Sick kitty

Remember last week when Zipper puked all over Kate's bed? Well, she's been puking a lot, so we decided last night that she needed to be seen today. I take her to her usual vet, and he says to not even take her out of the cage because he's referring us to another vet in Greenville. He said he thinks she swallowed a foreign object and will benefit from an x-ray. I think he just looked at her chart, saw what a pain in the ass she was the last time she was there, and thought, "I'll let someone else see her." So after a friendly chat about my grandparents, we left. I got her in at the other vet at 2:00, and she was NOT a happy cat! They had to take the carrier apart to get her out, put a noose around her neck to keep her still, and covered her head to toe with towels to calm her. It really did work and she was able to examine her surprisingly easily! She thought she was going to have to sedate her, but she poked around on her belly and felt nothing abnormal, or anything that caused her pain, so she gave her a shot of something to stop the vomitting, and sent us on our way with an antibiotic, and antinausea med, and some hairball junk, with orders to bring her back Friday if we don't see an improvement. Hopefully this will work, other wise she has to be sedated for bloodwork and x-rays, which won't be cheap! And I don't think Christopher will do for that. She worried that she might have kidney disease being that she's 9, and I'm praying that this sin't the case. I know that the kids and I will be devastated if we have to put her down. I don't want to even think about that right now...

Busy weekend

Ahhhhhhhh. Breathing a sigh of relief that almost all of our Christmas shopping is DONE! Yes, and before Thanksgiving! I still have some odds and ends to picks up, and stuff for teachers, but everything else is finished. Now it's just all in a pile waiting for our tree to go up Friday so that I can wrap it. It feels so nice! We also bought a new camcorder since our old one was poop. Kate has several performances coming up, so we had to have something to capture them on, especially with a speaking role and a dance!

Sunday was Christmas decorating day at our house. Usually that waits until the day after T-day, but the kids and Christopher were in a big toot, so it all got put up, with the exception of the trees. We'll do that Friday when we go to the tree farm. Tomorrow we'll start stringing cranberries so that we'll have that done. The tree skirt is finished enough to be used. It's not even close to being finished (sequins, beading, more applique, and the trim), but all of the snowflakes have been sewn on, so the rest will have to wait or else it won't be done by Friday. And Christopher put up more Christmas lights, so we're all decked out, and can't wait until Thanksgiving so we can do the big reveal!

If you were wondering about Preston's ears, he seems to be doing OK. We got his antibiotics Sat. morning and he's been doing that and the drops and not complaining about any pain since. He goes to see Dr. Smith next week for a follow-up, and I'm praying that they're cleared up by then.

Now, for a blog break. I have so much to do, so little time to do it!

What a way to start the weekend

I pick Preston up from preschool this morning and he's holding his left ear, almost crying, "My ear hurts really bad." Great. He said it had been hurting the whole time he was there, so I call his dr. to see about switching antibiotics since obviously, the Zith isn't working. No deal, they want to wait until Monday because they're afraid he'll become resistant to the others. Even though I explained for the 3rd time that Zith never works for him, they won't budge. I'm frustrated, have a child that's whiny, feels bad, and his ear hurts. This has been going on for a week already, how much more does it take? So after I have Dee look in it, she tells me to call the ENT to see what he says. I call, and wait for a call-back, which comes while I'm picking up Kate and I miss it. I call back, they don't have his records since they're in a different office today, so they have to have them faxed to them.

Finally, Dr. Smith calls me himself on his cell on his way home (he apologized for any noises- gotta love him) and we discussed this for about 15 minutes. He's just as perplexed as we are, and even though he hasn't seen P with this infection, decided it was best to err on the side of caution since it is Friday, and call in a Rx for Tylenol with Codiene, and Clarythromycin. He says that if he's having this much trouble now, we might be looking at a new set of tubes. Great... I have to call in on Monday and schedule a follow-up as soon as he finishes this round. So then I go to Wal-Mart to pick up his meds since it was called in after hours and it was the only place open. No surprise, they don't have the antibiotic, and won't until Monday. So they're calling it into another pharmacy in the morning before we leave town, so hopefully they'll have it. Otherwise, we have to have them call it in down in Fairview. And as for the Tylenol, I doubt we even give him that. I think Dr. S thought he was in much more pain than he is, but Motrin is handling it well.

