Day 2

Yesterday afternoon we got word that we could move to the Ronald McDonald House.  Hotels are nice,  but pricey.  Funny, after working for McDonalds so long, and I know I took one trip to tour the new Ronald House that had opened about 20 years ago now, I didn't realize all the benifits.  I knew it was a low cost place for families to stay ($10 per night is the suggested donation) and families are asked to do household chores while they live there.  But they also have different people bring in dinner every night, so families get at least one, hot, healthy, home cooked meal a day.  For some it may be the only time all day to get out of your child's hospital room for food.  And today they had big stuffed bears free to our hospitalized kids donated by a local business.  They have Coke machines that have cans of soda for a quarter, game rooms for our other kids, a play room, several living rooms, a piano, laundry facilities with free soap and softener, a pantry and fridge we can get things out of to eat if we are hungry and fridge space to bring in our own things.  It's a very easy one block walk back to the children's hospital.

Today Zach seems much improved.  Last night he stayed up all night watching TV, the nurse and I both changing from unappropriate shows as we noticed during the night.  Today he has been up most of the day too.  Everytime we thought he might nap, someone came in to do or check something.  He had trouble with his NG tube (the one in his nose) and they tried several times to re-possition it, finally having to pull it out and put in a new one, taking bed side X-rays every time they moved it to see if this time it was in right.  They also had to change his dressings on his belly - not a happy process, Mike can tell you.  But he's got the flute Steven bought him, a bear from Grammy, a bear from the Ronald house and a bouquet of balloons.  Also he got to open his mystery envelope from Aunt Jenny and family to make him laugh and keep him occupied.  Hopefully he sleeps well tonight.  He has been asking to eat since last night.  Hopefully they can at least put him on liquids soon.

Zach Update

Yesterday Zach and I got to the hospital around noon to check in for his bowel prep before surgery the following day.  On Wednesday he had to begin a clear liquid diet and Wed night had to take some Magnesium Cloride to start the cleaning out process.  When we got to the hospital on Thur he had to begin drinking "Go Lightly", however he really disliked the taste, so he ended up with an NG tube in his nose and they just pumped it into his stomach.  This morning they came to get him around 7 AM for his 7:30 surgery time for his bladder augmentation and mitroffonoff (sp?)- anyway, the pathway to cath through.  After 8 hours in surgery and an hour in recovery, we got to go back and see him.  He has been so happy to have Grammy here with him today and keeps asking for her.  He even told me that he wants her to play with him tomorrow.  Good news if he thinks he will feel up to playing anything tomorrow.  They told us that if his recovery goes well, he could go home in 4-7 days, not the 14 we thought was going to be his hospital stay.  Keep praying, we would love to have him home recovering sooner than planned.

Christmas vacation has begun

A couple of weeks ago it was time for the annual "see if the winter gear still fits" night.

Zach- boots: don't fit, snow pants: still fit, winter coat: still fits, hats and mittens: need more

Steve- boots: can't find them, snow pants: little small, coat: still fits, hats and mittens: good

Pete- boots: good, snow pants (after sqeezing into them) they're fine mom - yeah, right, coat: wish he'd wear his instead of just hoodies, hat and mittens: those are for wimps

Molly- just bought her boots, snowpants, coat, mittens, and grandma made her lots of hats for Christmas.

OK, Steve, pass your snow pants down to Pete, made a list of everything else needed.

So, today is the first day of Christmas vacation.  Yesterday we got lots of rain and a little snow, and Zach couldn't wait to get out to play today.  After a half hour I went to check on him to find a very respectable snowman.  We took him out the "Snowman kit" that Great Grandpa made when Steven and Peter were little and he's now very proud.

Then it was time for Molly to experience her first snow..... with the snowpants and boots on, she didn't want to walk.  Mike absolutely LOVES the fuzzy hat Grandma made her for Christmas - he says she looks like a snowflake.  Out came the baby sled and she wasn't sure if that was fun or not.  And did I mention how silly Pete looked in boots, snowpants, and a sweatshirt???

It's Him!!

Zach is 7 this year and in first grade.  Yesterday was his class Christmas party, so when I picked him up from Boys and Girls Club he was full of news to share - first and most important was that THE REAL Santa was at his school today and gave all the kids a bag of popcorn.  And then later Zach saw him again at the Boys and Girls Club. Apparently it was the same Santa he saw up town a couple of weeks ago when I had assured him it was the real Santa and not a helper.  Then came the inevitable question......

Mom is Santa real?

Yes, Zach, why do you ask?

Some kids in my class said he's not real.

Oh, Honey, they were probably just being silly.

No, Mom, they were serious.

Darn, I guess this is the last year for Zach to believe.  He is at that age, but next Christmas Molly will be almost 3 and just starting too understand Santa.  It would be nice to have Zach as excited about it all when she understands too.

HHHUUUHHHH???

Why is it that when someone finally decides to help me out and clean the kitchen, they leave lots of cleaners out all over the counters (I almost always stick to my one standard multi-purpose cleaner)?  There is Lysol concentrate, there is scouring powder, there is spray cleaner, and several sponges.  OK, maybe if they stay out it will be easier for everyone to chip in.  So I leave them out for a few days.  And wait.  Nope, no one is helping, even though after dinner the counters are supposed to be empty and clean.   Fine, I will clean the kitchen good again, put away the cleaners, again.  Next time I go out to the kitchen, someone has cleaned 1 counter (of the 4 in the kitchen) and all the cleaners are out again.  I think they are just trying to make me crazy - and it's working.

