Mealyworm is Not herself

August 23, 2013
Amelia is stumbling a lot and not very coordinated.  She has trouble writing her name and sentences.  I made an appointment to see a Pediatrician.  He did several "tests" in the office....stand on one foot and touch your nose, walk in a line, answer these questions "how is milk different from water?" and "what is the difference between a cat and a dog?".  Amelia had some trouble with those, not easily giving the answers as if it was a really tricky question.  So the Dr. said she has "ataxia" and we should wait and see if it gets worse. We have an another appt. for 2 wks from today.She and I attended the Welcome Back Students event at the College of Education, and Amelia fell down twice just walking on the sidewalk.  She is clearly not herself.  She is kind of spacey and not really focusing on what she's doing. For dinner, the whole family went to Denny's and just getting in and out of the car is a challenge.  I asked Matthew to help her walk and hold her hand so she didn't fall.  Then in the restaurant, Amelia ordered Spaghetti.  And watching her try to eat spaghetti with limited coordination was like a flashback to when she was 3 year old! 

August 24, 2013
So all day I have been watching Amelia and worried.  The Dr. said it will take some time to get over but he also said if it gets worse to call.  So I called the "on-call" pediatrician and they said, "Is it getting worse?"...well, that's hard to say.  She is definitely NOT getting better. How long do I watch my healthy, smart, coordinated 7-year-old deteriorate before I say, "ENOUGH!".  Eventually, the on-call doc recommended we go to Carle Hospital Emergency Care because they have an MRI and a neurologist on-call.  So headed off to the ER.

August 25, 2013
Whew, what a night. Amelia was a trooper when they installed the IV, now we are waiting for the MRI and a neurology consult. Very strange, she's been stumbling and slurring her words...and for the record, she hasn't been to any college parties.

August 26, 2013 from Todd -

Rough weekend with my 7 year old daughter in the hospital, suffering from ataxia (stumbling/falling when walking, slurred speech, fine motor skill difficulties, slow mental processing). CT and MRI scans were clear, but no real answers to her condition. Hoping Monday, a pediatric neuro consult, and more tests will bring some answers and a start down the road to recovery. I will say she has been a trooper, as has Sarah Isaacs, who has been with her every moment since being admitted Saturday evening (and who went a little medieval on the poor nurse and doctor when she felt they weren't providing info fast enough)!

 

August 26, 2013 10:13 am

Amelia is improving! The doctor and neurologist are saying it is a post-strep infection in her brain. We have had a scary few days but happy to see she is more alert and walking with less trouble. Maybe even going home this evening.

 

August 26, 2013 4:33pm

We are home. Amelia will continue to be out of school for awhile so she can get more steady on her feet. Her speech & cognition issues aren't improving much yet but they hopefully will soon.

Columbia House

I honestly don't remember how or why or when...but when I was in middle school, I started subscribing to Rolling Stone magazine. The REAL Rolling Stone magazine...you know, when it was big and awkward and floppy. I received an education from that subscription. I learned about music, the world and life in those pages. And I joined Columbia House. Of course we are talking about cassette tapes back then. I have such fond memories of received that first shipment of 15 cassettes. To my recollection I join and re-joined several times in order to received the "free 15" or whatever. Some of the cassettes on my very first order were:
Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining
R.E.M.
New Order
Tori Amos -
Hothouse Flowers-
U2
Depeche Mode
Erasure
Neil Young
The Sundays
E.L.O.

The Annual Christmas Present Dilemma

The children have written their wish lists for Santa.  And of course, I am left with the debate...to buy or not to buy.  I want to encourage the belief that Santa is "alive and watching and listening to your requests" but the carefully kid-printed/misspelled items on the lists are usually too expensive, complete crap or simply not possible.

Bug's "Dear Santa" list- (please note all items include a hand-drawn representation)
Walkie-Talkie set that can talk up to 20 feet
Basketball Hoop that can hang on the wall
Big Angry Bird pillow (space pig) -
Air Hockey table
Spy net Video Glasses
Night sight goggles
A rock kit
Zipline for my backyard
(Also included: Are you real? circle one  YES or NO)

Mealyworm's "Dear Santa" list-
Camera
Barbie
MP3 Player
iPad

Early Bird's "Dear Santa" list-
rocking horse
baby play set
dog vet kit

Ultimately, it probably comes down to my failings as a mother.  I should probably be guiding the Santa lists more....steering the children to items I actually want to buy them.  But isn't it more fun to sit in front of the Black Friday ads and pick all the things you'd love to have?  I don't know, I try to be a conscientious-minded parent, teaching the "what's really important" lessons...but in my heart of hearts sometimes I like to provide my kids with experiences I always wish I had growing up.

