I have some Anxiety issues!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Reality???
I must admit I am a little caught up in the John and Kate plus 8 drama.
I feel terrible for the kids. I would hate to be Kate! Not too many people have their husband possibly caught out with another woman and everyone understands why he would be out with someone else. Usually there's empathy for the wife. Not so much in her case.
The following is based on the shows I've watched and how they've been made to appear. I am not some nut who feels like I know these people! I mean I watch the show, I don't catch EVERY episode. I haven't bought their books. I don't read newspaper articles about them.
On the season premier Kate kept rolling her eyes and making a big deal out of how she was doing the birthday party all by herself. She said she usually plans them out for a year. So what is she complaining about? The work it takes to actually pull it all off? Other years when they've had the parties John was setting up, John was doing everything as she ordered. Even when she over flowed the washer. He had to drop everything and clean that up. Usually he was the one getting the kids in their party outfits. Then this year, she goes to the party to set up. She was wearing heels and a dress or skirt I believe and her friend Beth and her girl had on jeans and a t-shirt. Who do you think did all the work? Then there were 2 other men there to help and someone set up the bouncy things. When John got there she told him to go up and see what was holding everything up and he had to dry off 2 of the bouncy things. He had ran back to the house to pick up her phone (I think) and the cakes which she forgot. Now, if she was alone with those kids I can see how she'd be so busy. But when she was setting up SOMEBODY was home with them. The food had to have been catered. So besides stuffing the pinatas and making up goody bags and sending invitations, what did she do that was so unusually hard. Do you think if John was there to help that she'd have taken suggestions from him?
On the last episode from the previous season I told my husband that I thought they should have said from day 1. If one of us wants out, we quit. When John said he was having a hard time and wanted to stop that should have been it. I'm really wondering if he was really staying at his mom's because she broke her foot or if there was a problem then too.
I think it's stupid he was out with a 23 year old. Whether he's having an affair or Kate's having an affair, that's between them. What kind of people want to make a living making other people miserable. Paparazzi that's who.
Now for Kate's brother and sister in law speaking out. I really don't know what they think can be gained by what they're saying. Some things are fine. But others cross a line. If either John or Kate came to them and told them things in confidence they should keep that to themselves.
John and Kate were so Christian there for a while. I'm not questioning their relationship with God. I just think they exploited Christianity as much as they've exploited their family. They know church women are sitting there watching their family and those women will invite Kate to speak (for a fee) and buy the books and videos.
When Kate had those kids at the children's museum and running around in high heels I thought what a change! Where's the khakis and t-shirt wearing mom? How does a mom who has to get 8 kids ready, alone, find the time to get so dolled up? When the little girl freaked out because her sister splashed her I thought that spoke volumes. Maybe she was wore out, but I think she totally over reacted and a lot of that is Kate's OCD. She does seem to have lightened up on the kids some since she is so much more focused on herself.
I really hope they can work something out for the kids. I really do. But I also think people generally marry one person and divorce some one entirely different. They are so changed. John's burnt out I think, and I can't blame him. He's younger than I am! He had those kids a lot. Whether he had help or not he really had to put those kids and his wife before his own happiness. I know Kate says she's doing it all for the kids and maybe in her own mind she's twisted it that way. Isn't the best thing you can do for your kids is treat your spouse with love, respect, kindness and understanding.
Money doesn't buy happiness and a bigger house isn't going to hide the fact Daddy is gone.
I do think it's kind of funny she got stuck with the dogs! I wonder if she's still such a stickler that the poop gets picked up. Maybe she has people for that. I can't imagine her out in her heels, sun glasses on with a glove and a bag picking up after German Sheppards. Now there's an episode I'd watch!!
I feel terrible for the kids. I would hate to be Kate! Not too many people have their husband possibly caught out with another woman and everyone understands why he would be out with someone else. Usually there's empathy for the wife. Not so much in her case.
The following is based on the shows I've watched and how they've been made to appear. I am not some nut who feels like I know these people! I mean I watch the show, I don't catch EVERY episode. I haven't bought their books. I don't read newspaper articles about them.
On the season premier Kate kept rolling her eyes and making a big deal out of how she was doing the birthday party all by herself. She said she usually plans them out for a year. So what is she complaining about? The work it takes to actually pull it all off? Other years when they've had the parties John was setting up, John was doing everything as she ordered. Even when she over flowed the washer. He had to drop everything and clean that up. Usually he was the one getting the kids in their party outfits. Then this year, she goes to the party to set up. She was wearing heels and a dress or skirt I believe and her friend Beth and her girl had on jeans and a t-shirt. Who do you think did all the work? Then there were 2 other men there to help and someone set up the bouncy things. When John got there she told him to go up and see what was holding everything up and he had to dry off 2 of the bouncy things. He had ran back to the house to pick up her phone (I think) and the cakes which she forgot. Now, if she was alone with those kids I can see how she'd be so busy. But when she was setting up SOMEBODY was home with them. The food had to have been catered. So besides stuffing the pinatas and making up goody bags and sending invitations, what did she do that was so unusually hard. Do you think if John was there to help that she'd have taken suggestions from him?
