We survived the summer, school has started for the younger adults, and Skye turned two yesterday. I had my surgery on my right eye on Wednesday of last week (8/22) and am now in the healing phase of recovery. It's slow going as I cannot comfortably wear my glasses, even with the right lens removed, so seeing clearly is still in-process, although better each day. I feel good though and am glad to have done it. Just need to restrain my impatience to be "doing things" until I am able to do so comfortably. I have surgery scheduled for the left eye on Sept. 19th and cannot wait. It's wonderful to see some things clearly now, and I am sure that what is to come will be amazing!
I loved having Justin and Alexis here, and was sad that Tony and Andrea only stayed overnight when they came to get the kids. As Liisa said, those kids were never still: active minds, bodies, and mouths! It seems almost too quiet now that they are gone, and although Skye is relishing being the center of the universe again, even she misses them. Skye is blowing me away with her language skills--new words and sentences appear daily, and she is such a happy little girl. Today she decided to take herself for a walk (we were all outside with her) and she didn't turn around until she reached the "kitty mailbox", Justin's landmark for turning around when pushing her in the stroller or pulling her in the wagon. Glad she recognizes the boundary, however, being two is far different from being 7, and even Alexis kept herself to one house on either side of ours when she was in charge of the wheeled conveyances. Skye has a mind of her own!
I see the surgeon again tomorrow and hopefully he'll give me the all clear to resume normal activities. I feel great, and have no pain or irritation; just the occasional headache from eyestrain when I try to do too much too soon.
I think that's all I can manage for today. I will try to get around to posting wedding pics from Liisa's wedding later!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Update on Skye
They got home from the ER around one this morning and Skye has the start of bacterial pneumonia. The xray showed her lungs were starting to look cloudy and the persistence of her fever suggested she was getting pretty sick relatively quickly. Not sure how she got it, but she looks like a pin cushion, with needlesticks for blood draws on both hands, arms, and one foot, along with antibiotic shots in both thighs. Poor baby looks like she's been through the wringer! Her mood is good though, and she is lethargically cuddly, spending much of her time awake this morning on my lap with a few stuffed animals and a couple of books. Her fever is down slightly (almost 101) and Brie picked up her prescription this morning, so we have started her on her meds for the next 5 days, and she'll need to see her own doctor after that.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Middle of August countdown...
We are coming to the end of our summer and things continue to move at a hectic pace. I have really enjoyed having Justin and Alexis here with us and they have kept things lively and active for me, although I admit to being somewhat tired out. Andrea is driving down next week (either Tuesday or Wednesday) to come get them and they (I think) are starting to miss home, although Justin will definitely miss the xbox 360 (he has become a major Lego Starwar's fan) and Alexis is a bit bummed I have done no sewing with her. I would have, but I just can't see clearly at this point to make things.
Eric is on the homeward stretch for two of his three classes (he dropped the third one and will need to retake it next term), with two weeks to go, and Reimond starts school Friday. Brie and Aurora both start in the next week/week and a half for their semesters, and I am no closer to an internship now than I have been all along. I am frustrated, mostly with myself on that score, because I have not devoted the time or energy necessary to follow up on the leads I find, or on emails I have sent, although in my defence, life has had a tendency of late to run away with my free time. Eric is back working overnights, and adjusting to that schedule has been brutal!
Brie and Aurora have taken Skye to the ER tonight. Skye got shots the end of last week, had a bad reaction at one injection site, was sorta fussy off and on (trouble sleeping at night especially) and limited appetite, then had the runs really bad on Monday into Tuesday. She ate better today and seemed better this morning, only to wake up from a nap with a fever of 102.2 and cry/complain of pain in a couple of random places. Because she really cannot tell us, and this has been going on for a few days (and she is so small), it just makes sense to bring her in and see. Could be something in her ears or nose again; could be a virus; could be an ear infection or a bladder infection... Brie just called and her temp isn't going down, despite motrin, so they are testing her for strep among other things. I couldn't hear Brie clearly as the signal she had sucked, but it sounds like they will be at the ER for a while yet.
I had a frustrating day today of running from pharmacy to pharmacy: I need to get my pre-op/post-op eye drops filled as I am supposed to start them on Monday, but my normal pharmacy on base didn't have 2 of them and refused to fill the third (because it is in a family of meds I have had an allergic reaction to--although the doctor was adamant that shouldn't be an issue with the drops); So 2 hours at the pharmacy on base, only to have to go to plan B, the WalMart pharmacy. After being there for an hour it turns out two of the three were out of stock, so need to be ordered, and should be there tomorrow after 3. So nice of them to let me know up front instead of making me wait and check back twice with the counter! Justin and Alexis were very good at all of these places for the most part (they got restless and owly with each other a few times), but our plans were shot to heck for the day. Better luck tomorrow I hope! I did let them stay up a bit later tonight playing because it was only them and me home tonight, and now they are chatting like magpies in their bed in the loft...
Eric and I have been debating about upgrading the lens they place in my eye from the basic one to a more complete one (minimizing my need for glasses). We need to make a decision fairly soon as the surgery is Wednesday. The cost is a drawback in some regards, and I will be satisfied just being able to see clearly again, glasses or not. I am just so ready to have it done with!
