Beach Day

Sunday was the perfect end to a really hard week.  I woke up with the beginning of a corneal ulcer on the day of my follow up appointment with my oral surgeon. I could barely open my eye to drive to my doctors appointment.  My surgeon walked in and was like "woah whats wrong with you" haha (I suffered through the eye pain a few days before going to the eye doctor - I thought it was pink eye but definitely not!) My tongue biopsy came back benign again but he was surprised at the results. It was a growth growing in my tongue that would've kept growing and was caused by trauma from the first surgery.  I have really babied by tongue this time and thought it was getting better. I had chaperoned Norah's field trip to the zoo and hosted our neighborhood game night the previous week.  But I might've been a little too eager to talk and eat (and by eat I mean mashed potatoes and soft foods) This week my tongue has been even more swollen and painful, its harder to talk, and just downright depressing.  I'm back on limited talking and a liquid diet. My doctor wants me to really baby my tongue so hopefully it can heal. I really really don't want to do this again. I have added more foods thanks to James. He told Sarah for me to try these baby food pouches. I was already doing the applesauce pouches but he said it was like a smoothie.  I guess Angela had bought some for Gideon but Gideon didn't like them.  They kept disappearing  haha James was eating them! But it has helped!

So a beach day at the end of a long depressing week was just what I needed.

And what the kids needed too!

This child is looking way too old lately.  The other day we were in Target together just Colin and I. He had some birthday money he wanted to spend.  So we were at the check out line and he went first with his transaction and he paid and then waited for me. I had Colin talk for me since I cant communicate very well.  The cashier made some comment about me being his sister.  I think the cashier was just being nice but Colin was so amused by it and told me as we were leaving that it must be because he's getting taller.  Either way I'll take that compliment!

Ant Ant came down for the weekend.  She watched the kids while Brent and I had our yearly company dinner.  All expense paid fancy dinner on the company and I all could eat was soup broth and sorbet and I could barely talk.  I told everyone we need to do it again when I can talk and eat. But the kids had so much fun with Ant Ant.  They played HORSE and Joel didn't believe the rules of the game.  He keeps saying they made him shoot the basketball in weird positions and then kept giving him letters! That's not how the game is played!

Heres hoping for a better week this week!

Strawberry Picking

 On Mothers Day I told the kids I wanted to go strawberry picking.  It wasn't the best year for strawberries but we were able to fill out buckets.

A fun afternoon!

Talking to God

 Norah and Hannah play together almost every day.

 They've developed a sweet friendship and its fun to watch them take their babies for walks all over the neighborhood. Micah, Hannahs brother, comes too and walks a teddy bear along with them.

The other day Hannah came down and they were playing outside on the playground when it started thundering and lightning.  So I made them come inside and we watched the storm roll in.  

I found them on the front porch talking to God. They told me that God was in the center of that light cloud and they were talking to Him.  Everytime after they finished their sentence it would thunder. They sat on the front steps talking to God the rest of the afternoon.  

Twelve

Yesterday Colin turned 12.  I cant believe its been 12 years already.  The last  year before Colin officially becomes a teenager.

I asked Colin what he thought about turning 12.

"Birthdays are always fun. Not having to clean at all. I guess I feel older.... getting to my adult years. Ummmm I don't know. I feel kinda the same. Not really any different. I'm not a different Colin thank I was yesterday - still sorta the same. I have to be honest I feel the exact same as yesterday."

haha - but I have to say I think he had a pretty fun day.

He woke up at 6am to play xbox with his friends. He loves to sleep in so that surprised me until he told me his friend Adam only gets to play video games on the weekend. Colin only gets a little bit of video games each afternoon but this week his little brothers attitude got video games and tv taken away from all of them for several days. So Colin was excited to play all morning.

He gets on and plays with his friends and they talk through their headsets.  Its fun to hear them talk while they are playing.  A lot of it is about the game they are playing but then they will start talking about their day and maybe what someone said during science class.  You sit and listen long enough and you can get a lot of good information. 

We had been trying to figure out what Colin wanted to do on his birthday but he kept saying his birthday was so far away. In mid April I asked again and he said his birthday was still 13 days away and he had time.  So a few days before his actual birthday he decided he wanted to take some friends and play laser tag.  All but one boy could go.  Brent said of course everyone wants to come - Colin is such a great kid.  And he really is. He is so easy going and just fun to be around.   

 Norah held her own with all those boys. Shes the glowing person in the picture.

Its his last year before he becomes an official teenager.  Sometimes I can hardly believe it.  I told him the other night that he used to be my biggest snuggler.  And now he rarely snuggles. So then he came over and gave me a big hug.   And I know that's normal but sometimes its hard on his momma seeing him grow up so fast. But it is such a privilege to watch this boy grow up and be his parents.

And a night playing laser tag with a bunch of 6th grade boys is really fun and hilarious.   It was fun to put faces to the names we've been hearing about and it really was such a great group of boys. Colin knows how to pick good friends.  Colin kept thanking me over and over.  I think our last minute plans ended up pretty well.  He said it was an awesome day.

Happy Birthday Colin!  We love you!

Famous Explorer Project

 Joel has been working on his famous explorer report since January.  He choose John Glenn and we've enjoyed learning along with him.  His class had a Gala for the parents to present their person.

It was the Monday after my tongue surgery so Brent took off work to come drive me.  I took out the gauze so I wouldn't embarrass Joel and thankfully didn't drool all over myself.  And I didn't have to say a word so I'm glad I was still able to make it and watch Joel present.

We are very proud of him. He did a great job presenting to a room full of parents and students.  

 

Another tongue surgery

I went to my follow up appointment last Thursday and had surgery the next day. I kind of figured he couldn't fix my tongue without surgery.  But I was hopeful and then crushed. But I know it needed to be done.  I couldn't read a book to Norah without having to stop and rest my tongue.  It would bother me when I ate, when I talked and even when I ran.  He took another biopsy and sent it off to a different lab to get a second opinion.  But he said its most likely just scar tissue that formed from the first surgery.  This time it was much scarier recovery.  I was so sick coming out of it and passed out in the car and when we got home. I think I scared Brent pretty well.  I wasn't allowed to talk for a few days so I basically stayed in bed watching movies on the ipad and writing notes when I needed to communicate.  I had to go do swim team interviews for a swim coach that Sunday so I went with gauze in my mouth and just wrote out my questions that the other board members then asked.  Its been a lot harder this time to recover but I hope this is the last time I will ever have to go through this.

Today is Colins birthday. And I can talk again - a little bit..... "Hah-eee Birfff Day to Cawin" Its awful. And I'm sure Colin is glad his mom sounds like that as I meet all his middle school friends tonight at his Laser Tag Birthday Party.  Ha! But really the kids have been so sweet and helpful but I know they are also very very ready for Mom to get back to normal.