The last two weeks were a real challenge. Some of the hardest I can remember as a mom. Two weeks ago Matt left for CA on a work trip and after dropping him at the airport I took Dean to the doctor. He'd been complaining for three days of his stomach hurting and he had a bit of a cough. They didn't seem too concerned with his cough and she was going to chalk his stomach pain up to constipation even though she couldn't feel any hard lumps. I asked her to do a strep swab even though his throat wasn't red. She did and he was positive for strep. So he started antibiotics. The only problem was that he started getting worse rather than better. His symptoms were erratic; he would seem normal with a cough and then a few hours later he was moaning and groaning and lethargic. He'd take 3-4 hour naps in the afternoon and then wake up feeling fine again. His fever came and went. It was all very confusing. I kept thinking he was getting better and then he'd start declining again. He is a very dramatic sick person too, so it was hard to tell how bad he was really feeling.
On Monday night Edward took a bite out of a mushroom in our yard. I'd already put Dean to bed for the night by 6 because he was feeling so bad. I called Matt, panicked, and he told me to pack up all the kids and take him to the hospital. I was not about to do that. I went to one of our neighbor's and asked if she could come to our house and stay with Dean and Walt while I took Ed to the hospital. They recommended trying to get him to throw it up and to call the poison control first. She came over while I was on the phone with poison control. They told me to just watch him and that he probably hadn't eaten enough to do major damage. Maybe just have some stomach irritation. Our neighbor went home. Matt was still very concerned and felt helpless since he was two states away. He still thought I should go in. I put him to bed and he never threw up even, so I was relieved.
Friday rolled around and instead of coming home, Matt flew to UT to pick up a new van for us. It was very random. My sister-in-law's mother who lives in WA heard that I was looking for a very specific van in a specific price range. She told me her friend in UT was selling her van since her husband just passed away a month ago. She linked me to the friend's daughter's page with the pictures of the van. We were on the phone with the lady within a few hours and were committed to buy the van. The work trip was perfect because it allowed us to pick it up without having to pay for a ticket out there. Matt drove the twenty hours home.
Meanwhile, here at the house, by Friday Edward started getting really sick. I took him in to the doctor and he was diagnosed with croup. More medicine. More sick kids. Humidifiers. It was all very stressful taking care of it all by myself. And Dean still wasn't getting better. He woke up screaming at 1:30 on Sat morning saying his ears hurt. He had a fever also. Luckily I knew where some ear drops were and gave him those and ibuprofen and he went right back to sleep. Just as I was getting back to sleep, Edward woke up with his croupy cough. I went up. I held him, rocked him, tried to have him sleep on me. It wasn't working. I laid him back in bed and he was calm as long as I stay, but had a crazy coughing/crying attack if I tried to leave. So I slept next to his crib on the floor from about 2-6am with my arm inside the slat of his crib. He'd wake up periodically and I"d put my hand on his back and he'd go back to sleep.
Matt wanted me to take Dean into the hospital for his ears and fever since he wasn't getting any better on the antibiotics he was one. I was going on nothing at this point and I point blank refused. I couldn't conceive of taking all three kids into the ER, one with croup and one with a mystery illness. It just wasn't happening. I borrowed some essential oils from the neighbor who I'd asked for help from earlier that week. They seemed to work for his ears, but he was still not getting better otherwise. On Sat. night Dean fell asleep by 5 and woke up at 8 ready for some food. He ate some dinner and read some books. I let Walter wait up too since Matt was nearly home. I felt like the heavens opened and angels were singing we he pulled up at 9:30pm with our new van.
On Sunday Walter and I woke up sick. I was scheduled to teach in RS, and I felt well enough to do that since I was in the early stages. Matt stayed home with the three sick boys while I just went into the last hour of church. On Monday I felt worse. By Tues. this week Dean STILL wasn't getting better so I took him in again. She still was saying, "Well, maybe the stomach pain is from constipation" and I wanted to shout at her. Luckily, when she listened to his lungs, she said there were a lot of crackles so she wanted him to take an X-ray to see if he had pneumonia. No pneumonia, but they said it was probably Bronchitis. So they gave him a nebulizer breathing treatment there and headed off to Target pharmacy for the 3rd time in two weeks. Within a day he seemed much better, so I am so glad I finally went back in!