Tony had his surgery on his knee and it has resulted in a lot of pain as things heal. His tendons were affected by the chunks of calcium that broke off and floated around in there, and this healing process is not what he expected (one individual--not medical--suggested he'd be back on his feet and working within 48 hours of surgery!) My poor boy is a hurting unit, and he HATES taking meds for anything, so he is trying to tough it out and manage. Andrea will be driving down on her own because he cannot sit for 10+ hours in the car without his knee/leg being elevated so he is staying home this trip. The kids and I had a wonderful evening last evening looking at all my pictures of previous trips they have made here, and of my trip to visit them in El Paso. We laughed at how tiny they were, at some of their antics in the pictures, and how much they have changed over the course of 5 years. It was a lovely trip down memory lane!
Reimond is home from Alaska (got home Sunday) and has "visited" home daily, but has been staying at his buddy Ryan's house. I am hoping this changes come school starting, but after a summer of travelling, Rei and Ryan have lots to catch up on and they have used this week to do so. He keeps me appraised of his doings and has not been driving all over the place, despite having his own vehicle now, because he knows he needs to cover his own gas etc. and has learned the value of money over this summer. I continue to be pleased with the way he is maturing! He and Maddie really miss each other and they talk/skype/text daily. They seem to be good for each other and for that I am very pleased as well.
Patrick hasn't been in touch at any length of late, but we have been exchanging text messages with him. He seems to be doing ok and his living arrangements are working out for the nonce. He did say he didn't think he'd be back in September after all because he doesn't think he'll have the money to travel, and to a certain degree, I think he likes being self-sufficient. We all made sure to wish him a happy birthday, and he was pleased by all the comments.
Hey, my peanut gallery is finally quiet, so I guess that means I can relax some too now. Time to find my Nook and settle in with a new book!
Eric is on the homeward stretch for two of his three classes (he dropped the third one and will need to retake it next term), with two weeks to go, and Reimond starts school Friday. Brie and Aurora both start in the next week/week and a half for their semesters, and I am no closer to an internship now than I have been all along. I am frustrated, mostly with myself on that score, because I have not devoted the time or energy necessary to follow up on the leads I find, or on emails I have sent, although in my defence, life has had a tendency of late to run away with my free time. Eric is back working overnights, and adjusting to that schedule has been brutal!
Brie and Aurora have taken Skye to the ER tonight. Skye got shots the end of last week, had a bad reaction at one injection site, was sorta fussy off and on (trouble sleeping at night especially) and limited appetite, then had the runs really bad on Monday into Tuesday. She ate better today and seemed better this morning, only to wake up from a nap with a fever of 102.2 and cry/complain of pain in a couple of random places. Because she really cannot tell us, and this has been going on for a few days (and she is so small), it just makes sense to bring her in and see. Could be something in her ears or nose again; could be a virus; could be an ear infection or a bladder infection... Brie just called and her temp isn't going down, despite motrin, so they are testing her for strep among other things. I couldn't hear Brie clearly as the signal she had sucked, but it sounds like they will be at the ER for a while yet.
I had a frustrating day today of running from pharmacy to pharmacy: I need to get my pre-op/post-op eye drops filled as I am supposed to start them on Monday, but my normal pharmacy on base didn't have 2 of them and refused to fill the third (because it is in a family of meds I have had an allergic reaction to--although the doctor was adamant that shouldn't be an issue with the drops); So 2 hours at the pharmacy on base, only to have to go to plan B, the WalMart pharmacy. After being there for an hour it turns out two of the three were out of stock, so need to be ordered, and should be there tomorrow after 3. So nice of them to let me know up front instead of making me wait and check back twice with the counter! Justin and Alexis were very good at all of these places for the most part (they got restless and owly with each other a few times), but our plans were shot to heck for the day. Better luck tomorrow I hope! I did let them stay up a bit later tonight playing because it was only them and me home tonight, and now they are chatting like magpies in their bed in the loft...
Eric and I have been debating about upgrading the lens they place in my eye from the basic one to a more complete one (minimizing my need for glasses). We need to make a decision fairly soon as the surgery is Wednesday. The cost is a drawback in some regards, and I will be satisfied just being able to see clearly again, glasses or not. I am just so ready to have it done with!
Tony had his surgery on his knee and it has resulted in a lot of pain as things heal. His tendons were affected by the chunks of calcium that broke off and floated around in there, and this healing process is not what he expected (one individual--not medical--suggested he'd be back on his feet and working within 48 hours of surgery!) My poor boy is a hurting unit, and he HATES taking meds for anything, so he is trying to tough it out and manage. Andrea will be driving down on her own because he cannot sit for 10+ hours in the car without his knee/leg being elevated so he is staying home this trip. The kids and I had a wonderful evening last evening looking at all my pictures of previous trips they have made here, and of my trip to visit them in El Paso. We laughed at how tiny they were, at some of their antics in the pictures, and how much they have changed over the course of 5 years. It was a lovely trip down memory lane!
