I admit it, I've been a lazy bum since K got back. He hasn't been called in for any flights, so we're getting some intensive Family Time this month. I hope it makes up a little for the No-Dad days on the girls' birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
I haven't felt very well and haven't been eating much lately. Nothing smells, looks, sounds or tastes good! I spent the worst three days of it just reading Eragon on the couch. I also finished East, a retelling of an old Norwegian folk tale about a girl, a polar bear and some trolls. They're young-adult books I checked out from the library to read at the same time T reads them. I'm not sure about letting her read the ugly war stories in Eragon, but she's been able to process (slightly) similar stuff in the HP series and in the LOTR movies. My girls also get into Star Wars and have their own rendition of "LUKE.... I AM YOUR FAH-THUH."
R is making the occasional three-word sentence. It started last week with "DON'T DOO DAT!" He's slowly picking up on some beginning-sounds as well.
LittleK is reading, reading, reading! We love it.
The Busy Schedule Season is here: we had Movie Night at the school last night, we leave in about half an hour for the Girl Scouts Gymnastics Night, tomorrow we head to Anchorage to visit my Gramma Nuz at Mom & John's house, K's taking the girls to Alyeska for a ski-day tomorrow or Monday, I have a homebuyers' seminar next week, doctor appointments, and another bookorder to process next Thursday. There are too many things actually to mention right now and my brain is full.
We've got some prospects in the house-search. The loan we were pre-approved for will provide us with a house about the size of most of our family's and friends' garages.
Get sick, and the dream changes a bit.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
The Return of the Dad
K got back on Friday night, after being gone for 21 days. He'd flown to Detroit, Albuquerque, Bangor, Opa Locka, Bogota Columbia, and probably a few other places. He and the crew had a lot of down-time in and near Miami, where the beaches were filled with "topless women and gay men".
I can't even express how much more relaxed and happy we all are with K home.
On New Year's Eve, the kids and I met Auntie Peggy, Uncle Pat and their girls downtown. T skated, K mostly fell down, and we all had fun, especially during the fireworks show. It was very crowded and pretty cold, but nothing like last year. After fireworks, we ate with Peg and then we all crashed Gramma & Grampy's New Year's Eve fiddle dance. Those folks are there to dance and have fun but they're as serious as if they were having a church service... Uncle Pat won a door prize, we sang Auld Lang Syne, and the kids' heads finally hit the pillows at about 2am.
The van's transmission is mostly likely "toast", as described by the service guy. They can't get a computer diagnosis on it because the wiring has a problem too. It's going to be expensive. But a mama needs her van, so we'll get it fixed and have it back in about two weeks. No sense entertaining new-car fantasies. Just new-house ones.
Time to knit, since I'm not the fight referee today.
I can't even express how much more relaxed and happy we all are with K home.
On New Year's Eve, the kids and I met Auntie Peggy, Uncle Pat and their girls downtown. T skated, K mostly fell down, and we all had fun, especially during the fireworks show. It was very crowded and pretty cold, but nothing like last year. After fireworks, we ate with Peg and then we all crashed Gramma & Grampy's New Year's Eve fiddle dance. Those folks are there to dance and have fun but they're as serious as if they were having a church service... Uncle Pat won a door prize, we sang Auld Lang Syne, and the kids' heads finally hit the pillows at about 2am.
The van's transmission is mostly likely "toast", as described by the service guy. They can't get a computer diagnosis on it because the wiring has a problem too. It's going to be expensive. But a mama needs her van, so we'll get it fixed and have it back in about two weeks. No sense entertaining new-car fantasies. Just new-house ones.
Time to knit, since I'm not the fight referee today.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
grumpy but grateful
Big THANKS to everyone for all the gifts, cards and calls. Gramma & Grampy deserve an extra big thank-you for letting us stay so many nights.
One special holiday gift was the time the kids got to be around their great-grandma Lena. Her Alzheimer's disease limits her experiences in so many ways now, but she still showers the little ones with love and attention.
The only drawback to holiday visits is that the cold germs and viruses are having big powwows too, smeared and coughed and sneezed between cousins, then passed on to the rest of us. I have to sneak-attack R to keep his nose (sort of) clean...
I have a feeling we may not see K until mid-January. The plans change on a daily basis. I don't know why the company bothers giving them estimated return dates! Spare the kids the disappointment please.
And give the wives some Paxil.
Happy New Year!
One special holiday gift was the time the kids got to be around their great-grandma Lena. Her Alzheimer's disease limits her experiences in so many ways now, but she still showers the little ones with love and attention.
The only drawback to holiday visits is that the cold germs and viruses are having big powwows too, smeared and coughed and sneezed between cousins, then passed on to the rest of us. I have to sneak-attack R to keep his nose (sort of) clean...
I have a feeling we may not see K until mid-January. The plans change on a daily basis. I don't know why the company bothers giving them estimated return dates! Spare the kids the disappointment please.
And give the wives some Paxil.
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
no mamavan
Today was the last day of school for the girls before Christmas Break.
The morning routine went well, right up to carseat buckles, until I put the car into gear and it didn't go. It's been below zero for a few days, I don't know if the brakes froze (I looked it up, it could happen) or if the transmission is shot. What it meant at 8:50 am was that the four of us were walking to school, just like people used to do about a hundred years ago. I think the distance is about 5 or 6 city blocks, but it's no fun with bad lungs and a 2-year-old at 5 below.
