Strep Throat

This is going to be a quick post today, I am taking Helen to the dentist and need to leave in twenty minutes. I am recovering from strep throat, it started last Friday and got progressively worse over the week-end. I ended up at the emergency room on Sunday night with the help of Sherry and my oldest brother Rick. I couldn't take it anymore, I kept getting fevers and breaking them, I was hot and then extremely cold, my whole body ached, and my throat kept getting worse and worse with each swallow. I knew if I waited the next day to go to the doctor I would have to do it by myself, that wasn't going to happen. I didn't think I had the strength to walk to the car to go to the hospital, let alone drive myself to the doctor. There I was, in all my glory at the ER...pajamas, stinky, hair tangled and matted down in the back, and sweaty from the start of yet another fever break. I didn't care, that's how sick I was. When I looked up from the chair I was sitting in at registration, there was a parent from the kid's school. I thought, gosh, maybe I should have at least brushed my hair, or put clothes on. That thought was then replaced with, you know what...I don't care, I'm sick! I'm feeling better from the strep throat, but now I'm fighting off a cold, when it rains, it pours. The good thing is, I don't have mono, which they tested for in the hospital. My goal is to get my house back in order by Monday, you wouldn't believe the mess! I'm still taking it easy, otherwise the goal would have been by the end of the day. Well, I'm off. I hope everyone is staying well, it's not fun being sick!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue

PS- a special thanks to Rick and Sherry for all their help, love you guys!




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Inauguration 2009

Inauguration day, what a day! I was so moved by the amount of people that showed up in Washington D.C., it brought a tear to my eye. I was glad to see I wasn't the only one who shed some tears that day (on the TV coverage I saw many tears), I thought something was wrong with me. I have watched inaugurations in the past and have never felt so emotional about them. I know this inauguration was different, it was historical, I just never thought I would have reacted in that way. That night as I was getting ready for bed and was listening to the highlights of the day, I realized why I had been so emotional...Peter. He loved politics! He would have loved the race to the White House, and even though he was a Republican, he would have appreciated the outcome. If he had been alive, our family would have been in Washington D.C. watching the inauguration in person. Not only did he love politics, he loved history. Having his children take part in it would have made him so proud. I am hoping and praying President Obama will always put the American people first, and get us back on track.

Robbie made his First Reconciliation (first confession) yesterday, it was a nice ceremony. He will be making his First Communion in May, he is very excited. When he goes to communion now he is supposed to cross his arms across his chest, this lets the priest know he cannot receive communion. He is so tired of doing it, half the time his arms are across his stomach. I think it makes them feel like part of the church when they are able to receive the host like everyone else.

Next week is Catholic school's week so the kids have a busy week. I am helping out at the school on Monday, they are having a carnival, and also my regular Wednesday. We are going to be grilling out hamburgers, I hope we have nice weather. We have warmed up a bit, it has been in the twenties with a chance of hitting the thirties today and tomorrow. Early Saturday morning a cold front will be moving through, hopefully it will be gone by hot lunch day. If not, we will have some pretty cold lunch moms flipping burgers outside. The things we do for our kids!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue





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Bitter Cold

The kids are home from school today because of the temperature. It is -9 outside today, with a wind chill factor of -29. We are on a wind chill advisory until Friday at noon, which makes me think they may not have school tomorrow either. It is my turn on the computer, Helen is by my side insisting on playing Dora. They are looking for things to do since going outside to play in the snow is out of the question. I am still playing catch up with housework, as soon as I get one room clean and move onto the next, the room I had just cleaned is messy again. I'm sure you all can relate to that, I know it's not just my house that happens in!

I received a letter from Helen's bus driver the other day reminding the parents of the rules of pick up. They are to stop, apply the parking brake, and open the doors. If your child is not outside the doors when they are open, the bus driver has the right to close the doors and drive off. There is no way Helen would be outside those doors when they are opened, she won't leave the house until she sees the bus outside. I keep an eye out for the bus, as soon as I see it, I open the door and tell Helen the bus is here. She is usually out the door in less than a minute after the bus pulls up, unless it's an episode of Sponge Bob she really likes, then we have to turn off the TV and help her along to the door. I called her driver to discuss this with her and to remind her of how stubborn Helen can be. She reassured me that Helen is not the problem, she needed to hand those out to all the parents so as not to single any one out. She told me she had received many calls, and some were not very pleasant. I told her not to let them get her down that I thought she was an awesome bus driver. I think she is the best driver we have ever had, this is our second year with her. She is always on time, even when dropping her off. Last year there was one week where the service was awful. The bus never showed up, or it was very late, I had to take Helen to school myself, which made her late. The bus dropping her off was late which made us late picking up the other kids from school. When I called the bus company about it, I was told that one of their most dependable people had fallen and broken her leg, my heart sank. That would just be my luck to have it be ours. During that week Helen lost a good pair of gloves, she left them on one of the buses, and since it wasn't her regular bus, they disappeared. It was a nightmarish week!! When Monday rolled around I was very happy to see our driver back, I went and told her of our terrible week. She had taken vacation time, she wasn't the one who had fallen, thank goodness. I told her she couldn't take vacation time anymore, the next time they may loose Helen! She just laughed, but I think it made her feel good. So when I told her the other night how awesome she was, I really did mean it.

jmckayc- I have been in touch with my friend, Helen's old therapist, she remembers who had given me the information and is going to email her for it. I will pass along the information as soon as I hear anything.

I should get back to chaos, and also let Helen have her turn at playing Dora.
Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue









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A New Year

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a nice holiday season. I apologize for taking such a long break from blogging, I have been getting my energy back from the kid's Christmas break. My kids were sick during the whole break, I always had at least two sick at all times. Some of them had the stomach flu, which always seemed to rear it's dirty little head around 2:30 in the morning! After I got one cleaned up, along with their bed, I would get back to bed and the next one would be up getting sick. When that one would be all cleaned up and back in bed, round two began. I didn't get much sleep, and I'm not even going to mention the laundry that went with all of that! Along with the stomach flu came the other intestinal sickness(I don't want to sound gross), and so it began again. I went around the house wiping every surface I thought the kids had touched, not once, not twice, but three times! I said a prayer, hoping I got rid of those germs. On New Year's Eve Ted complained that his throat was scratchy, it got worse as the day went on. He ended up having strep throat, along with Katie. The wiping commenced! The bright side...Helen never got sick during break!

Did all of you make your New Year's resolutions? I don't do resolutions, I feel too much pressure from making them. I get very frustrated with myself when I break them, which, I always do. I have learned to set goals for the year, that seems to work better for me. The goals I didn't reach at the end of the year rollover into the next. Since Peter passed away I haven't set goals for myself, so this is definitely a fresh start for me. I feel like I have entered the world of the living once again, I have been in a fog since May of 2006 when it all began.

I have Helen's IEP coming up at the end of the month, I hope it goes well. She hasn't "picked" on anyone in awhile and comes home with all smiley faces. She is always happy to share with us her total number of smiley faces and the fact she was able to get a "pick"(meaning, she was able to pick from the candy jar before leaving school). On those days, at home, she gets her choice of snack which is always, pretzels and marshmallows. If she gets one frown on her chart she doesn't get candy at school or her choice of snack. It seems to be working, so we're sticking with it.

Good luck to everyone this year, whether it's with resolutions or goals. I wish all of you a happy and healthy New Year.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue