Inch by Inch

I have no idea where this photo came from originally to give credit.  

This past weekend I had to take Henny Penny across town for her dance rehearsal for her recital this weekend.    When I'd left the house, I didn't realize that there was a race going on.  Traffic was re-routed time and time again.  At one point, while I was sitting at an intersection waiting for the traffic officers to wave me through in between runners as they ran by, I felt something with in rise up and shake it's fist.  

Months ago I had signed up for a 1/2 marathon.  When I spiraled down with my health again a few months ago I stood on the shore and waved that ship off into the sunset.  Little did I realize at the time that my spirit would call that ship back....

As I sat and watched those runners last week, I gripped the steering wheel and thought to myself, NO!  I will not let this beat me!  I will not let this West Nile Virus win!  I will run!  I am going to do this race even if I have to walk the entire way!  I will cross that finish line and triumphantly shake my fist at this disease.  

I will run this race for all who face something they are trying to over come or stand brave against.  Everyone has something!  We are all trying to be brave whether it is fighting health, an addiction, depression, facing yet another day,  “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. ” 
― Mary Anne Radmacher 

Yesterday I started my training again.  I've only a few weeks to get ready.  The race is June 9th.  Not enough time but as I was running yesterday I had a thought.  I was smiling at the way I run.  I don't choose a route.  I walk out my front door and then I just go.  I let my feet decide where I am going to go and so I had this thought.  I run where my feet take me, one inch at a time.  

Smells of Spring. Cleaning That Is....

The lilacs are in full bloom here.  I love cutting bunches of them and putting them all over my house.  This year is no different except for one thing.  I didn't take into account that all of the painting of doors, baseboards, and moldings would fill my house with such paint fumes that I can't smell the lovely lilacs............

The baseboards and doors have been sorely in need of being repainted.  Many years of being banged into, little dirty hands, and goobers.  After about an hour of crawling on my hands and knees yesterday painting I decided it would be easier to burn down this house and build another............

Cowboy

Levi got into the Halloween costume box!  He found some chaps, a hat, and my witch boots.

Levi:  Now I can ride cows!

Sittin' and Knittin'

Some projects I've been working on and just finished.

Pattern for dress is found in: 60 Quick Baby Knits.  I used 220 Superwash Cascade Yarn.  

A little spring dress for my nephew and his wife's soon to be born baby girl.  Side note:  My baby sis had her baby.  Remember the little green baby shoes I'd made and told her she needed to have a baby girl?  She had a baby boy..........  I forgive her.

Pattern for hat is found in:  Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders  

After you knit a project you get it wet and lay it out to dry.  This is called, blocking.  I placed this hat over one of my heater vents to dry.  One of The Native's came along, picked it up, and threw it saying, "Oh cool!  A Frisbee"!

The grass looks funky in this photo.  It is tons of white apple blossom petals that are covering the grass.

Pattern for scarf is found in:  Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders

A linen scarf for spring/summer.  The Native's say it looks like chain mail.........  They're so...... MALE!

Reality

What kids think of when they think of a Tonsillectomy.

What I think of when I think of a Tonsillectomy...........

A week and a half later.  Mom still sleeping downstairs on a mattress with the two boys.  Not sleeping actually because every two hours one of the boys is up crying.

I'm told days 5-9 are the worst.  Today is day 9.  Tomorrow better be full of rainbows, unicorns, raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens...........  

On the bright side, I've been getting a ton of reading and knitting done!  Photos to come of the projects I've knit and completed.

Tents Make It Better

Poor Mr. J is trying to smile here but it's not quite working.  Poor boy has gone through the ringer.  Or so he feels.

When one is destined to spend a week or more on the couch recovering from surgery, one must put down stakes and camp out for a bit.

Makes it way more bearable.

Mr. M is also on a couch right by Mr. J but no tent for him.  He is way too miserable.  This has proven to be quite painful for him and the last two days and nights have been spent in a lot of tears.  Last night being the worst.  I'd get one settled down and comfortable finally and the other would wake up crying and in pain.  They both took turns all night.

We're really hoping we've hit the peak of all of this and that the two boys start to come down on the pain levels.

On a funny side note.  Two siblings have been complaining that they want their tonsils out too because they want lots of ice cream, popsicles, treats, etc.  After the yesterday they decided that they wanted to keep their tonsils right where they were.  Not worth it.

