Our Plan

The kids and I have been discussing what they want to learn this next year. The lists are varied and sound interesting.

Sam: I want mom to read aloud to me lots! I want to learn about knights, castles, armor, weapons, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and I want to play. I also want to do lots and lots of science.

Lilly: I want to sew lots. I want to make skirts and pants for me and clothes for my dolls. I will write in my journal everyday to practice spelling, handwriting and creative writing. I want to know more about the stars. I want to learn to cook different things. I want to have art everyday. I want mom to read aloud to me and I want to play games like Yahtzee and Scattergories.

Paige: I want to do everything! I want to cook, sew, write poetry, write a play, sing, dance, play piano, get better at my times tables and have fun.

I know with those three lists I can incorporate all sorts of subjects. I'm looking forward to helping them achieve their goals. I've done my main 'school' shopping with their lists in mind and it was really fun.

Everything has always been laid out for me in the past due to the structure and curriculum I used at home but this year I get to be creative in the presentation and learning of subjects. I'm really looking forward to it. It's making me use my mind :)

I'm home

I'm still in shock that I had to have surgery on Friday. But I did and here is the report.

Surgery was scheduled for 2:30 pm. I couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before. It made for a tough day. I couldn't take any pain reliever etc. We arrived at the hospital at 12:45. I was taken immediately back to get changed for surgery-I hate that part! I had to have blood drawn and the first girl missed twice. Darn! A second girl came while 'Evan' my anesthesiologist was chatting with me. He said he didn't need any blood work and told the girl to go away. I was glad. I don't think Evan has the greatest bedside manners but he made me laugh quite a bit.

The IV went in fairly easily and then I was wheeled into the O.R. I've never actually been aware while going into an O.R. I didn't like it. It's really cold, very bright and sterile and everyone is masked. I scooted onto the O.R. table and was laughing out of nervousness until Evan finally sedated me. He had me hold a mask over my mouth but I kept asking questions and moving the mask so he finally held it on tight till I was out.

I woke up while just leaving the O.R. and it was miserable. I think having surgery later in the day makes the anesthesia harder. Having had nothing to eat or drink for so long doesn't give your body anything to help cushion the effect of all of the drugs. It was tough.

I've heard most reports via Steve. Dr. N. said that surgery was very difficult. It took him an hour to find the needle and I had a significant infection in my foot from the needle. Dr. N said that he was ready to stop the surgery and keep me overnight and go back into surgery the next day with the aid of a CT scan. However, I had mentioned to him that my daughters were fasting for him (going without food or water for an extended length of time-the purpose being that the extra sacrifice will bring forth blessings from Heaven) that Dr. N would find the needle. When Dr. N thought of the girls he knew that he couldn't stop and so he paused, thought, repositioned the fluoroscope and found the needle.

My incision is over an inch in length and deep so it looks like I'll be down for the 6 weeks but we won't know for sure until Tuesday at my postop.

I have to say that I'm relieved at how little pain I feel. If I keep still then my foot doesn't bother me at all. If I have to get up then I'm in quite a bit of pain. So...I stay down!

You Won't Believe This!

So...last night I was walking through the dining room on my clean, yummy carpets-barefoot of course. I am never, ever barefoot-it freaks me out a little bit. But last night, I was enjoying my clean carpets. I felt a really sharp scrape on the bottom of my foot, took a couple of steps and realized that something was wrong. I looked down and in that clean, yummy carpet I found this:
a broken needle with white thread.

I quickly realized that the other half of the needle was in my foot.

I tried getting it out but this was no splinter. I slept and then early this morning went into my ankle surgeon. He took x-rays and there was the other half of the needle-deeply imbedded in my foot.

Here's the You Won't Believe This! part; Are you ready? Are you sitting down yet? Okay! I warned you.

I HAVE TO HAVE SURGERY TOMORROW ON MY LEFT FOOT TO REMOVE A LOST NEEDLE!

(opposite foot of the ankle surgery fame)

Wait, it gets better-based on how large the incision turns out to be I will be off of my foot for a minimum of two weeks but most likely 6 weeks. Again with 6 weeks!

