annie blog

Update

Miss Liz is doing better, everyone. She is in a regular room, now, and will probably be there for awhile. We don’t know exactly what is going on with her health-wise and, emotionally, she has had a bit of a rough time thinking about her future and what she will do. For example, will she continue to live alone? So that is where she is. She definitely looks so, so much better than she did this time last week. That is a blessing. And she is receiving excellent care at the hospital. We just hope for the best for her. That is all that we’re doing right now.

My inlaws are coming today and will be here for much of the remaining spring break week to visit with us. So I’ll be absent in blogland. I’ve been thinking about lots that I have to blog about, though, so check back next week and hopefully I’ll have more interesting content then.

Take care, everybody.

Update

Miss Liz is doing better, everyone. She is in a regular room, now, and will probably be there for awhile. We don’t know exactly what is going on with her health-wise and, emotionally, she has had a bit of a rough time thinking about her future and what she will do. For example, will she continue to live alone? So that is where she is. She definitely looks so, so much better than she did this time last week. That is a blessing. And she is receiving excellent care at the hospital. We just hope for the best for her. That is all that we’re doing right now.

My inlaws are coming today and will be here for much of the remaining spring break week to visit with us. So I’ll be absent in blogland. I’ve been thinking about lots that I have to blog about, though, so check back next week and hopefully I’ll have more interesting content then.

Take care, everybody.

Update

Miss Liz is doing better, everyone. She is in a regular room, now, and will probably be there for awhile. We don’t know exactly what is going on with her health-wise and, emotionally, she has had a bit of a rough time thinking about her future and what she will do. For example, will she continue to live alone? So that is where she is. She definitely looks so, so much better than she did this time last week. That is a blessing. And she is receiving excellent care at the hospital. We just hope for the best for her. That is all that we’re doing right now.

My inlaws are coming today and will be here for much of the remaining spring break week to visit with us. So I’ll be absent in blogland. I’ve been thinking about lots that I have to blog about, though, so check back next week and hopefully I’ll have more interesting content then.

Take care, everybody.

Our dear Miss Liz is back in the hospital again. ICU. I took her over there yesterday afternoon. And, I actually think that she should have gone last week…but she didn’t want to go. You can only do so much, you know. I just think that she is just really, really sick…but that is just my opinion, and, you know, I’m not a doctor or anything like that.

When we were sitting there in the ER yesterday, I was actually thankful for a bunch of wrong number calls that I was getting on my phone. The person who had my number before me was apparently very popular and knew quite a few colorful characters. Miss Liz was getting a kick out of the conversations that I was having with the callers. She particularly enjoyed it when I told her that the man who was calling (after calling many times) told me that “you be trippin'”, about this being my number now and then saying at the end of the conversation, “I’m so sorry Baby, you have a good day.” First time in my life that I’ve been called “Baby” by a drunken stranger. At least Miss Liz got a kick out of it. Still think that I’m going to get a new number, though.

Please pray for our friend, Miss Liz, if you are so inclined. Thanks.

Our dear Miss Liz is back in the hospital again. ICU. I took her over there yesterday afternoon. And, I actually think that she should have gone last week…but she didn’t want to go. You can only do so much, you know. I just think that she is just really, really sick…but that is just my opinion, and, you know, I’m not a doctor or anything like that.

When we were sitting there in the ER yesterday, I was actually thankful for a bunch of wrong number calls that I was getting on my phone. The person who had my number before me was apparently very popular and knew quite a few colorful characters. Miss Liz was getting a kick out of the conversations that I was having with the callers. She particularly enjoyed it when I told her that the man who was calling (after calling many times) told me that “you be trippin'”, about this being my number now and then saying at the end of the conversation, “I’m so sorry Baby, you have a good day.” First time in my life that I’ve been called “Baby” by a drunken stranger. At least Miss Liz got a kick out of it. Still think that I’m going to get a new number, though.

Please pray for our friend, Miss Liz, if you are so inclined. Thanks.

