text:
The Short Story of Us
The Long Story of Kingsley
Other SB Sweethearts
Syrinx and Surgeries
A Child with SB
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Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Stable Like a Table
A midst the craziness of the first day of school yesterday for Rachel and Cordelia (grade 2 and SK), Kingsley had his follow up appointment with his neurosurgeon. The MRI showed nothing of interest! Everything was stable - his ventricles, his (potentially tethered but asymptomatic) cord, his (also asymptomatic) Chiari Malformation, and his syrinx which is all the same size, no bigger, no smaller and not causing any drama.
Such. A. Relief.
The girls had great first days of school. They both love their teachers and were excited to see their friends. No tears!
except Kingsley. he cried. smiling for pictures is pure torture before 9am.
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Saturday, November 10, 2012
I realize I'm dreadfully overdue for a Halloween report, to the point where no one even cares about Halloween anymore! But, some big things happened on Halloween, so trudge through it.
Firstly, Kingsley rocked his boat. He has been asking at regular intervals to go to a Halloween party and anything remotely resembling a pirate his him growling: "I'm a piwate! AARGGH!!" He was a huge spectacle (like that's new) and everywhere we went on Halloween he was fawned over. I'm telling you, wheelchair costumes are unheard of here, to the point that a lot of people did double and triple takes before they realized that it was actually a wheelchair and not just some insane mom putting a huge box on their child and making them walk around with it.
Halloween morning, King had his follow up with his neurosurgeon. The MRI had shown nothing that would cause the eye issues. Great news! Especially since his eyes have gone back to normal...?? We're all a bit baffled. I have photographic evidence, this crazy eye thing was witnessed by a lot of people, it wasn't in my head. Now it's gone and there was nothing to cause it in his brain. His ventricles were a tad bigger, but she has decided that it's because he is bigger and thus, his brain is also. September (and October) were a bunch of mostly-unrelated, flukes that sum up Kinger. Good enough for me!
Except one little blip where she said that at some point he is going to need another decompression because there isn't a lot of space back there. She said we will wait until he needs it, to watch for the signs. Insert knife directly into my heart and twist. Ouch. I'm not thinking about this one. I will deal with it when I need to.
Anyway, next up was a party at his playgroup, home for a nap, and then we got the girls and were ready for Trick or Treating! It was a dark and stormy night, unfortunately. Ever since Rachel was old enough to go out, we have been going Mall'oweening. This has worked out perfectly since curbs, driveways, walkways, and porches are terrible obstacles when you're a wee one on wheels and our malls are accessibility dreams come true. My charming little pirate cleaned up at the mall, to the point where I felt badly for the other kids ;) He got double candy at pretty much every store, despite my protests that a two year old really didn't need *that* much candy. We did attempt a few houses when we got home, which Kingsley was all for, but I was cold and wet and was pretty Halloween'ed out. All in all, a successful day.
Lastly, for those of you who have an interest in wheelchair costumes, Cassie from
Beyond Measure
has started up a blog to share costume ideas. If you've made a wheelchair costume before and want to share it or if you want to attempt to make one or just like stalking random things,
check it out
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Friday, September 14, 2012
September Limbo
Yep, it's September, the month of doom around here. The month where Kingsley freaks us out and we get bad news. It's kind of getting creepy, if I'm being honest. September 1st hit and I was reminded that my nieces birthday was the next day. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Pre-Diagnosis Day. The day we got the results of the blood test that said something was wrong. I stopped my brain from going down there. It's been three years.
September curse is in my head. So what if September 2009 was diagnosis month, September 2010 was syrinx-not-gonna-walk month, September 2011 was deja-vu-scare-month? Don't get upset about stuff that wasn't happening.
The days ticked by. The curse loomed.
OK, I'll cut to the chase. Strange things are happening and I'm about 5 minutes from rushing him to the ER at any given point. I don't know if something is going on with his shunt or if I'm over-thinking. Either way, he's not himself and something really is going on.
Right now I'm in wait-and-see mode (which I now embrace, for those of you on the early end of this SB journey ;)). He's been grouchier and grouchier, eating less and less since the girls went to school. I have been excusing it as 'he's two' and 'he misses his sisters' and 'his entire world just flipped'. We've also had people in our house doing renovations all week, so it's been chaos. Totally justifiable to be grouchy.
Then he threw up (because he was crying and upset).
Then he threw up, again (for no apparent reason).
So, what's a shunt-fearing mama to do? I called the paediatrician and the neuro nurse.
Kingsley has had two days of total lethargy. He eats very little and didn't drink for nearly 24 hours (he is ok with that now). He doesn't have a fever, isn't fussy like he's in pain, won't tell me something hurts, no sign of UTI, ear infection, his eyes track normally and open fully (when he can keep them open), and his nose is not running at all. Just wants to sleep or snuggle all day.
I'm giving him 18 more hours and then we're trucking it to the ER if he doesn't get worse or better.
Limbo is a blissful place to be, in a way. Shunt malfunction is not fun. That means surgery, a couple days in the hospital and my poor kids having even more trouble adjusting to September this year. There's always the chance that this is related to Chiari in some way I don't know about, which is far worse. Then there's a chance that he'll wake up ravenous and ready to play. Or with a cold. Either way, we'll get through it like we always do.
Tomorrow is the true Diagnosis Day anniversary, which is still far and away the worst day of my entire life. Whatever this September brings, we can handle it.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A Bump in the Night
I don't live in a state of constant worry. I thought I would, especially when handed the list titled: Signs of Shunt Malfunction. Fortunately, Kingsley doesn't give me a whole lot to worry about. There was his first autumn that caused me a huge amount of anxiety, obviously. Then there was this past autumn where I lost sleep a few nights. Then there have been a smattering of
why is he crying??
moments where the the big bad shunt monster crossed my mind. But otherwise, no worry.
Last night, I didn't sleep. It was one of those nights where I
Kingsley wasn't sleeping. Again.
He's been off, not himself, grouchy, whiny, tired, miserable. My happy little boy is anything but happy.
Last night, as I rocked him in his room, the evil thoughts started creeping in...
Shunt. Cord. Chiari.
Oh, the dread that can creep into your mind at two in the morning.
Kingsley eventually went to sleep, after a dose of Advil and a long hour of rocking. In the morning, he was grouchy again, but I was able to run through all of the tests I could think of to make sure he still had all of the same movement and functioning in his legs that he had a month ago.
I mentally went through the Chiari warnings while we went about our morning and didn't find any that raised red flags.
I went through the all-too-familiar shunt watch list in my head and didn't check enough to warrant concern.
Then I stuck my finger in his mouth and rubbed his gums while he practically purred.
It's so much easier to think clearly when the sun is out, isn't it?
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Things I Love
It's Valentine's Day!! What better time to think about the things that you love, right? ;)
Right now, I love...
My artistic little boy
I'll confess, introducing him to crafts didn't even cross my mind. So many things just don't seem to occur to me! He didn't show any interest, but again, that was probably because he hasn't had the same experience with exploring that the girls did. Once I (*ahem* or maybe his OT) brought the craft supplies
him, the floodgates opened. Now he's constantly rolling up to his sisters' craft table and causing mayhem.
Saying goodbye
There have been so many points along this journey where I pause, panic, and wonder: "Is he EVER going to learn to..." and eating non-jarred, non-pureed food was very top of that list. Because of Kingsley's Chiari, he didn't mouth toys or really anything. He had an extremely sensitive gag reflex which meant he easily tossed back to me anything that I tried to get him to eat. Once he had his decompression, we finally began making very slow progress with him eating food. Eating puree's was an accomplishment. Donating all of these leftover jars to the foodbank is an even bigger accomplishment. I'm thrilled to be saying good bye to puree's once and for all.
Opening wide
I zoomed in as he was opening wide to shove more of his cupcake in. Yesterday morning, he actually got mad when I tried to feed him his oatmeal. It was the first time ever that he wanted to feed himself a food that he wasn't one of his favourites. He
to eat now and he
to feed himself. It's been a great year.
Curious King
He's fascinated with the stairs. Neither of us really knows where this is going to go or how he's going to finally master these things, but he is enjoying testing his limits and I'm enjoying watching him. So far, when he's at the top he just pulls himself forward until his torso is off the step and his arms are on the step below. Then he doesn't know what to do, so he pushes back up to the top. Repeat, repeat, repeat. At the bottom, he's just aching to hoist himself up. He's too small right now, but it's only a matter of time.
(don't freak out - he's not allowed near the stairs unless I'm there! the baby gate gets locked at the top unless I'm sitting on the stairs ready for him)
My sweet date
Kingsley and I are taking a break from some of our activities right now and just hanging out more. Last week we went on a date to the mall. He used to hate elevators, but now he loves them. He also loves timbits, people watching, spinning in his wheels and blowing kisses to all the older ladies that stopped to say hello. He likes to check out the wheels that other people are driving. He also likes to show off how fast he can go. He's a fun date.
Happy Valentine's Day!
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Saturday, December 3, 2011
Round Three?
The MRI is booked for December 15 with a follow up appointment on December 21, temporarily. They're still working out times since they want to do a full head and spine and that will take two appointment slots instead of the one they had originally planned on.
In the meantime, I have at least a dozen points in every day where I am convinced that we cannot possibly wait that long, something is wrong NOW. And then I have at least a dozen points in every day where I am convinced that I am overreacting because Kingsley is clearly as awesome as ever and not a thing is wrong with him.