I'd volunteered to help set up Christmas-party stuff anyway, so R and I stayed at school all day, up and down stairs, back and forth between the girls' classrooms. Santa showed up, little gifts were exchanged, movies watched, and everybody loved having R around. He was waaaay too distracted to nap or poop - although when the food was set up at the buffet table, everyone thought he'd loaded his diaper... He hadn't, and the culprit turned out to be a whole bowl full of cauliflower. What parent sends in a bowl of cauliflower to their kid's school party?
So it was a fun day, really, just verrrrrry long and sugarloaded. T was mortified at the thought of her (nearly) whole family riding the bus home so we hoofed it back again at the end of the day. R passed out on my back so I felt like a real eskimo for about ten minutes, haaaha.
I am spoiled and so found myself feeling a little irritated that K's not here to just fix this problem for me. And to walk the dog.
The plan is for me to get the repair process going, and to lean on the parents tomorrow for a ride into Anchorage to get K's truck.
Aside from all of that, my INR this week is a high 3.3, so I'm back to weekly INR checks. blech.
The morning routine went well, right up to carseat buckles, until I put the car into gear and it didn't go. It's been below zero for a few days, I don't know if the brakes froze (I looked it up, it could happen) or if the transmission is shot. What it meant at 8:50 am was that the four of us were walking to school, just like people used to do about a hundred years ago. I think the distance is about 5 or 6 city blocks, but it's no fun with bad lungs and a 2-year-old at 5 below.
I'd volunteered to help set up Christmas-party stuff anyway, so R and I stayed at school all day, up and down stairs, back and forth between the girls' classrooms. Santa showed up, little gifts were exchanged, movies watched, and everybody loved having R around. He was waaaay too distracted to nap or poop - although when the food was set up at the buffet table, everyone thought he'd loaded his diaper... He hadn't, and the culprit turned out to be a whole bowl full of cauliflower. What parent sends in a bowl of cauliflower to their kid's school party?
So it was a fun day, really, just verrrrrry long and sugarloaded. T was mortified at the thought of her (nearly) whole family riding the bus home so we hoofed it back again at the end of the day. R passed out on my back so I felt like a real eskimo for about ten minutes, haaaha.
I am spoiled and so found myself feeling a little irritated that K's not here to just fix this problem for me. And to walk the dog.
The plan is for me to get the repair process going, and to lean on the parents tomorrow for a ride into Anchorage to get K's truck.
Aside from all of that, my INR this week is a high 3.3, so I'm back to weekly INR checks. blech.
Monday, December 17, 2007
mail dysfunction
Christmas is a tsunami and it's rolling in.
I tried all weekend to mail the box of presents to Bemidji - it didn't happen. I had some weird delays on Saturday, some unplanned events Sunday, then when I finally was standing in line at the Anchorage airport P.O. (for 45 minutes with 3 hungry kids and about 70 other humorless people), Misterguy produced a stinkbomb. I wasn't about to wait another 45 or even 5 minutes in line with that turn of events...
I sometimes try to remember what life was like before it turned into a string of gross-out stories. From what I hear the path ahead will be mostly a string of eye-rolling, expensive, baffling teenage moments. I'll probably blunder down that path and wish I could have the stinkbomb-years back!
Life teetered out of balance again last week, K got called to fly to Detroit until December 27th. He's since flown to Albuquerque and Bangor, with upcoming flights to New York, Georgia and Florida. I'm hoping there'll be a new-hire pilot soon who'll take his place at the bottom of the seniority pile.
I'm also hoping in my grinch-y little way that the smoking crowd downstairs will go away for the holidays. My bedroom is the Chamber of Secondhand Smoke, so I don't even go in there anymore. Turning my complaint around, I'm happy they're not brandishing any firearms or taking bongo lessons...
I wonder what I'll have to complain about when we move outta here.
I tried all weekend to mail the box of presents to Bemidji - it didn't happen. I had some weird delays on Saturday, some unplanned events Sunday, then when I finally was standing in line at the Anchorage airport P.O. (for 45 minutes with 3 hungry kids and about 70 other humorless people), Misterguy produced a stinkbomb. I wasn't about to wait another 45 or even 5 minutes in line with that turn of events...
I sometimes try to remember what life was like before it turned into a string of gross-out stories. From what I hear the path ahead will be mostly a string of eye-rolling, expensive, baffling teenage moments. I'll probably blunder down that path and wish I could have the stinkbomb-years back!
Life teetered out of balance again last week, K got called to fly to Detroit until December 27th. He's since flown to Albuquerque and Bangor, with upcoming flights to New York, Georgia and Florida. I'm hoping there'll be a new-hire pilot soon who'll take his place at the bottom of the seniority pile.
I'm also hoping in my grinch-y little way that the smoking crowd downstairs will go away for the holidays. My bedroom is the Chamber of Secondhand Smoke, so I don't even go in there anymore. Turning my complaint around, I'm happy they're not brandishing any firearms or taking bongo lessons...
I wonder what I'll have to complain about when we move outta here.
Friday, December 14, 2007
exciting stuff
(from www.eurekalert.org)
Profound immune system discovery opens door to halting destruction of lupus
Lupus Research Institute funds innovative hypothesis and scientific breakthrough
(New York, NY) A researcher funded by the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has discovered an entirely new and powerful molecular switch that controls the inflammatory response of the immune system. The major finding, reported in the December 14th issue of the journal Cell, means that new methods can now be pursued to shut down uncontrolled inflammation, restore immune system regulation, and treat chronic autoimmune disorders such as lupus.
In autoimmunity, the immune system designed to fend off outside invaders mistakenly mounts an out-of-control destructive inflammatory attack against the body’s own tissues and organs. “We have found an essential switch that controls immune inflammation,’ said LRI award recipient, Greg Lemke, PhD, professor of Molecular Neurobiology at the Salk Institute.
In this study, Dr. Lemke builds upon findings that he and his team previously reported, when he noticed that mice genetically engineered to be born without a tiny family of three receptors—TAM receptor tyrosine kinases—developed an autoimmune illness similar to lupus in humans.
In the Cell article, Dr. Lemke now illustrates how these “TAM” receptors, under normal circumstances, are so critical in stopping the immune system from mounting an out-of-control inflammatory response against invading viruses and bacteria. When chemical messengers (cytokines) prompt immune cells to attack, he explains, they also activate TAM receptors, which then alert the cells to no longer react to the cytokines. This keeps the immune system orderly as well as relatively tranquil.
But in people with lupus and certain other autoimmune illnesses, the TAM signalling network may be seriously compromised. The switch to inhibit inflammation on this network may be absent—thereby resulting in immune system pandemonium.
People with lupus tend to have low levels of a blood factor (proteins S) that TAM receptors require to carry out their job. Giving modified versions of protein S, or its related TAM activator Gas6, to people with lupus may represent a means of halting the immune system destruction of precious organs and tissues. “This is definitely something we intend to investigate,” Dr. Lemke said.
Profound immune system discovery opens door to halting destruction of lupus
Lupus Research Institute funds innovative hypothesis and scientific breakthrough
(New York, NY) A researcher funded by the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has discovered an entirely new and powerful molecular switch that controls the inflammatory response of the immune system. The major finding, reported in the December 14th issue of the journal Cell, means that new methods can now be pursued to shut down uncontrolled inflammation, restore immune system regulation, and treat chronic autoimmune disorders such as lupus.
In autoimmunity, the immune system designed to fend off outside invaders mistakenly mounts an out-of-control destructive inflammatory attack against the body’s own tissues and organs. “We have found an essential switch that controls immune inflammation,’ said LRI award recipient, Greg Lemke, PhD, professor of Molecular Neurobiology at the Salk Institute.
In this study, Dr. Lemke builds upon findings that he and his team previously reported, when he noticed that mice genetically engineered to be born without a tiny family of three receptors—TAM receptor tyrosine kinases—developed an autoimmune illness similar to lupus in humans.
In the Cell article, Dr. Lemke now illustrates how these “TAM” receptors, under normal circumstances, are so critical in stopping the immune system from mounting an out-of-control inflammatory response against invading viruses and bacteria. When chemical messengers (cytokines) prompt immune cells to attack, he explains, they also activate TAM receptors, which then alert the cells to no longer react to the cytokines. This keeps the immune system orderly as well as relatively tranquil.
But in people with lupus and certain other autoimmune illnesses, the TAM signalling network may be seriously compromised. The switch to inhibit inflammation on this network may be absent—thereby resulting in immune system pandemonium.
People with lupus tend to have low levels of a blood factor (proteins S) that TAM receptors require to carry out their job. Giving modified versions of protein S, or its related TAM activator Gas6, to people with lupus may represent a means of halting the immune system destruction of precious organs and tissues. “This is definitely something we intend to investigate,” Dr. Lemke said.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
I'm still laughing
We spent last night in Anchorage, my parents graciously invited us and it helped me get better quickly. K had a 10-hour round trip flight to some Aleutian island so he was tired.
Back home today in our cramped quarters, we had more of Mom's caribou soup for dinner, yummy stuff even if I can't really taste it. K got the kids' bedtime routine going before he went to hockey.
Our oldest child is a night-owl, and constantly reports to us "I can't sleep..." long after the other ones are out. Tonight was the same, "I'm too hot, blah blah blah" until I finally set her up with a make-shift bed on the floor.
Within minutes of thinking I'd finally closed out the bedtime epic, through the window came none other than the sound of someone's happy, carefree bongo drumming. At 10:45pm.
So I put on my shoes and coat, walked outside, stood by the idling car parked just below our windows, and asked them nicely to stop making so much noise. The guy in the front passenger's seat had a drum in his lap, but the guy in the back seat was the one who politely said they'd stop. Of course they stopped - and started right up again after I'd huffed and puffed my way back up the stairs. They kept it up for maybe five more minutes when I finally lost it and yelled out the window, "COULD YOU STOP YOUR DRUMMING PLEASE!!!!"
That was much more effective.
Back home today in our cramped quarters, we had more of Mom's caribou soup for dinner, yummy stuff even if I can't really taste it. K got the kids' bedtime routine going before he went to hockey.
Our oldest child is a night-owl, and constantly reports to us "I can't sleep..." long after the other ones are out. Tonight was the same, "I'm too hot, blah blah blah" until I finally set her up with a make-shift bed on the floor.
Within minutes of thinking I'd finally closed out the bedtime epic, through the window came none other than the sound of someone's happy, carefree bongo drumming. At 10:45pm.
