Questions provided by Queen of Carrots.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Pretty much skipped my birthday, due to Sara being long-term sick and me being short-term sick.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t usually make resolutions, and I don’t remember making any specifically last year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
Not in my immediate family. Several in Sara's.
4. Did anyone close to you get married?
No one really close, although again, Sara's family and friends had some action on this front.
5. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
6. Travel?
A very fun family trip up to Maine and Nova Scotia this summer. We went by train and had a fantastic time.
Also lots of work travel, which is kind of fun for me but no fun at all for the five left at home.
7. Did you move anywhere?
No. After moving the last time (almost 10 years ago now), Sara and I decided that we didn’t ever want to move again. And that was with only one child and less than two years of marriage to accumulate stuff.
8. What was the best month?
June, with the trip North.
9. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A healthier family.
10. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I really can’t think of any particular dates.
11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I did a case in California from beginning to end, and won! That was a blast.
12. What was your biggest failure?
The church that we’ve been attending for 6 years had to stop renting the space we’ve had because we aren’t growing. No, it wasn’t just my failure, but as one of two families who helped start it up, it feels bad. So now we’re meeting in a home, which I’m not at all a fan of, at least long-term.
13. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh, my, yes. Many, many colds for everyone; Sara’s 3 week bout with fever; Stuart was sick with a fever for about 2 or 3 weeks. It was not a nice healthy year.
14. What was the best thing you bought?
Dungeons and Dragons. We’ve had a lot of fun as a family playing together.
15. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Sara, for getting several articles published and GETTING PAID FOR THEM! Yay, Sara!
16. Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed?
I try to avoid being political on my blog, but I’m not sure whether I’m more appalled or depressed at the current executive and legislative branches of our federal government. Probably both words apply depending on the day.
17. Where did most of your money go?
Housing and food. Not in the bank. And regarding the money that is in the 401(k) plan, thankfully not much of it went anywhere. Flat is better than plummeting.
18. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to a worship leader conference. Winning a case.
19. What song will always remind you of 2011?
“Mean” by Taylor Swift.
20. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
ii. richer or poorer?
i. Hmmm. Good question. I would say probably sadder, due to the afore-mentioned church move.
ii. Thankfully, a little richer. Mostly due to Sara’s doing the budget. She’s really good at it.
21. What do you wish you'd done more of?
House repairs. I’m not at all good at them, so I tend to do what Dad and I call our “ostrich act” – just bury our heads in the sand and ignore them.
22. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating. I’m still the same weight I was last New Year’s (ok, I lost 2 whole pounds over the course of the year, but it’s basically the same).
23. How will you be spending New Year's Eve/Day?
We spent them enjoying my vacation from work. I took two whole weeks off, and that was great. And dinner with the Shaw family included homemade pasta, which is terrific.
24. What was an unexpected surprise?
Getting to go to the HSLDA National Conference for the first time in 10 years. My legal assistant leaving on short notice. The Virginia earthquake.
25. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Nope, but stayed in love with my best friend Sara. Marriage to her gets better every year.
26. What was the best concert you've been to this year?
None that I can think of, but Matt Maher is coming to this area soon, and I hope to go see him.
27. What was your favorite TV program?
Heroes, Season 1. Loved it!
28. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?
No.
29. What was the best book you read?
I think probably Spellbound by Larry Correia. David Weber’s Out of the Dark was pretty good too.
For non-fiction, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana. Many thanks to Will Estrada for recommending it to me.
30. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Taylor Swift.
31. What did you want and get?
A new cross necklace for Christmas. Better organized at work.
32. What did you want and not get?
A new minivan. Maybe this year?
33. What was your favorite film of this year?
X-Men:First Class and Captain America were top notch. I also really liked The Three Musketeers.
34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 38, and I got sick. It was not a stellar birthday.
35. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time to spend with Sara.
36. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Fashion? Ha! I don't really care enough to have a "fashion concept," I'm afraid.
37. What kept you sane?
Reading and going out for drives BY MYSELF WITH NO LITTLE VOICES TALKING TO ME.
38. What political issue stirred you the most?
The national debt crisis.
39. Who did you miss?
Sara and the kids, when I was on business travels.
40. Random Memories from 2011?
Having a great time with Addi and Stuart at Virginia’s inclusive homeschool convention. Sitting in a welfare office for 2 hours waiting for my case to be called. Driving a bright yellow car called Ferdinand, listening to Modern Scholar CDs. Our tenth annual All Saints Day party. Getting to meet with some good friends in person instead of just talking over the phone. Flying to Los Angeles and then immediately coming back, because the hearing got postponed while I was in the air. Listening to a CD of "yellow songs" that my friends the Morgans made for me to listen to while driving my yellow car.
Showing posts with label Injuries and Illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Injuries and Illness. Show all posts
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Monday, October 31, 2011
Collection of Pictures
In no particular order, as usual:
For those who missed every single Facebook post from every single person on the East Coast this weekend, we got an early snow. Our neighborhood was lucky: we didn't lose power. But my neighbor lost her Bradford pear. We're calling it "the banana tree" because of the way it peeled itself off its trunk. Ha ha! We can laugh because it's not in our front yard.
Here's a shot of our cozy, snow-covered house. Except that we weren't ready for cozy, snow-covered weather so it wasn't as charming as it looks.
On the other hand, unseasonable snow goes away quickly, as soon as seasonable weather returns. This was all that was left in our yard the next afternoon: the kids' "Snow Crow" -- a scarecrow made of snow.
And more importantly, the snow went away in time for Halloween. The next few pictures were taken last week, when Mom and I finished the kids' costumes in record time.
Here's Stuart, dressed -- obviously! -- as a Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. The Snitch is a small golden ball in the game of Quidditch. If the Seeker catches it during the game, his team automatically gets 150 points. It's very characteristic of Stuart to want to be the actual ball instead of the player who tries to catch it.
All three in their Halloween finery: Daphne is a Kitty, Stuart is a Golden Snitch, and Addie is an Auror, also from Harry Potter. Aurors are like the Wizarding Secret Police, who go after the really bad guys.
Back view, just to show off these amazing costumes. They are amazing, because Mom and I put them together in a weekend. Note Mom's handiwork with the reflective duct tape on Addie's Auror cloak. (Pip didn't have a costume. He ended up getting quite enough candy on Halloween anyway.)
Oh, and then there's the whole reason we had to scramble to get costumes ready at the last minute: the fact that I spent most of the month on a mattress in the dining room with 102-degree fever. This is why my mother bought a one-way ticket and came 1000 miles to my home.