Our concerns are that he had some sudden bowel and bladder changes in late September, followed by some rapid tightening in his hamstrings and odd twitching in his calf (tethered cord). He's also banging his head and grabbing/hitting his ears (shunt). He's waking at night, crying and he's much more irritable than his usual cheerful self (shunt). He's sleeping less and is eating less (shunt/Chiari). His language peaked and then has regressed, yet again (no clue). He's arching backwards in his Bumbobile and stander (Chiari).
On the other hand, he's teething and has been for about a month. His molar FINALLY broke through last night. He grabs both ears equally (his shunt is behind his right ear) and hits his head when he's frustrated, not really out of the blue (common in kids without language). His bladder stuff is all back to normal, his bowel stuff resolved when I dropped his PEG dose a little bit. He's fascinated with exploring his world now in both sets of wheels and seeing it from all angles - now that that is finally possible. When I'm with him or the girls are home, he's his usual self. When I go check to see why he's crying at night, he's all smiles and snuggles the second I get him in the rocker with me.
I just. don't. know.
While I am not remotely looking forward to putting him through another MRI, I am anxious to get answers. My house is benefiting from the stress, but my wallet is not. ;) I'm blazing through my list of Things We Need Done Before We Move. Christmas shopping is nearly done and if all goes well, the Christmas tree/decorations will go up in the next couple of days. I need the distraction or my mind takes me to places I can't function in. It doesn't matter. Either he's fine or he's not fine, but
he will be
Tomorrow, we meet Santa. I predict a lot of screaming. :)
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Thursday, November 24, 2011
One Year
One year ago right now, I was in this room
After putting my baby on a bed and watching him go rolling through these doors
I was holding my breath, heart in my throat, not thinking, not thinking, not thinking about what was happening.
Watching the clock tick on, minute by minute, hour by hour.
Waiting to run and see my baby.
It's strange how much this anniversary has been on my mind. Although we obviously are not celebrating, it's so fitting that the one year anniversary of Kingsley's decompression surgery is on the American Thanksgiving, because I do not have words to say how thankful I am that one year ago his surgery went the way that it went; that I didn't think on that day about what could have happened, what almost happened, and what would have happened. Those are all the things that I'm able to start thinking about only now and it terrifies me.
It wasn't Kingsley's first surgery and it wasn't his last. There's no guarantee that he won't need another decompression at some point. He'll need to have surgery for his shunt again. Maybe many shunt surgeries. There's a good chance he'll need more detetherings. This is our reality. Not having those surgeries would mean not having Kingsley, which is something I can barely wrap my head round. And so we go through it.
But right now, today, he doesn't have to. Today, we went swimming and he did amazing. He paddled with his arms, floated on his back by himself, and blew bubbles. Today, he asked for (and received) hug after hug after hug. Today, he had two candy cane cookies for lunch, because he wanted them. Today, he smiled and played and pulled his sister's hair. Today is one more day that SB takes a backseat to life. We are so grateful for that.
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Saturday, October 15, 2011
For a long time I didn't want to admit this because I thought it was kind of weird, but then one day chatting with other moms like me I realized I am not alone. I collect hospital bracelets. OK, maybe not collect, but I keep them. All of them. Not just the new baby ones with BABY GIRL BELL written on it, but also the big red ALLERGY ones that Kingsley gets and anything else they put his name on.
I have quite the collection. Cordelia has only 4 bracelets from when she was born (including mine and somehow the one that is supposed to set off the alarm that managed to come home with us). Rachel has her birth ones, plus one trip to the ER when her whole face swelled from a mosquito bite. Kingsley has his collection from his birth, his two MRI's, his two surgeries, one ER visit for a shunt scare and now a second ER visit from last night. Lucky boy.
No worries, everything is okay, but we had a big scare! Just as I was about to head up to bed last night, I heard the strangest strangled cries from upstairs. I had to stand in the hallway for a few minutes before I could figure out whose bedroom to go into, as it didn't sound like any of my children. It was Kingsley.
My first thought was that he was choking. He couldn't breathe and was making the most horrible noises as his whole ribcage struggled to get in air. I scoured his crib, looking for any signs of what he could've been choking on. Nothing. Raced him downstairs and out the door for cold air. No change. Panic.
He wasn't crying, seemed totally relaxed about the fact that he could hardly breathe. I think that was what scared me the most. He just wasn't
. If this was croup, wouldn't he be sick? And if it wasn't choking and wasn't croup, what was it?
That's where the mind flies to 'complications'. Things related to SB. Stridor is a symptom of Chiari. You know, that big bad thing he had that big bad surgery for last November? My mind went there. Jeff's mind went there. When I woke up my poor mom in the middle of the night, her mind went there. I don't have a clue how or why he would suddenly have Chiari symptoms again, but in the middle of the night it doesn't really have to make sense - I raced him to the ER.
About halfway there, his breathing quieted. I could still hear it from the front seat, but I had to listen for it. Thankfully, the nurses and doctors we saw did a good job of not laughing at my panic as they diagnosed him with very mild croup, gave him a dose of steroids and sent us home. Turns out, you can have croup without being sick. Who knew? They did say that if the stridor continued longer than croup would to come back and we'd investigate other stuff. He's doing great today. Some normal coughing, but his breathing is fine.
One more bracelet for the pile.
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Friday, July 15, 2011
Kingsley is hitting another big number: today he is 18 months old. How fitting that my little Potter boy has a big milestone like that on the day the last movie is released! ;)
It sort of snuck up on me. I may have been blocking it out, if I'm being honest. I feel like we are hitting some kind of Point of No Return here, where babyhood is ending and the last few days of this SB thing being incognito are zooming by quickly.
Kinger is no longer a big baby. He's just shy of 23lbs, lost some of his chub, and on the low average side for height. When people look at him, it's easy to assume that he's closer to one year old than two. People look twice when I say his age. The not-walking stuff stops being a 'late bloomer' thing at this age. I'm hearing less about the stories of So-and-So's Baby Who Just Took So Long to Walk and getting more of the awkward smiles. It's a good thing he's so darn cute, or people just wouldn't know what to say!
Really though, the walking thing isn't bothering me much. I'm (mostly) over it. I'm getting better at judging when to toss the SB diagnosis into the conversation and when to just accept the awkward smiles.
What is starting to nag me, way back in the back of my mind is the rest of his development.
Today, at his check up with his paediatrician, she pulled out the Nippissing Checklist. I get them in the mail every few months and I don't sweat it when I check NO, NO, NO, NO... down the list for all of the gross motor and a lot of the fine motor or eating things. But today was different. NO, he can't stack blocks. NO, he doesn't know at least 3 body parts. NO, he doesn't follow basic instructions to get things or give me things without a visual prompt....
Up until now, I have been able to brush off any developmental gains he's not making. Cumulatively, he has spent nearly a whole month of his first 13 months of life in the hospital. He has had 4 surgeries, 2 of them on his head/brain. And then the ever-complex way that one developmental skill is so intertwined with a dozen more: he didn't know how to eat finger food because he wasn't interested in picking up and mouthing toys thanks to the Chiari issues, for example.
So, part of me is saying he doesn't know how to stack blocks because the only time he'd ever have practice is when I put blocks in front of him, which I don't always think to do. He can't take his shirt off because he's using his hands to sit up. On and on, I can excuse it away. However, I don't know if I should be anymore. Is there a point where I have to stop excusing small delays before they become big skill deficits? Or will he eventually catch up in his own time?
I don't have answers. It isn't causing me too much stress, truly, just starting to nag at me a bit. I talked to his PT about it yesterday and she's going to put in a referral to another team at the centre... I forget their title, but they specialize in assessments of development sort of stuff and will be able to tell me to either relax or start pushing for more. He's also having an assessment with a SLP in 10 days, so we can see what's happening there as well.
Hey! It's wait and see time! My favourite! I'm really good at this stuff. ;)
At least I have Harry to keep me occupied in the meantime. I might be a little bit busting-out-of my-skin excited about that.
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Thursday, December 30, 2010
Post-Op Head to Toe
Christmas Eve marked one month post op for Kingsley. So much has changed in the last month! So much is different than it was three months ago and is light years from where it was just six weeks ago. But there is still so far to go. With every day that goes by, I find I'm still holding my breath, waiting, praying that we see more changes. I feel like that clock is still ticking, counting down to some invented deadline of March 1 when everything that is going to happen will have happened and anything that hasn't returned is lost forever.
Where he is now though, is pretty amazing. My little rockstar has been showing off the past month.
Starting at the top: his shunt is doing fine. No problems to date. We are closing in on his one year shunt-iversary - less than a month to go. That's a big milestone. His hair has grown a lot lately. I'm tempted to get it cut. It will no longer go into a cute faux-hawk, so I've been settling for the classic church boy (or Senator Kingsley, for my sister), which makes me laugh. It's starting to grow back over his new scar, which is also continuing to heal nicely, or so I'm told. I don't have a lot of experiences with scars. His still seems angry red and huge to me, but what do I know. Soon, half of it will be covered by hair and it won't be so obvious. I feel like I'm hyper-aware of it when I'm out in public with him. I don't want freak-show stares and I don't want sympathy stares. I realize he has a lifetime of awkward stares coming at him and this is probably a really stupid and futile thing to be wishing for. So... there.
