I've been sorely neglecting this blog.
I know it.
I see it and feel guilty.
Just thought I'd let you know, we are all alive and all is well.
I'll be back...
I almost had a post today...but then it passed.
Hope you all have a wonderful 4th.
See ya around...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
SWINE FLU??? How the media creeps into my child's brain...
Monday is always fun for blogging because something ALWAYS happens at church...ALWAYS. Yesterday was no different.
I help with the Children's Worship portion of our Sunday school. This would be called Song Service in some of my extended family's churches...but it is basically the time that we all sing together...clap...do hand motions...learn great songs...and all around have fun and get in the mood for the lessons that will follow.
Now our little "band" consists of Mr. B doing guitar and vocals, Me doing a few vocals and crowd management and a various smattering of kids...we have one that plays guitar, one that plays drums and several others that sing. Now this "band" has been through a lot of changes this year...and one of the things that is starting to be an accomplished goal, is that they are STARTING to sing together and actually sound pretty good. We still couldn't lift Mr. B out...but I can NOT be mic'd MOST of the service because the kids are starting to carry it...YEAH.
The kids are starting to be pretty good friends and that's good because Mr. B and I are constantly talking and improving the songs and telling them to shhhh...or talk quietly among themselves...Well during our last few minutes of clean up yesterday...you know coiling cords, finding mics that traveled, putting away percussion etc. I hear Bean and the young man who is our second guitar player chatting (we'll call him Rocker). She says with wide eyes and straight face, "My sister has SWINE FLU."
I spun around...
To his credit, Rocker did not fly across the room in horror...but OH did his brows go up..."Really???!!!"
I said quickly, "She does NOT." Bean said, "Yes, she does...she was coughing all night". I assured all bystanders that indeed Bear had been coughing in the night (for about 1/2 an hour)...but that she was just fine or would be shortly...
MOVE ALONG THEN, NOTHING TO SEE HERE...
I was mystified..."WHA??? Swine flu?" So we talked a bit. Apparently our trip to Scottish Rite the other day was very informative to Bean. See they had all these signs up that were talking about covering your cough and washing your hands and really making a big deal. So we talked, in general at the time, about how they were just reminding everybody about how to be extra careful because there was a pretty bad flu going around. I don't think I ever mentioned swine flu...but even if I did, most of the conversation was about ways our family already tries to stay healthy...you know eating right, washing hands, taking our vitamins etc. But all the signs really stuck in her head.
Now, I didn't know it at the time, but we also visited with some friends who definately watch the news and are in medical circles, and Bean got even more information from the kids...SWINE FLU is terrible...it's all arooouuuuunnnnndddd....you could have it tooooooooo...etc.
So when her sister woke her up with her coughing...Bean just simply assumed the worst. Now no matter how I asked the question, she hadn't discovered the information on how dangerous the swine flu is supposed to be (I didn't want to put words in her mouth, just figure out what she'd been told)...and that is probably best because Bean is nothing if not protective of her little sisters. I did enlighten her on the symptoms and circumstances of swine flu...and we both agreed that other than a slight cough, Bear didn't display any of those symptoms.
So to all of you who may now believe that the leader of your children's song service has a child with swine flu...rest assured...Bear is just fine this morning. We spent the day yesterday putting vitamin C in her mouth and vicks on the bottoms of her feet and saline rinse up her nose...and she slept all night and hasn't coughed since. She has no fever. She has no stuffy nose. She does have bright, smilin eyes this morning.
Poor Bean has had to learn a couple of little lessons. First, don't believe everything that you hear...if you hear something that frightens you (or anything really), verify it, question the source and by all means gather MORE information...don't just take it at face value. She is also learning that not everything that comes to her head should come out of her mouth. But then again, who doesn't need THAT lesson once in a while.
So that was fun. After all was said and done Bubba and I had a pretty good laugh.
Ain't kids grand???
See ya around....