Ugh! to say that today was stressful... that's an understatement! But did I mention how much I love Dr. S? Really, we couldn't have picked a better ENT.

Gotta love him!

Preston loves Star Wars, like his dad, and of course, Christopher had to get him a light saber for his birthday. No matter how many times we tell him it's called a light saber, he thinks it's called a life saver! It's so funny! Today he was playing with it, going to town, and when he was finished, he said, "I'm really tired from all of that life saving!"

Productive day

Ah, the joys of the pre-Christmas purge! It just feels so good to get rid of stuff and organize! If you don't do this, try it! It makes finding places for all of the Christmas goodies so much easier. Today, I tackled the kids' craft cabinet downstairs, which took forever with Preston taking more out! He did help, and dumped one half empty bottle of glue into another one, with little mess! I also created a "I'm not bored anymore" jar, which I saw in a catalog for $25. It's just a canister with lots of bits and pieces of felt, yarn, beads, foam cutouts, etc. so they can go to town making whatever their little hearts can think up. Best of all, it was free with all of the junk laying around that cabinet! I also packed one full box for the garage sale, and started my Caring and Sharing pile. All in all, I got a lot done, but there's a lot still to do! Got to finish the tree skirt...

I called the ENT today about P's ear, since his lack of hearing was getting more pronounced. He wasn't concerned about his tube being blocked by wax, and told me to just continue the drops for 7 days, along with the oral antibiotics (which run out tomorrow). He's been on the drops for a week now, anyway, so that's a LOT of drops. Hopefully it works! They did want to schedule a follow-up, but couldn't get him in until Jan. 2!?!?!?!?! I'm thinking that's a little long after an infection, so I may call them tomorrow to see if we can see him in a different office sooner. Or just see his regular dr. Who knows. I just know that this winter is already not looking good! Oh, and guess who's nose starts running like crazy again today????? Yep, Mr. P.

Things you hate to wake up to

I wrote a few weeks ago that I hate being woken up with a puky child. Well, what about a puky cat?

Kate wakes me up at some unearthly early hour (I didn't even want to look at the clock) this morning. "Mom, Zipper's puking all over my bed." I get up, grab a towel, and figure if she'd actually puked and wasn't just hacking, I could cover it up until morning. WRONG! That cat puked on her comforter, across almost the entire width of her bed, and on her other pillow! How she missed Kaitlyn, I'll never know! I took one look, decided I was not messing with it at that moment, and told Kate to come into our bed. It was a mess! So I spent the day washing her bedding. The comforter needed washed and scrubbed twice because it wouldn't come out, but it's now clean. I hope the poor cat isn't sick...

I keep forgetting...

I keep forgetting what it's like to not have city water, and to always have it when you turn on the faucet. I started the dishwasher and washer this afternoon before I took Farmer P out to finish up the last day of combining with Pa-pa, and come home to a "hot" smell coming from the dishwasher. It sounded funny, so I turn on the tap, and no water. Our reservior lost pressure, so we lost water. After I primed it, pressure went back up, but then we lost it again. Another round of priming it and voila! we have water once again. For a second, my first thought was, "The well's frozen again?" because last winter, the water in the pump froze, and we had to keep a heat lamp inside the well all winter. Fun stuff! but you know what, it still doesn't make me want to reconsider not hooking up to the Rural Water. I'll take our free, chemical-free water any day, even if we have to occasionally lose water.

On another note, we have Christmas lights up! No, they're not on, yet, but next Thursday night, you can guarantee they'll be on! I have to go see if Pa has anymore clear lights to hang on the picket fence (yes, let's highlight it's ugliness), and find some wreaths to hang outside this weekend. Christopher won't let me put up the PVC people that the Tedricks left for us to use. I think they're cute... in a funny kind of way. If it were up to me, we'd go all out, but ol' Scrooge here won't go for it. Bah, humbug!

