AUBREY'S MERMAID
Monday, June 11, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
IT'S THE LAST DAY OF YEAR NUMBER TWO!
The above sentence should be written in bold, gigantic, swirly lettering. I can't do that on the iMac, though, so let me repeat:
IT'S THE LAST DAY OF YEAR NUMBER TWO!
That's right, after Mick completes his final final at 4pm today, he'll be a THIRD YEAR dental student, a SENIOR at University of the Pacific School of Dentistry.
What that means for the short term: After today, he'll have a 4-week break before school starts again on July 9th. During that time, he'll lounge around a lot, skateboard and kiteboard and bike and maybe even surf, head to Tahoe with us for a long weekend, and take a road trip up the coast with us looking for potential new home towns for that June '08 graduation date. He'll also do a 1-week rotation at a dental clinic mid-June, which will free him up during the school year to have more school clinic time.
What that means for the long term: We're entering YEAR 6 of our 6 YEAR PLAN! (3 years of pre-req's at Western, 3 years of dental school.)
So of course:
IT'S THE LAST DAY OF YEAR NUMBER TWO (a.k.a YEAR NUMBER FIVE)!
The above sentence should be written in bold, gigantic, swirly lettering. I can't do that on the iMac, though, so let me repeat:
IT'S THE LAST DAY OF YEAR NUMBER TWO!
That's right, after Mick completes his final final at 4pm today, he'll be a THIRD YEAR dental student, a SENIOR at University of the Pacific School of Dentistry.
What that means for the short term: After today, he'll have a 4-week break before school starts again on July 9th. During that time, he'll lounge around a lot, skateboard and kiteboard and bike and maybe even surf, head to Tahoe with us for a long weekend, and take a road trip up the coast with us looking for potential new home towns for that June '08 graduation date. He'll also do a 1-week rotation at a dental clinic mid-June, which will free him up during the school year to have more school clinic time.
What that means for the long term: We're entering YEAR 6 of our 6 YEAR PLAN! (3 years of pre-req's at Western, 3 years of dental school.)
So of course:
IT'S THE LAST DAY OF YEAR NUMBER TWO (a.k.a YEAR NUMBER FIVE)!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
The Sluggers
Dane and Aubrey have been meeting with their t-ball team, The Sluggers, for the last couple of months. They play (2 at-bats, no keeping score) on Wednesdays from 4-5 and on Saturday mornings, 9-10. After the Saturday sessions, Coach Jack gives them donuts. (See pictures.)
Coach Jack has been volunteering here for 21 years. He coached the parents of some of these kids. He makes coaching look easy, with the way he splits the kids up for the field or to bat, and how he lets them each take a good couple smacks at his aluminum bat before they swing at the ball on the "T." It's pretty fun to see the huge satisfaction a kid has when s/he makes that bat sing. (And, yes, Jack's brave -- imagine letting a 5-year-old swing at a bat you're holding near your body.)
A few times I've begged Jack to let me take a nap in my van during practice, but he's made me the official assistant coach -- and Mick's helped coach a few Saturdays and even a Wednesday. That means we get to play catch, make sure they stay behind Coach's red duffle bag while a teammate is batting; it means that in the field, we remind them to stand in a ready position instead of picking grass or sitting on the cones used for bases. Oh yeah, we also have to encourage them not to fight each other for the ball that four of them want to pick up and throw to first base.
Pictures:
#1 - Xavier, Aubrey, Jaylen, Dane and Coach Jack in background
#2- Aubrey and Jaylen in front, Terrance and Dane in back, Jack in background
#3 - Aubrey and Dane
(We have more pictures to add when I can download onto my computer; we should also be getting official team pictures soon.)
Friday, June 01, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
NETTY'S BRAG PAGE - THE BABY EDITION
Here's Kelly and Maya and new baby Emily. Richard's probably taking the picture.
Brief history: Kelly's from the PacNW and I got to meet her because (1) her brother Jordan is in Mick's dental class, and (2) because her brother Jason is a long-time close friend of Kai. She lives about 25 minutes from us and has turned out to be one of my favorite people here.
Brent, Becky, and Sawyer Smith Conklin in Oly. These two were made to be parents -- so glad they finally jumped in.
Steven (we met Steve and Glacier through Kai & Dana) and his new daughter. I want to say her name is Genevieve, but Steve's email attachments always refer to her as "cooing daughter" or "WigglePiggle" or "Papa Loves." Obviously, she's a lucky little girl. Mama Glacier must be the one taking this pic.
*Still waiting to hear from my friend Big Ed, who was over a few weeks ago from SF -- his wife Tine's due any day here.
Here's Kelly and Maya and new baby Emily. Richard's probably taking the picture.