More head stuff... He had his third tooth pop through this morning! Top right. He's congested, but otherwise is taking it in stride. I have really good teethers! He is also chatting so much, which I can't get enough of. His little voice is adorable! He says buh buh buh buh bah bah all day long. In the past week he's added in puh, pa, and now MAMA! I think he means it, too, not just random mamamamama babbling. He does it when he's mad or when he's upset about something. He'll look around and sort of half-whine, half-yell it until he sees me and then it's all yell until I come rescue him. That's my boy. ;)
One more head thing. I have read about kids with SB having reactions to loud or sudden sounds. I can't recall if it was attributed to the shunt or the Chiari, but I've noticed Kingsley definitely has this problem. He hates when I use the handheld mixer on any level above one - instant screaming. The vacuum is also feared. The Magic Bullet is a nightmare to use when he's anywhere in ear shot. Christmas has produced quite a number of toys that seem to be on the same decibel. He got this cool car race track thing from Grandma that sends him into hysterics. The girls are in love with it, unfortunately.
(one of the scary toys is in the background. you drop a ball down and it makes a noise on each level. evil)
An exciting development for me is that Kingsley is beginning to eat more. Yay! He eats three meals a day, about 1/2 jar or 2-3 cubes for breakfast and lunch, a full jar or 4-5 cubes for dinner. He doesn't always eat it all, but he is getting there. He's currently into the meat/veg combos and not really interested in anything fruity or sweet. Definitely Jeff's kid. I've also caught him putting something in his mouth three times in the past week. That seems like nothing, but for a kid who gags on his own fingers, this is a big deal. He opens his mouth when you put things in front of him. Whatever you put in there, he will automatically spit out, though. Baby steps.
("You want me to do
with this cookie thing?" he didn't eat it)
Kingsley used to rock at tummy time. He would push up into a baby upward dog, pre-surgery. He could roll from his tummy to his back going left and right. He could do Superman's with his arms out, his chest up. He was just on the brink of army crawling. Since his surgery, this has been the biggest area of regression. It has bothered me a lot that he lost this area of strength, although it's for obvious reasons. I'm sure it didn't feel good, considering where his incision was. He's regaining the strength quickly now. He gets up on his elbows and tolerates being on his tummy without too much complaint. He tends to lie sort of sideways with his head down, then push up for a bit, then lay back down for a break. He is able to roll tummy to back again.
(down, up, down, up, down... this is as high up as he goes now)
The B and B stuff (bowels and bladder) are just fine. Nothing exciting going on there, which is just the way we like it. His urodynamic study in mid-November was fantastic.
So, moving along down the line we are at the big stuff. Looking back now, I'm able to think more objectively about what he was actually able to do by the time we got him in for surgery. The truth is - he couldn't do much. His PT had told me in September that he was functioning at L1, but I would be surprised if he was doing even that well by mid November. He rarely moved his legs at all. They mostly just were there, still. If they moved, I would get excited. It was a rare event. He also was losing some strength through his torso. He slumped in the highchair and couldn't hold himself up in the Bumbo very well. I had to put extra padding in his booster seat for when he played on the tray. When I would hold him, he'd snuggle into me, which I thought was sweet. But, now I realize it's because he wasn't able to hold himself up. Bittersweet.
Where is he now? Well. Realistically, probably still around L1/L2. But, so much stronger. He holds himself up beautifully. He has come further in the past 3 weeks toward sitting independently than he was even in the summer. It's so close. Maybe it'll be his birthday present to himself. :) He moves his legs a lot, I've mentioned that previously. He is just always moving them. They move from the hip, if you can imagine that? He tucks them up when he's on his back. When he's on his tummy, you can see them starting to pull up under him a bit. He uses them to push himself over, which he didn't before - previously it was all upper body and arching his back. A bit more strength there and he'll be able to flip from back to front. He hasn't shown quad functioning to his PT or my mom yet (I have no clue), but he has medial hamstrings (still, no clue). I can feel things working in his upper legs. If I hold his legs down straight when he's lying on his back, I can feel resistance. When I push against his feet, I feel resistance. I have so much hope for the next few weeks and months. I'm so anxious for more.
We have a lot more help lined up for the new year. Just before Christmas, we met with the PT from our SB clinic and she is setting up regular PT for him, in addition to his visits with his Parent Infant Therapist (who is an OT). They'll come out to our house, which is wonderful. He also has a post-op appointment with neurosurgery next week and clinic with the developmental paediatrician on the 10th. I have to remember to call and book his one year check up with his paediatrician. In February, he will see ortho for some baseline assessments, and then in early spring we start rounds all over again with neuro, uro, and dev paed. That's also when he'll go for the follow up MRI to show what surgery has done.
He was supposed to be measured for a standing frame in late November, but surgery has postponed that. I'm excited to get him standing. I'm trying very hard to look past the accessories that are coming and just focus on where it's going to take him.
I think that's it! Now, I have a birthday party to start planning, don't I? I can't believe my baby is almost one year old. It's so silly, I swear I wasn't this emotional when the girls turned one. Maybe it's because he's (probably, likely, maybe??) my last baby. Oh, my sweet little boy.
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Sunday, November 28, 2010
What Happened
I can explain now what led Kingsley to having the surgery he just had and what the procedure actually entailed. He's in a ward room right now, so there are other parents there with their babies. I found myself telling his tale to another mama yesterday and halfway through describing his surgery I just stopped and started laughing. She was in there with her 6 month old daughter who has CP and just got a shunt put in. She just said, "Yeah. It's sort of crazy what our kids go through." It's hard for someone who doesn't have a kid with these sorts of special needs or medical needs to fathom this sort of thing. It's hard for me to fathom most days. It's literally so far outside my realm of normal that it makes me laugh to think that this is actually happening to my chubby, happy, healthy little boy. Not that it's funny, just that I don't really know how else to digest it all.
Well, Kingsley wasn't doing so well with his leg functioning. It wasn't just a matter of him not moving as much as expected, but more that he used to move more and now he moves less. We took him for an MRI to find out what might be going on. There was a large syrinx (like a cyst) right down his spinal column, top to bottom almost, putting pressure on his nerves. There was a larger part in the lumbar area (below your ribs) and a larger part in the thoracic area (mid back). His NS thought that the syrinx had been caused by this other problem he has called Chiari Malformation II. That essentially means that part of his cerebellum is not tucked up inside his head like ours is, but instead hanging down in his spinal column.
The CMII is most often asymptomatic. Kingsley's is asymptomatic - he's never had trouble with it, it just is. However, it's filled up the space at the top of his spinal column and not allowed CSF (the fluid that moves around in your brain/spine) to move from his head to spine and thus caused pooling in the spine, aka the syrinx.
So, the goal of surgery was to create more space there that would allow fluid to move freely and hopefully, in time, allow the syrinx to drain it self or something and ease up on the nerves. To do that, they had to a procedure called a decompression. It has a fancier name - something like posterior fossa decompression, but I may be saying that wrong. If you find this stuff gross, stop reading.
.... okay, I warned you. They made an incision from the bump on the back of his head, down his neck. Then *lalalalalalacoveringmyearslalalalala* they took out part of his skull and part of two vertebrae (C1 and C2) and half of a third, I think (C3) and then put a patch (Jeff likes this part - says they took something from a cadaver's thigh, which may very well be true) of some sort of dura tissue stuff and put it over the place where the bones used to be, but not on as tight. That was sewn in, then everything else (muscle) sewn back up over top. Ta-da. Big franken-line scar for Kingsley. :( I hope I explained that all right.
The MRI on Thursday night showed that there was indeed fluid now passing through around the cerebellum. Not a ton, but it's there. He also has a lot of swelling happening right now. Hopefully, when the swelling goes down, there will be lots of room in there for the fluid to flow. In three or four months, he'll have another MRI to see how successful it was. Hopefully, between now and then we will see a return of some of the leg movement he used to have.
And that is why my baby is sad. Although I did get a smile out of him today! Just one, but so worth it. He's off the oxygen now and other than seepage from his incision (not CSF), he is doing fabulously well. He's very swollen all over from the drugs he's on, but that is going day by day.
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Friday, November 26, 2010
Oblivious of what is to come.
Up waaaaay too early!
Snuggling with Daddy before going in
Our little
waiting room
After surgery
Saddest face ever. He mouth looked distorted from the breathing tube and he had red pressure sores on his forehead
His 'computers' as Rachel called them. He was well hooked up.
All his tubes and wires
Day after - looking a little better
Rachel is getting over a cold so she had to wear a mask when she visited
She thought she was the bees knee's. Was sure that everyone was going to think she was a doctor.
Can't go without popsicles! King had nice nurses.
Kept trying to tear off his mask, so he was switched to the prongs. Also better for his MRI to see how thing are going (they are going well).
This morning. Soooo puffy!! They say he'll get better over time, but he'll get pretty bloated from the meds before he'll get better. He's like a little stuffed sausage.
Free hands! No more IV's stuck in everywhere. Getting unhooked and ready to go up to the nursery wing, out of PCCU.
The top part of his incision. Bandages off and getting some air. It's about 4-5 inches long, I think. There was a bit of leaking at the bottom, but they don't think it was CSF, just blood and yummy stuff like that.
New room up in the nursery wing. A lot less monitors and a lot louder. He's sharing a room with 3 other babies. Single rooms are reserved for all the respiratory kids in this time of year. Booooo.
Snuggled up in his new room.