Reimond is home from Alaska (got home Sunday) and has "visited" home daily, but has been staying at his buddy Ryan's house. I am hoping this changes come school starting, but after a summer of travelling, Rei and Ryan have lots to catch up on and they have used this week to do so. He keeps me appraised of his doings and has not been driving all over the place, despite having his own vehicle now, because he knows he needs to cover his own gas etc. and has learned the value of money over this summer. I continue to be pleased with the way he is maturing! He and Maddie really miss each other and they talk/skype/text daily. They seem to be good for each other and for that I am very pleased as well.
Patrick hasn't been in touch at any length of late, but we have been exchanging text messages with him. He seems to be doing ok and his living arrangements are working out for the nonce. He did say he didn't think he'd be back in September after all because he doesn't think he'll have the money to travel, and to a certain degree, I think he likes being self-sufficient. We all made sure to wish him a happy birthday, and he was pleased by all the comments.
Hey, my peanut gallery is finally quiet, so I guess that means I can relax some too now. Time to find my Nook and settle in with a new book!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
It's already August 8th?????
Where has the summer gone to? I got Rei registered for school today for his senior year and realized his classes start in 9 days! It is going to be a wonderful year for him, I hope, after a summer he will never forget.
So let me recap the end of July:
Our trip to MN was fabulous, with the initial days spent preparing for the wedding, which was held on the front lawn of Liisa and Zack's house, followed by a reception in the back yard and main floor of the house. Then we had a few days to relax and just "be" and I was so grateful for the time I got to spend with the extended family too--my sibs and their spouses, the nieces and nephews, and of course, the grandkids!
The family as depicted above includes (from left to right) my brother Erik, my Mom Sylvia, Aurora, my husband Eric, Me holding Skye, Reimond standing behind me, Liisa, Zack, Anthony, and Andrea, with the kids in front of the adults, including Bailey (almost 9), Kajsa (just turned 7), Justin (also 7), Alexis (5), and Kodie (almost 3) on the trike. When Eric and I married 4 years ago I doubled the number of children I had; when Liisa and Zack married I doubled the number of grandkids I have, from 3 to 6! Wow! So much love and joy though. The wedding was beautiful, performed by Rev. Heidi Wallace, our former pastor from down here in Mascoutah, and she did a lovely job. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for us, and even the little rain that fell in the late evening didn't put a damper on things. The food was delicious and catered by Zack's work, and we had all the traditional things: cake, a first dance, dancing, and fun. Liisa has most of the photos already up on facebook so send her a friend request to see them. I too will post some of them on fb soon. Just haven't had much time to myself!
We took Skye with us up to MN as Brie couldn't get more time off from work, and she was a lot of fun. She really enjoyed the beach and collecting rocks along the waters edge, along with the dogs to pet and the ducks that swam by. She isn't so good at building sandcastles yet, although she has dumping water into the moat down to a T. We brought Justin and Alexis back to IL with us, and the drive was Loooooonnnnggg! The kids were all excellant travelers, and we had no issues with them, but the pickup truck Rei got for his summer of babysitting wasn't too fond of a ten hour drive and we had a few pit stops to let it cool down and rest. We did get it home in one piece, and it's now parked out front. It isn't lovely to look at, and in fact, looks like a country boy's first truck.
Eric returned to working overnights at the completion of our vacation, and is slowly readjusting to his new hours. He and Aurora have been running most mornings to prepare her for cross country this fall, and they both miss the lakes of Minneapolis, as they enjoyed their morning runs and scenery there immensely. Aurora starts classes on the 24th. I am not sure when exactly Brie starts.
We talked to Patrick today and all wished him a happy 21st birthday, mostly by text message. He had to work this morning and he promised not to be stupid around celebrating being legal age to drink (and he has to work in the morning again too). He says things are going ok and he's maintaining status quo right now.
My son Anthony had surgery on his knee this morning to repair the damage from his PT injury in July; he had chunks of calcium deposits floating in his knee of various sizes that were sticking out and causing problems. He has a recheck the same day as my eye surgery, so my guess is he won't be coming down with Andrea to get the kids, unless they wait til that weekend. Not sure when he can return to work either, as he was pretty medicated when he called me.
If I am honest with myself, taking on three grandkids at one time has been a bit of a challenge for me, and I am weary. They are all fairly high energy kids, and while the older two are good at entertaining themselves, limits are being tested by all, and Skye and they vie for attention from the rest of us. I have been trying to do at least one outing a day to get them moving/out of the house, including trips to the library, attending all three days of Mascoutah's homecoming (along with rides, the parade on Saturday, and seeing the 4H animals on Friday), along with going to the playground after dinner for an hour or so, followed by baths, teeth, and bed. A loose routine, but one that seems to be working. I tend to put my nightgown on after tucking them in and settling on my bed with my book for some peace and quiet.Skye hasn't gone on the after dinner playground trips because her mom has been home with her, which works out well because I sit, knit, and monitor the older two, who have found same-aged peers to engage with: Justin has been playing tag and other games of chase with a group of boys, while Alexis has found some girls to play with, and tonight she was thrilled to be asked to "play princesses" with the playground equipment as their castles and kingdoms.
Tomorrow I need to run and get my labs drawn prior to my appointment for my pre-op on Monday. Blech. My mother got a good report from the cardiologist with the new med regime she is on, so now all we are concerned about is the stent and being sure all the "gravel" is gone from her kidney. I am still anxious about my surgery, but am also looking forward to it's results, so I am trying to remain confident and all of that. I know it's not a big deal and from what I have heard most are thrilled with the results. I just don't like the idea of someone messing around inside my eyes.
