by Sarah | Oct 24, 2013 | All About Denver, Cystic Fibrosis, Special Needs
Three years ago we didn’t know.
Three years ago Denver had “asthma”. An occasional inhaler on the Cross Country field was needed.
A yearly, to bi-yearly round of antibiotics to treat pneumonia (which was my clue).
Then we got the diagnosis.
Last year was the first hospital stay.
1 full week.
The life-changing event still didn’t change much at home.
An occasional inhaler. A prescription for vitamin K. A small device for his percussion that he could carry with him it was so compact.
Fast forward another year.
Another hospital stay.
And Denver gets his first new car.
No, wait. It just costs as much.
The dreaded “vest”.
Or as Kennedy always calls it “The shakey-shake”.
We expected him to progress.
But not so fast.
Half the time I feel so blindsided.
I hate that he is so painfully aware of every change in his body.
I hate knowing that is sister will also progress one day, definitely before I’m ready, hopefully not before she’s ready.
Denver is smart, very intelligent, he researches and reads and wants to be a doctor after all of this. He gets it, and he lives it, and he tries to move beyond, although I think he had some trouble this year. His hospital stay came right at the start of Cross Country season and threw him off for the rest of the year.
Kennedy is showing signs of great intelligence.
Who knows, maybe one day one of them will be the doctor that finally cures this disease.
But for now they’re still my babies.
And they are tied to machines for at least thirty minutes out of every day.
And it hurts.
I don’t like that this is their ‘normal’.
I don’t like that Denver now has to add the “shakey-shake” into his schedule.
I never will.
by Sarah | Oct 10, 2013 | All About Indiana, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Giveaway, Indy Geek Girls, The Reluctant Hoosier
I am, without a doubt, a big ol’ fraidy cat.
Growing up (and, admittedly, even today) I can’t watch a scary movie for nothing. I have never, and I mean never-ever-ever, been to a Haunted House before this week.
Then I got an invite to The Children’s Museum’s 50th Anniversary “Time Warp” Haunted House – celebrating 50 years of Haunting the museum.
And I went.
The “50 years of fear” includes the addition of 3-D glasses (which you don’t NEED to enjoy it if 3D’s bother your eyes)…and takes you on a journey through time. You enter through the elevator and the disorientation begins in the tunnel, taking you all the way back to the 1960’s…and the Upside Down Room featured in TCM’s first Haunted Houses. Then it’s onto the 70’s with a creepy basement and then my favorite room of the whole haunted house (see if you can guess what that is from my pictures below). You’ll fly into the 80’s with neon clothes, a horrifying Chucky doll (scared me the mostest) and a pinball room that I’m assured in the scare hours is extra freaky. If you’re a child of the 90’s you’ll be treated to horrific flashbacks of internet dial up tones and “You’ve got mail” while surrounded by cables, wires and reminders of the terrifying reality of Y2k…and the witches take us on a further treat by sending us into the terrifying future 50 years ahead, before finally sending us back to the present.
The Children’s Museum Haunted House is a great treat for any age, especially with the new “Choose Your Scare Options.” Here’s how you can get tickets, choose your scare, then it’s onto the giveaway and pictures!!
General Admission:
$6 @ Marsh Supermarkets
$7 @ the Box Office or Online
XTreme Scream:
$12 @ the Box Office or Online
Light’s On Hours (i.e. Kid and ‘Fraidy-Cat safe):
Wed’s-Sat’s: 10A-3P
Wed’s Oct 16 & 23: 3:30-8:30P
Sun’s: 11A-5P
Halloween: 10A-3P
Frightening Hours:
Thu’s & Fri’s: 3:30-8:30P
Wed, Oct 30: 3:30-8:30P
Sat’s: 3:30-9:30P
Halloween – None
Xtreme Scream (For those looking for an INTENSE psychological scare):
Fridays: 9-11P
Now for the Children’s Museum Giveaway!! I have four, count them, FOUR tickets to giveaway for The Children’s Museum 50th Anniversary Time Warp Haunted House!!
All you have to do to enter is:
1. Leave a comment telling me if you’re a ‘Fraidy-Cat or if you’re braving the Scary Hours (or the XTreme Scream)!!! ~1 entry point
2. Tweet This:
Enter to win 4 tickets to Time Warp: #50YearsofFear Haunted House @TCMIndy from @SadieCass http://bit.ly/1czw45T #Giveaway #Indy
~1 entry Point for the exact copied tweet
3. PIN this post (Pin button above) and leave a comment w/ the link. ~ 1 entry point
The giveaway ends on Monday 10/14 at 9AM. The winner will have 36 hours to get back to me or I’ll choose another winner.
