Car talk

Pinky and I were discussing a book she is reading for PreAP English.
The Brain: Don't spoil the ending for me I might have to read it in Honors class.
Pinky: That will be 5 years from now. I'm pretty sure you won't remember it by then.
The Brain: That will be sooner than you think.
Pinky: No, that will be in 5 years.

Hoppy

My grandfather died yesterday. He left me with so many memories.

He would call on Friday nights and ask, "Is it Friday yet?" My brother and I would go to our grandparents' house to spend the night.
We worked in the garden.
We played in the tree house.
We burned trash in a barrel.
We played in the sprinkler.
We rested in a hammock.
We picked berries.
We ate homemade ice cream with sprinkles.
We ate Neapolitan ice cream.
We played with model trains.
We played Flinch.
We played Wahoo.
We built fires in the fireplace.
We watched PBS.
We made banana pancakes and blueberry waffles.
We went camping.
We went hiking.
We roasted marshmallows. 
We went to football games.
We watched football games on TV.
We took LOTS of pictures.
We watched LOTS of slide shows.

He would have been 91 years old on Friday.
I'll miss him.

Blessings

The Brain made me cry for the second time in two days. You see, my 11YO son has become almost a stranger to me. He has terrible mood swings. One minute, he is pleasant and happy, and the next he is disrespectful and full of disdain.

Yesterday, a beautiful bike ride turned into a bitter experience as the Brain ignored safety rules and and became frustrated with me as I corrected him. He despised me for "treating [him] like a baby." I listened to him rant and then calmly explained that in this case, he didn't have a choice. He MUST follow rules to keep both himself and others safe. He seemed to tune me out, refusing to listen and pretending he had no reason to apologize.

Where has my sweet little boy gone?

This morning, instead of singing in the church choir, I chose to sit by this stranger-boy's side during the worship service. And God chose to bless my socks off. This bitter, angry, hateful, disrespectful boy of yesterday, who normally doesn't even stand, let alone sing, during church, stood next to me and sang with a voice so strong and pure:

Bless the Lord, o my soul.

O my soul, worship His holy name. 

Sing like never before, o my soul. 

I will worship his holy name.

And the tears flowed as he sang:

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

May God continue to give me these peaceful, joyful glimpses of my child.

Least favorite actors

I was watching the third Sarah, Plain and Tall movie on the Hallmark Channel today. I mentioned to Pinky that two of my least favorite actors in the whole, wide world are in that movie: Jack Palance and Christopher Walken. And she says to me, "All you need is Woody Harrelson." HA! She knows me so well!

A little humiliation doesn't hurt

You should read this article, or at least see the pictures, because Pinky agrees and said, "The best form of punishment for a child is humiliation."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2418397/Dad-wears-embarrassing-Daisy-Dukes-family-outing-teach-short-shorts-loving-daughter-lesson.html

With SuperD as her father, she may someday regret having said that.

Pinky's funny

Pinky to SuperD: Dad, are you going to want to make me some waffles in a few minutes?

Obviously, she has her dad wrapped around her little finger.

Do bad things happen in threes?

Maybe. Since we have lived here, I have been late or nearly late for the first day of school twice. The first time, I was on my way to Walmart in the early morning to buy my daughter an umbrella for the bus stop when a man blew through a stop light that was blinking because of the storm. He hit the passenger side of my van and totaled it. Then last year, my son and I left for school, and we had to return home so that he could attend VomitFest.

I was surprised to make it to school in one piece yesterday, although I did only get there with 10 minutes to spare. I was halfway to the school when I discovered that I had my husband's insulin in my purse. Since he needed it, I had to turn back and take it to him. That was the worst of it though. No vomit. No airbags. And the rest of the day was fantastic!

But you can bet I'll be anxious again next year!

Bonding Time

Pinky and I did a little bonding recently when I found out that she has a tiny fan girl thing for Tom Cruise. She thinks he's pretty good looking for an old guy. She said he doesn't seem to age. She didn't even know I had this poster on my wall when I was a teenager:

Happy National Watermelon Day!

A fun surprise festival at our local farmer's market this morning. FREE watermelon!

 

The Brain competed in a seed spitting contest. Unfortunately, a 5YO girl beat him.

Guess Who - Round Two

 

Does this face look familiar?

 

This is SuperD's mom in 1967 at the age of 17.

 

 

 

This is my daughter at the age of 9.

 

Freaky familiar, huh?

 

For those who missed the original post, the Brain looks like my dad:

 

Guess Who?

Kids say the funniest things

[Riding in the car, listening to the radio]

Me, to SuperD [shocked]: Are you listening to country music?

