Stuff

So, Katherine did have an ear infection. I knew she would. She is taking that yummy pink medicine I remember as a kid(amoxycillin) and is doing just fine.

Julia is sick. She was up all night long and has a fever of 100.5. She has been out of sorts for the past week or so(snce she was vaccinated) so I am going to call the doctor when they open today and see what they think. I am not terribly concerned but because of her weight gain issues, and a few other things that have come to light(nothing major) I definitely think a phone call is warranted.

I spent the better part of yesterday organizing my desk and assembling a shelving unit that I am using to store all of my arts and crafts. It came together well...even if it did take me all morning to do. Heh.

I have decided that this year's Halloween party will have an 80's theme...80's clothing, 80's music, 80's everything. It should be fun.
My parents are going to take all three children for the night. That will be Julia's 1st official sleepover! How cute!

Multi tasking

Today I somehow managed to feed the baby a bottle, take Katherine's temperature, and tie Emily's shoe...all at the same time.

Talk about doing three things at once. Sheesh.

Katherine woke up today complaining that her right ear hurt. No big surprise here. I just said to Ryun the other day, "Pretty soon Katherine will start getting ear infections again."

No I didn't jinx it, she gets at least 3 or 4 infections every year around this time. I have an appointment to bring her to the doctor at 1:30 this afternoon. Normally, I don't take my children to the doctor the very first time they complain about something(unless it seems to be really serious) but every time Katherine has complained about an earache, it has always turned out to be an infection. So, I am not waiting.

Emily Update

Emily had an appointment at Children's on Wednesday. The appointment went well, and the doctor seems to think she is doing well so that is good.

I am soooooo happy to report that she will no longer be taking Depakote due to the mood swing/personality issues it was causing. Her Lamictal will be gradually increased over the next month or so and we will be going back up for another appointment in the middle of November.

The doctor's over at the brain malformations clinic that she will be taking part in are reviewing her MRI and will be calling soon to schedule an appointment to meet with her.

It is still beyond my comprehension how someone so "normal", someone who is for all intents and purposes wise beyond her years, someone who has no problems other than seizures has a "brain malformation". It all seems so surreal sometimes, like a dream(or more accurately, a nightmare).

I think Emily gets nervous about going sometimes. She gets so hyper and just can't sit still in the car and at the hospital. I think that it is her way of expressing her nervousness which is fine.

I forget sometimes that she is only 7. Hospital trips, medicine daily, and everything that goes along with this medical concern...it overwhelms me at times so I can only imagine the effect it might have on her. If mild hyperactivity is her way of "letting it out" than I can handle that!

Coffee Time

I think I may be turning into a regular coffee drinker. By regular, I mean everyday, not the way it's made. I like it extra light and extra sweet which is of course the most fattening way to drink it.

I never used to drink coffee on a regular basis until...well until Julia came along. She is not a lot of work in and of herself, I guess it's the combination of having three children that neccesitates the need for coffee.

It's not really a big deal I guess. Actually, I am kind of suprised that I didn't start earlier. I haven't gotten to the "OMG if I don't have my morning coffee I might die" point. However, since caffeine is a drug, if I keep drinking it as frequently as I have, the addiction will form and the "OMG" stage will become a reality.

Ah well...there certainly are worse habits I could form.

Republican

I might be turning into a Republican. God Help Me.

Stranger and worse things have happened for sure but this, this is just weird.

I am registered as an independent voter. Honestly though, I have always voted democrat. Sad to say, sometimes I voted for the candidate just because he or she was a democrat, without giving any real thought to what they stood for or what changes they planned to make.

Maybe because I am older and wiser, maybe because I have a close friend currently stationed in Iraq, or maybe just because I have children whose future will be shaped by the upcoming elections and those that follow, this election has taken on more meaning and significance than any other.

Everyone has a few issues that feel are most important. For me they are education and Iraq.

To me, any cuts in educational spending are not only wrong, but should be considered a criminal act. Quite simply, the children are the future...their education and their future is what will shape ours. Cutting any educational programming, no matter how little or insignificant it may seem is wrong. It is wrong for so many reasons to list them here would take days.

As I mentioned above, a close friend of ours is stationed in Iraq. He is a husband and a father to two young children. Do I wish he was home? Does he wish he was home? Of course.

Although I agree with some that the need for war in Iraq may have been a little too exaggerated, I disagree with those who think we shouldn't have gone over at all. Iraq is(or maybe was) a known terrorist country who for all intents and purposes hated us. Just because no WMD's were found does not mean that they aren't there, nor does it make Saddam and his "cronies" any less dangerous to this country. John Kerry 's "if we get attacked we will retaliate" vision is just pathetic.

I for one never want to relive the horror that was 9/11. I really don't think that something of that caliber could happen again, really I don't. You know what though? I didn't think it could happen before 9/11 either...and as we all well know, it did. I say, and pardon the bluntness, let's kick their ass before they kick ours.

HELP!