Surgery

Mr. J and Mr. M have to have surgery.  As Mr. J says........ if you snore like a huge pig you have to get your tonsils out.  Both Mr. J and Mr. M have honkin' snore like a pig and make it hard to breath at night tonsils.

The day before surgery both Native's went to school and told their classmates they were going to be able to have all the ice cream they wanted!  Mr. J is in first grade.  His teacher calls her little class her little ducklings. She sent this little duckling home with a cute stuffed duckling to help comfort him during his surgery.  We like Mr. J's teacher.  A lot!!  

Do these two look like they have any idea what is in for them???

It's time!  Mr. M is checking himself in.   

Into the elevator we go and up to the fourth floor.  Notice Mr. J's back pack?  He has his little stuffed duckling that he named, "Quack" inside.

In jammies, rain coats, and arm banded.

It's 12:00 noon.  Filling out paperwork......... and more paperwork.......... and more paperwork........

Waiting........ hungry........... haven't eaten anything since 11:00 the night before which was actually hilarious.  We'd told both boys they could eat to their hearts content because after 11:00 PM they couldn't eat or drink another thing!  They both got excited and stuffed themselves silly until about 10:30 PM when Mr. M said he was so full his tummy hurt and maybe it wasn't a good idea to eat until he was stuffed.

Our sweet little duckling....

Time to weigh in and see how tall we are.  Mr. M is three inches from being five feet!

Toys to help distract for what is to come.

Both boys picked the good old rubik's cube.

Checking vitals.

More paper work........... and more paper work........... and more paper work...............

I'm bummed these next two photos turned out blurry because this whole get up Mr. M had to wear was too funny.  We called him Barney the purple dinosaur.

And the lovely paper boxer shorts he got to wear underneath.  Perfect!  At least he has something to wear underneath!!  Normally it's a cute little bootie sticking out.

Both in hospital jammies now.  Mr. M getting his vitals checked.  This nurse was so sweet.  So good to our boys.

Both tucked in bed waiting for anesthesia!  These two were so cute.  Several nurses stopped and told us how adorable our boys were.

Okay.  The purple dinosaur suit.  Have you ever seen anything like this??  The thing has vents in it that you hook this thing up that looks like a central vacuum system.  Instead of vacuuming it blows warm air or cold air depending on what you like/want in the gown.  Mr. M wanted the hottest air possible so he could be toasty warm in his big purple suit.

Out comes, "Quack" to keep the boys company now that they are all situated in their bed.  Mr. J is running the tv controls.

Time for surgery.  It's Mr. J's turn!

Here we go!

Can I just say as a parent this is really hard to watch?  Watching someone wheel your child away through doors for surgery!!  By the time the day was done I was in need of some major chocolate!

Sniffle.........

Mr. M in his fancy hat.  It's his turn now.

And off he goes.......

Emotional meltdown at about this point.......

Not enough chocolate in the world.............

And then the hardest part.  The waiting.  I brought knitting....... a book to read.........  I couldn't.  I couldn't focus.  I just sat and waited.  In the recovery room I could hear a child screaming and crying.  It broke my heart.  It made the wait that much more harder.  I worried that when Mr. J or Mr. M would come to, they would be upset and cry and I wouldn't be there to hold and comfort them.  We weren't allowed in the recovery room.  Believe me.  We tried.  The nurse told us no.  We told her yes.  She went and asked the manager.  The manager said no.  The nurse who was pictured earlier who had been with the boys before they went into surgery said she'd go and sit with the boys so that when they woke up they'd see her, a familiar face.  I felt better.  That was nice of her.  Especially since her shift was ended or had ended.

Little one back from surgery.  Drugged and sleeping still.

All went well.  "Quack" is doing a good job taking care of Mr. J.  So is the little green fish the nurse gave Mr. J.

Mr. M gives a thumbs up.  He's doing pretty good.  Until he tries to stand to use the restroom and all of the blood drains from his face and he turns as white as the sheet covering him.  No food or drink in over fifteen hours now.......  He's feeling it!

Two very pale duckies given the okay to go home.

I tell The SM we need to stop on the way home and get these boys some protein drinks ASAP so they could get some color back in their faces and some strength and energy!

Down the elevator we go while The SM goes and gets the truck!

 Home.  Around the clock every three hours meds.  A kitchen table and fridge and freezer full of anything and everything you can think of cold and liquidy that these boys could ever want to slurp.  And The Mum feeling like her eyelids are sandbags and wondering how in the world she used to get up every three hours for feedings when these two were babies!