Quotes of the Week

From M
While twirling in her new-to-her Christmas dress, "Me, Cinderella! Me, Cinderella!"

When finally tasting a new dish, "I like it, Sam I Am!"

From G
"It sure is fun to give!"

From J
At 3:30 AM when Santa had not yet arrived and with great fear in his voice, "What if Santa forgot me?"

From N
"Every Christmas is great, but there's no way we can top this one!"

We love this woman!

There are some people you meet in life with whom you instantly fall in love. Irmgard is one of them. I first met R's grandmother almost 15 years ago when the man I would marry took me home to meet his family. From the East Coast originally, she was quick to laugh and her accented voice shared stories of how life used to be.

Life hasn't been easy for Irmgard and certainly not what she planned. She spent several decades caring for her husband after his stroke. Yet, she chose to handle the disappointments and challenges with a positive attitude and a big smile.

Today, Irmgard is 84 and as lively as ever. She's at our home visiting for the holidays and enjoying every minute of our chaos. She's playing Go Fish and reading books and even trying her hand at the Wii. Our children adore her. Everyone does.

We're so thankful for each minute we have to spend with her. We love you, Oma!

Merry Christmas Memories

Joseph is loving his lego presents.

Noah can't BELIEVE he got many of the things he was hoping for!

Gabe digs his new scooter. Having an unfinished basement is a good thing sometimes!

Because I Simply Must Remember

With the traditions of the day that all are enjoying, I don't imagine this post will be read by many. And that's okay. But this Christmas I enjoyed a moment so sweet, so perfect that I simply had to write about it to remember. This blog has become a sort of journal for us all and it helps us recall what we treasure so much...each other.

On Christmas Eve, I took our children to our church's Children's Christmas Eve service. Our oldest son stayed to acolyte at the Candelight service and I brought home the youngest three. When the littles were tucked into bed, just J and I were left to enjoy the quiet. We drank peppermint tea (his fav) and ate chocolate peppermint biscotti in our darkened living room by the light of the tree. It was beautiful.

We talked of Christmas and Jesus and what the next morning might bring. Then I shared with him how when all of the children go to bed, his dad and I have a glass of wine by the tree. Later in the evening, we dance. It's our tradition. J was touched.

A few minutes later, he quietly held his hand out to me and said, "Dad's not here. Would you like to dance with me?"

Are you kidding? Would I travel across the world to accept?!

"I would love to," I replied.

And there we stood, swaying quietly by the white lights. Just as I began to tear up, he twirled me.

No presents needed this year. I have all I need.

Happy Birthday, Sugarplum!

Happy Birthday, M! Is it really possible that an ENTIRE year has gone by since we celebrated your last birthday? How far you've come in just one year! You're becoming your own little person with likes and dislikes and so much more. How privileged we are to have you in our family!

The big 4 year old received a pink princess scooter to keep up with big brother G, some adorable dresses from her great aunt, and special surprises from grandparents. She loved them all!

It's All Over...Or is it?

Every year, we get a kick out of listening to our kids as they try to determine what's real and what's not about the Santa Claus story. We've never lied to our kids. We're big on being as real with them as possible. But... we admit that we let them chose to think what they will about Santa. We like to think of it as a bit of a mystery. We've always owned up to the presents under the tree. But the stockings...they just somehow always get filled. The kids spend lots of time thinking about how this might happen. When our oldest declared that we must be Santa and looked for confirmation by saying, "Right?" We admitted the truth. But the youngest three still haven't figured it out.

J is a big dreamer and loves fantasy. He enjoys thinking about dragons and elves and fauns and all sorts of things that require imagination. And apparently...he still believes. This year, though, at age 9, he's decided it's impossible for Santa to make all of the toys for the children of the world. "He MUST shop at Toys R Us." Well son, that's pretty close!

For G, it's fear that has kept him a believer. He once declared, "I'm always gonna' believe. If you don't, the stocking will be empty!" But this morning while cuddled up in our bed he whispered, "I've been thinking. There can't really be a Santa Claus at all. There are lots of poor children in the world. If Santa brought a toy to every child, there wouldn't be kids without toys at Christmas." I guess that's what we get for our charitable family Christmas giving!

Our friend Heather would be proud...they haven't figured it ALL out, but they're really, really close. :-)

Things I Love

One of my favorite things about parenting is when you catch your children doing something kind...just because. No one watching, just doing it to do the right thing. Today, N was building an awesome fort with neighborhood kids when his little sister came outside hoping to sled. The big kids were in a spot much too dangerous for her. N volunteered to come over and take her sledding for awhile. She LOVED it! Thanks, N!

Bookies are No More

She did it! She did it! Miss M can now say "COOKIES!" After a month of speech therapy, M can finally say the "ck" sound! It might have something to do with the season here...She's spent a lot of time in the kitchen with mom lately sampling Christmas cookies, candy canes, and cocoa! :-)

Great job, M! One sound down....dozens to go!

Guess Who?

Guess who got a lead role in this year's middle school musical, Mulan?! N will play the role of Shan Yu, evil Hun warrior. What 12 year old boy wouldn't be thrilled to memorize choreographed kung fu battle scenes? I'm sure his little brothers will be only too happy to help him practice! Lord, help us!

Christmas Time is Here

One of our favorite things about the holidays are the special shows our children participate in. This week was J's turn to be in the spotlight. And what a spotlight! All the children from the 4th and 5th grade classes at his elementary school gathered at the town middle school's auditorium. Lots of great songs, including Do, Re, Mi from the Sound of Music. But our family favorite was definitely a new song....Hot Chocolate!