Our dear Miss Liz is back in the hospital again. ICU. I took her over there yesterday afternoon. And, I actually think that she should have gone last week…but she didn’t want to go. You can only do so much, you know. I just think that she is just really, really sick…but that is just my opinion, and, you know, I’m not a doctor or anything like that.

When we were sitting there in the ER yesterday, I was actually thankful for a bunch of wrong number calls that I was getting on my phone. The person who had my number before me was apparently very popular and knew quite a few colorful characters. Miss Liz was getting a kick out of the conversations that I was having with the callers. She particularly enjoyed it when I told her that the man who was calling (after calling many times) told me that “you be trippin'”, about this being my number now and then saying at the end of the conversation, “I’m so sorry Baby, you have a good day.” First time in my life that I’ve been called “Baby” by a drunken stranger. At least Miss Liz got a kick out of it. Still think that I’m going to get a new number, though.

Please pray for our friend, Miss Liz, if you are so inclined. Thanks.

Perspective
Happy Monday, everyone. Today has been an interesting day. No different than the usual “interesting” days, to be sure, but with an added dimension. Pain. That’s right. Usually, when I have a day that is so long that, at the end, I reflect upon the beginning of the day like it was weeks ago (“Did I really go to the grocery store? Was that just this morning? Really?”), it has been a busy day during which I enjoyed perfect health. Today I have a constant underscoring it all — and that constant is pain. I did something to my back this morning. And, oh my goodness, it has been hurting all day. You know, the occasional, eye-watering-sharp-intaking-of-breath kind of hurting. I’m guessing that it is a nerve in my back. That final angry grabbing of pjs off the floor this morning probably did it. Hopefully it will feel better tomorrow.

Today, I also took my oldest to the neurologist. This is always a humbling experience. Why? Well, because, when you are around most people with their neurotypical children on a day-to-day basis, you might feel kind of lonely, like the person with the unusual child who has “problems”. When you go wait in a neurologist’s office, you think how blessed you are with your child and his few problems compared to all the other children there with their multiple, big, huge and life-altering problems. Problems that will never get any better or go away.

So, Annie got a healthy dose of perspective today. A perspective of someone who has to live a life with pain and a window into the life of a parent and child with so many difficulties. Perspective is a valuable thing, isn’t it?

Blessings on your Monday.

Perspective
Happy Monday, everyone. Today has been an interesting day. No different than the usual “interesting” days, to be sure, but with an added dimension. Pain. That’s right. Usually, when I have a day that is so long that, at the end, I reflect upon the beginning of the day like it was weeks ago (“Did I really go to the grocery store? Was that just this morning? Really?”), it has been a busy day during which I enjoyed perfect health. Today I have a constant underscoring it all — and that constant is pain. I did something to my back this morning. And, oh my goodness, it has been hurting all day. You know, the occasional, eye-watering-sharp-intaking-of-breath kind of hurting. I’m guessing that it is a nerve in my back. That final angry grabbing of pjs off the floor this morning probably did it. Hopefully it will feel better tomorrow.

Today, I also took my oldest to the neurologist. This is always a humbling experience. Why? Well, because, when you are around most people with their neurotypical children on a day-to-day basis, you might feel kind of lonely, like the person with the unusual child who has “problems”. When you go wait in a neurologist’s office, you think how blessed you are with your child and his few problems compared to all the other children there with their multiple, big, huge and life-altering problems. Problems that will never get any better or go away.

So, Annie got a healthy dose of perspective today. A perspective of someone who has to live a life with pain and a window into the life of a parent and child with so many difficulties. Perspective is a valuable thing, isn’t it?

Blessings on your Monday.

