by Sarah | Oct 6, 2011 | All About Kennedy, Cystic Fibrosis, Special Needs
[flickr id=”6217579492″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It was inevitable when we sent her out into the great big world of public interaction and the germ festival that is school. We knew that the possibility of increased occasions of illness were going to happen.
I guess we didn’t expect it to happen this fast.
Six weeks in and as of tomorrow we’ll be at 7 days absent. It’s about a 20% absence rate.
But this recent bout of illness this week has us baffled. There’s only a low-grade fever. No respiratory issues. A loss of appetite. Although who can blame her when the second she eats more than a small amount of food it all comes back up later?
And what comes up? Well, you don’t want a physical description. Let’s just say it’s cause for concern.
So tomorrow is the first sick visit of the year to the pulmonologist. We’re at an increased amount of “shaking” (percussion vest) per day because it seems there is an excess of mucous happening somewhere. Just not in her lungs. That we can tell.
Let’s hope it’s nothing serious. And that nothing serious comes as we get closer and closer to cold & flu season.
Were crossing our fingers for no hospital visit this year.
by Sarah | Oct 6, 2011 | Challenge
Just one little drop
is all it takes.
Just one little drop
for goodness sakes.
With this magical mix
you will fly so high.
With this magical mix
you will touch the sky.
Forgetting all your pains
you’ll attain new dreams
Forgetting all your pains
joy in extremes.
For one measly dollar
a drop of sweet green.
For one measly dollar
all of life has a sheen.
What of adverse effects?
Don’t be so obtuse.
What of adverse effects?
I partake in regular use.
This miracle of magic
Will take you far beyond mundane.
This miracle of magic
Will lead you to a brand new plane.
It’s all natural herbs,
So don’t you fret.
It’s all natural herbs,
Nothing to regret.
A discount I offer,
First drop half price.
A discount I offer,
I won’t offer twice.
There you go, young man,
You see I mean well.
There you go, young man,
And you’re under its spell.
Now it’s a short trip,
Soon you’ll return
Now it’s a short trip,
With money to burn.
*~*
A full bottle you say?
I’m happy to agree.
A full bottle you say?
If you heed my warning plea.
Only one drop a day,
Two at the utmost.
Only one drop a day,
It’s the maximum dose.
Not for physical danger,
My sales pitch is true.
Not for physical danger,
Not with this special brew.
But the places you’ll go,
Wonderful though they are.
But the places you’ll go,
They’re best enjoyed from afar.
If you do more than two,
You’ll get stuck there and then…
If you do more than two,
There will be no more zen.
*~*
Oh look what you did,
You’ve gotten stuck in my land.
Oh look what you did,
Now isn’t this grand?
I tried to warn you,
Don’t whimper and whine.
I tried to warn you,
It’s your fault not mine.
Now that you’re here,
You belong to me alone.
Now that you’re here,
You’ll join my other drones.
Now give me a smile,
This life isn’t that bad.
Now give me a smile,
No more being sad.
You wanted escape,
Escape is what I gave.
You wanted escape,
To be saved from the grave.
The life of pain is gone,
You’ll never feel pain here.
The life of pain is gone,
You’ll never feel joy here.
Welcome to your escape,
All you need to do now is succumb.
Welcome to your escape,
Do you feel yourself go numb?
*~*~*~*~*
This challenge came from Catherine, who gave me this prompt: Oh, the places you’ll go.
by Sarah | Oct 5, 2011 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Marriage, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Crap
[flickr id=”5293689107″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Cross Country season is drawing to a close. The final (County-wide) meet is in less than a week. Coming up there is nothing but PTO meetings, Parent/Teacher Conferences and life in general.
This also means that the teen will be home before 4PM every day.
I always thought once the girls were both in school I’d go back to work. Nothing so dramatic as full-time day jobs (and definitely NOT banking again ~gag~). I figured I would return to waitressing. With the teen old enough to babysit in short spurts, I’d be able to get a job at a real restaurant with real tips since I could now actually get into work before 6PM. Maybe we could get a (slightly) steadier increased income. Maybe we could leave SSI and its unreliable, and ever decreasing, amounts behind. Become self-sufficient again. Maybe even one day live the dream of giving up Child Support (or actually putting that in savings).
Now that day is here.
Yet we hesitate.
Last year Angel ended up in the hospital for the first time ever. It was five days where our only focus was her and making sure we saw the other two kids. Last year she wasn’t even in school. Only exposed to those hundred of viruses on the periphery.
It could happen again at any time.