Live Nativity Fun

Every year, our church hosts a live nativity. Dozens of angels, shepherds, and wise men make their way along a snowy path to the front of our church lawn where we share the true story of Christmas with friends, family, and neighbors. Lots of live animals join the chorus, including llamas, sheep, donkeys, and goats. My favorite year was the one in which a pig attended. We didn't mention how Mary and Jesus might have felt about having a pig nearby while baby Jesus was born. :-)

This year, it was cold and WET. With a terrible forecast, we took our celebration indoors and this mom LOVED it! No more cold toes! Of course, the kids got a kick out of watching the llamas walk up the church aisles!

Here are a few of our special someones.....

Surprise Snow Day!

What a surprise to wake up to school being cancelled! A few inches came a bit late, right during morning traffic, and voila! No school! The children are thrilled for the winter wonderland and this mom plans to put on a Christmas movie this afternoon to entertain why she quietly finishes some holiday shopping online. Shhh!
There's just a natural inclination in men to help women, I think. We caught our youngest son shoveling a PATH across the yard so that his little sister could get through the snow more easily. How sweet is THAT?
I think M likes the idea!

There's a Birthday Brewing!

Miss M has a birthday right around the corner on December 21st. She's so terribly excited. As this is her second birthday, she knows what to expect - cake and presents! She long ago picked out what the cake will look like. A pink butterfly! Good thing I took some cake decorating classes years back!

On the way to preschool the other day we had a very revealing conversation.

"M-y birthday soon."

"Yes, your birthday is coming soon. Won't that be fun?!"

Squeals of delight! "M-y presents all of them. No share Jo Jo. No share Bebe. No share Noah."

"All the presents will be for you? You aren't going to share your presents?"

Quiet pause.

"No share presents. M-y share cake!"

In a family with four kids, you've got to protect your assets, apparently. :-)

Shhhhh!

What every mother likes to see...boys sitting down after school, snack at the ready, concentrating on homework. How priceless is this shot?!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

So I'm reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to our two youngest tonight and I get to the part where it says,

"The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath."

and G pipes up shocked and a bit disgusted and says,

"WHAT?! Santa SMOKES?!"

I laughed myself silly.

No Close-ups!

Last night found our family in the Emergency room of our Children's Hospital once again. Yesterday, G was kicked in the eye accidentally on the school playground. In addition to the kick, wood chips flew into the eye. The nurse called and we gave our doctor a call to find out what we should watch for. It didn't seem like a medical emergency at the time.

The doctor asked us to come in so that they could flush the eye and check with a special lamp for any wood chips or scratches. The doctor found a large scratch over his cornea and several scratches on the inside portion of the white of his eye. I was able to see them clearly with the special lamp. The doctor told us that the bruise had most likely stopped spreading, but if by some chance it spread to the colored portion of the eye we were to take G to the emergency room IMMEDIATELY. In his words, it could be VERY serious.

So, we lived life and waited...and check his eye. Before bed it looked the same.

In the middle of the night, I woke up for no apparent reason and decided to check on G again. This time, the bruise had moved as close to the colored portion of the eye as possible without technically touching it. I woke R and we decided to go to the ER at this point rather than waiting for it to make it to the colored portion and be in an emergency situation driving in.

R took G and I stayed home. Of course, what mother can sleep at times like this? So I prayed for healing and protection for his eye.

By the time they were seen, the doctor could find NO scratches ANYWHERE on G's eye AND the bruise had not damaged his eye.

This morning, I took G to his opthamalogist to make sure that nothing was missed by the gp doctor. He confirmed that not only were there no scratches...there was no sign of there EVER having been scratches ANYWHERE on his eye.

Wow! G is back in school and smiling. He's still got a nasty bruise on his eye that will be there for 4-6 weeks. So much for holiday close-ups! :-)

Sweetness Captured

Time with Aunts and Uncles

Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

We've got a full house today. J's mom, dad, brother and sisters and later her aunt and uncle. wow. What fun! We've been busy cooking and baking all morning. We are thankful for so many things. God is GOOD!

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.

Cinderella and Prince Charming

M. and G. have this little "game" they play in the morning. M. wants to be Cinderella, and she wants G. to be prince charming. G. is usually reluctant to be prince charming.

One morning, I heard the following as they were lying in our bed
G. "OK. You be Cinderella, and I'll be...Gus-gus."
M. "Nooo."
G. (sheepishly) "Ooh-kay. I'll be Prince Charming."

I heard them again this morning at the breakfast table:
M. "I be Cinderella and you be prince charming." (it's not as clear when she says it--but it's much cuter)
G. (sheepishly as he puts his head face down on the table) "Alright. I'll be prince charming."

Too cute.

J. Did Great, so did M.

The nurse met J. at our home last night for the next round of infusions for M. I was at church for confirmation, so J. had to do the needle herself. She did great. The nurse gave her a tip that will help us both: Pinch the skin together--rather than go straight in. This gives more control and a little less the feel of going right into her stomach. M. did ok with it--but it's so hard. She woke up crying a couple hours later, but we calmed her down and she rested well through the night. At breakfast, though, she cried when I told her we had to leave the tube in like last week. Poor thing.

Update on M.

M. will have her next infusion tonight. The nurse will come and help J. insert the needle and another five days of nightly infusions will begin. It went well last week, all things considered. Although, the infusion site was firm and tender to the touch by the end. The nurse on call said this was due to build-up of fluids in such a tiny body. We may need to change sites midweek. We'd rather see if we can pause in the middle to give the fluid more time to be absorbed. We'll have to talk to the doc to see. She's a trooper, though. Next transfusion is the end of next week, so we should get another update on her numbers then.

Please continue to pray for her, that her iron levels would continue to go down and the oral chelation drug would ultimately work.