We were scheduled to go back and check his lungs on Friday. He got a clean bill of health, but while we were there, I asked the doctor to check Edward's ears since he'd been pulling them. I figured it might be teething since he has 4 teeth coming in, but no, it was an ear infection. Back to Target and more meds. My ears were filled with pressure by this point and I felt like crap. Two weeks of too much sickness. But Sat. rolled around and I woke up feeling only mostly alive rather than mostly dead and went for a much needed run after Dean woke up but before Walter and Edward woke up. I did three miles and it was nice and overcast, so I came back, got Edward, and went for two more. We're mostly on the mend now, but boy! It was a horrible way to start Summer vacation! Hopefully from here on out we'll just get better and can enjoy our neighborhood pool and have friends come over and play!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Easter
Grandma Waterman sent us some super cute cookie cutters for Easter and I made cookies for Dean's preschool Easter party. I think that they're probably the cutest cookies I've ever made.
We died 18 eggs. 9 a piece. Walter's fingers were super colored. My sugar scrub plus dawn dish soap got most of it off.
We died 18 eggs. 9 a piece. Walter's fingers were super colored. My sugar scrub plus dawn dish soap got most of it off.
While Walter was dying his eggs, Dean made some toy weapons on cardboard.
On the Saturday before Easter Sunday, the Easter bunny stopped by early that morning. The kids went hunting for the eggs we dyed and some plastic eggs with candy and quarters inside.
I was reassuring Walter that he'd find an egg with quarters as well.
March recap
Dean really wanted a captain america shield after playing at his friend Zach's who had one. It was basically just a frisbee and the captain America symbol and I thought I could do something better cheaper. So we started a project with a carboard box and colored duck tape. The white actually glows in the dark. It turned out cooler than I expected. Not perfect, but I'm not a perfectionist, so it was a.ok. by me.
Here he is giving his fierce face.
In front of the newly built garden boxes.
Ready for flight.
Edward wanted to get in on the gardening.
The boys loved doing superhero tricks off of the ladder with the trapeze bar.
Last November Dean bought this castle with every bit of his own money. I tried talking him out of it, but he really wanted it. They played with it for about a week then we put it up in his closet. We got it out again in March and they enjoyed coloring it again. He also made art to hang up inside.
If you can't tell, March is one of the best months to play outside here, so that's where we spent a lot of our time.
Here's Dean before his Texas Hoedown at Preschool. They sang cute patriotic songs and put on a cute little western program. They got to eat cornbread and chili afterward.
Edward got his first big boy hair cut. So handsome.
His cocked grin was a product of teething.
February recap
Dean and Walter looooove "little legos". Uncle Neil got them each a set at Christmas and legos are seriously the only toy they play with. They have caused many a tiffs, but they have also provided many hours of entertainment.
I don't have photoshop on this computer and my desktop is dead. Though washed out, this picture shows my not yet 1 year old climbing up to the playhouse. He figured out how to climb down the stairs and slide down as well. Hasn't fallen out yet. =)
The boys also got really into sticks for awhile there. They loved riding bikes over to "the climbing tree" (a pecan tree at the primary school) to find sticks to play with.
I don't have photoshop on this computer and my desktop is dead. Though washed out, this picture shows my not yet 1 year old climbing up to the playhouse. He figured out how to climb down the stairs and slide down as well. Hasn't fallen out yet. =)
Matt started the process of ripping up some of our tiny yard to build some garden boxes.
This was my day for teaching Walter's "preschool". T is for trains (we had numbered cars), transportation, towers, and tasting. The only other kid this semester was Hayden.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday Rambling Journal
The last two weeks have felt like a whole month. The end of the school year is approaching and it seems like we've had tons of things on our calendar. I am having my studio's piano recital on the 31st. I wanted to do it at the end of April, but we had some scheduling problems. Most of my kids have had their pieces memorized for months. I nearly forgot to have them play them for me at lessons last week. Anyway, with all the hustle and bustle I've had a lot on my mind. Today, though, most of my thoughts are those of gratitude.