SuperD: Yes. Is there something wrong with that?

The Brain [pipes up from the back seat]: Dang hillbillies!

Freaky lizard boy

Obviously, the Brain's gigantic brain didn't remind him to use sunscreen this weekend at my aunt's house. I've been lathering him up 3 times a day with aloe vera gel, keeping it moist, but he's peeling everywhere! I even found dead skin on my iPad screen! Eeeew!

Tuesday funny

Pinky and I work at the local ballpark to put funds into her school band account.

Each time we work, this sight gives me a chuckle.

 

(In case you can't read the small red signs on the doors, they read, "NOT AN EXIT".)

God does still speak

God makes me giggle at times. He never ceases to amaze me. Someone wrote a question of Facebook yesterday, asking why God doesn't still speak wth an audible voice. I didn't comment because I didn't have an answer. It did get me thinking though. Does God still speak with an audible voice? If He spoke to me in that manner, I might be afraid to tell anyone for fear they would think me crazy. There are so many examples in the Bible of God speaking to people, and yet we don't hear of any in our society today.

But I know God still speaks. In fact, he spoke to me this morning. Think I'm crazy? Well, I've been very anxious the past week, as we wait to see if SuperD will get the job he interviewed for almost 2 weeks ago. We know they are considering him because they called one of his references to check up on him. I've been praying a lot about this job. He would be working for the same school system who employs me. It would be close to home. It would provide insurance immediately, which is important for a diabetic. It doesn't pay what he is worth, but he would work normal hours and be able to spend more time with the family. It's what he wants. It's what I want. But is it God's will?

I've been honest with God. I've asked Him to give this job to SuperD. I know the answer might be "no", but I've asked God to please let it be a "yes". He knows the desires of my heart. He knows how I've been fighting worry about the state of our checking account. He has been keeping me calm every time the worries try to resurface. I know He will continue to take care of us. He hasn't given me the answer I desire, but He did answer me this morning.

I awoke from a dream. I won't go into details, but it reflected the worries I have been keeping at bay. I talked with God about it and gave those worries back to Him. Again. Then, as I checked my email, He sent me a Bible verse. KLOVE sends me a verse every day. Most days I read over it, reflect a little, and go on with my day. But today, it was meant for me. It's one of my favorites. Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." It was a reminder to me to keep doing what I'm doing, and God will continue to keep us safe. I'm certainly not righteous, but as I continue to give my anxiety over to God, I know he honors my faithfulness.

Well, I guess God wasn't through talking to me because when I was checking Facebook, He gave me another verse. Psalm 9:9-10 says, "The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You." I smiled and said, "Okay. Okay, God. I get it."

If my dreams are any indication, I hadn't truly given Him my trust. I've been trying. It's been hard. He's taught me this same lesson over and over, and He has never failed me. He has walked with me and even carried me when I was too tired to go on. This is not too big for Him. This is nothing for Him. We are everything to Him, and I will continue to trust and praise Him. He will not forsake me. He will keep me safe. 

So, God does speak. It wasn't with an audible voice, and you still may think I'm crazy. But I know my Savior's voice. If you listen, you will hear Him, too.

A Family Fourth

The Fourth of July has always been an important holiday for my family. As I pointed out last year, we always attend our local parade, and in the evening, we watch one of the best fireworks displays in the nation. The whole town turns out with lawn chairs and picnic blankets. In fact, the spectators used to view the fireworks from the college stadium. These days, people spread out all over the campus and stake their claim wherever they find room. I look forward to this holiday every year. Even when SuperD and I lived 90 miles away, we always came back to town for the 4th. I don't remember ever missing it.

Until this year.

We did attend the parade since Pinky was once again in the marching band. Proud Band Mom stood and cheered and then ran down the sidewalk to capture even better photos as the band continued on down the street. But this year, my aunt and uncle invited us to visit them and shoot off our own fireworks. This would be a brand new experience for me. See, I have always lived in the city, where ordinances prohibited fireworks, except for the big town display. Other than sparklers, smoke bombs, and Black Cats, I've never set off fireworks. While I thought it would be a fun experience for Pinky and the Brain, I dreaded missing my family ritual. I would be breaking a 40-year tradition. Little did I know how very awesome my new experience would be.

As I sat in my aunt and uncle's driveway this evening, watching my husband and children lighting our fireworks, I began to hear and see at least 7 other groups setting off their own displays nearby. Literally, there were lights bursting all around me! I was surrounded by a chorus of whizzing and popping! Before one would end to my right, another would burst to my left, and then one behind us would light up the sky! It was magnificent!

Ewww.

