Before:
After:
(in no particular order)
1) There are some very not nice people in the carpet cleaning business.
2) Carrying a bag full of library books will wear me out for a good 2 hours.
3) God gives us opportunities to share about Jesus when we least expect it.
4) Cleaning a 15 year old refrigerator really makes you appreciate your brand new one.
5) You can get a muscle cramp in your neck.
6) Muscle cramps can last for more than 20 minutes.
7) To a young child faced with certain punishment, lying can be seen as not only a viable option, but the smartest course of action possible.
8) To the parent of a young child faced with certain punishment, it is the ultimate in absurdity to attempt to lie in the face of multiple witnesses and factual evidence.
9) In some people's minds, a 1450 sq. ft. house can have approximately 1700-2000 sq. ft. of carpeting in it. (see #1)
10) Mosquitoes bred on a soccer field/retention area/post-monsoon swampland make coordinated attacks in swarms.
11) Mosquitoes were actually created after the Fall as a part of the curse (although I have no Biblical basis for that whatsoever.)
12) Mosquitoes have two purposes: to test our reflexes and to develop our hand-eye coordination. Make that three: to give me exercise as I run with all of my might back to the safety of my van while swatting at my arms and legs like a crazy woman.
13) I can still type and fold laundry in a hazy fog of fatigue.
14) Mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes really good late at night.
Funny story for the day courtesy of Katya. This will give you an idea of why she is struggling in school and we are running her here and there having testing done.
We were driving to her Speech Pathologists' office for testing today when out of the blue she says, "Have you ever been to Ohio?"
Hmmm. Odd question, but I'll bite. "Yes, I've mostly just driven through Ohio but I think we stayed the night once." Silence on her end.
"Um, Kat, what made you ask that? It was sort of a random thought."
"Well, the library teacher dressed up like she was from Ohio and read us a story about Ohio. And we listened to music from Ohio. In the story there was an animal that ate rats."
At this point all I can think is WHAT? How exactly does someone dress like they are from Ohio? What kind of music is from Ohio? Animals that eat rats in Ohio??? So, with only that information my mind is whirring trying to latch onto something, anything that might make sense.
So, being absolutely stumped as to what an Ohioan (Ohioite? Ohioette?) wears that would be different from anyone around them (a gingham dress? overalls?) I finally asked, "What did the dress look like that she was wearing?"
"A hula skirt."
"Ohhhhh! Do you mean Hawaii?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess."
Never having been to Ohio or Hawaii the humor of her mix-up didn't strike her like it did me. They're both just states with h's and a bunch of vowel sounds to her. I can honestly say I've never in my life confused someone from Ohio with a Hawaiian. I still need to get to the bottom of the rat eating Hawaiian animal though. The upside of all of this is that when she pines away because everyone else except her has gone to "Ohio" for a vacation it will be easy--and cheap!--to take her there! She'll be disappointed not to see any hula dancers and rat eating animals, but she'll be able to say she was in Ohio if someone asks!
I had a leukemia day today. That's what I call it when I am feeling the effects of my medicine. (I should probably call it a Gleevec day since it is caused by my medicine, but Gleevec sounds like a name for a robot or a vacuum or something and people would be like "What? You feel like a robot today? And that would be really confusing for everyone so I went with "leukemia day". And really, since it's my disease I can call it whatever I want--it's in the leukemia handbook.) Anyhoo, most days I skip through life blissfully unaware that I have anything wrong with my body, but every once in a while I hit a brick wall--usually named fatigue--and I am woefully aware that "something is not right" as Miss Clavell would say (Madeline's nun/teacher for those of you who haven't read a children's book in a while). All that to say I took a nap for 2 1/2 hours today. Can it really be called a nap when you sleep for that long?
Thankfully Sam stayed home so I could take that nap because our new refrigerator was finally being delivered today and I knew I would sleep through the doorbell or phone because I was in such a coma. So we have a shiny new refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom. The unanticipated downside of that was the limited reach the smaller members of our family have to the top shelves of the fridge--and the middle ones for that matter. The good news for them is it'll be easier to reach the frozen waffles and ice cream. Oh, there was a small ding in the side of the fridge so they docked $75 bucks off the price which made Mr. M very happy. And the delivery guys were nice enough to take our old fridge back to our former residence making Mr. M very happy once again.
Then this afternoon I had an appointment with a doctor at the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. My doctor wanted someone else's input on the dosage of my medicine. For those of you who have never been there, the Mayo Clinic looks more like a hotel than a hospital when you walk in. The guy playing the grand piano in the corner helps add to that feeling. If I need any kind of transplants or a splinter removed or anything I am really hoping my insurance will let me go there. It was very nice.