So I put on my shoes and coat, walked outside, stood by the idling car parked just below our windows, and asked them nicely to stop making so much noise. The guy in the front passenger's seat had a drum in his lap, but the guy in the back seat was the one who politely said they'd stop. Of course they stopped - and started right up again after I'd huffed and puffed my way back up the stairs. They kept it up for maybe five more minutes when I finally lost it and yelled out the window, "COULD YOU STOP YOUR DRUMMING PLEASE!!!!"
That was much more effective.
Friday, December 07, 2007
sick sad sack
Newsflash, I got R's cold. I had one for most of the month of November but I'd recovered before getting hit by this one. It's sort of like the flu but not nearly as bad - I can tell because this only makes me cry while the flu made me want to die.
I can't smell or taste anything, my body aches, and I can't sleep because of the coughing and pain. I went to the Native Primary Care Clinic here in Wasilla and got some sympathy, antibiotics, albuterol, and pass-out syrup. Yay!
We worked things out so that my parents could take care of R & T today while I got LittleK to and from school out here. T had another dental appointment and this time it sounds like it hurts alot more. I'll just head into Anchorage after picking up LittleK, so I can down some liquid codeine and conk out at Mom's.
I can't smell or taste anything, my body aches, and I can't sleep because of the coughing and pain. I went to the Native Primary Care Clinic here in Wasilla and got some sympathy, antibiotics, albuterol, and pass-out syrup. Yay!
We worked things out so that my parents could take care of R & T today while I got LittleK to and from school out here. T had another dental appointment and this time it sounds like it hurts alot more. I'll just head into Anchorage after picking up LittleK, so I can down some liquid codeine and conk out at Mom's.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Happy December
CONGRATULATIONS to the Ogles and the Renneisens!!!! Beautiful babies!!
Here we are together again!
After a couple of weeks of single-parenting, the veneer wears off in places. The kids start asking "When will DADDY be back??" as if I need more reminders that I'm the Dud Parent. I'm just happy that everybody's happy and some of the layers of stress have melted away. I guess the jet lag is wearing off because K took T to the sports complex for a run around the track.
R has a cold. He's a fountain of snot and I can't keep him from sneezing and coughing on everyone. We're just waiting, watching, wondering who'll be next to get it.
Today LittleK and I went to Daisy Girl Scouts. I felt sorry for the leader the last time we talked and I volunteered to be her permanent co-leader. Then I forgot to do all the things I said I'd do, like look into a different meeting place, pick up an activity guide, buy some things for the uniforms, etc. Procrastination, neglect... not exactly stuff I can blame on medication!
Speaking of medication, I'm taking 14 pills a day plus one early on Fridays, plus Advair puffs twice a day (I luuuuuv Advair). I see people once in awhile with portable oxygen tanks and it seems so strange now to think that I was in that boat.
Here we are together again!
After a couple of weeks of single-parenting, the veneer wears off in places. The kids start asking "When will DADDY be back??" as if I need more reminders that I'm the Dud Parent. I'm just happy that everybody's happy and some of the layers of stress have melted away. I guess the jet lag is wearing off because K took T to the sports complex for a run around the track.
R has a cold. He's a fountain of snot and I can't keep him from sneezing and coughing on everyone. We're just waiting, watching, wondering who'll be next to get it.
Today LittleK and I went to Daisy Girl Scouts. I felt sorry for the leader the last time we talked and I volunteered to be her permanent co-leader. Then I forgot to do all the things I said I'd do, like look into a different meeting place, pick up an activity guide, buy some things for the uniforms, etc. Procrastination, neglect... not exactly stuff I can blame on medication!
Speaking of medication, I'm taking 14 pills a day plus one early on Fridays, plus Advair puffs twice a day (I luuuuuv Advair). I see people once in awhile with portable oxygen tanks and it seems so strange now to think that I was in that boat.
Monday, November 26, 2007
days of family and thanks
I think this is the 14th day since K left. We miss him, especially since we haven't been able to chat online every day, and he hasn't been able to call either.
Thanksgiving was good, my sister made delicious food and there was just low-level kid chaos. R had a screaming tantrum right after we all finished our "I'm thankful for.." statements. He also had a major stink-bomb. I think he's a shock to other peoples' systems but I'm so used to his ear-splitting shrieks and rotten smells that he still seems like a sweet, dimple-faced cuddlebug to me, 80 percent of the time. 90.
T is not the best company for her cousins, it turns out. She's so intolerant of the smallest slights or irritations that visits go south in a hurry. She's especially vigilant about people not sharing well or asking permission to use her things... yeah.
Mom & John got to drive through the beautiful sites of Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and the Grand Canyon, before spending Thanksgiving in Albuquerque with Aunt Wanda and her family.
On Saturday night, I took the girls to the Nutcracker Ballet in Anchorage. R was a roadie for Gramma & Grampy at their fiddle dance. The ballet was beautiful and funny, so the girls had fun even if they were so hungry or uncomfortable in a fancy dress.
The only health news for me is that my bone-density scan was bad enough to warrant putting me back on Fosamax. I'll get that report today when I go to Anchorage for a meds refill. Brittle little me!