Frustration

It's been one of those days... maybe just one of those evenings. For the most part, the day went well. Preston and I baked cookies for his preschool snack day tomorrow, we played, worked the 1000 pc. puzzle he insisted on, and took our recycling to the drop-off. But he was whiny, grouchy, and it no doubt has something to do with his ear, which is causing it's own frustration, because I'm almost certain he'll need a new set. I didn't get around to calling the ENT, which frustrates me even more because I still don't have an answer. That, and I'm just afraid the zithromax isn't going to clear it up like last time. Then Kate got herself grounded because of her attitude and failure to straighten it up after she was warned. Christopher came home in a growly mood, too. So I sit here with a stress headache, with a million things to do- one of which is the tree skirt that needs to be finished before we get our tree next Friday. I've got Ebay auctions ending, and more to start, Christmas projects half finished, I need to do the pre-Christmas purge of unplayedwith toys/junk... I need to relax. My goal is a stress-free holiday season, with lots of fun projects, baking, etc. We're going Christmas shopping Sat. so hopefully we will get most of it finished, and then that will be one less thing to do.

Christopher got his results back, but still hasn't heard from the dr. (he checked online at work). His AFP is still elevated, which it has been since before his surgery, but his dr. has never really shown concern because of the range. So hopefully it won't be an issue this time either. everything else looked OK, and btw, he's not pregnant!

The kids' new favorite song

I digress...

I didn't personally hear this song on the radio as I was busy paying attention to traffic, but it obviously comes from a plastic surgery center ad. I hear Kate say from the back seat, "Mom, did you just hear that song?" I tell her no, and she proceeds to sing it (to the tune of "We Wish you a Merry Christmas):

We wish you bigger boobies
We wish you bigger boobies
We wish you bigger boobies
And a happy new bra

We all had a good chuckle over this, even though it's a poor thing for a young girl to hear. Then Preston proceeds to sing what he had heard. Keep in mind that he currently can't hear well due to an ear full of puss.

I wish your boobies were bigger
I wish your boobies were bigger
I wish your boobies were bigger
And a happy new bus.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you! That concludes this evening's performance!

Family doctor day

It turned out that everyone except me, had a dr. appointment today. Kate had a re-check on her meds, which went well, and Preston had to have his ear checked, which, no surprise here, is infected. She looked inside them and said that it wasn't pretty... She thought that his right tube was gone, and I'm thinking, "What???" So I told her that the ENT said that 2 weeks ago, they were both in and should last through winter. She looked again and did find the tube, but it is completely covered with pussy gunk, which was why it wasn't visible. She put him on Zithromax along with the drops, and she hopes it will work. The last time we tried Zithromax for his ears, we were back 4 days later with him still running a high temp and screaming in pain. I understand her reasoning, though, because with only 3 available antibiotics, and the number of times he's been on the strongest one, we can't risk him becoming resistant to it. Maybe the combo of drops/oral antibiotics will do the trick. I think I'll call the ENT tomorrow as well to make sure that a plugged tube doesn't need more attention.

Christopher had his annual follow-up/labs to make sure that his cancer hasn't returned. The appt. went well, and so far, hasn't been sent for a full-body CT scan like last year. He likes to joke about how his labs order a pregnancy test. No joke! Men shouldn't have any HcG or AFP in their bloodstream, which are markers for testicular cancer, so this is how they rule it out. He should find out in a day or so, what his results are. We're praying for good news. It's been 3 years, now.

They really do love each other

Even though they fight like cats and dogs, they really do love each other.

