And the Award goes to...!

It's 10:30 pm.
I'm at home with 3 children minus 1 daughter and a husband.

Don't worry, they're fine.
But I get Worst Mom of the Year Award.

Daphne got to feeling kind of sick after lunch on Tuesday and ended up throwing up in the movie theater that night. We rushed home and got her some pain and fever medicine, which she proceeded to immediately throw up, and then didn't sleep well that night.

We don't have a pediatrician or even a regular family doctor. NOR do we have insurance (a whole other blog topic in and of itself). We very rarely have to go to the doctor because my kids don't get sick that often and when they do it's not for long. I'm not a pill-popper and therefore, when my kids get sick I'm not the kind of mom that rushes out and gets a doctor to prescribe an antibiotic. I believe this is the main reason my children do not become ill, or at least will not be ill for very long, when most of the other children in their class are coming down with all kinds of ugly viruses that keep them down for days on end.

There is a terrible virus going around right now. People have described it as "violent". When Daphne complained all the next day of stomach cramps and was vomiting all day, I assumed it was "The Bug".
So, I didn't take her in (Nomination #1), even though when I asked her about her pains and symptoms they all pointed toward an appendicitis.
I blew it off (Nomination #2) and excused her pain with thoughts like... "My daughter wouldn't have an appendicitis if she has diarrhea, too" or "The pain wouldn't move around like she says it does if it was an appendicitis".

Yesterday, however, her fever broke and she began to feel better (classic sign of a ruptured appendix, by the way. Nomination #3!). She even got up and moved downstairs to watch TV with her siblings, but got sick upon the smell of popcorn and food and went back to bed shortly thereafter.

But this morning, when I forced her to get out of bed and walk around all hunched over, crying and in pain, to eat something, which she immediately threw up, (And the award goes to...!), I decided to take her in.

Daphne had her appendix rupture sometime yesterday (probably when her fever broke) and is in the hospital with Jonathan right now. The infection was mainly contained by the intestines which, oddly enough, folded themselves over the ruptured appendix and contained most of the leaking septic fluid. But because of this, she will probably have a longer recovery period as there was a considerable amount of pus that had hardened and was rotting.

"I'd like to thank myself for being able to achieve this award. It was because of me and me only that I have come this far. Just imagine, I wouldn't be here if I had listened to my gut instincts. I am only a few steps away from becoming the mom who gives her child a stick to bite down on and tells them to suck it up, it's only a broken femur!"
[Waves while exiting stage left.]

But really, the story isn't all bad. She did have a virus which ended up being a blessing in disguise. The virus gave her diarrhea which, had she not had, would have made the pain she was experiencing worse and made the complications with the ruptured appendix more severe. It was because she was able to pass stool around the blockage she already had that her complications did not become dangerous.

Daphne sits in the recovery room, anesthesia wearing off, with her dad watching some boring TV show that she will have no clue was even on by morning. She has a death grip on the cup of ice chips the nurse gave her and if you try to take it away from her she scowls at you. She wiggles her finger and stares at the red light on the finger pulse monitor that seems to mesmerize her. She answers the questions she feels like answering and no more. She's not in any pain right now.

She will be tomorrow.

But for now, here are some pictures of her in recovery.

(Discovering the light on her finger pulse monitor. lol!)

(She would tear up for no reason and when you'd ask if she was ok, she'd act like you were crazy for asking such a question. Poor thing!)
Ready to have you home, babe! See you in the morning!

Self-Portrait Jan. 7th

...but today I just want to be alone.

Self-Portrait Jan. 6th

New Year's Resolution Monitor

Self-Portrait Jan. 5th, 2010

After a hard days' work, chasing after kids, completing mundane chores, etc., I answer to the call of my comfy, cozy bed.

Another Obstacle Hurdled, Another Dream Realized!

In the past 5 or 6 years I've been on some crazy adventures.
My journey to become an EMT has been the craziest by far!
And I've loved every single heart-pounding, adrenaline-rushing second of it!
Here are some photos from my EMT Graduation Ceremony Jan. 9th, 2010.

Me and my nephew, Andrew.

Graduating 2nd in my class.

And here's to the dream of saving and making a difference in people's lives! All the hard work finally paid off.

Self-Portrait Jan. 4

I just can't help myself.
It's a struggle for me everyday.

Self-Portrait - Jan. 2nd

I have things to say, if I could only find the words.

Self-Portrait - Jan. 1st

January 1st. New Year. Just out of the shower, no make-up. No hair products. Still hiding behind the camera.

Surrounded - The Trilogy of a Tween-ager

This trio of photos was inspired by a conversation my tween-age daughter and I had the other day.

"Mom, am I fat?" she asked me.

I was stunned.

