July 4th camping

I got this brilliant idea to take the family camping! A few years ago (4 actually) I swore, literally used foul language, that I would never camp in a tent again. I've held to that. Why would I leave my air conditioned, comfortable, bug free home to pretend I'm homeless? Lums pond has these things called yurts. (This is now Zach's favorite word and he randomly replaces it for other words. He has even made a jingle with it) Basically, a yurt is like a cabin with canvas walls. It had bunk beds and another full size bed....with NO air conditioning. It even got better when we went on the hottest, sunniest, day all week. The 4th of July. We were booked to be there the night before also but couldn't go because of a baseball game. I wouldn't of survived 2 nights so it worked out great. At the end of the trip I swore, without the obscene language this time, I will never camp EVER again unless I'm in a camper. Guess what I have been researching and pricing? A camping trailer. Not a pop up. That is like a tent. I have convinced Zach enough that I feel totally confident he will be buying one before we ever discuss camping again. Its exciting to think of all the adventures we can take the kids on now.

 

our hospital story

 

Matthew tested positive RSV a couple of weeks ago and was admitted to AI Dupont Children's Hospital. But he's all better now. The end.

 

 

Just kidding....

This is Matthew and I in the ER, he looks pretty normal so I was a bit shocked when the ER pediatrician said they were admitting him for a night or two.

 

RSV is a lung infection that affects the bottom portion of the lungs (unlike pneumonia which affects the top), usually affecting children under 2. If over 2 is comes out as cold/flu symptoms. Matthew had no cough. No running nose. He developed a fever the Saturday before which broke with medicine then returned again. Because there weren't additional symptoms I did not worry about him and was letting his body heal itself. Wednesday morning  he woke up with heavy short breathing so I took him to the Urgent Care Center. When the doctor there checked his blood oxygen level, they told me it was too low and I need to go to the ER. A healthy child should have 100% oxygen levels in the blood, Matthew had 88% at the UCC and 87% at the ER. Still a little unsure of what this all meant, I was informed later that the brain is being deprived of oxygen..well, duh! Yep, I am a new Mom here. Even with oxygen being supplied Matthew slept at only 91-93% so we had to be admitted. Anything under 90% was..well dangerous.

 

Matthew is his metal cage crib. Wheres does one buy this? And how obvious would it be if I rolled one out of the front door of the hospital? Just wondering...

RSV is a 7-10 day virus with the worst part being in the middle of the strain. Highly contagious but only 3-4 days before symptoms begin (sorry anyone who was around us during that time).

He got worse the longer we were there so I am glad the pediatrician saw fit to keep him. Oh, and did I mention we were in ISOLATION? Basically, we had stricter rules regarding visitors and anyone and everyone coming in had to wear a mask and hospital gown and gloves.

Though he is sitting and looking not so sick, he was very sick and laid in our arms or in the crib all day and night. So keeping him happy and contained wasn't a problem. He didn't eat for 4 days and would only drink fluids from a WAWA cup and straw but he was drinking. We didn't care what or how he got liquids we just wanted him to get them because the nurses weighed his diapers to make sure he wasn't dehydrated. They would wake him up in the middle of the night to change his diaper, which just made him mad.

Don't let the cute smile fool you. He just ripped his oxygen out and the machines were all beeping. He is a stinker! He hated the tubing and monitors hooked to him. It was all we could do to keep them on and in. He objected every time he had his temperature taken or a nurse came near him with that darn stethoscope. Matthew needed Albuterol treatments with a Nebulizer. This was the worst thing ever! to Matthew of course, to me it looked painless and maybe quite invigorating, like a mini facial.

We went to the ER Wednesday morning, he was admitted in the afternoon, and the above picture is Thursday evening. He seemed to be feeling better so we gave him a ball to throw and a few toys.. He still needed to sleep without oxygen before he could be sent home. He had a constant high fever too.

 

 

And he is Friday morning. Tube, wire, and cage free. It was the first time he actually stood to walk since Wednesday morning and though he didn't eat much, he was nibbling on a graham cracker. We were waiting for the discharge papers. We got home around 10:30 Friday morning. Matthew was still sick for 3 more days. We didn't need to be in the hospital because he was able to breath without the oxygen but he had a fever until Sunday morning. He slept most of Friday and Saturday. But Sunday afternoon he was back to himself, or at least most himself.

It was a difficult time of course. We never had a child admitted to a hospital and though I had the up most confidence in AI and the staff there, it was very difficult to see my precious little boy sick. I knew he would get better but it made me thankful for the health my children have. My deepest thoughts go out to those parents that deal with sick children on a continuous basis.

I am so thankful for friends and family that came to our rescue. My mother in law who dropped her plans for 2 nights to be at the house with the other kids, She cooked them dinner, cleaned, took them to their activities and wash, dried, and folded at least 20 loads of laundry. Our friends and family were in constant concern and I don't think an hour went by that I didn't hear from someone. I had friends offering to come sit with me so I wouldn't be alone, another offered to take my kids for the evenings, and others offered dinner. I am so grateful for them!