I don't like feet. I think they're ugly. And gross. I don't like sandals. I despise flip-flops. Give me a cute pair of Keds any day. The very thought of a pedicure makes me anxious. I don't want anyone touching my feet. I don't even want people to see my feet, and I certainly don't want to see theirs.

So you can understand why I throw up in my mouth a little every time someone posts a picture on Facebook of their freshly painted toenails and it pops up on my Newsfeed. Toenails are nasty. It doesn't matter if they're striped, polka-dotted, camoflauged, crackled, sparkled, spangled, bejeweled, or glittered. This is yet another fad in which I will not participate. E-VER.

If I want to decorate my feet, I'll do it like this:

    

A Day in the Life...

Things I learned today:

My husband has 30 pair of white sports socks, enough for an entire month. (Is it any wonder that whites are my least favorite load of laundry?)

Each time I eat my favorite mini M&M Sonic Blast, I blow 520 calories. (Some days, like today, it is worth it.)

I tie my shoes wrong. (There is a strong knot and a weak knot. I do the weak knot, and my shoes don't stay tied.)

During my lifetime, I will grow approximately 590 miles of hair. (Most of it will end of on my bathroom floor or wound around the vacuum cleaner belt.)

Roma Downey is only 11 years older than me. (So she's either younger than I thought she was, or I'm older than I thought I am.)

Lame, Lame, Lame

I've become discouraged by my children's lack of enthusiasm to celebrate Wild and Wacky Holidays this summer. Either my idea was lame or my children are. And, frankly, I'm leaning toward the latter. Motivating Pinky and the Brain to do anything besides watching TV, surfing the internet on their iPhones, or playing Minecraft is nearly impossible. Pinky would be perfectly satisfied to sit on the couch in her bathrobe all day, and the Brain has a permanent place at the kitchen table. I'm going to have to find a new tactic to get them off their hineys. 

So, I guess we won't celebrate a Wild and Wacky Holiday EVERY day, but I will be picky about which ones I choose.

And I have another plan for fun in July. Maybe my enthusiasm will rub off on them.

Brainiac strikes again

Pinky and I were watching Master Chef in the living room while the Brain was playing Minecraft on his laptop. I was amazed twice during the episode when home chefs cooked dishes they had never made before. I asked Pinky, "How do these people know how to cook lobster and make Hollandaise sauce if they've never made it before? How do they even know what to do?"

That's when the Brain piped up and said, "It's the mind of a master, Mom."

Happy National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

We were going to celebrate National Jerky Day, but as luck would have it, my mom brought us VBS Monster Cookies! So we were able to celebrate peanut butter cookies instead. I know they're not your traditional P.B. cookies with the fork hash marks, but this batch of cookies has 3 lbs. of peanut butter in it, so it definitely counts!

 

Besides, the cookies were free, and we would have spent a lot of money at the jerky store. Yes, you read that correctly. There is a jerky store near our house. They sell the standard beef jerky in a variety of flavors, but SuperD and the Brain enjoy trying new, exotic flavors of jerky. Alligator jerky was a big hit, but the salmon jerky they tried stunk up my car for days! Next time, I think they need to try antelope, buffalo, elk, ostrich, venison, or wild boar. Who knew, right?

Insulin frustration

Novolog
This insulin is what SuperD and the Brain use in their insulin pumps. It is a fast-acting insulin which begins working within about 5 minutes. That's why it's good for the pump. A diabetic can give themselves insulin (bolus) as they are eating their food and it will begin working immediately, just like insulin from a pancreas would. The Brain uses 1-2 bottles each month, and SuperD uses almost 3 bottles in the same time period. Without insurance, this small bottle costs $164.19. So if not for medical insurance, our family would spend $820.95 on insulin alone while using two insulin pumps.

Novolin R
This is the insulin SuperD will have to use until he is back on insurance. Novolin R is also a fast-acting insulin, but it doesn't begin working until about 30 minutes after you inject it. So, a diabetic must estimate how much food will be consumed at a meal, estimate what time the meal will be eaten, and take the estimated amount of insulin about 30 minutes before eating. Because of this, the peak time of the insulin, and the amount of time it takes to cycle through the body, it is not recommended to be used in an insulin pump. That's unfortunate since this small bottle only costs $24.88.

So, the question is: why is Novolog almost 7 times more expensive than Novolin?

Of course, even if it were recommended for pump use, we would still have to find a way to purchase the ultra-expensive infusion sets (needle and tubing) and cartridges without insurance.

Happy Corn on the Cob Day!

Holy sweet corn, Batman! Why have I never eaten corn this way before? I've had boiled corn from frozen ears. I've had canned corn. I've had creamed corn. I've eaten corn casseroles. But this was yummy! And easy! I just threw the corn in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, peeled back the husks, buttered it, and seasoned it. I may never eat corn any other way ever again!

