Lauren Plays Sonatina in G Major

This morning I braved the crowds at Target to get in on some doorbuster sales. I picked up a video recorder so that I can post more videos. I have wanted to get a video of Lauren playing the piano for the longest time. She has been working on this song for almost a month and she has about 80% of it memorized. The piano is quite loud, so the sound isn't the best....the mic on the video recorder is very sensitive.

Enjoy!

A Quick Update

I had the CT yesterday. Lauren went with me to keep me company. She really is great company these days. I was grateful not to have to wait by myself. I had to drink some really nasty stuff and wait an hour and a half. They took me back for the CT and had to start an IV to inject the contrast stuff. The first IV went in ok. Then when it came time for the contrast solution to go in the tubing blew out....it squirted contrast all over me and the CT machine....not my lucky day at all. Then I had the pleasure of having a second IV put in. Fun stuff I tell you.

Anyway, the doctor called this afternoon with the results. The CT showed that the abscess is almost resolved, so he ordered up some oral antibiotics. I don't know how many weeks of that I'm in for....2 or 3 maybe?

I'm feeling good though and grateful to be able to take a shower without wrapping my arm in plastic....oh and jogging....happy to run again for sure!

I hope everyone has a spectacular Thanksgiving. I know I will....I have lots to be thankful for.

Off the leash

Yesterday I had another appointment with the doctor. Rather conveniently I had started to have a reaction to the drug I was on a few doses before I went in. The doc decided to go ahead and stop the medication and remove the PICC line. The PICC removal didn't hurt a bit and it was over in a split second....not what I expected to happen when someone removes a tube that goes all the way up your arm and into your heart.

So with that over I am scheduled to have another CT scan done on Thursday morning. Hopefully it is clear. If it is clear then I get to go on with my life with a few occasional follow up appointments. If it is not clear they will be draining it again(my worst nightmare) and putting in another PICC and starting from square one. I still have a little soreness, so I'm concerned that it won't be clear....the doc thinks it will though, so I'm with him.

In the meantime I and going to go out and jog since I am free from the PICC. My running shoes miss me.

Trying On Some New Traditions

The Christmas season is right around the corner. The kids have been begging me for 2 weeks to put the tree up already. They are excited to say the least....even me. I am feeling great and I feel really motivated to have some special times together and make some memories.

So here's a list of things we are hoping for this year:

1. First and foremost we have decided this year to make a huge effort to cut back on all of the excess. I will fully admit that we have had some disgustingly elaborate Christmases. I am very prone to going overboard on the presents. I just love to have the kids walk into a living room filled with presents....to me it is magical. The problem is that the kids are getting older, and they really just don't appreciate it like they should. They don't take care of the toys like I feel they should either. So this year I decided we are cutting WAY back. Several months ago I read that if 3 presents were good enough for Jesus then 3 is good enough for my kid....so that's the plan this year! One from Santa, one from mom and dad, and then the kids always shop for each other so they will each draw a name. I'm hoping that the kids will appreciate what they get much more, and hopefully it will free up my mind to enjoy the holiday more without running everywhere to make everyone happy.

2. We as a family will be participating in our "Angel Tree" program at church where we shop for gifts for other less fortunate ward members. I did this last year and it was a lot of fun. I plan on involving the kids more this year. Lauren has already decided that she wants to use her own money to buy gifts for a girl from the angel tree. ...that makes me beyond proud!

3. Cookie baking! Every year we all enjoy spending the whole day baking and delivering cookies to the neighbors. They kids can't wait for that one...they really enjoy visiting with the neighbors.

4. Christmas Eve with my mom and sisters.....this is something we do every year. This year it will be even more special because all of my sisters will be there, and one of them will have her fiance in tow! It will be a very special evening.

5. New pajamas....always....on Christmas Eve.

6. Taking a drive to look at Christmas lights. We always spend 1 family night in December having a nice drive to look at Christmas lights.....complete with chocolate milk and cookies.

7. Glenn Beck's Coma Hot Chocolate....it involves hershey bars and half&half. The calorie police would lock me up if I posted the recipe. ...and yes, it will put you in a coma.

8. Decorating the tree the day after Thanksgiving....ALWAYS....it is just what we do.

PICC Dressing Change

Hayden took this video yesterday at the infusion office. I admit it is a bit "Blair Witch" style, but it was Hayden's first attempt at making a video. We gave her some pointers after she was done. She completely missed the part where the nurse changed the dressing on the picc. What you see in the video is the nurse taking blood from the line for lab work and changing the extension in the line. The part you miss is where she removes the dressing and wipes everything down with alcohol and puts on a fresh dressing.

It looks like I will have 2 more weeks of antibiotics. When I go in next week they will order a CT scan and then I stay on the antibiotics until we get the results.

The great news is that I feel SOOOO good. I feel like a human again. I have so much energy. I don't even need as much sleep as I was getting before all of this stuff happened. The difference is amazing.

School teacher browbeats student over being a McCain support

I found this piece completely disgusting. I can't believe that teachers like this are allowed to teach. I'll chalk this up as reason number 421 to continue to homeschool my kids. Even as a mother who homeschools I do my best not to brainwash my kids. I allow them their own point of view and discuss controversial things from both view points. I would be doing my children a disservice to do things any other way.

I would be just as disgusted if this teacher was degrading a student who supported Obama. Watch the video at the link....I hope you are equally appalled no matter which side of the fence you sit on.

http://www.belch.com/blog/2008/11/06/reason-142-to-homeschool-obama-teachers-wont-bully-kids-who-support-mccain/

The Cutest Pony Evah!

Here's a picture of the kids in their Halloween costumes this year. The boys were both vampires. Lauren was a farmer. Hayden was a cowgirl riding a horse, and Reagan was the cutest little pony ever.
Here's Reagan in her pony costume. She quickly got the hang of trick-or-treating and learned how to hold her bag open. She LOVES candy. The rest of the kids had too much fun feeding her yummy treats the rest of the night. Thirty minutes after bed time she promptly threw up all over herself and me too. Fun stuff! She feels fine now....but still love that candy.