Anyhow, that brings everyone up to date about our lives. We are healthy, busy, and as chaotic as always!
So let me recap the end of July:
 |
| Liisa and Zack Bakke's wedding, 28 July 2012 |
The family as depicted above includes (from left to right) my brother Erik, my Mom Sylvia, Aurora, my husband Eric, Me holding Skye, Reimond standing behind me, Liisa, Zack, Anthony, and Andrea, with the kids in front of the adults, including Bailey (almost 9), Kajsa (just turned 7), Justin (also 7), Alexis (5), and Kodie (almost 3) on the trike. When Eric and I married 4 years ago I doubled the number of children I had; when Liisa and Zack married I doubled the number of grandkids I have, from 3 to 6! Wow! So much love and joy though. The wedding was beautiful, performed by Rev. Heidi Wallace, our former pastor from down here in Mascoutah, and she did a lovely job. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for us, and even the little rain that fell in the late evening didn't put a damper on things. The food was delicious and catered by Zack's work, and we had all the traditional things: cake, a first dance, dancing, and fun. Liisa has most of the photos already up on facebook so send her a friend request to see them. I too will post some of them on fb soon. Just haven't had much time to myself!
We took Skye with us up to MN as Brie couldn't get more time off from work, and she was a lot of fun. She really enjoyed the beach and collecting rocks along the waters edge, along with the dogs to pet and the ducks that swam by. She isn't so good at building sandcastles yet, although she has dumping water into the moat down to a T. We brought Justin and Alexis back to IL with us, and the drive was Loooooonnnnggg! The kids were all excellant travelers, and we had no issues with them, but the pickup truck Rei got for his summer of babysitting wasn't too fond of a ten hour drive and we had a few pit stops to let it cool down and rest. We did get it home in one piece, and it's now parked out front. It isn't lovely to look at, and in fact, looks like a country boy's first truck.
Eric returned to working overnights at the completion of our vacation, and is slowly readjusting to his new hours. He and Aurora have been running most mornings to prepare her for cross country this fall, and they both miss the lakes of Minneapolis, as they enjoyed their morning runs and scenery there immensely. Aurora starts classes on the 24th. I am not sure when exactly Brie starts.
We talked to Patrick today and all wished him a happy 21st birthday, mostly by text message. He had to work this morning and he promised not to be stupid around celebrating being legal age to drink (and he has to work in the morning again too). He says things are going ok and he's maintaining status quo right now.
My son Anthony had surgery on his knee this morning to repair the damage from his PT injury in July; he had chunks of calcium deposits floating in his knee of various sizes that were sticking out and causing problems. He has a recheck the same day as my eye surgery, so my guess is he won't be coming down with Andrea to get the kids, unless they wait til that weekend. Not sure when he can return to work either, as he was pretty medicated when he called me.
If I am honest with myself, taking on three grandkids at one time has been a bit of a challenge for me, and I am weary. They are all fairly high energy kids, and while the older two are good at entertaining themselves, limits are being tested by all, and Skye and they vie for attention from the rest of us. I have been trying to do at least one outing a day to get them moving/out of the house, including trips to the library, attending all three days of Mascoutah's homecoming (along with rides, the parade on Saturday, and seeing the 4H animals on Friday), along with going to the playground after dinner for an hour or so, followed by baths, teeth, and bed. A loose routine, but one that seems to be working. I tend to put my nightgown on after tucking them in and settling on my bed with my book for some peace and quiet.Skye hasn't gone on the after dinner playground trips because her mom has been home with her, which works out well because I sit, knit, and monitor the older two, who have found same-aged peers to engage with: Justin has been playing tag and other games of chase with a group of boys, while Alexis has found some girls to play with, and tonight she was thrilled to be asked to "play princesses" with the playground equipment as their castles and kingdoms.
Tomorrow I need to run and get my labs drawn prior to my appointment for my pre-op on Monday. Blech. My mother got a good report from the cardiologist with the new med regime she is on, so now all we are concerned about is the stent and being sure all the "gravel" is gone from her kidney. I am still anxious about my surgery, but am also looking forward to it's results, so I am trying to remain confident and all of that. I know it's not a big deal and from what I have heard most are thrilled with the results. I just don't like the idea of someone messing around inside my eyes.
Anyhow, that brings everyone up to date about our lives. We are healthy, busy, and as chaotic as always!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Just a little over a week until...
Liisa and Zack's wedding! We are in the final countdown and it sounds like she has everything under control. I am very excited to be headed to MN--it's been over a year now since I was last up there and I have missed it dreadfully!
I have had some amazing conversations on the phone with Reimond of late. Being away has been really good for him and I am so proud of the directions he is choosing to go. He is a really neat kid! Andrea and Justin got some really bad wasp stings last week after Justing ran through a ground wasp's nest (he didn't know it was there) on their way home from the beach. Liisa and Rei took them to the ER and Andrea was at Abbott while Liis took Justing and Alexis to Childrens. Andrea had 14+ stings and Justin had 9+ stings. Both ended up on prednisone and benadryl, but both are much better now. It was scary though (Alexis had one sting on her back and was fine). Rei ran as go-between from the two hospitals (across the street from each other and connected by an underground tunnel for those who are not familiar with it) and I am so relieved everything turned out well. Tony was in Kansas and called me to see if he should try to fly home; I told him not unless things took a bad turn (e.g. bad allergic reactions), but he will be headed home for this weekend. He blew out his knee doing PT and they had no clinic with an MRI available closer than 200 miles away, so he is needing to get that looked at when he gets home. There is no break, but he can hardly walk on it.