Today has been eventful. I've hardly had a moment to sit down. Monitors going off, other babies screaming and waking him up, nurses and doctors and specialists coming to poke and unpoke and do everything else imaginable. We got our first hint of a smile when we came in this morning. So awesome to see. But he's been pretty grouchy since. I also got to hold him and breastfeed him this afternoon. He was in heaven. Would not let me move a muscle or he'd just clench on with a definitive grunt of complaint. It's hard to see him so puffy and uncomfortable, but every day he's improving. He hates the nose prongs and is trying to pull them out now that his hands are free.
I'm going to go hang out with him for a few more hours before going home. He still has his ng tube in to feed him when I'm not around. They didn't want to trouble him with bottles since he hates them. The feeding team was fighting to get him an actual bed so I could side-lie feed him and not have to jostle him, but no winning that fight yet.
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
Where We're At
So... for an update. It's been confirmed and confirmed again. And then again. He does have myelomeningocele spina bifida. It's not going away, it wasn't a fluke ultrasound or blood test. I'm going to do my best now to explain what this all means for him and for us, since it's sort of a foreign thing for most people.
At about 24-28 days after conception (about the time the reality of pregnancy is setting in and you start wondering who to tell), the bones that make up the spinal column start to form. They are supposed to form a sort of tube with the spinal nerves all down the middle. What happens with SB (specifically the type our son has) is that the bones don't all form the tube. At some point, they just hang out in a straight line or arch instead of a triangle (which is a really bizarre thing to see on an u/s, let me tell you!). That leaves the nerves to stick out of the column. Then everything forms around the spinal canal, or in his case, doesn't form. He has a hole in his back where the spinal nerves are sticking out in a sort of sac. Because they are hanging out instead of tucked in all snug like they're supposed to, they get damaged by the amniotic fluid. The damage is not repairable and is permanent. And it happens pretty much right off the bat. Where the hole (or lesion, as they call it) is located makes a huge difference. It's like breaking your back. Where ever the 'break' is changes everything. This picture breaks it down with the different things that can be effected. http://www.spinalinjury.net/test2/as...cord_map02.jpg
Basically, where ever the lesion, everything listed below is a write off. So, lower = better.
Our son's lesion is either low lumbar or high sacral. Twice we've been told sacral only. We can go for an MRI, hope he lies still and not up against me too much and try and see exactly where. Or annoy the next u/s tech enough that they actually take the time to count vertebrae and find out for sure, but even knowing where isn't going to tell us much - the nerve damage can go up a bit higher than the lesion point. And the range of functioning is huge. As you can see in the picture, his bladder, bowel, and sexual functioning will be effected. The degree to which his legs are effected is what we don't know. Could be his feet, could be his ankles, calves, knees, quads... It's hard to face the unknown.
The other thing he has is something called Arnold Chiari Malformation 2 (ACII). It's a bit much to get unless you understand brain/brain stem anatomy, but essentially, the nerves hanging out his back pull his brain down the back of his head a bit. It makes for a wonky picture on the u/s that they call 'the fruit basket indicators'. He has a lemon shaped head, instead of a circle. This goes away by the time he's born, I'm told. This is what was flagged in our 20 week u/s as an abnormality, even though the tech couldn't see the lesion. The cerebellum is the part that is pulled down in the back, into a banana shape. The ACII likely won't cause many problems for him, it's pretty rare that it causes huge complications, it just is.
However, there is one more big complication he'll have. He'll likely (85%) develop hydrocephalus at some point. Normally, cerebrospinal fluid flows around the brain and spinal cord and then is reabsorbed into the blood stream. Currently, he has a hole in his back, so the fluid just comes out (which is how they screen you positive on the IPS - the fluid/protein in the amnio gets into mama's blood at unusually high rates. this is also how they know the type of SB, as myelomeningocele is the only type with a big ol' hole in the back). Hydrocephalus is when the body doesn't reabsorb the fluid and it just pools in ventricles in the brain, puts pressure on the skull/brain and gives you a big head. Left untreated, causes brain damage. Many SB babies develop hydrocephalus in utero. It's not as scary for babies to develop hydro as for, say, your or I bc their skulls aren't formed. There is less pressure on the brain, brain damage doesn't happen yet. BUT, better not to have it. Our son doesn't have it yet, his head and ventricles are completely normal. Yay! BUT (big but again)... once they close his back, the fluid will have nowhere to go and hydro will likely develop. If not before then.
Anyway, that big rambly leads me up to his birth. I was told that I'd have to have a c-section to reduce the chance of his sac getting damaged. However, my OB is now arguing this, saying I'm a prime candidate for a vaginal birth if she's ever seen one given that: his sac is small, his head is normal, this is my 3rd baby and the other two were both big headed chubbers. He'll likely be smaller than them, just because. But IF I go that route, I'd have to be induced. Which nearly defeats the purpose, in my opinion. And Jeff and I would have to be 100% convinced that we would never wonder 'what if' regarding the lesion/damage. And his neurosurgeon would have to agree. I'll likely have a c/s, but at least it'll feel like my choice, which helps for some reason.
So, the day he's born, he'll be taken immediately from me, either way, and they'll put stuff on him to protect his back, make sure he's stable and then he'll go for surgery. They'll open the sac, tuck his nerves back in, close the bones, dura, muscle, skin, etc over the hole and patch him up. He has to stay on his stomach and stay still for awhile after that. Then, they wait/watch for hydro. Sometime in the next week, he'll likely get a shunt put in. It's basically a pump/valve that will go into his head, into the ventricles and is attached to a long tube thing that goes into his abdomen. It drains the fluid from his head to his body where it'll be reabsorbed. It's there for life. And has risks of infection, malfunction, blah blah, big scary stuff, but saves his life. Then, after all that fun stuff, I will finally get to bring him home, about 10-ish days after he's born. And basically go into hibernation until spring!
There is an SB clinic at TVCC which includes our neuronurse (who is wonderful), PT, SW, urologist (bc of his bladder/bowel issues), and some other folk. Some get involved with me now, the rest later with him.
What terrifies us is the unknown. We know the details, we get what happens. But I have no idea how much he'll be effected, how his surgeries will go, how his health will be...
It also bothers me that I don't know why this happened. My OB did the whole Good Will Hunting 'It's not your fault' thing with me the other day, which I know, but of course I doubt bc that's what mama's do. She said folic acid only prevents about 75% of cases, and she believes it reduces the degree of SB in the rest, so not taking it would've been potentially worse. Why it happens at all though is a big fat unknown. My new least favorite word!
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Friday, October 2, 2009
Appointments Begin
We met with the neurosurgeon and neuro nurse this past Wednesday and had a whole bunch of questions answered and got some new information. The only really bad news that we heard was that the referral said the lesion was lower lumbar/high sacral. We had previously been told that it's only sacral, so hearing it was higher was not pleasant.
The nurse confirmed from the u/s pictures and the referral that as of 2 weeks ago there were no signs of hydrocephalus or club foot/feet. But the Chiari II Malformation (odd head shape that was flagged in the first ultrasound) is present, which means that hydrocephalus is highly likely, especially since about 85% of kids with SB end up with a shunt. It's just a matter of time, but the later the better. The feet being okay had something to do with the lesion being lower or smaller or that his feet are moving, but I forget exactly what. It just meant something good, so we'll take that!
The nurse was so helpful regarding answering questions regarding what would happen in the surgery and the days after. She explained how I'd be able to breastfeed still, how he'd need to be positioned and held when we're able to do that, whether we'd get to see him (briefly, hopefully) or hold him (not likely) before surgery, and what he'd be doing in the meantime and with whom. Even though my OB is at St. Joseph's, he'll be born at LHSC which is where his surgery/ies will be. If he needs a shunt we'll see about it after his back is closed.
She explained his bowel/bladder stuff. Not fun stuff to hear, but she explained how they would test his abilities and what they'd be looking for while still in hospital. She said that if he's sent home without a catheter it doesn't mean he'll never have one and vice versa. Like his leg functioning, it's all wait and see and nothing we can really predict or do anything about until he's born. She explained how toilet training would differ for him.
She was very optimistic though about his functioning and kept referring to 'kids whose lesions are so low like his' and things like that. It doesn't sound low to us, but she'd know better!
The neurosurgeon herself was also very nice and helpful. They spent over 2 hours with us! Our neuro seemed an awful lot like my OB in mannerisms and personality, which I liked. She has recently come from Sick Kids in Toronto and before that practiced in Europe, where she's from originally. They had never before been asked about banking cord blood (which we thought was weird!), but said they'd search for any research out there being done with SB/stem cells, if there is any, and let us know.
I think that's about all there was. I have an u/s and OB appointment on the 16th, where we'll probably hear that the hydro has started. Or maybe not! We meet with the neuro again at the end of the month. They've also put in a referral to the SB clinic at TVCC, so we'll get connected with them sometime soon.
Jeff and I are doing alright. We've been reading a lot of books, talking to people, and connecting with some other families online (although things are pretty different in the states - they're all gung-ho on the prenatal surgery which I wouldn't do even if it was an option, which it is not). I have found a forum which has been very helpful to read about a whole bunch of other parents' journeys. It's been a pretty heavy 2.5 weeks, but everyone keeps saying pregnancy is the hardest part and that once he's here and there is less unknown/more adorable baby boy, we'll be just fine. I can't believe he'll be here in 14 weeks or so! Keep him in your prayers in the meantime.
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London has re-created the famous Spanish tomato-throwing festival, La Tomatina.
This year the event in Bunol was ticketed for the very first time. So Brits decided to paint their own town red.
What followed was nothing short of chaos, as Londoners let rip in a fantastically fearsome, feisty fruit fight fully for fun.