On the last episode from the previous season I told my husband that I thought they should have said from day 1. If one of us wants out, we quit. When John said he was having a hard time and wanted to stop that should have been it. I'm really wondering if he was really staying at his mom's because she broke her foot or if there was a problem then too.
I think it's stupid he was out with a 23 year old. Whether he's having an affair or Kate's having an affair, that's between them. What kind of people want to make a living making other people miserable. Paparazzi that's who.
Now for Kate's brother and sister in law speaking out. I really don't know what they think can be gained by what they're saying. Some things are fine. But others cross a line. If either John or Kate came to them and told them things in confidence they should keep that to themselves.
John and Kate were so Christian there for a while. I'm not questioning their relationship with God. I just think they exploited Christianity as much as they've exploited their family. They know church women are sitting there watching their family and those women will invite Kate to speak (for a fee) and buy the books and videos.
When Kate had those kids at the children's museum and running around in high heels I thought what a change! Where's the khakis and t-shirt wearing mom? How does a mom who has to get 8 kids ready, alone, find the time to get so dolled up? When the little girl freaked out because her sister splashed her I thought that spoke volumes. Maybe she was wore out, but I think she totally over reacted and a lot of that is Kate's OCD. She does seem to have lightened up on the kids some since she is so much more focused on herself.
I really hope they can work something out for the kids. I really do. But I also think people generally marry one person and divorce some one entirely different. They are so changed. John's burnt out I think, and I can't blame him. He's younger than I am! He had those kids a lot. Whether he had help or not he really had to put those kids and his wife before his own happiness. I know Kate says she's doing it all for the kids and maybe in her own mind she's twisted it that way. Isn't the best thing you can do for your kids is treat your spouse with love, respect, kindness and understanding.
Money doesn't buy happiness and a bigger house isn't going to hide the fact Daddy is gone.
I do think it's kind of funny she got stuck with the dogs! I wonder if she's still such a stickler that the poop gets picked up. Maybe she has people for that. I can't imagine her out in her heels, sun glasses on with a glove and a bag picking up after German Sheppards. Now there's an episode I'd watch!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Spam
I got the following in an email and it kind of made me laugh!
On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of
John.D.Ferguson, I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter
were returned undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you again by this
same email address stated on the WILL. I wish to notify you that
Engr.John Ferguson made you a beneficiary to his WILL. He left the sum
of Seven Million One Hundred Thousand GREAT BRITAIN POUNDS (
7,100.000.00m) to you in the codicil and last testament to his WILL.
Being a widely traveled man, he must have been in contact with you in
the past or simply you were recommended to him by one of his numerous
friends abroad who wished you good. Engr.John Ferguson until his death
was a Member of the Helicopter Society and the Institute of Electronic
& Electrical Engineers. He was a very dedicated Christian who loved
to be involved in heritable projects. His great philanthropy earned him
numerous awards during his life time.Engr.John Ferguson died on the
13th day of December, 2004 at the age of 80 years, and his WILL is now
ready for execution. According to him this money is to support your
humanitarian activities and to help the poor and the Needy in our
society. Presently the funds (Seven Million One Hundred Thousand GREAT
BRITAIN POUNDS ( 7,100.000.00m) is deposited with a bank in UK, As soon
as get your reply the bank details will be forwarded to you for you to
contact them. Please if I reach you this time, as I am hopeful,
Endeavor to get back to me ,As soon as possible to enable me conclude
my job. I hope to hear from you in no distant time.
On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of
John.D.Ferguson, I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter
were returned undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you again by this
same email address stated on the WILL. I wish to notify you that
Engr.John Ferguson made you a beneficiary to his WILL. He left the sum
of Seven Million One Hundred Thousand GREAT BRITAIN POUNDS (
7,100.000.00m) to you in the codicil and last testament to his WILL.
Being a widely traveled man, he must have been in contact with you in
the past or simply you were recommended to him by one of his numerous
friends abroad who wished you good. Engr.John Ferguson until his death
was a Member of the Helicopter Society and the Institute of Electronic
& Electrical Engineers. He was a very dedicated Christian who loved
to be involved in heritable projects. His great philanthropy earned him
numerous awards during his life time.Engr.John Ferguson died on the
13th day of December, 2004 at the age of 80 years, and his WILL is now
ready for execution. According to him this money is to support your
humanitarian activities and to help the poor and the Needy in our
society. Presently the funds (Seven Million One Hundred Thousand GREAT
BRITAIN POUNDS ( 7,100.000.00m) is deposited with a bank in UK, As soon
as get your reply the bank details will be forwarded to you for you to
contact them. Please if I reach you this time, as I am hopeful,
Endeavor to get back to me ,As soon as possible to enable me conclude
my job. I hope to hear from you in no distant time.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Windows
If the eyes are the window to your soul...
