Ahhh!  It's music to my ears (literally!)

 

We lost our Oldies radio station almost a year ago to a rap-heavy pop music station.  The new station is pretty good, although they burst onto the scene with an obnoxious marketing campaign centered around making fun of the long established competition station.

 

There is another station that plays music that some might consider oldies, but it is more seventies rock with the odd oldie thrown in.

 

Imagine my delight and surprise when I learned that another station was changing formats to become an oldies station!  This one is on the fringe of my listening area, it is HQ'd north of where I live, but I still get good reception.  I have been enjoying the Oldies all day.  :D

 

Nothing beats a golden oldie except maybe a ditty from the eighties!

 

I can rest easy tonight, knowing that order has been restored to the radio-station-format universe!

 

HUGS  -Jen

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in Florida, near Orlando, at Shawn's grandparent's place in a RV camp ground.  We had a good time for the most part.  The kids loved spending time with their great grandparents, who in turn, doted on them and adored their every action.  The car rides were rough, but we all made in through in one piece, even though Colleen was SURE that her butt was actually going to stick to the car seat and pull clean away from the rest of her body several times both ways.

 

We did lots of fun things: Took Colleen to Disney World and to a small citrus grove (where she got to pick her own strawberries and eat orange ice cream), both kids got several golf cart (or should I say "Dolf Tart") rides and on the last day they even got to see the 2 foot alligator that lives in one of the ponds.  The kids got to open their Christmas presents while they were there and both of them LOVED what they received.  It was nice that Grandma and Grandpa (or as they say, Mam-maw and Pap-paw) got to see them enjoying their new things.

 

Shawn and I even got to go on a date.  We went to dinner and a movie (Casino Royale, it was wonderful - best James Bond movie that I have seen, although I have not seen them all).  It was so nice to spend the time with him without worrying about the kids or how much we were going to owe the babysitter at the end of the night (a dinner and movie date usually runs $50 in babysitting fees alone).

 

I really love Shawn's grandparents, and I feel like they love me right back.  I feel comfortable with them, truly like they are my own family.  It was very nice to get to spend so much time with them.

 

Something I never want to forget is Colleen's reaction to the fireworks at the end of the day at Disney.  She delighted everyone around us as she watched them.  She commented on every single thing - each time the castle changed colors, every explosion of light.  When she felt I was not looking exactly at the latest firework to go off, she would tell me right where to look and make sure that I saw it.  We joked that she should replace Jiminy Cricket as the Narrator.  About half way through I cried a little - the emotion that my good fortune evokes is so overwhelming some times that it escapes out in happy tears.  I don't have words or expressions to convey how lucky and blessed I feel to be so happy and to get to do so many wonderful things with the people I love the most.  And the fact that they love me back... I really am the luckiest girl in the world.

 

Once we get the pictures downloaded, I will put a few favorites up here. 

 

HUGS  -Jen

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

 

We are off to visit family and a certain famous mouse.

 

Pictures and cute stories are promised next week. 

 

Until then, Toodles!

 

HUGS -Jen

Folks who have read my ramblings for a while may remember my frustrations with our community's Home Owner's Association, and through opening my big mouth to complain I landed the "job" of volunteer newsletter writer / printer / distributor.

 

On Tuesday I had a message from one of the board members offering me a position on the board.  Our HOA board must have 3 members and two of the original members for the 2006 board have resigned their posts and moved away.  One position was filled by the other non-boardmember that was already volunteering in another capacity (The Architectural Review Committee Chair), and I was offered the spot for the second outgoing member.

 

I thought it through and talked with Shawn about it on Tuesday.  He said Go For It.  I was planning on calling today and accepting, but I hadn't gotten around to listening to the message again and jotting down the phone number when I got the follow up call this afternoon.

 

So now I am unofficially on the HOA board of directors.  It is not "official" until we go through the formality of the 2nd guy "officially" resigning and then I have to "officially" accept.  Evidently these are phone calls that are going to take place in the near future.  I am somewhat perplexed over this process - 2nd guy has already said he is resigning, I have already said I will fill in, seems to me like more phone calls to make it "official" are redundant, but hey - what do I know?