Thanksgiving was good, my sister made delicious food and there was just low-level kid chaos. R had a screaming tantrum right after we all finished our "I'm thankful for.." statements. He also had a major stink-bomb. I think he's a shock to other peoples' systems but I'm so used to his ear-splitting shrieks and rotten smells that he still seems like a sweet, dimple-faced cuddlebug to me, 80 percent of the time. 90.
T is not the best company for her cousins, it turns out. She's so intolerant of the smallest slights or irritations that visits go south in a hurry. She's especially vigilant about people not sharing well or asking permission to use her things... yeah.
Mom & John got to drive through the beautiful sites of Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and the Grand Canyon, before spending Thanksgiving in Albuquerque with Aunt Wanda and her family.
On Saturday night, I took the girls to the Nutcracker Ballet in Anchorage. R was a roadie for Gramma & Grampy at their fiddle dance. The ballet was beautiful and funny, so the girls had fun even if they were so hungry or uncomfortable in a fancy dress.
The only health news for me is that my bone-density scan was bad enough to warrant putting me back on Fosamax. I'll get that report today when I go to Anchorage for a meds refill. Brittle little me!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tuesday
Tuesday, the day I wake up and the race is on.
This morning after getting the girls to the school door, I met with the mom who did bookorders for third grade last year. I am now (three months late) the official Bookorder Mom for 75 third-graders.
I waded through the rest of the day, picked T up from ballet, and bought groceries, noticing R fading fast around 5. He slept just a little before we pulled into the parking spot at the apartment - and then he barfed. I don't mind so much when kids barf on the floor or in the bath or whatever, but carseat barf is right up there with bed barf in grossout factor and cleanup time. Now I have to do the carseat-dismantle thing to scrub all the smelly stuff off, yay.
Needless to say I pushed onward through dinner, homework, and soccer-prep while watching R doze on the couch after his quick bath. I figured he'd be able to just sit on my lap during soccer for the hour we're there and he'd be fine - but he woke up and barfed on the couch. So I told LittleK soccer was off, she hit her stride in a tantrum all about how she'd already told her friends she was going to score goals, etc. I really almost never cave in to tantrums, but tonight, being Tuesday, I did.
We were twenty minutes late, she didn't score any goals, and R only had dry-heaves at half-time. He's back to his normal self, with just a faint smell. Now they're in bed and I'm avoiding the 150 bookorder sheets on the table.
So I have to wonder, since the dog ate poop last Tuesday, R barfed everywhere this Tuesday, what's in store for next week?
This morning after getting the girls to the school door, I met with the mom who did bookorders for third grade last year. I am now (three months late) the official Bookorder Mom for 75 third-graders.
I waded through the rest of the day, picked T up from ballet, and bought groceries, noticing R fading fast around 5. He slept just a little before we pulled into the parking spot at the apartment - and then he barfed. I don't mind so much when kids barf on the floor or in the bath or whatever, but carseat barf is right up there with bed barf in grossout factor and cleanup time. Now I have to do the carseat-dismantle thing to scrub all the smelly stuff off, yay.
Needless to say I pushed onward through dinner, homework, and soccer-prep while watching R doze on the couch after his quick bath. I figured he'd be able to just sit on my lap during soccer for the hour we're there and he'd be fine - but he woke up and barfed on the couch. So I told LittleK soccer was off, she hit her stride in a tantrum all about how she'd already told her friends she was going to score goals, etc. I really almost never cave in to tantrums, but tonight, being Tuesday, I did.
We were twenty minutes late, she didn't score any goals, and R only had dry-heaves at half-time. He's back to his normal self, with just a faint smell. Now they're in bed and I'm avoiding the 150 bookorder sheets on the table.
So I have to wonder, since the dog ate poop last Tuesday, R barfed everywhere this Tuesday, what's in store for next week?
Saturday, November 17, 2007
A Saturday, with money
Yesterday the Laramie house closed! I hope the new owners can turn it into a nicer place. We'll be using the money to pay off the debt we amassed since leaving Nome - talk about the weight of the world lifting.
R is glaring at me because I didn't offer him a bite of leftovers the right way. First he shrieked, then fake-cried, crumpled to the floor, and turned around for the glare-finale. He actually started the 'terrible twos' about six months ago, and his shriek is the worst part of it all. It's sort of like the sound an attacking Arctic Tern makes. His future may be in professional bird-calling.
LittleK has a Daisy Girl Scout tea party today. Since I don't ever make an effort to find babysitters, I asked my sister to drive the 45 miles out here just for this... The Tea Party Rules state that an adult must stay with the Daisy and please, no siblings. I just need to spiff up this place a little and lock up the dog since one cousin won't go near dogs. I'm afraid that if I bring Chena to the Daisy thing and keep him in the back of the minivan, he'll destroy something, since his MO now is Do All Misbehaving While The Man Is Gone.
R is glaring at me because I didn't offer him a bite of leftovers the right way. First he shrieked, then fake-cried, crumpled to the floor, and turned around for the glare-finale. He actually started the 'terrible twos' about six months ago, and his shriek is the worst part of it all. It's sort of like the sound an attacking Arctic Tern makes. His future may be in professional bird-calling.
