My Brave Little Girl!

Warning this is a long post.

Cliff Notes:

Wed-Red Lion less than $60.00, Olive Garden, bed.

Thurs-Hospital for surgery 6:45, surgery 8:15, recovery room 9:10 a lot of laughing by Mark and I (see long version for details on that), out the door 10:30, quick trip up two flights to check on Josh, and home by 1:30.

The Full Version

What a week. After Monday's adventure at the river, the rest of the week was spent in preparing for Elyse's eye surgery. I had to take several calls from the Dr's office, and hospital, got a little Costco run in. (As if a Costco run could be little!) I placed a bid on Priceline so we could stay in a hotel the night before. I figured the day would be long enough without having to get up at 4:45 am to get to the appointment on time. Not to mention I was worried about her wanting to eat since she would not be aloud any food or drink and not having any food in the hotel would be easier to justify to her should she demand any. So we stayed at the Red Lion on the River for less than $60.00! A nice hotel if you should ever need a place to stay there. We got up there a bit late, and asked Elyse what she wanted for dinner, TOTALLY expecting "chicken nuggets and french fries" instead the reply was "spaghetti"! SWEET!! I knew just the place, a little place I haven't eaten at in oh about 3 years, the Olive Garden. So we were happy to make her dream come true. We had a wait which was one of those where as you walked past the window you could, no joke, count 10 tables clean and open, at 7:30 at night on a Wednesday. Luckily there was a an escalator as well we had the camera. She enjoyed both. Mark and I were laughing as she took pictures.

OK so, Thursday morning we got up and made it to the hospital by 6:45. Elyse asked only once about a drink and was easily distracted. She was a bit apprehensive about seeing Dr Nye in different place than usual, but as long as she got to see her she was fully cooperative. She really likes Dr Nye and so do I. She did fine in the room with toys, and the room where they took her vitals, she was particularly fond of having her blood pressure taken, go figure. Then we were moved to her pre-OP room with a bed in it and lots of Dr's, and nurses coming in out asking her and I a lot of questions. At this point I could see her anxiety starting to build. Then the worse thing happened. They asked her to put on their jammies. OK lots of problems about this. 1, they were NOT hers, 2 they were NOT pink, 3 they were NOT a night gown and pants, but a shirt shorts deal, and 4, they HAD tigers on them, nothing girly about that. OK so we crossed that hurtle and she is on my lap trying so hard not to cry, even though a few tears escaped. Then they gave her some Versed. I found out today that the Doctors call it the truth serum. It was very bad tasting bitter according to the nurses, and this did not make her happy but she took it all down in only two tries. I was warned by the other parents who have had this done, as well as by the nurses to hold on tight to her. When it kicked in she would be unsteady. We sat in our chair with her head on me. All of a sudden it must have kicked in, and she sat up "straight" swaying with a huge grin on her face, Mark and I laughed a bit, then she look right at my chest and says, (read this with your best drunk voice in mind) "WWOW tthhose are SSO BBIIG!" Mark and I lost it we were laughing so hard we both had tears coming down our faces. They took her back just before 8:15 and Mark and I knew she was fine, and went and grabbed a little breakfast.

OK now here is where I realized how grateful I am that her surgery was so minor. There were mom's there for chemo, radiation, teeth cleaning for their Downs Syndrome kids, and to repair a very real broken heart. They were pacing, and loud and very chatty. I was calm and so grateful for our health as well as the Priesthood. I kept thinking about the blessing that Mark and our friend Steve B. gave her the night before. My heart was full as I wished all of these families could receive the peace and comfort of the Comforter.