 

Aside from the beginning where I aired my issues and complaints to both the property management company and to the person I am replacing (he was president of the board, one of the others will shift to that role and I will be taking the secretary position).  After that I have kept my big mouth shut.  Even though there is still an original member on the board now, I strongly suspect that they are in for a surprise once they start hearing my views on things.

 

If I can change anything more to the resident's favor, you can bet I am going to!  While I am thinking about it, here is a short list of things that are important to me:

 

OK so that is what I would change, if given the chance.  Here's my chance, let's see what happens.

 

HUGS  -Jen

Oh my gosh next week is Thanksgiving.  Holy cow.  I am sort of freaking out a tiny bit over how quick Christmas is coming up, in other words: 4 more paychecks - ack!

 

I just checked my spreadsheet.  I have to place 3 more orders for other folks and I have 2 orders to place for my own kids.  I have individual worksheets in my spreadsheet for each of the orders, including shipping costs and tax, so at least I know exactly how much I am going to need in dollars and cents.  Ok, on the computer screen it doesn't look so bad.

 

But I have this nagging feeling that I have a lot less than I planned on for my own kids.  Once I finish setting the house to rights (I just went through another flurry of "take everything out and put it back in a slightly different place") I will re-organize all of the gifts.  I will put all of Colleen's in one box, Wesley's in another, then group the rest by what address I am shipping it to. 

 

That will help me get a good handle on what I have for my two kids.  I don't want to go hog-wild or anything, but I do want to make sure that they are suitably impressed on Christmas morning when we all come down the stairs.  Colleen is 3 years old now and at the age where we are laying ground work for life long memories.  I want her memories of her childhood Christmases to be magical.  :)

 

We are also doing Operation Christmas Child, and donating their old toys to places where they can be used.  We are also participating in a food collection drive.  I want the kids to see that our good fortune comes with the responsibility of helping others in need.  Since we are going to be home this year for Christmas, I am going to look into stopping by a nursing home or long term care facility with small tokens for the residents.  At Christmas the big focus is on the children, and that is as it should be.  But at the same time, our seniors deserve kindness during the holidays as well and I think it would do my kids a world of good to see "respect your elders" in practice.

 

I'm going to wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas.  I am going to keep the outside decorations simple this year.  There is a certain beauty in simplicity (due, in part, to a smaller electricity bill, I'm sure!).  I am going to put Colleen's small "table top" tree in her room again this year.  We are definately putting the white tree up, with it's color coordinated ornaments of light purple and varying shades of blue, in the big window in the living room.  I am also going to get a small tree for Wesley's room.  After all of that is out, I will see how I feel about putting up the green tree with our various mis-matched ornaments that all have their own stories.  If I put that tree up, I believe I will put it in our bedroom.  We have those electric timers and those new fancy pants stay-cool LED lights, so I could set it so that I could fall asleep watching twinkling lights each night without too much worry of buring down our house around me.

 

Ahhh.  Ok, I am feeling better about Christmas again.  Guess I just needed to put everything down in black and white in order to see what is left to do and how to manage it.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

HUGS  -Jen

Colleen used to be such a good sleeper.  Put her down at 8pm, she got up at 8am.  Life was good.

 

That all changed this past "spring foward" time change earlier this year.  Ever since then her sleep times have been out of whack.  She is becoming more and more of a night owl, like her father.  Every night we have to put her back to bed half a dozen or more times.  She tries everything to stay up later - all the regular things like a drink of water, using the bathroom one last time, needing her eczema cream.  Most nights she also plays with her pony stuffed animals, her barbies, her books.  She usually watches a movie as well and always attempts to spend the night in my bed.

 

Tonight she is pressing her luck.  We have been trying to get her down since about 8:45 (it's 11:45 now).  She has run through every one of her typical excuses.  I thought I finally had her down and went downstairs to work on a cake I am doing for her little friend, Megan's birthday.  I was just starting to hit my groove with it when I hear the pitter patter of little Colleen feet sneaking down the stairs.  She tells me that she can't sleep in her room because there is a bug in there.  She has gotten herself worked up to "near terror" levels.  I sigh and get up from the table.  We come upstairs and I check her room for bugs. 