I just told Emily and Katherine that unless they were dead or bleeding, I didn't want to hear about every time one of them hit, pinched, kicked etc. the other. I can already tell it is going to be one of those days.

They are supposed to be cleaning the playroom, which currently looks like a bomb hit it. They have been cleaning it since yesterday(or supposed to have been cleaning it anyway). I have taken away the computer(except if needed for school) the tv, and even Katherine's "night night"(her security blanket). I only feel slightly bad about all of that, but seriously, they need to clean.

I have even tried giving them specific tasks...ok pick up all of the crayons first...then clean up all of the dress up clothes etc. NOTHING IS WORKING.

What is it that kids can't comprehend? Take one toy out, put it away when you are done, take out another. IS it that difficult? If they had just done that, they wouldn't be stuck with the huge mess they have now.

Sometimes I don't even know why I bother. How important is it that they keep the playroom or their bedroom clean? I can't help it that clutter bothers me. Seriously, it makes me physically ill sometimes. I have clothing of theirs sitting in laundry baskets right now because the thought of going up to their room to put it away scares me.

Am I being to hard on them to expect that they keep it neat? If not, how can I get them to actually do that(keep it neat)?

Random

Here are a few random things I wanted to share, in list form because I am lazy.

1. As of about 3:00 this afternoon, Ryun and I will no longer be able to pro-create. There is a certain bit of sadness attached to that but, he's done having children, so I guess I have to be too.

2. Last week, I had something removed from my back that could be a form of skin cancer. A completely treatable form( just taking it off cures it) but scary nonetheless. I will find out the results today.

3. My birthday is in 2 weeks and I am freaking out a little about turning 29. God help me when I turn 30.

So yeah, that 's it.

The Passion

I recently purchased Mel Gibson's Passion. I purchase without ever having seen it, which is not something I usually do. In this case (and I was right) I just knew I was going to like it.

I have often questioned whether or not all of that is true.

It was heart wrenching to watch. I cried rivers of tears...tears of shame forever doubting that it really happened, tears of sadness, and tears of gratefulness for his sacrifice.

There is something about the movie that touched me in such a way that I cant even begin to put it in to words. I am so glad I have finally seen it. No one really knows if it is the only thing we have is stories passed on through generations upon generations of people who eventually recorded the Bible. One has to wonder how many times various stories may have changed or been exaggerated in some way.

That being said, if it is true, I was moved beyond words. Just thinking that someone would go through such horrific torture and humiliation, let alone die for me (us) is so unbelievable.

Tower of Terror

My father, being an elevator constructor always says that the reason he won't go on the Tower Of Terror ride in Disney is because "elevators aren't supposed to do that."

He's right.

Unfortunately, sometimes(even twice in one week) they do.

Yesterday, the elevator platform(picture and elevator with no walls or ceiling) shot from the top floor to the bottom with Ryun on top of it.

An incorrect part was shipped and installed. Apparently it looked exactly like the correct part, so when Ryun's helper installed it, he had no idea that it would not handle the weight and pressure of the elevator.

The oil line snapped and the elevator free fell 20 feet.

Ryun sustained a sprained wrist and knee...and is lucky to be alive.

He could have lost his balance and fell off of the platform into the pit below.

He could have whacked his head on the wall of the shaft on the way down.

He could have been underneath the elevator as was the case with the two workers recently injured when the oil line snapped in the nursing home elevator they were working on.

I forget how dangerous Ryun's job can be.

And dammit, I don't like to be reminded.

First Day of 2nd Grade

Emily started her first day of second grade today. Not only do I feel old, she seems old, or I guess I should say older. Sometimes, I just can't believe that she is seven.

For any readers without kids, if you think time goes by entirely too fast right now, trust me, you have no idea.

In the blink of an eye...

My gold membership is about to expire here, so I think I am going to close this site. Don't fret, I will be opening a new one before this ones goes bye-bye. It will be a family type site though, that I am hoping will also allow for a blog type diary. I am investigating my options right now and gearing up for some fun with html. Ughh...

I have already designed the site for my new business. It's pretty basic right now though, and I will be fooling around with that before I officially launch it. Virtually the only things left for me to do are register my company name with the town hall, apply for a sales tax id, and create my "sample" album. The most difficult of those three tasks will no doubt be the album. Well, maybe difficualt isn't the right word...perhaps time consuming. Because this is the album I will show customers who request to see some of my work, I want to make sure it is perfect. Perfection takes time! ;)

In the meantime, I will be changing the layout of this site as I always do around this time of year. Stay tuned...

Annoying

                                                                                    Computers make me angry.

Here's why.

Last night, I went food shopping. After getting nearly $200 worth of groceries, I went to check out. At the end of the order, the computer froze completely, before printing out my receipt. The checkout girl( Amanda I believe her name was) said that her register had been slow all day and that it had been taking a while for the receipts to "catch up." It never did. I had been waiting for probably 10 minutes or so before they finally decided to reboot and see if it would print then. It didn't. The manager in charge took my name and I voluntarily gave her my phone number. I have never had a problem with an order before, but Murphy's Law says that this would have been the one time I did and of course would not have had a receipt.