About 45 min. later Dr Nye came out and told me it all was well and gave us a few instructions and warned us that she may have some double vision but that won't last any longer than two weeks! 10 min later we were by her side waiting for her to wake up. She was a true sleeping beauty, and at this time came humbling experience number two. In recovery we were very much back to back with a young lady holding a baby girl maybe only 2 months old if that. Her son in the bed next to us, who was also still sleeping, looked to be 3. I gathered from her conversation with the nurses that she has a 6 year old in school back home in Kalispell Montana! Her son was in the beginning of a 5 week radiation program, she was staying at the McDonald house, and knew no one. My heart ached more for her than anyone else that day and every time I think of her my heart hurts and I pray for her.

So after what seemed a long time my sleeping beauty began to wake, loopier than before. I sat holding a popsicle for her about 6 inches from her face. She says (slurred and drunk sounding) "TTHHere's ttwo of them". She would grab it pull it close then ask and look around my hand, and try to open it, "wwhhere ddid thee other one ggo?" Then she looked down and with wide eyes and says "II hhave ffour legs, ccraazy Heavenly Father and Jesus, ggave mme ffour llegs!!" After her wheel chair ride to the car, which she thought was because she had 4 legs, we stopped off to see Josh just two floors above us. That would make humbling experience number 3. On our way home we stopped by A&W to use the bathroom. She would not let me hold her so I directed her to the bathroom following her around for fear she'd stumble and hurt herself. In the bathroom she stumbled and with funny look on her face repeats the stumble throw her arms in the air and says "Aand tthats hhow you ddance with ffourr lleggs!" Oh that kids is funny anyway and with some loopy drugs in her system Mark and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!!

Well that was it, a day of crazy mood swings, and double vision, 3 days of sponge baths and eye drops, no swimming for 14 days, and with the outsides of her eyes blood red, she is back to normal! (No more double vision.)

I am so proud of my little girl! She did everything she was asked including not touching her eyes and enduring the painful eye drops. She was such a trooper!

Memorial Day

Monday was a great day! Our family along with John's family head south to enjoy some sun and water. The day was amazing! The pictures below show how much fun everyone had much better than I could ever express. To top off the day Wendy and I started to the mall, upon finding it closed, we headed to Hastings. When we emerged we were shocked to find it was two hours later! We only spent a total of $5.00! 3.50 was worth it, the other... well I'm sorry to say it went to M & M's, my favorite unless they are peanutbutter-strawberry M&M's, those I'll never buy again. (No they didn't sound good in the first place, but I just had to know.)

Memorial Day Fun!

On May 15-18, Grandma and Grandpa Monson came for a visit! It was great to see them again, they had only been home a couple of weeks from their mission to Moscow Russia. Grandma brought the kids each a set of the stacking Russian dolls, and I got a decorated cutting board, too pretty to use, and an apron with a Russian lady on it. It hangs in my kitchen if you ever want to take a peek! The older girls loved to learn Russian words and Payton tried her hand at copying Grandma as she wrote our names. Elyse enjoyed that Grandpa would read her books, something I hadn't been able to do in very long time. On Saturday they took Mark and the kids to Lower Granite Dam and got to take a tour the dam, and saw a boat pass through the lock system, everyone enjoyed it but especially the adults. Mark is still talking about it! I stayed home as I was still recovering from my tonsillectomy. Before going home Grandma was able to attend a Mother's Day Tea w/ Payton and I at her morning school. It was a great visit!
(Slide show below)

How I Lost Mothers Day

I'm going out on a limb to say we have all threatened to cancel a holiday, maybe it was birthday with "I hope you live to see (insert any age)", or Christmas: "Santa won't be making a stop here if you don't clean your room now". Maybe even Thanksgiving: "If you don't go down stairs and stay out of the kitchen there won't be dinner for you". But how about mothers day. This is how I got my mothers day revoked.


I play Twister Hopscotch with the 2 youngest, then a round of Eye Spy 3-D (actually really fun!)

So you would think getting a shower, doing some laundry while they play "nicely" wouldn't be too much to ask. You guessed it I was wrong.