subset: commoncrawl


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And in Step 3, you can even chose the style of the fringe (or 'bangs') as either sweeping or full. I personally prefer a full fringe but I'm pretty afraid of cutting them myself so I think this is a really great addition. I also really like the length option - these sorts of wigs are usually way too long for me, but I hate having to cut them; often it ruins the feathered out finish the wig comes with and also I feel like I'm wasting my money, so the fact the different lengths have different prices is great. The prices themselves are so reasonable too, in terms of pounds, short is between £21.02 to £24.02, medium is £30.04 and long is £36.05. These prices are on a par to Gothic Lolita Wigs and the extra customisable options means I think they are way better value for money.
creepy cute ~ pastel goth ~ psychedelic rockabilly
candy red & magenta // floss pink & lilac // lime & purple
Let me know which combination of options you would go for!
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I have been creating lots of things lately, most specifically for swaps on craftster, so I figure that I should probably start bloggin about what I am creating. Maybe I can even start up some sort of small following. A boy can dream.
June 13, 2012
New Beginnings
April 10, 2009
Oh man, how to frame a piece of embroidery!
I'm definitely going to try that for a few pieces that I have been dying to frame and give away!
I need to get my hands on some fabric and let my brain do its thing. I should sell some of these crazy ideas in my head.
But, how do I move the idea for a pattern out of my head and into a handy pdf format? Ah, yes…
April 8, 2009
I've been on an embroidery kick that has included making more than few bags for Zoe. Mostly because I seem to have some unexplainable need to embroider (possibly to keep my fingers from being a bloody mess?), and she's really easy to make cute things for.
This bag came about because I had yet another medium-sized canvas tote bag and I love the forest friends and I luv veggies pattern sheets.
It's especially good that I made this bag for Zoe because as I was ironing on the pattern on the veggie side I managed to touch the hot iron to a pen that then rolled onto the bag and left a black smudge next to the tomato.
I'm not too concerned, since Zoe hasn't noticed. I am, otherwise, rather proud of the bag, as I think it's rather cute.
I'm fond of the back stitch when it comes to simple embroidery. I think that going overboard with 'fancy' stitches can sometimes take away from the simplicity of a design, which is often central to its appeal.
I apologize for the lack of formatting, I am really just learning how to use wordpress, and I'm still playing around with the formatting tools.
Is it really possible that I'm this lazy?
Is it really possible that I'm this lazy?, originally uploaded by transboywonder.
It is! Now that I can post directly from my phone you can expect lots of postings on a regular basis. I promise!
This is my most recent creation. I used patterns from sublime stitching's anatomy patterns. I am in love with these patterns.
April 2, 2009
Hey there.
So, the point of this blog is for me to actually show off the things that I make. I've spent some time on craftster, and it's a rad site; but, really not the sort of thing that I am likely to jump into. It's full of awesome people (mostly ladies) but I am not much of message board poster, this blog thing is much more my style.
As a trans guy, I seem to be expected to be hyper masculine, which is really a shame because I identify this way because I don't fit into the gender box that was assigned to me at birth. That said, I really enjoy being creative and finding ways to create with my own hands. I refuse to let my gender identity dictate what I'm allowed to enjoy doing.
So, here I am. I'm hopeful that I'll get some viewers, cause I am vain that way and I'd love to get some feedback on what I'm creating.


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On December 18th, the D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty offered an early Christmas present to the LBGT community when he signed the marriage equality bill into law. This means equal rights for hospital visitation, health care and marriage. This is nothing else but equality, justice and freedom. These values are the fundament of the United States and should never be denied.
Finally, LGBT couples will no longer be considered as second-class citizens in the District of Columbia. The inevitable discrimination that flows from permitting some marriages but not others is both unfair and unconstitutional. Government's role is to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for all citizens. Discrimination should never, ever be enshrined in law and our nation's capital is the next to lead the way in opposition to this state sponsored discrimination.
This new decision should be a model, followed by the rest of the nation. In New Jersey, the vote on same-sex marriage has been postponed and I strongly hope that the bill can pass before mid-January. In Maine, the last referendum overturned the right of same-sex couples to get married in their state. It's going to be a long haul before the nation understands that having marriage equality is not a question on the institution of marriage, but rather a question of fairness, equality and justice for all.


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Digestive system diseases include gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, celiac disease, Crohn's disease and diverticulitis, states Everyday Health. It is common to have a digestive system problem, and patients with symptoms of these conditions should talk to their doctors.Continue Reading
Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the stomach contents or stomach acid flows into the esophagus, irritating the lining of the food pipe, reports Mayo Clinic. It occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter weakens or relaxes abnormally, which inflames the esophagus, and can cause esophageal narrowing and bleeding. Symptoms include heartburn, difficulty swallowing, dry cough and regurgitation of food.
Celiac disease is a condition in which the immune system responds to gluten in food, causing inflammation that damages the lining of the small intestine, says Mayo Clinic. Symptoms include diarrhea, loss of bone density, anemia and damage to dental enamel.
Crohn's disease is a condition in which the digestive system swells, states WebMD. As of 2015, the cause of Crohn's disease is unknown, but an abnormal reaction of the immune system to normal bacteria in the intestine is a contributing factor.
Diverticulitis occurs from the formation of pouches, or diverticula in the walls of the colon, causing inflammation, explains WebMD. The cause is unclear, but experts link this condition with a low-fiber diet, causing the colon to work harder to push the stool along.Learn more about Gastrointestinal Issues


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The eight-strong shortlist has been announced for 2013's European Car of the Year competition. In this gallery we list the contenders and give our original road test verdicts for each.
In creating the best-looking car in its class, Peugeot has included high-quality interiors, a terrific range of engines and what look like keen prices. The 208 is 30 per cent cheaper to build and 30 per cent cheaper to engineer, so the cost accountants will be pretty pleased as well. Just a pity about that driving position.
Telegraph rating: Four out of five stars


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|From the rooftop bar at Altitude we can see Petco park. That area with the blue umbrellas is where the party was
|Shopping at J Crew by day // Eating a giant wedge salad for dinner by night
Then it was time for part 2 of my Saturday. We met up with some friends in Hillcrest at the Tractor Room for dinner. This place is so tiny. It's basically a house that got converted into a restaurant so we were eating in what probably used to be the living room. There are only about 9 tables but they also have some outdoor seating. They have things like wild boar, duck and lamb on the menu. Weird. I ordered a salad that I had to eat with a fork AND a knife. Afterwards we walked over to Babycakes. It's this weird but really cool bar/cupcake shop hybrid. You have your typical dimly lit bar with dark wooden tables on the left and a cozy cupcake shop on the right. We got a peanut butter chocolate cupcake to share and ate it in the bar.
Sunday was all about relaxing. I didn't do a dang thing. Mj is still in utter disbelief that he doesn't have to do homework so it's been fun listening to him say that he can't believe he just gets to go home and play his game and bake and do whatever he wants. Which on that particular day meant baking Cinnamon rolls. He took most of them to work and I'm still not sure how I feel about that. I wanted to drink a beer or eat some cheesy Mexican food in honor of Cinco De Mayo but I was all partied out and my appetite for party-ing or party food was gone.
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How's this for an inspirational message?
They came from my son and his family today, along with this note.
Obviously, I'm in love with them. They inspire me.
They inspire me to tell all of you to plan for a wonderful Mother's Day celebration with your families this Sunday.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
An inspirational message
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Posted by Jackie Dishner at 12:48 PM
Labels: an inspirational message from family, family, family celebrations, how to know if you are loved, love of a good family, Mother's Day
3 comments:
- Andrea Parker said...
Beautiful and inspiring
- May 6, 2010 at 7:28 PM
- Irene S. Levine, PhD said...
It's so nice that your family appreciates the wonderful person you are!
- May 6, 2010 at 8:34 PM
- Alexandra Grabbe said...
Lucky you! Now my expectations are up a notch. I hope my kids and granddaughter come up with a similar message. Flowers would be nice, too ...
- May 7, 2010 at 5:46 AM
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Ladies and gentlemen, your third party candidate!
Yeah, so, about that.... it appears Kristol was talking about David French. National Review's David French. By whom, we mean this sad sap.
Hi-freaking-larious. In an nationalism-driven election, Israel First is going to try to beat the nationalist candidate with a literal cuckservative. No wonder even the #NeverTrump types are completely underwhelmed.
Laura Ingraham Verified account @IngrahamAngle"I gather Donald Trump said I'm a loser. I've won some and I've lost some, but one thing I've always tried not to be is a roaring jackass."
Kristol's pick! That would be the same David French who defended Kevin Williamson?
Byron York Verified account @ByronYork
My sense is much of the commentary isn't really about David French. More about implausibility of choice after so much hype.
David Burge @iowahawkblog
I think David French would be a better prez than Trump/Hillary/Bernie, but then again so would Fat Bearded Libertarian Guy in Thong
Ben Shapiro Verified account @benshapiro
Trumpsters are going to have a rough time convincing people that it's somehow David French's fault if their man doesn't win.
A.J. Delgado @AJDelgado13
I only know that David French name bc I think i've seen it in a few NRO articles I hated...
Ed Morrissey Verified account @EdMorrissey
The "major figure" for an indie bid is ... @DavidAFrench? I like and respect David, but this can't be right.
Ricky Vaughn @Ricky_Vaughn99
DAVID FRENCH FOR PRESIDENT: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for our wives' sons."
- Bill Kristol
Can't say that anymore, Billy. Do you hear that sound? That is the ENTIRE INTERNET laughing at you. Even Susan Estrich, the architect of the Dukakis debacle, is shaking her head and wondering what planet you think you're orbiting.
Anyhow, I think concerns about the potential effects of a third-party candidate on Trump's prospects can be safely dismissed now.
Labels: cuckservative, politics, trainwreck