I help with the Children's Worship portion of our Sunday school. This would be called Song Service in some of my extended family's churches...but it is basically the time that we all sing together...clap...do hand motions...learn great songs...and all around have fun and get in the mood for the lessons that will follow.
Now our little "band" consists of Mr. B doing guitar and vocals, Me doing a few vocals and crowd management and a various smattering of kids...we have one that plays guitar, one that plays drums and several others that sing. Now this "band" has been through a lot of changes this year...and one of the things that is starting to be an accomplished goal, is that they are STARTING to sing together and actually sound pretty good. We still couldn't lift Mr. B out...but I can NOT be mic'd MOST of the service because the kids are starting to carry it...YEAH.
The kids are starting to be pretty good friends and that's good because Mr. B and I are constantly talking and improving the songs and telling them to shhhh...or talk quietly among themselves...Well during our last few minutes of clean up yesterday...you know coiling cords, finding mics that traveled, putting away percussion etc. I hear Bean and the young man who is our second guitar player chatting (we'll call him Rocker). She says with wide eyes and straight face, "My sister has SWINE FLU."
I spun around...
To his credit, Rocker did not fly across the room in horror...but OH did his brows go up..."Really???!!!"
I said quickly, "She does NOT." Bean said, "Yes, she does...she was coughing all night". I assured all bystanders that indeed Bear had been coughing in the night (for about 1/2 an hour)...but that she was just fine or would be shortly...
MOVE ALONG THEN, NOTHING TO SEE HERE...
I was mystified..."WHA??? Swine flu?" So we talked a bit. Apparently our trip to Scottish Rite the other day was very informative to Bean. See they had all these signs up that were talking about covering your cough and washing your hands and really making a big deal. So we talked, in general at the time, about how they were just reminding everybody about how to be extra careful because there was a pretty bad flu going around. I don't think I ever mentioned swine flu...but even if I did, most of the conversation was about ways our family already tries to stay healthy...you know eating right, washing hands, taking our vitamins etc. But all the signs really stuck in her head.
Now, I didn't know it at the time, but we also visited with some friends who definately watch the news and are in medical circles, and Bean got even more information from the kids...SWINE FLU is terrible...it's all arooouuuuunnnnndddd....you could have it tooooooooo...etc.
So when her sister woke her up with her coughing...Bean just simply assumed the worst. Now no matter how I asked the question, she hadn't discovered the information on how dangerous the swine flu is supposed to be (I didn't want to put words in her mouth, just figure out what she'd been told)...and that is probably best because Bean is nothing if not protective of her little sisters. I did enlighten her on the symptoms and circumstances of swine flu...and we both agreed that other than a slight cough, Bear didn't display any of those symptoms.
So to all of you who may now believe that the leader of your children's song service has a child with swine flu...rest assured...Bear is just fine this morning. We spent the day yesterday putting vitamin C in her mouth and vicks on the bottoms of her feet and saline rinse up her nose...and she slept all night and hasn't coughed since. She has no fever. She has no stuffy nose. She does have bright, smilin eyes this morning.
Poor Bean has had to learn a couple of little lessons. First, don't believe everything that you hear...if you hear something that frightens you (or anything really), verify it, question the source and by all means gather MORE information...don't just take it at face value. She is also learning that not everything that comes to her head should come out of her mouth. But then again, who doesn't need THAT lesson once in a while.
So that was fun. After all was said and done Bubba and I had a pretty good laugh.
Ain't kids grand???
See ya around....
Friday, May 8, 2009
Back from Scottish Rite...(May 2009)
Well...here I am back again.
Our trip was decidedly pleasant. The check up portion was pretty good. We had a new "resident" "fellow" or whatever they are called. He was so cute with Bean. He had her at "Hello, you must be the famous Sarah Hamlin I've heard so much about"...and just kept her charmed from there. It helped that he was young and pretty...she notices that stuff, now that she's 10.
