Emergency (temporary) tattooss

I'm wondering if this is appropriate...or if my need to use these will determine when my family is complete:

http://pinterest.com/pin/136603201/

Last Day of preschool

I'll post more later but for now, I want to remember this quote from G was we were looking through the artwork and cards she brought home from school today.

G: That is so-and-so. He's mean!
Me: Why is he mean?
G: He always calls me broccoli.
Me: Why don't you call him cauliflower?
G: (mouth dropped wide open and eyes big) - I would never ever be that mean. I mean never!

8/24/11

Surgery

My fav piece of technology yesterday - at least to keep me up to date on my kiddo...as seen from the waiting room:





Also, things I don't want to forget.


Stoic G didn't talk to any of her health care providers the entire time we were at the hospital. UNTIL...post surgery, she is presented with the option to have a red, orange or purple popsicle. Her one word: "Purple"...later followed by "red" for #2.

EVERYONE was super - Registration, prep, anesthesia (including honoring my request to have an attending present 100% of time in the room - vs. resident only), surgeons (1 we hadn't met before - ends up being the chief of GI...and that ends up being her problem - we think), recovery, discharge...EVERYTHING was great! Seriously? How often does that happen??

The very surprising part: She doesn't have a cleft. That is what we all thought.
Provisional diagnosis: "EE" - Eosinophilic esophagitis

Biopsies will be back Monday or Tuesday. Treatment to follow.

Jesus Loves Me...from the O.R.

(N, Z, G, A, K, M - Willard Beach)

G had surgery Thursday, 8.18.11.

3 scopes down her throat. Might have a diagnosis on the chronic cough. We'll know Monday or Tuesday.

This day was one busy day:
1. Up to deliver car to dealership for service. Got a loaner. Actually like the loaner. Crap.

2. To the beach with 6 kids, 1 mom and a grandma. Great time (Willard). Perfect weather. I'm reminded of the beauty God provides for us ... if we just look.

3. Home with kids. Bathe G. Shower. Off to hospital.

4. Hospital - parking, registration, prep, surgery, heard from all 3 docs. She might become a GI patient (vs. ENT, Pulmonary). More on that later - maybe.

5. Popsicles. Home. Sleepy G. I was off to pick up the car and get Tylenol.

(her welcome home crew)

6. Home for supper, company (briefly - Lois & Mark). The kids (including G and A) went for swims with Paupi. In to bed. 3 got to watch "Meet the Fairies" - the movie G has wanted from redbox for FOREVER.

Now...to the good part:

We had a great hospital experience. They rolled her into the OR. I got to be there while she went to sleep....and that is how I got the biggest smile on my heart as I heard an entire OR team sing "Jesus loves me".




How?
The anesthesiologist asked if we sang songs.
No response from G. I nodded. He looked at me to pick one.
(I was manipulative...I mean thoughtful about being a child of God...)
I picked Jesus Loves Me.

I assumed that I'd be singing alone or with the doc but no...the room sang!!
A cool experience.
I walked out knowing that each person in there had to think about Jesus BEFORE performing their role in the surgery of my child. His child.

(((((LOVE))))))

King Pins

OK, so I've got a (new) addiction. Pinterest.

Concept: Remember reading magazines, ripping out pages and saving them because you were going to do, make or cook what you saw in that article?

New Concept: Digitally pin (think push pin) things you want to make, do or cook onto an electronic bulletin board. Actually, you can have multiple electronic bulletin boards (by theme) to keep your ideas more organized.

Currently, I have 14 bulletin boards (gifts, kid activities, food, faith, etc...)
I have 283 "pins" - items I've seen on the internet and want to remember. Here are some examples:

Source: 320daysofsunshine.blogspot.com via Kneka on Pinterest

Source: gltc.co.uk via Kneka on Pinterest

Source: lubirdbaby.com via Kneka on Pinterest

Source: omnomicon.com via Kneka on Pinterest

I want to thank my Arizona friend, Suz... http://pinterest.com/sooze66/ ... for assisting in my habit formation.

The key - to do some of these things. I've already accomplished a few ideas including the rainbow cake, binder clips to organize cell phone charging cords, a new task organizer in a notebook, and something else I can't remember.

Happy Pinning!

PS - If you get into this, follow me on pinterest.com.

K

Science for 5 year olds

I remember dying flowers with my Mom. A vivid, happy memory.

Here is how I shared this with my 5 year old:
Learning objectives:

Predict what will happen to the color of the flower.

Describe how flowers absorb water.

Step 1 - Gather flowers.

Step 2 - Discuss the experiment. Discuss how flowers absorb water. Discuss the "color" of tap water. Predict what will happen to the color of the flower if we add food coloring to the water.

Step 3 - Start Experiment: Place water in 3 containers. Add food color (child's choice of color) to 2 containers. Place flowers in water. Ask question (e.g., Which flowers might take longer to change color. Why?)

Step 4 - Check Results. Modify as needed. (e.g., we dumped out some water and made the mixture more concentrated because the flowers in the water dyed red were not changing color as quickly as the blue flowers.

Day 1 - Blue:

Day 2 - red:

Continue to monitor and record results.

Step 5 - Draw Conclusions.