Waiting and Planning

With not much success in trying to plan Arianna's right hip surgery, we finally decided that it will just  be put on hold until after marching band season.  The dates we were given just were difficult to squeeze into the limited time frame we had available.  For instance May 11th wouldn't have worked as a preop wouldn't have been until the previous week and that isn't very cost effective to stay in a hotel or even fly home and back out there again.  May 15th put her hospital stay and return right into finals week so that just wouldn't do either.  She is also doing a word processing class over the summer which starts the first week of June and goes for four weeks.

Next available was June 29th with a preop on June 26th and there again cost of hotel stay just wasn't doable.  Other date was July 31st.  Band camp was that following week and school starting a couple weeks from that and marching band season getting quickly underway.  We asked her how important marching band was to her and as expected it is a huge deal for a high schooler that is in band, that is.  So I wasn't about to pull her our for surgery.  

 

Instead we will just wait until late fall and go from there.  

First Communion

Emma made her First Communion on Saturday April 11. 2015.

She told me how excited she was but nervous too.  It was a beautiful weather too.

We scheduled her pictures at 1130am even though the mass didn't start until 1pm.  But it is nice to have a good seat so I could see her.  After pictures we just went over to church to save our spot.  Brady served at the mass too.  

After the mass, each class took a quick group shot and then I snapped a few off to the side with grandparents, her godmother, and of course us.  We still had to pick up the cake.  She wanted an ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen.

We were short about 5 people, but other plans came up which called them elsewhere.  It made just a nice little get together.

She picked out her dress and she wanted heels.  She was very determined about having heels.  Thank you to Payless we found her heels after two other stops before. Her veil was our gift to her.

Emma Noel
April 11,2015
First Communion

Tick

WARNING: Pictures to follow

Sometimes a week can be full of adventures.  Last week was one of those weeks.

Tuesday morning when I went to fix Paylynn's hair in a french braid, I felt something.  I thought maybe dried shampoo or a scab.  I searched the spot and saw what at first glance was maybe a scab but when I looked closer I noticed there were legs and then quickly knew it was a tick burrowed in her scalp.  I literally went into worse case scenario thoughts of "oh my gosh my child has lyme disease" and panic mode set in.  I don't do bugs or insects or spiders or snakes.  Nope I just get heeby jeebies and freak out.  Yes I am that person you wold see swatting at the air and it could just be a strand of hair on my arm.

Now I have had to look our older son over when he would return home from boy scout camping trips.  And I prayed that I would not encounter one and thankfully never did.  I have heard about ticks but honestly I just don't go in search of them.   Who really does?  And I sure don't think to check my kids over since I don't live in a wooded area.  I do have a ditch behind our yard but really I just don't think much about that as I don't let the kids play back behind our fence.  That was until Tuesday morning.

For some reason, calling my husband at work seemed like the sure thing to do.  Why? Because really what was he going to do?!  He must have gotten on his phone but he walked me through what to do.  Grab the tick by the head and pull upwards then wipe down the spot with alcohol.  Ok I had to get over the fear of grabbing a live bug that was attacked to my daughter's scalp.  So I grabbed and freaked.  I took a breathe and grabbed again and pulled upwards but no luck  that ugly tick was stuck and held on.  I had no idea that they embedded into the skin and were quite hard to remove.  Search on youtube for a video removal of a tick and you will see how the skin actually pulls up as it it being removed.  YUCK!  Anyways I called for Brady, yes I am such a wimp.  By this time I had all the kids in my bathroom all worried about Paylynn. And Paylynn remained calm.  I asked Brady what he knew about ticks from scouts.  He actually knew quite a bit so I gave him the tweezers and told him what he needed to do.  He took the tweezers and I held the bowl.  He was my hero!   Plus maybe the offering of $ was a bit more enticement to get that nasty tick out of her scalp.  But it came out.  I quickly examined Paylynn's scalp and noticed nothing left behind and wiped the area with an alcohol swab.

Once removed I put it in a baggie and then a jar with a lid.  After I took the kids to school, I did end up calling the doctor office to see if I needed to be doing anything else. The nurse said watch the area and if she comes down with flu like symptoms then to bring her in.  I also searched the other kids scalp and backs but told them to look their bodies over really good after school.  I will admit that the rest of the day I just like had bugs on me.  I did wash sheets the next day.  Overload...probably but hey if it puts my mind ease then so be it.

Clothes and Planning

Everyday has a little crazy but somedays just a bit more.   The other day the little girls closet rod fell down.  It was a good thing as I have been putting off sorting through their clothes.  Sorting clothes is a task I am very well behind and honestly just don't like to do.  I don't know what to keep or hold on to.  It is easy if they are worn or torn but when they are in good condition I apparently seem to have some kind of memory attachment.  I do try to pass down to the next child but grandparents do buy them new clothes for birthdays or Christmas or just because.  It isn't a bad thing.   It just can overwhelm the senses and the little kids when they have too much of a good thing and then don't know what to wear.  

 It has forced me to face what I dread and put off.  I did get the spring/summer clothes that fit put up and then pulled out the fall/winter or anything to small out.  I currently have that in a pile to sort through and try to downsize.  It might be easier to just let the girls make the decision on what they like/love.  A good thing to work on while they have a few extra days off.  

I also called and emailed about scheduling a screw removal and planning Arianna's right hip surgery.  It is a little tricky planning Arianna's.  I was able to get a couple dates to start with.  Monday May 11 or Friday May 15th.  The issue with Arianna is finals are May 20 and 21st.  Summer school for her word processing class that she needs for credit starts beginning of June and goes for four weeks.   I don't want to schedule to late into the summer either so she isn't going back to school on crutches.    But before going into freak out or any kind of crazy mode Dustin emailed the school counselor to inform them what we were looking at.  Her response was very positive.  They can only miss a total of 10 days/semester and anything there after is more paper work and involving the doctor to get a better plan of action.  She even stated we could work with her finals.  All very uplifting news.  

Dr Millis even called but I was on my way from picking up the school kids and missed his call.  He also wrote an email.  We did reply about how our hips are doing.  And he wrote back stating that he would get the surgical papers around so we could get some dates figured out!  This is exciting.  

Lots of possibilities!  It is all going to work as it is intended too.  

Trust with a child like heart that where we are at is where we are meant to be.  Live in the moment not the past or future.