We had a good weekend!
On Friday, William had his infusion so we spent the day relaxing in the doctors office and eating treats. During that time, William read his first complete book. It is called Big Egg by Molly Coxe. It's an amusing tale about an egg too large to be the hen's, so she carts it around the farm asking if it belongs to the other animals. "Is it a cat egg?" says Hen. "No," says Cat. and so on. When she approaches the fox, he is more than happy to take the egg and it cracks open to find the fox standing there with knife and fork. I won't spoil the end for you. :-) William has continued to read it over the weekend and has subsequently memorized it. Now that he can read, we'll be making many trips to the Easy Reader shelves at the library so he isn't stuck with memorized books.
Friday night we wore our PJs to the church for family movie night and enjoyed popcorn and Finding Nemo. It was a great gathering and I adored the devotional they passed out to the parents to bring God's truth home from the movie. Nemo would stop at nothing to find his son to be with him and God did no less, even sending his Son to die for us so he could be with us forever.
Saturday morning I made pancakes and we attempted the devotional with the kids. Next time we won't serve the sugar first and then try to keep their attention. ;-)
Saturday evening we went to the wedding of Doug's cousin James and his new bride, Amber. James is Doug's second, double cousin (Doug's grandmother's sister married Doug's grandfather's brother, who were James' grandparents). We visited with the extended family and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.
Sunday morning came a bit too early, but we made it to church on time and then celebrated Doug's grandfather's 93rd birthday with lunch, cake and ice cream. Afterward, we visited with Doug's uncle, John, who was in town for the birthday celebration.
I went to bed at 6:30 on Sunday evening, even before the kids were in bed, and slept until 7:30 this morning. Ahhhh. I finally felt rested for the first time in a very long time.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Not My Job
We moved into our house at the end of March. Naturally, we had all of the utilities connected or transfered from the builder to us.
Due to some "glitch" TXU has not charged us for any of the electricity we have used since we moved in. I have gotten mail from them in our name and I have an account number. When I call, they verify my name, address, account number, etc, but for some reason we aren't receiving bills. Not only that, when I called the first time, fearing we were headed toward disconnect, I was told my account balance was $0. I was assured, in June, that our next meter reading would be June 22 and surely I would receive a bill then. Naturally, by mid-July it was time to check on things again. So, I got a "brilliant" young girl on the phone who verified my info by read-ing ev-er-y syll-a-ble of the script she was given. She told me my account balance ($0), the date of my next meter reading (July 22), and that I should receive a bill at the end of the month. I mentioned that I was told that in June, but it didn't seem to bother her. Perhaps I could do a little trouble shooting for her...do you have an initial reading? The most recent reading is June 21, but no bill was prepared from that reading.
I don't mind getting free electricity, but eventually these months are going to catch up to us. Our brave girl, tells me it will be no matter, as they have payment options and we can work out something if we can't pay the whole amount, if and when a bill ever arrives. "Is that all?" she asked? I suppose so. I do feel a bit foolish alerting the electric company of their mistake and our great fortune, but I assume that eventually someone will decide it is their job to make sure they get paid for services provided. Until then, I'll keep calling and keeping records and adopt their attitude. It's not my job to make sure I get a bill.
Due to some "glitch" TXU has not charged us for any of the electricity we have used since we moved in. I have gotten mail from them in our name and I have an account number. When I call, they verify my name, address, account number, etc, but for some reason we aren't receiving bills. Not only that, when I called the first time, fearing we were headed toward disconnect, I was told my account balance was $0. I was assured, in June, that our next meter reading would be June 22 and surely I would receive a bill then. Naturally, by mid-July it was time to check on things again. So, I got a "brilliant" young girl on the phone who verified my info by read-ing ev-er-y syll-a-ble of the script she was given. She told me my account balance ($0), the date of my next meter reading (July 22), and that I should receive a bill at the end of the month. I mentioned that I was told that in June, but it didn't seem to bother her. Perhaps I could do a little trouble shooting for her...do you have an initial reading? The most recent reading is June 21, but no bill was prepared from that reading.
