busy little bees

I had a whole post in my head. Just things to catch up on. Now as I sit here to type it all in I'm at a loss. Nothing too major I guess. The pretty weather has kept the kids outside a lot lately. And thats a good thing. Both boys are really excited about baseball this year, even though they will be way outside their comfort zones. Its all they want to do these days so I am getting lots of practice :) Sis wants in on the fun too. She called her Nana yesterday requesting a "real pink bat" because her princess one doesn't work! I am on the schedule to work tonight. And have been every Tuesday night or Wednesday day shift for the last month or so. Its good with me, I really, really enjoy my job. But today I'm a bit under the weather with a head cold. So I would kinda like to stay home. O well. Its only 12 hours if not. But we have plans this weekend so I have to feel better!! I officially enrolled back in school yesterday. Last summer there weren't enough students enrolled in my class so I couldn't take it. I got frustrated and when it came time to enroll again I didn't do it. But I decided to try it one more time. The boys aren't sure what to think. Hubby might not be either, but everybody will survive. Little man has a dentist appointment today at 2 to get a tooth pulled. He was complaining last week so we went in for a quick check and they found an abscess under one of his caps. No fun! Today could be interesting and we both probably need a prayer. This is my kiddo that has just now (at 7 1/2) gotten where he will go for a checkup without his daddy having to physically hold him down!

things are chainging & I have to take a deep breath in & let it out slow...

Thursday mom & I were going to load up and take the kids to TX to visit my grandparents. But my grandma woke up with fever and an upset stomach. We decided that probably wasn't the best time to go since we really didn't want to bring anything home! So mom is going this week and we will stay behind. All things happen for a reason, maybe Papa wasn't quite ready for 3 little munchkins just yet :)
Since she had made arrangements to be "off work" and the kids were out of school, we surprised them with a quick trip to Branson. Hubby absolutely detests it and I haden't been since Speck was about 2! That means we had never been down to Branson Landing. The kids loved it. And I thought it was pretty neat too. It was cool outside but still a nice day to wander around.

Their favorite spot was at the big water fountains. Sis did not like it when the fire started popping up but little man sure did. We did a little shopping, but not much. Each one came home with one new summer outfit.

We stayed at the Castle Rock Resort with the indoor water park. And of course all 3 of them were thrilled. It opened at 4 that day and closed at 10. They stayed the entire time. I had to order pizza for dinner and pull them out just long enough to scarf down a piece. It was a fun last minute trip and I'm so glad we went. Lately I've been thinking a lot about something a very wise friend passed along..."hold your kids more than you hold your phone"

That being said, I have deleted my facebook account. Nothing specific because of one person. Just something I've needed to do for a while now. Make some changes on my own. Remove a few stressors myself. Mainly because I'm adding a few other things that will more than likely push me right to the edge and I have to at least try to hang on without going on over. But thats a different post entirely.

M.I.A.

not really. but from the blog world I guess. i think all is well, at the moment anyway! grandparents here are um...stable, thats a good word for them. nothing much different. my grandpa in tx is better too. we are going thursday for a visit. since its winter break i thought i would just let them play hookie and we would leave early (so we can stop and shop on the way :) they don't know that part yet, only that they aren't going to school. they will be less than thrilled to find out about shopping, life is tough as a kid sometimes. friday was an interesting day around here. both dogs went out and came back to the door, as usual. and when they scratched, i opened it. just like i do every morning. the problem this time is that they had both been sprayed by a skunk!! as soon as i opened the door i knew exactly what it was, but it was too late, they were in the house rolling all over the carpet. i cleaned ALL day with everything i could get a hold of. needless to say, we went to the lake this weekend so we didn't have to smell it. we had intentions of venturing out to the horse races, but it was way too cold so we laid around and played inside all day saturday. it was great! mom kept the kiddos yesterday afternoon while hubby and i went to see "The Vow" and to dinner. and of course what date night would be complete without wal- mart?! the movie was good, not Dear John or The Notebook, but good none the less. anything with Channing Tatum has got to be good, right?!! the skunk smell is better. not gone, but definately liveable. i guess. i have washed and re-washed clothes & bedding. scrubbed floors over and over. bought every scent neutralizer on the shelf. used gallons of vinegar and bleach and boxes of baking soda. the dogs are still at the vet. its yet to be determined if they will get to return home anytime soon.

not sure what to title this post

I don't want it to sound whiny or like I'm complaining. Its just life right now. And this is, in a nutshell, whats going on these days!

My Papa here can't have anymore chemo. They will continue radiation to keep him "comfortable" and hopefully shrink the tumor enough that it won't block his airway too quickly.

My Nanny was diagnosed with dimentia on Tuesday. She has to have a brain scan and they have started her on a patch to help slow the disease process. She is Papa's main caregiver, for now.