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Sunday, February 16, 2014
Weekend Roundup: Hockey good, basketball bad Part 184
Not to be outdone, the BC Women won their Hockey East title too.
Basketball lost to Notre Dame. I will write more about the loss on Monday, but the big issue was BC's inability to slow them and we couldn't cover our issues with 3-point shooting.
The Women's Basketball team lost to Syracuse.
Here is another article about Dick Kelley by a writer who knew him for 30 years.
Don't look now, but Baseball has won three in a row.
Addazio knows that with the departure of his seniors, there is a drop off in talent among the returning players.
8 comments:
- FakeShalomTfree said...
I probably speak for a few of us when I say I'm looking forward to the next coaching profile more than a re-hash of the basketball teams most recent failure.
On that topic, the idea of Geno Auriemma is ridiculous. Haven't we been down the road of hiring a successful coach with no experience recruiting or coaching in a major conference? Not to mention, he probably wouldn't come cheap.
I'd like to hear a little more about Andre LaFleur, who is one of Ed Cooley's assistants at Providence.
3 more games til the #seasonfromhell is over!
- Hoib said...
So an assistant w/o head coaching experience at a perenial loser is a better option than the greatest coach in Women's basketball history. I don't think so.
All I'm saying is Bates should gage his interest. A winner is a winner. If he were committed to giving his best I think he could be the answer. There is no comparison to Onahue. Geno started winning from day one. The biggest challenge for him would be putting a staff together, but if he could I'm confident the rest would fall into place.
- FakeShalomTfree said...
Geno Auriemma makes close to $2m a year, which is significantly more than men's coach Kevin Ollie makes. If BC (or any school) were to hire him, you would assume he would need some assistants with major conference experience (unlike our current coach) who would cost a few bucks in addition to that.
I'm not saying he couldn't coach men, or that Lafleur (who would come a lot cheaper) is the answer, but for that kind of money I would prefer someone with a proven track record coaching men in a major conference (like Ben Howland).
To me the risk/reward of hiring Auriemma doesn't make sense at that price, and I think we all know BC's aversion to spending big bucks anyways
- Matt said...
Will Bates be true to MAC roots?
Is Dambrot posible? Cache of being Lebrons high school coach and success at Akron. Steal Kowalczyk from Toledo? They looked pretty good against us. Already posted Bobby Hurley article. Lot of good coaches coming up through that conference right now.
- Hoib said...
U are probably on to the most likely scenario, but I hope he dares to reach higher.
- CT said...
The Geno post is absurd. To suggest or intimate that coaching men and women is the same or a winner is a winner is ridiculous. Kind of like saying coaching college and pro ball is the same. Different worlds. Coaching is less X's and O's than managing egos, recruiting, etc, right? Women are easy. Well, you get it.
Having said that, despite the fact that hiring a WOMAN'S bball coach from UConn would make the program jokier than it is now, I appreciate the effort. No need to lash out at others when that idea strikes me as loony. My guess is MAC because Bates knows the conf and was a walkon DB at Michigan. Think he has a soft spot for the underdog. Gregory parlayed Dayton into GT and Bobinski reminds me of Bates. Bobinski came from Xavier.
- mod10aeagle said...
I like the Andre LaFleur idea. With a name like that he's bound to improve our compete level along the boards.
- Hoib said...
Unconventional yes, absurd no. Plenty of people said Pete Carrol's way wouldn't work in the pros.
I've already said my first choice is Pearl, but ATL started this whole thing w/ Billy Donovan which has less chance of happening than Geno.
The sad fact is that the undertone I get from com mentors is that we pretty much know the next coach is going to be a " new and improved version" of Onahue. To me playing in the toughest league in the country that's looney.


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Once again, another great post from http://www.change.org. This story particularly peaked my interest as the Network and its prevention/diversion work, targets families just like this one. The MVRN is charged with providing diversion or prevention for families that DO have income and qualify for shelter. We have had the means of providing families with start-up costs and short term subsidies if needed. Here is the link to the blog post or simply read on….
What It's Like to Be a
Homeless Mother
I got this email from a reader today. She needs to remain anonymous, but wants to tell her story of being a homeless mother.
It isn't easy, living as I do. I am a single mother with two kids living out of our vehicle. I have to be careful with what I say to co-workers, friends and family. They don't fully understand or know why I don't invite people over or why my kids don't have sleepovers. I've learned to get by on naps because I can't afford to get a full night's sleep. Although I work two jobs often, most of what I make is spent on gas. This is how it's been for the last seven years and I have no idea when things will change.
My kids go to school and have clean clothes and food to eat. Occasionally we go to sleep hungry. Welfare isn't an option as the state wants us to sell our vehicle, our only safe place to sleep, in order to grant us a measly $400 a month. So for now, we just get basic health care and food stamps. Child support stopped seven years ago and that's how I lost my apartment, that and lack of affordable childcare. Without childcare, I could not go to my job and I couldn't make my oldest daughter stay home from school to watch her baby sister. When my tax refund came around, I used it to by a 1981 Minnie Winnebago that was in excellent condition. My plan was to work nights while the kids slept in it. By the time my youngest was able to go to school, I found a day job that paid more than the part-time night job but the night job had a private parking lot that I could see from where I was working. The kids slept while I helped put out the next issue of the local paper. I made sure no one knew the kids were outside and my oldest knew that she had to keep her little sister quiet at all times.
I cannot understand the logic behind the state's willingness to pay a stranger to take care of my kids but not lift a finger to help parents take care of their own kids. Foster care seems to be a strange system in my opinion. How do you know these foster parents aren't just opening their homes for the money? I read an article about how these kids were dumped into the street once the money ran out. I am determined to keep us all together but don't need any hassles from the state poking its nose in where it's not wanted. I still recall the moment a social worker looked me in the eye and said that she was sorry but the state couldn't do anything to prevent homelessness but here's your EBT card. I laughed in a social worker's face when she suggested applying for Section 8 for housing help. I replied, "You mean apply for a program that's closed in this state and awarded like the lottery? No thanks, I needed help yesterday, not the faint possibility at some unknown future date."
I grow weary of other people's questions as they are always the same. The look of disbelief on their faces only reinforces what I and my kids already know. There's no such thing as help from the state, your family or friends because unless they are in a position to do so, they aren't willing to do so. I have had one or two relatives try to help in the only way they could and I will not forget that. What surprised me, and surprises me still, are the people who were complete strangers who came forward to offer what help they could.
Two older women in particular I will never forget. We met them at a local park during the summer since it was the easiest place I could park the RV and it had plenty of room for the kids to roam around in. One of them walked the park every morning and the other walked her dog and so it was no surprise that the two knew each other even though I met each one on separate occasions. By observation they had figured out our situation and when we had no money to eat, they would buy my kids food at a local fast food restaurant and bring it to the park. I never asked them for a thing but they offered because they wanted to. I will also never forget one family who frequented the same park because the father of the family had a position at the church he attended and my youngest was in the habit of starting conversations with them. When one of his daughters asked where she lived, my daughter pointed to our RV. The girl looked confused but the parents understood. The father stared at us for a moment then turned away. That family kept their distance from us after that day.
In time my kids learned not to tell anybody how we were living and I knew it was killing them inside. My eldest has impressed me many times over even when I know she cries at night. She may understand why we are stuck but that won't stop the hurt or embarrassment she feels. I still wonder how much my youngest will be affected by our situation but she may not know the difference either. You see we moved into the RV when she was one-and-a-half-years-old. Whenever we went to a hotel or spent the night at someone's house, she would always ask to go back to the RV. For my teenager, the damage has been done. She suffers from depression because her world fell apart when we became homeless. She keeps it a secret from her friends at school but when the bottled up emotions become too great, they spill over into outbursts of anger or bouts of heavy depression. I was lucky to find a free program offered by one of her schools that got her the counseling she needed. Though she is a far cry from what she was a few years ago, the pain is still there and probably always will be.
I have learned not to get too comfortable in any one place. Even if friends offer a place to stay, they cannot guarantee how long we can stay especially if they have a landlord. I do everything I can not to be noticed but cannot control neighbors with big mouths. So we live out of a dufflebag and carry only what is necessary in our vehicle in order to move at a moment's notice. Every year that goes by is another year my dreams of owning my own property slip away from me, yet I refuse to give up. Last year I enrolled in an online university to get a degree because the higher-paying jobs demand one. A co-worker and friend has opened her home to me but she still has a landlord therefore our stay will undoubtedly be a short one. I am not on the lease and don't have any credit and am looking for a job so the odds aren't good that they'd accept me being here. She wants to say that I am her caretaker since she has end stage kidney disease but I wonder if her landlords can contest that. From what I've seen, as with so much else, money is their motivator.
Photo credit: Childrens Book Review


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The second thing that we are lacking in as Christians is reading our Bibles. Even though there are many who may pray there are very much even fewer people who read their Bible. Usually when people pray they think that God answers them and they can just hear Him inside them. Many times that just our consciounce telling us the answer that we want to hear. God doesn't speak back to us by telling us in our head what to do. Now the Holy Spirit does lead us and guide us with right and wrong but the Lord does not talk to us in our minds. How God answers back is by when we read and study His word and seek His will. The Lord speaks to us through the reading of His word and when we study it the Holy Spirit reveales and teaches us things that help us grow and walk closer with the Lord. Many people today don't read their Bibles I believe because they think it might be a waste of time and its just a bunch of stories. And while it may be a lot of stories it is all truth and we can all take something out of each and every passage and apply it to our lives and try to better ourselves and serve Him better. Only people that read the Bible regularly can tell you what a blessing it is to just read and spend time studying the Word of God and the many lessons it has for us. And we ought not just read it when we really need help with something like the prayer deal. We shouldn't only go and search the Bible when we need some advice and direction in our lives and let it only be a blessing to us then. The Bible should be a continuious non stop blessing in our lives and always a pleasure to dig deep in it and find out what it has in store for us as Christians. That is another thing where we are becoming fallow in our spiritueality and its time for us to break it us and use it again and get back to serving God with it.
The final most obvious thing we need to start to break up the ground in is our soul winning and witnessing to other people about the Lord. There are many people out there that are lost. They more than likely out number us Christians and it is up to us Christians to witness to the lost and show them the way to the Lord and lead them to Him. It's not just a good nice courtesy thing that Christians should do because they think its good but it is a command from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself. Matthew 28:18-20 is the great commision and it commands us to go and teach to everyone and show the lost the only way to be saved and lead them to the Lord. This is probably the biggest lack now days out of reading the Bible and praying. Not many people go out on one day a week with their church to try to tell the lost about the Lord. And those people that don't even take the opportunity to go out with the church probably don't even witness to any of their accuantenses in their every day life. If people don't take the wide open opportunity to do it with other people the more than likely defanitly don't do it by themselves. It's a very sad thing to hear that we don't care enough about other people to try to show them the way to go to Heaven and keep themselves from burning in hell but it is a very true thing.
The reason for us all being this fallow and dried up in our walk with the Lord is because we have become lazy and satisfied! Satisfaction is the worst thing that we can have in our Christian walk with the Lord and our witnessing. When we become satisfied with where we are it causes us to become lazy and changes our mindset to where if we just do this only its good enough and thats all I will do. It is never enough!!! There is no such thing as enough in our Christian walk and shame on us for getting to the place where we are spiritually satisfied and content with our walk with the Lord. As a closing I will just say that we should never become content with ourselves. We should always want more and more and more and never stop until He comes and takes us home. We need to break up that fallow ground because we are way past due and it is time to seek the Lord now, and serve Him more now, and keep going higher until He comes again!