My addictive personality

So I managed to watch 3 and half seasons of The Vampire Diaries in my non-existent spare time over the last couple of weeks.  I watched episode after episode on Netflix until the current season and then scoured the CW website and internet black market for the new stuff.  Its official, I'm totally obsessed.

This is why I can't keep White-out and those thick black permanent markers in the house. 

My Stick Family

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Time for a dog?

Thinking about a dog....wouldn't all the extra walking be great for my exercise routine!

Champaign County Humane Society

Unfuck Your Habitat

Unfuck Your Habitat

My new favorite kick ass organize your shit website.  Check it Ow-out.

Garden Update

My squash/pumpkins are growing!

The cats are doing a great job of keeping the rabbits from getting to close to the garden.

This is the spot where the Carrots and Radishes are growing.

Watering and weeding isn't such a bad thing to do on a nice summer evening.  The kids are really enjoying helping me with the garden and are eagerly awaiting "their pumpkins". HA!

My Garden

So I planted a garden this year! I am really excited about it. I bought seeds and "starter plants". It is doing really well. Here are some pics

This is the whole garden - small but mighty!  I've got tomatoes, carrots, radishes, peppers, zucchini, corn, strawberries, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and more!

This is my squash section...Row 1 Pumpkins, Row 2 Melons, Row 3 Cantaloupe, Row 4 Watermelon, Row 5 Summer Squash

Orlando is laying on Matthew's Strawberry Plant and near Amelia's Cucumber plant

Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life

Okay so I read this blog post...and became inspired. http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2012/02/im-woman-with-plan-and-routine-and.html

An organizing eBook for someone like ME!

Click here to view more details

Click here to view more details

Warning:  This e-book is not for everyone.

**********************

If you’ve ever wondered how someone could sleep at night knowing there were dirty dishes in the sink . . . . DON’T buy this e-book.
If, at the end of a long day, you mindlessly put your dirty clothes in the laundry hamper and hang your jacket neatly in the closet . . . DON’T buy this e-book.
If you’ve never experienced heart palpitations at the sound of an unexpected doorbell . . . DON’T buy this e-book.
***********************

Author Dana White says....28 Days to Hope for Your Home is for people like me. People who dream of an orderly home, but truly don’t understand what happens in the three days between Party Ready and Disaster Status.
That was me.  I’m definitely still not perfect, but I’m no longer bewildered.
I know what it takes to maintain a livable home.Click here to view more details

My cats

My cats just waiting to come inside....aren't they adorable....and my cute $5 Valentines clearance wreath, oh and the leftover Christmas window clings....now, its not so cute.

I need to vent.

Early Bird is screaming in her bed. Its actually an improvement....that's how bad her bedtime routine has been lately. Usually she is up and out of her bed no less than ten times a night. It has to stop....so the fact that she is in her bed screaming is theoretically a step in the right direction.

Mealyworm cried when I tucked her in tonight. Crying because she has to go to school tomorrow. She says her teacher is mean and yells at the class. Tells her to "put her hand down" in a mean voice. :( That's horrible to hear and makes a mom's heart ache. Mealyworm says that she doesn't like like learning and sitting still. She says that she doesn't have anyone to play with at recess. Its so painful....I want my babies to be happy. Always. But I'm hoping this is just a bad week...she's been home sick the last two days and so she's been in the "home cocoon"....maybe tomorrow something wonderful will happy for her. I hope so.

Working 8-5pm sucks. I knew that going in....but its a reality again. The great thing about working nights was that I got to pick my kids up at 3pm. They liked it so much better, and so did I. But now they have an extra 2.5 hrs of afterschool care which honestly just drags a bad day out even longer. :(

Aargh. There are no easy answers.

Rolling Stone Magazine

Seeing a post on Facebook tonight referencing a Tori Amos song from the 90s led me on a stroll down memory lane...


In Junior High I had an awesome Social Studies teacher, Mr. K. He taught us about apartheid. He showed us the U2 - Rattle and Hum video documentary. He showed us the movie, The Killing Fields. He played blues music for us. He opened my mind.

I started subscribing to Rolling Stone Magazine in 8th grade. After my subscription to Thrasher ran out. The REAL Rolling Stone magazine...you know, when it was big and awkward and floppy. I received an education from that subscription. I learned about music, the world and life in those pages.

