Of Mice and Men

We had a really nice day on Labor Day. Chris had the day off, and we took the kids to the park. The park there has lots of different conglomerations of climbing spaces: stairs, ramps, bridges, and the like. This park also seems to fit a guy like Chris (who is 5'3" at BEST) just fine. It has incorporated all kinds of "mouse holes" for the kids to sneak through and squeeze through and generally get lost in. Chris is mouse-size, so he played with the kids for the longest time, just running in and out of the various small spots and up and down the obstacles while they chased him.

Unfortunately, about 15 minutes after leaving the park, we discovered that Chris' cell phone that he keeps on his belt had fallen off. It wasn't in the car so we hightailed it back to the park. On the way there, I got a call on MY cell phone. Apparently someone had found the phone!

Unfortunately, they weren't wiling to give it back.

So they decided to steal Chris' phone.

If you've ever seen Chris with his cell phone, it is like a mini computer that he uses for MANY things. It has the Bible on it, he takes notes with it, keeps track of important things, and of course, takes pictures and makes calls with it.

There were some awesome pictures of the kids on that phone :(

Sometimes, people have no clue that when they're being selfish, they are REALLY taking advantage of someone else. It doesn't just affect other people a LITTLE. It affects them A LOT.

We cannot replace Chris' phone. At least, not in that capacity. I feel violated.

***

On a brighter side, there WAS a nice man at the park who tried to help me locate the offending party. Strangely enough, he recognized me from a completely different place (not from when we were at the park). The first thing he said when he saw me was: "Where's your little girl?" At this, I started looking around wondering who he was speaking to. Apparently, he WAS talking to me, and recognized me as the mom of Michaela. "Don't you have a daughter with long braids?"

"Uh, yeeesssss......do I know you?"

Come to find out, last week, when I had to take Michaela to the ER for something (thankfully, nothing serious), this man was there with his 11-year-old son. They both got a good look at Michaela (who's hair is undeniably memorable), and his son told his father, "Dad, she is the PRETTIEST girl I've ever seen!"

I guess he got a good enough look at us to pick me out in a completely different location entirely, and he felt confident enough to ask about her. He ended up helping me look around the playground that day (I was by myself at that point), and even stood near when I thought the people who had our phone was close by. That was a really weird experience.

...and it's weird to think that people say we should cut Michaela's hair. That would be like cutting off her whole head! Everyone knows who she is because of it! :)


Anyhow....that was Labor day. The good and the bad.

Calculus and Catastrophic Epilepsy

So Chris is in college again. But many of you know that. What you may not know is that he's taking Calculus. He took this class 14 years ago, when he was in college the first time.

And he didn't do so hot. I think he got a "D."

Some would say (ie: Chris) that the reason he did so poorly was a combination of 3 reasons: he was goofing off in school, he had a bad professor, and he was dating me. Why I would have anything to do with his poor grade, I have no clue, but that's what some would say.

Either way, he's re-doing the class, and doing rather well this time (funny how I'm still in the equation, no pun intended). It was rough for him at first, seeing as how calculus is somewhat of a higher math, and he just hasn't had to think that hard for many years. So of course, I'm trying to do what I can to help him through it. At first, I suggested that he teach what he learns to me, so that it would help him solidify the concepts. He didn't think that would go so well. Fine. Next I suggested that he show me what to quiz him on. Again, that didn't suit him.

But, in an unconscious way, he's picked his method: he comes home and at random times (usually when I ask him how class went), he goes off into this grand dissertation on integrals, limits, functions, derivatives and what-not. To which my mind starts swimming and I am officially speechless AND clueless.

As the saying goes, "It's all Greek to me!" so I just nod my head and let him ramble.

But one thing I've picked up on, is that there is a fair amount of trigonometry intermingled in calculus. I know this because he's often hemming and hawing about how he remembers nothing about trig and really could use a refresher course.

Trig, on the other hand, is something I remember a bit about.

And truth be known, I've lived in a literal sine-wave for years now.

***

Yesterday was our bi-annual trip to see Chief.

Bi-annual is just a loose term. It usually ends up being somewhere around quad-annual, but we shoot for bi-annual. February and August. That's the goal. We almost made it last year. Maybe we'll be able to do it this year, we'll see.

But at this appointment, we didn't have a whole lot to talk about, and that's a good sign. For a long time now, Michaela's been stable.

