Mom Song

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My new scrapbooking favorite

I am taking a class thru Big Picture Scrapbooking; it is called Doodle All Day. I am loving this class because I can be as creative as I want and there is no judgement because it is just doodling.

I love the ease of it - just let it flow. I bought new pens and a two great sketch pads - white and black. I am just having a blast with the Sakura pens - Glaze, Souffle, and the Pigma Microns. They are just the best pens. I even love my big white Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser and the Crayola colored pencils (which were stolen from the kids' school supply pile.)

Doodling is addictive, but I am finding it really calming too- totally block out the rest of the world (laundry and all.) Someone on the message board called it "the inner doodle" which I just love. So check out Maelynn: http://thescrappyone.blogspot.com/

I am so far behind....

Where do I even start? The past two months have zoomed by.

Youngest: loves preschool. Favorite words - Chop! Chop! - to get us to hurry up. Don't have a clue where she picked this up. Much preferred to her calling everyone a loser. Really needs to move up to the next size bike but still loves her tricycle.

Middle: having a fantastic year so far in first grade. Making new friends and is invited to her first birthday party next week - she is so very excited. Reading very well and really getting a grasp on subtraction. What a great kid - so very personable. Adults love her.

Oldest: really likes her 8th grade team and her teachers - 3 men and 1 woman. Grades are fantastic right now - I am proud of her diligent work every night. Trying to keep the 'tude manageable - not always easy sometimes. Has the first "boyfriend" - but since it is long distance - I am OK with it. Biggest news - the $4000 in braces needed now. Oh, my gracious. I need a winning lottery ticket here.

J: still working on the last few classes for the doctorate; dissertation starts soon. As I have said before and will say again, man, he has been an expensive hubby but I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished and how intelligent the man is.

Me: really need to learn the word NO when it comes to being asked to volunteer or help out. I just spent three days at WS Elementary volunteering for the book fair, parent visitation, and the Race for Education. Had a blast and am meeting many new moms. Good news - applied for Teacher Trainer position and am applying for Team Leader at EO. Keeps your fingers crossed. I would love one of these (or both) and hopefully a raise. Tuition bills are killing the checkbook.
Going to Patti's (kaesmom) for Croptoberfest - YEAH!!!! Happy dance. I need this.

Dad: doing OK; physical therapy includes hydrotherapy; was released to drive again - he hasn't driven since last May - boy is he a happy guy; applied for Social Security - he does not want to go back to work but Mom has other ideas.

Mom: hanging in there with Dad's problems - needs a L.O.N.G. vacation now. She is so uptight that I would imagine the next heart attack will be hers. They need to find a buyer for the business or turn it over to E.

The SIL: has lost her friggin' mind. Cannot even begin to blog about this cause I don't even know what to say. Her issues have become overwhelming for all of us. I love her creativity and caring nature, but when she has issues - it isn't pretty and it just all consuming.

Meredyth: just had a fantastic turn-out for the Angel race. I am so happy that she was able to have some joy lately. She has so much on her plate - I am in awe of her strength.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Get Your Boobies Checked!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Have you had your mammogram this year? Have you done a monthly self-exam? If not, what are you waiting for? There are links below that can give you more information.


http://ww5.komen.org/home/

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

http://www.nbcam.com/


I had my first mammogram last week - Friday, October 12th. Haven't heard back yet. The radiologist has to read it then there is a special machine that reads the films too. The technician said to not be alarmed if I get a call back. Many first timers have to go back and have specific films taken since there isn't a baseline to compare to. I am OK with this. My mom gets called back just about every year due to non-cancerous issues.

GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO. It is too easy not too. Off my soapbox, now :-)

Are you a blogger? Then check out: http://www.5minutesformom.com/2440/casio/ They are giving away a new Casio Pink EX-Z75 digital camera in support of this special month. Go take a look.

Updates

Our trip to Virginia Beach was anything but what I imagined. The trip took 6+ hours due to potty stops and lunch, but we finally arrived about 4:30 pm just in time for my dad's heart attack. WTF? He knew something wasn't right that day and looking back now he knows that something wasn't right for about a week. Dad said he did not want to go to the doctor or the ER because the girls and I were on the way. He is damn lucky nothing else happened. I am soooo not ready to be dealing with my parents and illnesses. He is only 65 - still has a LOT of life left. Hear that, Dad????

So I drive into the driveway and cautioned the girls not to go running into the backyard because: 1. the brick sidewalk is askew due to the roots under it and 2. I don't know if Dad is awake or asleep. We walk back and go on the porch. Of course, he is awake, and his neighbor, Doug, is there too. (Doug has been a god send playing nurse to Dad as he has recuperated from three, yes, three surgeries in the past 5 months.) Doug grabs me and says, "Your dad isn't feeling well and won't call the doctor. Something isn't right."

I got Dad into the house and started going thru the papers on the various drugs he has to take. The drug pamphlet for Naproxen says in BIG BOLD letters to watch for heart attack signs. Um, yeah - that would be what he has. I called the dr. and left a message cause, of course, it is after hours. The nurse/dr. returns my call and says, "Go to the ER." OK, Dad. We are taking a little trip (this is now 5:30 pm) so he goes to change his clothes. Meanwhile Mom has arrived from work. Let her know I am taking him in. I think she was in total shock as she did not fight me to take him in. Load Dad into his Explorer and off we go to the new Princess Anne ER. I was a nervous wreck driving to the ER even though it was only 10 minutes from their house. I don't do medical situations well AT ALL.