Brief history: Kelly's from the PacNW and I got to meet her because (1) her brother Jordan is in Mick's dental class, and (2) because her brother Jason is a long-time close friend of Kai. She lives about 25 minutes from us and has turned out to be one of my favorite people here.
Brent, Becky, and Sawyer Smith Conklin in Oly. These two were made to be parents -- so glad they finally jumped in.
Steven (we met Steve and Glacier through Kai & Dana) and his new daughter. I want to say her name is Genevieve, but Steve's email attachments always refer to her as "cooing daughter" or "WigglePiggle" or "Papa Loves." Obviously, she's a lucky little girl. Mama Glacier must be the one taking this pic.
*Still waiting to hear from my friend Big Ed, who was over a few weeks ago from SF -- his wife Tine's due any day here.
NIGHT AT THE DE YOUNG
April 20, 2007
Maureen, Jackie and I visited the DeYoung on one of the museum's special Friday nights. We took in live music, a glass of wine, and the Vivienne Westwood exhibit. (Her fashion sense didn't fully speak to any of us though, which might not be any big surprise.)
Earlier that day, Aubrey and I had picked Maureen and Jackie up at the SF airport and taken them to Tennessee Valley Cove for a bike ride and hike up the cliffs. I hadn't considered how astounded they'd be by the landscape here; I forgot just how breathtaking that place can be to new eyes.
More to post later on their visit from Bellingham...
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
MORE POISON OAK!
It finally showed up on the kids -- ankles and knees and thighs. We think it was the weekend at the rope swing. We all rode it, but Mick and the kids played there longer and went into deeper weeds. If I recall correctly, they were in their shorts and I was in running pants.
So, we've got lots of itchies around here (they're like little blisters or a bunch of agitated mosquito bumps -- that burn). Mick and Dane bought Calagel this morning for all of them and that seems to help.
We'll certainly be studying up on what this plant looks like so we can avoid this problem in the future!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
OAK and STONES
No, we're not talking about the natural world in an environmental sense -- more like a personal sense: That's right, we're talking about what's ailing Mick again.
Poor guy not only suffered a kidney stone passing off-and-on last Thursday from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., but somehow a poison oak rash kicked in earlier this week, as well -- with its itchy little blisters.
What to do???
Still trying to come up with a urologist who takes his insurance and can schedule Mick soon to zap his stones. As for the poison oak, he'll have to ride out the symptoms for 2-3 weeks. (Not sure where he got it, but perhaps on a hike to ride a rope swing with the kids 2 weekends ago; seemed like it incubated for about 4 days, though, before rearing its head. The kids and I have no rash.)
No, we're not talking about the natural world in an environmental sense -- more like a personal sense: That's right, we're talking about what's ailing Mick again.
Poor guy not only suffered a kidney stone passing off-and-on last Thursday from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., but somehow a poison oak rash kicked in earlier this week, as well -- with its itchy little blisters.
What to do???
Still trying to come up with a urologist who takes his insurance and can schedule Mick soon to zap his stones. As for the poison oak, he'll have to ride out the symptoms for 2-3 weeks. (Not sure where he got it, but perhaps on a hike to ride a rope swing with the kids 2 weekends ago; seemed like it incubated for about 4 days, though, before rearing its head. The kids and I have no rash.)
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Bed In A Bath
The kids started the day by moving a number of their toys to a new secret hideaway: the bathtub.
Then they spent the rest of the day moving from room to room devising elaborate games and situations. (Lots of furniture moving, dress up, whispering, and laughing.)
Ended the day with an attempt at sleeping side-by-side, head to foot, in the bathtub -- with pillows and stuffed animals and blankets and a thick Hello Kitty sock over the spout above Aubrey's head.
That lasted about 30 minutes, with more laughter and whispering, but had to be stopped because every move in there sounded like a bottle of shampoo dropping to the floor -- which would ultimately make for unhappy neighbors below us, no matter how nice they are. Fortunately, the kids had had their fun and were game for sleeping on the floor of their bedroom next to each other, which is where those two little peanuts are now.
As for Mother's Day, nothing could've made me happier today than knowing my kids were having this kind of fun while I (1) spent the morning writing at Starbucks, (2) went for an 11:30 2-hour hike with girlfriends (fellow moms), (3) had a 3 o'clock marguerita outside in the sun on the deck of a sweet little taco shop with said moms, and (4) came home to be with my family and make bbq ribs while the kids still played and Mick studied for an oral cancer test.
Then they spent the rest of the day moving from room to room devising elaborate games and situations. (Lots of furniture moving, dress up, whispering, and laughing.)
Ended the day with an attempt at sleeping side-by-side, head to foot, in the bathtub -- with pillows and stuffed animals and blankets and a thick Hello Kitty sock over the spout above Aubrey's head.