I just started laughing and then I needed to throw up!

So...tomorrow is surgery...for a needle...that is lost in my foot...that will put me down for a few weeks...WAIT!!!!! I've already done this!

Wish me luck folks because this is getting old :) (I'll make sure to take pictures just so I can post the EWWWW! factor of this exciting mess.)

Remembering...

About 13 years ago I made a phone call that literally changed my life. We had just lost our 4th pregnancy and this last one was quite late in the game. The doctors had stated there was nothing they could do. I was beyond heartbroken and sad. I was empty. I had heard of a doctor who literally performed miracles due to his knowledge, innate abilities and kindness. I decided to call this miracle worker 'just in case' the other MD's were wrong.

It was a Friday morning. I dialed the number I had been given. I was scared and nervous. A voice answered. Her name was Anne. She was an angel-truly! The conversation went like this:

"Good Morning! This is Anne."

"Hi, I don't know if you can help me but..."

"Tell me what made you call."

"I just lost my 4th pregnancy and..."

"Oh Honey! I'm so sorry! That should never have happened. Tell me all about it."

"(me, bawling on the phone) I agree! That should never have happened!"

After giving her a brief history, she put me on hold. A few moments later, Dr. Kort himself got on the line and spoke with me extensively. Within a week I had met with a perinatologist and then was sitting in Dr. Kort's office. He had a plan! His plan was specific, arduous, at times painful, quite expensive and more than a miracle. Within a year of that phone call I was holding our first baby-Kylie Mckay. The first of 5 babies to come.

Through it all there was Anne! Constantly reassuring me that this is where hope was. I was in the care of gifted hands. Anne calling me on scary days, painful days, frightening days, happy days. Always Anne.

I haven't spoken with Anne in over 9 years-till today.

I have a friend! I called Anne on her behalf... (tick tock tick)

My friend has an appointment now in Atlanta with Dr. Kort. She says Anne is amazing. She is hopeful and excited. She is comforted by Anne. It reminds me of how I felt so many years ago. To be in the hands of a miracle worker and tenderly cared for by an angel. Anne!

A Week in Review; Aug 17th-24th

It's been a very busy and eventful week. First off-Sam lost his first tooth. It came out and his tooth didn't bleed at all. He was so excited. This happened on Monday Aug 18th. The tooth fairy visited him that night and left his $1.50.

The next day, Kylie lost a molar tooth. Exciting stuff around here.

Sarah and her friend Becca found Paige's play makeup...this is the result.


I had my carpets cleaned on Wednesday...what an amazing difference that makes!



This past April, the girls auditioned to sing for the Everett AquaSox. It is the Seattle Mariners AAA ballclub here. They were chosen and sang 'God Bless America' this past Friday. They were at the 3rd baseline and sang right before the fireworks show. They did a great job. The only problem is that the batteries on the camera inexplicably died 41 seconds into the performance. I swear I checked and rechecked that camera to make sure there was plenty of memory, batteries etc. Darn that Energizer Bunny!

We are going to try to piece together something from that night, but for now here are some photos.



Afterwards since we were on the ball field the kids helped clean up balls from a game and partcipated in a Hula Hoop contest...Paige tied with another girl. I think they could have been there all night.
While at the ballgame, Sam was playing catch with his dad and a ball bounced up and smacked him on the lip-OUCH! This is what it looked like the next day.

We had lots of friends over to play this week. In fact Thursday and Friday we had 9 kids in and out of the pool all day. It was busy and wet. I've been working on my craft/music room and it's looking great! I love the wall color so much that I want to put it upstairs too! We installed the baseboards and started moving stuff back in. It's been an exciting, eventful and busy, busy week!

A Midnight Swim-sort of

It has been really, really hot here in Seattle. Several days worth of 90 +degrees. I know that is laughable to many of you but we really aren't use to anything over the mid 70's. I kid you not. So, to help the kids cool off before heading to very hot beds, we've been encouraging them to jump in the pool...

Synchronzed Swimmers!

Even the baby got in the pool!

I love all of the different activities happening; Sam jumping, Lilly diving, Page and Sarah swimming!

Now Paige is jumping and Lilly has Sarah!

