Jack

The Diary of Fred and Ginger

I don't know when or why I started calling Anna-Claire, Fred. It's not like she needs anymore nicknames. A C, ACE, A C KAT, Anna-Claire, Hey YOU, Monkey, and Fred. Well, she's never been that keen on it, until I told her she could either call me Ginger or Wilma (I don't need to explain this, do I?). And now that the kids are all in school, it's just her and I all morning. Until she goes to school at 12:30.
To be honest, one on one time in a house of five kids is practically impossible. So today was like a breath of fresh air. (For both of us)
We dropped the kids off, left the car at school, and walked to Main Street. We had bagels with cream cheese, Fred threw a penny in every fountain, checked out Culinary Corner, antique stores, and all the pink things we could find. You know, cause pink is (according to Fred) the best color. And when Main Street no longer held our attention, we walked (rather, Ginger walked, Fred hitched a ride on Ginger's back) to Lincoln Park.
Okay, so we did indulge and hit the McDonalds for a happy meal and said hello to our friends at Johnson's House of Flowers before it was time for school. But this was one of the best days I've ever had with my little Fred.

Quotes of the Day...

"Can we do this ever day?"

After hearing a motorcycle behind her "I did NOT fart!"

"Come on, Ginger!" "Let's go, Fred"

Hold's up an antique pink dress "I'm totally into this."

"LETS GO TO SCHOOL!"

No Throwing Rocks!!!

Cody is my middle child. He's the one that makes me pray for patience or calgon (whichever comes first). And he's typically in trouble eighty-five percent of his life.

So when my daughter came in and said Cody had thrown a rock at some kid. I did what I always do. I took a deep breath and screamed "CODY!!!!"

Now, to his defense, he did tell the truth and fessed up in throwing the rock. But he tacked on what the other girls had not. The child to which he had thrown a rock at had done a bit of name calling and thrown a rock at him first... and with apparently accurate aim.
Now, no... Cody wasn't off the hook. He got his punishment in full force. But to the child who was, according to Cody, much taller and rode an orange bike, I felt the need to enforce the same lesson.
No, I don't want revenge and I don't think Cody was justified in what he did. But if there is some little prick running around name calling and throwing rocks, I fully intend to take him home to his mother and allow her to install the same set of manners that should've already been taught. Yes, I realize that if some strange woman came to my door with my child accusing them of something they had done, I would be mortified. But I do think that at some point, you need to know that your child is terrorizing the neighborhood and that it's not appreciated.

No, I didn't find the little squirt due to a terenchal downpour. But if I see him... make no mistake, I have no qualms taking him directly home.

Okay.... I'll climb off my soapbox now.

Child's Prayer

Tonight, Luke and I and our five kids were chlllin' on our back patio when we heard sirens.

Anna-Claire came running up to me very upset. "Mom, did you hear that? What should we do?"

My response "You pray for them."

She bowed her head and looked at me...and with my help... she said this prayer

"Dear Jesus,

Please be with the person who might be hurt. Help the ambulance workers too. Be with the policemen who might be chasing a bad guy. And Jesus, be with the firefighters who might be putting out a fire.
Amen"

Anna-Claire gave me the biggest smile...cause she knew.... there really was something she could do...

A 5 year old's prayer :)

The 3 M's

Sometimes, you just gotta let it all go.

Last night I did exactly that.
I've recently had to process a lot of information that I just don't know what to do with. (More to come on that later... but not now) So, rather than continue to teeter back and forth about what to do, I decided to cook.
Since my favorite place on earth is Maui,and I'm not going there anytime soon, I chose the next best thing. A Maui inspired dinner.
The Menu -

(1) Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi - An A list item. I give it 5 stars.

(2) Mai Tai's - God bless the inventor of those!

(3) Michael Buble' Not exactly Maui material, but I love him... so he fits.

There is quite possibly nothing better than an exceptional dinner followed by an evening dance in the kitchen.
Yep, that was fun. Tonight -pineapple pork chops.

Grenade

I'd catch a grenade for you
Throw my hand on a blade for you
I'd jump in front of a train for you
You know I'd do anything for you
I would go through all this pain
take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes I would die for you, baby

But you won't do the same

After hearing this song a couple times, my husband announced this was so true about me. And I had to think for a second, cause being accused of this sort of sounds like being called a heartless shrew.
Now granted, the verses in the song definitely depict a heartless, should be hospitalized for some serious mental problem, crazy chic. And that was NOT what my husband meant.

