The tooth is out....

What do you do when you are in need of some cash to purchase a new Bakugan and your tooth is pretty loose? You wiggle it, wiggle it, pull on it, twist it until it comes out! Zachary is hoping the toothfairy will bring him 10 or maybe 12 dollars....

Attention! Attention! Zachary has his first loose tooth! It's one of his front teeth. I thought it was so cute when he was very excited to go to school and show his teacher and best friend. After he got out of the car, he ran and told Carson that he had a loose tooth. Carson thought it was so cool that Zach had a loose tooth. Of course I keep telling him that it will come out on his own and to stop wiggling it.... :)

A Monday venture to the Mall

Sometimes I dread when the boys are off for a holiday. Not that I don't LOVE to have them home...but it's a matter of trying to entertain them or I should say tire them out so that we can take a nap. I have been sick since last Thursday and finally felt somewhat better on Monday, so I figured we'd go to the mall. There were some various sales and I need to get Zachary some new jeans (he has worn holes in his other pairs). We went to Sears and purchased some new jeans for Zach with double reinforced knees, I purchased a pair of cross trainers a 1st step towards my goal of walking everyday, and then we went to Bath and Body Works for some soap. So I made my purchases and Isaac was getting tired of being in the store. We call Isaac the "gecko" as his hands are wicked fast at grabbing things. We have to be on it so he doesn't grab everything. Well, my reflexes weren't as quick as they normally tend to be and Isaac got ahold of a container with some plastic Qtip testers and FLUNG them onto the floor. I mean they went everywhere....

I profusely apologized to the clerk and she was still her over exaggerated cheery self. While trying to maneuver the stroller out of the small space, Zachary backed up into another table that had some candle holders on it, and of course, one of them fell off and broke. I apologized again and high tailed it out of there...

We then ate lunch and called it a day....

On a post note, We went to the FYE Music and Movie store. It made me all nostalgic going in there. I reminisced about when I was a teen and I would go with my friends to the Music store (I can't recall the name) in Oak Ridge Mall. I saw a stand with a bunch of Twilight the Movie Paraphernalia and they had the over sized buttons of the movie characters. It reminded me when I was a huge fan of New Kids on the Block and the music store in Oak Ridge had the oversized buttons of the New Kids. I also passed a Forever 21 and the mannequins were wearing fashions that I swear we wore in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade....we must be approaching the late 80's early 90's era again in fashion and apparel....

Kindred Spirits

I love Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea..two of my favorite movies. I always loved the friendship that blossomed between Anne and Diana. Kindred Spirits are individuals who are of a similar nature or character.

Making friends is not always easy for me. Not that I don't want friends, I like to be social and like having friends. There are times when I go to church and feel like hyperventilating when I realize that I will have to be social with the other ladies. Now I don't think myself above the ladies at church (more the opposite). I can relate to others who find it difficult to infuse themselves into existing clans/groups/cliques (whatever your preferred label). I feel like the members of these parties don't "get" me. Perhaps it is insecurities that have remained from when I was growing up, or my personality is just a bit to weird for them, I don't know...but it doesn't change my love for the gospel or church. It just means I have to work a little more...

But oh how wonderful it is when you find such a Kindred Spirit! It's so wonderful to have a friend that as the definition states who are of similar nature or character. Kindred Spirits can show up any where. I have been blessed to find a couple Kindred Spirits at work. They crack me up, make me smile, and doggone it just make me all around happy to know them. I read a recent post about Friends by Justine at Segullah (posted below) that hit the nail on the head about friends. Enjoy....

Friends by Justine

I’ve never been any good at making friends. I remember after moving to northern Michigan in 1975, my mother prodded me out of the house to “go find someone to play with!” I walked up and down the street, knocking on doors, asking the question, “Do you have any kids here? Do they want any new friends?”

So with that stellar public relations stint kicking off my search, my life finding friends has been long and arduous. We moved all the time growing up, so you’d think I would have had plenty of practice finding new people to play with. In truth, it just seemed to get worse and worse.

In college, I was so obnoxious, I can count on one finger the close friends I had.

Now, as a full-fledged middle aged adult, I’m still looking for someone to play with. I’ve somehow managed to maneuver my way into some really great friendships, but they always — always, I say — end with one of us moving. I’m still in mourning over some of those losses.

I moved so much as a kid, and all the people all around me now are still coming and going, I’m just waiting for everyone to be done shuffling around so I can settle in. When is that going to happen!?

