Real S.T.R.E.S.S. (School Time, Rehab, Earthquake, Surgery, Sickness)
School Time
We were back at our school work this week after taking a week off. We had a pretty good week…If we just completely overlook Wednesday, which I am inclined to do!
Monday and Tuesday were good days with both girls working efficiently and getting their work done. They were highly motivated to get done early because they want to watch more Phineas and Ferb…whatever works, right? Wednesday, well that day was a whole other story. I think we entered another universe. Kind of like the Phineas and Ferb movie we watched on TV last Saturday. I entered another dimension and was with my evil other dimension children (well really just 1 child was the problem). This other dimension Snowflake did not feel it was necessary to complete any school work and did a great job of doing just that. It was 4 pm and she still hadn’t completed ANY subjects. Yep, I lost it! I was so calm and even keeled about it the rest of the day, but once we got to about 5pm, when I was supposed to start cooking dinner of course THAT is when she decided NOW is the time to get my work done. REALLY!?!? Ummmm, no, you will now have to work around what mommy is doing and I will help you when I can (only you have to say that and about 10 other things really loudly…not really screaming, but a good, loud, stern talking to…yes that is what we will call it!). I would like to publicly thank Mr T.3 and his company per diem for bringing us a pizza for dinner that night! That was a super big help to me on such a crappy day.
Snowflake is still on her Native American/Sign of the Beaver unit in our Moving Beyond the Page curriculum. We are making progress and enjoying what we are learning. We should get to our final project next week. Although since we took an unexpected 2 days off this week, I’m not sure if we will get to it next week or not. We are almost done with our replica tipi. I have been taking pictures as we go, so I will do a post about it when we have it done. I think it is really neat. Snowflake, who can be a little bit slow to warm up to some books, finally admitted this week that she really, really likes this book. She wants to read ahead of our assigned chapters. Haha, I knew she would/did like it. I tried to get her on video admitting she liked it, but she didn’t want documentation of that…boo!
Pumpkin has been doing her pre-k lessons from Peak with Books. This week we were basing our lessons from the book, Hush! A Thai Lullaby. This book is about a mother trying to get all the animals around their home to be quiet so her baby can sleep. One of the activities we did this week was to talk about how to get a baby to sleep quickly. She gave me 5 or 6 different ideas of ways she thought you could get a baby to sleep quickly. I then let her pick out 3 of them and illustrate them. Here is what she came up with:
Before you put your baby to sleep, tell all the animals to be quiet. |
In case you can’t read Pumpkin’s writing up at the top, she wrote, “Hush.”
Give your baby a blanket and a build-a-bear and let your baby go to sleep. |
The blue thing in this picture is her crib.
Rock your baby in your arms and sing a lullaby |
Those are the musical notes to the left of the head. This is my personal favorite. Pumpkin said, “That is what you did for me.” Then she preceded to sing the song that I would sometimes sing to both of them when they were younger (only it sounded way better and cuter than any time I ever sang it). Ahhhhh…so sweet!
Rehab
I had my first physical therapy (PT) appointment in 3 weeks today. Officially, I haven’t had any therapy since 6/28. I got injured last November and had surgery in April. You can read about it in this blog post I wrote: I Did Yoga Today – Hip Hip Hooray
I have been fighting with my insurance company since late June about my NEED for more PT in order to resume a normal life. We have gone through 2 appeals, both of which have been denied. We are currently on another ‘review.’ They are taking their sweet time with the process. So, the physical therapy office where I go has a plan they offer. It is really for patients who are further along and lose insurance. They call it their ‘gym’ plan. I pay a fee each month and can come ‘workout’ sort of supervised by the PT. I am so thankful they offer this plan as self-paying for PT is totally out of the question. I have done that and gone to 3 or 4 sessions, but it just isn’t the same as a ‘real’ session. They aren’t able to work with me as much etc.
Earthquake
In case you hadn’t heard, we had a fairly significant earthquake on the east coast this week. We live in the area of the earthquake. You can read about our experience at the park during the earthquake in this blog post: Real Earthquake
Surgery
This week, my mom underwent surgery. She had lumpectomy to remove a cancerous cell about the size of a pea. A bit of extra stress, hoping that everything went really well for her and a bit of wishing that we lived closer and that I could have been there to help out or just be there.
The surgeon was very positive and felt like he got everything. My parents will meet with the surgeon on Monday to find out the results as well as any further treatment she will need to undergo.
I am really thankful that at this time it really appears that this is going the best that it possibly can for my mom.