"No!" I stated adamantly

"All the girls at school say I'm fat and ugly and stupid."

As I watched the tears begin forming in her blue eyes, I searched for something to soothe her battered heart.

"The only opinions in this world that should matter to you is your Heavenly Father's and your dad and I's. We know you from the inside out and know you are full to the brim with beauty and intelligence. Anyone who doesn't see that, is only robbing themselves of a rare human being to have as a friend."

She hugged me.

And the knitting needles knitted tighter.

"There is fun to be done!" Dr. Seuss

Did you ever see the movie, The Bucket List? Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are each diagnosed with illnesses that will end their lives within the year. So, with nothing left to lose, they decide to jump into life with both feet and go on the ride of lifetime to fulfill their list of things to do before they "kick the bucket", so-to-speak. Well, I have my own bucket list that I plan to carry out in full throttle mode (not that I plan on dying any time soon).

Here goes:

1. I want to see the 7 Wonders of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. This includes (click on each Wonder to be redirected to a picture of each one):
The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria for the Ancient world and Stonehenge, The Colosseum, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, The Great Wall of China, The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, Hagia Sophia and the Leaning Tower of Pisa for the Medieval World. I also want to see the other Wonders that have been added to these lists or made into their own list such as the Machu Picchu, The Taj Mahal, Victoria Falls, Aurora Borealis and Christ, The Redeemer.

2. I want to travel to these places (and others), if for nothing else fantastic photographic opportunities:

Ireland,



Scotland,


Sweden,




France,



Australia,




Italy,


and Africa...



3. Write a book about...something. I have plenty of life experiences to write a nonfiction novel and more than enough ideas running around in my cramped head to write a fiction novella of some kind. Who knows, maybe I could turn out to be the next J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer and have my book made into a few successful movies?

4. I want to open my own business. I have an idea that I think would go over well, even in Small Town, America. I want to put it into motion and see it thrive sometime after the kids have all grown and left the house.

5. To see my artwork in an exhibit or magazine or book of some kind.

6. Become fluent in 3 other languages, just for the heck of it. Sign Language, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, Mandarin, any of these or others.

7. Write my own song and have it recorded and released one day.

8. Play the lead in a local production.

9. Run a marathon.

10. Participate in a Ballroom Dancing competition.

11. Oktoberfest in Germany.

12. Discover my life's purpose.

13. Learn to be more in tune with nature, creatures and the earth. Feel their energy and aura.

14. Become a Multi-Millionaire and I will start simple, by putting a dollar away everyday then, adding new ideas as I go.

15. I will go back to my roots as a Princess and sleep in a castle one day. ;)

16. I will create a YouTube video or 2 this year.

17. Build a home that is mostly "Green."

18. Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. See the Ball drop in Time Square on New Year's Eve.

19. Take a self-portrait of myself everyday for a year to record and capture my personal feelings, moods, and physical changes.

20. Learn a new word everyday.

I trust that if you know me, you know that this list will only grow longer and more ambitious as the days and months and years pass, hence hendering me from ever truly accomplishing my list.
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller

Creative Preoccupations

Here are a few photos that have spawned from the collision of my few free moments of boredom and spontaneous creative expressions. Enjoy!

"Rainbow Umbrella"

"How's the Water?"

"A Little Quiet Time"


"Rocky's Reader"

"Practice Makes Perfect"

"Magic"

"Shades of Julia"

"Straight is the Way"

"Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord"

Shun the Non-Believer!

Garrett comes home from school today and informs me in a matter-of-fact tone of voice that one of his classmates, Carlos, does not believe in Santa Claus...

"Well how do you feel about that?" I asked him, and my heart fluttered a little.

After a slight pause for contemplation and an exasperated sigh he replies, "I think Carlos should be put on the naughty list."

Why, yes. Carlos the Grinch SHOULD be put on the naughty list for such a Scrooge-like attitude.
Another year of believing for us! Yea!!

A Lesson in Listening

We took a little family outing to Sherman this week for some much needed escape time. We ate at Olive Garden then, went to PetCo (where we talked ourselves into buying 3 mice. Hey, even the cats need food storage). Well, we parked halfway in between PetCo and Target because we were going to have to visit Target as well to buy our son a heavy coat for winter.

Upon exiting PetCo my husband says to the kids, "Now, don't get in the car. We're just dropping these things off in the back and then headed to Target." All 4 children obediently respond, "Yes, sir."

Jonathan opens the back door and begins making room for our new pets and all their equipment. I open the front passenger door and Garrett opens the side passenger doors and proceeds to climb in. I turn back to him and say, "Garrett, did you not hear what Daddy said? DON'T get in the car", as I sit down in the seat and shut the car door.

.....