My Own Memories

I'll miss J's grandmother too. She was so much fun. She always had a smile on, was quick with a funny joke or rhyme, and loved to play games. What fun! I liked how she would just wander over to her piano and start playing. I appreciated her passion for her family's history. She showed me pages of handwritten notes! I wish I could have known her longer--what a fascinating lady.

She was always good to me and clearly loved and appreciated our kids. But.....there was one time that we didn't see eye-to-eye. It was the first time I visited her in her home in Florida. She was teaching us a game of dominoes. At one point she called me a cheater! Now, I am competitive--but I don't cheat. Ah, well. I still laugh about that. We played many more games of dominoes, so I guess she got over it.

She was a joy to be around, and I'll miss her....even though she did call me a cheater once.

Compassion For Tinker Bell

One thing that helped us on this car trip was the DVD player. The kids didn't have it on the whole way, but did watch a little more than usual for us on the road. Last night, they were watching Tinker Bell. All of a sudden, little M. starts crying and crying and crying. We couldn't get her to say what was wrong she was crying so hard--great big tears. We asked her brothers in the back if something sad was happening, and sure enough--Tinker Bell was crying! Poor Tink didn't think she'd ever find her own prince charming, and it broke little M.'s heart. So precious.

Back From Funeral

I'm going to pause from work for a few moments to post a few updates. J's parents and siblings are all in town, so I'm not sure how much she'll get near a computer.

Sunday we traveled 6.5 hours to Olean, New York (southwestern upper NY state) where we met J's mom, dad, siblings, aunt and uncle at the hotel. Monday morning we got dressed and drove a half our or so to Black Creek, NY to a tiny little, ancient looking Baptist church for the funeral and burial of J's Grandmother. We think this was the church (the only one in town?) that she went to as a little girl. My main job was to take care of M. so that her mom could really focus. (not a small task for an hour long service.) never-the-less, M. did beautifully. (lots of books, stickers, and markers sure helped!) I was able to pay attention to quite a bit.

My favorite parts of the service were the contributions of J's family. Her dad sang Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone). Her sisters played flute and sang "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing." J's aunt played some ragtime music on the piano as people left the service. I don't think I've ever heard her play before--that was fantastic, and I wish I could have heard more. These musical offerings were a tribute to Grandma who loved music and passed that love on to her family. J's mom gave a brief but moving testimony of her affection for her mother-in-law. It was especially moving to me as another one who married into this special family--and since she is MY mother-in-law. I too, have been greatly blessed with a loving and supportive mother-in-law. Last, but not least, the gospel reading (John 14:1-6) was read by our own son, N. WOW! J and I were amazed as we looked at this young man in his sharp suit and his cool haircut reading the Good News of Jesus. Wow. We were (and are) very proud of him.

After the service we went down the road for the committal and the luncheon before caravanning back to CT with J's parents and siblings. Her aunt and uncle will join us again on Thursday for Thanksgiving. Once again, our kids exceeded expectations during the total 13 hours in the car. I continue to be in awe of them and their endurance on the road. I can honestly say that not one bit of misery on the road was caused by them. Great job, kids!

So, we're back today after busy, tiring and emotional days. I'll put a couple more things into a new post.

Courage

For each of us, courage means something a little different. We probably agree that it takes courage to serve on a battlefield or to face death through a serious illness. But, in each of our lives there are also things that are uniquely challenging to us...things that are hard, things that require courage.

This week, N showed great courage and we couldn't be more proud.

N has a seizure disorder. It's a form of epilepsy that he has battled since infancy. His seizures are what you might picture in your mind - grand mal seizures - complete with violent tremors, losing consciousness, turning blue, etc.

This week, N was asked by his health teacher to be a "living face" for epilepsy. He was asked to stand in front of a room full of peers and explain what it is, share that he has it, and field questions.

Do you remember junior high? I do. There's no way I would've wanted anyone to know that I was different in any way from others.

When I shared with N how impressed I was that he was willing to be vulnerable like that, he was suprised. He truly believes that who he is is not defined by others, but by God. And THAT takes courage.

Keep living for Jesus, N!

Momma Knows How to Make Everything All Better

Sometimes it doesn't take much to help a child get over something unpleasant. Just a few sticks of butter, a few eggs, a drop of vanilla, and some chocolate chips.

Can anyone say YUM?

M's Button Drip

Last night was time to start M's Desverol drip. Because her oral medication isn't working quickly enough, we had to switch to a sub-cutaneous iv drip that runs for ten hours while M sleeps. Just before bedtime yesterday a nurse came to our house to teach us how to place the needle in M's stomach, tape the extra line down to her tummy, attach the pre-medicated tubing, and attach everything to a pump.

Everyone at the hospital said it wouldn't be a big deal. WRONG! It was very sad and hard. We hid our tears well. We know that this medicine is absolutely essential for M's health.

Every several days we'll place a new "port" of sorts into her stomach and 5 nights out of 7 we'll hook up the lines and do the drip. M hated the placement. We had to hold her down and she squirmed crazily and sobbed. More sad news....no long tubbies for 5 out of 7 days...we have to saran wrap over the opening and then she gets to stand for a sponge bath and wash her hair more like a shower. This girl LOVES tubbies. She'll be so disappointed.

I wondered about pajamas and how that would work with the line. I needed to see it to know for sure. Yep. No zip up jammies will work. That left only one pair in the house that works. Today we went to the store to pick out a new pair. I am happy to report that she has picked up her mother's love for sheep and her new pair are wooly cute! I think her grandma is sending an adorable pair of jammies for Christmas, too. Shhh!

Here are some pix as I know many are curious. This way everyone can see them and M doesn't know. I'll tell you, little things are a bit trickier...like when M leaned against the counter to brush her teeth. :-(

If I didn't have boys...

I would never find a pop gun in my food pantry.