To Snow, or Not To Snow

Chirstmas is almost here.  The decorating is done.  The shopping is done.  The gifts are wrapped.  In the 3 years we have been married we have not had a white Christmas.  This year looks like we may finally have one.  We have a snow storm coming through today and tomorrow, the weather man is saying 1-6 inches of snow..... maybe he should just come out and say he has no idea what we will get.  I'm actually hoping we get snowed in for a couple of days.  I can't wait to see what Molly thinks of the snow and her new sled.  We don't have to go anywhere this weekend.  And next week we won't be together because of Zach's surgery- Pete will be with his aunt and taking Sadie with him.  Mike has to come back home for work, although Steven, Molly and I will be at the hospital with Zach.  The packing for that has begun, but in secret as we are still not telling Zach about his surgery until after Christmas.

Just Thinking

 About 2 months ago I finally talked Mike into giving up the satelite TV.  There wasn't anything on day time TV that I wanted to watch while everyone is away at work and school.  We were not happy with the quality of the programs on for the kids and the values that even the Disney Channel was teaching.  And it was a lot of money to pay for something we were not happy with.  I happily report to you that the kids have survived watching free TV.  They may not have all the cartoon channels, and there still isn't stuff on all the time that we want to watch, but network TV is just fine.  I'm not saying there aren't channels we miss.  Mike loves Sci-Fi Channel.  Steven likes History Channel.  I miss my guilty pleasure shows of Swamp People (Mike hates that show and can't figure out why I like it-- there's just something about watching Jr. catching a big gator.....) and Sister Wives, and Zach wants to see cartoons when he gets home from school (about 10 minutes after he gets home Fat Albert comes on - some of those things I used to watch as a kid sure don't seem real correct these days...) and then no more cartoons.  I wish I could get PBS so Molly could watch Sesame Street.  But we have tons of videos and DVD's.  We will survive - maybe with absolutely NO TV sometime soon.

Ones for the Graduation Posters

 Molly emptied Mike's daiaper bag, opened the formula container, and shook it into her mouth.  Then kept rubbing her hands in what spilled and licking it off her fingers...... saying "Yum" the whole time.

Bath time followed - hey, how does YOUR hair look after it is towel dried???

Wish it was me

It's 2:40 in the morning and I'm awake.  I got up with the baby at 12:30.  As I am sitting here, playing solitare on my computer, I am struck by the irony.  I laid in bed for an hour wishing I would go back to sleep before I got up again.  Now I am listening to the baby snoring (loudly), the husband snoring (quietly), and the cat snoring (peacefully).

Santa Clause is coming to town!

 

Santa and Mrs. Clause arrived in town today on a fire truck.  We assured Zach last night that it would be the REAL Santa, and not one of his helpers and we was so excited.  He was so awed today that when Santa asked him what he wanted, it took him a while to remember.  Unfortunately, the fire truck was left running and the parents could not hear what their kids were asking Santa for.......

Molly did not cry, but she did not take her eyes off BaBa until he came back to get her off this guys lap!!

I love You More....

This year, Grammy (or my mom) made Zach a cool short sleeve cowboy shirt with pearl snaps and cowboy boot fabric.  It also has a matching vest and Pete passed on his Texas cowboy belt that he had outgrown.  For his birthday, real cowboy boots came into his wardrobe (did you  know the metal toe part of the boot may be for "Cow Kickin" but doe not hold up through "Football Kickin" at school recess?)  He loves that shirt so much he received a matching long sleeve shirt and for Christmas 2 more long sleeve ones in different western fabrics.  As soon as I do laundry he begins wearing them, and only them until they are all dirty then he will move on to his other shirts.  Since yesterday I did his laundry, he picked his cowboy shirt today.  I said I knew he would because he loves those shirts so much.

 I asked him - what do you love more, your shirts or Mommy?

Long pause for thought - Mommy (whew, he had me worried)

OK, how about your shirts or Daddy?

Long pause - my shirts (oopps, sorry daddy)

What about shirts or Sadie?  Shirts or Peter?  Shirts or Molly?  Shirts or Steven?

Sadie, shirts, shirts, both

At least Sadie and I both rank over his wardrobe!!

You Better Watch Out!!

Not because Santa is coming to town, but because over the weekend, I let Steven  behind the wheel of my car for the first time.  He's 15 and itching to begin drivers training.  So, Saturday I turned my car around so he did not have to reverse - I still love my car and don't want to temp fate!  I let him move the car from by the garage up the hill to the house.  Wow, was that a trip!!!  After giving him the run down of how the car works, he was in the driver's seat.  Steven, it just needs a LITTLE push on the gas pedal!!  Wait, not so much!!!  Stop!!!!  OK, now turn to go up the hill --- slowly push the gas.   Stop!!!!!  By the time we got there, I decided he will NOT ever practice with the baby in the car - until after driver's training anyway.  He decided it is much harder to drive a car than the riding lawn mower.  We were both a bit freaked out.  Mike's going to get his breaks fixed and told Steve that is the car he will practice in from now on, since his is a work car and mine is the family car.  I think that's a good idea....