 

 

 

 

The Brain only ate half of his because he was annoyed with the silk.

 

SuperD loved his but was worried about it being a high carbohydrate choice.

 

Pinky was a good sport, but she still doesn't like corn.

 

And I ate every bit of mine! YUM!

Iced tea and yo-yos

Our family was split on what holiday to celebrate today.

SuperD chose to celebrate National Iced Tea Day. He brewed an orange pekoe black tea and served it up a la Duck Dynasty in his blue Tupperware tumbler. That's a fact, Jack!

Sadly, I was misinformed about today being National Yo-Yo Day. I guess it was actually 4 days ago on June 6th, so we just celebrated a little late. June 6th is believed to have been the birthdate of the Mr. Duncan of Duncan yo-yos fame.

The Brain chose the Yo-Yo Ball because "it always comes back to you." Pinky and I split a 2-pack of Duncan yo-yos. I took the Mosquito, and she took the LimeLight which is super cool because you can yo-yo in the dark. I had wanted the Butterfly, but I couldn't find one. The Brain quickly lost interest in his yo-yo. After all, how many tricks can you do with a yo-yo that can't sleep? Pinky and I learned the basic Gravity Pull and the Sleeper. I also tried the Breakaway, but I'm not very good. I guess I'll never be as good as this kid:

Friendly firefighters

SuperD and the Brain took some cookies to the firefighter recruits who were running drills in the park. I watched as the Brain approached the trainer, who then motioned for all of the recruits to gather around my son. A dozen young men stopped what they were doing to give all of their attention to him. They were all smiles and took him to see the fire truck. They let him wear a helmet and sit behind the steering wheel. Then they all posed for pictures with him. What good guys!

Happy Donald Duck Day!

Donald Duck is 79 years old today. To commemorate his birthday, our family sat down at the dinner table with a friend of the Brain and attempted to draw the famous character. We drew and erased and laughed.

 

Pinky was a little frustrated with her drawing. She wanted it to look perfect.

 

The Brain was several steps ahead the whole time.

 

SuperD is a whiz at drawing! He actually drew three different versions of Donald. His final copy was based on a different drawing. It was awesome!

 

 

The boys didn't stick around to outline or color their drawings.

 

Pinky and I have twin Donalds.

 

I think our family needs to do things like this more often. It only took about 30 minutes, but, oh, what fun we had!

Smile!

It's Upsy Daisy Day! 

"What's that?" you say. Today, you are encouraged to face your day positively. Don't be a Gloomy Gus. Get up 'gloriously, gratefully, and gleefullly. Today is a brand new day, with no mistakes in it. So, start your day with a smile, no matter what challenges lie ahead. And stay positive!

I scream. You scream.

We all scream for National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

For a Wild and Wacky Summer, we are going to celebrate wild and wacky holidays. Once again, we won't be taking an extended vacation this year, so I'm determined to have some fun with my family here at home. Three years ago, we had a scavenger hunt of 101 places to visit before you're 12. We didn't make it to all 101 places, but we had a fantastic time. This year we will discover some cool holidays, eat some good food, have a whole lot of fun, and detail all of our adventures here. 

Pinky and the Brain helped me make chocolate ice cream from scratch tonight. My grandmother always used a mix, and that's the recipe my mom gave me. I got this recipe from a cooking website. It took FOREVER to set up, so we didn't get to eat it until 11 p.m. It had an interesting taste that everyone agreed was a little like a mocha flavor. I'm not sure I would use it again, but we had fun making it.

Can you believe chocolate is only the second most popular flavor of ice cream? It's number one in my book! If you're lucky enough to live in Oklahoma, you might want to check out one of Braum's seven new flavors of chocolate ice cream. Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

Pinky grows up

Pinky went to a sleepover, and when I arrived to pick her up, this girl was in her place. 

SuperD will be using his force field to fight off the boys!

Migraine

We ended up in the ER again today. The Brain awoke with a migraine this morning. The neurologist warned us this might happen. He said the confusional migraine could be the first of many that will continue and increase during puberty. This time the Brain wasn't confused; he was in tremendous pain. Since he had spent the night at his grandmother's house, she tried to do all she could for him, but when she called me, he was screaming in pain in the background. He was begging me to get to her house fast. All he wanted was for a doctor to fix it. So off we went to the ER, where they gave him prescription strength Motrin, he threw up twice, and they released him. Now he has taken a nap, is eating a biscuit, and seems to be feeling better. 