 

I sit her down on her bed and tell her that she has to stop this, that she needs her rest.  I go through our usual conversation - what we are going to do tomorrow (Megan's birthday party), what we are going to eat for breakfast (pancakes), when she is allowed to leave her room (breakfast time), and how she is not going to come into mommy and daddy's room in the middle of the night to sleep with us.  She nods her head dutifully at each point I make and has her "I am totally listening to this and absorbing every word you are saying" expression on her face.  After I finish I ask her why she told me there was a bug in her room. 

 

She said "b'cuz dere's a BUG in my ROOM." 

 

I said, "Colleen.  I have looked all over.  There are no bugs in your room." 

 

"Yes dere is," she replies earnestly, touching her thumb and forefinger together, "It's a little bug"

 

 

It took all my self control to keep a straight face.  What will that girl come up with next?

Colleen sang along for the first time to a song on the radio.  So cute!  For the big occasion, she chose "Does your chain hang low?"

That's my girl.

 

Teef color coordinated... Red and blue like the American flag...

 

All I can say is -

 

If bein' fresh to def is a crime, it's time fa me to see tha jury.

Long story short, we are home again.
 
We saw Dr Ponseti yesterday.  The good news is that we got to come home today.  The bad news is that Dr Ponseti can't do anything for Wesley's foot.  He said that castings are not going to help his foot any more.  It will always have a tendency to revert back up to the clubbed position.  He said that the best thing to do is to wear the brace while he is sleeping and for 2 hours during the day.  He said that the best therapy will be Wesley learning to walk, since his right leg muscles are severely atrophied and his heel cord is very tight.  He said that Wesley has a difficult case of Club Foot and that he is a potential candidate for the Anterior Tibular Tendon Transfer surgery (the one his current doctor has been talking to us about).  He needs to be at least 30-32 months old before he can have that surgery (he is almost 18 months now), so we have a while before that decision has to be made.  Hopefully walking will stretch out his foot enough that the surgery will not be necessary, but Dr Ponseti felt like it was likely that Wesley will have to have the ATTT surgery.  He said that it is not an invasive surgery and that it is OK if he does require it.  He tried to reassure me that it would be OK.  He said that Wesley will be just fine and that he is in good hands with Dr Frick.  Hearing Dr Ponseti tell me the same things that Dr Frick was saying about Wesely's treatment gives me confidence that we are with the right doctor, FINALLY! 

Dr Ponseti's staff did adjust Wesley's Mitchell brace so that it would be at the optimal angles for his two different feet, so that is also a good thing.

I am trying very hard not to be disappointed.  I had my heart set on "two to three casts" and Wesley coming home with a perfect foot.  I am coming to terms with that not being the case.  His foot looks pretty good.  Unless you know he has a club foot, or you know about club foot in general, you don't know that anything is wrong with his foot.  It looks almost normal, and so much better than it did when he was born.  It will be OK.  At least we know that we exhausted all options and that we did everything we could for Wes.  It is not the end of the world if he does need that surgery down the road.  It could have been so much worse.  As far as birth defects go, this one is not bad at all.  I'd rather club foot than retardation, or down syndrome, or cerebral palsy, etc.  Heck, he could have been born without a foot at all.  (Sounds convincing, right?  I'm almost believing it myself!)

 

At any rate, we are home again and Colleen is thrilled.  She really missed us.  She insisted on talking to Wesley on the phone every time we spoke, which was very cute.  She kept asking him if he was OK.  I am glad to be back as well.  I missed Shawn and Coco very much, and traveling with Wesley was no picnic, but that is a story for another time (perhaps after a few therapy sessions and a stiff drink!)

 

I'll be around to catch up with everyone soon - but first... celebrity gossip!  Wow today was a doozie as far as new dirt goes!

 

HUGS  -Jen

I am so impressed that I have to write about this.

 

Yesterday, after our trip was finalized, I called Wesley's local orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Frick's office, and told his nurse Andrea that we are taking Wesley to Iowa to see Dr. Ponseti.  Andrea was thrilled for us.  She told us she would let Dr. Frick know.  I told her that we want to stay with Dr Frick and that this is not a reflection on him, it is just something I have to do so that I know that I did everything possible to correct Wesley's foot.  She said she would pass the message along.  A few hours later I got a call back from Andrea.  She said that Dr. Frick was very happy for us, this is a wonderful opportunity for Wesley and he was looking forward to receiving Dr Ponseti's case notes. 