I am thankful for Christina who is so sweet and thoughtful. She left this under my van (in the parking lot) after I told her I needed something deep fried and covered in chocolate...a 1/2 dozen of chocolate covered donuts and hot chocolate with this note. (I just wonder what the other people  were thinking as she crawled under my van with a pile of food?) AND brought me a salad from Salad Works because, try as they may, the cafeteria food was just gross.

Cafeteria instant potatoes, green beans (which were the best part) and some type of meatloaf. This was Matthews dinner but since he wasn't even eating I would try and order something I would eat. I couldn't eat it. It was gross.

Matthew is 100% back to normal. We are all excited!

what's your fear?

I actually have a  lot of fears. As I grow older the number of things that scare me increase. I don't like trees during hurricanes. I do not like the ocean. I love the sand and waves and the hot sun but I will not go in the water. There is just too much unknown. I would never go on a cruise for the fear of reliving the Titanic. I have only flew over the ocean in a plane once, well, once to and from, and that scares me the worst.

I have a few things that twist my stomach in knots. Mostly anything to do with the mouth. I gag and I don't mean that in a hypothetical way. I REALLY do gag and force my stomach contents to stay DOWN. I can't see blood in the mouth or even a loose tooth. I can't not watch shows like Fear Factor which makes the contestants eat foreign insects or worms covered in blood. I try to watch shows like Survivor Man up until the host starts eating or drinking... uhh I don't know...freshly killed Zebra...like a vulture or his own urine. gag.

Zach came home last week wanting to have a family fear factor night. I thought it was a brilliant and fun idea as long as I didn't need to eat anything. We got together with friends as he thought it would be more fun. Zach creatively put the whole thing together.

The first event was the ice bath. We had to put our feet in freezing cold iced water until they went numb and frost bitten. The water was very VERY cold. I made it to 90 seconds. The kids lasted about 45 seconds.

The second event was eating chocolate covered ants which Zach bought from the "Asian store" earlier that day. (We did go to the Asian store so the all totally believed him). Actually, they were eating Rasienets. This was one of a few eating contests. I should of known what was going to happen when one contestant spit all the ants out her their mouth and quit. Cara thought she was really eating ants and declared how yummy they tasted.

The next event was disgusting. Cara didn't even participate. Michael realized he wasn't scoring as many points as needed to get first pick of a prize and he had his eye on a special prize that he picked out for himself. He knew he needed to step up his game and that he did. If chocolate covered ants weren't bad enough how about mini marshmallows covered in mustard. Yuck! In cringed just watching them. Michael and Tia practically finished their entire cup. They were very brave.

 

Zach planned 2 more eating contests but after the meltdown from these he eliminated them. So on to the third event...

This was fun. Nothing had to be consumed. Everyone had to scoop out 10 goldfish from one container to another. Whoever scooped the fastest won the highest points.

The final event was the Pick a Cricket. Crickets were dumped into the bucket, blindfolded each of us had to feel for and pick out 5 peanuts.

and we ended with a dance off.  A few scared cries, "I'm going to throw up" yells, and minimal pain led to a fun night.

Now I know I can withstand cold water and I no longer can eat mustard.

 

more garden party photos

The elementary kids had the day off. Michael had a "play date" in the morning with his friend. (FYI, it's not called a play date after 4th grade. I realize this NOW). We met friends at a soccer field to play our own version of Field Day. First, the kids had to stand across from each other with cups as their partner flung marshmallows off a spoon. I had to partner up with Olivia since Sam ran away. We failed. BUT Cara and Tia caught 4 in their cup. Way to go girls!

Next, was the relay race. I, again, had to participate (I think Sam climbed a tree on the other side of the field), I picked the card that said "do 10 jumping jacks". Actually, I first picked "do 2 cart wheels" but after quickly realizing that cart wheels would probably be dangerous to the children around me AND to my health, I re-picked. I'm not telling anyone ...I only did 8 jumping jacks than ran (trotted) back to my team. We did win that race! Not because I cheated though.

By far the FUNNIEST game was when the kids had partners and each was blindfolded while one partner fed pudding to the other. They did start with both being blindfolded but after Tia fed Cara's hair, neck, and ear pudding, we let the eater remove their hankerchiefs. Hilarious!

Then off to the plastic bag race. The Dinosaur toss and "who can hit the baseball the farthest".

As you can see the plastic bags ripped and it turned more into a plastic bag walk. Fun none the less. The prizes were awesome! Plastic skeleton key chains, water guns, compasses, whistles, bubbles, lollipops. I can not take credit for ANY of this. I did not contribute ANY thought what so ever to this event. I just make sure I surround myself with fun, creative friends.