Another weekend gone

We didn't do much this weekend, just kept low and inside where it was warm! I hate going out in the cold. Christopher fixed the brakes on the Explorer now, so I feel more confident that I won't run into anyone now. Friday, the brakes started going out and weren't stopping the car (well, not without coasting until I was pratically stopped before hitting the brakes, anyway). Had Kate not had a Caring and Sharing party for Girl Scouts, I wouldn't have even left the house Saturday! It was just SOOOOO horribly cold! We did make it out to the store today and to my mom's for dinner, but that's about it. I wanted to go to an open house for this house that I have adored for years, but I decided it wasn't worth going out in the cold... even if it was a classic craftman style house that just screams ME! Seriously, I've waited for years for this house to go up for sale, and you would know that a year after we sell ours, it's for sale...

And it looks like Preston will be headed for the dr. tomorrow for his ear. Ugh! Today he started complaining that his ear was hurting again, and was running a low grade temp. He's been on the Ciprodex drops since early Friday morning, but I guess they aren't doing their job. This really makes me worry about him needing another set when these fall out. I guess praying is all that's going to help with this one. Poor kid... he's been dealt one card after another since he was born; it doesn't seem like he ever catches a break.

Here we go again.

Preston seems to have his first ear infection since having his tubes put in back in March. He woke up bawling at 11:30 last night, and he was so restless all night long. Just like last winter. UGH! I started him on his drops, so hopefully it clears up quickly. I was hoping to make it through the winter without any... I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come once they fall out since he now has an infection with them in.

Little White Lies

Ordering online for your children's Christmas presents has its drawback- they're here when it's delivered, and they insist on seeing what came! One of Preston's came this morning and he was so excited, begging me to open it. So I thought quickly... "Oh, shhhhhhh! It's a surprise for Gracie!" His eyes get BIG! "We got her a leafblower just like they got you, but you can't tell her!" His smile widens, and he lets me go stick it in my closet without questions.

Now, technically, we are getting her a toy leafblower for Christmas, so that part isn't a lie! But he didn't need to know that that wasn't what was in the box!

$2.09

That's how much gas was when we ventured to town today to get lunch. I'm happy to say that between lower gas prices and Christopher's new gas sipping car, our gasoline bill is only $271.00! Only! Ha! Seriously, though, that's a LOT nicer than over $400! Those were hard to pay- not financially, but emotionally! Now, if we'd just get rid of the Explorer...

Sorry to be so elusive

I mulled over my last post, had it all typed out, and really didn't know if I should post it or not. I did, but then deleted it. If anyone was desperately worried (I figured you'd call if you were), I thought I'd give a quick synopsis. Christopher's parents' house was broken into yesterday, along with I think 3 other houses in the immediate area. They got away with a good amount, but thankfully, it was not as bad as it could have been. The police, along with a crime scene investigator, spent a long time there last night, so hopefully they will find some encouraging leads.

I know that they feel violated, but we do, too. At this point, we're strongly considering a security system. Material possesions, I could really care less about, but the kids are my main worry. I admit, when Christopher got up to get ready for work today, I had to get up and check on them. And it was odd today, and I kept feeling like I was being watched. That was probably all in my head, but still. That's a lot to take in! It's something that you never really think will happen to you, or to someone you know well, but it very well can.

Don't think it can't happen to you.

Saterday Skegual

Thursday night, Kate made up a list of things we had to do on Saturday. Basically, she pretty much declared Saturday as her day! I look at her list Friday, and am puzzled by the title of her list, and it took me a minute to realize that it was her Saturday Schedule! She spells like her Uncle Seth! On her to do list:
1. Play American Girls
2. Play Playmobil
3. Play board games and cards
4. Draw
5. Play Nintendo DS
6. Make brownies
7. Build a house out of chairs and blankets (I had to sign a building permit to do this...)
8. Play hide and seek
9. Movie night

We accomplished all but the hide and seek, and had an enjoyable day!

What's in a name?

I got to thinking about this when Preston and I were discussing that he, Christopher, and his dad all have the same middle name. I told him that Kate and I didn't share a middle name, because Kaitlyn Kaye would be a little too K-ish. Everytime I think about this, it never fails to blow my mind because we put very little thought into Kaitlyn's name. We each picked a name we liked, and went with it- as opposed to taking 9 months mulling over names for Preston.