He was basically pointing out that I probably wouldn't run to jump in front of a flying bullet for him if I saw one in time to catch it. He was right!

But when I told him he was right, he got seriously offended.
It took me some time to think it through though. Why on earth would I, given the opportunity, not try to save my husband?

There must be an answer to this question.
Looking for clues, I thought of the Titanic. "Women and children on the boats first." Okay, so there's that. But that's not what I would consider a good excuse.

So I went with the big guns.
"Luke, tell me we where in the Bible does it say that a wife has to die for her husband?"

Luke "Ummmm..."

Me "Exactly! It doesn't. In fact the opposite. It says a husband is to love his wife the way Christ loved the church. And what did Christ do for the church? He DIED! So this means that YOU have to DIE for ME! Case in point - that song is very accurate!"

Luke "Okay, fine. Actually, it would be pretty messed up if you saved me instead of me saving you."

And now "Grenade" by Bruno Mars is my husband's ringtone on my phone.

My Guy!

Where to begin....

Almost 2 years ago, Justin had a seizure. A bad one. It was one of the single most scary things I've ever witnessed. (And I've seen this child with a fishing lure dangling from his eyeball)
My child didn't know who I was, didn't know his name, didn't know where his room was, and couldn't even figure out how to put on his own clothes. He vomited several times before going and getting under a pile of laundry. When I took him to the ER they ruled it a seizure, and after several tests... which he doesn't remember... we scheduled an EEG (electroencephalography).
We met with a neurologist that basically told us we get a freebie, but if it happens again... meds!

Well, he never passed out again. Thank God... cause that was terrifying! But he just progressively got ... how to say it... not right. The thing is... looking back is so 20/20 hindsight. It's been so gradual that I didn't notice right away. But when I realized that he couldn't figure stuff out anymore, I really thought he was just being a twit. Holding a conversation became SO one sided and single tracked it was irritating. There were times that he would do everything so slowly it was like he was either a zombie, or on dope. (he's not) But it really felt that way. Other times he's really cool. He cracks good jokes, he helps out around the house, he's in all other ways a pretty normal kid. Until he has an episode. He just... isn't there anymore. Doesn't get it.

Since we began Messiah Lutheran (awesome school, amazing teachers and staff) he's been so stressed out about being with kids his own age, tests, grades, not being home... that his weird behavior became serious. So I scheduled an appointment with a pediatrician.
Yeah.... umm... one doctor is not just as good as the next.

She basically said she thought he was still having seizures and referred us back to the initial neurologist (brain doc). I HATE when they do that! "I've got no clue.... you're google is as good as mine... go see someone else!"

And so we did.
He goes... "Well, two years ago, when he had the EEG there was a lot of seizure activity..."

STOP!!!!!!!!!!

What the hell did he just say?! This is the first I've heard of it AFTER TWO YEARS..... and don't worry, I was so pissed off I called my mom and screamed at her, and then I called Luke and screamed at him until my voice was hoarse.

No wonder we've been going freaking backwards!!!!!!

My child... the one that I didn't have to worry about. My child... the one that understood everything. My child.... the genius that was reading 4th grade books at age 6. My child.... has been fading away and no one could tell me why.

Someone referred me to Dr Patrice Whistler.

We had to book this appointment in way advance (clue #1)

When we arrived, we waited for 50 minutes to see the doctor (clue #2)

When she walked in.... I handed her a printed sheet of things that I'd been noticing about Justin for a while. She took it, asked to keep it, started writing notes all over it.... and as we talked she rummaged through her computer to find his EEG report (to which she read to me)... something I'd never heard. My stomach dropped when I heard it. It was like a punch to the gut when I heard the diagnosis "epilepsy" . This had been sitting in some back archive file for two years and I'd never heard this.

All I can think is... how long has his brain been re-routing and cross firing and playing Pearl Harbor and Beaches of Normandy? It's been WWII inside there for how long?

Dr. Whistler was so awesome... she laid out a huge plan and a series of test, new sleep EEG, psych education, PTOT assessment, labs and a pediatric neurologist referral .... the works.
It finally feels good to be heading in the right direction with someone who KNOWS what they're doing.