That lasted about 30 minutes, with more laughter and whispering, but had to be stopped because every move in there sounded like a bottle of shampoo dropping to the floor -- which would ultimately make for unhappy neighbors below us, no matter how nice they are. Fortunately, the kids had had their fun and were game for sleeping on the floor of their bedroom next to each other, which is where those two little peanuts are now.
As for Mother's Day, nothing could've made me happier today than knowing my kids were having this kind of fun while I (1) spent the morning writing at Starbucks, (2) went for an 11:30 2-hour hike with girlfriends (fellow moms), (3) had a 3 o'clock marguerita outside in the sun on the deck of a sweet little taco shop with said moms, and (4) came home to be with my family and make bbq ribs while the kids still played and Mick studied for an oral cancer test.
Friday, May 04, 2007
MICK IS FAMOUS!
Click the link below and read halfway down the article to behold our very own amazing coffee geek.
Check out his complete review of our espresso machine here.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Post #209 - A basic, general, newsy news kind of post.
No pictures. I can't locate a single photo in iPhoto. Will have to see what Mick can scrounge up this weekend.
Busy weeks here, especially with visitors:
*Mike and Jan were here (Mike for 1 week, Jan for 3). You can read about that in previous posts.
*Jason Hickman squeezed in an Easter weekend visit, up from San Diego, complete with Saturday egg hunt with the kids and a Quentin Tarantino movie with Mick.
*My friends Maureen and Jackie flew into SF and spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday in town. Mick watched the kids so I could be responsibility-free Saturday and Sunday, but our Willow Creek friends helped out, too. Dane and Aubrey spent the night at their friend Jake's on Friday night, and then did t-ball and the Discovery Museum with their friends Nick and Mia all day Saturday. Mick got them for the late afternoon/night, and then they played at Makayla and Garrett's from 1-4 on Sunday. (I'll do a separate post -- hopefully with pictures -- on the activities with Maureen and Jackie.) Mick studied for a Phramacology test.
*My friend Ed (from Fairbanks/Anchorage Gray Line days) came over for dinner the other night. He lives with his wife in SF; they're expecting their first baby next month. He was in Marin on business so he gave a call.
Non-visitor news:
*Dane's got an ear infection, so he missed school yesterday. He's on Amoxycillin now. (Have a feeling he got a little worn out over his busy weekend.)
*Teaching pre-school 4-5 hours a week is easy and fun. Sure beats the prep, essay grading, and conferencing required for teaching college writing courses! (I always hated to think of how my hourly wage diminished there...) Of course, the intellectual stimulation is different, though.
*Bluerectangle.com asked me to review 4 more books: High Fidelity, Now You See Her, Walking the Bible, and Talk, Talk. Have read them in the last few months so it won't be the mad dash to re-familiarize myself with lit I'd read 10 years ago -- like last time.
*Mick and I have maps hanging on our bedroom wall with sticky notes and notebook pages tacked up, starting to think more seriously about where we want to live/practice when he graduates in June '08. (Alright, feel free to cast a vote in the comment box...)
*GRAM & GRAMPS COOPER (MY MOM'S PARENTS) CELEBRATED THEIR 65TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY LAST WEEKEND IN YAKIMA, WASHINGTON! (Will try to post a picture soon.)
No pictures. I can't locate a single photo in iPhoto. Will have to see what Mick can scrounge up this weekend.
Busy weeks here, especially with visitors:
*Mike and Jan were here (Mike for 1 week, Jan for 3). You can read about that in previous posts.
*Jason Hickman squeezed in an Easter weekend visit, up from San Diego, complete with Saturday egg hunt with the kids and a Quentin Tarantino movie with Mick.
*My friends Maureen and Jackie flew into SF and spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday in town. Mick watched the kids so I could be responsibility-free Saturday and Sunday, but our Willow Creek friends helped out, too. Dane and Aubrey spent the night at their friend Jake's on Friday night, and then did t-ball and the Discovery Museum with their friends Nick and Mia all day Saturday. Mick got them for the late afternoon/night, and then they played at Makayla and Garrett's from 1-4 on Sunday. (I'll do a separate post -- hopefully with pictures -- on the activities with Maureen and Jackie.) Mick studied for a Phramacology test.
*My friend Ed (from Fairbanks/Anchorage Gray Line days) came over for dinner the other night. He lives with his wife in SF; they're expecting their first baby next month. He was in Marin on business so he gave a call.
Non-visitor news:
*Dane's got an ear infection, so he missed school yesterday. He's on Amoxycillin now. (Have a feeling he got a little worn out over his busy weekend.)
*Teaching pre-school 4-5 hours a week is easy and fun. Sure beats the prep, essay grading, and conferencing required for teaching college writing courses! (I always hated to think of how my hourly wage diminished there...) Of course, the intellectual stimulation is different, though.