Edward is one of the sweetest, cutest little 1 year olds ever. Sure he can be fussy and needy and messy at times, but his little face just lights up my world. He gives me unlimited hugs and slobbery kisses. He tries to help me wash floors, do dishes, do the laundry, etc. He loves to be outside and ride on our scooter as I push him, go to the park and climb and slide and swing and run. He loves to dig and tries to garden like his dad. Usually that just results in veggies getting pulled up prematurely though. He is starting to understand and mimic more language. I know it won't always be cute, but for now it is very cute to hear him say, "Big poop." when he's messy. I don't know how many things he really understands, but I've been successful at getting him to repeat "I love you" and other fun phrases. He wants to be just like the big boys. He makes it easy to want another kid someday.
Walter has been obsessed with "little legos" and they soooo wish that they had more. He (they, really) only plays with legos during their non-screen time. All of the legos they have came from relatives at Christmas. They used them and carried them around the house so much. He and Dean are best friends. They have fights and disagreements, but overall he just loves having Dean around and wants to be just like him. He will be so sad when Dean goes to kindergarten next year, though he'll be in preschool 4 days for 3 hours himself. That will help with the transition I think.
Dean is an amazing creator. They have an invention center at school where he uses recyclables to invent stuff. He LOVES it. Always comes home with little treasures and contraptions that he has invented with a whole story of what they can do. He is very good at putting together inventive ships with his legos, and he often makes 3-D paper ships as well that he creates in his mind. It is amazing to me. Our home teacher is an art teacher and said that kids don't usually start conceptualizing 3-D art until they're much older--jr. high/high school age. He said his paper ships really were amazing for a 5 year old. He is reading at a level 2 or 3 right now. We're still working on reading with inflection and pausing in the right places (periods, commas, etc.), but he's doing really well. His ability to reason mathematically is amazing. He understands the concept of fractions, adding fractions, and even understands that 3/3 is really 1 whole or that 3/6 could also be called 1/2. Most of that we do verbally, so I don't know if he'd be able to do it on paper yet, but conceptually, he gets how numbers fit together. I am curious to see how school goes for him and what they'll do to accommodate and facility his abilities. We've been working on his lisp too. He finally has figured out how to make an "s" sound and can do it if he really thinks about it and tries hard to form him mouth correctly. A lot of times he forgets, but I think he'll be able to work through it. He has such a sensitive spirit. The other day I said something about hoping that the kids would be more willing to try new foods when they're older since it was very important to me. Matt jokingly said, "And if you don't, we'll just kick you out." Dean nearly started to cry at the conversation that followed about how most kids won't live with their parents when they grow up. That thought is just too much for him to swallow yet. I've been working on teaching him piano. He's understanding quite a bit and has better technique and hand position than many of my older students. His main thing is that it's hard for him to listen to me as a teacher and do exactly as I ask him. But we're working through that and he's been practicing pretty well. This makes me very happy since for years he would tell me to stop singing or stop playing the piano. My baby is growing up.
I mentioned it last post, but Matt and I have been doing "special time" one on one with the boys. We started doing it as a suggestion from my mom. Both boys seemed to be acting out and having anger issues. My mom said maybe they just need more one on one time and they might be tired of sharing us with each other. Matt will take one and I'll take the other and we'll do something together. So far we've gone to the store (they love to go to Walmart to get a free cookie), played Frisbee twice I've helped Dean arrange and notate a song in finale songwriter at his request. We've done Jesus says love Everyone and You are my Sunshine. Matt played Stratego with Walter. It's been good for all of us. I feel like we're more aware of them individually and are better able to listen and calmly deal with their behavioral flare ups.