Anyway...the X-Rays were just ugly. I ordered them and will post them when they come (here are the last ones I posted)...but suffice to say...the left has a little regrowth but not much...and the right is definately breaking down. On the upside, her left hip has even better mobility than before...as a matter of fact it looks almost normal to me (I caught her in criss-cross applesauce position with that leg yesterday...woo hoo), but what do I know???
The right. What to say about the right hip? Young Mr. Doctor probably said it best when he said, "That's an angry hip." It's very inflamed. She still has very limited mobility in it. As they were trying to rotate it they got very little rotation in anything but her whole pelvis because that hip is basically locked for the time being. But for now we are still just waiting it out. Our main doctor thinks this will calm down just like the other hip did as the break down progresses. He did say that at least at this moment the right hip seems to be maintaining it's height, so we are hoping that it won't break down as far as the left, but it still is too soon to tell.
As to how she is. Overall she's pretty good. We need the wheelchair on long distances...things like any store or the library...and she uses her walker for a while first thing in the morning...but she's starting to recognize when she'll be able to "walk it out" and when we've got a problem and need to get the ice going. That has been a huge blessing, because it's helped her to realize it isn't ALWAYS going to be terrible pain.
After the business portion of our trip, we got to go up to the children's ward and visit everyone. That was so much fun. All the kids and nurses and physical therapists called her by name and stuck around us the whole time we were there. We got to check up on their status and play a few games and go outside and toss tennis balls up against velcro "gloves"...even WITH the velcro gloves we legged folk got a run for our money chasing down the overthrows. It was fun and very funny and heartwarming. Beanie said that she wished she could come and play everyday...and in some ways I wish she could, too.
On to other news...she turned 10 on Wednesday. She is SO excited to be double digits, dontcha know. Bear says, "I won't be excited until you are TRIPLE digits!" Ain't sisters grand???
See ya around...
P.S. To those of you who have NO idea what is going on here, please click Legg-Perthes or the same category on the left...you learn plenty...
Our trip was decidedly pleasant. The check up portion was pretty good. We had a new "resident" "fellow" or whatever they are called. He was so cute with Bean. He had her at "Hello, you must be the famous Sarah Hamlin I've heard so much about"...and just kept her charmed from there. It helped that he was young and pretty...she notices that stuff, now that she's 10.
Anyway...the X-Rays were just ugly. I ordered them and will post them when they come (here are the last ones I posted)...but suffice to say...the left has a little regrowth but not much...and the right is definately breaking down. On the upside, her left hip has even better mobility than before...as a matter of fact it looks almost normal to me (I caught her in criss-cross applesauce position with that leg yesterday...woo hoo), but what do I know???
The right. What to say about the right hip? Young Mr. Doctor probably said it best when he said, "That's an angry hip." It's very inflamed. She still has very limited mobility in it. As they were trying to rotate it they got very little rotation in anything but her whole pelvis because that hip is basically locked for the time being. But for now we are still just waiting it out. Our main doctor thinks this will calm down just like the other hip did as the break down progresses. He did say that at least at this moment the right hip seems to be maintaining it's height, so we are hoping that it won't break down as far as the left, but it still is too soon to tell.
As to how she is. Overall she's pretty good. We need the wheelchair on long distances...things like any store or the library...and she uses her walker for a while first thing in the morning...but she's starting to recognize when she'll be able to "walk it out" and when we've got a problem and need to get the ice going. That has been a huge blessing, because it's helped her to realize it isn't ALWAYS going to be terrible pain.
After the business portion of our trip, we got to go up to the children's ward and visit everyone. That was so much fun. All the kids and nurses and physical therapists called her by name and stuck around us the whole time we were there. We got to check up on their status and play a few games and go outside and toss tennis balls up against velcro "gloves"...even WITH the velcro gloves we legged folk got a run for our money chasing down the overthrows. It was fun and very funny and heartwarming. Beanie said that she wished she could come and play everyday...and in some ways I wish she could, too.
On to other news...she turned 10 on Wednesday. She is SO excited to be double digits, dontcha know. Bear says, "I won't be excited until you are TRIPLE digits!" Ain't sisters grand???
 |
| From 04.2009.Pics |
See ya around...