I would never find a dirty sock in a school backpack.

I would have food in my house for more than 24 hours.

I would not know what quarterbacks go with what teams...ok, I still don't!

I would never say, "Sic!" Did I spell that right?!

I would never spend hours researching robots on the computer. Shhhh!

I would not find myself saying, "Did you wash your hair or just get it wet?"

Did I mention having food in the house?



But if I didn't have boys....I'd miss


sticky, sweaty hugs

dirty kisses

tousled hair, and

being a hero just because I made cookies.


It's all so worth it!

We're Trying to Set a Record

Just as ALL FOUR KIDS are healthy enough to return to school....J sprained his ankle! God has SOME sense of humor. I'm ready to throw away the joke book right now, but I think I'll try chuckling instead. Lord, have mercy! :-)

I know everyone will ask....he was shooting some hoops and found the ONE lone log in the grass near the court and tripped over it. I'm not kidding. It wasn't even big! I was raking leaves and watched and ask it happened I just shook my head. Poor thing!

We're Home!

M. got home a little after noon today. Everything went well. A nurse will visit us at our home on Monday to teach us how to give M. the drug on our own. Should be quite the adventure. We'll keep you posted.

Looking for the Bright Side

A few minutes in between iv drips...cord free! M gets a chance to sit at the desk and color.


Auntie Gigi....your blanket was so comforting!


Popsicles make EVERYONE smile!

Shoot!

So I'm here (J) for less than 15 minutes when disaster strikes...M's walking and gets wound up in the iv line. As I try to rescue her, I somehow yank the iv line too hard and it pulls out!!!

YES. We had to do it ALL OVER AGAIN. It was traumatic all over again, although her panic only lasted a short while this time as they had a better vein to work with and the insertion was faster. The good news is that they were able to put it in her elbow socket so she can use both of her hands for today and tomorrow. What a blessing that she can color and feed herself!

I'll post a couple of cute pictures later. We're trying to make this "special" time here at the hospital. Not the easiest thing!

Right now she's watching a video for the first time during my "shift". Thanks for letting us borrow Dora, Kaleigh! Mia told ALL the nurses how special this is! :-)

A New Day

We had a decent night in the hospital last night.

Other than the random leg pain. :-)

About an hour before bed, M. flipped out and said her leg hurt. Nothing else. Just her leg. Totally random. It took about 15 minutes to get her calmed down. The nurses and a doc checked her out and saw nothing, felt nothing etc. She was just standing there when it started to hurt.

She woke up four times doing the same thing. Crying and writhing and clutching at her leg. At about 11pm, they put a heating pad on and gave her some Tylenol. She started up again at about 2am, but I climbed into bed with her and she calmed down and slept the rest of the way. She's fine this am.

I wondered a few things.
1) The boys had massive leg pain with the H1N1--was that this? But no fever or other symptoms....appears unlikely.
2) Were the post-sleep ones really pain, or fear? We've noticed she's always a little rough at sleep the night after her transfusion. We always wonder if she has fearful dreams from her infancy experiences in the hospitals.
3) Could it be the drug that she's here to get?

The paperwork they gave me said it can cause muscle cramps. There was no "bulge" like a true cramp, but......

The Nurse Practitioner this morning thinks that's what it was. We'll watch her and see. Again, she's fine this AM. Good breakfast, AM PBS shows. She's content and pain free.

Her mom will be coming shortly, and then I'm off to a shower and up to Church for some work.

Peace

Well, I got here a little before 3PM.
M. got her med drip just before 5PM. (wow--long day waiting for that)
We had a pleasant time for the couple hours before bed---it was clear she missed her nap and was eager for bed when it came. I had brought her "gigi blanket" from home and she was thrilled. I got her in her jammies, laid her down under the blanket, prayed with her, turned out the lights and just like that she rolled over on her side and went right to sleep. wow.

So, I'm sitting here in the dark doing a little worship planning. I'll do a little email, Face-book, play a little chess and then I'll watch a movie or two I brought along. (I've got headphones). :-) An oddly peaceful evening--so far....after a crazy week or so.

I was just telling a friend (on FB) that the hospital doesn't really phase us now after our experiences in them earlier on in marriage/parenthood. Of course, we'd rather all be home, but it's not terrible. Nor scary. We pray the meds do their thing and M. will be fine.

Changing of the Guard

Today was hard. The hospital is packed with sick children and the clinic for hematology was slammed. We waited nearly two hours to get M's turn for her iv placement. Then, someone came in wearing a mask. (flu prevention) As soon as she held M's arm, M flipped out. We were in a different room with different people than we usually are. I also asked them to try a different spot for the iv so that she could have the use of both hands for the three days. No such luck. They tried, but the vein was too small so we had to use her hand, again. It took almost an hour and THREE nurses holding M down to get the iv placed in her left hand...yes, the hand she colors with, eats with, etc. It's going to be a long three days!

Poor little thing was just whimpering by the end and big tears were rolling down her cheeks.

Now she's tucked up in her little room on the hematology floor. There's a nice big window where we can see a combination of houses and city streets...and a very close Dunkin Donuts that this mother might just have to visit on her way in to shift change with her hubby tomorrow. There was no coffee on the breakfast menu. ;-)

Thank you all so much for praying!

On Their Way

Mom and M. are on their way to the hospital. We're not sure how long this will take. Does two to three days mean she'll be home tomorrow? Friday? Saturday? We just don't know.

J. will be there until three this afternoon. I'll meet her there then and take over until tomorrow morning, so J. can be home when the boys get off the bus. (They went back to school today for the first time in a week and a half.) We imagine they'll be a little worn out when they get home.

Why are we doing it this way? Well, I'll probably do better over night in the hospital. I can sleep through more than J. can, basically. And if you've been there--you know that a hospital is no place to sleep. J. really needs sleep with her heart situation: she's always fatigued as it is.