-- SJ
For those who missed every single Facebook post from every single person on the East Coast this weekend, we got an early snow. Our neighborhood was lucky: we didn't lose power. But my neighbor lost her Bradford pear. We're calling it "the banana tree" because of the way it peeled itself off its trunk. Ha ha! We can laugh because it's not in our front yard.
Here's a shot of our cozy, snow-covered house. Except that we weren't ready for cozy, snow-covered weather so it wasn't as charming as it looks.
On the other hand, unseasonable snow goes away quickly, as soon as seasonable weather returns. This was all that was left in our yard the next afternoon: the kids' "Snow Crow" -- a scarecrow made of snow.
And more importantly, the snow went away in time for Halloween. The next few pictures were taken last week, when Mom and I finished the kids' costumes in record time.
Here's Stuart, dressed -- obviously! -- as a Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. The Snitch is a small golden ball in the game of Quidditch. If the Seeker catches it during the game, his team automatically gets 150 points. It's very characteristic of Stuart to want to be the actual ball instead of the player who tries to catch it.
All three in their Halloween finery: Daphne is a Kitty, Stuart is a Golden Snitch, and Addie is an Auror, also from Harry Potter. Aurors are like the Wizarding Secret Police, who go after the really bad guys.
Back view, just to show off these amazing costumes. They are amazing, because Mom and I put them together in a weekend. Note Mom's handiwork with the reflective duct tape on Addie's Auror cloak. (Pip didn't have a costume. He ended up getting quite enough candy on Halloween anyway.)
Oh, and then there's the whole reason we had to scramble to get costumes ready at the last minute: the fact that I spent most of the month on a mattress in the dining room with 102-degree fever. This is why my mother bought a one-way ticket and came 1000 miles to my home.-- SJ
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Mundania 32
* My life recently has been feverish. Not feverish activity, since I spend the majority of my time laid out on a mattress in the dining room. No, I've had a persistent 102-degree fever for nearly three weeks now. Just a fever: no other symptoms.
* Well, no other symptoms except that I don't want anything sweet, but I dream about eating spaghetti and potato chips for the salt. That's pretty much a symptom for me.
* Yes, I've seen a doctor. No, he can't find a definite cause. Yes, I'll be tested again for Lyme's Disease. Yes, it might be the sort of viral infection that Stuart had last February, when he had a fever for about a month.
* It's easier on the household if it's the eight-year-old son who has this fever.
* Darren is working double-shift, keeping his head above surface at work and then rushing home to keep the household running. Yes, he's a superhero, in case anybody hadn't yet figured this out (hi, New Reader!).
* Thank God for friends. They've delivered meals, cleaned the house, babysat, done bedtime duty while Darren was out of town, called to talk to the kids, and sent me texts and Facebook messages.
* And on Wednesday, my mama is coming back up to stay with us until I'm better. As in, she bought just a one-way ticket.
* On a completely different note, back before I got sick (those hazy, bygone days), I wrote this article for Recovering Grace, the website devoted to examining the teachings and effects of Bill Gothard's IBLP and ATI programs.
* Well, what do you know, it's time for a little ibuprofen. Too bad it doesn't taste like Sour Cream & Onion potato chips.
-- SJ
* Well, no other symptoms except that I don't want anything sweet, but I dream about eating spaghetti and potato chips for the salt. That's pretty much a symptom for me.
* Yes, I've seen a doctor. No, he can't find a definite cause. Yes, I'll be tested again for Lyme's Disease. Yes, it might be the sort of viral infection that Stuart had last February, when he had a fever for about a month.
* It's easier on the household if it's the eight-year-old son who has this fever.
* Darren is working double-shift, keeping his head above surface at work and then rushing home to keep the household running. Yes, he's a superhero, in case anybody hadn't yet figured this out (hi, New Reader!).
* Thank God for friends. They've delivered meals, cleaned the house, babysat, done bedtime duty while Darren was out of town, called to talk to the kids, and sent me texts and Facebook messages.
* And on Wednesday, my mama is coming back up to stay with us until I'm better. As in, she bought just a one-way ticket.
* On a completely different note, back before I got sick (those hazy, bygone days), I wrote this article for Recovering Grace, the website devoted to examining the teachings and effects of Bill Gothard's IBLP and ATI programs.
* Well, what do you know, it's time for a little ibuprofen. Too bad it doesn't taste like Sour Cream & Onion potato chips.
-- SJ
Friday, August 19, 2011
7 Quick Takes, August 19, 2011
Wow, this is the 3rd 7 Quick Takes post I've done in a row. I feel almost like a blogger! --DJ
Other 7 Quick Takes here.
1. We went to Cracker Barrel on Wednesday for dinner, and for the first time in my life, I won the peg game. Hurray for me!
2. Jeremy Swanson and I were emailing comments on NPR's Top 100 Fantasy/Sci Fi list back and forth. I said I liked Animal Farm better than 1984. His comment: "All dystopias are equal, but some are more equal than others." Score for Jeremy.
3. Colds always seem to come at the most inopportune time. Like the day before we're getting to go out on an overnight date, Sara comes down with one. [insert scream here]
4. The detective class I was listening to last week was interesting, but I kept wanting more analysis. She would toss off comments like "some say" or "a few critics argue," but would never explain their arguments or the response to them.
5. On the lecturer's recommendation, I tried a mystery about an actor who solves cases. So far, I'm half way through the book and not inclined to finish, as he's spent most of his time either (a) wanting a drink; (b) drunk; or (c) hungover. He's also engaged in intimate relations with 2 different women, neither of which he's married to, and attempted another one, but was too drunk. Not exactly the type of guy I want to hang out with. The mystery is from the 1970s, a decade I associate with unpleasant literature.
6. I'm back finishing up the Aquinas lectures now, listening to the section on Ethics, which is much easier to comprehend than Metaphysics.
7. And here is a funny post about Aquinas as a young child.
That's all. Work is hectic this week.
Other 7 Quick Takes here.
1. We went to Cracker Barrel on Wednesday for dinner, and for the first time in my life, I won the peg game. Hurray for me!
2. Jeremy Swanson and I were emailing comments on NPR's Top 100 Fantasy/Sci Fi list back and forth. I said I liked Animal Farm better than 1984. His comment: "All dystopias are equal, but some are more equal than others." Score for Jeremy.