P.S. To those of you who have NO idea what is going on here, please click Legg-Perthes or the same category on the left...you learn plenty...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Rock In My Stomach...
Well...remember I said that I blog on the upswing...this last week has not EXACTLY been an upswing.
We've been pretty busy with our standards...you know, homeschool, soccer, church, random photography endeavors...and dancing...there's been a fair amount of dancing...oh, and laughing...a good portion of laughing...
But we also have an appointment on the books with Scottish Rite next week. That always puts a rock in my stomach. Sort of like the test you didn't study for in high school...I've got a mixture of fear and dread going on...and it isn't exactly pleasant. I gotta tell you, this parenting thing...it ain't for sissies.
Her? She's just fine. Looking FORWARD to it, in fact. Hmmmmm...maybe I just need a tattoo...
See ya around...
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Fun with Flarp...
In the girl's Easter baskets this year, they received a product called Flarp. Ours had pretty much been used to capacity when we received a sweet care package for Beanie from a friend. Inside the care package was another, wonderful, fresh can of Flarp.
After wrestling the can from the children once or twice...I knew that it was made of something SIMILAR to the oooobleck that we made a couple of years ago.
So, being that there was only one GOOD can left...and being an extremely fair mother...I decided that nothing must do but that we see if we could make some more.
Here is that tutorial for you...
First things first, you need
1/4 cup white glue
1/4 cup water
Food coloring (optional)
1 TBL Borax (you'll find it in the laundry section in the grocery store...and one box'll last you FOREVER)
1 cup of water (yes, I've listed water twice.
Okay...first thing...get yourself two bowls...
In the first bowl mix 1/4 cup of white glue and 1/4 cup of water together...
Now mix the food coloring into the glue mixture...
Now in the other bowl mix 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of Borax...once this is mixed get out a 1/2 cup measure or something that your kid can pour easily and get ready. You want to pour a little Borax mixture into the glue mixture and massage it around until you have slime...but you don't need to use the entire 1/2 cup for Flarp. Flarp is less brittle than the standard slime...
This is what it will look like as you add it...and if you are taking pictures of the fun you really will need another hand...(perhaps my brother's friend Hans could help me next time.)
If you use too much of the Borax mixture, it will still be slime...but it'll break under too much pressure...and Flarp is all about pressure...it's total purpose is the rude noise it produces...and the giggles that overtake the children in the aftermath.
Below, my lovely assistant with the slime that got too much Borax...looks like Flarp, but it breaks...
After you mix it all up...get it out of the excess Borax mixture and hand it to some lovely assistant or other...she will knead it...and shortly it will be Flarp with which she will proceed to pose...
And then do it again with a different color...knock yourself out...do it until you run out of glue, cuz you are NOT going to run out of Borax anytime soon...
Have fun...
See ya around...
After wrestling the can from the children once or twice...I knew that it was made of something SIMILAR to the oooobleck that we made a couple of years ago.
So, being that there was only one GOOD can left...and being an extremely fair mother...I decided that nothing must do but that we see if we could make some more.
Here is that tutorial for you...
First things first, you need
1/4 cup white glue
1/4 cup water
Food coloring (optional)
1 TBL Borax (you'll find it in the laundry section in the grocery store...and one box'll last you FOREVER)
1 cup of water (yes, I've listed water twice.
Okay...first thing...get yourself two bowls...
In the first bowl mix 1/4 cup of white glue and 1/4 cup of water together...
Now mix the food coloring into the glue mixture...
Now in the other bowl mix 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of Borax...once this is mixed get out a 1/2 cup measure or something that your kid can pour easily and get ready. You want to pour a little Borax mixture into the glue mixture and massage it around until you have slime...but you don't need to use the entire 1/2 cup for Flarp. Flarp is less brittle than the standard slime...
This is what it will look like as you add it...and if you are taking pictures of the fun you really will need another hand...(perhaps my brother's friend Hans could help me next time.)