Are my windows the eyes of my home's soul?
If so they have glaucoma.
Are my windows the eyes of my home's soul?
If so they have glaucoma.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A Decade has passed!
It's hard to believe a decade has passed since I had this big kid!
His shirt reads "Lost in Thought, Please send search party" and if you knew him you'd know how true that is! He's blowing out 10 candles on the Batman cake we got for him. He's into Batman, this week anyway. Until a new movie comes out he really enjoys!
His shirt reads "Lost in Thought, Please send search party" and if you knew him you'd know how true that is! He's blowing out 10 candles on the Batman cake we got for him. He's into Batman, this week anyway. Until a new movie comes out he really enjoys!
See the way Naomi's looking at her Papaw in the first photo? That's how she looks at him all the time. That's the way he holds her, all the time. I don't think he knows she has feet. She loves him, as soon as he puts her down her arms reach right back up. Our dog is probably sitting on his feet. She adores him too. My mom, AKA "Grammie" is sitting to the right singing her heart out. She's not afraid to be silly or burst your ear drums with off key singing. She made Isaiah dance with her at a friends 60th birthday party a few years ago. He's still really scarred.
This is the one and only photo I took on our trip to Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio. I know people take their camera's into the water park. But you know how it is when you have a toddler! I had enough crap to keep up with! I actually did take a few photos of Naomi doing nothing in the room.
This is the one and only photo I took on our trip to Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio. I know people take their camera's into the water park. But you know how it is when you have a toddler! I had enough crap to keep up with! I actually did take a few photos of Naomi doing nothing in the room. Oh well. Happy Birthday to Isaiah who turned 10 on May 21, 2009. He's come a long way from the 10 lbs. 7 oz. baby boy I delivered! He still has the big head though!
Friday, May 22, 2009
I rest my case
Remember my post about the shrug? I mentioned that the Roman sandal is back. Well today in my email I had an advertisement from Payless ShoeSource and the above American Eagle "Naomi" sandal was in there. I'm sorry. This is so tacky. I don't have to try it on to know I don't like it.
I am not a shoe person though.
I am not a shoe person though.
I thought I had big feet when I wore a size 9 wide.
Then I had Isaiah and went to a 10 wide.
Then I had Naomi and now am most comfy in an 11 wide.
So that's why I'm done having babies. One more shoe size and I won't be able to buy shoes anywhere!
I did try my 10 year old son's new shoes on yesterday, and they fit! Can you imagine how big his feet are going to be when he's 18 if they're this big now? I think they were men's size 8 1/2.
Naomi's check up with the Keto team
Well we went to the neurologist today. We are officially weaning off Keppra! That's the only med she's on and I'm so happy! We're to go down 100 mg on both the a.m. and p.m. dose every 1-2 weeks. She first said 2 weeks but said if we're comfortable with 1 week to go ahead. It's in our hands. If for some reason she has a bad reaction we call the office and decide where to go next. I hope it all goes well! So far we've only seen improvements each time we've taken her down a dose! She's at 400 mg twice a day now so starting tonight she's going too 300 mg.
We are upping her calories. The dietitian kind of acted like she didn't want to do anything until we see if Naomi's refusal to eat now is a fluke or stomach bug or teething but the neurologist was in the room and said to go ahead with the 50 calorie a day increase right away and I'm to call in 4-6 weeks and if I still want to go to 4:1 ratio they'll do it. Bill had already told the dietitian that he wanted a step 2. We don't want to have to wait for 3 more months to pass before we change something else.
I talked to the neurologist and told her the diet is easy, fixing the meals is no problem. The hard part is getting no response from the Keto team when we need answers. I told her other parents who've had kids on the diet are the ones I get the best answers from.
Something was said about Naomi's eggnog she drinks on the diet and the dietitian said "well as long as you're using the better than eggs that's just egg white". I wanted to ask exactly how in the hell I was supposed to know that since she'd never told me that! No, I use the regular better than eggs, that's what I've always used!
The neurologist gave me her card and underlined the number I am to call if I have any trouble getting the answers I need. Her receptionist will log in the call and contact who needs to be contacted and also notify the Dr. and Martin, the heavenly helpful clinical nurse that we used to work with. He gets back to you, he is helpful and puts me at ease!
Well that's all I can think of for now.
Just ready and anxious to start this wean!
We are upping her calories. The dietitian kind of acted like she didn't want to do anything until we see if Naomi's refusal to eat now is a fluke or stomach bug or teething but the neurologist was in the room and said to go ahead with the 50 calorie a day increase right away and I'm to call in 4-6 weeks and if I still want to go to 4:1 ratio they'll do it. Bill had already told the dietitian that he wanted a step 2. We don't want to have to wait for 3 more months to pass before we change something else.
I talked to the neurologist and told her the diet is easy, fixing the meals is no problem. The hard part is getting no response from the Keto team when we need answers. I told her other parents who've had kids on the diet are the ones I get the best answers from.