3. Colds always seem to come at the most inopportune time. Like the day before we're getting to go out on an overnight date, Sara comes down with one. [insert scream here]
4. The detective class I was listening to last week was interesting, but I kept wanting more analysis. She would toss off comments like "some say" or "a few critics argue," but would never explain their arguments or the response to them.
5. On the lecturer's recommendation, I tried a mystery about an actor who solves cases. So far, I'm half way through the book and not inclined to finish, as he's spent most of his time either (a) wanting a drink; (b) drunk; or (c) hungover. He's also engaged in intimate relations with 2 different women, neither of which he's married to, and attempted another one, but was too drunk. Not exactly the type of guy I want to hang out with. The mystery is from the 1970s, a decade I associate with unpleasant literature.
6. I'm back finishing up the Aquinas lectures now, listening to the section on Ethics, which is much easier to comprehend than Metaphysics.
7. And here is a funny post about Aquinas as a young child.
That's all. Work is hectic this week.
Friday, June 11, 2010
How Does My Garden Grow?
Quite well, thanks for asking! From this (pictures #3 & 4) to this:
This morning we harvested some carrots. I planted a small, round variety. Here Addie and Daphne display the ones they've picked. Also, see how BOTH SIDES of Addie's face work? She's been Bells Palsy (and, we assume, Lyme's) free for several months now, and we're still grateful to see a symmetrical smile. Anyway, aren't the carrots cute?
A basket of produce! (Small garden, small basket, small produce.) According to the kids, carrots grown in our own garden taste really good.
-- SJ
This morning we harvested some carrots. I planted a small, round variety. Here Addie and Daphne display the ones they've picked. Also, see how BOTH SIDES of Addie's face work? She's been Bells Palsy (and, we assume, Lyme's) free for several months now, and we're still grateful to see a symmetrical smile. Anyway, aren't the carrots cute?
A basket of produce! (Small garden, small basket, small produce.) According to the kids, carrots grown in our own garden taste really good.
-- SJ
Monday, April 19, 2010
Love, Sara
Dear Immune System,
I eat well. I take a multivitamin every day. Sure, I eat sugar like it will earn my way to heaven, but it's nothing you haven't handled before.
So what's with this? A head stuffed beyond capacity, and then a fever? Leaving me huddled in a chair, wrapped in a blanket, for six hours? Come on, I do my part. Why don't you do yours?
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Friend,
I can't go out to lunch with you tomorrow. I'm sick. Judging from how I feel today, we should be able to go out in about, oh, four months.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Swistle,
Thank you for the reminder of this classic movie. Turns out that Katie had never seen it, so we were anxious to fill this gaping hole in her cultural education. (No thanks necessary, Neil and Christy!)
"Strange things are afoot at the Circle K!" always makes me laugh. Oh, and also "Mr. the Kid." Oh, and also "Don't be dead, dude! Most untriumphant!" Oh, also, "'Put them in the Iron Maiden.' 'Excellent!' 'Execute them.' 'Bogus.'" Oh, and also... never mind. Suffice to say that I'm sure the laughter helped my recovery.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Appetite,
Okay, so last night we were so stuffed up that we couldn't even taste the two pieces of pizza we ate. Remember, we're not really all that wild about pizza anymore. Remember how it's mostly just salty? Remember? So why did you insist that I needed to eat a piece this morning just to taste it? We were leaving in half an hour to eat Indian for lunch, for heaven's sake! Get a grip, Appetite.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Friend,
Well, it turns out that I'm feeling much better than I was last night. So I guess we can plan to go out to lunch sometime this week after all!
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Appetite,
You don't like chocolate chip cookies. You don't like soft, underbaked cookies. So what's with the eating three soft, underbaked chocolate chip cookies today? Get a GRIP, Appetite.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Immune System,
After only twelve hours and a night's sleep, I'm feeling back to normal except for a slight cough and sniffles. Please disregard previous note.
Also, here's a multivitamin to reward you for your trouble.
Love, Sara.
I eat well. I take a multivitamin every day. Sure, I eat sugar like it will earn my way to heaven, but it's nothing you haven't handled before.
So what's with this? A head stuffed beyond capacity, and then a fever? Leaving me huddled in a chair, wrapped in a blanket, for six hours? Come on, I do my part. Why don't you do yours?
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Friend,
I can't go out to lunch with you tomorrow. I'm sick. Judging from how I feel today, we should be able to go out in about, oh, four months.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Swistle,
Thank you for the reminder of this classic movie. Turns out that Katie had never seen it, so we were anxious to fill this gaping hole in her cultural education. (No thanks necessary, Neil and Christy!)
"Strange things are afoot at the Circle K!" always makes me laugh. Oh, and also "Mr. the Kid." Oh, and also "Don't be dead, dude! Most untriumphant!" Oh, also, "'Put them in the Iron Maiden.' 'Excellent!' 'Execute them.' 'Bogus.'" Oh, and also... never mind. Suffice to say that I'm sure the laughter helped my recovery.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Appetite,
Okay, so last night we were so stuffed up that we couldn't even taste the two pieces of pizza we ate. Remember, we're not really all that wild about pizza anymore. Remember how it's mostly just salty? Remember? So why did you insist that I needed to eat a piece this morning just to taste it? We were leaving in half an hour to eat Indian for lunch, for heaven's sake! Get a grip, Appetite.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Friend,
Well, it turns out that I'm feeling much better than I was last night. So I guess we can plan to go out to lunch sometime this week after all!
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Appetite,
You don't like chocolate chip cookies. You don't like soft, underbaked cookies. So what's with the eating three soft, underbaked chocolate chip cookies today? Get a GRIP, Appetite.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Immune System,
After only twelve hours and a night's sleep, I'm feeling back to normal except for a slight cough and sniffles. Please disregard previous note.
Also, here's a multivitamin to reward you for your trouble.
Love, Sara.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Mundania whatever-number-I'm-on-now
Stuart's vicarious computer time has suffered a deep cut lately since I'm not playing computer games for Lent. Last night he sighed deeply and said, "I'm bored with Lent!"
You 'n me both, son.
***
For this semester's co-op, I'm teaching a class on finance. My oldest class is boys ages 9-12, and I figured (correctly) that they weren't going to sit for lectures on budget and credit card payments. Instead I created a game using glass beads as currency, in which the boys have to buy certain required items until they're able to evacuate all the colonists off the unstable planet Krizz. (You know it's a real scifi planet when it has a Z in the name.) With my friend Deidre as banker, the boys have bought a car, a house, and medical supplies.