If you use too much of the Borax mixture, it will still be slime...but it'll break under too much pressure...and Flarp is all about pressure...it's total purpose is the rude noise it produces...and the giggles that overtake the children in the aftermath.
Below, my lovely assistant with the slime that got too much Borax...looks like Flarp, but it breaks...
After you mix it all up...get it out of the excess Borax mixture and hand it to some lovely assistant or other...she will knead it...and shortly it will be Flarp with which she will proceed to pose...
And then do it again with a different color...knock yourself out...do it until you run out of glue, cuz you are NOT going to run out of Borax anytime soon...
Have fun...
See ya around...
The Blur that most people call Easter...
Last weekend was Easter. Didja hear?
You know, celebration of our Lord Jesus resurrected for our sins. Big holiday over here, most years. Second only to Christmas over here, most years. Something we usually look forward to for several weeks.
This year...hmmm...not so much. Because I was helping at church, a few things kind of fell apart at home. Oh well. We'll schedule better next year. We did get a few things in and it was a lovely day over all...just not traditonal...or rather not OUR traditonal.
We did color eggs on Saturday. My girls LOVE coloring eggs. And we go it one further because we also dye paper towels...as evidenced in my last post. We dye paper towels because Bubba HATES plastic grass (with a purple passion)...so I use the dyed, dried paper towels in their baskets...
Here is the set up and the egg dying in all it's glory...
And after the fun of all that...the next morning we got up...went through their baskets...went to church...were there for two services...enjoyed ourselves. Went to TGIFriday's for lunch (not exactly Easter Dinner but I didn't have to do the dishes :) ). Came home...napped. Got up...ate dinner and watched a movie. Didn't remember until bed time that we hadn't hunted eggs, played with our Resurrection Eggs, read from the Bible or watched Cotton Patch Gospel...or any of the other things that make Easter, Easter over here.
I'm a little sad about it. But then again, it was last week and the memory is fading quickly with the fun of this week. As it should be.
See you around...
You know, celebration of our Lord Jesus resurrected for our sins. Big holiday over here, most years. Second only to Christmas over here, most years. Something we usually look forward to for several weeks.
This year...hmmm...not so much. Because I was helping at church, a few things kind of fell apart at home. Oh well. We'll schedule better next year. We did get a few things in and it was a lovely day over all...just not traditonal...or rather not OUR traditonal.
We did color eggs on Saturday. My girls LOVE coloring eggs. And we go it one further because we also dye paper towels...as evidenced in my last post. We dye paper towels because Bubba HATES plastic grass (with a purple passion)...so I use the dyed, dried paper towels in their baskets...
Here is the set up and the egg dying in all it's glory...
And after the fun of all that...the next morning we got up...went through their baskets...went to church...were there for two services...enjoyed ourselves. Went to TGIFriday's for lunch (not exactly Easter Dinner but I didn't have to do the dishes :) ). Came home...napped. Got up...ate dinner and watched a movie. Didn't remember until bed time that we hadn't hunted eggs, played with our Resurrection Eggs, read from the Bible or watched Cotton Patch Gospel...or any of the other things that make Easter, Easter over here.
I'm a little sad about it. But then again, it was last week and the memory is fading quickly with the fun of this week. As it should be.
See you around...
Me and Photography...
I've never been what could be considered a photographer. Actually, until I had kids, I wasn't even much of a picture taker.
But recently...I've been exploring my camera. Ever since I started reading Pioneer Woman and discovered her blog of tutorials on Photoshop and photography in general, I've gotten more and more interested. However, for the most part, I don't have the time or the inclination to sit down and really READ my manual. (I blame my past, I was an MCSE, after all, and a computer hardware girl beside...we don't READ to set up things unless it's to teach a class or pass a test...and we CERTAINLY don't look at the manual FIRST.)
But I have been learning in short bursts. Taking one thing and looking it up. Mucking about a bit. Then back to auto-point-and-shoot. Then some picture will catch my eye...or a new tutorial...and I'll take 3 minutes to see what my manual says about THAT. Then off I go again.