I was about 3/4 of the way home and my cell phone rang. It was her. Apparently, my order had not gone through at all and they had absolutely no record of it. The only way for them to right this and for me to not get over $200 in free groceries was for me to come all the way back, unload my car and bring the groceries back in to be re-rung. I was not happy. I live 20 minutes from the store and was about 5 minutes from home. Apparently there was no other way though, so I went.

When I got there, they had someone meet me outside to unload my car, gave me a $10.00 gift certificate and a bouquet of flowers. I was impressed with the good customer service and even said jokingly, "I hope this happens again."

Early this morning, I went online to check the bank balance and you'll never guess what I saw...two withdrawals from Stop and Shop. The damn order had gone through twice.

I called the store and of course, just because this is my life, they only have it on there register records as going through once.

I brought the front end manager a copy of my bank statement showing the withdrawals. He filled out a form and has to send it to the regional office to be researched. It could take up to 3 weeks for me to get the money back.

Needless to say, I am beyond angry.

I will be going to my bank to dispute the charge and hopefully, have it credited immediately.

And, for the record I am boycotting Stop and Shop.

Six Weeks

Today was my 6 week checkup with Amy(my midwife). Everything is fine which is good to know. For some odd reason(I guess I was subconsciously concerned) I had a dream the other night that "something"(I have no idea what) was so wrong that I was going to need surgery. Weird.

I brought Julia with me to the appointment so that Amy could see her. Obviously, she thought she was adorable! My mother took Emily and Katherine(who was sad that she wasn't going to be able to help measure me even though I must have explained a thousand times that since the baby was out, I wasn't going to be measured).

I went out last night and finished back to school shopping. I saved a lot of money at the Children's Place( I had a 15% off entire purchase coupon).

I also purchased the soundtrack to VH1's documentary series, "I Love The 80's." The series has been fabulous to watch. Some of the long forgotten fads, music, television and personal memories come rushing back every time I catch it. I am hoping that they come out with a DVD collection as well. This will most definitely be added to the Ellis family video collection.

School

 Emily,  starts school again in six days. THANK GOD. Ugh. I love having her home with me during the summer, honestly I do but like most parents, by summer's end, I am ready for a break. She is excited as well, so I don't feel too bad about wanting her to go back.

Part of the problem lately has been her medication. It has had some serious effects on her mood and behavior and has made dealing with her more difficult than usual. Sometimes, we see a glimmer of the "old" Emily but more often than not, it seems as though she is a different person altogether.

She(or I guess I should say we) have been through quite a lot over the past couple of months. Between her seizures and our many trips too and from the hospital, her medication, her new sister and just everyday life, it has been a stressful couple of months.

I just thank God daily that she doesn't remember the actual experience of the seizures as they happened.

It is so strange to me how quickly life can change. People always say, "in the blink of an eye". I could never quite relate until now.

Her life is just (and probably always will be) different. It is something that will be with her on a daily basis. Everywhere she goes, everyone she is with will have to be told about her condition.

We have already gotten her a medical alert bracelet so that on the rare occasions she is out without one of her parents in tow, should something happen, medical personal will be aware and know what to do.

I don't think about this everyday. Really I don't. Sometimes though, just sometimes, it sneaks up on me when I least expect it...and it just overwhelms me.

Anti-War Shit

I am sick of hearing people talk about how we shouldn't be in Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever. Iraqi and Afghanistan governments have a history of violence and terror toward their own people, as well as anyone that in general does not follow their way of life.

I don't think violence to prevent violence is necessarily the right way to stop the terror, but I think that if anyone had a better idea, we would be doing that instead. Does anyone honestly believe that the President would risk the lives of thousands of American soldiers if there was another way?

Talking an threatening only goes so far...and it didn't work this time so what else do we do? Sit back and assume that if Sadaam says he doesn't have any WMD, he must not? Please. The guys a tyrant, and probably like a lot of political figures a good liar.

And really, who could forget 9/11? Anyone? It's hard to imagine that every American's gut reaction to that horror wouldn't be to capture and kill Osama, by whatever means necessary. Slow painful torture seems more appropriate actually, but that's just my opinion.

And yes, I am all about freedom of speech etc. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. That doesn't mean I have to understand why anyone could possibly disagree with kicking some Iraqi/Afghan ass(the guilty ones anyway). They have taken the innocent lives, of mothers, fathers, daughters, sons.

At least when a man or woman joins the armed forces, they know the risks they are assuming. They are aware that they could die protecting this country. It doesn't make it any less sad when it does happen, but they knew that it could happen. Who would ever think that going to work in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon or wherever could be the last day you ever show up? Not many I am sure. Of course, just waking up every morning holds a small risk in itself. Anything could happen, but if you live your life in fear of death, you may as well be dead already.

Stop the anti-war shit. America needs to protect the freedoms on which this very country was founded. There may be no way known to man to bring back those who have gone, but the very least we can do is our damndest to prevent it from happening again.