Yesterday, they also took the die, their currency, and began gambling. Why didn't I see that coming?
***
The kids were acting out the story of Ruth last night, Daphne's new favorite. (Formerly it was the story of Judith. Don't know the story of Judith? Come to our house. You haven't lived until you've seen Daphne play the part of Holophernes.) Stuart always adds new characters using his stuffed animals. He's not very picky: he'll cast any animal into any role. Last night was holding a palm-sized stuff horse. Darren, the narrator, said, "And Boaz decided to go to his fields, so he got on his little horse and rode..."
"This isn't Boaz's horse," Stuart interrupted. "It's a walking catfish."
Yes, folks, the story of Ruth as you've never heard it before.
***
We've got colds, we've got earaches, we've got draggy and bickery kids.
On a related note, we sure do miss the grandparents. Any want to come for a visit?
-- SJ
You 'n me both, son.
***
For this semester's co-op, I'm teaching a class on finance. My oldest class is boys ages 9-12, and I figured (correctly) that they weren't going to sit for lectures on budget and credit card payments. Instead I created a game using glass beads as currency, in which the boys have to buy certain required items until they're able to evacuate all the colonists off the unstable planet Krizz. (You know it's a real scifi planet when it has a Z in the name.) With my friend Deidre as banker, the boys have bought a car, a house, and medical supplies.
Yesterday, they also took the die, their currency, and began gambling. Why didn't I see that coming?
***
The kids were acting out the story of Ruth last night, Daphne's new favorite. (Formerly it was the story of Judith. Don't know the story of Judith? Come to our house. You haven't lived until you've seen Daphne play the part of Holophernes.) Stuart always adds new characters using his stuffed animals. He's not very picky: he'll cast any animal into any role. Last night was holding a palm-sized stuff horse. Darren, the narrator, said, "And Boaz decided to go to his fields, so he got on his little horse and rode..."
"This isn't Boaz's horse," Stuart interrupted. "It's a walking catfish."
Yes, folks, the story of Ruth as you've never heard it before.
***
We've got colds, we've got earaches, we've got draggy and bickery kids.
On a related note, we sure do miss the grandparents. Any want to come for a visit?
-- SJ
Monday, January 25, 2010
Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Wife
Ten years ago today, I sent a birthday card to a lovely young woman I was getting to know better. She was down in Mississippi and I was in Nova Scotia. Life was good anyway.
Five years ago today, I had just gotten back from St. Louis, where I found a cool pot in an art gallery that made a great gift to a beautiful woman – who was sick in bed for her birthday. Life was very good anyway.
This weekend, a gorgeous woman and I went out to Outback for her birthday. We chose Outback, because we had a gift card there. Except we couldn’t find the gift card. After we waited for 70 minutes to sit down, we got a text from the babysitter that the baby wouldn't go to sleep. We took the van, because the car has apparently developed a gas leak to complement the oil leak it has been working on for the last few months. And the van transmission started to develop skipping issues as we drove along, so it’s in the shop now. Life is abundantly good anyway.
Happy birthday to the woman who holds my heart, even in “anyway” times. I love you, my treasure, with all my heart.
--DJ
Five years ago today, I had just gotten back from St. Louis, where I found a cool pot in an art gallery that made a great gift to a beautiful woman – who was sick in bed for her birthday. Life was very good anyway.
This weekend, a gorgeous woman and I went out to Outback for her birthday. We chose Outback, because we had a gift card there. Except we couldn’t find the gift card. After we waited for 70 minutes to sit down, we got a text from the babysitter that the baby wouldn't go to sleep. We took the van, because the car has apparently developed a gas leak to complement the oil leak it has been working on for the last few months. And the van transmission started to develop skipping issues as we drove along, so it’s in the shop now. Life is abundantly good anyway.
Happy birthday to the woman who holds my heart, even in “anyway” times. I love you, my treasure, with all my heart.
--DJ
Friday, December 11, 2009
Bell's Palsy
Below are two pictures of Addie.
The first I took the morning we discovered her palsy, two months ago. Her face is a little swollen and completely frozen -- after all, she's smiling with the other side of her face.
The next I took last night. Her face isn't back to normal by any means, but the right side of her mouth quirks upward when she smiles. That's significant improvement.
I can promise updates as events warrant; Addie Updates have become something of a hobby the last few weeks.
-- SJ
The first I took the morning we discovered her palsy, two months ago. Her face is a little swollen and completely frozen -- after all, she's smiling with the other side of her face.
The next I took last night. Her face isn't back to normal by any means, but the right side of her mouth quirks upward when she smiles. That's significant improvement.
I can promise updates as events warrant; Addie Updates have become something of a hobby the last few weeks.
-- SJ
The Health of Addie Update
I've been doing updates on Facebook, with the usual blithe forgetfulness that not everybody is on Facebook. So now I'm updating on my blog, with the customary uninformed assumption that everybody who isn't on Facebook at least reads my blog.
Back in October, Addie was diagnosed with Lyme's disease. We took her in because she woke up with Bell's Palsy, meaning that the right side of her face was temporarily paralyzed. (In previous posts -- or maybe it was on Facebook -- I said it was the left side of her face. That's because I can't tell left from right. Seriously, I get my kids' shoes on the wrong feet routinely.)
We did the 21-day antibiotic round, got her tested again, and even had her undergo an MRI. Results: the palsy indicated Lyme's, but nothing more terrible, and would repair itself. The Lyme's test came back positive again.
So! Next step was to get a picc line installed in Addie's arm so we can administer a stronger round of antibiotics directly into her body. For twenty-eight days, oh my. Darren is taking her in this morning for that.
It's been a pretty wearying adventure for Darren and me. As for Addie, she's taken everything in stride. She doesn't complain about her face, she takes any antibiotic or probiotic we give her, she went under general anesthesia for her MRI without a qualm. Yesterday she and I (and Phillip) spent all day in the hospital waiting for a picc line; she got a dose of the antibiotic but not the picc line. Addie considered it a vacation in her own personal resort room. She got to eat snacks and watch TV all day. (TV for the TV-less Jones kids is a serious treat and worth a hospital stay.) Underneath all that melodrama is a steel backbone.
Best of all, last night we noticed a real improvement in her face. It's not back to normal, but it's better.
That's the story so far. Good thing I'm done, because Phillip is expiring of hunger on the floor.