LittleK has a Daisy Girl Scout tea party today. Since I don't ever make an effort to find babysitters, I asked my sister to drive the 45 miles out here just for this... The Tea Party Rules state that an adult must stay with the Daisy and please, no siblings. I just need to spiff up this place a little and lock up the dog since one cousin won't go near dogs. I'm afraid that if I bring Chena to the Daisy thing and keep him in the back of the minivan, he'll destroy something, since his MO now is Do All Misbehaving While The Man Is Gone.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
appointment day
The doctors are happy. The echo was good, the PFT was stable and the only concern I had was the early bronchiectasis in my right lung, as seen on the CT scan. It explains the trouble coughing up stuff, it happens often after pneumonia, and it's irreversible. So now I have Advair to inhale instead of Albuterol, and a funny thing called an "acapella vibratory PEP therapy system". It looks like a green shampoo bottle. When I breathe into it, it vibrates the air in my lungs to help me hack up those green mucus blobs you see in Mucinex commercials.
Chunky ChocoSnacks
We're on our own for a little while - K's on his first Lynden flights out of the country. I hope he gets to have some fun in between working and sleeping.
So I have the reins again, no more lazy days for this bum. We're off to a busy start, with Tuesdays being ballet-day for T and soccer-night for LittleK. The chauffeur part was okay except for a big snowfall. I threw together a picnic dinner of salad, milk, pasta and chicken chunks (nothing fancy for these picky eaters) in between ballet and soccer. We were heading out the door to get T, picnic bag in tow, soccer gear on, when LittleK asked, "Mama, why are there ripped-up poopy diapers in Chena's kennel??"
Yep. That actually happened today, our dog actually ate that.
So things could only get better after that, and they did. The kids ate chicken chunks at the sports complex without whining, LittleK scored three goals, and bedtime was stress-free.
Tomorrow I'll talk to my doctors, hooray. I'm not expecting much out of the appointment, just 'stay the course' again.
R had his birthday on Monday! He's allergic to eggs so we celebrated by having him blow out candles on top of a birthday-pie. The toy boxes are already overflowing so he only had two gifts to open, but he was happy.
Happy Birthday Dad! Love you lots.
Tomorrow I'm giving the dog some extra food so he doesn't go in search of snacks on his own.
So I have the reins again, no more lazy days for this bum. We're off to a busy start, with Tuesdays being ballet-day for T and soccer-night for LittleK. The chauffeur part was okay except for a big snowfall. I threw together a picnic dinner of salad, milk, pasta and chicken chunks (nothing fancy for these picky eaters) in between ballet and soccer. We were heading out the door to get T, picnic bag in tow, soccer gear on, when LittleK asked, "Mama, why are there ripped-up poopy diapers in Chena's kennel??"
Yep. That actually happened today, our dog actually ate that.
So things could only get better after that, and they did. The kids ate chicken chunks at the sports complex without whining, LittleK scored three goals, and bedtime was stress-free.
Tomorrow I'll talk to my doctors, hooray. I'm not expecting much out of the appointment, just 'stay the course' again.
R had his birthday on Monday! He's allergic to eggs so we celebrated by having him blow out candles on top of a birthday-pie. The toy boxes are already overflowing so he only had two gifts to open, but he was happy.
Happy Birthday Dad! Love you lots.
Tomorrow I'm giving the dog some extra food so he doesn't go in search of snacks on his own.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Life is good
It was snowing a little while ago and it was beautiful.
On Wednesday nights I get to leave the house all by myself and drive to the other side of the lake to the local yarn shop. The women there are older, wiser, and funnier than I am, so I get to laugh and learn humility while knitting projects I never finish. When I get home, the kids are fed/showered/sleeping and K gets to leave for hockey.
My husband is great because he does all the hard work, he's an incredible dad, and he doesn't mind my hobbit-feet and man-hands... I only have to put up with some silence and smelly hockey gear.
Actually I started wearing contacts, shaving my legs, and even putting on makeup lately. Maybe the loss of vanity was just a temporary condition.
The lowlifes are gone, that's a happy thing! And only one person gave me dirty looks presumably to make me feel guilty for all the gun-shootin' I didn't do. Nobody's egged the minivan or left nastygrams taped to the door.
We are looking forward with even more excitement now that the closing date for the Laramie house has been set for November 16th! Words can't describe the relief...
I keep meaning to get copies of my CT & echo reports so I can obsess over them. As soon as I get them I'll post some details. My next pulm/rheum appointment is set for the 14th, just after R's 2nd birthday and the same day K leaves for a couple of weeks. I'm predicting the docs will be happy again.
To all the other people I know who are having health issues, I'm thinking about you and knowing you're strong enough to make it through.
On Wednesday nights I get to leave the house all by myself and drive to the other side of the lake to the local yarn shop. The women there are older, wiser, and funnier than I am, so I get to laugh and learn humility while knitting projects I never finish. When I get home, the kids are fed/showered/sleeping and K gets to leave for hockey.
My husband is great because he does all the hard work, he's an incredible dad, and he doesn't mind my hobbit-feet and man-hands... I only have to put up with some silence and smelly hockey gear.
Actually I started wearing contacts, shaving my legs, and even putting on makeup lately. Maybe the loss of vanity was just a temporary condition.
The lowlifes are gone, that's a happy thing! And only one person gave me dirty looks presumably to make me feel guilty for all the gun-shootin' I didn't do. Nobody's egged the minivan or left nastygrams taped to the door.
We are looking forward with even more excitement now that the closing date for the Laramie house has been set for November 16th! Words can't describe the relief...
