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Monday, April 27, 2015

May Day, on its Way

I have no idea how that happened, 4 months gone by already in this new year!

AW/W:  Good trip with my beloved, although planning a weekend around a genocide makes for some emotional burden.  We saw baby geese, little yellow fluffy ones, and lots of them!  And a solar-powered Earth Day celebration, which was pretty festive despite the rain delay.  My husband was asking an awful lot of questions of somebody who converted his regular car to batteries; one can only hope he isn't preparing to begin a new hobby....  ;)

Pet report:  Spot the cat shall henceforth be known as Spot The Incorrigible.   He has never been much of an athlete, and until recently was quite shy; but today he got up on the counter (first time) and was attempting to eat some snack mix.  Last night, the dog got into a box of baked goods that my husband meant to take to the office today.  We actually do feed them appropriate food, and plenty of it!  Maybe they were upset that most of the staff just disappeared for a couple days?

Know the Pixies have things going on.  Do share.

58 comments:

esperanza said...

AW: tummy bug situation is better. I have zero energy and have already taken two naps before lunch.

AW: Mr E stayed home from church, took care of the Baboos and me all day. And, I might add, with just the right amount of attentiveness to suit me, which is to say, leave me alone until I call you.

AW: He is "worn out" this morning from doing my work all day yesterday. Mmm-hmmm. Perhaps this tummy bug wasn't all bad.

kathy a. said...

Glad you are on the mend, Esperanza! And yes, filling mama's shoes for one little day can be enlightening... ;)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh boy, esperanza, do I ever understand. Pretty much any time Mr. Q takes over for a day, I end up saying, "SEE?! This is why I'm tired all the time!" I hope you're getting better quickly.

My parents are home from visiting Grandma, and now we're all just waiting. Grandma can't swallow, and so she's not eating or drinking, and the family has opted to make her comfortable instead of taking drastic measures to sustain her for slightly longer. So she likely only has days left.

W: and I'm going petty here, and whining in my head about the fact that this means we're likely travelling north again very soon, and just recovered from the last trip.

AW: but today hasn't been too bad, because E napped, and I did too.

kathy a. said...

((( QWP ))) Much love to your whole family. Deciding to go with palliative care is hard, but it is also the loving thing to do in many instances. xoxox

esperanza said...

Oh, QWP, deep peace to you and your family.

W: Mr E's status as the last man standing against the virus is looking pretty shaky. Came home from work with a bad headache.

kathy a. said...

Ibuprofin for the headache! Crossing fingers that he is plum worn out, because my experience with men and ze bug is that they are not good patients. Not to generalize much...

I think it's a go with trying medical mj on my SIL, to calm her the heck down and maybe reduce some of the harsher meds. Knock wood. Nobody tell her! (Lobbying to put my SIL on pot is probably one of the weirder things I've done in life.)

esperanza said...

I can only hypothesize that Man Stomach Virus is far more virulent than Man Cold, which is bad enough. Hoping I don't have to find out...

kathy a. said...

Be sure to leave some paper towels and plastic bags in a handy place. ;)

Hope it is just a headache.

kathy a. said...

Fingers crossed for the arguments at scotus today.

esperanza said...

Sample size: 1
Hypothesis proven: Man Puke far worse than Man Cold.

Deliver me from the unnecessary drama. In the 1.5 hours I was gone (running *his* errands, might I add), he decided he was running a fever and needed to go to the hospital. Pixies. His temp was 97.8. I believe I know approximately how miserable he feels, as I was feeling this very same illness 2 days ago. Got it. It sucks. It does not require a visit to the hospital, where one or both of us would undoubtedly pick up some far worse ailment.

kathy a. said...

Oh, dear. The hospital?? Sending some virtual 7-up and gatorade.

esperanza said...

I know. He didn't want the kids to see him feeling so bad. Right. Because Daddy being in the hospital wouldn't freak them right the fireplace out. Sigh. Trying to cut him some slack.

Sue said...

