4 Months?!

Yeah, yeah....


A friend (Hi Trish!) showed me this page and told me that she uses it to keep track of my inner-most thoughts and feelings. She uses it as a guide as to just how much she should be worried about me. Um, ok-aaay....I'm feeling a bit cyber-stalked.


Not really, of course, as this friend (Hi again, Trish!) truly is one of my dearest bestest friends in the world. And we talk/text/Facebook often enough that she's able to keep up with me.


And maybe that's the problem. I've fallen victim to the instantcy of our world (yes, I know, that's a made up word). Facebook is so much easier. Texting can happen anywhere. But it's also so superficial. I don't link my blog to Facebook because this is a more private space; a space where I can share things that I can't share as publically. I've got neices and nephews on FB; cousins, church friends (and aquaintances), classmates and CM clients. I can't vent there about the latest crazy that my mother has pulled (it's a doozy!). But blogging takes time, and introspection, one of which is in scarce supply, and the other I'm avoiding.


So, here's a quick (yeah, right) synopsis of the last four months (are we sure it's really been that long?!)


September--The kids both got insulin pumps. In their normal fashion, they each chose a different pump. I have to say, though, that I really think they each made the best choice for themselves and I'm proud of the way they handled the decision-making process. Shannon also got braces.


We painted our kitchen, in an effort to hate it less. It really does look good and I'm so glad we did it. WE have grand plans for that room, but any major kitchen renovations would wind up taking over most of the main floor of the house and we can't afford that right now. So, we're doing the little things to update while we save our pennies.


During that process, Max got into the mouse bait that was under the kitchen sink. She ate more than enough to kill her. And, being Labor Day weekend, yeah.....thank Heaven's for emergency vets, even if it did cost us $300, plus another $75 lab test later. Note to pet owners out there: read the packaging on pest control products....there's usually a note to doctors/veterinarians about accidental ingestation. One thing I learned is that the "blood thinner" poison/bait is the easiest to treat, so when the mice moved in this winter, that's the bait I got.....and, of course, we were MUCH more careful about where we put it.


October brought Croptoberfest, which is one of my favorite CM events. I love having clients/customers/friends in my home working on their albums. I get pretty passionate about it. Alana received her 3rd grade Bible (it's a tradition in the United Methodist Church). Alana also skated in the Halloween Ice Show at the ice rink. She was the cutest black cat!


Shannon reinjured her foot, going back to spring of 2008, so we wound up at the podiatrist. After x-rays and an MRI, it seems there was a very deep bruise on one of the little bones in her foot and the doctor ordered her back into her boot and onto crutches for 6 weeks.


Our church camping group went down to Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, UT and I rented a wheelchair for Shannon. Bruce wasn't so interested in the chair, but come to find out, he's never been on crutches so he hasn't the foggiest idea what that's like. Turns out it was a good idea after all as the restroom nearest to us was closed, so the closest one was quite a hike down the way. We also drove into Las Vegas to go to the Disney Outlet store (disappointing), and again, I was glad we had the chair. We made quite the procession, going through the mall with Max in her vest and Shannon in her chair!


We drove down the strip, but never really found a place to park, so we didn't get out and walk. It was still pretty impressive. I felt like the gawking tourist I was, though, pointing up at the Colluseum, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. There were even "canals" and "gondolas" at the Venitian! I'd forgotten that prostitution is legal in Vegas, so the people on the street wearing shirts that said "Girls to you in 20 minutes" came as a bit of a surprise!


For Halloween, Alana was the only child still young enough to dress up, and she went through a range of ideas, including an obscure Pokemon and an ice-skating vampire, before settling on a vampire bride. Shannon and a friend took their younger sisters around the neighborhood, and the older kids made out like bandits. Shannon's friend would go to the door with the girls and say "My friend's out there in a wheelchair...." and the neighbor would load them up! Sneaky little stinkers!


November--DisneyWORLD!!! It seems like we spent all year gearing up for that trip and it was SO much fun! There were a few moments that were frustrating or disappointing, but overall, it was a grand vacation. I had a blast looking for "Hidden Mickeys" throughout the parks. We went on most of the roller coasters, though there is not enough money in the world to get me onto the Tower of Terror. Alana, however, is grinning from ear to ear in the photo. My sister introduced me to the fun of "roller coaster posing" and most of my souvenir money went toward pictures taken on various rides.


The food was good (mostly), and I was THRILLED with the way they handled Shannon's gluten-free needs. Our first meal in the park was at Cinderella's Royal Table and the chef came out, put his hand on Shannon's shoulder and said "Now, what can we make for you today, Princess?" Both Melany and I got tears in our eyes. Everywhere we went, it was like that. It was an amazing attitude of "how can we make this a magical vacation for this young lady" rather than any negativity at all. And they knew their stuff! They'd bring a container of butter just for Shannon to avoid cross-contamination, and one restaurant knew that the immitation maple syrup might have gluten in it, so he sent out a little jar of the real stuff. They made her gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles, just like the rest of us were eating. They'd offer her gluten-free desserts, usually pre-packaged, and they'd encourage us to take the extras with us for later (I realize that they probably would've had to throw them away, but still!). At one little walk-up hamburger stop, Bruce asked if they had gluten-free buns (if not, we'd just ask for hers without a bun), and the manager personally made her burger for her. I imagine that some of that is that the managers have had more training on the subject so they handle it, but it just felt so special and kind.


Shannon had been cleared to come off crutches, but she still had to wear her boot for awhile, so the doctor recommended a "knee walker" for Shannon because Disney World is HUGE! It's like a scooter, but not. I'll have to post pictures of it. While chatting with Pinnochio, he took it for a spin, and at one of the character breakfasts, Stitch took off with it, riding it through the restaurant.


And we'll have to stop there as life is calling my name. Hopefully I can get back to this later this week.