Please pray for J. too--her head is REALLY hurting. (has been for almost a week.) Is it heart/med related? Her version (with no fever) of H1N1 that the boys were thought to have had? We don't know. But she's really hurting. She'll call me if she can't hack it at the hospital.

So. Here we are. We're not as overwhelmed as we felt yesterday and the night before. But it's still stressful. We're praying the boys readjust and catch up at school, (without getting sick again). Praying for M.--that she will not be harmed by the drug she's receiving today, or the excess iron in her system, nor by new germs she might be exposed to at that hospital (she's got a cough already). Obviously we continue to pray for J. and her whole crazy heart situation.

As for me (dad), I'm struggling, because I'm feeling that so many opportunities at church are slipping away from me. I am rightfully devoting much energy to the callings of "husband" and "dad," but it's still hard when the calling of "pastor" is not fully engaged.

Please Pray For M: Hospital Here We Come!

Please pray for M. As you know she has a genetic blood disorder (Beta Thalessemia) for which she needs regular (every 3-4 weeks or so) blood transfusions. Because of the frequent blood transfusions, she requires a daily "chelation drug" to leach the excess iron out of her body--or it will attack and kill her vital organs.

At her transfusion yesterday, the blood work came back with bad news. All her levels are out of whack--and the daily oral chelation drug is not working. The iron levels are dangerously high and she needs to go in for a slow drip of another chelation drug to thoroughly (we hope and pray) cleanse her system of the toxic levels. (hence the hospitalization) Afterwards--for the next six months, we'll have to switch from the oral chelation drug to one we'll (as in my wife and me) have to give my subcutaneous needle injection nightly.

Please pray for her.

Us, too???

Well, R is down. Sad, but true. A fever and chills and a cough. I'm battling day #4 of a killer headache and now leg aches. M also has been hit. So sad. We talked to the boys who are on the better side of the sick mountain.

J is very excited to be the man of the house until N is fully recovered. G was worried about eating (of course). "Who will FEED us?!"

"Don't worry!" said his big brother J. "We have N. He'll cook us something fabulous."

This is as opposed to Mom, apparently, who served applesauce and cereal all week. :)

What We've Learned

When you try, God can teach you things no matter how challenging the circumstances. No one wants to have h1n1, but we've been looking for the positives. Here's what we've learned:

Boys who share a twin size bed all day by choice for a week truly love each other.

The Jetsons transcend generations and the 3 Stooges never go out of style.

You can actually miss school....almost!

Popsicles always make children smile.

You can serve the same meal for multiple days. Especially when it's dry cereal.

It takes 25 movies to pass five days of sickness. This does NOT count "shorties," like Popeye!

Kids still like musicals today. Give them a chance! Hello, Dolly!

A crockpot can save your sanity. A little lemon juice, a little wine, a little chicken...a lot of love in a bowl.

On Our Way

$155 in asthma prescriptions
$100 for a nebulizer
$150 for black elderberry, Vit D, Coconut oil, and more
$100 in applesauce, chicken broth, juice, popsicles, and tea
$50 in Tylenol and Ibuprofin

Having children healthy again.....priceless.

Sweet, Grandma....You're Home

In the middle of the night, my grandmother went to be with Jesus. This song is a healing balm for those of us still waiting to join her.

Life Update

Well, M wasn't able to get her transfusion in today. On the way to the hospital, she began crying that her stomach hurt. Then she started falling asleep. She never does these things at 10 in the morning. So, since J's flu came on the same way, we decided to bring her home. After all, the infusion ward is filled with kids with cancer. The last thing they need is the flu.

So she came home, watched Barney and then perked up and seemed fine for the rest of the day. No fever, no more upset stomach, nothing. Either this girl has a warrior attitude about pain or she's not sick yet.

Now we have to reschedule SOON.

The boys are still hurting big time. G's feeling better. Not himself, but he's able to deal with the pain now. J is having a very hard time breathing and N has a killer headache and fever. Lord, please keep R and I healthy while these kids are sick. Please!

What a Great Dad!

R went out tonight to prepare for tomorrow. I think we watched every DVD we own today. We're not big DVD purchasers, but they sure come in handy on a car trip or with the flu. I had a moment of panic yesterday as I realized that our new car DVD player runs on the car's battery and has no plug in option. How would we keep the kids quarantined?

Enter the laptop!

Tomorrow R is taking M for her monthly transfusion. To prepare, R snuck out tonight and picked up DVD's from the library....the original Star Wars trilogy, the 3 Stooges, and the Jetson's. Sure to be hits with our ridiculous crew!

And just in case M gets sick later in the week...Winnie the Pooh. :-)

What a dad.

It's QUIET here...

All four children are SOUND asleep. You know that's a miracle and there is some serious sickness in this house. Now, why can't this mother sleep, too?!

Flu Update

So, I'm not sure if you all are appreciating my sweet husband's graphic posts on our sons' medical forays or not, but since he's already started...

Praise the Lord! G was cool all night long - no need for meds and he was seizure free! Not sure how many of you remember/realize that both N and J had their first non-febrile seizures at age 6 so we've been "prepared" for G to do the same. Little G was SO sad looking all day yesterday. Gray, purple/red circles under his eyes. My favorite part of the day was when I came in the room and tears rolled down his cheeks as he said, "I just need Momma love then I will feel better." Awwww.

This morning, G still feels great and he's smiling and happily watching dvd's. In fact, we're calling OUR pediatrician this morning to make sure that he should still take the meds they gave him (because of his newly diagnosed asthma).

J is still miserable.

New addition...N woke up in the middle of the night HOT. Poor thing. He's still sleeping now.