If you want more chances to win (and you know you do) visit the wonderous blogs below:
Hoosier Party Girl
Just Like the Number
Indy With Kids
Now do you want to see some pictures? Because I want to show them! These are not nearly all of the pictures I took, but I wanted to leave you some surprises.
by Sarah | Oct 8, 2013 | All About Denver, The Teenager
A few years back, Denver joined the Scouts.
He was 11, we figured it was a fad, he’d grow out of it. He didn’t seem crazy-interested.
Just under 5 years later we’re staring down the end of the barrel.
Eagle Scout.
It’s a pretty darn big deal.
Even I know that.
He’s ranked up fast.
Been elected Quartermaster three times in a row.
It’s the one area of his life where I know he’s focused and intent and his behavior is on the mark. (How I wish that carried through at home, but that’s another post for another day).
If his application is approved, if his “Eagle Project” is approved, he could be Eagle Scout by next summer.
At the ripe age of 16.
I am a proud Mama…
by Sarah | Oct 3, 2013 | All About Denver, Cystic Fibrosis, Hospital, Special Needs, The Teenager
Teenagers are expected to rebel.
When they don’t you worry. I wasn’t huge on rebellion, but I found my own way to rebel – by ignoring my scholastic capabilities.
I never expected to be faced with a whole different sort of rebellion in my kids.
Medical rebellion.
It’s a dangerous game.
The “I feel fine, so I don’t need to maintain” game.
Now we have the new, added complexity of a compression vest.
Something the teen does not want to do.
Already he doesn’t do the things he doesn’t mind, and that only take a few minutes.
Maintaining seems like such a hassle when you’re fine.
Especially to a teenager.
Even a teenager that dreams of being a doctor.
Of all the things in my life that cause me stress and worry.
Medical rebellion resides at the top of the list.
Couldn’t he just give himself a mohawk and wear black and be all emo?
That I could handle.
I lived through that as a teen w/ best friends that weren’t…preppy…at all.
I could handle emo.
This medical rebellion crap?
It sucks.
by Sarah | Sep 30, 2013 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, Anger Issues, Special Needs
* <–This picture really says it all when it comes to my kids.
Denver is the aloof teenager.
Molly is the shy, slightly awkward middle’un.
And Kennedy…
Well, we love Kennedy.
She’s got the attitude.
The stubborn streak.
The temper.
*~*
Last year over the course of the school year we had many issues with Kennedy.
Her grades and smarts were impeccable. She moved into the advanced reader classes, and has continued on that course this year.
However, we had other issues.
Lying.
Stealing.
Stealing again.
More lies.
There was regular emails between myself and her teacher to verify facts and get our ducks in a row.
Her temper was another issue again, frequent, but not overly so.
She went to ‘friendship classes’, and had sessions with the guidance counselor.
It was quite a year for little K.
*~*
This year we debated.
“Do we warn the teacher?”
We decided not to.
We gave her a pass, a clean slate to try to make this year better all on her own.
So far, it appears to be working…
but we’ll know for sure at Parent Teacher Conference.
~fingers crossed~
by Sarah | Sep 25, 2013 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Clever Girls, Sponsored
*~*
I’m the proud parent of science geeks. I was one myself.
First was Denver, who wanted to be a scientist for NASA. For years that was his dream, but he’s since moved on…
To wanting to be a doctor. I gotta say, I’m okay with that.
Now Molly is loving science since she started in science last year, and Kennedy is right behind her this year. It’s a common theme in this house – science is a favorite. From photosynthesis, to outer-space, to biology, genetics and beyond…my kids eat it all up.
*~*
Part of the reason I myself enjoy science so much is because I really hate unknowns.
I like facts.
If my kids are sick – I want to know the hows and why’s. I want specifics and details. I want to know the life expectancies, the proper medicines, the risks and complications.
It was the same way when my grandfather got sick.
As painful as facts can be, they help me cope.
*~*
So when my kids come home with light in their eyes talking about what they learned in science today, I’m all over it.
From gross bugs, to meteors, I am happy to encourage their love of science.
Because as much as I love writing and fiction and living in a world of make-believe…
I like science just as much, and sometimes even more. It’s not going to lie to me, it might make me wait for answers, but it gives me answers.
You know, science doesn’t lie – it’s made of facts.
And it makes it that much easier to fight.
*~*
Watch and learn about Nature’s Tiny Miracle: http://clvr.li/18QgDzl
Like Planters on FB
Visit Planters Power of the Peanut
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Three years ago we didn’t know.