I keep meaning to get copies of my CT & echo reports so I can obsess over them. As soon as I get them I'll post some details. My next pulm/rheum appointment is set for the 14th, just after R's 2nd birthday and the same day K leaves for a couple of weeks. I'm predicting the docs will be happy again.
To all the other people I know who are having health issues, I'm thinking about you and knowing you're strong enough to make it through.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
So
I turned a year older. Still alive!
Halloween was fun of course. T's Hogwarts student costume was a lot of work but she was happy... LittleK was a beautiful princess and R was cute in his monkey "oot" because the elastic of the hood squished his face and made his cheeks pudgy. We went to a couple of big indoor events and ended the night with some door-to-door trick-or-treating in a nice neighborhood. K was out of commission the entire day because he ate something bad.
At 2am, the action started upstairs with loud thumps, screams and what I first thought was another glass bottle hitting the pavement outside... but it was a gunshot and there were a few more which followed. !!!! So I called 911, K went into lock-down mode, the troopers came, the people were arrested and now they're packing their things because they're being evicted. The shots were fired out the window, by the chick who lives up there, because they were being robbed.
The apartment manager said she'd let us out of our lease and refund our deposit if we want to leave. K didn't offer up his opinion but I said I don't want to look for another place, move all this stuff, and uproot the kids again. I'm also convinced the management will find decent people to move in upstairs, after all of this.
It sort of sounds like we're living in a slum but we're not, really! These buildings are practically new and only one lot away from the girls' school, we're minutes away from shopping, the commute is great from this side of Wasilla, and all the other neighbors are friendly. LittleK and I even said hi to the governor yesterday in the school parking lot - her daughter goes to our school.
Get this though - when I went to pay rent, the apartment manager said that the "rumor" is that I'M the one who freaked out and got out a gun!!!
You know you've made an impression when your stranger neighbors tell the landlord you've been shootin' up the place. I go back and forth between cracking up about it and wondering why the hell would anyone pinpoint a mom of three kids for something like this... motherhood is really not that bad! I really didn't glare at anyone in the parking lot and I only yelled at smokers one time.
So,
February is not that far away, we'll get to the serious house-hunting soon.
Halloween was fun of course. T's Hogwarts student costume was a lot of work but she was happy... LittleK was a beautiful princess and R was cute in his monkey "oot" because the elastic of the hood squished his face and made his cheeks pudgy. We went to a couple of big indoor events and ended the night with some door-to-door trick-or-treating in a nice neighborhood. K was out of commission the entire day because he ate something bad.
At 2am, the action started upstairs with loud thumps, screams and what I first thought was another glass bottle hitting the pavement outside... but it was a gunshot and there were a few more which followed. !!!! So I called 911, K went into lock-down mode, the troopers came, the people were arrested and now they're packing their things because they're being evicted. The shots were fired out the window, by the chick who lives up there, because they were being robbed.
The apartment manager said she'd let us out of our lease and refund our deposit if we want to leave. K didn't offer up his opinion but I said I don't want to look for another place, move all this stuff, and uproot the kids again. I'm also convinced the management will find decent people to move in upstairs, after all of this.
It sort of sounds like we're living in a slum but we're not, really! These buildings are practically new and only one lot away from the girls' school, we're minutes away from shopping, the commute is great from this side of Wasilla, and all the other neighbors are friendly. LittleK and I even said hi to the governor yesterday in the school parking lot - her daughter goes to our school.
Get this though - when I went to pay rent, the apartment manager said that the "rumor" is that I'M the one who freaked out and got out a gun!!!
Flixster - Share Movies
You know you've made an impression when your stranger neighbors tell the landlord you've been shootin' up the place. I go back and forth between cracking up about it and wondering why the hell would anyone pinpoint a mom of three kids for something like this... motherhood is really not that bad! I really didn't glare at anyone in the parking lot and I only yelled at smokers one time.
So,
February is not that far away, we'll get to the serious house-hunting soon.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
O Canada
This bit of news is pretty exciting...
I just noticed it's from almost a year ago (!) - I've been avoiding PH research lately, it had to take a back seat to all the big stuff and all the little stuff like blogging, Harry Potter and sudoku. Leg-shaving, hair-doing and contact-wearing all fell by the wayside too, more evidence of how much my husband must really love me!
I just noticed it's from almost a year ago (!) - I've been avoiding PH research lately, it had to take a back seat to all the big stuff and all the little stuff like blogging, Harry Potter and sudoku. Leg-shaving, hair-doing and contact-wearing all fell by the wayside too, more evidence of how much my husband must really love me!
Friday, October 19, 2007
55
We've got a deal set to sell our house in Laramie... it's under contract!!!! hope hope hope hope
K finished IOE yesterday and had a fun day today, he got to take R to the sports complex for Turf for Tots. LittleK had a blast at kindergarten, watching a movie and having a teddy-bear picnic. T's class was treated to a special pizza lunch because their wind-up turtle won a wind-up turtle race during the school assembly.
School sounds pretty tough these days, No Turtles or Teddy Bears Left Behind.
I had a great day because my echocardiogram this morning showed a huge decrease in my estimated pulmonary artery pressure. In May, it was in the 70's, back in Laramie at its worst it was about 130, and today it measured about 55 mmHg. 55!! Normal is 15 to 30 I think. My pulmonary function tests and six-minute-walk went well too, mostly because the respiratory therapist cracks me up. Next week I go in for some lab tests and a CT of my lungs, we'll see how active the autoimmune stuff is and if there's any recent lung damage. Then I wait two weeks to hear the doctors describe the results, even though I always get a printout of the CT/echo/lab results from medical records and figure it out for myself first.