Brie got home from AT and Skye was happy to have her home. Skye is still being a bit of a challenge in putting things up her nose (yesterday she blew out a piece of what looked like scrunched up tape torn off something) and it bled and ran for hours before it finally was visible and could be removed by her mother. I suspected something was up there, but we couldn't *see* anything.
Patrick and his friends have had a series of misfortunate events in FL and currently he is staying at a parent's place of one of the girls. He does have a job, and has been good to be in communication with us. It's definitely been a learning experience for him!
Aurora continues to enjoy her summer vacation, and is glad Dan is back from Maine. He grandfather is now in a rehab home, and is stable. Eric's vacation begins tomorrow, and we are counting the hours! It will be so nice to have him home and be taking a trip together!
I am doing ok: excited tosee/be with my family soon, excited to be bringing the grandkids back with us, and thrilled for Liisa and Zack. I am a little on edge over the pending surgery but am also looking forward to it... And now I have to go get Skye, who is yelling "Helloooooooo" from her bed quite loudly and melodically! She is definitely awake!
I have had some amazing conversations on the phone with Reimond of late. Being away has been really good for him and I am so proud of the directions he is choosing to go. He is a really neat kid! Andrea and Justin got some really bad wasp stings last week after Justing ran through a ground wasp's nest (he didn't know it was there) on their way home from the beach. Liisa and Rei took them to the ER and Andrea was at Abbott while Liis took Justing and Alexis to Childrens. Andrea had 14+ stings and Justin had 9+ stings. Both ended up on prednisone and benadryl, but both are much better now. It was scary though (Alexis had one sting on her back and was fine). Rei ran as go-between from the two hospitals (across the street from each other and connected by an underground tunnel for those who are not familiar with it) and I am so relieved everything turned out well. Tony was in Kansas and called me to see if he should try to fly home; I told him not unless things took a bad turn (e.g. bad allergic reactions), but he will be headed home for this weekend. He blew out his knee doing PT and they had no clinic with an MRI available closer than 200 miles away, so he is needing to get that looked at when he gets home. There is no break, but he can hardly walk on it.
Brie got home from AT and Skye was happy to have her home. Skye is still being a bit of a challenge in putting things up her nose (yesterday she blew out a piece of what looked like scrunched up tape torn off something) and it bled and ran for hours before it finally was visible and could be removed by her mother. I suspected something was up there, but we couldn't *see* anything.
Patrick and his friends have had a series of misfortunate events in FL and currently he is staying at a parent's place of one of the girls. He does have a job, and has been good to be in communication with us. It's definitely been a learning experience for him!
Aurora continues to enjoy her summer vacation, and is glad Dan is back from Maine. He grandfather is now in a rehab home, and is stable. Eric's vacation begins tomorrow, and we are counting the hours! It will be so nice to have him home and be taking a trip together!
I am doing ok: excited tosee/be with my family soon, excited to be bringing the grandkids back with us, and thrilled for Liisa and Zack. I am a little on edge over the pending surgery but am also looking forward to it... And now I have to go get Skye, who is yelling "Helloooooooo" from her bed quite loudly and melodically! She is definitely awake!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Phase 2 (or is it 3) of our summer:
Whichever it is, we are on the part where Brie is at AT for two + weeks (she should be home on the 9th), Aurora is continuing her job search, Dan has gone to Maine because his grandfather hasn't been doing well (had a stroke while their family was enroute, but is now a little better), Rei is continuing to baby sit the Soulak littles, Patrick is having his own struggles in FL (job-wise, we believe), Liisa is planning her wedding, and Tony passed phase two of his military training (B-NOC) "exceeding course standards" (or the top 10% of his class). Tony is home briefly between phases, then returns to KS for phase 3 on the 8th. Andrea is really appreciating having Rei in the house with her, another adult to entertain and keep track of the kids!
Eric is working hard at both school and work: this is his last term (we hope) and it's going ok so far. I am being run ragged by "Miss Almost Two" who is showing a strong will and a strong independent streak of late (no is her favorite word, she runs the opposite direction from where she is suppose to be, and she has learned the habit of selective hearing from her older role-models...). Skye has figured out how to open the front inside door, and the storm door latch is no longer catching so she can let herself outside (and we fear the dogs too) so we have resorted to deadbolting it, which sucks for those needing to get in. Today she announced to Aurora and I "back later" along with an emphatic finger shake at each of us, then headed for the front door to "go aside". Aurora took her for a brief walk, because the temps were almost 100 degrees at 11 am. What a monkey! She is infuriating and frustrating, and loveable, all rolled into one precocious package (Skye that is).