M and I remain alright, but my heart's not doing well with the lack of sleep and constant on-the-go-ness of parenting. My prayer has been to stay free from sickness, but that if God allows it...at least for it to happen when everyone else is WELL. :-)

That's all for now. I thank God for an awesome husband who dutifully did all meds throughout the night (including a chart for each child since no one can think clearly at 3 in the morning when remembering where THREE kids are at with medications). While I was awake every few hours from "momma heart" (you know, where you hear them crying and know they can't sleep so you can't either), I didn't get near the germs again. Thanks, love.

Flu!!!!

(Dad writing) At 3:00 am this morning, our youngest son (6) came into our bedroom crying and miserable. He complained of pain in his arms and legs and head. He was HOT. We didn't bother to take his temperature--we just knew he was HOT. We welcomed him into our bed, started the every three hour ibuprofen/acetaminophen rotation, and attempted to cool him down with some damp wash clothes. I tried to grab some spotty sleep before getting up two hours later for worship prep. J didn't really sleep again. Because I had worship today, she was "on" with the kids this morning at home.

J. took the kids to the doc. (The on-call doc for our normal pediatrician.) She said they've had non-stop flu diagnosis this week. They were told by CDC to stop counting H1N1 so she didn't even test. (?!?) So we don't technically have a diagnosis (seasonal? H1N1? What?) But it's the flu. And no vaccine (available to us first this past week) would have stopped it.

G.'s been pretty miserable, but all in all has handled it well--watching DVD's on the lap top in his room and napping intermittently. "(yeah--he's sick if he'll nap on his own.) He was most miserable after I took over the "sick-kid duties." We had decided that with J's heart stuff, she should have as little contact as possible with the flu. (yeah. we know. we're already toast, but....) So I'm doing everything in there (until I take N. to Jazz in the morning and meet someone in the early am for work.)

Middle brother, J., started not feeling well around dinner time, laid around on the floor. (oh. great.) and fell asleep in his bed with the lights on before 7Pm. (doomed.) But oddly still has no fever.....a fluke? (I can dream can't I?!)

J. (mom) went to bed early tonight, exhausted after a bad night of sleep and a lot of one mom-on-four-kids action today. ( I had worship +a meeting afterward). She's wiped.
Right now everyone is sleeping soundly--and G. actually doesn't feel as hot has he has felt. (next dose of fever-reducer is at 12:30am.) I'm watching the yankees cling to a one run lead in the eighth.

___________________________________________________________
Oh. G. did throw up on the carpet once. I didn't know THAT went with the flu--but the computer says that it can. But it could also have been the theraflu stuff they gave him. Hope that was all--I don't mind the medicine deal all night---but I'd rather not have to clean stuff up too. :-)

My Grandmother is Dying

Yesterday I received the call that my grandmother doesn't have much time left here with us. She's been in hospice for many weeks now. While not in pain, her body is filled with disease and infections. It's time.

I find myself at a loss this morning. My grandma loved me. She still calls me Jessakins and tells me I'm a good kid. I gave up mentioning that 40 is not that far away for this grown-up.

There are many things I remember sweetly about my time with Grandma. Like how she had a big organ in her living room and always let me play LOUDLY. Then my mother would come quietly by and turn down the knobs. Why was that?!

I remember the year she hid my Easter chocolates. Problem was, she couldn't remember where she hid them. We finally found them, in the ceiling light fixture...melted. Although distressing to see little bunnies with deformed heads, they still tasted delicious.

I remember holiday meals in her little family room. I always had to sit on the organ bench and my brother got a three legged stool that left him looking like a dwarf in Snow White's cottage. The roast was dry, but her intentions were good.

She couldn't cook for anything. She loved to tell the story about how she got all A's except home economics, which she failed. She had a cross-stitch sampler hanging in her kitchen that read, "You'll know dinner's ready when the smoke alarm rings." She didn't make the sampler, either. She couldn't cross stitch. But unlike women of today who feel guilty (like me) when they don't look like Kate Hudson, cook like Giada, and keep house like Martha Stewart, she was ok with just being herself. My grandpa used to chide her for things. She smiled and then ignored him about it.

I think precisely because my Grandmother had no real idea what to do with a home, Grandma's house held so many fun times. We were given lots of freedom to just explore. We could sit on her back steps and spit watermelon seeds wherever we wanted. She let me hang on her laundry lines and pretend they were the uneven bars and I was Mary Lou Retten. Her great big willow tree was perfect for swinging and during the winters she would flood the ground beneath it creating a beautiful pond for skating just for us.

Now, Grandma's mind is failing her. She doesn't always remember how many boys we have. She remembers that we've adopted, but I'm not sure she remembers her name or where she's from or why we went. She misses her husband. It's time to go. And while I know that this is God being gracious, I know that I will miss her smile and her soft chuckle and the way she cheated at Dominoes.

I don't know what heaven will be like, but I hope there's a big wrap around porch on my Father's house. Just like the farmhouse where she grew up. And I hope for all of our sakes she's not in charge of the heavenly feast.

I love you, Grandma.

True Confessions from G...

"I don't know what gluten is...but I sure do miss it."

M's Starting Speech Therapy

Sweet and silly M is finally starting speech therapy tomorrow. It's been a long process to make this happen, but the time is right. With a year to adjust to our crazy crew and the complicated English language, M is still quite slow to speak English.

Her recently completed testing showed that compared to children speaking English from birth, M understands as much or MORE than children her age. BUT, she speaks less English than 3% of children her age do.

We've "known" this for quite some time. It's kind of funny to watch people interact with M as they're quick to "talk down" to her because she doesn't answer. She has a sweet little blank stare back or might utter her little "uh?" sound. Admittedly, it's tricky because she's still learning our unique American phrases.