I continued to subscribe year after year with my birthday money or saved up allowance. Between that and my annual contributions to Greenpeace and WWF, my spending cash took a major hit until started working at Edward's Apple Orchard and then Ambrogio's Pizzeria. Ahhh, Ambrogio's such good times. But that's another story. Subscribing to Rolling Stone led me to...Columbia House. You know the total con of "free" and we'll send out a card each month and all you have to do is say NO you don't want the "monthly selection". Of course we are talking about cassette tapes back then. I have such fond memories of received that first shipment of 15 cassettes. To my recollection I join and re-joined several times in order to received the "free 15" or whatever. Some of the cassettes on my very first order were:
Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining
Tori Amos - Under the Pink
Erasure -
Hothouse Flowers -

Fall Prayer

This was the "Opening Prayer" we read in unison last Sunday....I thought it was beautiful:
O God, this is a month of changes. We can feel it in the cooler air, the drop in humidity, the grey skies.
Some of us found our way back to school in this season, and we all want to learn. Let us all grow in wisdom and maturity.
Some of us are watching the harvest begin, while the gardens of others among us produce less and less. Let all our hearts produce love and kindness.
Many of us are leaving vacations behind, but God, you can keep our lives renewed by filling us with your joy and your rest.
Creative God, every year the world spins through its seasons and every year brings troubles. Steady and soothe your earth that its changes may be good changes and its struggles end in peace.
Loving God, who without change remains our steadfast friend, watch over the changes in our lives. May we stretch and grow but always and ever remain yours, in Christ. Amen.

Espresso Shot #132

I actually like working this shift. I mean seriously, its great. This post may sound like I'm high on life and drinking WAY too much coffee, but hell....that's all true.

Here's my top 10 list why working from 11:30pm until 7:30am on campus rocks:

#10 Getting up from my late-evening nap and heading out just as my husband hits the hay.....no more "I have a headache tonight". ;)

#9 Drinking a triple-shot Coconut Cappuccino at 1am and actually enjoying every sip.

#8 People watching the Undergrads is actually a trip in and of itself, especially at these hours.

#7 I feel very productive if I do ANYTHING at all while everybody else is sleeping.

#6 Coming home to my cute kids who are all ready for school and EXCITED to see me.

#5 Hugs & Kisses along with well-wishes for a great day go out to my little one and T-Dad and then they pull out.

#4 Walking my big kids leisurely to our neighborhood school and hearing about their dreams, ideas, plans for the day.

#3 Walking home and eating breakfast and crashing in my dark, cool bedroom...alone.

#2 Waking up, checking the clock...and going back to sleep...in the cool, dark bedroom...alone.

#1 Having the late-afternoon and evening with my family, after a not-so-hard day of napping.

Night 1

So I have my first night under my belt. Working the 3rd shift is like learning a foreign language. Not the actual work, it the understanding your body's internal processes (processi,pl?) I tried to sleep for a few hours before I went in and that only worked moderately well. I felt pretty good for the "busy" part of the night at work. But as the inevitable lull hit I started yawning more and more. And honestly, the 5am-7:30am part of my shift was the hardest. Seeing the sun start to brighten up the night sky around 6am was nice because it meant I was getting closer to the end of shift...but keeping my lids open was brutal. And the last hour is a partial blur, I know I didn't accomplish much. Thank goodness T-Dad went into work late today and was able to take the kiddos to school and the dentist (bad timing on that appt.) because I walked into the house and straight to my bed. I'm too old to pull all-nighters...but I guess that's gotta change.

The Night Shift

Well, I am up early in the hopes that I will be tired later. That's a funny first. Tonight is the long awaited first night of my new job working "nights". And by nights, I don't mean evening shift, or Late Evening or even late,late night. I mean 11:30 pm - 7:30 am, 5 nights in a row, every week. To be honest, I am excited. I was hired several months ago for nights but I had to work days all summer because my workplace has shortened summer hours, no night shifts. I am very grateful for this job. Having been looking for over a year for something steady, with decent pay and in my field...I know what a rare, special gift the universe has chosen to bestow upon me. And now comes the day of reckoning, the switch to night shift.
I think I will be able to adjust my sleep schedule sufficiently to make it work. I have strange sleep patterns anyway so I am hoping with some minor adjustments my patterns will fall in line with my schedule. The current plan is for me to take the big kids to school in the AM, while T-Dad takes Early Bird to daycare and goes to work himself. Then when I get back from the school drop-off, I will go to bed...in my quiet, dark (light darkening shades), cool bedroom. Waking in the late afternoon to go pick up Bug and Meely from school. Then returning home, messing around with them, preparing dinner, etc. Until T-Dad and E.B. get home. Then dinner with the fam, time for dishes or a quick game,then books andi bedtime for the kiddie and mom. If I get in a couple of hours of sleep in the evening, I think this should go go much smoother. I will wake up 45 min or so before I am due to work,get ready, and head out the door about the time T-Dad turns in for the night.

My Mom, the Style Icon: You're Looking at the Dutch Gloria Steinem

My new favorite blog...if only I had an ounce of style sense as these ladies!
My Mom, the Style Icon: You're Looking at the Dutch Gloria Steinem

Puzzle Addiction

We are totally interested in puzzles these days...Bug and Mealyworm can actually help so we're having lots of family time...