I can't remember the last time she was tube-fed.

The wheelchair is in storage--pulled apart into different pieces.

I even put away almost all her bibs and her drooling medicine (a couple showed up after doing some cleaning). I'm glad not ALL of it was put up, because there have been a few days here and there where she seems to "slump" and needs a bib and some meds. It doesn't last all that long--just a couple of days. Then she's back to her normal self.

But for the past couple of months, she's had quite a few ups and downs. Seems like every other week she's having her obligatory "bad days." Bad days where she doesn't talk a whole lot, drools quite a bit, and gets kinda stuck. She slowly starts to lean in her seat, like she's going to fall over. She picks up something, and her arm stops....hanging in mid-air.

One minute she'll pick up her spoon, put a bite in her mouth, and start to chew. The next minute, this happens:



And some might think that this is one of those "staring seizures," but it's not. In a true absence seizure, you can't "wake" them up. They come out of it on their own. But when she's like this, you can kinda un-freeze her by saying her name or moving her. She even functions better when standing up. Maybe some day I'll get a video of it. It's pretty interesting.

But this is about 35% of her life right now.

The other 65% is like this:



Nothing to sneeze at, I know. We'll take the smiles. Even if it's only two-thirds of the time.

But yesterday, Chief and I were discussing some of the finer points of trigonometry: specifically how sine relates to Michaela's version of LGS.

See, the wave used to appear like this:

Higher highs and lower lows. The intervals being fairly close together.

Now, we're seeing something more like this: Kinda like a kiddie coaster at a cheap carnival. Not very scary. The intervals may be just as close together, but the intensity is definitely less. Would I like the intervals to be farther apart? Sure. And there's been times when it has been. We're going to up her meds to see if that helps, but I guess, in the grand scheme of things, this is a pretty decent wave we've got going here.

And THAT, my friends, could be a "sine" of even better things to come ;)




(because even I know how to do that kind of math......................but don't tell Chris)

Whirlwind Week

It's been over a week since I last posted, and Jen was so kind as to give me the necessary hand-slap to get me back on course. After my last post, it's pretty cruel to not give an update. My apologies.

But Asher is doing well.

Like febrile seizures are want to do, they only come around during a high fever. And as most of you know, high fevers usually only come around during a sickness. Asher got over his within 24 hours of when he had the seizure, for the most part. He hasn't been sick since........ie: no seizures.

I trust that's the last we see of 'em.

***

I had quite the whirlwind week last week. And once you hear about it, you'll know why I haven't posted. In fact, some of you may even scold me! But hey, sometimes you just gotta live on the wild side, ya know?

For starters, last Monday (not to be confused with the Monday just past), my Sister-in-law Jes came into town to visit. Chris' sister is an officer in the Navy, and her schedule is often difficult when it comes to working out visits. She's always been good about it though, and so she decided to pop into town in between her duties. And just because I think she's incredible (and ahem.....she was MY friend before I even looked twice at Chris...hehehehe!), I'm going to tell y'all what she's doing these days. Because I like to brag on her:

She is now a personal aide to the second most powerful Admiral in the United States Navy. That's right folks. MY friend, MY Sister-in-law, was hand-picked by a 3-Star Admiral to work along side him and over his staff for the next 2 years. This guy is in charge of the ENTIRE Atlantic Fleet (which, in case you didn't know, is the biggest in the world). And MY Sister-in-law has this man's ear. WooHoo Jes!

Anyhow......Jes was so nice as to fly in last Monday, rent a car, and stay with us until Wednesday. I purposely kept the news from Chris, and we surprised him. I even got him Tuesday off so he could visit with her. We had fun. It was so sweet for those two to be together. Chris doesn't get to see his family very often.

***

The day after Jes left, Thursday, I got the chance to breathe a little. I didn't have hardly anything to do that day, so I got caught up on the things I put aside while she was here. Unfortunately, Michaela woke up with a bad cough and saying she didn't feel good, so she stayed home from school. She slept pretty much the whole day. By Friday she seemed much better, which was good because she had a doctor's appointment that day.

***

Michaela is now seeing yet another specialist at our Children's Hospital, a psychologist. As she's gotten older, her behavior is becoming further and further removed from what would be considered age appropriate. For example: A five-year-old acting like a three-year-old is not so big a deal compared to a nine-year-old acting like a three-year-old. Get it? So the older she gets, the more unacceptable her actions become. And sometimes, the stuff she does could be harmful to herself or others.