Elyse:

"Payton's touching me"

"Payton's hurt me"

"Payton breathed on me" (this is a common complaint she seems to know just how to breathe

on us so we all get annoyed and I'm forced to fix the problem with "Payton don't breathe on your sister.)

Payton in whinny voice and tears:

"I didn't do it"
"I won't help HER"

"She's bugging ME!"

Mom:"Payton off the computer help your sister"

Payton "No"

Mom "ugh consider yourself done for now"

Payton: HUGE temper tantrum, screaming stomping.

Mom "ugh consider yourself done the rest of the day"

Payton (yes you guessed it) Bigger stomping, yelling, throwing things off my table, the use of the harshest words a kid can muster of "I HATE YOU!"

Mom "OK if you can't control your body then I get too. Sit in THAT chair until I think you have control."

Payton "Fine (yes Sis B that's where the FINE comes from) I will take your Mothers Day presents away."

Mom: OK at this point I'm trying not to laugh and duck, not sure where this going, as she grabs one of her gifts to me, from the fire place mantel.

Dad comes home from lunch (yes by my desperate phone call for a break) and puts it all into perspective, after Payton and I fill him in on our morning.

"Sooo you revoked your mom's mothers day?!"

And that's how I lost my mothers day.

P.S. I read this to Payton while the music played, we both laughed she approved and edited all the facts, then said " I DO always love you!" And I DO always love her too!

Dance over the Rainbow

Perfect Celtic Curls

Here is another new video on my YouTube video bar from last nights dance performance.



This



is a recent purchase I made specifically to make the perfect Celtic Curl. I can tell you I LOVE it! Not only does it make the perfect curl but it lasts for days. I have to wear the above glove, and since my fingers are short, and there's so much extra glove on the top of my fingers, I have to wear an extra glove on top of it, but it's still worth it! All the girls love their "Woopi Woopi Hair Dos". (That's what we call it. It makes our dad smile!) And I didn't pay the mall price! YEAH E-Bay!

An Elyse-ism to complete this post.
My friend Wendy and her little girl came to the performance with me. I ran into the house to grab one more thing and while I was inside she heard the following conversation:

Elyse: Caia who are you going to kiss?
Caia: I'm not going to kiss anyone! (that's my girls!)
Elyse: Then why are you wearing red lip stick?! ( Now I know to check her lips when she starts dating!)

It's all relative.

Here's two new video's I thought all of our relatives would enjoy. The top is the elementary schools talent show. You can't tell but the audience was really into it! I was so proud of them! Her friend up there is Addi these two girls are so much fun to be around. Below is a clip curtsy of my mother-in-law, of Payton singing at her Kindergarten Mothers Day Tea. We had yummy treats of lemon bars, breads, snicker doodles, chocolate dipped strawberries, and punch. There are a couple of pictures below of the tea as well.
ENJOY!

Vacuuming so Buggy!

So apparently my vacuuming was a bit annoying, so much that she ran and fixed the problem. Not a complaint, no yelling, just took care of it herself. I love her independence...today!

Patients.

I'm trying to find a new layout that will show the full pictures from photobucket, and not cut of my ends. If anyone knows how to get the pictures to fit I'm all ears. Mean while I'll keep working on updating the layout as well as posting. I am happy to have found my Easter pictures and enjoyed putting this new slide show together.

I'll have plenty of time the next two weeks to play around with this, so for now.. good night.

With weather like this why eat in?!

What a fun week! Monday night FHE we had lots of friends over to watch the NCAA Championship, but not before hamburgers on the grill and some spring training of our own. The rest of the week was filled with bike riding, and eating outside. I couldn't stand to think of bringing anyone in until I just had too. So we all enjoyed the outdoors. I think this contributed to Elyse's croup attack last Sunday resulting in the cancellation of the eye surgery. Darn I was hoping to get that over with. Oh well, we'll try again on May 28th. Last week ended and this one began with Easter. I'm having posting problems and have lost my Easter pics. So as soon as I find them I'll get them up. I've included the only one I can I find for you dad, I knew you couldn't wait!!