Last week I taught in relief society. I was released as the primary pianist and now teach in our women's class once a month. It is my favorite church calling I think. It was the second time I've taught and I really love President Lorenzo Snow (the Latter-day Prophet who's words we are studying this year in that class) philosophy on improvement and change. "Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today." LOVE it. "The idea is not to do good because of the praise of men, but to do good because in doing good we develop godliness within us, and this being the case we shall become allied to godliness which will in time become part and portion of our being..."
Today our lesson was on the importance of family relationships. It made me so grateful to be part of such a grand clan. She asked about people's family reunions and I shared that even though we're spread out, we've been able to get together for a reunion every other year at least since I was 18. Maybe before then but since I was at home I didn't notice it since people came to me rather than me having to schedule to go to it. My family is such a source of inspiration. I see my brothers and sisters with their kids and they are such good examples of righteous, loving families. Even if we don't all share the same religious or political beliefs, we share a common link of DNA and love and acceptance and forgiveness and friendship. I ache for people who don't have that group. This past year as both of my maternal grandparents passed away, I was able to see how, even my extended family, which is even more varied and colorful than my immediate family in belief systems, is such an amazing tribe. We have such a deep rooted love that has been passed through generations. It was so much fun to see my cousins and spend time with them. It is sad, in a way, that life is so spread out. People used to stay right by their family for generations. I'm just grateful that in this day where it is harder to do that, that we have means of staying in touch, even if it's not physical contact. I miss my family dearly living so far from anyone, but I am still connected, and for that I am grateful.
I have a friend whose daughter is in bone marrow failure. They've found a partial match for her and she will be leaving her other 4 very little kids for a few months while she goes with her daughter for a bone marrow transplant out of state. It is amazing to hear her speak of the process, their lives, and their faith. The little girl has not even reached her teenage years and has to face life and death and operations and transfusions. She and her mom and their whole family are such a touching living testimony of the importance of families and taking time for one another. She is truly an inspirational mother. They haven't been to church in about 2 years since her daughter's been in bone marrow failure and can get sick and die very easily, but her faith is so strong. Today she got to "attend" Relief Society via skype (or some other program like it)! I love technology! It was so touching to me that I kept tearing up randomly during class. They have reminded me to cherish life and health and that people are more important than things or money or circumstances. If you're interested, her blog explains their situation and their lives. Here is their blog. http://ourlittletasteofheaven.blogspot.com/
If you keep your eyes open for good things, you will see them. Even if it seems cloudy and gloomy. Yes, sometimes it rains, but then you have puddles to jump in. Just jump in. Preferably in your underwear.
Those are a few of the things on my mind. I am grateful, so very grateful to be a mother. I am grateful I have a husband I love who loves me and that we can get along and make things work even when we're so very different and we have our own idiosyncrasies. I am grateful for a sweet peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into my life and that I know that families are eternal units and that I am sealed and bound with my family of origin as well as my own little family of choice and creation. Every day I try to "love life and see good days" 1 Peter 3:10. I don't always succeed, but when I do fall, I get up, repent, and try to do better than before. And that's all God expects of me. And for that I am grateful.