I certainly hope this isn't what his preteen/teen years is going to look like.

Super powers

I wish SuperD had X-ray vision. It would have come in handy yesterday. We were convinced that his arch nemesis, The Red Menace, had stolen his keys. The evil villain ate mine. Months ago, I tried to unlock The Menace's trunk, and the key snapped right off in the lock. Since I'm not blessed with super strength, I blame the sinister car.

And yesterday, we thought the villain had struck again. We looked all over the house. SuperD's keys were nowhere to be found. We searched for hours. SuperD was distraught. The Menace drained his powers. We did not want to pay someone to break into the car. The Red Menace would not win!

Then at bedtime, SuperD suddenly exclaimed as we walked down the hallway. The villain was not to blame. You see, SuperD clips his keys to the belt loop of his pants, and at some point in time (probably when he relieved himself), he accidentally tucked his keys into his waistband! 

This whole problem would have been avoided had he not been wearing his mild-mannered computer tech disguise. His superhero costume doesn't have belt loops!

Domestic goddess

I was feeling domestic today. We didn't have any pancake mix. SuperD almost gave up, until I reminded him that people used to make pancakes without Bisquick. I pulled out my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, whipped up some waffle mix, and made these:

Pinky wanted some chocolate chip waffles, but we didn't have any chocolate chips. I took dark chocolate bar that I got from Teacher Appreciation week, broke it into small chunks, and make dark chocolate chip waffles. Oh, ye of little faith. I may not be the the chef SuperD is, but I am resoursceful.

Proud Mom moment

I'm so proud of my kids! They worked hard this year, and it paid off! Despite having difficulty staying on task during class, The Brain earned mostly A's during his fourth grade year. His daily grades were all over the place, but they averaged out just fine. Obviously, Reading is the area where he struggles most.

And even with her crazy-hard schedule, Pinky pulled out straight A's! As if Freshman year wasn't hard enough, this was an amazing accomplishment, considering the number of before and after school hours she logged in for marching band the first semester. And she had two year-long pre-AP courses and one semester-long pre-AP course. Her first semester Health grade doesn't appear here, but she made an A there, too.

So, thanks for indulging me for a moment while I brag on them because I am awfully proud!

A little time with God

I was up early this morning and noticed a strange, apocalyptic, orange glow shining through all of my windows. I stepped outside the front door to view the misty sky after a thunderstorm and saw this:

Did you see the reflection? I don't think i have ever seen a double rainbow which extends from horizon to horizon! This video, in no way, fully illustrates the brilliant colors that I saw when I looked up into the sky. It was truly AWE-some!

What a shame that everyone in my house was still asleep. I had no one with whom to share such a beautiful moment. Just me and God.

So what caused it?

Once C's spinal headache was cured, we began the quest to discover what caused his initial ER visit. Every doctor who evaluated him mentioned at least one of three possibilities: mini stroke, seizure, or migraine. The original CT scan was normal, so his pediatrician referred us to a neurologist, who ordered an EEG.

In order to perform an EEG, the patient must be sleep-deprived so that they sleep during the test. SuperD jumped at this opportunity to stay up all night and play video games with C! Altogether, they only slept 3 hours that night. Well, SuperD went back to sleep after C and I left for the hospital. Keeping a 10YO boy awake on only 3 hours of sleep proved to be very difficult. He tried to sleep in the car. He tried to sleep in the hospital lobby. He tried to sleep in registration. He tried to sleep in the waiting room. Boy, was he mad at me for keeping him awake!

After all the electrodes were attached, he finally slept for about 30 minutes. That's all he got because the neurologist wanted to see him that same day. I bribed C to stay awake by taking him to IHOP, and I treated myself to some brioche French toast. YUM!

The neurologist was impressed by the amount of details I recalled from C's incident, and the video was very helpful, too. After his evaluation, he determined that a mini stroke was unlikely for such a young boy. He was leaning more toward a partial seizure or a confusional migraine. Either would explain why C was left confused and unable to communicate. In order to gain more clues, the neurologist ordered an MRI. 

I was very worried about this test. How would my active little ninja lie still long enough for the technician to get pictures of his brain? Would he suffer from the same claustrophobia I feel? 

Other than the trauma of having yet another IV in his arm, C was a trooper. The nurse said he was fantastic! He didn't move at all! They even let him have a picture of his brain! C said he didn't realize how big his brain really is!

The next week, the neurologist asked me to come in for an appointment to discuss the results of the MRI. As I sat in his waiting room, I began to get very nervous. The doc said he saw nothing to indicate that C was prone to seizures. There was no damage to indicate stroke or seizure, so he was convinced that C had experienced a confusional migraine. There is no conclusive evidence, but he seemed to have ruled everything else out. Unless C has migraines which increase in number or intensity, the doc said there was no need to see him again for migraines.