For example, she thinks it's hysterical when I say, "Thank you, my dear." She laughs.."deer. deer." Then she runs for a book with a deer in it and shows it to me and laughs all over again.

So...tomorrow a.m. M's off to the boys' school for speech. The staff has shared how delighted they are that she made it "in" for therapy...they're already planning a tea party! :-) We can't wait to know more about what she's thinking and feeling when she has enough words to tell us!

Gluten Free Results Week 1

Today marks one week of being gluten free. Wow. We're big on trying to see the positive side of things, but this one's hard! One son shows no sign of improvement. The other son, however, is feeling a little better. Could just be a fluke...could be gluten. BUT, his blood tests came back showing he's also HIGHLY sensitive to milk (which we knew) and EGGS (which we didn't). Life without EGGS?

I'm a farmwife cook. I like baking bread, roasting chicken, making apple pie. Lumberjack food. I love to eat gourmet, but I like to cook downhome style...cooking with bean and rice flour is definitely foreign...so far the gluten free recipes have left me feeling disappointed...but we are not giving up!

Up for this week...Chocolate Chip Cookies (that you have to chill for 36 hours first - YIKES), banana bread with chrystalized ginger, and blueberry polenta pancakes. We shall see.

One thing we DO know...Gluten Free costs an arm and a leg...and a foot and a back and...

Male Moment

wow.

This is the dad-husband of the family. I used to post on here occasionally. My wife normally does a great job with this site. But after that last post.....well. We need a little dose of testosterone. So:

Grunt. URRR.....Go Yankees!

Did you know that they could go to the world series with a win tonight? Exciting times. Yeah. OK. I feel a little better now. A little.

Dress Shopping....Or More Appropriately...I'd Rather Be Chased By a Bull

Seriously. Whose idea was it to collect thousands of clothes and stuff them on rack after stainless steel rack under ungodly flourescent lighting and ask all women to spend time looking through the endless options? How can anyone think this is fun?

We have a wedding to attend tomorrow. I've worn the same black dress to every event I can recall in recent years...but it's sleeveless and it will be cold tomorrow. In a moment of sweetness, I had the crazy idea to buy a new dress and surprise my husband.

Yes, it's tomorrow. I know I should've started the hunt say...four months ago...but I have a life. Or rather, my children have a life and I drive them to it. :-)

I slotted this morning for a dress hunt and seizure session. The only problem is that son #2 woke up with croup. sigh. Not to be deterred, I mentioned to hubby that I had planned to shop for a new dress. Funny how quickly that man can rearrange his schedule and work from home when a crisis arrives. :-) He had exactly an hour and a half for me to work my magic.

Store number 1...Beautiful little navy blue dress...but see through. Um, no thanks. I prefer for undergarments to be private. It's just a thing I have.

Store number 2...We don't sell dresses anymore. Women don't wear them. What?!

Store number 3...We don't sell THAT size here.

I'm feeling slightly discouraged.

Store number 4...We have every size above and below that one, but not that one. Not today. In fact, not ever. But thanks for playing.

Store number 5...Sleeveless. Sleeveless. Sleeveless. Does no one but me realize that it is not summer?

At this point, I'm ready to be shot. Just take me now. I can't think anymore. Come to think of it, I can't breathe anymore. Could someone just call my fairy godmother and let her twirl her magic wand around my closet and make my clothes beautiful?

I have now decided to wear the dress I always wear...and will probably be cold. But, wait! I had to throw out my shoes at the end of last season! Guess what I get to do TOMORROW?

Store number 1....we don't carry that size here...

sigh. The day nightmares are made of.

Pumpkin Patch

This morning was M's first field trip. She loved going to the Pumpkin Patch! With a big tractor ride and live animals to see, she was thrilled. After a sweet morning, M and I stopped at the Chinese restaurant right by the farm. I know...how odd is that?! Something in me just kept thinking about how special and important the pumpkin patch is to so many Americans and I was so happy to see her embrace it that I guess I wanted to honor her culture in response.

The cooks in the restaurant are nearly all born and raised in China and they loved seeing M. She said "thank you" in Chinese and they just beamed! In fact, I caught many of them smiling and sneaking glances at her throughout her meal. They loved how she ate her noodles with gusto!

She kept smiling across the table from me and saying, "I love noodles! I love you, Mama!" We had such a wonderful time (and all for under $5!) that I think we'll make Ladies Lunch a tradition and get out together alone more often!

gluten Free...sigh

I'd say that the initial excitement of being gluten free has worn off - but since we were never excited in the first place...I can't. This is hard! I LOVE to bake and with three boys baked goods stretch an already tight food budget!

This week, G took hard boiled eggs to school as part of his lunch. "EWWWW!" said some of his friends. At dinner that night, we discussed the day. G shared that he is NEVER taking eggs again. N and J jumped right in.

"G! If someone told Derek Jeter that playing baseball was gross, would he stop? NO! Don't let other people make decisions for you."

The analogy was a little off, but the heart was right. :-)

Gluten Free Day 1

No, we won't chronicle every day....but this is going to be tricky! Today we tried gluten free steel cut oats with fresh apples and brown sugar. One boy loved it...the other three kiddos not so much. Lunch was a big pot of chili (YUM) and dinner was pot roast, potatoes, carrots and homemade apple pie with gluten free crust.

Thanks to the recipe of a new friend from CCMC, our crust was super yummy. Not as flaky as a traditional crust, but definitely good. Have to practice up for the holidays!

Off to make lunches for school...good thing there's leftover chili!

Yankees All the Time?

So...I'm answering a question about where one of our new gluten free flours come from...from a cassava plant...and my son looks at me in wonder and awe..."There's a POSSADA plant?"