I saw the eye surgeon and he said surgery is necessary. I am scheduled for August 22nd to do my right eye, followed by my left about three weeks later. I am just having the basic package done, which means I will still be needing glasses when I am through--the astigmatism correction is considered "optional" and costs almost $1800/eye to fully correct the degree of astigmatism I have, and it's $2600/eye if I want my reading vision corrected too, with no guarentee that I won't need glasses still (at the $1800 level I would still likely need reading glasses). We just don't have it in the budget to get it all corrected, and I am ok with that. Just so I can see clearly to do the things I love and enjoy them! Today Aurora laughed with me when I got scared there was a dead animal on the back of the loveseat... It was her hair draped over the back and off to the side of the loveseat, blending in ( because of my blurred vision) with the couch in places, except for where it was standing up/poking out in front of the window. Looked like tufts of fur or feathers to me, seated perpendicular to her on the couch... As I said to her, I can generally differentiate things fairly easily when they are things I know well or expect to see. In that instance, it was neither!
Liisa's wedding plans are coming along. Our prior pastor from down here is a MN native, she is now back in Minnesota, and she will be performing the ceremony at my daughter's house (on the front lawn), followed by a reception/party. It's going to be small, intimate, and loving, and I am so happy for her and Zack. They have focused on ways to do this on a tight, limited budget, and it's going to be beautiful and fun!
We have been dealing with record breaking heat for the past week and today it's supposed to be the hottest it's been. We blew up the kid's pool and have been enjoying it daily with Skye. She developed a horrible yeast infection from her antibiotics, and having her in the pool multiple times a day, plus using the creams has been a god-send and she is looking much better. She is quite the waterbaby and loves to splash and swim. We have to watch her like a hawk though because she makes a beeline for the pool any time we are outdoors, and she can get herself in and out of it without any struggle. She also loves to play in the sprinkler and helping Poppa with watering the yard in the evening is a favorite task.
I completed my May socks by deadline MY time, but not by deadline of the Sock Knitter's annonymous group. Eric wore them to work yesterday and said they were wonderful. I have the June socks to finish before the 31st, and I have been spending time knitting on a gift shawl I started a while back. I have some other knitting that needs to be completed as well, so I have elected NOT to knit the July sock challenge. I am pretty proud of myself though--I kept up thru june! I have things I want to be doing but can't right now, for many reasons, so knitting is helping me to pass the time, as is my Nook (because I can change the font size) and audiobooks. I have played Everquest some, and still enjoy it, but it is hard to get involved with anything of significance (game-wise) while I have Skye to keep track of. She loves computers, but isn't much help with playing games on them.
Like so many in similar circumstances we are in the process of tightening our belts some, and realigning some priorities. I am trusting in God's grace to see us through these challenges, but it is stressful and frustrating, as well as humbling when we see how much we have been blessed with as well. Lots of prayers are being lifted up on so many fronts for us, for family, for friends. Everyone has their struggles these days, and prayers are an easy way to aid when there is nothing else to be done. God knows the needs better than we do ourselves, and I trust in His plan to satisfy them in His own time (as much as I wish it were in MY time frame, unfortunately).
Anyway, baby is awake from her nap, so it's time to hit the pool in the yard! Stay cool!
Eric is working hard at both school and work: this is his last term (we hope) and it's going ok so far. I am being run ragged by "Miss Almost Two" who is showing a strong will and a strong independent streak of late (no is her favorite word, she runs the opposite direction from where she is suppose to be, and she has learned the habit of selective hearing from her older role-models...). Skye has figured out how to open the front inside door, and the storm door latch is no longer catching so she can let herself outside (and we fear the dogs too) so we have resorted to deadbolting it, which sucks for those needing to get in. Today she announced to Aurora and I "back later" along with an emphatic finger shake at each of us, then headed for the front door to "go aside". Aurora took her for a brief walk, because the temps were almost 100 degrees at 11 am. What a monkey! She is infuriating and frustrating, and loveable, all rolled into one precocious package (Skye that is).
I saw the eye surgeon and he said surgery is necessary. I am scheduled for August 22nd to do my right eye, followed by my left about three weeks later. I am just having the basic package done, which means I will still be needing glasses when I am through--the astigmatism correction is considered "optional" and costs almost $1800/eye to fully correct the degree of astigmatism I have, and it's $2600/eye if I want my reading vision corrected too, with no guarentee that I won't need glasses still (at the $1800 level I would still likely need reading glasses). We just don't have it in the budget to get it all corrected, and I am ok with that. Just so I can see clearly to do the things I love and enjoy them! Today Aurora laughed with me when I got scared there was a dead animal on the back of the loveseat... It was her hair draped over the back and off to the side of the loveseat, blending in ( because of my blurred vision) with the couch in places, except for where it was standing up/poking out in front of the window. Looked like tufts of fur or feathers to me, seated perpendicular to her on the couch... As I said to her, I can generally differentiate things fairly easily when they are things I know well or expect to see. In that instance, it was neither!
Liisa's wedding plans are coming along. Our prior pastor from down here is a MN native, she is now back in Minnesota, and she will be performing the ceremony at my daughter's house (on the front lawn), followed by a reception/party. It's going to be small, intimate, and loving, and I am so happy for her and Zack. They have focused on ways to do this on a tight, limited budget, and it's going to be beautiful and fun!