Something was said about Naomi's eggnog she drinks on the diet and the dietitian said "well as long as you're using the better than eggs that's just egg white". I wanted to ask exactly how in the hell I was supposed to know that since she'd never told me that! No, I use the regular better than eggs, that's what I've always used!
The neurologist gave me her card and underlined the number I am to call if I have any trouble getting the answers I need. Her receptionist will log in the call and contact who needs to be contacted and also notify the Dr. and Martin, the heavenly helpful clinical nurse that we used to work with. He gets back to you, he is helpful and puts me at ease!
Well that's all I can think of for now.
Just ready and anxious to start this wean!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My Wednesday
Naomi had her first bad case of what I think was acid reflux last night.
She fell asleep about 9:30 pm then woke screaming at 11. I settled her down then she woke making a sound like she was gagging at about 12 and spit up. It was like spit up with throw up sound effects. A whole lot of gagging, only about a teaspoon of vomit with a ton of air behind it like she was full of gas. She did this at 1 am, 2 am, 3 am and finally at 4 she settled down. I gave her a suppository because she'd only pooped a tiny bit in 2 days and that actually helped the gas from that end expel. So she slept until 7:15 then woke and I had to take her for 12 hour fasting blood work. I put a specimen bag on her to catch some urine before we left. When we got to the lab I took her to the bathroom pulled off her diaper and she reached down and ripped the bag off and threw it on the floor! It was one of those with adhesive that held it in place! That had to have hurt! Luckily she'd peed around the bag or I'd have had a mess! We left the lab and she fell asleep in the car at 8:40 and didn't wake until 11! That's when she got her first meal of the day. How I am going to fit 3 more meals into the day ? I have no clue!
Usually our mail runs before 11. So 11:15 I ran out to check the mail and the dog ran out ahead of me and took off running towards the neighbors and I yelled "Lady!" and heard an audible GASP it was the mail man. She stopped immediately. He saw me and said that's what he likes to see. When he hears someone yell for a dog he imagines a larger dog and was glad to be greeted by our 13 pound "killer". He asked if she bites, just as she rolled over and showed him her belly. She didn't even bark at him! She's such a love mutt!
Looks like my little girl is sleepy again! She's only been awake 40 minutes!
It's beautiful outside. Sunny and 80 degrees. I'll probably not get to enjoy a moment of it! UGH!
Oh, also this morning before we left I told Isaiah if he got an upset stomach at school to call and I'd come get him. I told him Naomi had been sick and maybe we had a bug going around the house. He said "Well, my cough has been pretty bad lately." Then coughed two times. I went on telling him that he could wear shorts to school and Grammy would take him and pick him up. As I turned to leave he said "Let me guess, complaining about my cough won't do me any good. I still have to go to school. Right?"
YEP!
She fell asleep about 9:30 pm then woke screaming at 11. I settled her down then she woke making a sound like she was gagging at about 12 and spit up. It was like spit up with throw up sound effects. A whole lot of gagging, only about a teaspoon of vomit with a ton of air behind it like she was full of gas. She did this at 1 am, 2 am, 3 am and finally at 4 she settled down. I gave her a suppository because she'd only pooped a tiny bit in 2 days and that actually helped the gas from that end expel. So she slept until 7:15 then woke and I had to take her for 12 hour fasting blood work. I put a specimen bag on her to catch some urine before we left. When we got to the lab I took her to the bathroom pulled off her diaper and she reached down and ripped the bag off and threw it on the floor! It was one of those with adhesive that held it in place! That had to have hurt! Luckily she'd peed around the bag or I'd have had a mess! We left the lab and she fell asleep in the car at 8:40 and didn't wake until 11! That's when she got her first meal of the day. How I am going to fit 3 more meals into the day ? I have no clue!
Usually our mail runs before 11. So 11:15 I ran out to check the mail and the dog ran out ahead of me and took off running towards the neighbors and I yelled "Lady!" and heard an audible GASP it was the mail man. She stopped immediately. He saw me and said that's what he likes to see. When he hears someone yell for a dog he imagines a larger dog and was glad to be greeted by our 13 pound "killer". He asked if she bites, just as she rolled over and showed him her belly. She didn't even bark at him! She's such a love mutt!
Looks like my little girl is sleepy again! She's only been awake 40 minutes!
It's beautiful outside. Sunny and 80 degrees. I'll probably not get to enjoy a moment of it! UGH!
Oh, also this morning before we left I told Isaiah if he got an upset stomach at school to call and I'd come get him. I told him Naomi had been sick and maybe we had a bug going around the house. He said "Well, my cough has been pretty bad lately." Then coughed two times. I went on telling him that he could wear shorts to school and Grammy would take him and pick him up. As I turned to leave he said "Let me guess, complaining about my cough won't do me any good. I still have to go to school. Right?"
YEP!