*Bluerectangle.com asked me to review 4 more books: High Fidelity, Now You See Her, Walking the Bible, and Talk, Talk. Have read them in the last few months so it won't be the mad dash to re-familiarize myself with lit I'd read 10 years ago -- like last time.
*Mick and I have maps hanging on our bedroom wall with sticky notes and notebook pages tacked up, starting to think more seriously about where we want to live/practice when he graduates in June '08. (Alright, feel free to cast a vote in the comment box...)
*GRAM & GRAMPS COOPER (MY MOM'S PARENTS) CELEBRATED THEIR 65TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY LAST WEEKEND IN YAKIMA, WASHINGTON! (Will try to post a picture soon.)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
PROBLEMS POSTING?
If you can't post a comment with your regular sign-on name and password, do this:
POST ANONYMOUSLY
*Don't fill in any of the optional boxes (like website name, etc.)
*Just type in your text in the textbox -- with Love, Skippy or Chester or Fiona at the end, so we know who wrote it
*And Publish
Let's hope this makes it easier...
If you can't post a comment with your regular sign-on name and password, do this:
POST ANONYMOUSLY
*Don't fill in any of the optional boxes (like website name, etc.)
*Just type in your text in the textbox -- with Love, Skippy or Chester or Fiona at the end, so we know who wrote it
*And Publish
Let's hope this makes it easier...
My friend Shannon just wrote this:
HEADLINES
33 Shot Dead in Campus Massacre
The headline stopped me for a minute when I scanned the online news yesterday afternoon. Then I returned back to my work. I didn’t think about it much the rest of the day ― I was busy writing, I had a couple of client calls, then I transitioned quickly into the usual evening routine with my daughter: dinner, bath, tooth brushing, and bedtime stories. It wasn’t until she was asleep that I thought to turn on the television. I watched the news for about 10 minutes or so, then switched to Jon Stewart. Like me, he opted to repress, focusing instead on jokes about the White House e-mail scandal and Alberto Gonzalez.
Why wasn’t I more upset by what has now been confirmed as the worst shooting spree in U.S. history? I remember when the Columbine murders happened – how disturbing that incident was to me, so disturbing that I felt physically ill. I watched the news for days afterward, unable to believe it had actually happened. But it did happen. And so much more has happened since then. September 11. Genocide in Africa. Daily reports from Iraq of eight dead by a road-side bomb, 20 dead in a market, 100 dead in a mosque.
All enough to numb your brain and your heart.
Motherhood has changed me ― sometimes in ways that I hadn’t expected. Instead of becoming even more sensitive to the tragedies of the world, I feel like I’ve become a little bit harder. I hold these events at an emotional distance ― not because I don’t care, but because it’s how I get by. Otherwise, I just couldn’t step up to making chicken fingers and reading Harry the Dirty Dog on a day when 33 mothers got the worst news possible. Somewhere, something bad is going to happen tomorrow, too. But I like to think that there will also be babies born and lives that are saved and long-awaited reunions. I have to believe that there is some kind of balance.
I say a prayer for those 33 families. Then I look at my daughter and say a prayer that she will always be safe and happy, and that all the other daughters and sons, brothers and sisters and moms and dads will be, too.
Logically, I know that this is a tall order. But it’s my small way of trying to balance out the headlines.
By Shannon Matus-Takaoka
HEADLINES
33 Shot Dead in Campus Massacre
The headline stopped me for a minute when I scanned the online news yesterday afternoon. Then I returned back to my work. I didn’t think about it much the rest of the day ― I was busy writing, I had a couple of client calls, then I transitioned quickly into the usual evening routine with my daughter: dinner, bath, tooth brushing, and bedtime stories. It wasn’t until she was asleep that I thought to turn on the television. I watched the news for about 10 minutes or so, then switched to Jon Stewart. Like me, he opted to repress, focusing instead on jokes about the White House e-mail scandal and Alberto Gonzalez.
Why wasn’t I more upset by what has now been confirmed as the worst shooting spree in U.S. history? I remember when the Columbine murders happened – how disturbing that incident was to me, so disturbing that I felt physically ill. I watched the news for days afterward, unable to believe it had actually happened. But it did happen. And so much more has happened since then. September 11. Genocide in Africa. Daily reports from Iraq of eight dead by a road-side bomb, 20 dead in a market, 100 dead in a mosque.
All enough to numb your brain and your heart.