(((((esperanza))))) sorry about feeling the Ick. Double sorry about having to deal with Man Puke.

QWP, so much love to you and your family. Sending prayers for your Grandma and for all of you.

AW: such a good trip to Scotland and England. Really, just awesome in every way.

W: jet lag. It's a thing. Also, the cat missed me, apparently. She woke me up every couple of hours last night to tell me.

esperanza said...

So glad you had a great trip, Sue. And sorry about the not sleeping bit, whether cat or jet lag or both.

Man Puke Illness of the Year is a bit improved.

W: I am exhausted, having done my usual activities, plus take care of MPIotY, all at reduced energy capacity.

W: Sweet's annual special ed meeting is tomorrow. They/we will determine what services she will need for next year. I'm a bit conflicted. There's always the part of me that wants them to say "Why is your kid even in special ed? She's perfectly normal." And the other part of me that wants to baby her too much. And the big part of me that wants to find the balance of just exactly the right amount of extra help. It's been a really good year for her at kindergarten, and it's hard to know if that's because she's been getting extra help, or because she didn't need the extra help in the first place. Sigh. And did I mention the not-enough-energy thing? Not going to help at this meeting, as they are uber-draining.

AW: also registering Mini for kindergarten tomorrow, while I'm there.

kathy a. said...

Yay, Sue! So glad you had a great trip. We'll need details! Also good the cat is keeping an eye on you. ;)

Spot the Incorrigible did the unthinkable today, and bit through the plastic on a fresh loaf of bread on the counter. Everything remotely edible needs to go in cabinets or the fridge or on top of the fridge until the cat-proof breadbox arrives.

kathy a. said...

Esperanza, hoping for the magic touch tomorrow. xoxo

esperanza said...

Thanks. I should also say, as an AW, that our school district has been so supportive, always offering more than we were hoping for, respecting our opinion, offering high quality teachers and other professionals, treating Sweet as an individual. We see a doctor in the Big City who is always expecting the district to do as little as possible and encouraging us to gear up for a fight, which it never is. Let's hear it for small towns, though there's no reason this couldn't happen in the Big City, too.

kathy a. said...

I think I love your district, and also Sweet's doctor (who no doubt has seen many stories gone bad, and is behind y'all).

esperanza said...

Me too. It usually goes something like this
Doc: Now, they aren't going to want to offer Service X, but she is entitled to it and needs it and you insist on it.
School District: Hi. We think she needs Service X and Services Y and Z too. How does that sound?
Me: ~cries~

esperanza said...

Meeting went well. Everyone pleased with her progress. She still needs OT. Decreasing the time she is pulled out of the regular classroom from 1 hour to 30 minutes. All of that is reasonable, and I'm pleased.

Miranda said...

So whiny. So tired. With a friend at the hospital while she's in labor and my daughter is having a meltdown over prom tickets. I've had two hours of sleep.

kathy a. said...

Yay, Esperanza!

((( Miranda ))) Oh, my. Sending love, but you need some quiet time. xoxo

esperanza said...

Oh Miranda. That whole combination is definitely whine-worthy.

Sue said...

Yay Sweet!!! Yay esperanza!! I'm glad the meeting went well.

(((Miranda))) So many hugs. I hope you can catch some sleep soon.

AW: I am so glad I'm off the rest of the week. My body can't seem to recall what time of day it is. I'm all over the place. So worth it though.

It was such a lovely week. The group was just the right size (19) and there was zero drama. I mean, NONE. It was like preacher summer camp! The presenter was really good - she knows how to read the energy in the room and adjusted the balance of small group discussion/plenary accordingly.

There was enough time to see Edinburgh and do the tourist things. The castle was remarkable.

Anywho, I'll bore you with more later.... :) Nap time...

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Grandma passed away this morning. My whole family's main reaction was relief that this didn't happen yesterday (both Grandma's 85th and my sister's birthday). I've only processed all of this a bit.