The ER was great - only one person ahead of us. Great staff and doctor. ER dr. doesn't think he is having cardiac issues, but maybe a P.E. (pulmonary embolism) due to the chest pain. Nope, the blood work says "Cardiac Episode" - what a nice way to say HEART ATTACK. So the indigestion and sweating Dad had at 3 AM that morning was the heart attack itself. Ugh.... now we are gonna be transferred to Sentara Leigh cause they have the heart cath lab. At 11:30 PM he is finally transferred to Leigh. Fun part - the Virginia Beach Amphitheater is right behind the hospital and had a concert that night. Yeah - all the concert goers are leaving at the same time we are. Oh, the joy! I traded places with Mom - she went to Leigh, and I went to their house to stay with the girls. No sleep for me. I laid down about 2 am and Youngest woke up at 5:30 am. Oh, thank God for caffeine.

Oh, my gracious. I think I went into overdrive (as Patti called it) cause I wasn't emotional at all. That is EXTREMELY unlike me. I don't do medical problems very well (did I tell you that?), but damn if I didn't keep it together for my parents.

Wednesday was the cath lab, angiogram, and angioplasty. The Obtuse Marginal (??) is a sub-artery in the back of the heart. It was 90% blocked, so it was ballooned and then a stent was inserted. Dad was an absolute bear after because he was in so much pain from his back/neck where the laminectomy was and the oxycodone withdrawl. This coming from a man who is usually so laid back and gracious. Two hours in the cath recovery then off to another room for more intensive nursing. By Thursday morning he looked and acted so much better. The doctor was helping him eliminate the oxy by giving him Ativan for the anxiety. I was happy it was working really well cause he needed to come off the oxy. What an addicting drug!

Friday morning Dad was released to come home - but the dr. barely gave him an indications as to what kind of damage was done by the heart attack, what to do as far as exercise or eating, or his meds. We were even sure about wearing the bone stimulator for his neck. We took matters into our own hands and started calling and researching. Gracious - you would think that the doctor would be a little more concerned about the next 2.5 weeks until the follow-up appt. I am not too impressed with the discharge. The dr. who did the discharge even forgot to tell Dad to take the baby aspirin every day. OMG - that needs to be taken with the Plavix everyday. A blood clot could develop around the stent otherwise. Moron!!!

My poor girls got the brunt of this. My sister-in-law, Thierry or "T", came up from Carolina and kinda took over the younger two. They had lots of fun making Barbie clothes, going to Aunt T's house and playing, and getting new Barbie furniture. She was a blessing. Ashley was OK on the computer or hanging out. She finally got to spend some time with Sam too - they hung out at his house, and I took them to the skate park at Mt. Trashmore so Sam could teach her to skateboard. Sam's family was great to her while we were in VB. Very accommodating about having her over and spending time with them.

Once Dad was home, Mom became a not so nice person to be around. I think all of her emotions over the way this year has been really came to the surface. I know she is mad, scared, frustrated, disappointed, and any other negative emotion. Taking care of Dad so intensively is not what she bargained for in addition to running the business. The heart attack was kinda the final straw. I really hope that for both of their sakes that Mom will come to terms with Dad's physical issues and be more compassionate. I know she logically knows he did not do anything to cause his injuries, but I believe she is very angry at Dad for how it has affected her life. She is such a Type A personality and likes control over everything - which isn't going to help in this situation. Dad needs someone who is motivating and gentle. Not the steamroller she can be. But with all of this said, she did "brag" to her best friend how Thierry and I took over the meals, laundry, cleaning, etc. so she didn't have to do anything while Dad was in the hospital. I just wish she had told Thierry and I this instead of telling us we were doing stuff wrong.

I did get Dad to take a walk on Sunday; however, I think he pushed it way too much and told him so. He walked too far, so today he walked just around the court and then worked on the rehab exercises for his knee and neck. Much better. Mom was in a better mood when I talked to her tonight. Hopefully it will last.

OK - I think this is most of the heart attack info. I will edit if I remember more. God, what a week. Not fun. I am not ready to deal with this yet - my parents are still too damn young to be pulling this mess. Straighten up!

My dad had a heart attack

I am beyond tired so this will be short. I brought the girls down to my parents' home for a visit. Drove over 6 hours from PA to Virginia Beach. Got here at 4:30. By 6 I was in the ER with my dad. This sucks!!!!!!!!

The weeks plans

running around like a crazy woman today trying to get everything packed cause I taking the girls to Virginia Beach tomorrow to visit Mom and Dad. The plan is to be on the road by 8 or 9 am. Hopefully the kids will cooperate - especially since Daddy has meetings and then class tonight. Mommy is on her own; but no fears since I have done this so many times before. Just H.A.T.E. packing. H.A.T.E. it!

Here's the to do list:

• pay the bills; balance checkbook
• drop boxes off at UPS for Funding Factory
• go to Funk's to pick up pies for Dad; raisin bread for Mom; miscellaneous for kids
• pack up clothes and all of the other essentials for Middle, Youngest, and me (Oldest does her own now :-)
• check on the cat's food; get Oldest to clean out the box; remind J to clean box
• change filter in fish tank
• clean up the cookbook stuff I was working on in the kitchen
• clean up scrap area - add new stuff from trip to Times to Remember in Hershey
• clean up house - vacuum, dust, wipe down bathrooms
• leave Charlie's schedule for the neighbors

I can do this. Oh, and I have to work tonight. UGH....don't let me forget to work.

PS - Patti - I decided to leave the bathrooms for DH. ;-)