I don't mind getting free electricity, but eventually these months are going to catch up to us. Our brave girl, tells me it will be no matter, as they have payment options and we can work out something if we can't pay the whole amount, if and when a bill ever arrives. "Is that all?" she asked? I suppose so. I do feel a bit foolish alerting the electric company of their mistake and our great fortune, but I assume that eventually someone will decide it is their job to make sure they get paid for services provided. Until then, I'll keep calling and keeping records and adopt their attitude. It's not my job to make sure I get a bill.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Bye Bye Mr. Sun
Adios amigo! It's time for you to hide...and not just long enough to let the clouds drip their humidity down to our level and then reappear to warm up the sauna.
It's time for fall again.
Lego sets...the highly sought motivator?
With William's recent obsession with Lego sets, specifically getting more, more, MORE, we figured we might be able to cash in on this bit of motivation and encourage him to work hard at staying dry all night.
He dons a Pull-Up each night before bed "just in case," but with his heavy sleep and sleep walking, he struggles to even make it past 11pm before finding himself a bit soggy. Tonight, we suggested that in addition to the money he is saving for a Lego set, Mom and Dad would happily buy him a brand new set if he can stay dry at night for 4 nights. He tried to negotiate on the duration of the "dry spell," but we ultimately agreed that 4 days is, in fact, fair.
So, I asked him, "William, what's your plan for staying dry at night?"
W: I dunno, I don't have a plan.
Mom: It's a good idea to have a plan to follow to reach your goal.
W: Hmm. Well, I guess I'll get a Star Wars Lego set.
M: I really meant more of a plan of HOW to stay dry, not what you wanted to buy.
W: Oh, well maybe a Star Wars game then.
M: Right, well on that note, Good night William.
W: Well, I need a drink before I go upstairs. <... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... the sound of water flowing from the fridge... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...>
Dad: I think that's enough buddy, you just need a sip before you go to bed.
W: Well, I AM thirsty.
M: Oh goodness, is that your 32 ounce water bottle?
W: I didn't fill it all the way up.
Good night little buddy. I hope he dreams of new creative ways to build the legos he already has...
He dons a Pull-Up each night before bed "just in case," but with his heavy sleep and sleep walking, he struggles to even make it past 11pm before finding himself a bit soggy. Tonight, we suggested that in addition to the money he is saving for a Lego set, Mom and Dad would happily buy him a brand new set if he can stay dry at night for 4 nights. He tried to negotiate on the duration of the "dry spell," but we ultimately agreed that 4 days is, in fact, fair.
So, I asked him, "William, what's your plan for staying dry at night?"
W: I dunno, I don't have a plan.
Mom: It's a good idea to have a plan to follow to reach your goal.
W: Hmm. Well, I guess I'll get a Star Wars Lego set.
M:
W: Oh, well maybe a Star Wars game then.
M: Right, well on that note, Good night William.
W: Well, I need a drink before I go upstairs. <... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... the sound of water flowing from the fridge... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...>
Dad: I think that's enough buddy, you just need a sip before you go to bed.
W: Well, I AM thirsty.
M: Oh goodness, is that your 32 ounce water bottle?
W: I didn't fill it all the way up.
Good night little buddy. I hope he dreams of new creative ways to build the legos he already has...
Our big kids...
Our kids grew up a little yesterday.
Mary Carol lost her first tooth (naturally - you will recall the dentist removed her two upper teeth after a face-first fall) while eating a granola bar. She swallowed it. She's looking extra gappy now, but it's cute. She's so proud.
William completed his first job for money. He's been asking for ways to earn money so he can buy more Lego sets, but when I suggest the job, he fizzles quite quickly and chooses to remain poor. Today, he asked for a job and I told him he could earn a whole dollar by gathering, washing, drying, folding and putting away a load of laundry. He did it well and smiled the whole time. He completed the job and I asked him how he would like to take his money, in change or in one crisp bill? He chose the change, the more the better. I gave him 50 pennies and 10 nickels. His eyes were huge and he took great pride in dropping each coin into the Cow Bank we purchased just the other day at the store. He's already asking for a second chance at cleaning out the car to earn more money. He fizzled the first time, but perhaps with a little experience of getting paid, he may finish the job this time.
Mary Carol lost her first tooth (naturally - you will recall the dentist removed her two upper teeth after a face-first fall) while eating a granola bar. She swallowed it. She's looking extra gappy now, but it's cute. She's so proud.