Sickness
On Tuesday, the day of the earthquake, I got a text from my Dad (who lives across the country from us), that my Grandma was in the hospital with congestive heart failure. This was on the same day my mom was having her surgery…what a day for my dad. My grandma is 91. I spent the rest of Tuesday trying to find out how she was doing and figuring out if we were going to go see her. We currently live only about an hour from her, living here is the first time in my life I have lived that close to her. I was also the go between of information on this coast to my family on the other coast.
On Wednesday, when it seemed as though she wasn’t improving, we decided we would go visit her on Thursday. Thursday is also our best day as we have Hurricane Irene coming as well.
It turns out that Mr T.3 didn’t get any calls for his job on Thursday. So our whole family was able to go together. One of the cousins played with Snowflake and Pumpkin while we went to the hospital. Thanks!
I am really glad we went. We won’t be able to get to see her again, until next week, because of the hurricane coming. She seems to be improving a little, but since you never know what life will hold, I am very grateful to be able to go see her and grateful to have had these last years in our current location. I am grateful to be close to these family members that I have never lived close to. It has been a great opportunity to get to know everyone more and be a part of their traditions, birthday’s, etc. (and yes, for those who know me, I am grateful AND I still want to get back to the other coast!….I’m a west coaster through and through).
We can also now officially say that we have been in evacuation traffic. Our drive home took more than double the normal drive time. The freeway was full of people being evacuated from their vacations. Another first for us.
Wrap up
Well, there in a (long) nutshell is my week. It was quite a stressful week. I could hope for a relaxing weekend to recover, but with Hurricane Irene knocking on our door and me nor my hubby ever having been through a hurricane before, I doubt it will be a quiet relaxing weekend. We hope we are prepared. We have learned so many things about getting prepared. Now, I’m off to make some banana bread and muffins, cause doesn’t that sound yummy if we are without power for a few days!
Thanks for reading and enjoy your day!
Evacuation traffic is no fun at all. We’ve evacuated a few times over the years. Irene passed us by in the night with no tropical storm force winds even making it onto the shore, but I feel for those in her path. Stay safe, and I hope you don’t lose electricity. That’s something else that’s no fun (we were without for almost 2 weeks after Hurricane Frances in 2004 and for 4 or 5 days with Hurricane Jeanne just three weeks after Frances hit). There must be something about banana bread in the air today … I ended up making 3 batches of banana chocolate chip muffins.
I could start on an insurance rant myself (we currently don’t have ins. because we are self pay and every time we get a policy the co. raises the rate after just a year to an amount we can’t afford), but it is nice to hear there are places like your PT who will come up with other options for folks.
Glad you didn’t get much from Irene. Hopefully it will be the same here, but that is not what is predicted. I am very much an electricity kind of a girl, so hopefully we will retain that because I can’t even imagine living for 2 weeks with none. How did you do that?
Yes, Insurance stinks. I can’t believe how much we pay every month for insurance AND they won’t give me what is in my benefits that I pay for. It makes no sense….you and I could probably have a great insurance rant together. 🙂
Oh, my! I had to laugh because we have had such a similar week…with School Time, Rehab, Earthquake, appointment about Surgery, and Sickness! How is that for a coincidence? Hope your next week goes better. 😉
Oh, gosh, what a week you had! Let’s hope next week is much calmer and goes much smoother!
Hurricane Irene is supposed to carve a path through the middle of our state EARLY Sunday. (We’re on the path line!) It may be only a tropical storm by then though. We’re already started picking up the outside toys and furniture…and I made 2 pans of Chocolate Zucchini Bars and 2 jumbo loaves of Zuke bread. LOL Tomorrow I make our bread just in case we don’t have power for a day or so.
Stoppin’ by from Kris’s Weekly Wrap-up!
Oh my! Busy-busy week you had, and weekend does not look any better either.
Hope it all will be OK and next week will be much better. We lived in Florida before, so I know how it is.
Love adorable pictures, my kids would not go to sleep with a slightest noise – so the one with “Hush” is my favorite!
Wow…that is quite a coincidence. Hope your next week is better as well.
I hope that you remain safe during the hurricane. It is supposed to hit us tomorrow. We were out picking up all the toys, etc today. It looks quite weird in our yard…too clean. 😉
I thought the ‘Hush’ was cute too. Thanks!
We are from Va and it’s crazy to think there was an earthquake there! What a week, hope next one is better for you.
Those pictures reflect love, so sweet.
I think it will have to be better. At least that is my current thought. We are through the storm now. Lost power for 15 hours but thankfully have it back now when a big part of our city does not. No major damage from either natural event! Just looks like tree wars happened in our yard!
Thanks, I thought so too!