The guy that did my registration paperwork was very cool--and was a major throwback to the 70's complete with afro, blue tinted glasses and beaded necklace. Sam said to him, "You're not from around here, are you?" "You're right, my man" was his response. He's from Chicago and it turns out the hospital gig is just his day job. He's lead singer in a band called Calumet. "Arizona's All Original Funk N Roll Band--Rock-Soul-Funkateers." Seriously--I'm not making any of this up. He gave us his card. They are playing an all night "Funk-a-thon" Saturday night in Scottsdale. He invited us but I haven't gone to something that started at 10:00 since I was in college. And I'm certain we would be the oldest and non-funkiest people in the room.
The doctor that we met with was very nice but clearly not a funkateer. What Dr. S. lacked in funk he made up for in brains though. He clearly knows his stuff. He recommended going back to the higher dose of my medicine and said that the drop in counts that I experienced over the summer is a very normal reaction to the medicine and usually means the body is getting rid of all of the bad leukemia cells and takes a while to start making enough good cells to replace them. He also recommended several different blood tests that I need to do to track the effectiveness of the medicine and to make sure it is continuing to work. The general medical consensus is it's best to take at least 400 mg of Gleevec so hopefully my body will continue to tolerate it as I go back to that level.
So, we got our new refrigerator, some good medical info and met a real live Funkateer all in one day. It's not every day you can say that.
I know it seemed like I couldn't add anything else to my busy schedule at this point, but one of the things that is taking much of my time lately is shuttling Katya and Tommy for testing at different specialists. They are being tested for learning disabilities. Soon after they learned English we started noticing some difficulties they were having in communicating and forgetting things they were taught. We've had them tested at school but didn't come up with specific answers. We finally ended up at a center that specializes in learning disabilities and are starting to get some answers. Our next step is to go to a speech pathologist and have a full language evaluation because the doctor at the center feels they have a language disorder. They have difficulties with short term memory, rapid naming and decoding.
Now if some of that means nothing to you, take heart because it meant nothing to me just a short while ago! And I think I only have a very small handle on what it actually means. Once again I find myself in a whole new universe of terminology and explanations as we attempt to figure this all out. It is a great reminder of how ignorant I am in so many areas of life! The psychologist was explaining some of her findings to me and I felt like I was listening to Charlie Brown's teacher. Her lips were moving and very intelligent sounding words were coming out, but I all I could hear was "wah wah wah wah wah." I did what anyone would do--I smiled and nodded my head at what I felt were the appropriate times and hoped that the written report she's giving us will come with a glossary.
It gives the kids and I some common ground as well since I too have difficulty with my short term memory and rapid naming--or rapid anything at this point. I wonder if there is a therapy for me...
We decided, rather ignorantly, to go to IKEA for lunch after church today. We needed some things for the house and the kids love going there. Perfect Sunday afternoon right? Wrong. It seems that Sunday is the day that EVERYONE in the greater Phoenix area--and many from some outlying towns, possibly even as far away as Yuma and Flagstaff--decide to go to IKEA. The first sign of craziness was someone in the parking lot directing traffic. I almost expected to have to park on an offsite lot and take a shuttle to the store. I have never in my life seen so many people streaming into a store at an unbelievably constant rate. Based on today's attendance alone I can guarantee that IKEA will meet it's sales goals for the year.
Even though my husband seriously considered aborting the mission and heading back home, all the gas we used to get us there clearly swayed his decision and we stayed. We did succeed in having lunch and wandering through the store and picking up what we needed. We even ran into a Russian family and exchanged a few basic phrases. IKEA is great for intercultural exchanges. People in all countries apparently go to IKEA on Sunday.
Getting home was a bit tricky. You see, we decided to buy the boys' bunkbeds and put an end to their sleeping on the floor. The problem was that our van is full with all 7 of us--not leaving room for two large boxes, flat packed or not! But we loaded the boxes regardless of the space issue and squeezed the kids into a few nooks and crannies (I'm not kidding) and headed home. There were many giggles as the kids felt the freedom of being unrestrained by seat belts as we drove down the highway. It was like a time warp back to the 70's when laying down in the back of the station wagon was common place and no more to be feared than riding a bike without a helmet. The good news was that we made it home without incident and now the kids have new stories for our family lore..."remember the time we rode in the van without seat belts and Rachel and Katya were on the floor under the boxes?"
So, you can be sure that we won't be heading to IKEA on a weekend ever again, but you should ask the kids about the crazy ride home on top of and under the boxes. I think they consider themselves fugitives from the law now.
Change, to 2 certain members of our family, is the equivalent of the Evil Empire. They don't want it, like it, or embrace it in any way and their life goal is to eradicate it from the face of the planet. The bummer for them is that our family is in a constant state of change. And I don't just mean switching from margarine to real butter. Big change like jobs, adoption, illness, and moving. If you don't keep up with our family on a very regular basis you are going to be shocked to find us dealing with some huge new deal. It's actually fun to see the looks on people's faces when they run into us after not seeing us for a couple of months and we have to update them. You know, that classic deer in the headlights look. So anyway, at various times in our lives those two certain family members can be found rocking back and forth in a corner mumbling to themselves. This week was one of those times!
