The Rambling Family

The last few weeks we have been taking it easy and enjoying my parents. Mom flew down for a couple weeks and was such a help with to me and with the kids. Zoe loved having Nan share her bed and tell ‘Nancy-Jancy’ stories. It was also fun for Nan to do the school drop off and pick up routine. Avi is now really clinging to Grandpa Joe who drove down for the week. Both kids love splashing in the pool with him, playing chase, and watching Shaun the sheep which Grandpa Joe seems to enjoy even more than them.

The stress and fun of our upcoming move is hovering around the house. Orders are finally here, movers scheduled, and the time is flying by. Soon we will be making that final drive up I-75… Up to PA for family visits and then off to Korea!

Every Friday Zoe has”share day” at school. They are to bring in an item to show to the class that begins with the letter of the week. We always have fun picking out something unique.

This week was U week. We thought of umbrella, and utensil, and unicorn but figured all the other kids would bring those obvious choices. No one actually has a ukulele so that was out. As Zoe gathered up some forks and spoons and resigned herself to utensils she remembered her favorite planet: Uranus!

Our current favorite car music is the “science is real” CD from They Might be Giants. So, of course, the Paleontologist song is her favorite but she also loves the planet song. It has made her think about the planets and how we all must pick a favorite. She also has a planet puzzle. Uranus is a pretty ‘aquamagreen’ color. So it’s her favorite.

In other news Avi had his pre-op appointment and is all set for his adenoid and tonsil surgery on Monday. Show time: 0600.

This weekend we were busy busy busy.  Saturday we went to the International Festival, which was quite enjoyable.  There are info boards from (about) every country, foods to try, informaional sessions, and a cool dance competition.  Zoe loved the dancing – all the costumes and music.  In fact, she wanted to stay longer but Bryan and I were ready to go see other things.  Avi liked the food, of course, especially yaki mandu.  Zoe remembers it from Korea and got some, but Avi ate alot of hers.  He also seemed enthralled with the dancing.

We watched a few info sessions, too.  The Taekwondo was cool and kept the kids’ attention, as did the Korean wedding and the Korea Sparkling video.  Too funny that we happened into  the info area during the Korea presentations.  We also spent a good bit of time at the African drumming circle.  Both kids liked to drum and watch the dancer. 

In the evening we worked hard at getting our house more prepped for sale.  It’s been on militarybyowner.com and zillow.com for a couple weeks, but we need to really get it out there.  So, it’s time for a realtor.  We hired a non-traditional one, though.  He posts to the MLS, takes pictures, etc… for a flat fee; won’t show it or have open houses.   This way we’ll only have to pay realtor percentage to the buyers agent.  Regardless, we needed to clear out extra clutter, pictures, toys, etc… and paint the bathroom, patch a few walls, get a storage unit for the extra stuff. We just bought Zoe and Avi new beds for in Korea, but need to get them out of the garage. Busy work.  Our house looks great.  The realtor thought it was wonderful; now just someone buy it .

Sunday was the Azalea Festival. This is a big park festival with vendors and kid stuff and food.  I was there in a booth selling the THRIVE food – it’s my new home business.  My freind manned the booth Saturday and asked if I’d like it sunday, so it was my first sales.  Kind of fun.  Bryan and the kids came after church.  Zoe apparently liked the rock wall, but Avi was too busy running amuk.  The weather has been amazing – 70s and sunny!

Today has been so nice. It was 75 degrees and sunny and breezy. I opened all the windows and aired the house all day. Ahhhh- fresh clean spring air.

Then we spent the whole day out back. Cleaned and hung 6 loads of laundry – all our sheets and quilts plus the clothes! Aired out the duvets to pack away. Dug some grass from the side yard to fill the mud pit Zoe created after the weekend storms. Hosed off all the outdoor junk and cleaned the patio.

The kids helped me with the grass and steared clear of my clean laundry. Then they stripped down to undies for hose-off time. Now Zoe’s friend Jaylin is over. They have scaled the fence and are climbing along it around the whole yard. Avi has had fun today practicing his balance bike (the pukey bethany). His legs are still just barely too short. Zoe and I worked on her two-wheeler skills too.

The local kitty joined us for most of the day though I had to put him out of the fence at lunch. He kept trying to jump up and eat Avi’s food. It’s so nice eating outside; I think we’ll do the same for dinner. Sans cat again.

Finally! yes finally! I feel like I can eat *some* solid foods. I had my tonsils out 2 weeks ago and let me just say, again, it sucks. The surgery went well. I had them out with the modern coblation technique, which I cannot explain other than it’s modern and has to do with heating plasma instead of
just heating up an instrument. So I had no bleeding and the spots where my tonsils used to be looked nice and burned.