This makes for TONS of pictures that don't FIT anywhere...like this set from the other day...First I took it on auto...then flipped it to manual because I wanted to see the ripples...then after changing the shutter speed (ISO) and time value finally got close to what I was looking for. Of course, I'm not showing you the 6 other pictures I took as I got to where I wanted. PTL for digital photography technology, eh?
Or these two shots that simply show the difference between auto and manual/vivid...I was actually surprised at the difference...it's pretty subtle...but it's there...
Or my tiny foray into macro-photography...where else would I ever use this picture?
I stood in my kitchen the other day while the girls dyed paper towels and played with ISO (shutter speed...I think...it would have been film-speed on my old camera)...I discovered how much closer to the same light you are seeing without using a flash that you can get with this button. For instance, the first two are too light (used the flash) and too dark (no flash)respectively...The last two looked the same in the camera as what I was seeing with my eyes (I was standing with the bright window behind me and I think it was set at 400)...
I'm started to ENJOY taking pictures a little more. I'm starting to notice pictures out in the world that would be fun to take if only I could control my camera a little better. I'm even having better luck with first time straight out of the camera shots that actually LOOK like what I'm seeing...
Now if only I could figure out Photoshop. Oh how I miss my friend, The Camera King, who is always available by phone but of course knows FAR more than I know to ask him. Oh how I WISH that I'd studied less TCP/IP and more Photoshop...Guy, Gina, Dan...sorry I missed your classes...
Oh well...it'll be 2095 before I get all the way through this manual...but at least I found a place for a few of these extra pictures. PHEW!
See ya around...
But recently...I've been exploring my camera. Ever since I started reading Pioneer Woman and discovered her blog of tutorials on Photoshop and photography in general, I've gotten more and more interested. However, for the most part, I don't have the time or the inclination to sit down and really READ my manual. (I blame my past, I was an MCSE, after all, and a computer hardware girl beside...we don't READ to set up things unless it's to teach a class or pass a test...and we CERTAINLY don't look at the manual FIRST.)
But I have been learning in short bursts. Taking one thing and looking it up. Mucking about a bit. Then back to auto-point-and-shoot. Then some picture will catch my eye...or a new tutorial...and I'll take 3 minutes to see what my manual says about THAT. Then off I go again.
This makes for TONS of pictures that don't FIT anywhere...like this set from the other day...First I took it on auto...then flipped it to manual because I wanted to see the ripples...then after changing the shutter speed (ISO) and time value finally got close to what I was looking for. Of course, I'm not showing you the 6 other pictures I took as I got to where I wanted. PTL for digital photography technology, eh?
Or these two shots that simply show the difference between auto and manual/vivid...I was actually surprised at the difference...it's pretty subtle...but it's there...
Or my tiny foray into macro-photography...where else would I ever use this picture?
I stood in my kitchen the other day while the girls dyed paper towels and played with ISO (shutter speed...I think...it would have been film-speed on my old camera)...I discovered how much closer to the same light you are seeing without using a flash that you can get with this button. For instance, the first two are too light (used the flash) and too dark (no flash)respectively...The last two looked the same in the camera as what I was seeing with my eyes (I was standing with the bright window behind me and I think it was set at 400)...
I'm started to ENJOY taking pictures a little more. I'm starting to notice pictures out in the world that would be fun to take if only I could control my camera a little better. I'm even having better luck with first time straight out of the camera shots that actually LOOK like what I'm seeing...
Now if only I could figure out Photoshop. Oh how I miss my friend, The Camera King, who is always available by phone but of course knows FAR more than I know to ask him. Oh how I WISH that I'd studied less TCP/IP and more Photoshop...Guy, Gina, Dan...sorry I missed your classes...
Oh well...it'll be 2095 before I get all the way through this manual...but at least I found a place for a few of these extra pictures. PHEW!
See ya around...
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