Gluten Free is HARD!

Today was shopping day. After spending all night planning a week's worth of meals, it was off to FOUR shops to get what I needed. yikes. Tomorrow we begin...today I treated the family to a loaf of bread from a different gluten free bakery. Randall said it was worse than cheap store-bought wheat. That's a pretty bad review. Let's hope we can do better than that in our own home kitchen!

Overheard Gems

Says G, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a woodcutter." (lumberjack)
Says M in reply, "M tall....Cinderella!"

:-)

Gluten Free/Dairy Free?

We knew it might be coming...and it has. Our doctor has asked us to try a 6-12 week gluten and dairy elimination diet for our children. Little G has a cough, sniffle and wheeze that just will not quit that has been around for a long time. We've tried everything and nothing makes it better. The young man is miserable. N, too, has allergy symptoms that don't improve with decongestants. Also headaches and muscle twitches. Soooo...apparently they can be linked to food sensitivities.

I've read a ton of books on the subject and it makes sense. What makes even more sense are the dozens and dozens of testimonials I've read of people who feel so much better without eating those substances.

So....beginning Monday our family starts. I've spent the past few weeks reading up on recipes and talking to people for advice. We went dairy free a week and a half ago and that wasn't bad at all. Rice milk works just fine. The hardest thing about no dairy is no cow milk cheese. We've never done a ton of cow milk drinking anyway. But gluten???

Good thing I love to bake, BUT the ingredients are expensive.

Perhaps I'll share some of our favorite snacks and recipes as we do this. On one hand I hope that this is what's causing their problems so that they can feel better. But on the other hand, I sure hope it's not this! Make sense?

After our appointment today, we went to Whole Foods to pick up a few things to try. A great friend brought us a few samples too...like coconut milk yogurt. The kids LOVED it! After Whole Foods we stopped at a special gluten/dairy free bakery in the next town over. N ordered a BEAUTIFUL chocolate cupcake filled with vanilla creme and fresh raspberries. It was topped with chocolate and a fresh berry. He gave it a 9.75 out of all cupcakes ever eaten. 1/4 point was deducted for the frosting consistency which he felt should have been hard instead of soft. :-)
(He's born to be a chef, though...spent all his spare moments staring into the kitchen, just DYING to be mixing in there!)

Apparently, my new best baking friend will be brown rice flour. Who knew?

Who Knew Winnie the Pooh Could Leave You in Tears?

We sure didn't! I'm sure no one else has the "crazy hour" in their house...but in our home, the hour after school where homework is done and dinner is cooked is often challenging. With four kids, there's usually someone who is starving and someone else who needs help on math and someone else who needs to talk, and someone else who needs to have a meltdown. SO, now that the weather is getting chillier, I've pulled out our older VHS tapes for the younger two to watch during that time. N and J are busy doing their homework and M and G are enjoying Richard Scary's Busy People and such...usually.

Today's 30 minute feature presentation....Winnie the Pooh! What could be hard about that?

Did you know Pooh eats too much honey and gets STUCK in Rabbit's doorway? I was busily chopping broccoli only to hear M start SOBBING in the living room. I come in and after failing to calm her realize the problem. Poor Pooh! She continued to sob and sob and sob. She didn't want to leave the room, didn't want to miss the show. We kept promising he would get out...it didn't matter. When the show ended and Pooh was free she finally stopped - for about five minutes until someone mentioned it and she started all over again.

Poor thing!

Happy at the Hoe Down!

Everybody ready for a Hoe Down? Every year on Columbus Day Weekend, my aunt hosts a beautiful gathering at their vacation home in Vermont. The big red barn is filled with music and family and neighbors. As the light fades and the dinner is cleared, the fiddle strikes up and everyone gathers for square dancing.

Each year we enjoy a different theme. Last year was the French countryside. This year, it was colonial New England. Our three littlest were the greeters. How sweet they were!

Miss M LOVED dancing with her baba and Mom enjoyed dancing with G. N and J were kind enough to dance with guests who had no willing partners. Of course, having a heavy-laden dessert table present kept their attention, too!

Growing Up So Fast

When you have a newborn, you wonder if you'll ever sleep again. If you'll ever eat a meal while it's warm. If you'll ever go somewhere without Cheerios and a juice box. People stop you at the grocery store and plead with you to cherish the days. You smile politely but think they're nuts. Caring for a baby is HARD.

But then they're growing and exploring and touching and learning. They're into everything and falling constantly and you're exhausted trying to keep them alive and safe.

Sweet preschool years go by quickly with apple farm visits and petting zoo outings. Sticky fingers and big smiles fill the days and you wonder if you'll ever stop singing the Barney theme song. Or the Mr. Rogers theme song. Or the Sesame Street theme song. You get my point.

And then it happens....they go to school. They climb the bus steps, lunchbox in hand, and wave a happy goodbye. You realize that a part of their lives is over and they're one foot further on the road to independence.

This week as I shot N's picture, all these images flurried through my mind. It's going so fast and it's all so true! I'm now cherishing the days I have left with this passionate, funny, gifted young man. All too soon he'll be off to culinary school and I'll be in the wings cheering him on. I think letting others take center stage in his life might be difficult, but watching him fly will be so worth it.

I love you, N.

Football Lessons

Every school day afternoon, N is the first boy home. He and M share a snack and N works on his homework while it's still relatively quiet. When that magic time comes when all is done, he loves to spend time one on one with his little sister. On this beautiful fall day it was time for football lessons. Here he's checking out her skills...
Since her eyes are closed, he realizes she needs a little practice at catching. ;-)
Eyes open, but definitely a little unsure...
Now she's realizing how fun this can be!
But it's hard work, too!
Laughing themselves silly...
And this is when we see how much they love each other!