Filed in: Me
Yesterday evening I was chatting with my friend Brianne outside when I had two sudden sharp pains in my neck. I touched the spot and It felt like I had rubbed a thistle into my throat, so I asked Bri if I had something on my neck. She took a look and found two small bug bites surrounded by a big red blotch. I was on my way out the door, so I headed home planning on taking an antihistamine.
I live a block and a half away from Brianne’s house, and by the time I got home my tongue was swollen, and the back of my throat was beginning to swell shut. Chris had, thankfully, been sent home early from work, so I tossed the kids his way, gave a very brief explanation and took myself to the ER. ( I know, I know, I drove myself to the ER while in the pre stages of anaphylactic shock. Dumb, dumb, dumb.) The ER is three minutes from my house, and since half my face and my neck had gone numb, and swallowing was becoming an issue, I bolted through the doors, ignored the huge piles of paperwork, and poked the button they have for people who are bleeding profusely or who can’t breathe. I wrung my hands thinking, “C’mon, c’mon. . .open the door already” for the very long ten seconds it took them to answer.
They put an oxegyn monitor on one hand and asked me where I would like my IV. It wasn’t, “would you like an IV”, or “how about an IV”, it was “We’re putting this in you, so wrist or elbow, and make it snappy!” I went with the elbow (wrist IVs never go well with me, I have no idea why.) They gave me some steroids and then after I explained that I drove myself and I tend to be a feather weight on drugs, they gave me half the dose of IV Benadryl.
Let me tell you, these drugs combined are some fun stuff. My head was swimming, and I was getting a bit giggly while I kept nodding off. Every time I nodded off, my legs would jerk and I’d be awake again, snickering over my involuntary kicking, and trying to figure out which one of the three guys checking on me was my doctor and which were nurses, and also worrying that my oxygen monitor was broken because it was reading in the eighties, when mine had always read in the ninety-nine or hundredth percentile before. Then I remembered why I was there and taking this trip to begin with, and started giggling again! About ten minutes into this, I started thinking that since I was enjoying this so much, another dose would be really fun. Unfortunately, the swelling was already going down, so another dose was out of the question, and I returned to sanity before I was able to embarrass myself by asking for more.
They watched me for a few hours, and then sent me home after I swore I was good to drive. At home, I passed out immediately and slept like a log until four am, when I awoke with a jolt, like I always do at four am, except this time, I wasn’t thirsty, like I usually am at four in the morning. I was wide awake and craving stuffing. Since it’s not Thanksgiving, I didn’t have any on hand, which kind of bummed me out. I called my sister in England, but she wasn’t home, so I called my mom, who was home and wondering why I was calling her at five am my time. I blamed the steroids, and then went on to scrub my floors, clean the kitchen, take the garbage out, pick up the dining room and living room and sort laundry, all before six am, when I woke up the kids.
So now it’s eight. And I’m blogging. And breathing.
Posted by Lou on August 22, 2006 @ 3:08 pm | 13 Comments
Ok, guys, tell me what you think about this.
Jonas is starting preschool in a month (woooot!). He will be attending four afternoons a week. I chose afternoons because he has speech two mornings a week, and I didn’t want them to overlap. Plus, I’m a better mother in the mornings. The only trouble with this is that he still needs a nap a few days a week or he gets wired and can’t focus and will get nothing out of class and be a bother to his teachers. I know this because we have afternoon church right now (1-4 Somebody shoot me, please). Jonas is hating church right now, and is having behavior issues, and I know most of this stems from him being over tired.
Our family has been on more of a late night schedule for awhile because Chris usually works swing shifts and has to sleep in. The kids are noisy in the morning, and if they go to bed really early, then the days Chris has off, they don’t see each other much. Now, this is a very loosely designed schedule, because Jonas has always defied every schedule I’ve ever attempted to get him on. I really do think that school is going to force hm to adapt, whether he likes it or not, and Chris’ schedule is pretty much going to have to be ignored.
Me, on the other hand, I’d be much happier if left to my natural devices and allowed to be a morning person who either got up at five and went to bed at seven pm, or better yet, got up at five, had a three hour mid day nap and then stayed up until eleven- but that’s dreaming.
So, now that I’ve bored you all, if I tried making my children get up at six (consistently, they love to get up at six on days when I’ve gone to bed at one the night before), and then got them to nap from 11:00-12:00 and then to bed at seven, do you think that could fix the sleep deprivation issue at church and school? Do I even stand a chance here? Is attempting a change even worth the effort? I optimistically envision favorable results, then the pessimistic part of me (you know, that other 90% of Lou) laughs in my face and says, enjoy the ride, sista, cause it’s gonna be wild.