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Water Park
We got home from the water park today. UGH. It's just so hard with Naomi.
The part she loved was closed for quite a while. For cleaning or something I guess. She did like the wave pool too but it's hard to enjoy anything in there! Everyone being jostled and bumped into each other. Kids being washed into you. Just a pain. Naomi gets so excited she holds her mouth open wide. Sensory overload! She wants to go face first into the water and I really don't want her swallowing a bunch of nasty chlorinated pool water. ICK.
I saw way too many teen age girls in way too little bathing suits and I swear they buy the tops a size or two too small so their boobs are squished together. Maybe I just forget what healthy, young breast tissue is like! :)
The big thing among these kids this year seemed to be belly button jewelry. I don't think it was the pierced belly buttons. This was more like press on, dangly, sequins or crystals.
I saw something that made me roll my eyes. A couple girls, who'd I say were East Indian, were walking in front of me. They were lanky and I'd say maybe 8. They had on bathing suits but had on footless tights underneath them. They walked by a girl in a tiny bikini who then turned to her friend and you could just read on her face that she was talking terribly about those girls and making some snide comment about their leggings. With all the body parts hanging out in there MODESTY is what she's being snotty about? I was telling my girl friend about this and I said "Oh well, guess which one won't get pregnant when they're 16" and she laughed and said "Guess which one will grow up to be a Dr.". Exactly. It's not like these girls were covered from head to toe, or trying to make some fashion statement. But I'd say it was definitely a parental enforced fashion. Good for their parents for not letting them walk around looking like little tramps like so many of those kids!
The part she loved was closed for quite a while. For cleaning or something I guess. She did like the wave pool too but it's hard to enjoy anything in there! Everyone being jostled and bumped into each other. Kids being washed into you. Just a pain. Naomi gets so excited she holds her mouth open wide. Sensory overload! She wants to go face first into the water and I really don't want her swallowing a bunch of nasty chlorinated pool water. ICK.
I saw way too many teen age girls in way too little bathing suits and I swear they buy the tops a size or two too small so their boobs are squished together. Maybe I just forget what healthy, young breast tissue is like! :)
The big thing among these kids this year seemed to be belly button jewelry. I don't think it was the pierced belly buttons. This was more like press on, dangly, sequins or crystals.
I saw something that made me roll my eyes. A couple girls, who'd I say were East Indian, were walking in front of me. They were lanky and I'd say maybe 8. They had on bathing suits but had on footless tights underneath them. They walked by a girl in a tiny bikini who then turned to her friend and you could just read on her face that she was talking terribly about those girls and making some snide comment about their leggings. With all the body parts hanging out in there MODESTY is what she's being snotty about? I was telling my girl friend about this and I said "Oh well, guess which one won't get pregnant when they're 16" and she laughed and said "Guess which one will grow up to be a Dr.". Exactly. It's not like these girls were covered from head to toe, or trying to make some fashion statement. But I'd say it was definitely a parental enforced fashion. Good for their parents for not letting them walk around looking like little tramps like so many of those kids!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Oasis
I had completely forgotten about this song until I heard a snippet of it today during the 1/2 hour VH 1 actually plays some music. I was glad to hear this song from my free and easy days and thought I'd share it.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
HUH? "shrug"
This is Naomi on Easter Sunday.
It's near impossible to get a good photo of her because she won't respond when called 100% of the time and she's in constant movement!
Like my flagstone driveway? It looks like that, sort of, in this photo. Really it's just what hard winters do to asphalt in my neck of the woods.
This isn't about the driveway or Easter. It's about the orange "shrug" that Naomi's wearing. I really don't get this trend! I bought hers a little big so it doesn't look so ridiculously short. On adults it looks really odd, in my opinion anyways.
I really don't get it.
Did someone unravel 1/2 of your sweater? Is that REALLY the look you were going for?
All righty then.
So please say they cost 1/2 of what a regular sweater would.
No? What a rip off.
I think it's one of those things we'll look back at like all fads and laugh.
Don't get me started on the fact that Roman sandals are supposed to be all the rage this year! Can't we all just be comfy?!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
First Trip on the Diet
This weekend we'll go on our first trip while on the diet. We'll only be an hour from home and it'll only be overnight but I still feel like I need to get organized and make sure all Naomi's junk gets taken!
There's meds, not just Keppra now I have to pack the thrush meds too!
Then there's the scale. I figure I better take it just in case.
Then there's the cream. Can't get far without 36% whipping cream if you're on the Ketogenic diet.
Food. I'm hoping to take some stuff that's already weighed and measured. If she weren't refusing anything cold except fruit it'd be a lot easier!
Diapers and wipes.
Swim diapers.. Going to an indoor water park.
Her swimsuit.
Pajamas.
Probably a roll of paper towels. Bill mentioned it. What ever....
Plus Bill wants to be exceedingly cheap and take chips and stuff for the boys! I say to heck with it just pay what ever they want for a crummy little bag of chips! It's 1 night!
