Joshua's Palate Surgery

What a trooper! Joshua’s palate surgery went well, and he responded to everything so much better than I expected!

The day before surgery we spent some time walking the halls, playing in the hospital playroom, watching movies, looking at books in the library, playing video games, and just hanging out. And while I thought it was crazy to have a 3 year old required to spend the entire day in the hospital the day BEFORE surgery I think that it really did him some good. It made him comfortable with his surroundings and all the medical stuff in the rooms without being threatened by it all. So, while it was uneventful and a little boring, I think it was helpful...and it gave me the opportunity to connect with my friend (and former coach) Kristi, who now lives in the Houston area! It was such a blessing to get to spend the evening with her!

The morning of surgery Josh was a bit grumpy. The boy does not like to be woken up! But it wasn’t long before they came in with the silly juice and it did the trick. Poor boy kept trying to play a game on my phone, but it was just not working out for him! When we went back into the holding room the nurse asked him if he was ready to go and he said NO! I was a little shocked that he had the wherewithal to even know what was going on. But a few minutes later they were able to distract him and he willingly went to the nurse who carried him back to the OR. I must say the nurses were AMAZING! When surgery was finally done and they paged me he was not fully awake. They said that normally they would have gotten him cleaned up a little better and waited for him to wake up more before calling him back, but that they knew I had been through this before and they knew I was anxious to see him. They said he had been a stinker coming out of anastasia, and that they were going to be moving us to a room right across from the nurses station (which was really just two rooms over from where we were originally!) So I hurried back to get all of our stuff packed up and moved while they prepared to roll him to the room. Once he was in the room, and a little more awake, he got very agitated. He was still hooked up to everything but he wanted out and he wanted in his mama’s arms. I’m so thankful that I took one last trip to the bathroom before they brought him in because the boy would not leave my arms for the rest of the night! He woke up here and there, was restless and groggy, but mostly he slept. Around 3 the nurses realized that I had not made it out of the room for lunch so they brought me a sandwich, some yogurt and chips from the nurses station. I was so thankful! The biggest obstacle was getting regular Tylenol prescribed for him because he would have NOTHING to do with the oral pain meds originally prescribed...and I mean nothing! The boy would start freaking out if you tried to get the medicine cup anywhere near him! A doctor had to call it in, but ours had already left for the evening and because the other pain meds were already in the system it would not clear him for the Tylenol. After a few hours they got it worked out and he joyfully downed the Tylenol. What a difference that made!

The next morning I had the opportunity to connect with a old high school friend of mine that I had not seen in years! It was a real treat to hang out with Kristin for a few hours! By that time we were discharged with a strict soft food diet order. Poor Josh was asking for chicken nuggets not an hour into the ride home! He was not impressed by the mashed potatoes I handed him instead! :) Enjoy the pics!

TWU Tradition...and a walk down memory lane

Legacy. Tradition. Pride. Friendship. Family. When I think back about my time spent at Texas Woman’s University, particularly my time spent on the gymnastics team at TWU, I think about these things. The legacy of TWU gymnastics is built upon many years of tradition and pride. The girls I competed with are some of my dearest friends...we are family. Many of them I do not see often, if at all anymore. We rarely talk on the phone, although many of us do keep up on facebook. But get us back in a room together and it’s like no time has passed at all.

I had an opportunity to get away and spend some time with these dear women this past weekend, and let me tell you...it was so refreshing! ...And a bit sad and surreal, as we witnessed the end of an era. Our coach, Frank Kuklac is retiring at the end of this season. He started the program 33 years ago has poured his heart and soul into making it what it is today...a USAG Powerhouse, with 9 USAG Collegiate National Championship Titles, two conference championships, numerous all American titles, and a slew of other accolades. Coach Kudlac did not just teach his team about gymnastics, he taught us principles for life. Hard work, perseverance, unity, belief in a system - in your teammates - and in yourself, the pursuit of excellence, poise, integrity...