Motherhood has changed me ― sometimes in ways that I hadn’t expected. Instead of becoming even more sensitive to the tragedies of the world, I feel like I’ve become a little bit harder. I hold these events at an emotional distance ― not because I don’t care, but because it’s how I get by. Otherwise, I just couldn’t step up to making chicken fingers and reading Harry the Dirty Dog on a day when 33 mothers got the worst news possible. Somewhere, something bad is going to happen tomorrow, too. But I like to think that there will also be babies born and lives that are saved and long-awaited reunions. I have to believe that there is some kind of balance.
I say a prayer for those 33 families. Then I look at my daughter and say a prayer that she will always be safe and happy, and that all the other daughters and sons, brothers and sisters and moms and dads will be, too.
Logically, I know that this is a tall order. But it’s my small way of trying to balance out the headlines.
By Shannon Matus-Takaoka
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
BEACH BABES
The goal is to get out with our fellow Willow Creek family friends on Friday nights a couple times a month -- now that the weather's sunnier. This is at our nearby Schoonmaker beach in Sausalito, great for impromptu bbq's or pizza delivery.
above: Dane and buddies, Marcus and Nick
above: Renee, Lu and Amy (and Marcus and Nick)
above: Mick and his dad w/ Mark, Chris and Pat
above: Mark and Luke
above: Mia, Aubrey and Makayla
above: Mia and Aubrey
above: Garrett
We've done several dinner/group activities with these terrific families: the Trotters (Lu, Mark, Marcus and Luke), the Lees (Pat, Renee, Makayla and Garrett), and the Kreuger/Pertschuks (Chris, Amy, Mia and Nick). The kids and parents always seem to have a blast. Last weekend we met at Corte Madera for a bbq; when the weather in Sausalito was windy and cold, the 10 minute drive north put us back in sun and warmth.
The goal is to get out with our fellow Willow Creek family friends on Friday nights a couple times a month -- now that the weather's sunnier. This is at our nearby Schoonmaker beach in Sausalito, great for impromptu bbq's or pizza delivery.
above: Dane and buddies, Marcus and Nick
above: Renee, Lu and Amy (and Marcus and Nick)
above: Mick and his dad w/ Mark, Chris and Pat
above: Mark and Luke
above: Mia, Aubrey and Makayla
above: Mia and Aubrey
above: GarrettWe've done several dinner/group activities with these terrific families: the Trotters (Lu, Mark, Marcus and Luke), the Lees (Pat, Renee, Makayla and Garrett), and the Kreuger/Pertschuks (Chris, Amy, Mia and Nick). The kids and parents always seem to have a blast. Last weekend we met at Corte Madera for a bbq; when the weather in Sausalito was windy and cold, the 10 minute drive north put us back in sun and warmth.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
An Activist In The Making?
The Writing Mamas published another blog of mine. Aubrey's recent hospital stay stretched me to think a little more politically, which shows up in "Emergency," the April 11 blog at
http://www.writingmamassalon.blogspot.com
I wrote another call to action blog for the Writing Mamas on April 4, but you'll see I was just getting warmed up at that point.
The Writing Mamas published another blog of mine. Aubrey's recent hospital stay stretched me to think a little more politically, which shows up in "Emergency," the April 11 blog at
http://www.writingmamassalon.blogspot.com
I wrote another call to action blog for the Writing Mamas on April 4, but you'll see I was just getting warmed up at that point.
Friday, April 06, 2007
3.24.07
SATURDAY MORNING
AT MUIR WOODS
Arrived at 8:30 to avoid the tour crowds, hiking (a gentle hike) out to Cathedral Grove and back.
Muir Woods is an ancient coastal redwood forest, a short 20 minute drive from our home. It's a great place to walk leisurely with kids (a couple miles round trip) and it's a cool place to jog hilly trails when I'm solo. (I jogged the Upper Hill Trail there just yesterday while Jan and Aubrey took pictures and walked below.)
Pictured:
Mike and kids at fallen tree.
Flower photo for Aubs.
Kids at an ancient redwood.
Mick and Anj self-portrait.
Grand-parents and grand-kids.
Mick, Anj, Dane and Aubs.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Sunday, April 01, 2007
'That Bike' To Air!
My 2-minute Perspectives commentary, "That Bike," will air on the Bay Area's NPR station, KQED (88.5 FM), the following dates and times:
Monday, April 2nd at 6:07 a.m., 7:37 a.m., and 11:33 p.m.
Saturday, April 7th at 7:37 a.m.
Listen to it live
*in the Bay Area on your radio at 88.5 FM, or
*at KQED.org by clicking on the yellow "Listen Live" icon and then selecting a "stream" (I usually choose RealPlayer but your computer might be set up to use another).
Listen to it at KQED.org on the Perspectives Archives (or search for Perspectives, click on the Perspectives A-Z home link and eventually you'll see info on the archives). "That Bike" will be available this way after it has aired at the 7:37 a.m. time.