W: the funeral is on Friday morning, four hours north of here. We're going to need to go up tomorrow night. This will be before my brother can get back from Europe (and possibly before my cousin can get back from her trip too). But it's the best we can do, balancing all the circumstances.

AW: Friday is a surprisingly easy day from Mr. Q to take off, and he won't need to call in a substitute. And the good thing about the fact that we went up there so recently is that the logistics of driving E that far north is not too daunting.

W: my old shoulder injury is acting up. The chiropractor has only been able to get the nearby rib partway back into place, and I'm in pain. Ice packs and painkillers will get me through this weekend.

kathy a. said...

((( QWP )))) Many thoughts and much love for you and your family. I'm sure this will not be the only time she is remembered. xoxoxo

The trip will work out; it is good you just did that, and can anticipate things.

Sue said...

(((QWP))) Sending love, prayer, and hugs your way.

esperanza said...

Oh, QWP, much love.

Miranda said...

Hugs QWP.

Anonymous said...

(((QWP)))
-Neighbor Lady

Anonymous said...

Swamped.
Just moved houses over our spring break. Not done at old house yet. But fully sleeping and operating in new house.
LOVE new house. But.....ants. I hate ants.

Also, midterm is Friday (omg tomorrow) and I will not have all the grading done that needs to be.

Also, slipped in sock feet on wood stairs, and fell down stairs. Thankfully landed on a part that has, ahem, a bit of padding. (maybe more than a bit). But, ouchie.

Hugs to all the pixies.

--Neighbor lady

esperanza said...

Padding still has feeling, NL! Ouch!

Sorry about the ants--what a pain. And the two-house stress and the grading stress especially.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Falling down the stairs and ants! Oh my! I'm glad that you're in your new place, NL.

W: I woke up this morning feeling like I was hit by a truck. There is so much to do today, so that we can be on the road by supper time, and all I want to do is go back to bed.

Liz Miller said...

((((QWP))))

Liz Miller said...

(((NL))) I'm glad you love your house! I'm sorry you slipped on the stairs. May I suggest rubber mat thingies for the stairs and ice for your fundament?

kathy a. said...

(( NL )) Ouchie! But glad you love the new house -- you'll feel more or less settled soon. Yuckeroo about all the grading....

QWP, our thoughts will be with you. Hopefully things will sort themselves more easily, since you just recently made this trip. xoxo

Miranda said...

Baby is here after a very long labor. Everyone is on the mend. I should be able to sleep tonight. All night long.

Oh bliss.

The pets, which also includes the new parents' puppy, want so much attention.

Sigh.

kathy a. said...

May you have a blessed nightful of sleep, Miranda.

KLee said...

Sorry that I've been missing in action. Those of you who follow me on the book of faces know some of what's been going on, but for those of you who aren't aware, my mother has been ill.

Got the call today, and it's brain cancer. Astrocytoma. It is a "cousin" of glioblastoma, which killed her sister in 2010. She had a small stroke on April 7th, and they thought that she had a clot in the brain, but on April 23rd, they went in to biopsy the area, and discovered that it was a tumor.

We got the pathology results today, and it wasn't good. We were hoping for benign, but no such luck. She has appointments with her oncologist and radiation oncologist and on Monday with her neurosurgeon. After that, we should know more about treatment and what to expect.

I am beyond devastated. I am trying so hard to stay positive for her, but it is so hard. My Aunt Becky only lasted a year, and I am praying that is not what happens to Mom.

I don't know if I can stay strong.

Liz Miller said...

Sending love and strength to you (((KLee)))

kathy a. said...

((( KLee ))) I'm so sorry. xoxox

This is a place where the only thing you can do is love your mom, and breathe, and one step at a time. There will be more information next week; and we cannot make next week come faster. So if you can find a way to make those days count in a positive way, go do that.

Not trying to sugar-coat it, but what happened with your aunt does not mean it will be the same with your mom. Every person's disease is different.

Sending so much love. xoxoxo

kathy a. said...