Once I was home, though, the pain set in. It’s crazy how a tonsil surgery really just affects everything within your head – my jaw hurt, my tongue hurt, my uvula was all bloaty, and – worst of all – my ears killed. I was on the heavy prescription meds for about 4 days – it was oxycodone, and worked well. I felt able to come off of it by day 5 and was really not in too much pain regularly at that point. The trouble is that anytime I swallowed it was horrible! There was not only instant sore-throat burning and scraping, but my jaw would hurt and I couldn’t open my mouth very wide. Then, after about 3 bites the pain would just radiate up into my ears like the worst ear infection EVAR! It would then continue for another hour or so. Basically, if I didn’t eat or drink or swallow anything I felt fine. I popped a huge motrin before eating, but it didn’t seem help me swallow as much as it lessened the ear pain. Of course, I have these kiddo’s to watch and Bryan had to go back to work after the weekend. He was on nights so in the evening when I felt super crappy I wasn’t happy to be getting grumpy kids to bed. To top it all off I was sleeping horribly; I’m a belly sleeper trying to sleep plumped up on pillows so my hears won’t hurt as bad. We made it through, though. Zoe was a super help at times; bringing me diapers for Avi, behaving well, and going to bed by herself! Avi, however, decided that he hated that Daddy couldn’t put him to bed. A few nights he just had to cry about that. Then, he would walk over to our bed later and crawl in. Bryan and I were simply too tired to take him back. Sneaky guy.

Tired, hungry, and feeling like crap. That is all I have to say about last week. By Friday, though, (which would be day 10) I felt like I could eat something beyond liquid and tried some squishy french fries at the squadron party. Saturday my throat was back to being sore after swallowing, but the ear pain wouldn’t radiate as long. Now I do feel fine to eat most things that are squishable; I can’t broach chips or crusty things or any meat yet….but Bryan and I went on a date last night for Chinese. Rice, sushi and noodles are fine!

Now, at 2 weeks post-surgery I still feel like I have a sore throat – like a sick throat – and swallowing is uncomfortable. My ears will hurt a bit after eating and overnight, but not super bad. The back of my throat still feels odd. It feels like something, maybe scabs or just still inflammation is back there and I get lots of drainage to pull down from my palate. Yucky Yuck. Can’t wait for it to stop.

Poor Avi gets to have his Adenoids and Tonsils out on March 19th. I don’t envy him the recovery, though, we’ve been told it’s quicker for kiddo’s. I sure hope so!

Got up at 0545 this morning, dressed, brushed my teeth careful not to swallow a thing, and drove myself in the dark to the surgery center at South Georgia Medical Center. No breakfast and a grumbly stomach. Checked in and was promptly taken to a pre-op room. Ugh. Today is the day.

I was weighed, BP checked, peed in a cup, and signed more papers. Then the nurse helped me
change into a hugemongous hospital gown that would fit an elephant. I had it on backwards in a flattering wrap – around way. Wrong; gotta wear it with the back hanging open. It’s OK, though, all the extra fabric makes it a great blanket too. Heck, it’s almost a snuggi!

Dr Allen came in to chat and gave me post op info about my 3 drugs! Antibiotics and two hardcore pain meds…Yikes this is going to suck. Actually the suck started when my nurse tried to get an IV in. She dug around in my arm for a while and then got it in my wrist. Ow. It hurt even after it was in; anytime I moved my hand. Oh well. She was so nice and apologetic. After that the anesthesiologist came in to tell me all about being knocked out… First a drug for nerves, then a drug to sleep, then I stay asleep with a tube in my throat, then some drug to fight nausea, and I wake up feeling great. Well, maybe a sore throat. 🙂

The first drug in my IV was a type of Valium … Supposed to relax… I felt a bit drunk but tired and my eyes couldn’t focus – tough to type on the iPhone, comprehend the TV, or stay awake.  Sent my last couple of texts.  I was soon wheeled on my bed into the operating room. It was big, with big lights, and lots of medical stuff.  My nurse helped me slide over to the operating table and put a pillow under my knees. Anesthesia guy came in and thought I was very alert for being on Valium, then he slowly put the next drug in my IV.  Last thing I remember contemplating were the big lights, and then …………. there were two nice nurses getting me into a giant recliner bed.  We talked for a bit and they told me I wouldn’t remember the convo, but I do.  They said the surgery went well, but I bit my lip.  It was fat and hurts.  It was over.  I felt fine but crazy groggy and out of it – the closest thing I can liken it to was the time Zoe and I flew space-A non stop for 36 hours from Korea to Washington DC.  I was pretty loopy then too.

