A Different Kind of Giving Thanks

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our extended family last Sunday. Johnna's fiance was here from the middle east. relatives. cousins. kids. Filled the house with 16. Crazy. Zoo-ish. Like my childhood.

G got a call and she looked at me and said:

"I don't want to talk now. I'm having so much fun! I have to go"---and then she slid on her belly down the stairs to rejoin cousin Rylee.

So...Today (11/25) Mom, the kids and I were home. I've been fighting an illness and I can see it in a couple of kids eyes and in the snot running down from their noses. We laid low.

However, this morning we talked about giving. We took our change jar along with other change and bills we found around the house and set out to be generous.

We took the change $39 (change sitting around the house doing nothing) along with $1 to D-n-D and bought $5 gift cards. We went to Denny's and bought some more there. We handed them out. We got hugs. Smiles. Thanks. and one silent one who didn't make eye contact.

We bought more D-n-D cards and headed to the Teen Center. More smiles.

My kids learned so much.

The best part:

When we paid with change at D-n-D, G just couldn't let go of her last penny. I didn't make a big deal of it. Told her she could keep it. Later driving in the car, she handed me a wad of napkins. She told me it was a gift. When I didn't open it, she insisted. I opened it and found the single penny in the center of the ball of napkins. She was so proud to give it away - to me.

She demonstrated that she in fact was generous and GOT the point.

Thank you, Lord. For all that we have.

A nice bonus - Denny's had a deal that if you spent $25 on gift certificates, they gave you one extra $5 one - another gift for someone today.

Also, we learned that people really liked choices. We approached people with:

Would you like a Denny's or a D-n-D gift card (vs. would you like a gift card). They liked choices. Nobody turned us down. BTW, they liked D-n-D the best.

We signed the gift cards "From Jesus".

What a tangible way to show love to others and teach the kiddos along the way.

We returned home for a quick lunch, naps and the got up for Turkey Pot Pies (prepared yesterday) and left over pies from Sunday. We rented a movie but never got to it - tomorrow!

Paupi came for dinner.

We did a couple of thanksgiving crafts.

Can I tell you: This was one of the BEST Thanksgivings EVER!

We are so blessed.

Mortified Mother

Here is my Facebook status from Friday, 11/19/10:

KS is a mortified mother. Had to pick G up from school early to make it home on time but had to swing by USM to do a presentation for predental students. G came with. I promised her something special if she sat quietly. She picked dinner out along with me. half way through it, she got up and came to the front of the room. I held her hand. She let go...

I turned back to see her standing there without a dress on. IN THE FRONT OF THE CLASS. She was quiet but holy crap. None of it mattered as we were late getting home anyway. STRESS...................

So dinner was pizza. frozen. The stressful day meal around here. Half way through dinner, G announces: "Mom, you shouldn't have made this. I had it for lunch. Same kind." Oh my head.

Then she said: "You should have checked the lunch calendar." Lunch Calendar? Where the HE-double hockey sticks do you think that thing is, honey? Get real.
____

FYI - She had a shirt underneath as well as hot pink thick tights but still....

And the organization continues

A la, "K" - the child, not the adult......................



When will she stop?

Nothing seems to encourage this behavior to STOP!

Halloween Fun!

After out trip to the ER last night, we had sleepy kids all day Sunday. Zade slept until almost 10 am - no church for us! An extended PJ time is always good (and I got to sew a little bit!).

Story from Paupi's time with the kids:

Z found a new use for the string on his flashlight. This happened as he was undressing to get into his PJs. That meant, no underwear. Yes, he hung the flashlight on his pe*)s... Paupi said it was one of the funniest things he'd ever seen and he almost couldn't stop laughing. He wasn't sure how Z-man got it to hang there. He couldn't repeat it. I thought: How are boys made???

Anyway, Sunday:

1. Cooked with Auntie and Nichole - cupcakes and a cake.

2. Went to the neighborhood Halloween Party - at Charlie's house (and his parents and brother!). Z wouldn't go unless we drove. He lost it. So, he stayed home and napped for about 4 hours (with Mem and Auntie at home). The girls and I went. They had fun in the leaves, on a parade and eating. G did really well on the Ghost Toss game. She refused to play hot potato. A great time. Cold but good.

3. Trick or Treating. COLD night. Paupi came and helped us get around the neighborhood while getting in and out of his car - much warmer!

4. Home to "help" Mem and Auntie pass out candy (and toothpaste and Vote YES on 2 cards!).

Bedtime went well - with Auntie's help.

A Saturday night ER Trip

Saturday was a WONDERFUL DAY - Actually, this entire weekend.

I had worked 12 days straight - yes, all weekend included. We had a nice, calm, no obligation (except Halloween night) weekend. Do I hear a WOOOHOOO!

G woke up on Saturday feeling fine. As the day went on, she complained of stomach pain - always on the right side. I looked up appendicitis. No fever - probably not.

We went in the car and she didn't want to hear the radio. She complained. She looked sick. We picked up Kenzie's new bed, got donut holes and came home (she fell asleep in the car). She only ate one of her 2 donut holes, refusing the other. I knew something was wrong.

Came home and she went right up to bed and fell asleep before I even had the others in the house. When she woke up, she wasn't right and I could tell she had a fever. Yup. Pain had also shifted to the belly buttom and continued on the right (not on the left).

Called the triage nurse. Recommended: See within the hour; don't feed her anything.

Paupi came right over and we were off.

Upon assessment at the hospital, she changed her story, had fears from her summer hospital stay, etc... but overall she did well.

We had a brand new ED resident who was wonderful with her BUT actually believe her shifting story (hellow, she's 4!). He was going to send her home but got a urine sample and you know what: UTI (or differential Dx of appendicitis). They are treating for UTI/Bladder infection.

This is sad in that she had surgery for this just before her 2nd birthday. I hope that her kidney reflux surgery has not failed. That would be bad! Even us "non-worrying Mamas" worry in times like this.

Her favorite parts of the ED experience:

"Watching Shrek. Eating chocolate ice cream. Spending time with you, Mom!" - G, 10/30/10

We did have a great time hanging out in the hospital bed together. Great 1:1 time that seems so rare these days. Also, I loved that she had a biracial nurse - Ashley! She didn't seem to notice but I did.