We have been dealing with record breaking heat for the past week and today it's supposed to be the hottest it's been. We blew up the kid's pool and have been enjoying it daily with Skye. She developed a horrible yeast infection from her antibiotics, and having her in the pool multiple times a day, plus using the creams has been a god-send and she is looking much better. She is quite the waterbaby and loves to splash and swim. We have to watch her like a hawk though because she makes a beeline for the pool any time we are outdoors, and she can get herself in and out of it without any struggle. She also loves to play in the sprinkler and helping Poppa with watering the yard in the evening is a favorite task.
I completed my May socks by deadline MY time, but not by deadline of the Sock Knitter's annonymous group. Eric wore them to work yesterday and said they were wonderful. I have the June socks to finish before the 31st, and I have been spending time knitting on a gift shawl I started a while back. I have some other knitting that needs to be completed as well, so I have elected NOT to knit the July sock challenge. I am pretty proud of myself though--I kept up thru june! I have things I want to be doing but can't right now, for many reasons, so knitting is helping me to pass the time, as is my Nook (because I can change the font size) and audiobooks. I have played Everquest some, and still enjoy it, but it is hard to get involved with anything of significance (game-wise) while I have Skye to keep track of. She loves computers, but isn't much help with playing games on them.
Like so many in similar circumstances we are in the process of tightening our belts some, and realigning some priorities. I am trusting in God's grace to see us through these challenges, but it is stressful and frustrating, as well as humbling when we see how much we have been blessed with as well. Lots of prayers are being lifted up on so many fronts for us, for family, for friends. Everyone has their struggles these days, and prayers are an easy way to aid when there is nothing else to be done. God knows the needs better than we do ourselves, and I trust in His plan to satisfy them in His own time (as much as I wish it were in MY time frame, unfortunately).
Anyway, baby is awake from her nap, so it's time to hit the pool in the yard! Stay cool!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Almost the end of June
and phase two of the summer is done already. I finished my class, and ended up with an A for it, which I am so relieved about. My final project paper, which was due the end of week 9 was submitted a day early, and three days before the end of the class I get a notice that said it was late! I was scared, nervous, and upset. Sent emails to the instructor, talked to tech support (I had received confirmation that it had been submitted and accepted that Saturday, which remained in place most of the week, until the notice it was late, because I was checking for grades on it daily thereafter), and my instructor accepted it when I resubmitted it and didn't penalize me for "being late". Thank God! I had been just sick over it!
We made the trip to Florida (St. Augustine) and it was lovely. The weather was perfect, the town historic, the hotel had a pool and a 640 year old oak tree, and I really enjoyed it. There were moments of tension and frustration, of course, because one doesn't have an ex-girlfriend, a current fiancee, a baby, one's entire family present without there being stress and tension. Brie generally handled herself well, but it was clear she was stressed at points. Then we had a trip to the ER added into the mix on Father's day. Skye had been stuffing things up her nose, and unbeknownst to us had put a part of a tissue up her right nostril that was rotting. Anyhow, she woke up with a fever and lethargic, and we took her in. They pulled out two small wads of tissue (the second one, higher up, was just rank), and put her on a high powered antibiotic for the infection. Poor baby was scared to death and kept telling everyone "thank you, buh-bye" to get them out of the room. Dalton, Brie, and I were in the room with her, along with the hospital personnel, and we were there for around 3 hours, after which we went back to Regina's house (Dalton's mom), ate some burgers, and took the baby back to the hotel to nap.
Long-story short, the med upset Skye's stomach so she had no appetite and the runs, she threw up on the drive home so that we ended up staying in a hotel overnight so we could rinse out the carseat cover and give her a bath. We did take her in once we were home and they changed her antibiotic; she is 100% better now and hopefully will stop sneaking stuff up her nostril!
Skye was very receptive to meeting her great-grandparents on her dad's side of the family, who had only seen her in photographs prior to this trip, and we took lots of pictures. She got along well with her cousin Abby (who is 2 weeks younger), and seemed to like her dad's fiancee too (who was generally gracious with all that was going on). I really enjoyed meeting Dalton's grandparents and of course, I really like his mom, so the trip went well.
We got home late Thursday afternoon, took the baby to the clinic Friday, Eric and I stole a few hours on Saturday to go to the winery in the afternoon, and went back onto "parenting duties" Saturday night because Brie left for her two weeks of AT training.
Reimond had a little excitement heading up to Minneapolis. He got dropped off at the train only to discover he had no cash to pay for the train ticket (despite my telling him to take change from my bucket for it), and he called me in a panic (I was in Florida at the time!). He was able to track down Aurora and Dan, who raided my "piggy bank" for him and brought him back train fare, then he got to the airport without incident, and made it safely to Phoenix, where his flight got delayed for 2 hours or better. He finally arrived in Minneapolis 2.5 hours after he was supposed to be there, and was glad to be "home". Things are going well at Tony and Andrea's, the work isn't terribly onerous, and he is spending time with the kids, his siblings, and friends in his spare time. He passed his license test, so he is driving now, and seems to be doing well with the adult responsibilities.