Edward is one of the sweetest, cutest little 1 year olds ever. Sure he can be fussy and needy and messy at times, but his little face just lights up my world. He gives me unlimited hugs and slobbery kisses. He tries to help me wash floors, do dishes, do the laundry, etc. He loves to be outside and ride on our scooter as I push him, go to the park and climb and slide and swing and run. He loves to dig and tries to garden like his dad. Usually that just results in veggies getting pulled up prematurely though. He is starting to understand and mimic more language. I know it won't always be cute, but for now it is very cute to hear him say, "Big poop." when he's messy. I don't know how many things he really understands, but I've been successful at getting him to repeat "I love you" and other fun phrases. He wants to be just like the big boys. He makes it easy to want another kid someday. |
| Edward "helping" me with laundry |
Walter has been obsessed with "little legos" and they soooo wish that they had more. He (they, really) only plays with legos during their non-screen time. All of the legos they have came from relatives at Christmas. They used them and carried them around the house so much. He and Dean are best friends. They have fights and disagreements, but overall he just loves having Dean around and wants to be just like him. He will be so sad when Dean goes to kindergarten next year, though he'll be in preschool 4 days for 3 hours himself. That will help with the transition I think. |
| Playing "pool time" with his lego guys |
Dean is an amazing creator. They have an invention center at school where he uses recyclables to invent stuff. He LOVES it. Always comes home with little treasures and contraptions that he has invented with a whole story of what they can do. He is very good at putting together inventive ships with his legos, and he often makes 3-D paper ships as well that he creates in his mind. It is amazing to me. Our home teacher is an art teacher and said that kids don't usually start conceptualizing 3-D art until they're much older--jr. high/high school age. He said his paper ships really were amazing for a 5 year old. He is reading at a level 2 or 3 right now. We're still working on reading with inflection and pausing in the right places (periods, commas, etc.), but he's doing really well. His ability to reason mathematically is amazing. He understands the concept of fractions, adding fractions, and even understands that 3/3 is really 1 whole or that 3/6 could also be called 1/2. Most of that we do verbally, so I don't know if he'd be able to do it on paper yet, but conceptually, he gets how numbers fit together. I am curious to see how school goes for him and what they'll do to accommodate and facility his abilities. We've been working on his lisp too. He finally has figured out how to make an "s" sound and can do it if he really thinks about it and tries hard to form him mouth correctly. A lot of times he forgets, but I think he'll be able to work through it. He has such a sensitive spirit. The other day I said something about hoping that the kids would be more willing to try new foods when they're older since it was very important to me. Matt jokingly said, "And if you don't, we'll just kick you out." Dean nearly started to cry at the conversation that followed about how most kids won't live with their parents when they grow up. That thought is just too much for him to swallow yet. I've been working on teaching him piano. He's understanding quite a bit and has better technique and hand position than many of my older students. His main thing is that it's hard for him to listen to me as a teacher and do exactly as I ask him. But we're working through that and he's been practicing pretty well. This makes me very happy since for years he would tell me to stop singing or stop playing the piano. My baby is growing up. |
| A small sampling of invention center creations |
Last week I taught in relief society. I was released as the primary pianist and now teach in our women's class once a month. It is my favorite church calling I think. It was the second time I've taught and I really love President Lorenzo Snow (the Latter-day Prophet who's words we are studying this year in that class) philosophy on improvement and change. "Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today." LOVE it. "The idea is not to do good because of the praise of men, but to do good because in doing good we develop godliness within us, and this being the case we shall become allied to godliness which will in time become part and portion of our being..."
 |
| The boys playing their nightly game with Matt. |
I have a friend whose daughter is in bone marrow failure. They've found a partial match for her and she will be leaving her other 4 very little kids for a few months while she goes with her daughter for a bone marrow transplant out of state. It is amazing to hear her speak of the process, their lives, and their faith. The little girl has not even reached her teenage years and has to face life and death and operations and transfusions. She and her mom and their whole family are such a touching living testimony of the importance of families and taking time for one another. She is truly an inspirational mother. They haven't been to church in about 2 years since her daughter's been in bone marrow failure and can get sick and die very easily, but her faith is so strong. Today she got to "attend" Relief Society via skype (or some other program like it)! I love technology! It was so touching to me that I kept tearing up randomly during class. They have reminded me to cherish life and health and that people are more important than things or money or circumstances. If you're interested, her blog explains their situation and their lives. Here is their blog. http://ourlittletasteofheaven.blogspot.com/
If you keep your eyes open for good things, you will see them. Even if it seems cloudy and gloomy. Yes, sometimes it rains, but then you have puddles to jump in. Just jump in. Preferably in your underwear.
Those are a few of the things on my mind. I am grateful, so very grateful to be a mother. I am grateful I have a husband I love who loves me and that we can get along and make things work even when we're so very different and we have our own idiosyncrasies. I am grateful for a sweet peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into my life and that I know that families are eternal units and that I am sealed and bound with my family of origin as well as my own little family of choice and creation. Every day I try to "love life and see good days" 1 Peter 3:10. I don't always succeed, but when I do fall, I get up, repent, and try to do better than before. And that's all God expects of me. And for that I am grateful.
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