-- SJ
Back in October, Addie was diagnosed with Lyme's disease. We took her in because she woke up with Bell's Palsy, meaning that the right side of her face was temporarily paralyzed. (In previous posts -- or maybe it was on Facebook -- I said it was the left side of her face. That's because I can't tell left from right. Seriously, I get my kids' shoes on the wrong feet routinely.)
We did the 21-day antibiotic round, got her tested again, and even had her undergo an MRI. Results: the palsy indicated Lyme's, but nothing more terrible, and would repair itself. The Lyme's test came back positive again.
So! Next step was to get a picc line installed in Addie's arm so we can administer a stronger round of antibiotics directly into her body. For twenty-eight days, oh my. Darren is taking her in this morning for that.
It's been a pretty wearying adventure for Darren and me. As for Addie, she's taken everything in stride. She doesn't complain about her face, she takes any antibiotic or probiotic we give her, she went under general anesthesia for her MRI without a qualm. Yesterday she and I (and Phillip) spent all day in the hospital waiting for a picc line; she got a dose of the antibiotic but not the picc line. Addie considered it a vacation in her own personal resort room. She got to eat snacks and watch TV all day. (TV for the TV-less Jones kids is a serious treat and worth a hospital stay.) Underneath all that melodrama is a steel backbone.
Best of all, last night we noticed a real improvement in her face. It's not back to normal, but it's better.
That's the story so far. Good thing I'm done, because Phillip is expiring of hunger on the floor.
-- SJ
Thursday, October 22, 2009
P.S.
Related to the post below:
Stuart was listening as the doctor explained about pneumonia. Darren saw Stuart's face blanch, but didn't think much of it.
In the car on the way home, Stuart asked anxiously, "Am I going to die?" It turns out there's this Calvin strip (he's memorized most of those books) where Calvin wants to go outside in the rain and demands to know why his mother won't let him.
"Because," she says, "you'll get wet, get pneumonia, linger a few months, and then die."
Poor Stuart thought he'd heard his own death sentence.
-- SJ
Stuart was listening as the doctor explained about pneumonia. Darren saw Stuart's face blanch, but didn't think much of it.
In the car on the way home, Stuart asked anxiously, "Am I going to die?" It turns out there's this Calvin strip (he's memorized most of those books) where Calvin wants to go outside in the rain and demands to know why his mother won't let him.
"Because," she says, "you'll get wet, get pneumonia, linger a few months, and then die."
Poor Stuart thought he'd heard his own death sentence.
-- SJ
The Swine Flu
Today for Show and Tell, class, we get to talk about someone who is currently experiencing Swine Flu! Or, as is appropriate to call it now, H1N1, which makes me want to pronounce it "heiney."
Stuart was diagnosed this afternoon with the swine flu, but we already knew what it was because he's been sick since Saturday. As in, running a temperature of at least 102 for six days. He also developed a deep cough two days ago. His temperature did drop to 99.6 last night, but shot back up again by morning. The nurse said without hesitation that he needed to come in.
I really didn't see why, because what could they do about the flu? Well, it turns out that it's not really the flu itself they're worried about. It's the pneumonia that sets in afterward. Stuart has a history of respiratory troubles, so although we haven't had any problems for at least three years, we were monitoring his breathing very closely for wheezing or rasping. We heard nothing, but the doctor detected some slight rattling and wheezing through his stethoscope. It was indicative of early, developing pneumonia. He said that the drop in temperature, and then the rise again, also indicated it.
I don't suppose he could know for sure it was pneumonia until it became a full-blown case; but neither he nor we were interested in waiting to confirm his suspicions. Stuart's on antibiotics to kill the pneumonia, and the occasional albuterol if his breathing gets bad.
He's still coughing, although not badly. His fever has gone down to 99. It seems as if he might have kicked the Flu's heiney. And I should have resisted that, but didn't.
Our major concern at this point isn't Stuart: it's Phillip. As with any sickness, especially respiratory, babies are at a very high risk. At the very first indication of fever or trouble breathing, we're to take Phillip in. Meanwhile, the doctor said, the flu is primarily airborne, so keep the boys as far apart as possible. Not that I'm anxious about this, but the whole reason I'm not in bed yet is that I had to come out and put a hand on Phillip's head to make sure it wasn't hot.
My experience with the Flu is that it lasts absolutely forever and the fever is a little worrisome. (Only a little because Stuart's never got above 104.)
Granted, if your child very small (the doctor didn't seem worried about three-year-old Daphne) or has breathing problems, then you have a bit more to concern you. But is it a replay of the flu epidemic of 1918, which took, among others, three of my great-grandmother's children? No. So ratchet down your general anxiety level. The warning signs seem easy to spot -- persistent fever and wheezing -- and we live in a time of blessings and antibiotics. Take a deep breath.
Um, and don't forget to pray for little Pip.
-- SJ
Stuart was diagnosed this afternoon with the swine flu, but we already knew what it was because he's been sick since Saturday. As in, running a temperature of at least 102 for six days. He also developed a deep cough two days ago. His temperature did drop to 99.6 last night, but shot back up again by morning. The nurse said without hesitation that he needed to come in.
I really didn't see why, because what could they do about the flu? Well, it turns out that it's not really the flu itself they're worried about. It's the pneumonia that sets in afterward. Stuart has a history of respiratory troubles, so although we haven't had any problems for at least three years, we were monitoring his breathing very closely for wheezing or rasping. We heard nothing, but the doctor detected some slight rattling and wheezing through his stethoscope. It was indicative of early, developing pneumonia. He said that the drop in temperature, and then the rise again, also indicated it.
I don't suppose he could know for sure it was pneumonia until it became a full-blown case; but neither he nor we were interested in waiting to confirm his suspicions. Stuart's on antibiotics to kill the pneumonia, and the occasional albuterol if his breathing gets bad.
He's still coughing, although not badly. His fever has gone down to 99. It seems as if he might have kicked the Flu's heiney. And I should have resisted that, but didn't.
Our major concern at this point isn't Stuart: it's Phillip. As with any sickness, especially respiratory, babies are at a very high risk. At the very first indication of fever or trouble breathing, we're to take Phillip in. Meanwhile, the doctor said, the flu is primarily airborne, so keep the boys as far apart as possible. Not that I'm anxious about this, but the whole reason I'm not in bed yet is that I had to come out and put a hand on Phillip's head to make sure it wasn't hot.
My experience with the Flu is that it lasts absolutely forever and the fever is a little worrisome. (Only a little because Stuart's never got above 104.)