We moved into our new house last weekend (hence the lack of posts on this blog). Now, moving is a huge and chaotic change even if it is a good change--as in our case. We now have just a bit more space so we don't have to shoehorn everyone into their rooms. It's definitely a good thing for me! The other morning I was laying in bed and I knew the kids were in the kitchen but I couldn't hear them at all. If that isn't enough to drive you to your knees in thankfulness I don't know what is.
We also now have stairs, which is a new adventure for us. The kids have been wanting an "upstairs house" for years and their dream has come true. Little did I know that the first day they would decide to "cardboard surf" down those stairs. So, we had to have an impromptu review of the do's and don'ts of stairs. For me the stairs represent an exercise program. I'm hoping they are helping build my much needed stamina. Many times though I find myself breathing heavy once I reach the top like, say, I had just run a 50 yd. dash. So some days I just avoid them altogether and stay on one level for as long as possible!
I am the designated unpacker for our family. The kids and Sam have all offerred up flimsy excuses about something ridiculous like school or work or some such thing that they have to do each day. Whatever. And let's face it, unpacking is sort of like cleaning your room and what kid is ready to sign up for that? They've made pathetic attempts at unpacking their stuff, but I'm sure it was all a ploy to look helpless so that I would just say "Nevermind, I'll do it" so they can go off and enjoy their big new back yard. And let's face it, their stuff looks completely fine to them in a pile in the middle of the room. I'm the one who feels it necessary for things to be put away so it's only natural that I be the designated unpacker. But I have to say I've made quite good progress in the last week. There are less than 10 boxes in the house that are left to be unpacked! My goal is to get to the point where we have pictures on the wall. Sam doesn't know it yet, but that's one of his jobs this weekend. He'll be so excited.
Can you hear it? The sweetest sound any mother of 5 very chatty children can hear...silence. Absolute silence. Well, I can hear the refrigerator running so it's not completely silent--does it usually make a noise? I wouldn't know.
That delightful silence is because all 5 kids are safely tucked away in a classroom where we have entrusted them to someone to teach them their reading, writing and arithmetic. And I don't think I could appreciate those teachers any more this year than I do right now. Because for several hours today while my kids are spinning like tops and chatting away under their tutelage, I am going to think a complete thought. Maybe even two if I am feeling crazy. And it just doesn't get much better than that.
I met with Tommy's new teacher this morning. She seems like a delightful woman. She just moved here from Ohio but has taught previously. I'm hoping she doesn't hate us by the end of the year.
You see, the point of the meeting was to be kind of like a National Weather Service warning. He is coming. Be prepared. It will not be our fault if she doesn't heed the warning and prepare herself. We considered having her sign a waiver releasing us from liability but thought that might really scare her.
Fortunately I think she can handle Tommy. She spoke in a sweet voice and had a cheery smile on her face, but spoke very firmly about discipline and how she "handles things" in her class. I liked that about her. I hope she is one of those teachers that everyone knows you just don't cross--even if she is smiling. I hope that Tommy will learn self control under her tutelage. I hope she has a classroom bouncer named Guido that takes the kids out back and roughs them up when they get out of line. But I'm guessing the school district would frown up on that. :-)
All of this is because Tommy is coming into this classroom not as a belligerent, obnoxious or mean child, but rather as a seasoned entertainer. One who cannot get enough applause or enough good reviews. No audience is too small and no act too ridiculous to please them. Add that to the fact that self control is a very vague and uninteresting concept for him and he is very easily distracted. And of course there's the fact that he forgets a great deal of what he is told. But, on the up side he is very cute.
So, our prayer for Mrs. D is that she would see past the cuteness from Day One and give Tommy the heavily structured environment he needs. I want her to look directly into Tommy's eyes--down to his very soul--and cause a shiver to run up his spine as she clearly communicates that she's got his number and he needs to shape up and fly right or bear her wrath. (Maybe she should wear army fatigues when she first meets him.)
We'll know soon enough how she will hold up against the whirling dirvish of 2006 known as Tommy.
The benefits of leukemia are many. Most of you probably didn't know that. It's a little known secret to keep people from rushing out and attempting to get leukemia. We're an elite club and we like it that way.
One such benefit was revealed to us in San Diego. We went to Sea World two days of our trip. As soon as we arrived at the park Sam announced to me, "I'm getting you a wheelchair. There's no way you can walk around the whole day." It was true. They would have found me curled up on a park bench fast asleep had I attempted to walk and stand for that long. So, we got a wheelchair.
The benefit that we discovered was the special line for those who are wheelchair bound. No hour plus wait times here! We walked up, maybe waited 5-10 minutes and then boarded our own special roller coaster car. We were able to ride each ride many times each day. And we had special seating at many of the shows.
At one point when we were waiting for our car to arrive, the kids were looking over at the incredibly long line that all of those other poor people (who clearly lacked some sort of life threatening illness) had to wait in. One of them declared, "We are so lucky that Mommy is in that wheelchair so we can go in this line and not have to wait!" To which the other four heartily agreed.
And then they began making plans for Disneyland.
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