Anyway, anyone ever try this? Anyone have and suggestions about getting a non conformist child to adhere to a schedule? Does anyone have any advice aside from “hire a sitter” or “give them drugs”? I can’t do drugs- my kids get wired on Benedryl and codeine. Do you have any idea how consummately unfair that is? Have you ever had a child with pneumonia completely wired? Ugh. I digress- give me sleep schedule advice please! I want good little angel children who never peep in church and don’t rip the curtains off the walls when they get tired, wired and curious! Tell me how, oh wise internet!
Posted by Lou on August 21, 2006 @ 5:43 am | 2 Comments
Our road trip to Utah, was, in many ways, successful and enjoyable. Maggie and Jonas were truly stellar travelers. Seeing family was wonderful. The cabin Chris’ grandparents built for everyone up on the mountain they own is fantastic and is seriously, just a really, really great idea to keep the family together for years to come.
The one thing that did an excellent job overshadowing a lot of these wonderful things was our dirty, rotten, good for nothing lemon of a car. We had barely crossed the state line in Nevada when the check engine light came on. I watched the light for about thirty seconds before a high pitched squealing sound began. Chris was watching a movie in the car, so I hoped the odd noise was part of his show, ane right when I was about to turn to him and say, “honey. . .” he turned to me and freaked out. The noise was not coming from the movie. It was the car. And not only was the check engine light on, but the rpms were redlining. I know, I know, I’m an idiot.
We pulled over (what choice did we have?) Chris examined things, and we decided to drive to the next town and get things checked out. To make a very long story short: we stopped in four towns, paid four different mechanics about sixty bucks a pop, and nothing they did made any difference at all. We were pretty sure it was the transmission, but we couldn’t find a shop that dealt with them. We had to drive all the way to Utah before we could find someone to fix the transmission, and he couldn’t get to it until the day we were planning on driving home.
Chris stayed in Utah for two days waiting for the car to be fixed while the kids and I hitched a ride with my in-laws. I spent the entire fourteen hour drive in the middle front seat of the truck with my feet on the dash, where I read a forensic crime novel over my mom in law’s shoulder. As soon as we crossed onto the air force base, the truck got a flat, which I am sure happened because of my family’s negative vehicle vibes.
So, eventually, we all got home. The ordeal returned us to financial ruin, which I am getting used to what with the broken computer, broken fridge, and our children having simultaneous two inch growth spurts and requiring complete new wardrobes. Apparently when it rains, it really does pour.
Since both of our most recent traveling attempts have turned into huge crises, I will no longer be traveling. It is everyone else’s turn to come see me.
Posted by Lou on August 20, 2006 @ 10:17 pm | 0 Comments
Chris’ grandparents took us out to dinner shortly after we arrived in Manti. We chose a wonderful little Chinese place, and we were enjoying very good food and company when suddenly Jonas choked and said, “I sick!”
Before we had time to even register what he said, he projectile vomited across the table, peppering his great grandmother with puke. Chris put his hand over Jonas’ mouth to stop the sweet and sour shower Grandma was getting, but, unfortunately, that only forced the vomit through a smaller opening, increasing the projectile quality. He finally picked Jonas up, still barfing, and hauled him to the men’s room.
We hadn’t unpacked the car yet, so I ran outside and got Jonas a change of clothing, and then asked the grossed out wait staff for paper towels. I cleaned up the barf and salvaged what I could from the platters of food that had been out of range. Jonas returned, cleaned up and quite hungry, for obvious reasons. I dished him up more food and as I was scooping up some white rice, I, ever so gracefully, knocked over Chris’ very, very large glass of ice water and watched it pour over the table and into Grandma and Grandpa’s already puke splattered laps.
At this point, I began to laugh. I couldn’t help it. You know how most people look back at life and laugh? I have the curse of looking at life in the present and laughing myself into hysterics, even in situations where laughter is inappropriate, rude, and likely to earn me a swift kick in the pants or total disinheritance. I tried to stop myself from laughing at my wonderful grandparents in-law, flecked with vomit and now looking as though they were suffering from severe incontinence. I tried to stop laughing, but as I contemplated how much they probably looked forward to seeing us, and how generous they had been to take us out, and the way Grandma’s eyes bugged out as the sweet and sour vomits sailed across the table. . .I just couldn’t stop. In fact, I began to cry from mirth.