Granted, if your child very small (the doctor didn't seem worried about three-year-old Daphne) or has breathing problems, then you have a bit more to concern you. But is it a replay of the flu epidemic of 1918, which took, among others, three of my great-grandmother's children? No. So ratchet down your general anxiety level. The warning signs seem easy to spot -- persistent fever and wheezing -- and we live in a time of blessings and antibiotics. Take a deep breath.
Um, and don't forget to pray for little Pip.
-- SJ
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Love, Sara
Dear Editor-in-Chief of Home Magazine's "Outdoor Living with Style":
Stop permitting your authors to use the adjectives "beautiful," "lovely," and "ideal." They make your pieces sound like a 19th century ladies' magazine, which I doubt is the image you're aiming for. Or so I judge from your picture on the back flap, in which your clothes are sophisticated, your smile knowing, and your eyes strong and assertive. Note that I didn't once call you beautiful or lovely; isn't that refreshing?
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Author of Home Magazine's "Outdoor Living with Style":
Does it bother you that you wrote this whole book and gathered all the photos, only to have the final published edition feature the editor's picture and bio on the back flap? Oh, wait, there's your bio, below hers. Good thing nobody cares what you look like, though.
Friendly tip: Don't send this woman a Christmas gift. She'll rewrap it and give it to her aunt.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Walter John Williams,
I complained before about your books. I'm going to complain some more. I wish you'd explain things better so your readers actually know what you're talking about. As it is, we have to recite the Reader's Creed: "I believe in the author, creator of this story; and I believe his plot will work and his story is going where he says it is, even if that is hidden from my eyes. Amen."
It's not that I wish I hadn't read your books. I just wish you'd written them better.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
I hate you. I hate having to shatter my smiling daughter's illusions that "capris" start with K and "ginger" starts with J. And let's not even discuss words spelled with "IE" or "EI." Why must you be this way?
Yours, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
Well, okay, sometimes you're not so bad. Like tonight when we were eating lasagna. We concluded that Darren's didn't have to be suspicious that I've included something nutritious and ambitious.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Flu, Lyme's disease, and Bell's Palsy,
Go away.
Sincerely, Sara.
Stop permitting your authors to use the adjectives "beautiful," "lovely," and "ideal." They make your pieces sound like a 19th century ladies' magazine, which I doubt is the image you're aiming for. Or so I judge from your picture on the back flap, in which your clothes are sophisticated, your smile knowing, and your eyes strong and assertive. Note that I didn't once call you beautiful or lovely; isn't that refreshing?
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Author of Home Magazine's "Outdoor Living with Style":
Does it bother you that you wrote this whole book and gathered all the photos, only to have the final published edition feature the editor's picture and bio on the back flap? Oh, wait, there's your bio, below hers. Good thing nobody cares what you look like, though.
Friendly tip: Don't send this woman a Christmas gift. She'll rewrap it and give it to her aunt.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Walter John Williams,
I complained before about your books. I'm going to complain some more. I wish you'd explain things better so your readers actually know what you're talking about. As it is, we have to recite the Reader's Creed: "I believe in the author, creator of this story; and I believe his plot will work and his story is going where he says it is, even if that is hidden from my eyes. Amen."
It's not that I wish I hadn't read your books. I just wish you'd written them better.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
I hate you. I hate having to shatter my smiling daughter's illusions that "capris" start with K and "ginger" starts with J. And let's not even discuss words spelled with "IE" or "EI." Why must you be this way?
Yours, Sara.
***
Dear English Language,
Well, okay, sometimes you're not so bad. Like tonight when we were eating lasagna. We concluded that Darren's didn't have to be suspicious that I've included something nutritious and ambitious.
Love, Sara.
***
Dear Flu, Lyme's disease, and Bell's Palsy,
Go away.
Sincerely, Sara.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Overheard at the Jones House
Doorbell rings.
"Addie, I think that's Brooke. Please tell her that we've got sickness in the house and can't play."
Addie: "Sorry, Brooke. We've got a flu invalid ["in-VALL-id"] so we can't come out."
***
Addie: "Oooh! I'm so tired!" [Collapses on the other end of the couch that Stuart has occupied for two days]
Darren: "I'm sorry. Do you think you'll live?"
Addie [being stoic and grown-up] "Yes. I'll be all right. Nobody's ever died of the flu!"
Darren and Sara: [Absolutely not touching that one.]
***
Daphne [all day long]: "I have a little tiny fever! I'm a little tiny sick! I need medicine! I have a tiny fever! I'm sick!"
Darren [5:00 pm]: "Daphne, you can't go outside today. You're sick."
Daphne: "I am NOT sick! I'm NOT SICK!"
***
I played a word game with Stuart and Addie tonight. We got it from Bookworm Adventures. The object is to guess the mystery word in five turns, with only the first letter provided. Stuart guessed my first word (HORSE) on his first turn. Addie had more trouble with DIMES, so I gently led her to the right conclusion, not wanting to flaunt my superior age and word skills.
Then they chose a word for me. Despite my best efforts, I went down in flames.
They'd chosen the word SIEGE.
-- SJ
"Addie, I think that's Brooke. Please tell her that we've got sickness in the house and can't play."
Addie: "Sorry, Brooke. We've got a flu invalid ["in-VALL-id"] so we can't come out."
***
Addie: "Oooh! I'm so tired!" [Collapses on the other end of the couch that Stuart has occupied for two days]
Darren: "I'm sorry. Do you think you'll live?"
Addie [being stoic and grown-up] "Yes. I'll be all right. Nobody's ever died of the flu!"
Darren and Sara: [Absolutely not touching that one.]
***
Daphne [all day long]: "I have a little tiny fever! I'm a little tiny sick! I need medicine! I have a tiny fever! I'm sick!"
Darren [5:00 pm]: "Daphne, you can't go outside today. You're sick."
Daphne: "I am NOT sick! I'm NOT SICK!"
***
I played a word game with Stuart and Addie tonight. We got it from Bookworm Adventures. The object is to guess the mystery word in five turns, with only the first letter provided. Stuart guessed my first word (HORSE) on his first turn. Addie had more trouble with DIMES, so I gently led her to the right conclusion, not wanting to flaunt my superior age and word skills.
Then they chose a word for me. Despite my best efforts, I went down in flames.
They'd chosen the word SIEGE.
-- SJ
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Bullseye!
Ha, pun not intended, seeing as there never was a bullseye rash that we ever saw. Nevertheless, Addie's initial lab reports came back "strongly positive" for Lyme disease, hence the Bell's Palsy that's still part of Addie's life.