Friday, March 30, 2007
HOSPITAL RECOVERY
We're recovering from quite a week. We had to return to the emergency room on Tuesday night (after the 2 trips Monday night/Tuesday morning) because Aubrey's body wasn't responding to the antibiotics and fever reducer for her kidney infection. All the sudden at 9pm on Tuesday night (at home), she was having additional symptoms like vomiting and uncontrollable, high fevers. I got her to the ER at 10 pm.
She and I spent the night in the ER -- I think we slept on the little bed from 1:30 am to 5:30 am -- where they worked on her fever. She vomited again that morning, and still had a high fever around 102/103 degrees and then we were moved to the Pediatric floor. The doctors were concerned about her worsened symptoms, and still didn't like the fact that she had continued pain in her right side. They still suspected appendicitis. The thought that these two things, kidney infection and appendicitis, might be occurring in her body seemed unlikely, but then seemed particularly awful if that's indeed what was happening.
So we stayed two more nights. A second ultrasound revealed fluid around the appendix but nothing too suspicious otherwise. The surgeon came and examined Aubrey, but Aubs wasn't in pain then when her right side was pressed, and the surgeon said it would've been more obvious. She also said that high of a fever wasn't characteristic of appendicitis.
With that, Aubrey seemed to be doing better, but they wanted to continue to observe her. When the pediatric doctor returned the next morning (yesterday) and checked her side, Aubrey still spoke of pain in that area. The doctors didn't want to dismiss what Aubrey was saying and decided to go for 90% accuracy with a CT scan.
The CT scan (taken yesterday evening) was negative and it looks like Aubrey's symptoms were the result of a gnarly kidney infection, particularly in her right kidney (hence the pain there and the appendix concern).
It was a challenging (often sleepless) time. (Let's see, with the IV bag flushing her system 24/7, I woke up in pee next to Aubrey 2x the first night and 3x the second. Let me just say, there's nothing quite like waking up in someone else's warm, wet pee. I TOLD the nurses she was a really hard sleeper, and I was HOPING to be, so if they could please "pee" her throughout the night, I would greatly appreciate it. I could do that since Aubs was the only patient on the floor, and they were happy to oblige anyway. But, apparently checking her every 4 hours wasn't enough. I should've asked them to check every 2...)
That said, the time there wasn't as bad or scary or awful as it could have been. Not only did Aubrey get to watch more TV than she's ever imagined watching, read new books, and get uninterrupted one-on-one time with Mom, but I felt like we were constantly in good hands, with experts determined to get to the bottom of things, listening to what a little girl said and leaving no stone unturned. That made it a lot easier to be strong about all the uncertainty and precarious health situations.
Now, Aubrey's home, perky, and playing like crazy with her brother, so that helps everything feel OK, too.
Speaking of brother, he REALLY missed Aubrey. He said a number of sad, sweet things about her absence and LOVED visting her each evening when he came in with Mick and Jan.
Fortunately, Jan was down here visiting so she took care of Dane in the mornings and after school. It doesn't get much more convenient or comfortable than that. It made it nice, too, that Mick got to keep his school schedule, since the new quarter started Monday.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
ER Trip(s)
Last night at 5 pm, I woke Aubrey up so we could go get Dane at school. She had a raging fever (103.9 -- her whole body felt so hot) and terrible pains in her "waist". She had gone to sleep next to me an hour earlier saying her waist hurt then too, but as I massaged her a little, she fell asleep. When she woke, though, it had all escalated so quickly I thought something serious might be up. I quickly got a ride home from school arranged for Dane and hauled Aubrey to the ER.
We spent 5 hours there, ultimately getting an ultrasound to check for appendicitis and kidney infection. They sort of ruled out appendicitis after the ultrasound (but not fully -- I was supposed to keep monitoring her for symptoms like increased "waist" pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, more fever, etc.); her urine tested positive for kidney infection, and her blood test showed her white blood count up. They also found enlarged lymph nodes in her belly -- all of these things a possible reaction to the antibiotics she was on last week for Strep Throat (and a medical condition often confused with appendicitis).
They gave her a shunt early on and ended the visit with an IV drip of antibiotics. The shunt was the worst part for Aubrey. She cried in anguish -- and that's no understatement. She's usually good about shots and stuff but this was too painful for her (and scary looking, even though she tried to look at me while they inserted it and they covered it for her with gauze afterward). She kept saying it felt like it was on fire, and it was in her arm for 3 hours.
We eventually got to come home around 10 with Mick (he showed up about 8) with a prescription for antibiotics for kidney infection and instructions to come back if any symptoms increased.