I too often find High School hierarchy still alive and well in my little world. I still reel at the politics of friendships and the maneuvering and positioning that goes on in girl tribes.

I’ve always been terrible at navigating that world. And my friends keep moving away from me (hopefully not on purpose). What’s a girl to do?

The problem with this problem is, of course, that women need women! We need these relationships. We cling to each other for support and comfort. My husband would be happy with any random person off the street to play basketball with once in a while. I, however, develop and feed, nurture and finesse, fret and tend. I cull through the women in my life, looking for commonality and connection. I primp and preen to fit in.

I’m just so vain!

But I need it. I need you in my life. I reach out holding all my stress and pain and hurt and hopes and happiness in my hands, hoping against hope that someone will grab on to my hands and help me hold them up.

My girlfriends. I might be too strange to attract very many, but I’m holding tight to the few I’ve got. And I love you.

What happened to Winter?

Can I ask what has happened to Winter? It's mid January and usually in the Mid 30's when I get home from work in the morning..the cars, grass and rooftops are frosted over, and you can see your breath when you breathe due to the cold; HOWEVER, then in the early afternoon, the temperature starts to climb to the high 60's. High 60's!!!?? in January! What are we Florida or something?! I was driving home after running some erands and saw to ladies running in shorts and Tshirts and you can smell the BBQs going in the evening...

It makes me sad...Summer is going to be horrible this year if the weather continues to be this way...

(sigh)

On the 1st and 2nd day before Christmas my little one gave to me....2 seperate visits to the ER and some serious lack of sleep...

Ah the holidays...what would the holidays be without children being ill and not just sick, no, SUPER sick (as Zachary so plainly put it). On Monday I packed up the boys and headed to the ER as Isaac was not feeling very well at all and had a rough night a lot of coughing and high fevers...102 to 103). He didn't seem to be responding to his asthma treatments...so off to the ER we went in the morning. We spent a total of 3 hours there and found out that Isaac has viral bronchitis, his Xray showed bronchial infiltrates (the bad stuff). So they gave him some Motrin and another asthma Rx (Ativant) to help open him up. Naturally I stayed home that night from work since I had worked the night before and Sam had been up most of the night with Isaac (Sam has been sick too, so he needed some sleep). Isaac didn't sleep much Monday night and I was up and down giving Tylenol/Motrin and breathing treatments. After our visit to the ER, I kept thinking how the MD didn't check his throat or do any blood work. I found this odd since it seems that EVERYONE regardless of what they have (broken toe, scratch...etc) get an Xray and lab work done when they go through the ER at the hospital where I work. So I called his Pediatrician and scheduled a follow up appointment for Tuesday at 11:15 am.

So Tuesday morning rolls around and Isaac is still not feeling well (still running high fever and coughing a lot). It was 10 am and I had just finished getting ready when I hear Isaac trying to cry, coughing and grunting. I looked at him and he was pale, with pale lips and dark circles under his eyes...clearly not feeling well and having a hard time breathing (I had just given him his treatment 10 min before). So I grabbed the boys and put them quickly into the car and we rushed to the ER. "My son needs to be seen right away, he can't breathe" were my exact words to the front desk RN...so we were whisked away off to a room quickly. Multiple RNs and respiratory therapists came into the room and quickly assess him. He was running 103.3 fever. So this visit I made sure that I pushed for Isaac to get lab work and an IV since he wasn't taking fluids very well and hadn't peed in some time. We were there a total of 6 hours. He almost got admitted but the pediatrician said his lungs were clear and his 02 sats were good. He had a high white blood count and was treated with a dose of Rocephin and was given Prednisone. His fever finally broke at the ER (as he hasn't had one since). The Pediatrician said that he probably wAS getting the beginnings of mild pneumonia. So we came home with an Antibiotic for the infection and more prednisone. I still have to give his breathing treatments about every 4-6 hours. I worked last night too and didn't get much sleep before work since Isaac was sick and sleeping with me.

I am happy to say that he is feeling much better today. He's drinking more and eating some as well. I am so grateful that the fever subsided finally. I am taking him for a re-check with his MD in a little while.

I am so grateful to live in a time when we have such good medical care and medicines.

Merry Christmas!

The pitfalls of school

So it didn't even take 2.5 weeks for Isaac to get sick from starting school. ugh! At least his tubes are in his ears now so that should help. Thank goodness Winter break starts for the boys next week..it will give them a chance to get well.