Fortunately the doctors put her on amoxicillin immediately, so another twelve days of that should take care of the Lyme. We just have to wait for the palsy to disappear on its own.
We got as far as saying, "The doctor called and said you do have Lyme disease," before Addie burst into tears, wailing about solitary confinement, presumably to keep from setting off an epidemic that would destroy all human life on our planet. We settled back with our books and said, "When you're done mourning, we'll finish what we have to say." Eventually, she allowed herself to be comforted by the news that the antibiotic would fight off the disease, and also that she wasn't contagious. But when Stuart added that the disease was inside her body, she threw herself on the couch and wailed again.
Rejoice with Addie, for not only is she sick, but she's got a DISEASE inside her body!
And rejoice with us that we've got a cause and that the solution seems very straightforward.
-- SJ
Fortunately the doctors put her on amoxicillin immediately, so another twelve days of that should take care of the Lyme. We just have to wait for the palsy to disappear on its own.
We got as far as saying, "The doctor called and said you do have Lyme disease," before Addie burst into tears, wailing about solitary confinement, presumably to keep from setting off an epidemic that would destroy all human life on our planet. We settled back with our books and said, "When you're done mourning, we'll finish what we have to say." Eventually, she allowed herself to be comforted by the news that the antibiotic would fight off the disease, and also that she wasn't contagious. But when Stuart added that the disease was inside her body, she threw herself on the couch and wailed again.
Rejoice with Addie, for not only is she sick, but she's got a DISEASE inside her body!
And rejoice with us that we've got a cause and that the solution seems very straightforward.
-- SJ
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Double Score!
So what we thought was Addie's sinus infection turns out to be "Bell's Palsy," a nerve infection following a viral infection. "Did she have a fever?" the nurse asked. "Well, yes," Darren said. "A low-grade one yesterday." And she complained of a headache a few times this week, but nothing that interfered with her normal function. Mostly all we noticed was that she fell asleep early two nights in a row.
Addie's an interesting study in contrasts. She's melodramatic and overstates any sort of cold or sickness (such as her painful disease). As far as actual pain is concerned, however, she has a surprisingly high tolerance level. This, folks, is the same child who was hospitalized as a baby because she was dehydrated. And why wasn't she eating? Because the long-running UTI she'd been suffering from, possibly for weeks, finally got to her enough for her to indicate she was hurting. Where Addie is concerned, we take complaints of pain seriously. Reports of deathly sickness, on the other hand, we usually ignore.
So, anyway, a round of steroids and antibiotics should keep the Bell's Palsy under control until it clears up... in two or three weeks, oh dear. She's getting tested for Lyme's just in case. Evidently it's not too serious but it's rather unsettling.
You may rest assured that Addie's going to milk this for all it's worth.
-- SJ
Addie's an interesting study in contrasts. She's melodramatic and overstates any sort of cold or sickness (such as her painful disease). As far as actual pain is concerned, however, she has a surprisingly high tolerance level. This, folks, is the same child who was hospitalized as a baby because she was dehydrated. And why wasn't she eating? Because the long-running UTI she'd been suffering from, possibly for weeks, finally got to her enough for her to indicate she was hurting. Where Addie is concerned, we take complaints of pain seriously. Reports of deathly sickness, on the other hand, we usually ignore.
So, anyway, a round of steroids and antibiotics should keep the Bell's Palsy under control until it clears up... in two or three weeks, oh dear. She's getting tested for Lyme's just in case. Evidently it's not too serious but it's rather unsettling.
You may rest assured that Addie's going to milk this for all it's worth.
-- SJ
I Win
Addie woke up this morning with what we assume is a sinus infection: the left half of her face is slightly, but noticeably, swollen.
"I have a sinus infection!" she wailed.
Not to be outdone, Daphne pointed to her skinned knee and said, "I have a knee ache."
Stuart said, "Well, I have a cold sore, and that hurts the most."
Phillip (via Daddy) piped up: "Well, guys, mine is worst of all. Because last night I got PUT DOWN."
Yup, it's pretty grim around here this morning. Rejoice with Addie, though: normally of an iron constitution, she is mournfully, tragically delighted to be sick.
-- SJ
"I have a sinus infection!" she wailed.
Not to be outdone, Daphne pointed to her skinned knee and said, "I have a knee ache."
Stuart said, "Well, I have a cold sore, and that hurts the most."
Phillip (via Daddy) piped up: "Well, guys, mine is worst of all. Because last night I got PUT DOWN."
Yup, it's pretty grim around here this morning. Rejoice with Addie, though: normally of an iron constitution, she is mournfully, tragically delighted to be sick.
-- SJ
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Making Me Tick
For the past couple of days, my thoughts have been centered on pretty much one thing:
Ticks.
There are occasional forays into other avenues of thought, such as: Darren comes home from a conference in Alaska today! Finally! It's been four days! Okay, so that's not so bad in normal people terms, but in Quality Time people terms it's pretty brutal.
Other thoughts: When a forum is on the third year and multiple-thousandth post of a particular thread, wouldn't you assume that the subject had been thoroughly thrashed out, hashed out I mean, and that the continued compulsive postings by the same people might indicate that there is some need for personal counseling?
Other thoughts: My sister headed to the hospital this evening. How long before the baby comes? Why do I have to be a thousand miles away from her at times like this? Update: Cassie Hope was born about an hour after I posted. So there's that question answered happily!
But, as I said, those were occasional digressions. Since yesterday afternoon I've mostly been thinking about ticks.
I got bit by one at a party on Saturday. So I've been googling "symptoms of Lyme Disease" repeatedly to see what I need to watch for and how soon I need to catch it. Remarkably, as soon as I read the list of symptoms, they start manifesting. But nothing has really lingered except that this stupid bite itches like crazy.
For forty minutes this morning I tried to find a number for an Urgent Care in the area to see if I needed to come in immediately. See, I'm going to get tested for Lyme regardless of any symptoms; I just needed to know if I should do it today, or wait and call my OB tomorrow. But although I know of two clinics within five miles of my house, I couldn't find a number for either of them. And was I going to load up three kids and drive them over to a clinic just to see if it was open, on the off-chance that I'd get to wrangle them in a waiting room and exam room for two hours? Obviously not, seeing as it's 9 p.m. and I'm still googling "symptoms of Lyme disease."