Did I mention I don't like water parks? I don't. I do not enjoy being damp all day. I don't mind if I can sit out in the sun. But even though there is a glass roof to part of the water park it's indoors, humid and (I think) reeks of chlorine.
Actually it's America's largest indoor water park. Yippee, doesn't make it any better. But we do this every year for Isaiah's birthday and this is the first year he's taking a friend. So that works for me. Bill can keep an eye on the boys. Naomi and I can go to the room or the lobby or what ever. They have a baby tiger the kids can get their photo taken with and I bet that thing couldn't go 2 rounds with my girl! She'd have his ears and tail pulled off before he knew what hit him!
They also have story time. The lady who did story time last year had epilepsy. Naomi was the only kid there to listen.
Oh well, hopefully it'll all go smooth. It's practice ,I guess, for a real trip.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Lest you think I had a relaxing day....
I did end up cancelling all therapies today. Due to the obvious nasal drainage in the above photo. But then about 1 I noticed, while she screamed, that Naomi had white stuff on the roof of her mouth and at the back of her throat. It did not look like strep to me, it looked like thrush.
So I called the pediatricians office and they could see us at 2:30.
So I called the pediatricians office and they could see us at 2:30.
The Dr. confirmed what I had thought. She didn't think it was strep either, it definitely looks more like thrush.
So now I have to coat her mouth with medicine 4 times a day for 2 weeks.
Oh JOY!
I kind of wonder if Naomi doesn't also have acid reflux. She's been having really good mornings but after her nap (just an hour after eating) she wakes and has had quite a few seizures. Today before her nap I gave her acetaminophen and what do ya know! She had very few. So something is happening during her nap that causes her pain, which in turn causes her to have seizures. Teething? acid reflux? Who knows!
A Day Off
Usually I'd be leaving the therapy center after one and a half hours of therapy on Tuesday, but I cancelled everything today. Naomi's got a green goopy nose and I prefer not to share it! There's too many kids at therapy whose health is way more fragile than hers and I don't want to put those parents through any extra illness.
I also cancelled her itinerant services today which included 1 hour at home with the teacher, whose pregnant, and half and hour with an occupational therapist who has her own kids at home. I always hated being around sick people when I was pregnant, I never wanted to have to take any sort of medicine. So I'll spare them too!
Sunday it was more clear and we thought maybe it was just allergies. Then yesterday morning I thought she was fine, until after her bath. I had left her in the crib while I took a shower and she ripped a page from a book and tore it to bits. Several of those bits were stuck to her cheek, being held in place by nasal drainage.
When Isaiah was in preschool there was one kid whose parents sent him no matter what. I could understand if they both worked and had to send him. That was not the case. There was someone home who could have kept him instead of sending him and his germs to school. I'd drop Isaiah off at school and see that kid with one nostril completely blocked by green snot and think "GREAT!" UGH! I knew it would be coming to my home soon enough.
I refuse to be "that" parent. The one who's sick kids are constantly infecting others.
I guess I better wrap up this post. Naomi is trying to climb on my lap and there are 2 green streams running to her lip! Got to catch them before she wipes them all over her cheek.
Grab the Kleenex!
I also cancelled her itinerant services today which included 1 hour at home with the teacher, whose pregnant, and half and hour with an occupational therapist who has her own kids at home. I always hated being around sick people when I was pregnant, I never wanted to have to take any sort of medicine. So I'll spare them too!
Sunday it was more clear and we thought maybe it was just allergies. Then yesterday morning I thought she was fine, until after her bath. I had left her in the crib while I took a shower and she ripped a page from a book and tore it to bits. Several of those bits were stuck to her cheek, being held in place by nasal drainage.
When Isaiah was in preschool there was one kid whose parents sent him no matter what. I could understand if they both worked and had to send him. That was not the case. There was someone home who could have kept him instead of sending him and his germs to school. I'd drop Isaiah off at school and see that kid with one nostril completely blocked by green snot and think "GREAT!" UGH! I knew it would be coming to my home soon enough.
I refuse to be "that" parent. The one who's sick kids are constantly infecting others.
I guess I better wrap up this post. Naomi is trying to climb on my lap and there are 2 green streams running to her lip! Got to catch them before she wipes them all over her cheek.
Grab the Kleenex!
Monday, May 11, 2009
West Virginia
My Dad is from West Virgninia. Actually the above photo is a view of the New River Valley from Hawks Nest and my great grandparents were married at Hawks Nest. It's within 5 miles where Dad grew up. The view of the mountains in the back ground is similar to that of which greeted us while driving down Interstate 77 into Charleston WV. You'd come around a corner where I-77 and I-64 come together and there would be a wall of green. Now it looks like this....
