Thunderclap Headache

Jaden can't sleep because he is too worried about what he's seen happening to me (i.e.: me collapsing and stuttering). For those of you who have shared his worries I hope this answers questions and provides some relief.

What I am experiencing is the result of a thunderclap headache (occurred on Sunday night and was pretty disturbing). Usually this burst on your brain is caused by bleeding or clotting. Mine had no bleeding which is not only fortunate, but lifesaving. We had to do extensive testing, including the world's worst spinal tap, to make sure there is no trace of blood or swelling on my brain. The only residual effect of this thunderclap is damage to my nervous system. This is temporary and with a lot of rest I should get better. The doctor does not know how long I will have the stroke-like symptoms (could be days, weeks or months) but we should know my general trajectory within the next 3-5 days.

We are so grateful that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. And especially grateful for the wonderful friends who have rushed me to the doctor, made dinner, cleaned the house and loved our children. Our Grace family is truly amazing!!

¡¡THANK YOU & WE LOVE YOU!!

(Jaden picked the banner colors for the thank you and they are so not my style but I'll humor him...)

P.S. If you ever feel like your head has been shut down and rebooted or suddenly slammed by cymbals-

Go to an ER immediately!

Bird Watching

Many of you know that we love to hike and camp as a family...actually I usually lay on a blanket and read or sleep. So we decided we are going to start birding on our trips.

This morning I saw a lovely Mr. Finch...like this one.

Last Saturday was our first bird watching trip. We went to Formation Springs where we also got to explore all the little caves.

Here is our bird log for the first 5 days of our new goal:

Pretty fun!!

So here are the questions I have for you:

What are the best bird guides? Which ones are kid friendly?

Bathroom Update

Ten months later...we are finally finished with the bathroom details and fixings. For the before and during post go here.

Before (ick!!)

After (apparently my photo editing skills are lacking today because I really just want to crawl into my new bed and sleep!)

Lovely, no?

And just for fun here is a little peek at my newly decorated room (yes, this is the third time in three years!)

Who knew I would use that interior design class I was required to take at BYU?

What to do about bullying

I found out last week that one of my children is being bullied at school. Yes, my heart is breaking! But I decided to refresh my study on bullying and repost a section of an older post. For the whole post go here.

What to do if your child is being bullied

Help your child avoid interaction of any sort with the bully. Interaction with a bully only leads to more insecurity and fear. The following steps are provided by kidshealth.org:

• Don't give the bully a chance. As much as you can, avoid the bully.
• Stand tall and be brave. Sometimes just acting brave is enough to stop a bully.
• Feel good about you. Nobody's perfect, but what can you do to look and feel your best?
• Get a buddy (and be a buddy). Two is better than one if you're trying to avoid being bullied.
• Ignore the bully. Pretend you don't hear them and walk away quickly to a place of safety. Bullies want a big reaction to their teasing and meanness.
• Stand up for yourself. Pretend to feel really brave and confident. Tell the bully "No! Stop it!" in a loud voice. Then walk away, or run if you have to.
• Don't bully back. Don't hit, kick, or push back to deal with someone bullying you or your friends. It's best to stay with others, stay safe, and get help from an adult.
• Don't show your feelings. Try distracting yourself (counting backwards from 100, spelling the word 'turtle' backwards, etc.) to keep your mind occupied until you are out of the situation and somewhere safe where you can show your feelings.
• Tell an adult. If you are being bullied, it's very important to tell an adult. Find someone you trust and go and tell them what is happening to you.