For instance, she's very impulsive. She rarely thinks about what she's doing before she does it. This is a very "two-year-old" way to act. However, she's a lot taller than a two-year-old is. So, even if a normal two-year-old would try to touch the eye on the stove, they really couldn't because of their size. But, Michaela CAN touch that eye, and she very well WOULD. It's the same with going outside. A very young child may WANT to go out, but they can't open the door (or even reach the handle in some cases). Michaela can very easily open the door on a good day, and has absentmindedly walked into the middle of the street, not realizing that her safety is in jeopardy.

This is just one reason why we are seeing a behavioral specialist. In general, Michaela needs to calm down and not be so hyper. It causes her to be out of control, and we have a hard time changing that. Out of control means a lower quality of life for her AND the rest of us. Between this psychologist (who evaluates and treats through counseling) and a psychiatrist (who prescribes medicine), we should have a game plan in the near future.

Unfortunately, this means many visits to the hospital in a short time frame. I think I've been there four times in the last month. And the end is not in sight yet.

Sigh.

So that was last Friday.

***

Then, last Thursday night (so we're backtracking a bit here), my good friend Donna called me to tell me that her middle son Paul had decided to get married on Saturday. The COMING Saturday. Like, IN TWO DAYS. For some reason, Paul wanted to be married really bad. I've always had a soft-spot for Paul, and have enjoyed the times he wanted to hold my babies and tote around my little kids. He would tend to be hardened on his exterior, but you throw those little smiles into his day, and you could tell he was a total mushbug on the inside. I liked seeing that side of him.

Paul had moved to Kentucky and neither I nor his Mama had seen him all that much. To make a long story short, she REALLY wanted to go to the wedding in spite of the circumstances (which are too lengthy to note here), and so did I. But she wasn't sure if it would work out for her to go on such short notice. Saturday morning, the DAY of the wedding, she called me at 8am asking me if I wanted to go with her to KY.

Two hours and twenty minutes later, we were on the road for the 4-5 hour trip up there.

I know, you think I'm crazy.

But it worked out for the kids and Chris, and I took Boo and Gabe. Those two did excellent on the drive. We got up there, went to the wedding, and drove back. Almost exactly 12 hours later, I was home and in bed.

Just in time to sleep before church services the next day.



And THAT'S why I didn't blog last week.

What's Up......And Some Pics

Bible School will be officially over tomorrow night. We'll be having a closing program at 7 PM, and once that's over, I'll be able to slow down for a little bit.

Chris' birthday was yesterday, and because of Bible School and the fact that we had church last night, we didn't celebrate it yet. He's DYING to find out what I got him, especially since I've been rubbing it in for about 6 months now (hehehehe!), but I won't give it to him until we celebrate his birthday. That'll probably happen next week.

In other news, we are planning on making arrangements to get some fencing this weekend. Make- A-Wish categorically refused to erect a fence as Michaela's wish, so we're going to try to do it for her ourselves. She has absentmindedly walked into the middle of the road twice in the past month when we took our eyes off of her momentarily (we're talking a VERY short time frame here--like 5 minutes? 3? something miniscule like that). Thank God there were no cars coming speeding around the corner. Which reminds me: does anyone know how to get the local government to erect signs that alert oncoming traffic to a handicapped child? I've always thought that would be something good to have. Not that it would keep the drivers from speeding, but maybe it would help them realize the potential problem. Or, at the very least, understand why there is a child wandering in the middle of the street.

That sounds really bad. Like I'm totally irresponsible or something. But it's not me, it's her. She's sneaky; and I am one person. There was even a time when TWO of us were keeping an eye on her, and she escaped out the door of the house and beelined for the road. Scary stuff, I know. We need to invest in some more security for her.

Hence, the fence.

I'm kind of excited about the whole thing. I've wanted one for a good long time. Hopefully it will all go smoothly. We've never put up a fence before....

***

Watching the neighbor bush-hog his field
A sure sign of summer in the country

"Bubba" loves us, this we know
For he always tells us so
Kisses, hugs, and playtime too
Oh, dear Bubba, we love you!

They're just babies....
And I wish I could hold them like this forever.....

Man, am I glad I have a digital camera........................sigh..........................

Day 29.5: Blog Fodder