She woke up at 3 then with a terrible headache, a fever that wouldn't come down with fever-reducer, nausea, and more pain in her right side. So, I decided at 4am to take her to the ER again. When we got there, she realized it was the ER and not just the doctor's office and she broke down begging me not to take her in because she didn't want another shunt. After lots of conversation, we decided to go in and tell them we wanted to avoid another shunt, if possible, but we understood they could help us. (The nurses earlier had been so proud of her -- they said she was "agreeable" even though she had to get the shunt and a suppository, which she later said wasn't that bad because it "wasn't a shunt and it felt cold and slippery like an ice cube.")
The doctor checked again to make sure there weren't signs of appendicitis and he thought she was okay to come back home with Motrin and Tylenol switched off every 3 hours to relieve the pain and reduce the fever. We got back at 5am and she slept soundly then, until just now (10 am). She's in good spirits, taking a much-needed bath and eating a popsicle.
Last night at 5 pm, I woke Aubrey up so we could go get Dane at school. She had a raging fever (103.9 -- her whole body felt so hot) and terrible pains in her "waist". She had gone to sleep next to me an hour earlier saying her waist hurt then too, but as I massaged her a little, she fell asleep. When she woke, though, it had all escalated so quickly I thought something serious might be up. I quickly got a ride home from school arranged for Dane and hauled Aubrey to the ER.
We spent 5 hours there, ultimately getting an ultrasound to check for appendicitis and kidney infection. They sort of ruled out appendicitis after the ultrasound (but not fully -- I was supposed to keep monitoring her for symptoms like increased "waist" pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, more fever, etc.); her urine tested positive for kidney infection, and her blood test showed her white blood count up. They also found enlarged lymph nodes in her belly -- all of these things a possible reaction to the antibiotics she was on last week for Strep Throat (and a medical condition often confused with appendicitis).
They gave her a shunt early on and ended the visit with an IV drip of antibiotics. The shunt was the worst part for Aubrey. She cried in anguish -- and that's no understatement. She's usually good about shots and stuff but this was too painful for her (and scary looking, even though she tried to look at me while they inserted it and they covered it for her with gauze afterward). She kept saying it felt like it was on fire, and it was in her arm for 3 hours.
We eventually got to come home around 10 with Mick (he showed up about 8) with a prescription for antibiotics for kidney infection and instructions to come back if any symptoms increased.
She woke up at 3 then with a terrible headache, a fever that wouldn't come down with fever-reducer, nausea, and more pain in her right side. So, I decided at 4am to take her to the ER again. When we got there, she realized it was the ER and not just the doctor's office and she broke down begging me not to take her in because she didn't want another shunt. After lots of conversation, we decided to go in and tell them we wanted to avoid another shunt, if possible, but we understood they could help us. (The nurses earlier had been so proud of her -- they said she was "agreeable" even though she had to get the shunt and a suppository, which she later said wasn't that bad because it "wasn't a shunt and it felt cold and slippery like an ice cube.")
The doctor checked again to make sure there weren't signs of appendicitis and he thought she was okay to come back home with Motrin and Tylenol switched off every 3 hours to relieve the pain and reduce the fever. We got back at 5am and she slept soundly then, until just now (10 am). She's in good spirits, taking a much-needed bath and eating a popsicle.
Monday, March 26, 2007
With Joan Blades
Joan Blades, co-founder of moveon.org and momsrising.org, spoke at my writing salon last night. She believes that grassroots movements are key to making political changes. You might remember what moveon.org did for the presidential bids in 2000?
Moveon.org started back in 1998 with the simple and direct petition around the Clinton impeachment hearings: "Censure the president and move on." They urged Congress to quickly take care of business with the impeachment hearings and be responsible for other significant issues at stake for the nation. What started out as an email Blades and her husband sent to 100 of their friends, is now an organization that has 3 million members. (Read more about it in Wikipedia -- try googling her name or the term "moveon.org.")
She recently co-authored a book with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner called The Motherhood Manifesto: What Moms Want -- and What To Do About It. Look it up on amazon.com or on her website, momsrising.org, to get specific information. She's got big (significant, meaningful) ideas about how we can care for our childen and families better -- particularly in the areas of healthcare, childcare, and flexible/fair employment opportunities for mothers (love that combination of flexible and fair). Again, her point is that changes can only be made with starts at the grassroot level.
Moveon.org might have started as a movement among liberals or democrats, but momsrising.org hopes to "overcome economic, cultural, and political boundaries" by focusing on problems for all women, mothers, children, and families. They're currently at 80,000 members.
Jan (Mick's mom) came with me last night, and even as a conservative, she felt momsrising.org and Joan Blades could help make a tremendous difference in the way our nation cares for families and children. I also brought my friend Amy who is on the board/startup of a new non-profit called The Children and Nature Network (cnaturenet.org), another movement that could be a significant contribution to the political and social climate of our nation.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
DREAM VISIT
A friend of mine is writing a book about the ways the dead or dying connect with the living. She's collecting real experiences and asked my writing group if anyone had an experience to tell her about. This is the email I just sent her. It's definitely in free-write/condensed form, and the contents may be a bit sappy for some, but I decided to post it anyway.
