updates on a Saturday quiet morning...

My friend Beth sent me this photo of me and the kids at her son's b-day party. It is rare that everyone is smiling at the camera so I loved this photo... I'm glad she sent it to me. She is awesome and this is why I love her for all these years.


These chances for me to update this blog seem to get fewer and fewer this summer. I am not kidding - the two classes I am in are really kicking my a##!!! But I think it is due for some updates, so here I am...

Still waiting for the patho results for Olivia's surgery last week. They must have cauderized the bleeding area b/c she has had any spotting since last week. I need to make the follow up appt..

My own mammogram was normal. I guess I get a free ride now for 3 years. I don't plan on having another one anytime during school.

I had a really bad day last week when I got the grade for a paper I had turned in for one of my classes. My friends all got 95%, 97% and 100%, so I was anxious to see my own grade - sure it was going to be great.

Not so... I got an 87%. The teacher tore up my paper! I was highly insulted because I thought I turned in an awesome writing paper, but it was also the first big paper I've had to do in 11 years, right? (I had a paper that I did for our last class in the spring, but I don't think that guy even reads it).

This teacher is VERY strict and follows the rules about writing to 't'. She took away points for it not being 100% APA style which is a writing style for college papers. Since then, my other class has drilled us with learning APA style - so I'm sure that I'm better at it now than I was in May.

Next paper for this class is due June 30th. Hoping for a better grade.

REALITY CHECK - I have 4 children, married to a busy, overtime working guy, am working and attending college in a master's degree level college and still getting A's. Why do I let one B on a paper pull me down? I don't know but I did.

Happy Father's day to everyone this weekend. Sunday is also my birthday so I have to share it with my hubby and my dad... not so bad. We are all planning (me and my whole clan, my parents, and Rich/Patricia) on going out to an early dinner together. Hopefully it won't be so bad and the children will behave.

It is my only prayer this weekend.

I need to spend time working on my paper -Bryan is taking the children to a party at his sister's house. I'm hoping to get a good part of this done.

Olivia's surgery/procedure

Olivia had her procedure today. It was a l-o-n-g day... didn't have to be at the hospital until 12pm.

Luckily, I knew (used to work with) the nurse who took care of her before she went in and went to school (last semester) with the nurse who had her post-op.

Plus, a student nurse anesthestist gave her the anesthesia. I introduced myself and found out she is almost done... will graduate in Dec. of 2009. She will be there when I start in August.

She advised me that the schedule kept for the first year is really difficult - but did say that it was 'do-able'. She made sure I was aware that it would be harder with children.

Great.

Olivia did well. She didn't even have an IV for it. They just used the gas to put her to sleep for a short while. She woke up with a terrific headache, crying. But they have motrin and she was better within a half hour.

The doctor didn't really find anything. She did notice a small area (just inside) that was weeping blood and raw. She swabbed it for a sample, but no bleeding from above that - which is good.

No tumors or anything.

She did mention that she couldn't rule out pinworms and that she sent down specimens that would tell her if they are present. She explained that if she had pinworms, she would be itching in her sleep and causing bleeding.

However, Olivia has not ever itched down there. She denies any itching and I would have noticed her scratching at some point over the past 8 months, right?

I don't think that is it...besides - people with pinworms lose weight. She as definitely not lost weight.

Doctor says she know more next week sometime.

Paige and Wade

Just so I don't leave out the two little ones...

Here are some recent photos. We were at Andrew Maldonado's 1st birthday party. He is the son of my friend and former roommate, Beth, and is one month younger than Paige.

The party was at Tree tops park and painfully hot that day. Compared to the weeks of rain we've had though, it was pretty and they lucked out with the weather.

As always, it was nice to see everyone in their family.

Hip hop show... more

This is Meredith's group. It would take forever to upload the videos - they are big files - but maybe later, I'll try.

Hip hop show... 2009

Olivia and Meredith had the end of the year Hip Hop performance in May.

Bryan, me, Wade and our neighbor Jessica all attended. Paige stayed home with Grandma.

It was a long show - but good music so who can complain.

These photos are of Olivia's group and Wade sitting with daddy.

Some photos - June 2009

All of the end of the year activities were a lot of fun I'll spend a few minutes posting some recent photos.

These first photos are from the end of April. (yes, that is how long they have been stuck inside my camera).

The girls' elementary school has an annual outdoor called Tana-kee-kee. All grades participate in it and it becomes a great tradition that they all look forward to.

Different grades are assigned roles and projects that teach the other grades about life and history of Florida.

Kindergarten = Florida wildlife. (they have to make a puppet of animals found in Florida)

1st grade - Citrus growers. (they sing a song about the goodness of citrus and have games like 'grapefruit bowling' for the other grades to play).

2nd grade - Ranchers - (they dress like cowboys and sing around a pretend campfire).

3rd grade - Pioneers - (they dress like pilgrims and host a trading post. they sing songs)

4th grade - Seminoles - (they create miniture thatch huts and villages and sing songs while doing rain dances.)

5th grade - Military - (they have army tents and games inside the tents to show the younger ones what it is like to live outdoors.)

This year, Olivia was a pioneer. (pictured with Bryan) and Oliva was a Citrus grower (with me).

I was unable to go to both days... Bryan had to fill in.

Paige spoke with me today.

Well, it finally happened. Paige called me 'Mama' from across the room.

I was walking away from her, as she was sitting in the comfy, blue Thomas the Train seat that Auntie Linda gave Wade. She was all set up to watch TV and I thought I'd sneak off to make a fresh cup of coffee and check my email.

Suddenly, I hear - "Mama... Mama" from behind me. At first, I thought I had imagined it. So I kept walking.

Then she said it again, so I turned around to see her sitting straight up and looking at me... calling me.

How cute is that?

She is not a little baby anymore and an active part of this household.

Too cute...