My Papa in Texas had a heart attack yesterday. We are waiting to see what the plan is. If nothing changes today my mom and I are leaving in the morning, after I get through working night shift tonight.

Sis moved to a big girl bed. And she loves it. She is sleeping like a champ.

Speck is 1/2 way through his Created by God class. So far he is making it and has only been really mad at me once :)

Little man had 6 days of sweetness then fell off the wagon. Yesterday he got in the car telling me a 5th grade boy had pinched him really hard and left fingernail marks. I asked several questions (several times) and he insisted he was telling the whole story. So we turned around and went back to see the principal. He told her the same story. And of course the older boy was going to be in trouble. Then on the way home he filled me in on a few missing details.
Needless to say he had to call the principal and explain. He had a standing appointment with her this morning. He wasn't exactly thrilled about going to school today.

Last week was my birthday. And I got to have dinner and go to a movie with some very sweet friends. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it!!

quickly...

Hubby is home. Yea!! Papa is doing better. Even bigger Yea!! He had a blood clot in his arm so they removed the PICC line. So far no luck replacing it, but because his counts are so low right now he can't have treatment anyway. Sort of a hidden blessing I think :) He might get discharged tomorrow. And as great as that is, it is posing a problem. My grandmother can't take care of him at home. So now they have to make a decision. Rehab, nursing home, hire someone to stay with them during the day? Still a heavy discussion. Speck is taking a class called Created by God. Hes not too sure. Its a lot to take in at that age. But VERY important in my opinion. Which doesn't account for much with him at the moment! Sis has a nasty cold and isn't sleeping much. But she will be fine. Little man has had a pretty good week so far. The best in quite a long time. Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!

T.G.I.F. again!

This week has been....um....lots of things. But its over, thankfully. So, on to the next one that I am sure will be better! My grandma is managing. She still needs lots of help, but we are able to do it for her instead of hiring someone. My grandpa was feeling lots better yesterday. Today is another story. This evening he is sick again and complaining of difficulty breathing and chest pain. He was miserable when I left the hospital. He has a wonderful nurse who is very attentive, sweet, patient, and kind to them both. At night my dad is staying with my grandpa and my mom is staying with my grandma. My hubby called for about 30 seconds this morning. Just to make sure I knew he was still alive and to tell me he killed a "big one". Whoo Hoo. Sorry to say at that moment I really didn't care about his hunt. Not nice, I know. 4 more days to go.

Its been a L.O.N.G. day, but...

its ok. It could be worse. and it will get better. right?! I got woke up by a 6 am phone call, and it scared me. My phone doesn't ring that early. It was dad. Papa had a bad night and someone needed to be at the hospital with him. So, mom went first and as soon as I got the kiddos taken care of I headed that way. He was not looking great, but I had seen him a little more rough around the edges before. My grandmother on the other hand, hmmm...where to start? She was in one of her "moods". The kind where she is argumentative, irrational, angry, confused, and almost uncontrollable. Not that other people don't believe me, but I am the target and usually the only one to witness these episodes. I guess she knows my dad won't listen and she won't do it to my mom so...lucky me :) Thats ok though, I know she is stressed and just kind of lost right now. Anyway, she started SCREAMING at me. In my face, yelling, head bobbing, finger shaking, I thought she was going to have a stroke. I'm not even sure what she was yelling at me for. When I finally got her to sit back down I put my hand on her knee and told her I loved her and walked out for a while. By the time I came back she was better. We made small talk for a while and I made sure to avoid any "trigger" topics. Dad came back on his lunch break and we were waiting to see the case manager. My grandma got up to go to the bathroom and all of a sudden she hollered my name. I ran in there and she was fading fast. I grabbed a hold of her and had my dad call the nurse. By the time they got in there she was completely out. I seriously thought she was dead. (the last patient I took care of on that floor died in my arms one night when he got up to go to the bathroom and it was like a BAD, BAD flashback) They got a stretcher up there and ran her to the ER (literally) We spent 6 hours waiting on test results. Her blood pressure was nuts, 197/26, 210/90, etc...they thought she had a blood clot in her lungs. Thankfully, the CT scan was negative. Unfortunately, they sent her home. Not that I want her in the hospital, but she really needs supervision right now. So, mom is staying the night with her. Papa was resting comfortably when we left. They have stopped his treatment. His WBC is hovering right around 500, even with meds to increase it & the Dr. thinks he may have C Diff now. It was a long day, and I have a feeling we are just getting started. But, it could be worse and it will get better. Thanks SO much to TH, who had too many kids to fit in her car but wouldn't tell me and tried to hide them so I wouldn't worry about it ! And to everybody who checked on us & offered to help. I REALLY appreciate it. Be careful when you answer your phones, I may be calling to ask a favor;)