So: I am back in Mascoutah, and now am planning out the rest of July! We have Skye this week and next while Brie is gone, then we will be travelling up to Minneapolis on the 25th for a week. Liisa is now pulling together her wedding for July 28th so it can happen while we are there, and it's going to be on her front lawn at the house, followed by a reception/party. She is doing it on a shoestring, and is very excited about how it is coming together. My former pastor from down here will be officiating, and things will be finalized on Sunday (7/1) when Liis and Zack meet with Pastor Heidi at her new office in St. Peter, MN. When we leave Minneapolis we will be bringing Justin and Alexis back with us to spend 2.5-3 weeks here, and I am looking forward to that too. I miss those little ones dreadfully!
My mom's heart issues seem to have straightened out with the medication change, and she is feeling fine. She still has "gravel" in her kidney so the stent remains in place and she has to drink more water to try to flush it out. She is excited about the wedding, and is the same as always when I talk to her on the phone.
I see the eye surgeon today and hopefully will get some answers I need regarding my vision.
Skye yesterday decided to swim in the dog's water dish... I think she got spoiled with the pool at the hotel, and missed it, so I took her to the Mascoutah pool--for 2.5 hours! That baby was so tired she asked to be carried in the pool but wasn't ready to leave. We came home anyway, and she was in bed by 7:30 last night.
Ok, that's the news! Now I need some coffee!
We made the trip to Florida (St. Augustine) and it was lovely. The weather was perfect, the town historic, the hotel had a pool and a 640 year old oak tree, and I really enjoyed it. There were moments of tension and frustration, of course, because one doesn't have an ex-girlfriend, a current fiancee, a baby, one's entire family present without there being stress and tension. Brie generally handled herself well, but it was clear she was stressed at points. Then we had a trip to the ER added into the mix on Father's day. Skye had been stuffing things up her nose, and unbeknownst to us had put a part of a tissue up her right nostril that was rotting. Anyhow, she woke up with a fever and lethargic, and we took her in. They pulled out two small wads of tissue (the second one, higher up, was just rank), and put her on a high powered antibiotic for the infection. Poor baby was scared to death and kept telling everyone "thank you, buh-bye" to get them out of the room. Dalton, Brie, and I were in the room with her, along with the hospital personnel, and we were there for around 3 hours, after which we went back to Regina's house (Dalton's mom), ate some burgers, and took the baby back to the hotel to nap.
Long-story short, the med upset Skye's stomach so she had no appetite and the runs, she threw up on the drive home so that we ended up staying in a hotel overnight so we could rinse out the carseat cover and give her a bath. We did take her in once we were home and they changed her antibiotic; she is 100% better now and hopefully will stop sneaking stuff up her nostril!
Skye was very receptive to meeting her great-grandparents on her dad's side of the family, who had only seen her in photographs prior to this trip, and we took lots of pictures. She got along well with her cousin Abby (who is 2 weeks younger), and seemed to like her dad's fiancee too (who was generally gracious with all that was going on). I really enjoyed meeting Dalton's grandparents and of course, I really like his mom, so the trip went well.
We got home late Thursday afternoon, took the baby to the clinic Friday, Eric and I stole a few hours on Saturday to go to the winery in the afternoon, and went back onto "parenting duties" Saturday night because Brie left for her two weeks of AT training.
Reimond had a little excitement heading up to Minneapolis. He got dropped off at the train only to discover he had no cash to pay for the train ticket (despite my telling him to take change from my bucket for it), and he called me in a panic (I was in Florida at the time!). He was able to track down Aurora and Dan, who raided my "piggy bank" for him and brought him back train fare, then he got to the airport without incident, and made it safely to Phoenix, where his flight got delayed for 2 hours or better. He finally arrived in Minneapolis 2.5 hours after he was supposed to be there, and was glad to be "home". Things are going well at Tony and Andrea's, the work isn't terribly onerous, and he is spending time with the kids, his siblings, and friends in his spare time. He passed his license test, so he is driving now, and seems to be doing well with the adult responsibilities.
So: I am back in Mascoutah, and now am planning out the rest of July! We have Skye this week and next while Brie is gone, then we will be travelling up to Minneapolis on the 25th for a week. Liisa is now pulling together her wedding for July 28th so it can happen while we are there, and it's going to be on her front lawn at the house, followed by a reception/party. She is doing it on a shoestring, and is very excited about how it is coming together. My former pastor from down here will be officiating, and things will be finalized on Sunday (7/1) when Liis and Zack meet with Pastor Heidi at her new office in St. Peter, MN. When we leave Minneapolis we will be bringing Justin and Alexis back with us to spend 2.5-3 weeks here, and I am looking forward to that too. I miss those little ones dreadfully!
My mom's heart issues seem to have straightened out with the medication change, and she is feeling fine. She still has "gravel" in her kidney so the stent remains in place and she has to drink more water to try to flush it out. She is excited about the wedding, and is the same as always when I talk to her on the phone.
I see the eye surgeon today and hopefully will get some answers I need regarding my vision.
Skye yesterday decided to swim in the dog's water dish... I think she got spoiled with the pool at the hotel, and missed it, so I took her to the Mascoutah pool--for 2.5 hours! That baby was so tired she asked to be carried in the pool but wasn't ready to leave. We came home anyway, and she was in bed by 7:30 last night.
Ok, that's the news! Now I need some coffee!
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