Time to put this great day to rest and listen to the upstairs party for a while before I get to sleep. Thanks for stopping by to read.
Goodnight!
K finished IOE yesterday and had a fun day today, he got to take R to the sports complex for Turf for Tots. LittleK had a blast at kindergarten, watching a movie and having a teddy-bear picnic. T's class was treated to a special pizza lunch because their wind-up turtle won a wind-up turtle race during the school assembly.
School sounds pretty tough these days, No Turtles or Teddy Bears Left Behind.
I had a great day because my echocardiogram this morning showed a huge decrease in my estimated pulmonary artery pressure. In May, it was in the 70's, back in Laramie at its worst it was about 130, and today it measured about 55 mmHg. 55!! Normal is 15 to 30 I think. My pulmonary function tests and six-minute-walk went well too, mostly because the respiratory therapist cracks me up. Next week I go in for some lab tests and a CT of my lungs, we'll see how active the autoimmune stuff is and if there's any recent lung damage. Then I wait two weeks to hear the doctors describe the results, even though I always get a printout of the CT/echo/lab results from medical records and figure it out for myself first.
Time to put this great day to rest and listen to the upstairs party for a while before I get to sleep. Thanks for stopping by to read.
Goodnight!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Look!
Here's Abe's Bemidji Pioneer article:
J.W. Smith sells bracelets to benefit student with leukemia
Michelle Ruckdaschel Bemidji Pioneer
Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007
At the beginning of this year, Abe Fagerstrom, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age 2, completed more than three years of chemotherapy.
Abe Fagerstrom, 6, of Bemidji, smiles from his hospital bed for a photo taken in August.
“This is just catching like wildfire,” said first-grade teacher Hallie Baldwin, who would be Abe’s teacher this year upon his return to school.
J.W. Smith sells bracelets to benefit student with leukemia
Michelle Ruckdaschel Bemidji Pioneer
Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007
At the beginning of this year, Abe Fagerstrom, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age 2, completed more than three years of chemotherapy.
But six months later, the first-grader at J.W. Smith Elementary School relapsed and is back in a Twin Cities hospital undergoing treatments.
While Abe is away, J.W. Smith is offering its support by selling blue-and-white bracelets marked with the words “Abe is an All Star!” to benefit the 6-year-old and his family. Blue and white are the school’s colors and J.W. Smith is the “Home of the All-Stars.”
“This is just catching like wildfire,” said first-grade teacher Hallie Baldwin, who would be Abe’s teacher this year upon his return to school.
“We ordered 1,000 (bracelets), and we just received our second shipment of 1,000,” said kindergarten teacher Nancy Aitken, who had Abe in her classroom last year.
The bracelets are available for purchase at J.W. Smith and the other schools in the Bemidji School District, as well as at the Early Childhood Family Education office in Bemidji and local businesses. The minimum donation requested for a bracelet is $2.
J.W. Smith began selling the bracelets about a month ago after a daughter of one of its PTO presidents, Annie Laituri, heard from a friend about a bracelet fundraiser for a child who was sick in Minneapolis.
Baldwin said the fundraiser for Abe, which has raised about $1,600 so far, has been a wonderful expression of support for the Fagerstroms.
“It’s a real encouragement for the family and for him,” she said.
Abe’s parents, Al and Kelly Fagerstrom, split their time between their home in Bemidji and Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, where Abe is undergoing treatments.
“One of us is usually in the Cities with Abe,” Kelly Fagerstrom said. “He does come home for, sometimes, three or four days here or there.”
She said Abe will have about two-and-a-half more years of chemotherapy. She noted that he is starting to feel the effects of the treatments — he gets sick and lacks energy.
“And it’s hard for him not to be in school with all his friends,” Kelly Fagerstrom said.
But, she said, Abe has a positive attitude.
“He’s still a happy little 6-year-old boy,” said Kelly Fagerstrom, adding that the bracelet sales mean a lot to Abe. “He thinks it’s so cool.”
This isn’t the first time J.W. Smith has surrounded the Fagerstroms with support.
When Abe was diagnosed four years ago, the school held a benefit for him and his family. At the time, his brother Isaac was a first-grader at J.W. Smith. Now, Isaac is a fifth-grader and Ben, the youngest brother, is in kindergarten.
“We cannot say enough good things about J.W. Smith,” said Kelly Fagerstrom, adding that the whole community has been very supportive. “That just helps us so much.”
And the support continues.
“In every hallway in the school, there’s a picture of Abe,” Baldwin said.
Also, J.W. Smith staff members and parents are planning a spaghetti dinner benefit for Abe and his family set for 4-7 p.m. Nov. 18 at St. Philip’s Church. A bake sale and raffle will be included.
Meanwhile, Abe’s fellow students are posting messages on his CaringBridge Web site and writing him letters as well as buying bracelets.
“It doesn’t make any difference what we do in the school, the children just want to help,” Baldwin said.
To read a journal about Abe or leave him a note, visit his CaringBridge Web site at caringbridge.org/mn/abe.
We miss you guys. Hopefully for one of the upcoming holidays we can all be together and hear all of Uncle Brian's new (whatever) jokes.
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