***
My dad died of colon cancer 5 days before my 22nd birthday. Ours was a strained, disappointed relationship for years even though we were pretty crazy about each other (he and my mom divorced when I was 3 and I hadn't lived with him since then, but I ALWAYS missed him, which was a lot of the disappointment part).
He told me he had cancer in May of '92, just before I was supposed to head to Alaska for my first summer as a driver/tour guide. He wouldn't let me stay home to care for him because he said I needed to experience our Last Frontier (he was a wild cowboy sheriff type) -- and he said he wasn't all that bad. I left reluctantly and kept in touch with occasional letters and phone calls, usually gushing about how exciting my life was. He was happy/receptive and didn't let on much about his condition. I had no idea how heroic or self-sacrificing he was being.
When I came home that October he called me and said he needed to see me. I went to his ranch where I was horribly, painfully surprised: he was this retching, retched skeleton of a man -- a 100 pound fragment of the 6'4" healthy father I'd always known -- and nobody had told me the truth about his condition. We had our awful, awkward bawling (last) words and embraces; I left numb and scared and sad and furious with myself for spending my summer in such oblivion when I could've been spending that time caring for and loving my dad, mending things with him. He died a week later, which, somehow I also hadn't really expected. I wasn't even there for that, which I also regretted.
That back story seems significant to understanding, then, the tremendous peace and warmth I felt the week after his memorial service, when I had an incredibly vivid dream: one morning I woke up feeling like I'd spent the entire night in his (healthy) presence -- I heard his laughter, felt his hand on my head, listened to him say how proud he was of me and how much he loved me. We'd spent the whole night just talking and visiting. When I woke up, I felt like we'd lovingly sent each other off on our separate journeys, sure of what we'd meant to each other, like everything was ok even though it had all gone so very weirdly. I simply laid in bed for an hour or so after that dream/visit, feeling what it had felt like to be with him, but sensing that feeling his presence was fleeting too.
A friend of mine is writing a book about the ways the dead or dying connect with the living. She's collecting real experiences and asked my writing group if anyone had an experience to tell her about. This is the email I just sent her. It's definitely in free-write/condensed form, and the contents may be a bit sappy for some, but I decided to post it anyway.
***
My dad died of colon cancer 5 days before my 22nd birthday. Ours was a strained, disappointed relationship for years even though we were pretty crazy about each other (he and my mom divorced when I was 3 and I hadn't lived with him since then, but I ALWAYS missed him, which was a lot of the disappointment part).
He told me he had cancer in May of '92, just before I was supposed to head to Alaska for my first summer as a driver/tour guide. He wouldn't let me stay home to care for him because he said I needed to experience our Last Frontier (he was a wild cowboy sheriff type) -- and he said he wasn't all that bad. I left reluctantly and kept in touch with occasional letters and phone calls, usually gushing about how exciting my life was. He was happy/receptive and didn't let on much about his condition. I had no idea how heroic or self-sacrificing he was being.
When I came home that October he called me and said he needed to see me. I went to his ranch where I was horribly, painfully surprised: he was this retching, retched skeleton of a man -- a 100 pound fragment of the 6'4" healthy father I'd always known -- and nobody had told me the truth about his condition. We had our awful, awkward bawling (last) words and embraces; I left numb and scared and sad and furious with myself for spending my summer in such oblivion when I could've been spending that time caring for and loving my dad, mending things with him. He died a week later, which, somehow I also hadn't really expected. I wasn't even there for that, which I also regretted.
That back story seems significant to understanding, then, the tremendous peace and warmth I felt the week after his memorial service, when I had an incredibly vivid dream: one morning I woke up feeling like I'd spent the entire night in his (healthy) presence -- I heard his laughter, felt his hand on my head, listened to him say how proud he was of me and how much he loved me. We'd spent the whole night just talking and visiting. When I woke up, I felt like we'd lovingly sent each other off on our separate journeys, sure of what we'd meant to each other, like everything was ok even though it had all gone so very weirdly. I simply laid in bed for an hour or so after that dream/visit, feeling what it had felt like to be with him, but sensing that feeling his presence was fleeting too.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Me with my new best friend, Anne Lamott.*
*For the record, Anne Lamott is a highly regarded author from this area. She's written one of my favorite books, Bird By Bird: Instructions for Writing and Life, and Operating Instructions. When I took this picture, she'd just given the keynote speech for the 10-year anniversary celebration for my local Marin City Library. Oh yeah, and she has no idea who I am.
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