In my recovery room, the nurse gave me a big cup of apple juice and turned on the TV.  It was irritating, so I turned it off and actually fell back asleep.  Woke when my blood pressure cuff alarmed – I guess my heart rate gets low when I sleep. It happened a few times and struck me as curious because this is what alarmed Avi’s Apnea monitor all the time when he slept.  I’ve never had reason to be monitored when sleeping; she said it was not dangerous at all just below the average range the machine was set for.  Well the 3rd time it woke me up I just stayed up and watched the Tudors on Netflix on my phone…then Bryan and the kids walked in!  The nurse had called them when she saw I was staying awake.  She came and gave us my Rx, some rules (no dairy for today – boo, I premaid myself a huge thing of pudding), and I got changed to go.  The drugs made me really dizzy; my legs felt rubbery and unstable, too, so she wheeled me out to the car.

This afternoon at home I just laid in bed, watched some Netflix, worked on some of our Shutterfly yearbook (I’ll have to recheck those pages), and randomly napped. I would simply wake up now and then looking at the laptop wondering how long I was asleep.  Zoe joined me in bed for a real nap, but otherwise Bryan kept the kids out.  I was pretty exhausted.  After dinner (for them), though, I got out of bed and wandered a bit.  Talking is tough and scratchy, so Bryan got me a little white board.  He has also been keeping my med schedule, and bringing me food.  I was very hungry and devoured a whole carton of chicken broth, applesauce, popsicles, and even chicken noodle soup.  Bryan kindly took the chicken chunks out, though.  That would hurt.  I don’t feel too bad this evening – a bit medicine-head-ish, tired, and a big sore throat but nothing as extreme as I expected.  I guess the Codeine works.

Dr. Allen called this evening to check up on me, and I mentioned that I felt a bit OK.  He cautioned me not to push it because day 3-6 of recovery tend to actually be the worst.  Alright.  Oh, and stay hydrated.  Check!

The weather has warmed up, thank goodness, and brought with it some wonderful rain.
We’ve taken advantage by weeding, planting, mulching, mowing and getting our yard ready for garden time.  Avi loves splashing in the puddles an playing in the rain spout. Zoe has been such a help digging in the dirt!

I love this time of year! Garden time!!! Of course here in Georgia it starts months before anywhere else. So, the second week in January we started our seeds in my little greenhouse and now they are sprouting. We have sweet peas, tomatoes, pepper, eggplant, beans, and more! Plus some marigolds and two bleeding hearts for Zoe. She’s been wanting one of those since we saw them in Romania.

Today the kids and I tilled out the garden weeds since its meant to rain. I think we will wait one more week to plant in the ground. Seems to be getting cold overnight again. I want to get started so we can have a spring crop. I am hopeful for an early summer PCS though I don’t want to miss out on our harvest!

Avi enjoys digging in the dirt. Zoe is becoming a great gardener and was invaluable when planting the seeds. Now she wants the blueberries to ripen. I keep explaining our bush needs to grow leaves first.

This is the second year that Bryan has taken Zoe to the Valdosta Father Daughter dance, and Zoe’s anticipation was months coming.  She’s been asking when it is since last year!

Finally, it arrived and amazingly it coincided with her schools’ Donuts for Dads morning. So, Bryan was able to go into her school for their special morning – complete with donuts and drinks, a
‘together’ craft, and some special craft gifts Zoe had made for Bryan.  On Thursday he was scheduled to fly Friday morning, so we had her prepped to understand he wasn’t going to make it, and that was OK because he would come another day for their craft….then he found out his flight was cancelled!  She was ecstatic!

 Later, when I picked her up from school we laid out all her stuff for the dance….fancy dress?  check – red, fluffy and flowery – thanks Aunt Beppy!  fancy jewelry?  check – the necklace Daddy got her in Afghanistan, a pretty bracelet, the crown (of course)  makeup?  check – and Mommy put it on this time, so there wasn’t any on her forehead where she prefers…but that was OK this time around.  We took a nap and then got ready when Bryan got home from work.

Bryan got her a corsage and Zoe made Daddy a big tissue-paper flower.  He then took her to Ruby Tuesday at her request – she loves the salad bar and it’s a ‘feels fancy’ kind of place for her.  Then it was off to the ball!  Bryan said they had fun – though she quite enjoyed running and being chased by him.  There were fancy decorations, fancy cakes and desserts, and dancing of course.  The pictures include her playing out on the convention center patio area where there was a fox decoy.  interesting.  After the dance, he took her to the ice cream shop.  What a great long date with Daddy!!