I am so thankful that in 1995 Coach Kudlac saw potential in me, an inconsistent and inexperienced barely level 10 gymnast, and offered me a spot on the team. I am so so thankful. At that point I had only been competing for 3 years. Most of my experience had been in cheer-leading and tumbling with a year or so taking gymnastics when I was little. I had always loved it. It really was what I was passionate about. I wanted to be Mary Lou. I still remember turning cartwheels down the hallway of a hotel after watching the Olympics and telling my mom THAT is what I want to do!!! But with the cost of classes, our moving to a small town, and my love for school sports, gymnastics was not a realistic option. I spent 7th-9th grade fully immersed in as many school sports as I could possibly be involved in. Volleyball, basketball, track, cross-country, one season of softball, cheer-leading...I loved every minute of it. But my freshmen year, while taking a tumbling class, my heart was drawn back into my love for all-around gymnastics. I was willing to give up everything else and pursue gymnastics full time. When I told my school coaches that I would not be returning to the team my sophomore year they told me I was crazy....”to be good at gymnastics you have to start when you’re little bitty” they would say. “What do you plan to do with gymnastics? And why would you give up a chance at a college scholarship running track for this?” I couldn’t explain it. They were right. It was crazy. I had loved my time playing those sports, but gymnastics was IN me and always had been. I just had to take the chance. I just had to.

Looking back now, I realize just how crazy it was. I had no guarantees I’d be any good, and even if I was decent, there were no guarantees I’d get into college doing gymnastics. I was 15 and couldn’t do a kip on bars...in-fact I scratched bars nearly my entire first season because I couldn’t do the skills necessary in the routine...and once I could do enough of them to compete it was...let’s just say....entertaining! Beam was another tough one. I was so inconsistent (at least that’s the way it felt!). Because I was learning skills so quickly to “catch up” with my age group I didn’t have the time to perfect them like you need to do to be a solid beam worker. But I had floor and vault, and that was enough to keep me going. I was a 16 year old level 6 gymnasts competing with a bunch of 8 and 9 year olds. I meddled a lot that year, simply because there were not many girls competing in my age group! My teammates in high school were great too. There were two other girls that were just a year or two younger than me, and then a slew of little girls that I loved! They were all so supportive and encouraging. My coaches Mary Jane Ousley and Kristi Walters were great too. They kept pushing me ahead towards my goal, expecting great things from me, but helped me be realistic when my experience level didn’t measure up to my expectations. They really laid a quick, solid foundation for my collegiate years.

Okay, I’m not sure how I ended up hijacking this post with my walk down memory lane, but let me just say, that I am so thankful for my years in gymnastics. The friendships, the memories, the life lessons, the character building...it’s all priceless! So THANK YOU to all of you out there who were a part of my gymnastics journey. What amazing memories I have of that time in my life! And thank you Lord for giving me the talent, the desire and passion, and the courage to take the risk!

And now, here are a few shots from my weekend with the girls! And just for grins...a video of a video of my vault and floor routine from Nationals my senior year! (still makes my heart race and my palms sweaty to watch).

Surgery Date is Set

Assuming Joshua stays healthy, he will be having his palate surgery Thursday March 3rd. Just 9 days from today. I must admit when we received the letter and I saw the date, I did get a bit nervous. I mean, I knew this day was coming. This is a good thing. But still, something about seeing it in writing...the reality...made my stomach turn. There are so many unknowns with how Joshua will respond. He’s so much older than Abigail was for her surgery, so I know his understanding and fears about what all is going on will be completely different than hers.

If all goes as planned we will head out early, early on the 2nd and arrive at Shriners for our 10 a.m. check in time. They will make sure he’s healthy and then send us on to our room. We will spend the rest of the day hanging out in the hospital. (Ugh...does not sound fun to me at all...but then again I am a bit hospital adverse!) He will be the first one in for surgery on the 3rd, so it will be another early morning. They said he will be completely loopy before being taken back and nothing will be attached to him until he is in the OR. This should help a lot! Please start praying for us. He has had a very tiny runny nose. Pray that that clears. Pray for my ability to comfort him and for his ability to accept comfort from me. This has not been an issue to date, but the stress could cause him to withdraw. David will be staying home with the other kids. Pray for their hearts as I know they will be a little anxious about their bother and mommy being gone for three days. My grandmother will be making the trip with us! Pray for her safety as well and for great opportunities to connect with her. I’m so thankful for her heart to be a part of our lives! I’ll keep you posted in the days to come!