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Monday, August 15, 2011
Win one of five copies of Cake Boss, Season 2 on DVD.
9 comments:
Black sesame, chestnut, and pistachios. Om nom nom!ReplyDelete
BACON! Cause bacon and caramel is awesome, and I love salty and sweet combinations. =)ReplyDelete
Oh I watch this whenever I travel because I don't get cable! It's a hilarious show. As for his cakes, some of them are hilarious!ReplyDelete
Hmmm.. well the obvious solution to my indecision is several layers!ReplyDelete
So, the first layer would be Chocolate hazelnut, with a layer of ganache on top... second layer is raspberry, with a layer of jam on it... third is white chocolate coconut, spread with a white chocolate ganache, and finally on top is a macaron! :)
I love Cake Boss, I used to watch it on pay TV but we got it cut off so I've been missing it. It'd be awesome if I won it :)
kate1485 at hotmail.com
I love cake boss, I think my favourite episode was the bachelorette cake with the strippers! As for my own cakes, if it were possible I think that there are two types of cakes I would want.ReplyDelete
1. floral themed, layers of rose, violet and honeysuckle (and perhaps daisy because they look so pretty and would HAVE to taste nice right?) with chocolate ganache so that it would be like a giant rose/violet creme chocolate but in cake form
2. would be where I bust out the lolly flavours with alternating layers of strawberries and cream with musk flavoured buttercream. Yummo!
ahh so many possibilities!ReplyDelete
well atm, im craving for a apricot, hazelnut and coffee combo!! :)
Cookies and CreamReplyDelete
White chocolate mudcake with raspberry ripplesReplyDelete


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A Fashion Love Affair is one of our contest winners at Mode Republic! Let's learn more about her.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a fashion blogger from Vancouver Canada, and I work full-time for a marketing company.
How did you become interested in fashion?
I have always been interested in fashion, but over the past few years it has really taken a turn as I became more comfortable and confident in my own body. I started really enjoying fashion when I found fashion blogs like Chic Heroin, Sincerly Jules and Fashiontoast, and now I love having fun with fashion and creating and sharing my outfits through my blog.
What inspired you to start your own blog?
I began my own blog after being a long-time follower of Chic Heroin and Cupcakes and Cashmere...I loved putting together outfits and starting my blog allowed me the ability to share my passion with others, and has inspired me to push my own fashion limits and live on the edge, which has been a blast!
What are your dreams and aspirations?
So much has come from my blog in the short 6 months since I started it...I have met so many fabulous people, both online and in person, and I have already been able to work with great companies inlcuding Lulu*s.com and Threadcase, I hope to continue on this path-it has been such an amazing experience so far!
How would you describe your style?
My style changes daily...so it is hard to describe! I definitely like to dress depending on what I am feeling that day, and the most important thing is that my outfit is comfortable...I hate having to constantly be pulling down my skirt or adjusting my top! If you check out my blog you will find that I can wear anything from a vintage gown to cut-offs and a t-shirt to a feminine skirt and heels...with me, anything goes!
What's your favorite look at this moment?
My favorite look at the moment is maxi's! During the summer a maxi is a perfect choice because they can easily go from beach to dinner with the addition of a few accessories or a pair of heels. For colors I am drawn to peaches, blushes and creams this summer.
Where do you get your fashion inspirations?
I find fashion inspirations everywhere...my favorite thing to do is sit downtown and people watch-the most interesting outfits are often on the streets! I also get inspiration from my fellow fashion bloggers, some of my favorites being Chicmuse, 5 Inches and Up, Late Afternoon, Sincerely Jules, Song of Style, Atlantic-Pacific, Purse and Boots and Chic Heroin.
Where do you shop? What are your favorite brands?
I shop both in shops and online...some of my favorites are Zara, Lulus.com, H&M, Shopbop and SoleStruck. Some favorite brands at the moment are Winter Kate, Elizabeth and James, Ash and Jeffrey Campbell.
Congratulations again to A Fashion Love Affair for winning the Mode Republic contest! Stay tuned for more fashion inspirations from A Fashion Love Affair!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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The color may look blue-ish from the camera lightning but it's definitely "TEAL"
Which nail "shape" works best for you?
The color may look blue-ish from the camera lightning but it's definitely "TEAL"
I love the design on your ring finger :)ReplyDelete
Thank u kidnly Trine-Marie... I always LOVE your nails! And, thanks for linking up!
I love that color combo!!! I should have gotten something like that on my nails. And I got my nails cut down and he made them more square and I like squoval as well! When I change my nails I'll just file them the way I like...LOL. I'm just happy my nails are finally growing and so strong.ReplyDelete
Woohooo for GROWTH! We almost had the same color.
You know I love your nails hunni! I am in love with this color combination! And your accent nail is really cute. My nails are long & square but I think I may cut them down to a short squoval once the little one gets here.ReplyDelete
Thanks Dre... Squoval is the way to go! lolDelete
Love the colors!!ReplyDelete


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From their perch, James and Godiva search for things to kill the Blob. While Godiva improvises a pressure bandage, James empties the contents of a liquor cabinet into the Blob puddled below him. A metabolic poison and solvent, the alcohol disturbs the bonds of the Blob, killing it. James then rinses the remaining gray ooze down the drain in the floor. James then tells Godiva that Keith Morgan is dead. She deduces that multiple factions are after James, and it's time to make sure the right one wins.
As Janes and Godiva leave the convention, they run into Alice, Cobb, and a police officer trying to make sense of the crime scene around the convention. Godiva takes charge and blames the chaos on ergot poisoning. The police officer loses his patience, and tells the to leave. Godiva and James drive towards their hotel, until Godiva tells James to drive towards Morgan's shop, to deal with whatever powers flooding into the vacuum made by the man's death.
Inside the shop, Godiva and James find a TV attached to what remains of Morgan's body. The screen turns on, revealing Agony Delapour's face. As the power pulling the strings, she tries to command a deal, but James loses his temper. Tired of everyone assuming that he understands what is going on, he wants answers - or violence. Godiva and Agony fill him in on the machinations behind the events since Victor's death. Adam Chase is so potent a trump card that Outsiders and the humans they ride will conspire to control him. Godiva makes an offer to take over Morgan's job for Agony, a job that would offer information and a sort of protection to James. Catskinner agrees, and a deal is made...
And so Catskinner's Book ends, with a glimpse of even deeper mysteries to come and the revelation that much of the adventure, hurts, and deaths could have been avoided had James and Catskinner not been quite so paranoid and standoffish. But without the adventure and losses, James would have never learned to trust, and Catskinner would have never allowed James to make any binding agreement. Given James's near isolation at the beginning. his growth into a more well-adjusted person only comes through interacting with other people.
At beginning of the month, I said that I typically find New Wave writers to be better essayists than fiction writers. As much as I've utterly enjoyed Catskinner's Book, I am hesitant to say it is better than Misha Burnett's blog. Seriously, give it a read some time. He writes with a clarity and depth of thought that is characteristic of the New Wave when they turn to non-fiction. Much of the criticism and frame of the Pulp Revolution (including my own) comes from his writings, even though Misha Burnett claims New Wave. When he speaks on writing, I listen. Yet, unlike much of Harlan Ellison's stories, Misha's fiction is something that I would reread, not just for enjoyment, but to figure out writing technique as well. With endless podcasts and websites, a certain conventional wisdom about writing and bookselling has gelled, creating a rule set that is more formulaic than even the worst parody of pulp. Starting with the cover to Catskinner's Book, much of that common wisdom is ignored, and it works. The oldest advice on writing that I learned is to first learn the rules, and then learn when to break them. There are few writers breaking rules so thoroughly and successfully as Misha Burnett. And if the considerable brilliance of his fiction does not eclipse his writing on writing, I am happy to read both - and ask for seconds.