Then the doc told me that he had seen something else on C's MRI. C has a type 1 (mild) Chiari malformation. The base of his cerebellum extends about 6mm beyond the base of his skull. His condition isn't causing him any problems which would be associated with more severe types of malformation. In fact, it's possible that he will never suffer posterior headaches or numbness in his extremities caused by the brain pushing on the spinal cord. It's also possible that he may develop symptoms later in life. We just don't know.  So, quite literally, C does have a big brain! As you might imagine, this news led to all kinds of jokes at our house. 

So, I've decided to cease referring to my son as "C". I've toyed with several different nicknames, such as Megamind or Brainiac. But I think I've settled on "The Brain." Since we're huge Animaniac fans at our house, A will be known as "Pinky". After all, one is a genius. The other's insane. You can decide which is which.

Complications

While C appeared to recover from the episode that sent him to the ER in the first place, he soon developed a horrific headache. Tylenol didn't help much. Two different people told us they thought it could be from the lumbar puncture (LP) he had at the ER.

About 40% of people who undergo an LP develop a spinal headache within 24 hours of the procedure because they develop a tiny leak of spinal fluid. In most cases, the body repairs this leak within the next 24 hours. One nurse friend recognized what was occurring and told C to lie down to relieve the pressure. As long as he did that, he was fine. She advised us to go immediately to the local children's hospital in case he needed an additional procedure to repair the leak. 

That ER visit was a frustrating one. After a long wait and an extensive evaluation, the doctor sent us back home to wait it out. He wanted to give C's body more time to heal before making him undergo another procedure. Our instructions were to keep him lying down to relieve the headache while giving him Tylenol and LOTS of fluids, preferably loaded with caffeine. Oddly, caffeine helps because it restricts blood vessels in the brain. The doc wanted us to wait another 36 hours. I thought SuperD was going to have an aneurysm! Watching his son wrythe in pain was almost more than he could bear.

So, about 72 hours after the LP, we made our third trip to the ER. This time, they admitted C to the hospital so that they could perform a blood patch. This procedure happened in the sterile environment of the OR, with two anesthesiologists on hand. One monitored the anesthesia, while the other drew a small amount of C's blood and injected it back into the area near the original puncture. This blood formed a clot at the site of the leak, relieved the pressure on the brain and spinal cord, and stopped the headache.
 

The relief occurs almost immediately. Unfortunately, anesthesia also can cause a headache, so C's head still hurt for a little while, but the pain was not as intense.

Within an hour, C was was not only sitting up, but he was anxious to explore the hospital! 

I thank God for my friend, Trish, who sent us to the children's hospital, brought items to the hospital that we had forgotten to bring, and sat with us while we waited in the ER. She spends all week at the hospital as it is but didn't hesitate to wait with me. She and her daughter, A's best friend, kept my daughter company while we spoke with the doctor.

The scariest day of my life

(written April 24, 2013)

I've had a lot of bad days in my lifetime, but April 10, 2013 wins the prize. I have never been so frightened. I'm still trying to get over it. For two weeks now, I have been a basket case. The tiniest bit of trouble sets me off crying. I feel as if I'm about to break. Or fall apart.

That morning, I woke my son with the usual amount of difficulty. He is really hard to rouse. And I thought SuperD was a hard sleeper! C wasn't moving much, wouldn't open his eyes, and didn't want to talk to me. That's typical. The more I tried, the more I realized that his blood sugar must be low. I made him get out of bed and go to the kitchen to check it. I figured it must be really low because he couldn't even check it by himself. It was as if he couldn't remember what to do. He kept trying to prick his finger with the test strip instead of the lancet. Sure enough, it was low, but only 71, which is not drastic. I gave him something to eat, thinking it must be truly lower than it registered. I left him in SuperD's care as I took A to school.

When I returned, C was moving at a snail's pace putting his clothes on. This, too, is typical because it takes a while for him to really wake up. Each time I passed his room, I urged him to kick it into high gear so we wouldn't be late for school. It became apparent to SuperD that there was something wrong as he watched C try to button his shirt. He was like an Altzheimer's patient who couldn't understand how to work a button. We checked his blood sugar again, and it had come up into the normal range.

We started asking him simple questions, like the hospital professionals do whenever someone is disoriented. He couldn't tell us his name, his age, his school, his teacher's name, or our names. It was terrifying. We decided to take him to the ER. I paused briefly to video him trying to answer these questions, just in case he recovered before we got there. I wanted the doctor to see what we had seen.