Our Outside Dining Room, what a view!

Payton's Brand New Bike, $17.00 what a deal!

Elyse's bike with new training wheel upgrade.

Easter morning with their whoopi whoopi hair do's!

Catching-Up

March 18, 2009.

Mark brought home 3 goldfish to feed Payton's snake Sir Hiss, unfortunately he passed that day. Payton was sad, not a cryer, but she coped in her own little way she was a little more snugly that day. Elyse was trying to process the whole death thing, she prayed first that he would come back to life, after we talked about that not happening, then she prayed for sir Hiss to get better, finally she is now praying that Heavenly Father will keep him safe in Heaven. How Sweet is that!! Sis. B heard of the death and brought over something "to hug when she was missing Sir Hiss" I'm telling you she is the best!


March 26 Celtic Dance

Katie their instructor, Tegan, Lauren, Caia and Emma, waiting in the wing.


March 26, Every year the elementary school puts on International week. The last two years Caia has been invited to dance. Well I took my new little camera to record it... and forgot to put my disk back in after my last blog. So this is the little bit of video I was able to get on my hard drive. I was so sad, to have so little, because she did so well! (That's my girl on the far left!)

April is gearing up to be a crazy month. Elyse is doing her eye surgery on Thursday, as of right now I still don't know the time. It's driving me nuts! If it's too early in the morning we need to get a hotel room, and I need to find somewhere for the girls to go. I hope tomorrow I'll get more information. Her Joy School group moved the days so she wouldn't miss anything since we are working on cute little books it's a 4 or 5 week project. I love our Joy School friends.

April 5 A walk

Today we enjoyed General Conference, the day was finally beautiful and we went for a walk after dinner with Dan, and the Alvey family. I only got one picture before my battery died! New Camera mental notes, 1 make sure memory card is plugged in and 2 keep battery charged.



Tomorrow some good friends are coming over to watch the finals of basketball I hope to get some good pictures.



NEWS FLASH:

Lots can change in 15 sec. As I was writing this Elyse woke up crying that she was hurting, Mark went to check on her thinking she fell out of bed. NOPE it's croup. Usually she coughs before bed if an attack is coming this came w/out any warning signs. I have never heard it this bad! I had my shoes on and was grabbing my keys to head to the hospital. I was afraid to try the cold or warm air thing because it was that bad. Luckily the cold air from the door being open calmed it so we sat outside and had our Neighbor & Mark give her a blessing. Needless to say she is sleeping on the pull out bed in our room tonight. I am so grateful for loving Heavenly Father who is mindful of us. I guess we'll see how the rest of the night goes before we worry about the surgery, that may need to be postponed! My purse is packed with my cell phone and keys, clothes placed out, shoes by the door, and Elyse's coat w/some socks in the pocket. Yep I'll sleep well tonight, well we'll see....

I.F. ( Idaho Falls for all of you non idahoans)

I.F.

So we spent part of Spring Break in I.F. Elder Buckley, he served in our area for several months, was getting married. We love to stay with our good friends down there any chance we can get. So we had Angie do our taxes, played with a lot of different animals, attended the wedding, ate, and ate, only to be out done with shopping! We had a great time and I came home with a million and one ideas of things to do with my Cricut. We all enjoyed the trip. Thank you Drew and Angie, you guys are the best!

Need Money! Will Take Donations! Please and Thank You!

Caia, I am so proud to announce, read Little Women, unabridged cover to cover! Yes she truly is an amazing young girl. She then watched the movie and at the end there was an address to buy the replica locket that was worn in the movie!! What every Louisa May Alcott admirer must have. My daughter, of whom I have instilled the value of hard work and savings, is taking DONATIONS for the cost of shipping. Your help would much be appreciated. "Please and Thank You". ( At least she is very polite in soliciting and accepting the funds, I have taught her manners.)