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The Democratic National Convention is apparently so desperate for speakers they actually have Ted Strickland on the schedule. Whoever decided to give a speaking role to a fired governor responsible for 400,000 lost jobs ought to have their head examined...but then again, I've been saying that about the Democrats for years.
We have obtained Governor Strickland's speech, and here are our top ten excerpts from the keynote address. Enjoy!
10. "After John Tester, Joe Manchin, Claire McCaskill, Bernie Sanders, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers declined invites to the Convention, the DNC was looking to fill-in. And since everyone from the speaker of the New York General Assembly to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee warned all their members to stay away, -- I'm honored you asked me to be here tonight!"
9. "Representative Betty Sutton is back home in Ohio tonight. She said she didn't come to the Convention because she has 'things to do'. Lucky for me, after the Ohio voters fired me, my schedule is wide open!"
8. "For those of you who don't know me, you may recognize me from the 'Shame on you Barack Obama' commercial!"
7. "It's good to see a decent crowd here in Charlotte tonight. I spoke at the Obama campaign kick-off in Columbus this year and that place was half empty!"
6. "Under Barack Obama, fewer Americans are working today than when he took office. I'm happy to report that I contributed 400,000 lost jobs to that effort!"
5. "You know, if I just keep taking credit for the economy during the last two years before I took office and the first two years of the Kasich administration, I can say I had a fantastic four years as Governor of Ohio!"
4. "Republicans claim John Kasich cleaned up the mess I left behind as Governor. But I'm here tonight to make the case that it was Barack Obama who cleaned up the mess I left behind as Governor!"
3. "John Kasich is no Barack Obama. Kasich balanced a budget, cut taxes, and had a laser-focus on job creation. Barack Obama hasn't done a single one of those things! He's nothing like John Kasich!"
2. "I'm glad the Democrats are refusing to answer 'are you better off today than you were four years ago?' I've learned a lot watching them dodge and duck that question, and claim it's the wrong question to ask. Where the hell were these guys when I needed them in 2010?"
1. "Mitt Romney is running a scary campaign. Like John Kasich two years ago he's
smearing his opponent by pointing out facts about his record. That's bad news folks -- because it usually works!"
Follow @Nick3BP


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Joe Rice Media Review 1/6/05
This (shame, I know, shame) was my first ever issue of Flaming Carrot Comics. It will also be my last. THAT IS UNTIL THE NEXT ONE COMES OUT! Oh, man. I so fooled you. You totally thought I didn't like it when, in fact, I did. Wonderful dada tard fun. Why I've missed it for so long I do not know. The art is primitive, but who gives a shit? It's funny and it's unique and it works. This is a good comic.
Lapham's run on Detective Comics is one of those rare comics where I can't judge it quickly. I'm not sure HOW I feel about it. Yes, it's dreadfully dark at times. But it is not without hope, not without warmth. We see sides of Batman that most hack writers out there don't dare show: compassion, weakness, humanity. The back-ups by Carey and Lucas are interesting enough to keep holding me, too. This could be something great; but I see fanboys shitting on it without hesitation. I think this is a good comic.
There's not much of note in The Spectacular Spider-man. A few decent jokes, I guess. But Sarah is drawn with too much attention on her boobs and I find myself, without JMS around, not caring about Spidey again. Eh, I tried. This is not a good comic.
So, yeah, I went ahead and tried the post-Jones Incredible Hulk. The art is OK, but seems less like Lee Weeks and more like JRjr junior. And the writing . . .it's not awful, I guess. But, for the love of shit, can author's please stop using "Tempest Fugit" or any other variation thereof as a title? Shit, people. Trying hard to be clever makes you look like a jackass. So, uh, Hulk kills a shark cause he's hanging out on the ocean babbling about Banner. We get some "interesting" (emphasis on the quotes) flashbacks about Banner's high school yearssszzzzzzzzzzzz. Oops, sorry, fell asleep looking at the comic again. Then we get a whole page of Banner explaining why the Hulk can be underwater for so long. That's very "interesting" too. Stupid self-conscious joke (from PAD?!?!? NO! I'm SHOCKED, I tell you, SHOCKED!) about blind characters and some monsters and cliffhanger. I guess, in a better-written comic I'd be interested by the cliffhanger, but I've no reason to believe the next issue will be anything but "interesting." This, by no means, is a good comic.
Deadshot tries much less hard. All this comic wants to be is a good noirish vigilante story. It's violent, it's very grim, and the world is pretty bleak. But Deadshot succeeds in its every aspiration. It is an entertaining work, full of dark cathartic action, soft, fluid art, and a bad man doing awful things to worse men. And the cliffhanger on the last page of this book DOES make me want to read more, because I'm fairly sure I'll be able to get more of the same work. This is a good comic.
In a perfect world, Jubilee would be given room to florish. It would be given proper marketing. It would be sold somewhere other than geek caves. Casey Jones would do the interiors as well as the covers. Kids would have access to it and it would be cheap enough for them to use it as disposable entertainment. The writing would be much the same. Also, in a perfect world, I would have Yoshi-san from Sushi Yasuda at my beck and call whenever I wanted. And Batman would be the president. This comic is good, if anyone cares.
Hot dippity damn, The Question is a great comic. It's interesting, it's beautiful, it's original, and it's respectful to the reader. I don't need everything spoon-fed to me. I need an engaging story that I care about. And this is it. Part of me wants to say, "Aw, man? Only six issues?" But the other part knows that ongoings get boring and get taken over by Claremonts and Dixons. If these guys have another story to tell, about any character, I'm there. This is a good comic.
The New Avengers is less bad than the last issue. That's faint praise, but it's actually decent. Things happen. The dialogue is still retarded film school sophomore year "I just saw a Mamet movie and think I get it" garbage, but the plot starts to move. But trying to curse without really cursing much leads to dumbness. "Spider-ass." Uh, OK. The ending was pretty creepy. I guess I'll give it another issue. I'm not sure if I'm ready to call this mess a good comic yet, though. I'll wait for judging it.
Some of Robert Kirkman's Marvel work, good, has failed to capture the spark of his own stuff. Fantastic Four: Foes comes much closer to getting that "Invincible" brilliance. The art is clean and crisp and not boringly realistic. The plot moves along quickly. The dialogue informs, entertains, but does not distract. And the ideas are interesting. It doesn't take itself unduly seriously, but it isn't all throw-away stuff, either. If JMS can't make the FF work after Waid's snoozer of a run, Kirkman would be worth a shot. This was a good comic.
Ultimate X-Men has never, ever worked for me. Even when Vaughn, who I like quite a bit, took it over I didn't give a shit. But this issue, the first of a new arc, starts to hit for me. I picked it up because, growing up, I loved Longshot. Just adored that stuff. So I wanted to see what he'd make of him. And so far, it's interesting. Reality TV + political oppression and the right combination of innocence and skill and, of course, luck. The characters are fun. Kitty Pryde shows me why on earth people would like her for once. This was fun, if light, superhero stuff. Good comic.
The comic I really couldn't wait to read, the one I stared in the train station, was
Captain America. Lark's bits were just beauties to behold. I wish he was the artist on the whole thing, honestly. But there's nothing awful about Epting. Brubaker's writing can overcome dull art in a heartbeat. I honestly don't know where this is heading, but it's exciting. This isn't exactly Cap in the Sleeper world. But it's a take on Cap's world we don't see that much, especially this skillfully. Hell, any comic on which Busiek and I can agree must be doing something right. This was a damn good comic.


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Product Description
'Faux Knitting' Cushions (45 cm x 45 cm; 18″ x 18″)
This cushion cover features multiple images of Andy Warhol and Marilyn Monroe in a checkerboard pattern. The individual images are knitted, photographed and printed onto fabric. Every stitch is clearly visible, giving the illusion that the machine washable zip up cushion cover is knitted.
There are 6 other cushions in the Andy set, plus 14 other cushions featuring individual portraits:


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Hill electricindustrial with over 30 years of experience
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Hill Electric can be found at N 30th St 8360. The following is offered: B2B Contractors. The entry is present with us since Sep 8, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Richland there are 11 other B2B Contractors. An overview can be found here.


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This class is a 12 week course in which you learn a choreography. The purpose of the choreography class is to strengthen all elements of your dance; Shines, Turn Patterns, Styling and Hand Techniques. Every week for 12 weeks you build on the previous weeks and at the end of the 12 weeks the class performs the choreography in front of the school. (Performing is optional).
(Date to be announced)
Space is limited. You MUST Pre-Register in order to take this class. ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT… SO Email us at email@example.com to sign up. (No Partner Necessary)


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Every year we get together with Dan's cousin's and their kiddos and have lunch, play games etc. This year Dan's sister in San Diego hosted and it was fun as usual. We line the generations up by height to see how everyone has grown. The twins are missing cause they were D-O-N-E and ready for bed. :)
This is funny cause Dan and I will always be at opposite ends of the line. I am pretty sure his sister is eye balling me in this photo. AWKWARD! :)
Our house on Christmas day was super fun. Even my nephew made it in from Indianapolis despite the crazy weather.
The kids were ready for dinner. Everything turned out delicious. Thank you everyone for your help. :)
I am pretty sure Graph has no idea what she will do with all the warm sweaters, hats, gloves and scarves she got for Christmas when she returns home but I keep telling her they will get plenty of use while she is here. Hence the 30 degrees we woke up to this morning. :)
Dan surprised me with this AWESOME bike that I saw at the bike store like back in July!! He had his mom video tape me when he brought it out. He thought I would jump up and down screaming but instead I started to cry and then he started to cry and everyone else thought we were crazy. Truth be told the tears were for many reasons. One, I am a big kid at heart and I realized in that moment that my husband gets that about me and cherishes that about me. The second reason is that I am healthy enough to ride bikes when less than two years ago I was to weak to walk around the mall or hardly dress myself on some days. It was just my cup overflowing. It's funny cause you know how on Christmas morning you can look out the window and see kids playing with their new skateboards, riding there new bikes or playing with their new soccer balls? Ya' I was the only adult tearing around the neighborhood on her new bright orange bike. YES!!!!