William completed his first job for money. He's been asking for ways to earn money so he can buy more Lego sets, but when I suggest the job, he fizzles quite quickly and chooses to remain poor. Today, he asked for a job and I told him he could earn a whole dollar by gathering, washing, drying, folding and putting away a load of laundry. He did it well and smiled the whole time. He completed the job and I asked him how he would like to take his money, in change or in one crisp bill? He chose the change, the more the better. I gave him 50 pennies and 10 nickels. His eyes were huge and he took great pride in dropping each coin into the Cow Bank we purchased just the other day at the store. He's already asking for a second chance at cleaning out the car to earn more money. He fizzled the first time, but perhaps with a little experience of getting paid, he may finish the job this time.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
How's William? - Another Successful Infusion
Many people ask about William and the report is typically the same. Here's the latest, though not much has changed in a few months.
William is doing well. He has infusions of IVIG every 3 weeks at a doctors office. Yesterday was his day. It takes 7 hours to administer the whole dose, but they make it pretty comfortable there and we come prepared. He doesn't really experience any bad side effects, just a short-lived headache 1-2 days later. It all keeps him from weakening. By doing it every 3 weeks we keep his immune system out of the loop completely so it doesn't have a chance to attack the nerves again. He relies on the perfected cocktail of donated antibodies to keep him from getting sick and to trick his immune system into submission. The upside is that he hasn't been ill since all of this started. He can not have further immunizations (though he is up to date for now), lest we trigger his immune system to attack, but he's covered for all of those illnesses with the IVIG. He's got better immunity than I do right now. He fights everything off within a day or less. He regained all his prior strength in physical therapy, so he's back to his normal self. He is weaker when he is tired and is still uncoordinated at times, but he's able to enjoy a lot of activities still.
After finishing 90 days of anti-biotic treatment for Lyme Disease, we have increased the dose and will continue, hoping to see signs of improvement. He tolerates the medicine well, so we'll continue with patience and perseverance.
The next thing people ask, and even William asked today, is how long will we continue these infusions? The short answer is that we don't know. They are working for now and we won't rock the boat until he has been symptom-free for 6 months.
He's learning to read and can read simple sentences and books now. He's a good kid and gives us a run for our money everyday. The report is good overall.
William is doing well. He has infusions of IVIG every 3 weeks at a doctors office. Yesterday was his day. It takes 7 hours to administer the whole dose, but they make it pretty comfortable there and we come prepared. He doesn't really experience any bad side effects, just a short-lived headache 1-2 days later. It all keeps him from weakening. By doing it every 3 weeks we keep his immune system out of the loop completely so it doesn't have a chance to attack the nerves again. He relies on the perfected cocktail of donated antibodies to keep him from getting sick and to trick his immune system into submission. The upside is that he hasn't been ill since all of this started. He can not have further immunizations (though he is up to date for now), lest we trigger his immune system to attack, but he's covered for all of those illnesses with the IVIG. He's got better immunity than I do right now. He fights everything off within a day or less. He regained all his prior strength in physical therapy, so he's back to his normal self. He is weaker when he is tired and is still uncoordinated at times, but he's able to enjoy a lot of activities still.
After finishing 90 days of anti-biotic treatment for Lyme Disease, we have increased the dose and will continue, hoping to see signs of improvement. He tolerates the medicine well, so we'll continue with patience and perseverance.
The next thing people ask, and even William asked today, is how long will we continue these infusions? The short answer is that we don't know. They are working for now and we won't rock the boat until he has been symptom-free for 6 months.
He's learning to read and can read simple sentences and books now. He's a good kid and gives us a run for our money everyday. The report is good overall.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me!!
I'm tired of these overcast, humid days.
They are absolutely wrecking the beautiful, natural light thing we had going in our house. Not to mention how crabby I get when it's so muggy outside. It's time to stop hiding and come on out to play!!
Mr. Sun, these little children are asking you, to please come out so we can play with you!
I'm tired of these overcast, humid days.
They are absolutely wrecking the beautiful, natural light thing we had going in our house. Not to mention how crabby I get when it's so muggy outside. It's time to stop hiding and come on out to play!! Mr. Sun, these little children are asking you, to please come out so we can play with you!
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