Now, once in awhile, I’m bound to get lucky, and this was, thankfully, one of those times. Chris’ grandparents were laughing as hard as I was. Total exoneration was mine, and we ended up having a great time.
Posted by Lou on August 17, 2006 @ 6:03 am | 8 Comments
Road trip. Gone for a week. Car trouble. Broker than the ten commandments. Tired. Stressed. Chris still not home with the car. Children psycho. Man child breaking irreplaceable valuables. Curtain rod ripped from wall. Want to go back to bed. Possibly forever. Will update when ability to form complete sentences returns. Must change poopy diaper now. Motherhood not all it’s cracked up to be.
Posted by Lou on August 16, 2006 @ 4:36 pm | 3 Comments
Scrappy meme:
Favorite Shade of bazzill Cardstock: Yam - I adore autumn oranges
Favorite adhesive: Mono adhesive!
Size you usually scrap: 8.5x11 or 4x4
Pictures that are the hardest for you to scrap: Event photos, like holidays or birthdays. I’m more of a moments scrapper.
Last Project You completed: The Cherry Lunchbox.
Project you most need to get done: I have about ten layouts I need to finish up for my upcoming classes, and two things I need to finish so I can put them on ebay.
Stickers or stamps? STAMPS!!! Especially alphabet stamps
Black Ink or Brown Ink? Brown, hands down.
Type of camera you use: I luvs my Canon Digi Rebel
Companies you follow the most closely for new items: Stampin’ Up and Chatterbox- both always come out with something I NEED!
What gives you the most inspiration? Patterned paper. I will have a photo I love, but until it isn’t until I find a great combination of patterned papers that my creative juices kick in to high gear.
Worst Scrapbook Buy: crop in style xxl- it was so big I could never find anything. I recently got a Making memories runway Tote, and it’s just right 
Best Scrapbook Buy: My sewing machine! I got it as a Christmas present and I use it all of the time!
Best Trend: inking
Trend/s you’d like to see go the way of the dinosaur: fibers, doodling- it’s not clean enough for me. And patterned paper that’s like a photo of rocks or a soccer ball or flowers. Yuk! It bugs me that so much of what was old is now new again. I left most of that stuff in the past for a reason lol!
Thing that distracts you the most from scrapping? My children, hands down. The computer is a close second. . .
What do you eat while scrapping: Chocolate and Diet Coke w/ lime.
How Much Do You Spend On Scrapping In An Average Month: Hmm, I go in spurts. If I were to divide what I spend in about a year up by 12. . . yikes- probably $70 a month. The good thing is I usually make more than that selling my custom stuff on ebay, so we aren’t going hungry.
Top Of Your Scrappin’ Wishlist: Ooohhh Wishblade! I want a Wishblade! I neeeeed a Wishblade!- Anyone out there like to donate $400 so I can go buy one?
Pass it on: My long lost Friend Amber at My Life’s Scraps, and all my 2 peas buddies who read this- be sure to leave a comment so I can check your blogs out too!
Music Meme:
Favorite Genre Of Music: Folk/Folk Rock
Least Favorite: Techno. I have no patience for techno.
Top 10 songs on your itunes playlist: My playlist got wiped when we installed the new computer, so this is pretty recent:
1. Songbird- Eva Cassidy
2. Raised On Robbery- Joni Mitchell
3. Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash
4. My Father’s Favorite- Sense & Sensibility Soundtrack
5. Baby Mine- Bette Midler
6. Bye Bye Baby- Bay City Rollers
7. Jolene- Dolly Parton
8. Sway- Pussycat Dolls
9. Call Me- Blondie
10. Dummy Song-Louis Armstrong
If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life: Joni Mitchell- no contest. I love Joni.
Second choice? Oh- Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duets. The ones they recorded on the Verve. Sadly, someone stole that album from me- I need to buy it again.
Thing that bugs you the most about other’s music choices: When people say their musical taste is “eclectic” and what they mean by that is that they listen to both pop and new country. That’s not eclectic, that’s trendy. If you are truly eclectic, your itunes list will be jumping from punk to classical to jazz to country to show tunes to religious to rap. I’m not saying you have to embrace everything, but you have to have some true variety.
Musical trend you dislike the most: Didactic country songs. If I wanted a sermon, I’d go to Sunday school- give me the old cheatin’ songs and get off your soapbox.
Song playing right now: Jump- Pointer Sisters
Tagging: Scott at Husband’s Anon because he forgot how to update, and anyone else who could use a really lame post to pass the time Don’t forget to link back!
Posted by Lou on August 5, 2006 @ 6:04 pm | 6 Comments
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