Both answers he attempted sounded nothing like what he should have said. It breaks my heart to see him so frustrated. The video turned out to be unnecessary because nothing had changed by the time he was admitted. The doctor ran a variety of tests, including blood work, urine, CT scan, and lumbar puncture. All of the tests came back normal. The doctor was stumped.

There are two things that stay with me from during the hours of waiting. When I asked C what his sister's name was, he couldn't tell me. But when I showed him her picture, he smiled and said her name. Also, he finally figured out what his name was, and any time someone asked him a question, his go-to answers were, "I don't know" and "I'm C." it was as if his name was the one thing he knew for certain, and he was clinging to it with all he had.

While waiting for the results of all the tests, C took a long nap. When he finally woke, his speech patterns were back to about 95% of normal. He was talking, hungry, and telling jokes. He was almost himself. It was still as if there were small holes in his brain function. Certain words were still lost to him. He mispronounced several things. But he answered every one of our questions that he had forgotten before.

We were discharged because they could do nothing else for C. Since that day, we have been back to the E.R. two times, had an overnight stay at the hospital, had an O.R. procedure, followed up with his pediatrician, had an EEG, seen a neurologist, and scheduled an MRI. It's been a long, tiring two weeks. And we may never have any answers as to what happened that day, which may be the scariest thing of all.

What's in a name?

I've lived in Oklahoma all my life. I'm 41 years old. And yet, every spring, every tornado season, I hear the meteorologists mention towns I've never heard of before. Granted, many are old Indian names, but they certainly are unusual. Just this morning, I heard a new one. So, here are the ABC's of Oklahoma towns:

Arkoma
Bokchito
Corn
Dibble
Etowah
Forgan
Gotebo
Hoot Owl
Indiahoma
Jet
Ketchum
Lookeba
Monkey Island
Ninnikah
Ochelata
Pocola
Quay
Roff
Skedee
Talala
Velma
Wapanucka

A special nod goes out to Nowata, Oklahoma, because since I was a child, I thought that was the funniest name.

Smart alec

SuperD had a great interview for a job last week. He was telling me that if he gets the job, he thinks it will be a challenging job, one where he really gets to use his brain. C interrupted and said, "You'll have to use your brain? Good luck with that!"

The Bible/Duck Dynasty mash-up

So, I was venting to my family my frustration with the History Channel that I didn't get to see 3 stories on their version of The Bible: Jacob and Esau, Joseph, and Paul and Silas in jail. I really wanted to see Paul and Silas in chains, praying and singing hymns of praise, when the earthquake came, the prison doors opened, their chains fell off, and the guard and his family were saved. What a great story!

And my goofy son starts singing, then suddenly stops and says, "Si! Hey! Can't get no worse, Jack!"

The Bible

Paul, on the History Channel's The Bible: I'll go to Ephesus.
Me: . . .where he speaks to . . . the Ephesians.
C: Spoilers!

Okay, so I'm a geek.

It's Doctor Who Day! I don't think I've ever liked a TV show as I like this one. Several weeks ago, I started rewatching all of the current episodes on Netflix in a sort of countdown to this day. Season 7 returns tonight. I had no idea how I was going to see the new episodes since we didn't have BBC America. Wait for them to post to iTunes? Find a website with a bad copy of the episode?

Fortunately, SuperD saved the day! He called the cable company to see how expensive it would be to add this channel, and for only $6.50/month we now have an entire pack of new channels and better DVR boxes in both rooms. So now, since my daughter is as big of a geek as I am, we are having a Doctor Who watch party tonight, complete with fish fingers and custard.

Night owl

SuperD and I were up late, talking about why our son, C, wasn't asleep yet. I insisted it's because we let him stay up way too late over spring break. SuperD argued that C is just like him - a night owl. If left on his own, he'll stay up late and sleep in.

About that time, a voice sounded from our son's room, saying, "No, I'm just super creative. I can make blankets fun."

(Almost) Free Fun

SuperD and I took C for an adventure this evening. We went to our first NBA game. And we got our tickets for free! We arrived for the OKC Thunder game 3 hours early and registered to received two raffle tickets. If one of our tickets was called, we would get two tickets to the game. SuperD had told us that if we only got two tickets, he would let us have them, and he would pick us up after the game. W had been told the game was sold out, so there was no chance of us buying a cheap ticket.

We strolled around Bricktown (downtown OKC) for a while and returned to the arena an hour before game time. We waited with anticipation as they called out raffle numbers. "1306. 1307. 1306. 1307," we chanted. C and I screamed incredibly loudly when they called our number. We sadly waved good-bye to SuperD and entered the security checkpoint. Once inside, we waited, hoping his number would be called, too. And it was! I never win anything! But all three of us won free tickets! Two of the seats were in the very top row of the arena, and the third seat was one row down. I sat by myself and let the boys enjoy the male bonding thing.