It takes about 20 seconds for me to realize the car is extremely quiet. I look out the window and see 4 pair of little eyes and 1 pair of Daddy eyes staring at me in confused wonderment. My face turns Pope Robe Red and I open my door as fast as I can. I look at the children and sigh, stifling a giggle.
My husband looks at me and in all seriousness says, "Did you not hear what Daddy said?"
We all busted up in to an uproarious laughter.

Touche. Mommy is grounded.

The EMT (Chronic)les

I am not even working full time at EMS yet. I've only done a few ride-outs and one clinical day.
But I've already experienced several odd characters and even odder situations.

My first contact ever with an emergency situation was during a ride-out while I was writing an article for The Buzz. We responded to a call for a patient stopped on the side of the highway with severe indigestion. When we arrived on scene, the EMT and Paramedic I was with performed their assessment and determined the man was not suffering from indigestion but rather, was having a massive heart attack. We loaded him in the ambulance and I did nothing other than hold this guy's hand and spike his IV bag. Other than that, I stayed out of the way and watched helplessly as this grown man cried like a baby at the relentless torturing pain he was enduring.

Once we got to the hospital and he was given some morphine for the pain he was able to relax and speak without much extra effort. I peeked in his room to check on him and he waved me over to him. I grabbed his hand and smiled.
"Honey," he said, "thank you for all you did to help me."
"It was nothing." I replied knowing I didn't do anything really.
"And honey," he began again and paused to breathe.
"Yes?"
"You've got to be the prettiest damned EMT I've ever seen."
And then he called for a trash can so he could throw up.

Then, once I was helping transport a diabetic patient from the hospital back to his nursing home. We were looking over his room making sure we had gathered all his belongings. I asked him,
"Sir, do you need to take anything with you from this room?"
He glanced around the room and then grabbed my arm startling me and said,
"I'd only take you."
I smiled at him once the look of sheer fear left my face. I had no idea Casanova was still making his rounds.

Cool Camping Party

So my son turned 6 this past week.
CRAZY, I know!
I wanted to come up with a party that would involve lots of fun activities but without having a bunch of rambunctious little boys all cooped up in a stuffy house. Well, what a better activity than having a camp out?! It was still fairly warm outside so we took it all outdoors and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on our grill and in our fire pit.

Nice blazing inferno for the children, dad!

*cough* What fun it is *cough* roasting hot dogs. *cough, cough*

Ashley and me. I think we enjoyed the s'mores more than the kids did.

Roasting marshmallows was fun. Few wanted to eat them, they just wanted to roast them and then throw them in the pit and watch them blow up. lol. It was kind of entertaining.

Coloring our camp out backpacks.

Props to a husband who helped to make it all happen by doing such manly things as lighting the fire, operating the grill and handling crowd control.

I was going to make my own camp cake but my oven conveniently went kaput the day before so I had to settle for a Wal-mart clearance cake, (buttercream icing. ICK!). The cake was originally an army theme. So, I took all the army toys off and added the graham cracker tent, the iced sugar cone trees and the pretzel campfire encircled with yogurt covered raisin stones. It was a big hit! 6 candles made the campfire roar!

My little superhero making his big wish. *sniff*

You know momma has to get her birthday kiss in.

Opening the gifts.

This was a gift from his bestest cousin Liam. A picture of the 2 showing their HUGE muscles. It was too cute!

And this was the display of brotherly love afterward. Too cute! (It looks like Liam is choking Garrett but I promise, they were hugging.)

Making homemade trail mix. I lined up leftover pretzels, raisins, gummy worms, coconut, sunflower seeds, nuts, etc. and gave them each a bag to fill with their individualized trail mix snack bag.

This picture just happens to show all girls which I find ironic. All week long Garrett had been asking me, "My party is just for boys, right?" I would reply, "Well, your sisters will be there."
He'd say, "Oh, ok. That's ok, I guess. They can have cake. And you too, Mom. But no other girls, right?" I said, "Well the boys you have invited all have sisters that I'm sure will have to come, buddy." He sighed and reluctantly agreed to their potential presence but not without first proclaiming, "Well, ok. But only the boys will get to play in the tent, right?" I guess when you're surrounded by estrogen on all sides of you at all times and you're as masculine as he is, you beg for some manly birthday time with your bros. lol!

LOL! I thought this was soooo funny!

Everyone with their backpacks and favors. They each got a puppet to make at home, and a little basket filled with a wooden snake, rock bouncy balls, a plastic container with holes on top for catching bugs, a mini flashlight and pop rocks.
Overall, it was probably one of the most successful parties we've thrown. The cake was a hit, the gifts were a hit, and everyone enjoyed themselves to the point of not wanting to leave, adults included!
2 thumbs up!!!