Meanwhile, this morning, I found a tick on my cat's neck. So now I've got to figure out the best way to remove it without further exposing my pregnant self to toxic tick saliva. Then I'm off to google "symptoms of Lyme disease in cats." Update: Tick is successfully removed from cat, even without using the sophisticated tool called "husband."
-- SJ
Ticks.
There are occasional forays into other avenues of thought, such as: Darren comes home from a conference in Alaska today! Finally! It's been four days! Okay, so that's not so bad in normal people terms, but in Quality Time people terms it's pretty brutal.
Other thoughts: When a forum is on the third year and multiple-thousandth post of a particular thread, wouldn't you assume that the subject had been thoroughly thrashed out, hashed out I mean, and that the continued compulsive postings by the same people might indicate that there is some need for personal counseling?
Other thoughts: My sister headed to the hospital this evening. How long before the baby comes? Why do I have to be a thousand miles away from her at times like this? Update: Cassie Hope was born about an hour after I posted. So there's that question answered happily!
But, as I said, those were occasional digressions. Since yesterday afternoon I've mostly been thinking about ticks.
I got bit by one at a party on Saturday. So I've been googling "symptoms of Lyme Disease" repeatedly to see what I need to watch for and how soon I need to catch it. Remarkably, as soon as I read the list of symptoms, they start manifesting. But nothing has really lingered except that this stupid bite itches like crazy.
For forty minutes this morning I tried to find a number for an Urgent Care in the area to see if I needed to come in immediately. See, I'm going to get tested for Lyme regardless of any symptoms; I just needed to know if I should do it today, or wait and call my OB tomorrow. But although I know of two clinics within five miles of my house, I couldn't find a number for either of them. And was I going to load up three kids and drive them over to a clinic just to see if it was open, on the off-chance that I'd get to wrangle them in a waiting room and exam room for two hours? Obviously not, seeing as it's 9 p.m. and I'm still googling "symptoms of Lyme disease."
Meanwhile, this morning, I found a tick on my cat's neck. So now I've got to figure out the best way to remove it without further exposing my pregnant self to toxic tick saliva. Then I'm off to google "symptoms of Lyme disease in cats." Update: Tick is successfully removed from cat, even without using the sophisticated tool called "husband."
-- SJ
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Chicken Pox
So here's the situation: a friend's children have the chicken pox. She's invited any of us who want to expose our children to come over and partake of the germs.
The dilemma:
On the one hand, I do want them to get it while they're young, and the vaccine is unnecessary if they do catch it.
On the other hand, doesn't it seem like a cruel thing for a mother to do, arranging a playdate for the single purpose of getting your kids sick?
-- SJ
The dilemma:
On the one hand, I do want them to get it while they're young, and the vaccine is unnecessary if they do catch it.
On the other hand, doesn't it seem like a cruel thing for a mother to do, arranging a playdate for the single purpose of getting your kids sick?
-- SJ
Friday, November 21, 2008
7 Quick Takes Friday
Because I want to be part of the Conversion Diary club.
1. I got up for a 7:30 a.m. dentist's appointment this morning. Darren was very sympathetic in an abstract sort of way: he has no actual experience in what it's like to go for a cleaning and come home with the news that I've got three more cavities and two old root canals to be seen to. In fact, when HE goes, the hygienist says, "I'd tell you to floss more, but you've got beautiful teeth. I LOVE your teeth! I worship your teeth! Will you please bite down on this so I can have an AUTOGRAPH of your teeth!" Not that I'm bitter.
2. This time I came away with the news that, yes, there are those problem areas I need to see about... but otherwise things look okay. Did you hear that? Things. Look. Okay. Do you KNOW how long it's been since I've got that verdict?
3. I occasionally let Daphne put on training panties. They're pink. She bounds around the house saying, "I'm wearin' pink pan-tays! I runnin' and jumpin' in pink pan-tays!" She also corrects my pronunciation of the word, when I call them -- oddly enough -- panties.
4. I should be napping right now.
5. Yesterday was our last co-op class until January. The kids all did show-and-tell, and also presented their science projects. Although Darren's buried at work right now, he took a couple extra hours in the morning to come to co-op (the first time he's managed to) which of course sent Stuart into the stratosphere. Addie's science project was "Which Food Do Ants Like Best," and she set up the experiment almost entirely by herself. Stuart's was "Which Soda Spews the Most Fizz?" We don't try to stereotype around here, it just happens.
6. Answer to above: Saltine crackers and Sprite.
7. I made chai-spice shortbread cookies today from a recipe in BH&G. You know how you see a zinger of a title and you think the recipe will be a zinger, too? This was one of those times. Mmmm. Yum. Wow, they're good. For my own sake, I'm sending most of them to youth group with Darren tonight.
7.5. Darren isn't actually IN youth group. He's teaching it.
-- SJ
1. I got up for a 7:30 a.m. dentist's appointment this morning. Darren was very sympathetic in an abstract sort of way: he has no actual experience in what it's like to go for a cleaning and come home with the news that I've got three more cavities and two old root canals to be seen to. In fact, when HE goes, the hygienist says, "I'd tell you to floss more, but you've got beautiful teeth. I LOVE your teeth! I worship your teeth! Will you please bite down on this so I can have an AUTOGRAPH of your teeth!" Not that I'm bitter.
2. This time I came away with the news that, yes, there are those problem areas I need to see about... but otherwise things look okay. Did you hear that? Things. Look. Okay. Do you KNOW how long it's been since I've got that verdict?
3. I occasionally let Daphne put on training panties. They're pink. She bounds around the house saying, "I'm wearin' pink pan-tays! I runnin' and jumpin' in pink pan-tays!" She also corrects my pronunciation of the word, when I call them -- oddly enough -- panties.
4. I should be napping right now.
5. Yesterday was our last co-op class until January. The kids all did show-and-tell, and also presented their science projects. Although Darren's buried at work right now, he took a couple extra hours in the morning to come to co-op (the first time he's managed to) which of course sent Stuart into the stratosphere. Addie's science project was "Which Food Do Ants Like Best," and she set up the experiment almost entirely by herself. Stuart's was "Which Soda Spews the Most Fizz?" We don't try to stereotype around here, it just happens.
6. Answer to above: Saltine crackers and Sprite.
7. I made chai-spice shortbread cookies today from a recipe in BH&G. You know how you see a zinger of a title and you think the recipe will be a zinger, too? This was one of those times. Mmmm. Yum. Wow, they're good. For my own sake, I'm sending most of them to youth group with Darren tonight.
7.5. Darren isn't actually IN youth group. He's teaching it.
-- SJ
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