Because we didn't pay for the tickets, we splurged a little on food. We ate a Thunder Dog, nachos, and cotton candy.

It was great fun, even though the Thunder lost!

The funniest thing: When I asked C if he wanted to go to the Thunder game, he thought about it for a few seconds, and then asked, "Will there be cheerleaders there?"

 

C and a Thunder Girl (Jenni, maybe?)

Lonely

My (baby) girl left at noon yesterday on her high school band trip. I knew I wouldn't miss her during the school day since I don't see her anyway, but I was surprised not to miss her last night either. It felt as if she was just out with her friends. It finally hit me this morning. I am starting my day without her, which is weird. The house is so quiet. I'm positive she isn't missing me at all.

Happy (belated) National Grammar Day!

I almost slapped this sticker on a second grader's journal page, right after I had corrected all of her spelling and grammar errors! Unbelievable! Someone actually made these stickers! And someone else actually bought them! I only ended up with them after they ended up in a "Free - Take One" box. It's a good thing there were only 4 of them in the sticker book.

Oxymoron

King-size mini's?

Cacophony

Cacophony
ca•coph•o•ny
[kuh-kof-uh-nee]
-noun, pl. -nies
1. harsh discordance of sound; dissonance
2. the sound resulting from every variety of instrument playing at once in the foyer of a high school auditorium on concert day

Tall

My daughter, who is 5'6", said, "I need to stop growing so my friends can catch up."

A Bargain

SuperD found a great deal on pork at Homeland. He now admits he may have gone a little overboard since we probably can't eat it all before it gets freezer burn. So, I made up a menu for the month. He got a good laugh out of it!

Monday exercise

It's a good thing I didn't try cardio dance in a classroom setting. My daughter was the only one to make fun of me this morning. I did okay with the Paso Doble, but I looked like an idiot with the Cha Cha and the Samba. I have no fluid hip movement. But I sure can stomp my feet and pop my arms! We didn't even make it to Jive; we were sweating and exhausted. Maybe next time.

NOT Sci-Fi

I typically watch The Today Show in the mornings while getting ready for work. While SuperD and I follow the stories, C is usually off in his own little world. But yesterday, a story caught his eye. He heard about a soldier who had a double arm transplant. He watched, riveted, as they showed computer animation of how they completed the surgery by attaching first the bone, then the blood vessels, muscles, tendons, and nerves, and finally the skin. We were all amazed. (And a little creeped out, since it brought images to mind of Frankenstein and his monster.) But C was truly impressed that such a thing is even possible. He couldn't hold in his excitement.

C: This is, like, the best hospital people ever!

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50628032/ns/health-mens_health/t/double-arm-transplant-soldier-getting-second-chance/

En espanol

After her 2 years of Spanish classes, I just heard A speak in Spanish for the first time. Unfortunately for me, she read the same 35 sentences over and over for 15 minutes as she studied for her Benchmark. Her teacher required a parent to listen to and sign off on the assignment. The unit she has been studying is over travel, so if I ever need to go to Costa Rica, we'll make it to the Museo de Oro Precolombio and La Playa Jaco with her brother, father, grandparents, cousins, and friends. Bon voyage! (I took French.)

Awesomeness

C: [while air drumming to the car radio] I was born with this awesomeness. Can you believe it? I bet when I was a baby, my first diaper must've been a parachute.

????????

The awakening

My daughter was giggling this morning. A had been sleeping on the edge of her mattress when her alarm clock sounded. It so startled her that she ended up on the floor! An interesting way to begin the day!

I woke up crying

I woke up crying this morning. The nightmare involved a fictitious student who was being abused by his mom and was afraid to go home. In my dream, I held him tightly and then turned him over to our school counselor. She called DHS to come pick him up. When the mom arrived at the school to pick him up, I had to sit through a meeting with her as we told her that her son was no longer in our care. I was a wreck, but I held it together. When she finally left the meeting, the counselor turned to me, and I broke down, sobbing. That's when I woke up. Tears were falling down my cheek, and I was scared because in my dream, the mom had been angry. We had been afraid she might snap.

It was at this moment that my husband rolled over in his sleep and draped his arm across me and I was comforted. (Then he passed gas in his sleep and made me laugh!)

NOT a birdcage

This is the image on the beautiful scarf I got for Christmas, and although I did get a compliment on it, not a single person said, "Oh, look! It's the TARDIS!"