Perspective
Happy Monday, everyone. Today has been an interesting day. No different than the usual “interesting” days, to be sure, but with an added dimension. Pain. That’s right. Usually, when I have a day that is so long that, at the end, I reflect upon the beginning of the day like it was weeks ago (“Did I really go to the grocery store? Was that just this morning? Really?”), it has been a busy day during which I enjoyed perfect health. Today I have a constant underscoring it all — and that constant is pain. I did something to my back this morning. And, oh my goodness, it has been hurting all day. You know, the occasional, eye-watering-sharp-intaking-of-breath kind of hurting. I’m guessing that it is a nerve in my back. That final angry grabbing of pjs off the floor this morning probably did it. Hopefully it will feel better tomorrow.

Today, I also took my oldest to the neurologist. This is always a humbling experience. Why? Well, because, when you are around most people with their neurotypical children on a day-to-day basis, you might feel kind of lonely, like the person with the unusual child who has “problems”. When you go wait in a neurologist’s office, you think how blessed you are with your child and his few problems compared to all the other children there with their multiple, big, huge and life-altering problems. Problems that will never get any better or go away.

So, Annie got a healthy dose of perspective today. A perspective of someone who has to live a life with pain and a window into the life of a parent and child with so many difficulties. Perspective is a valuable thing, isn’t it?

Blessings on your Monday.

Number 1, Number 4, and a Yelling Lady
I am the “recycling lady” of the main building of the school. Which means that, once a week, I take all of my boys and we take all of the bins of paper to be recycled to the dumpster. Sounds easy. Actually, it did sound easy to me and that is why I signed up to do this particular chore to help out at school. My oldest did a really great job helping me with it yesterday. He was in charge of pushing the youngest in the stroller while I did the bins. #2 and #3 helped me a little, too. When my oldest goes back to that school, he is treated like a celebrity. He is mobbed by the children that he knows from there and nearly everyone gives him a hug. He eats it up. And, he loves talking to all of them. Someone told him that he was doing a great job pushing his brother in the stroller. He replied matter-of-factly, “Oh, yes, I’m a great driver.” This reminded me so much of “Rainman” that I nearly lost it laughing.

The baby is testing all of us now. He is still precious, most of the time. But there are times when he is getting into everything and getting on everyone’s nerves. Thankfully, he enjoys playing with toys and this gets him out of our hair, periodically. He loves all toys that have hats. Woody from “Toy Story” is a favorite as are all the playmobile figures that have hats — particularly the pirate. Of course, the all time favorite toy with a hat is Mr. Potato Head, or as he is referred to by #4, Tay-Tay. Yesterday, he was very methodically playing with Tay-Tay’s arms, etc., at the table while I was preparing dinner. I looked at him, playing so well with a toy that he adores and said, “Do you love Tay-Tay, E?” Instead of saying, “Yes,” as he usually would when asked such a question, he slowly picked Tay-Tay up, looked into Tay-Tay’s eyes, and gave him — very slowly and with much feeling — an eskimo kiss. This, of course, left me standing in the kitchen with my hand over my mouth trying not to laugh and trying not to shed a tear about my baby growing up. Wah.

And, the reason that I blogged about both my youngest and oldest and their respective sweetness/preciousness is that I felt like letting the both of them have it when I took them to the park this morning. The main reason that we went to the park was to air out the baby, who was wreaking havoc in the house with energy that is best taken outside. So, off to the park we went. Now, the days when I could just take him to the park and swing him are over. Now he is about jumping in to leaf piles, flushing the bunnies out of the little patch of trees, chasing birds and running all over the place. While he was doing this, I lost track of #1. I start calling his name and running to find him. I thought that he had wandered off after something or someone and this was really scaring me. Meanwhile,#4 sees his chance to make a break for it and hikes it up the hill to another apartment complex parking lot. After I found #1, then I had to get #4 who climbs hills as quickly as a mountain goat. Those two stinkers. Thankfully, everyone was found and not run over by a car, etc. But, I think to myself, as we are calmly walking home, that my neighbors probably don’t know what to make of me. I’m sure that they are thinking, “Wow, you know, I thought that Ann was so laid back until I heard her yelling today.” I was trying to give up yelling for Lent. That didn’t work out very well.