Also, you do not have to be "strong" all the time. You get to fall apart -- just not on your mom. And she may not be feeling all brightness and roses herself; so it could be a great comfort if you let her know you are always there to listen.

xoxo

esperanza said...

((KLee)) You can fall apart all over us, whenever you need to. Prayers for healing and comfort and peace and strength and whatever else you need.

Sue said...

(((KLee))) Sending love and prayers and hugs to you and your family. xoxoxo

((Miranda))) Hope you got some sleep.



Miranda said...

(((Klee))))

The baby is here. She's beautiful and her birth was a rough one. I'm so sleepy but I'm going to a party hosted by who a mutual friend refers to as "the elderly lesbians". They are my age!! What the heck??

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh, KLee. I'm so sorry. (((Hugs))) and I'm praying for you and for your mom.

I'm hovered in the one spot of reliable-ish internet to check in. I'm up in Middle Earth Canada, and we had Grandma's funeral today. It was a bit of a comedy of errors, but it's all over, and there was a lot of good. E had very little sleep last night, and has a few poo-splosions today, including one at the beginning of the funeral, which meant that Mr. Q spent much of the funeral washing his suit jacket and her dress. (She's not sick, but yesterday we didn't really pay attention to what she ate, and apparently she ate two mangos, and then fast food for lunch and supper, and very little else. At least I'm now functional enough that I'm paying attention to what she eats.)

kathy a. said...

Miranda, "elderly"????? ha.

QWP, well, tis over. xoxoxo

My SIL fell again tonight, is at the ER -- she doesn't seem to have hit the broken shoulder again, but hit her head and lots of blood. Walking and alert after, but they need to check it out.

esperanza said...

Oh, QWP, as kathy said, it's over, and I'm glad there was some good. Remind me, and sometime I'll tell you the poop story from Mini's baptism, if I didn't whine about it at the time.

Hoping SiL is none the worse for wear, kathy a. Do they have a handle on why she's falling so often?

kathy a. said...

Sounds like they stitched up the back of SIL's head and sent her home. She was reportedly VERY anxious after, but is sleeping now.

The disease makes SIL more unbalanced and awkward in her motor functions; she will eventually become unable to walk. And some of the medication makes that even worse -- the big medication that keeps her from hitting people and really acting out.

There is no way to prevent the falls, but they're trying to figure out how to reduce the medication. (Which is why they'll be trying medical mj.)

Anonymous said...

(((KLee)))
(((Kathy a)))
-NL

kathy a. said...

In lieu of prizes, hugs and love to everyone, and here, taste some persian ice cream (with rosewater and saffron)! Cluesticks to the deserving.

xoxo

Liz Miller said...

A good friend of mine has the fireplacing cancer. They hope they caught it early. Mastectomy within 6 weeks. I'm having dinner with her and her daughter tomorrow night. We met when our kids were in the toddler room together at daycare, and have had fantasies about them getting married so we can be related. She's a single mom.

I'm taking her bra shopping after. Cooking for her and binge watching silly shows with her during. And/or taking herdaughter on adventure when my friend needs time.

kathy a. said...

((( Liz ))) You are a good friend, indeed. So sorry about your friend's fireplacing cancer. xoxo

Miranda said...

AW: I spent two whole days doing things solely for me. I feel like a new woman. I am so much happier this morning and I feel better equipped to take care of the various time sucks and albatrossi in my life.

W: Teen Daughter is offended I'm not giving her prom problems more attention. She needs shoes! And a new bra! And her nails done! And she has no money! And why won't I just take her to the mall!

AW: Prom is Friday. It will be over soon.

Sue said...

Sorry to hear about your friend's cancer diagnosis Liz. You are indeed a good friend.

kathy a. said...

I am grateful that neither kid did the prom. Also, I really do not understand all the "must buy" of prom. So, sincere sympathies.

The days of doing only for oneself sound very good, Miranda!

Liz Miller said...

Had dinner with my friend, and laughed a lot.

kathy a. said...

Oh, yay, Liz. xoxo