What do you do when...

...you’re given a SURPRISE “DAY OFF”!?!

This morning was normal. David got up early, got the kids up for school, and then came and woke me up. I went and made lunches and started pouring cereal. He took them to school and then...that’s when the day changed. When he returned from dropping D and C off at school, he said “I know what you should do today!” I must admit my first thought was “Oh no...” Then the heavens opened and the angels started to sing as he said “pack up your backpack and get out of the house for the day...I’ll take care of the kids!” I can hear the heavens rejoicing even as I recount the moment! :) Thanks Honey! YOU. ARE. THE. BEST!!!

So what did I do! I quickly packed up my backpack with two books, my bible, my journal, two notebooks, my computer, and computer cord. Of course I knew I’d never get to all of it , but I wasn’t quite sure what I was in the mood for so I figured better to bring it all and get out quick before he changed his mind!!! :)

So, I’ve spent the day catching up on blogs and I got to enjoy a nice long lunch with a sweet friend!!! So Refreshing!

 think I’ve already posted up 5 or 6 blogs. So sorry for the overload, but that’s just my blogging reality these days. Of course they are all post dated so if you miss this blog you will never know they were all written on the same day! That’s just the way I roll. Anyway, just wanted to give a shout out to the most amazing husband in the whole world and let the whole blogging world know how much I love him!

There...now you know what I would do!

What’s for Dinner?

Yesterday I had the privilege of going grocery shopping and stocking up on some much needed supplies. An added bonus was that I got to do this alone, with no kids in tow. Now, I fully understand the value of taking a kid or two with me...all the teachable moments along the way, the rare one on one time with mom, etc., but it sure is nice to complete this task alone from time to time!

So I prepared my meal list, separated my shopping list between Sam’s Club and Walmart, and headed out for the 3 hour cruise...I mean 4 hour shopping adventure.

Here are the meals I’ll be making and hopefully we’ll all be eating and enjoying over the next 30 or so days. I don’t have a “meal” for everyday, as there are always opportunities to eat out, have left overs, etc.

• Pigs in a blanket with scrambled eggs or tomato soup 
• Spaghetti and Meat Sauce (or meat balls)
• Orange Chicken with rice and broccoli
• Spicy Shredded Pork (this is a new one...hope it’s yummy!)
• Tacos (family favorite!) - Red Beans and Rice
• Foil Wrapped Shrimp Linguini 
• Chicken Parmesan
• Homemade Tomato Soup with grilled cheese 
• Homemade Pizza (trying my hand at homemade dough this month too!)
• Fajitas
• Taco Soup (yummy and oh so easy!) 
• Mini Meatball Sandwiches 
• Hot Dogs and Mac and Cheese
• Shrimp Quesadillas
• Beef and Bean Burritos
• Breakfast Burritos
• Homemade Lasagna (new recipe for this one too)
• Pancakes and Bacon 
• Biscuits with Jelly and Scrambled Eggs 

What are you making for dinner tonight?...this week?...this month?

Buzz Lightyear...and a Princess Too!

I think I’ve mentioned before that my kids (I) love Buzz Light year! When Daniel was 3 he had a Buzz Lightyear room, was Buzz Lightyear for Halloween, had a Buzz Lightyear birthday party, Toy Story was/is our family’s favorite movie, you get the idea. We love Buzz Lightyear around here. So when I came across pictures of each one of the kids in our Buzz Lightyear costume I just had to laugh...and it was totally worth a random post! Of course I didn’t find one of Abigail wearing it. I know she has, but she’s more of a princess kind of girl!

See if you can correctly identify all the Buzz Lightyear’s below. If you do, you will win one night of babysitting our kids while watching Toy Story 1, 2, and 3 while David and I go out on a date! Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! :) Just kidding...take a stab at it and see if you can get them all correct!

Friends

More evidence that these two are TWO PEAS IN A POD! It’s really funny to watch the two of them together. And the latest is Lilly saying “Hey Josh, you hit Abigail...okay??? You hit her!” She knows good and well that she will get in big trouble for hitting so she puts him up to the task! We’ve come down just as hard on her encouraging others to do wrong as we would her doing wrong. It seems to be working...a little! :)