In case you didn't know, Kaitlyn means "purity." Coincidentally, she was born in April, the month of purity, and her birthstone is the diamond, which stands for purity! Maybe the triple dose of purity will serve her well! Morgan means "by the sea's edge" and it couldn't be more fitting! I have never seen a child love water more than her! She will take a bath forever, and there's not a night we don't have to tell her to get out because she's been in there too long. She loves the ocean, loves to swim or do anything involving water. You really can't keep her away! It's as if this name was chosen for her for a reason. We didn't know the meanings of the names until after she was born, either! I think it's really neat!

And I can't leave the boy out! Preston means "Preist's estate." I"m not sure that this fits him right now, or as an adult. One, we're not Catholic, and two, with being a tractor driver, a combine driver, a cook, a dishwasher, and a run at the Presidency, that leaves little time to be a preist! Bryan means "Strong, manly and virtuous." I think this name will suit him more! He's a strong little guy, and is stereotypically, "all boy," so this already fits him!

Look who's come to stay

Nellie arrived today! I didn't even know that the UPS man had come! The kids came home and said there was a package on the porch, and I had no clue what it was until I saw the label! And I just mailed off the payment last Wednesday, and she arrived already- faster than ordering online! Kate was so happy, and has hardly let her down all night! Now she can't wait to get Samantha (she's coming for Christmas). I have to say that Nellie is absolutely beautiful!

And while we're on the subject of Nellie... Remember how I ordered Nellie via catalog so as not to use the credit card? What a PITA! I had to figure out tax since we're in IL, but the order form had no tax info. I call AG to ask what the tax rate is: "Oh, I don't know! All of that information is in our computer because it's automatically figured when you order online." She checks, and after being on hold 3 times, finally tells me it's 6.75%. I"m no math genius, in fact I suck at math, so I couldn't figure it out. I had to go online, go through the chekout process until I got the correct tax amount, and then cancel before adding any card info. Seriously, why is it so hard to use cash anymore? It's like the time we tried to pay for some books at Borders with a $100 bill and the cashier didn't have change (and didn't want to get any), and asked us *3* times if we'd like to use another form of payment... NO! That's why this country is in the mess it's in now! It's TOO easy to use credit, and then people can't pay for it!

Election

It looks like we have a new President elect! I can't say that Obama was my top pick. Those of you who know me well, will know that that goes without saying. That, and the shirt that I had Mr. P wear yesterday... But still, we have a new President, and we will all have to see what he does with his term in office. He may turn out to be a great leader, who knows. I may not agree with his ideologies, but I respect the fact that he won- and with such a landslide victory! Really, that didn't surprise me at all. But realistically, the President is more of a figurehead than a law-maker- that's Congress' job. So I'm not terribly worried about his accomplishments- but I am worried about all of the Democrats in Congress...

All in all, it was an exciting day yesterday, and it was neat to witness history being made. I'll admit that I'd much rather have Obama in power than blumbering Palin if something would happen to McCain. Really, WHAT was he thinking?!?!?!?!?!?!? IMO, that choice alone cost him a lot- even though I called Obama winning from the very beginning, despite who McCain picked as his running mate.

The future President of the United States

Sure, he only has 40 more years before he meets the minimum age requirement to serve as President, but who's counting? I present to you, Preston S., running on the Republican ticket! He says that when he grows up he's going to be a combine driver, a tractor driver, a dishwasher, and a cook, but I think there might be room in there for a presidential adminstration! What do you think?

My little weepublican and I were out early to cast our ballot, and you can guarantee that he got lots of compliments on his sweet shirt! Thanks, Heather, for making it for him! He did get some stares (probably from the Democrats), and one lady with a big Obama button kept stumbling over her words, which I thought was pretty funny! What can I say? I start them off on the right track early!