 

Their reaction was very reassuring to me.  I feel like if you truly want what is best for the child's foot you will not let your ego stand in the way.  They were honestly excited for us that we were able to do this for Wes.  There were no ill feelings whatsoever.

 

Then just a few minutes ago, I got another call.  Dr Frick called me himself.  Asked me about Wesley's foot (I had mentioned to Andrea yesterday that it had reverted again).  I explained it to him and told him that it is very difficult for me because I follow the bracing protocol that the doctors prescribe 100% and yet the foot still reverts.  He said that if he were me, he would take Wesley to Iowa too.  He said that he suspects that Wesley's foot will be upgraded to the atypical/complex category (we are currently at atypical/severe).  We talked about Wesley's gross motor skills (Wes is so behind that his pediatrician has given us a referral to be evaluated by a pediatric physical therapist).  Wes is going to be 18 months in a few days.  Even kids with club foot are walking by now.  He is a good two months past the "late-but-normal" range for walking.  He rarely puts weight on his club foot and the leg is noticably weaker than his non-club footed left leg.  We talked a little more about the ATTT surgery (Wes needs to be at least 30 months old to do it, so that the bone that the tendon is transferred to is mature enough).  He talked to me about courses of action that he has seen Dr Ponseti recommend to Dr Frick after patients have gone to Iowa and then returned to Dr Frick's care.  He made me feel really good about going, couldn't praise Dr Ponseti enough and said he couldn't wait to see Wesley's foot after.  Said he would fit us in whenever we needed to see him, especially if Dr Ponseti sends Wesley home in a cast that needs to be removed.  He gave me some tips on things to take with me (suckers for Wesley while the plane is taking off and landing, don't forget the brace, pack warm clothes, they have really cold weather).

 

I had a good feeling about Dr Frick from the start, which was mitigated when he said to have Wesley only wear the brace for 12 hours a day.  But his reaction to our decision to take Wes to Iowa has restored my faith in him.  His desire for Wesley to have the best foot possible is, in my eyes, the mark of a good doctor.

It's official!  Wes and I are going to Iowa to see Dr. Ponseti.  We leave this Sunday, 11/5 at 7:22am.  Good grief?!?!  How am I going to get Shawn up that early?  lol

 

Colleen is staying home with Shawn.  Wes and I will be gone until Wednesday 11/15.  We are staying at the Ronald McDonald House, as long as there is an open room (the staff feels confident that there will be.  Reservations are tricky because once you have a room, it is yours until you don't need it anymore). 

 

The cost of the trip has been significantly reduced.  We were able to use frequent flier miles to book my ticket, Wes flies free because he is under 2 years old and is considered a "babe in arms".  Ronald McDonald house (RMH) is amazing.  They have a community kitchen where you can eat free for every meal, they provide transportation to the hospital, laundry machines and detergent are free as well.  All for $15 a night.  The amenities of the RMH go a long way towards us being able to make this trip right before the holidays.  Also, Colleen is only going to have to go to preschool two extra days over and above what we normally pay for, so it is only $40 extra dollars.  Neighbors will keep her next Friday (daycare is closed for a holiday) and the Wednesday I come home.

 

We are still postponing our trip to Florida to see Shawn's grandparents and to take Colleen to Disney.  In part because of the money, but also because I will be returning Wednesday and then we would have to turn around and leave that Friday evening or Saturday morning for Florida.  Being away from the house for 10 days is going to be hard.  I can't face adding another 7-8 days to that, it would be too much for me.  I would be stressed out for the entire Florida trip, which would be no fun - for me or anyone around me!  :)

 

I am excited and nervous at the same time.  Dr. Ponseti believes he can correct Wesley's foot in two casts, then return to a full time bracing regimen for a while before tapering off to just nap time and night time.  If his foot reverts again after this, I fear the ATTT (tendon transfer) surgery will be the next step.  But... one step at a time.  What I really ought to be worrying about is travelling with a wriggley Wesley!  :)

 

HUGS  -Jen