This isn't the exact mountain in Charleston, it's actually the largest strip mine in West Virginia, 12,000 acres. But this is exactly what they're doing to the mountains. I'm not a hippie, tree hugger or would I even call myself an environmentalist but, how can anyone not look at this and see the wrong. In this mine the tree line you see blocks the view of the mine from below, the one in Charleston is clearly visible from the bottom. It looks like the trees are gone from top to bottom. They do "reclaim" the land. Smooth it out, plant grass, but guess what, the top soil is gone, which means no trees can grow. I caught a PBS show about Appalachia and it talked about strip mining and showed before, during and after photos which you can see at this link .There's a wildlife conservation center near Zanesville Ohio called The Wilds which makes use of 10,000 acres that had been mined by the power company. The land is so stripped Olive trees are the only thing besides grass that will grow and they've had the land since 1984! Not to mention all the wildlife lost to strip mining. If there's no trees there's no birds or animals.
It's a sad rape of the land.
My husband is also from West Virginia, in the area where a mines sludge pond over flowed on a mountain top and dumped 300 gallon of sludge into rivers through out the region. Not to mention schools are built over old mines, near sludge ponds. Kids do disaster drills for spillage much like our schools do for fire or tornado. The Rhodell disaster was terrible. It's just something you can't get away from.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Morning torture session
It was self induced torture and here's the recipe.
First drink 2 large cups of coffee. Then take your toddler back up to bed for an early nap.
That was my part of it but Naomi helped. Naomi decided she could only sleep if her head were positioned on my stomach, directly above my bladder. Within half an hour I felt like I was going to burst. I actually had to lay with my legs crossed. I did not want to wake her. After an hour and 10 minutes I couldn't take it any more and tried to position her on a pillow just like she'd laid on me so I could jump up and run to the potty. I DO mean RUN!
When I came back to my room here she came running, looking really sweet. She must have woken alone and wondered where everyone was and was running this sweet little toddler run looking half asleep and threw her arms up when she saw me.
AHHHH sweet relief!
First drink 2 large cups of coffee. Then take your toddler back up to bed for an early nap.
That was my part of it but Naomi helped. Naomi decided she could only sleep if her head were positioned on my stomach, directly above my bladder. Within half an hour I felt like I was going to burst. I actually had to lay with my legs crossed. I did not want to wake her. After an hour and 10 minutes I couldn't take it any more and tried to position her on a pillow just like she'd laid on me so I could jump up and run to the potty. I DO mean RUN!
When I came back to my room here she came running, looking really sweet. She must have woken alone and wondered where everyone was and was running this sweet little toddler run looking half asleep and threw her arms up when she saw me.
AHHHH sweet relief!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Messy Day
Ever have one of those days where it feels like your kids or others are just trying to make more work for you?
That's my day today!
First thing this morning Isaiah spilled some milk from his cereal bowl on the floor and while he walked 5 feet from the spill to get a paper towel from me Naomi walks over and grabs his glass of apple juice and spills it all over her shirt and the floor. We had a busy morning so we wiped it all up as best we could and ran a quick wet mop over it.
Then Isaiah got the bathroom floor soaked when he got out of the shower.
We left home and dropped Isaiah at school and I took Naomi to 1 1/2 hours of therapy. She fell asleep on the way home but woke as soon as we stopped. While I checked the mail and tried to eat lunch, (I gave up on a hot lunch and ate Frosted Flakes!) Naomi overturned everything she could get her hands on. Her rocking horse, her toy box and her shopping cart all tipped on their sides in the living room. Of course then she went about dispersing the items in the toy box and had them scattered about the living room, into the dining room and even threw a drum and Lily the Leap Frog over the gate into the kitchen.
I was so tired, and she seemed sleepy so we headed for a nap. Slept about 1 1/2 hours then got up and made her a quick eggnog for her 3rd meal of the day. She threw that several times and even though it's in a spill proof sippy cup it still spews some out when she drops it.
So now it's 4:30 in the afternoon and I've just picked up the living room and mopped all the floors. The apple juice made the floor so sticky my socks were sticking to it!
I did try to take her out on the porch while the floors dry but she shoved a piece of bark in her mouth that came from who knows where and when I opened her mouth to pull it out she bit the tip of my finger so hard it dented my nail. I picked her little bottom up and sat her in the high chair with a drink and turned on PBS Kids. I am done!
Bill's at the chiropractor for the second day. The bottom middle of his back was killing him and yesterday the Dr. said the bottom vertebrae was twisted and what ever. I can never get a full sensible explanation from Bill. I think when a Dr. talks to him he hears every other word. He went back today because now his hips hurt him.
It's rainy out , just sprinkling, but enough he can't even attempt to do yard work, even if he was up to it. So when he comes home and gets settled, these messy kids are all his!
And it's pizza for supper!
That's my day today!
First thing this morning Isaiah spilled some milk from his cereal bowl on the floor and while he walked 5 feet from the spill to get a paper towel from me Naomi walks over and grabs his glass of apple juice and spills it all over her shirt and the floor. We had a busy morning so we wiped it all up as best we could and ran a quick wet mop over it.
Then Isaiah got the bathroom floor soaked when he got out of the shower.