VOTE!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the BIG day! I am so excited! I love to vote, love the politcal process, and just plain love our government and our ability to play an integral role! We will be at the polls, come hell or high water, sick kids in tow if necessary. Preston will be wearing his special shirt, made especially for the day, and you can expect to see a cute picture! I will be glued to the tv tomorrow, watching all of the returns. I've come to accept that Obama will most likely be the next President. Yes, this coming from the same person, who bawled like crazy when George Bush lost to Clinton in 92, and was even more furious when Clinton was elected to a 2nd term. I was very passionate about politics even then.

So get out there and vote tomorrow. It's your civic duty. Each and every vote does count! If you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain about what happens in the next 4 years! So certainly, don't come complaining to my house... I'll show you the door!

Pukey, pukey

Gag! Don't read any further if you have a weak stomach!

Ugh! Remember yesterdat when I said Preston had a temp? Well, his temp broke and he woke up this morning just fine, aside from his snotty nose and cough getting worse. I will take this as the good news! At 2:30 this morning, Kate wakes me up, "Mom, I think I'm going to throw up." Now, that's something I NEVER like to hear, especially when waking from a dead sleep. I get her the bucket, and the "fun" begins. Let's just say that she had the "works." In the middle of this, I realize we're going to run out of Lysol, which is absolutely mandatory, so I wake Christopher and tell him I'm running to Wal-Mart (at 3:30) to buy Lysol, and to listen for Kate. I flew to WM, got the Lysol, and get back without any major events. By this time, Kate has asked me to sleep in her room because getting up to get me each time she got sick was making her feel worse. So I grab 2 blankets and a spare pillow, and camp out on her floor... the HARD oak floor. Let's just say that I was still laying there awake at 6:00 when Christopher left for work. Not very comfy! She was able to keep food and water down after about 7:00 this morning, but she didn't stray from the couch except to use the bathroom. She's still not feeling great, but hopefully by morning she will.

And just to top the day off, I had forgotten to put a diaper on Pres last night, so of course, he peed the bed. So not only did I have all of Kate's bedding to wash, I also had all of his. The washer and dryer ran all day. I am currently on load #6 for the day. And at about 11:00 this morning, I start feeling queasy. Luckily, for right now, I've felt OK since about 4:00, but I hope I'm still well in the morning. Thanks, mom, for sharing your stomach bug with us last week!

Happy Halloween!

So maybe it is 2 days late, but we've been busy. We've been going non-stop since Thursday, and now we're ready to slow down!

Friday was crazy busy! We had Preston's preschool program at 8:45 and trunk-or-treating immediately following. Christopher was off Thursday and Friday, so he was able to make it! Pres did such a great job, sang his songs, did the moves, and had a blast! Of course, he came home with a ton of goodies and candy- more than from the parade Thursday night! I picked him up at 11, and Kate got out of school at 11:30, so as soon as I picked her up, we had a super-fast and nutritious meal from Burger King (ha!) before we had to be on the road for Preston's ENT appointment (update below). When we got back to town, we had just a little time before we had to eat dinner and head out for trick-or-treating! Phew!

Yesterday we had our shopping trip, which always turns out to be a marathon when we go with Grandma Lou. We did have a great time, though! Miss Kate did get some new shoes- 5 pairs in fact! I'll spare you the drama of that aspect! She's all set! The kids spent the night with Chris' parents last night after we got home so that we could go to a small gathering at our friends' house. We had an OK time (can't say that it was enjoyable), but it was nice to see them since we hadn't been out there since last year.

Now Preston has been running a temp. today, but hopefully he'll be feeling better tomorrow. They've both had colds, so hopefully it passes quickly. As for his ENT appointment, things still look great! He had been complaining a lot last week about his left ear, so I was glad that he already had an appt. Dr. Smith said that the tube in that ear is starting to work it's way out, and that is causing the pain. He thinks it will last most of the winter before it falls out, and will most likely be gone when he goes back in March. After they're out (and hopefully they come out on their own), we just have to wait and see if he has any more infections to see if he needs another set. Hopefully that won't be necessary!