Hot in Herr

There are a couple of things wrong with this picture:

My house is presently 91 degrees F.

The clock on the thermostat is wrong. It's actually a quarter to 8 in the evening.

There is no "cool" setting on the unit. None of the houses on-post have central air conditioning...not even the spanking brand new one we live in.

It's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow.

Did I Call at a Bad Time?

Isaiah is beginning to trust himself. He is so very eager to walk alone. We seemed to have hit a wall after his fantastic "first steps" 7 months ago. But with the addition of aquatic therapy once a week, he seems to be back on the right track. What is beyond frustrating for him and heartbreaking for me is when he lets go, takes a few steps, and then freezes--totally freaked out. He'll just stand there whining and shaking, unsure of what his next step should be, literally. But this weekend, something seems to be clicking. He walked the length of the couch (a sectional!) with his hand merely threatening to grab hold. It's so encourgaing to see all of his determination paying off.

This week I was sitting with Mariah waiting for Isaiah at one of his therapies. We were looking at videos on YouTube. I taught the kids how to do the "YMCA" dance earlier in the week and wanted to see if I could find other people doing it, correctly. (The original Village People "video" is posted on there---hee-larious).

So while we are sitting there, this couple walks in. It is obvious that they are in the middle of a fight. I could have cut the tension with a knife. I busy myself with Mariah and my netbook, but they don't try to hide the facts. The Lady is apparently upset that The Guy had a strange call on his cell phone. Guy gives Lady the phone and she points out the offending number, which conveniently isn't accompanied by a name and has the area code belonging to a questionable female. Guy is trying to convince Lady that there's a good explanation.

Before I could stop myself, I did a video search...then turned up the volume:

"Kiss Me Through the Phone" played softly in the air.

Shame on me, The Instigator, but that absolutely made my day.

Doctor, Doctor ~ Give Me the News

This week saw Isaiah and me at the doctor for check-ups. His was his 6-month cardiology follow-up ~ mine was my annual "I Love Being a Girl" exam. I think Isaiah behaved much better at his than I did at mine. He sat still for stats---even when it took over 5 minutes and 2 different fingers to get a decent pulse ox number on him. Dr. P did an echo to check the squeeze of his heart and Isaiah didn't even attempt to break the wand! Dr. P then suggested the EKG team perform a "modified", Isaiah-friendly test. So they kept him in his stroller, left on his shirt, and did limb leads only (with just one lead on his actual chest). It worked like a charm. No stress and one beautiful strip.

The beta blocker is suppressing the SVT (200+ beats per minute), but the arrhythmia remains (extra beats, occasional lack of pre-beats...). Therefore, Dr. P is going to consult with his colleague in Seattle. Isaiah is in no immediate danger, but it would be good to have a second opinion on options and treatment.

My gyn appointment was humiliating, per usual, but at least it was quick. Everything looks OK, but I have to schedule an ultrasound next week: there might be a cyst on my left ovary. I also discovered I have lost about 7 pounds since James deployed. I was aware of my weight loss (pants are a little loose), but seeing the actual number on the scale was startling. I bought some Carnation Instant Breakfast which is what they used to fatten me up during my pregnancies. But basically what I need to do is slow down and remember to eat.

Jenny Craig ain't got nothing on my "Deployed Husband & 3 Kids" diet...

Once you pop...

...you can't stop.

Here's what happens when your big sister leaves a can of Pringles unattended.

My Blessing

I know the odds look stacked against you
And it seems there's no way out
I know the issue seems unchangeable
And that there's no reason to shout
But the impossible is God's chance
To work a miracle, a miracle
So just know

Chorus
It ain't over until God says it's over
It ain't over until God says it's done
It ain't over until God says it's over
Keep fighting until your victory is won

He never said it would be easy
But you're a winner in the end
Jesus defeated all your enemies
Way before the fight began
But the impossible is God's chance
To work a miracle, a miracle
So just know

Chorus

Bridge
When people say you can't, remember
(He can, He can)
When you don't know what you're gonna do,
Please remember
(He has the master plan)
He will free you from your sin
And give you peace within
So hold your head up high
You're gonna win
(You're gonna win)

Chorus

Vamp
Keep fighting, keep praying, keep fasting
It ain't over, no
Keep pressing, progressing, keep moving
It ain't over, no
Keep reading, interceding, keep believing
It ain't over, no
Keep trusting, keep trying, keep travailing
It ain't over, no
Keep living, keep giving, keep going
It ain't over, no (8x)
Keep fighting until your victory is won

~As sung by Maurette Brown-Clark

A huge shout-out to Trina Gueck for Isaiah's The Littlest Heroes Project photo session, picture CD, and prints! It was an experience we won't soon forget and thanks to these wonderful pictures, we won't ever have to.

Thank you, Trina!

This and That Thursday

Isaiah is a water baby! ....though not big news to anyone who has seen him in the bathtub. He started aquatics therapy this week as part of his physical therapy. So far, he is loving it. Here he is right after he splashed his PTA in the face:




Did someone call a taxi? During the school year, the kids have been attending a school zoned outside of our neighborhood. There are 5 elementary schools here on post, but only one is capable and fully-equipped to provide for Isaiah's needs. It's one of the best schools in the entire school district. The girls have been attending on a waiver ~ basically making it easier on our family. But only Isaiah is authorized bus transportation. So I've been schlepping the girls there and back for over a year now. Now that Savannah is a 6th grader, she is bused to a middle school off-post for summer school (although I still have to pick her up from her after-summer-school math program). And that still leaves Mariah in need of a lift.

Funny thing, all week I kept passing a bus in our neighborhood on our way to school---a bus that always ended up AT the school. Turns out the kids in our neighborhood who attend our neighborhood school and are going to summer school are being BUSED to Mariah's school--the only school on-post hosting a summer school program this year!

Today I called transportation to see if someone could slip Mariah on that bus---only to find out that Mariah is already on their list....to be picked up at a stop one street over! OH HAPPY DAY. No more wrestling with Isaiah and his "How come I don't get to go to school today, too?!" attitude...no more stopping whatever I am doing in the middle of the day to make a mad dash to pick up a child...no more leaving the house at 8am dressed like a mental patient.

This might seem like a small logistical victory, but trust me, in our family the little things make the biggest difference.

Check back with me in the fall when all 3 of them will have to be at school by 8am...

All Around the Mulberry Bush...

1 Week?! Seriously?

James has been gone for exactly 7 days. One week. So why does it feel more like a month? I feel like I am the service member--doing more before 9am than most people do all day. It's easy to forget how inconvenient having one parent around is when your family unit is used to two. Is cloning illegal in Washington? Sharon 2.0 would be everything I need her to be and she wouldn't need to be told what to do. The amount of leisure time she could afford me would be insane.

But alas, there is only one of me--a refrain I find myself chanting over and over again to my children. They are settling in to James' absence and our "new normal" pretty well. They can be such complaint go-with-the-flow'ers sometimes....although Isaiah actually shrieked for joy when we finally pulled into the drive-way yesterday after a packed, hot day out.

Mariah has taken this week to become a serious ALF fan. We stumbled upon an ALF marathon on TV last week. Of course I was absolutely giddy--that show was a Monday night staple in 1986. I didn't know if the kids could fully appreciate it--especially Mariah, who is terrified of E.T. She loved it. We found the first season on DVD and have been watching every night. Savannah thinks it's silly. She's totally correct, but that hasn't stopped us from laughing like loons at that hairy, orange puppet.

Ooh, maybe I'll try to find the A-team next week...

I pity the fool who can't appreciate the cornball 80's!