We left home and dropped Isaiah at school and I took Naomi to 1 1/2 hours of therapy. She fell asleep on the way home but woke as soon as we stopped. While I checked the mail and tried to eat lunch, (I gave up on a hot lunch and ate Frosted Flakes!) Naomi overturned everything she could get her hands on. Her rocking horse, her toy box and her shopping cart all tipped on their sides in the living room. Of course then she went about dispersing the items in the toy box and had them scattered about the living room, into the dining room and even threw a drum and Lily the Leap Frog over the gate into the kitchen.
I was so tired, and she seemed sleepy so we headed for a nap. Slept about 1 1/2 hours then got up and made her a quick eggnog for her 3rd meal of the day. She threw that several times and even though it's in a spill proof sippy cup it still spews some out when she drops it.
So now it's 4:30 in the afternoon and I've just picked up the living room and mopped all the floors. The apple juice made the floor so sticky my socks were sticking to it!
I did try to take her out on the porch while the floors dry but she shoved a piece of bark in her mouth that came from who knows where and when I opened her mouth to pull it out she bit the tip of my finger so hard it dented my nail. I picked her little bottom up and sat her in the high chair with a drink and turned on PBS Kids. I am done!
Bill's at the chiropractor for the second day. The bottom middle of his back was killing him and yesterday the Dr. said the bottom vertebrae was twisted and what ever. I can never get a full sensible explanation from Bill. I think when a Dr. talks to him he hears every other word. He went back today because now his hips hurt him.
It's rainy out , just sprinkling, but enough he can't even attempt to do yard work, even if he was up to it. So when he comes home and gets settled, these messy kids are all his!
And it's pizza for supper!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Identity Crisis
Naomi keeps bringing me a ticket that comes with Thomas the Tank engine toys. It's one that we bought for Isaiah while on a family vacation in 2005 to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. That's what made me think of this story.
We were at a Christmas shop in Pigeon Forge and they had this big nativity scene. The figures were a good 3 feet tall or better. Well, Isaiah walked over to one, turned and yelled to me and Bill "Look!!! It's Obi Wan Kenobe!".
It was actually Joseph!
We were at a Christmas shop in Pigeon Forge and they had this big nativity scene. The figures were a good 3 feet tall or better. Well, Isaiah walked over to one, turned and yelled to me and Bill "Look!!! It's Obi Wan Kenobe!".
It was actually Joseph!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Our City
Well, after feeling forced to recycle because they put us on 1 day a week garbage pick up, now they're ONLY recycling cardboard, newspaper and magazines.
We really weren't forced to recycle I just had to do it a lot more than usual. I always did plastics and the newspapers, but didn't bother with soup cans and such. Now I have to bag all that up and send it to the curb. The thing is there's a limit on how many bags they'll take and when you've got a child still in diapers, that's one bag in itself. We may have to haul some of our bags to the curb of older single neighbors.
Our water and sanitation is one bill. So that's water, sewer and our garbage/recycling. Do you think the city will drop it's trash pick up rates since their trucks are making 2 less trips around our city and the price of gas has dropped since they upped the prices because of $3/gallon gas? HA HA!
One year on our city income tax we overpaid by $1. I never did get that dollar! You better bet if I owed them the dollar they'd want it. Probably put my name in the paper for delinquent taxes.
I have a friend who lives in this city, works in a neighboring city and her husband works in a different city than either of these. So they have to pay 3 different cities income tax. Ohio has been a Republican state for a long time. Just this last election did we elect a Democrat Governor. I don't understand that. I'm independent, but I know the Republicans are against taxes, but our state taxes us to death! And don't get me started on the way they fund our schools!
We really weren't forced to recycle I just had to do it a lot more than usual. I always did plastics and the newspapers, but didn't bother with soup cans and such. Now I have to bag all that up and send it to the curb. The thing is there's a limit on how many bags they'll take and when you've got a child still in diapers, that's one bag in itself. We may have to haul some of our bags to the curb of older single neighbors.
Our water and sanitation is one bill. So that's water, sewer and our garbage/recycling. Do you think the city will drop it's trash pick up rates since their trucks are making 2 less trips around our city and the price of gas has dropped since they upped the prices because of $3/gallon gas? HA HA!
One year on our city income tax we overpaid by $1. I never did get that dollar! You better bet if I owed them the dollar they'd want it. Probably put my name in the paper for delinquent taxes.
I have a friend who lives in this city, works in a neighboring city and her husband works in a different city than either of these. So they have to pay 3 different cities income tax. Ohio has been a Republican state for a long time. Just this last election did we elect a Democrat Governor. I don't understand that. I'm independent, but I know the Republicans are against taxes, but our state taxes us to death! And don't get me started on the way they fund our schools!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Hot Dog!
Does any one else's child get so excited they can't hardly stand it when they hear this? Or is it just my little nut?
Good luck trying to get this song out of your head once you've heard it!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)