Between taking photos of the kids, I took some pictures of my pot garden that resides on my deck... Enjoy!

This is my herb and lettuce garden-basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, two different lettuces.

Carrots and a very sad strawberry plant

Cherry tomatoes. They are trying awfully hard to become...it just hasn't happened yet :)

This is a picture of Sarah's toe. She insisted that I take a picture of it that night. Anything to make that fantastic child happy.

Cleaning Up and Out

Well, we've been busy cleaning. Not typical house cleaning-although that has been happening as well. I mean, the empty out the garage, sort, toss, give, reorganize type of cleaning.

First the GARAGE: people actually thought we were having a yard sale there was so much stuff we pulled out. Most of the stuff I hadn't seen since we moved in.
The photo shown is of the garage. All of this came out of it. It was a long day but the garage did become useable again and clean.


Second: the downstairs-wow! what a job. See here for a reminder. It is clean, organized and I sorted tons of stuff to the give away/throw away piles.


Coming in at THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH? all of the kids bedrooms-this was a 3 day process-dejunking happening everywhere! The kids are very happy with the results.

SIXTH you ask? Why it's the laundry room/bathroom-Egads! I had no idea the things I would find lurking in the dark recesses of this room...but no worries! It looks beautiful now.

I tell you, I am not done yet! Coming in at number SEVEN...it is the fort-this is one of my favorite places on this property. It's the area underneath the upper deck of the house. Its closed in and pretty cool-When we moved in, all sorts of stuff got dumped here due to lack of knowing where to put it. I finally got around to going through it all. It's now a great play place for the kids with a giant chalkboard, a dollhouse, basketball hoop etc. , a storage place for all sports equipment and even has a table to use for games, eating etc. while enjoying shade in the outdoors. I love it! (the pile at you see at the end is stuff from my craft room-soon to be gone from here)

What? You say I must be done? No! no! I'm not done! Number EIGHT is the RV parking space-we don't have an RV. This was loaded up as the interim junkyard. One big trip to the dump and it's like magic! Poof! everything is gone. (okay the Poof! hasn't happened yet, but the space is now organized and ready to dissappear at a moments notice )

Please put on a sing songy voice while reading; Number NINE!!!! It's my Craft/Music room: this room was affected by a flood this past April. It's been in absolute CHAOS since then. The carpet is being installed this next week so hubby cleared out the entire room-no easy task I tell you. He's busy painting all of the trim white, installing new baseboards and painting the walls. I'm excited. I'll take a photo when it's done. Sometimes hard deadlines are a beautiful thing.

This photo actually makes it look pretty good. Trust me, it wasn't! the paint was all messed up and the carpet was EWWW! So, this is the post move out, pre paint photo.

TEN! TEN! TEN! Finally, my bookshelf in the kitchen. You know the one. The one that becomes the gathering place for everything like mail, books, paint brushes, missing mp3 players, coins, earrings, dvd's, tape (I'm naming a few of the items I found here). It is now a lovely bookshelf to look at.

Whew! We've been busy :) and does it ever feel good!!!

Update

Well, tonight I made it down to Restoration Hardware to look at my perfect bedding. It is divine. I love everything about it. The price tag for everything is only $1100.00. I'm not making that up. So, I will live vicariously through the image of my perfect bedding and start looking for something that will do.

Do you ever get tired of having to settle for what will do? Sometimes I do. Do you? (and yes, I just used 'do' several times on purpose).

Good bye dream bedding. I hope you make sweet dreams for someone else...good bye!

good bye! goodbye!

I found it!

I found my perfect bedding~truly inspiring. I can see how the walls should be painted, the actual bed frame that I want. Everything. The local store even has one King size left. Wish me luck in figuring out how to get it.

Awesome!

Sarah is in Sam's room getting ready for bed. She has put on his blue Power Rangers t-shirt and his basketball shorts.

Me: You look so cute!

Sarah: I not cute!

Me: Well then, what are you?

Sarah:(she pauses and thinks) I awesome!

You are awesome little girl! and I love you!

(Photo is Sarah as spiderman-Sam's spiderman costume of course!)