We are six weeks into the school year and Angel has already missed five days due to illness. That’s one week out of six. Most of them in the past three weeks.
So now we toss up in the air whether I would even be able to maintain a job or if I’d constantly have to take off for illness or hospital stays or whatever.
I know, we can’t live life hanging by that ‘what if she gets sick’ thread…but it is a fact and a factor in everything. Having to weigh the consequences of not just being away from home several evenings a week – versus the likelihood that I will have to call in at least a couple of times, maybe more.
The thought of working again only scares me peripherally. I actually like the thought of having adult interaction, even if it is only as server to customer. I worked in banking for about eight years. It sort of ripped out my soul and stomped on it and I never wanted to work again after it. But I did, and I found a job at Bob Evans (the only place that would hire me w/ the hours I could work). The tips weren’t horrendous, but they weren’t top of the line. BUT. But…I loved my job. Even when I didn’ t like my new manager, and the employee turnover brought in some people that weren’t my favorites…I loved what I did. It was fun. It was interactive. It made me happy.
There are positives, many of them, to me going back to work…
But there are so many balls up in the air I’m afraid tossing in one more would be too much. Plus, I’d really hate to get a job I love, maybe even start earning enough to lose SSI…only to lose that job because of things well beyond my control.
We can’t live in the what-if’s…
But we can’t ignore them either.
by Sarah | Oct 3, 2011 | General
In the depths of my files I have a list of blog topic ideas. In an attempt to get both of my blogs moving again, I’ll be using some of those prompts in between regular posts and writing challenges.
Can you remember what the first book read to you was?
I’ve told this story a lot. I do remember my first book read to me, it was also my first book love – and the source of my first ever (remembered) nightmare (and true first clear memory, period).
I was two, maybe two and a half. I know this because I still slept in a crib. I remember where it sat in the room, (directly opposite the dormer window, next to the dresser).
The dream I had involved the book “Bongo“. I remember that I loved this book. It was my absolute favorite book in the world. I wanted to hear it again and again. I loved the pictures in it. To this day I can still picture my favorite pages of the book, even though I haven’t seen it in years.
In my dream I, for whatever reason things happen in dreams, tore that book to shreds. Ripped it into pieces that were scattered all over my crib.
I woke screaming and crying so loud I think I scared the heck out of my parents.
After my Bongo nightmare I know that my book obsession only grew. I was reading at the tender age of three (my Dad swears to this day that I would read the Readers Digest cover to cover at that age). At the age of four I stole the Little House series out of my brothers room. In my defense my brother didn’t read…and really, who gave a boy the Little House Series anyway? (Sorry, Nana…I think it was you…) After I stole those books from him a new reading obsession was born. I read them through at age 4, and at least 18 more times before I graduated high school.
I still have the original Little House books, and have bought new versions to save my old ones from completely disintegrating – and in the hopes that at least one of my girls loves them as much as I have.
by Sarah | Oct 2, 2011 | Photography, Scavenger Hunt Sunday, Weekly Winners
All taken w/ Canon Rebel XS.
Yet another crazy week w/ sick kids everywhere. Still, I had little fun with a couple of the Scavenger Hunt Prompts.
1. Inspired by a Book or Movie
Push the button! ~Woody
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This week was banned books week. I was shocked to see on the books listed for 2011 the book “Speak.” It’s a stunning novel. I did this picture in honor of it. Surprisingly it’s my favorite this week…and I never say that about a self portrait.
I have survived. I am here. Confused, screwed up, but here. So, how can I find my way? Is there a chain saw of the soul, an ax I can take to my memories or fears? ~Melinda Sordino (Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson)
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2. Brown
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I could think of no better way to capture brown than with these brown badges of honor on my son’s uniform. Being in scouts has made him a better young man.
3. Hazy
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4. Coffee or Tea
Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh
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For her own breakfast she’ll project a scheme, Nor take her tea without stratagem. ~Edward Young
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Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea. ~Sir Philip Sidney
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5. Linger
The song is ended, but the melody lingers on. ~Irving Berlin
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A Simple Thing:
Another linkup I found that fit w/ a picture I took & loved this week, but didn’t fit into the SHS theme. It’s the “Simple Things” link up over at Simple as That. Every week, if I can, I like to buy the flowers in the half-off bin at Krogers. They still have life in them, and they don’t hurt my wallet as much. This flower burst open part way through the week & has kept us all smiling with its vibrant beauty.
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You can find more pictures over at my flickr account.
Scavenger Hunt Sunday is run by the beautiful Ashley. Head on over to see more Hunters.
