Water, water everywhere…don’t drink these drops!

Water is needed to survive.  Human beings can only survive without water for approximately 3 days.

I would be happy never to see water again.

Chris and I were going through things at Mom’s house on Saturday.  We made it to the basement and started going through things and Chris noticed that there was water on the floor.  After turning the water off, we think the leak came from the hot water heater.  So at some point, we will be replacing that.

Early Sunday morning, around 4am, Jason wakes me up to tell me that the ac is not working upstairs and that the unit has leaked.  UGH!  This is the second time this has happened to us.  The first time, the builder “fixed” the problem.  We don’t know what he did exactly because he never did like talking to us.  This time, the hvac guy said that the drain pan was going uphill (not level) so that it would drain properly and the pipe in which it would drain was clogged.  He fixed it so that the ac unit would drain properly and that we had ac on the hottest day so far…and on a holiday weekend!

Now we just have to find a drywall guy to fix the water damage…

Out of Commission

I have been out of commission for awhile.  The last couple of months have been busy with lots of happenings-some good, some bad.

March:  One of Jason’s friends from college passed away from melanoma.  This was difficult for both of us because of what we had experienced with Dad and also because Bruce was our age and we were faced with our own mortality.  Jason attempted to rearrange his schedule to get to SC for the funeral, but due to some conflicts and time issues, that was not possible.  We later found out that there is going to be a memorial at the end of June/beginning of July and we plan to go.

The we got a phone call that Jason’s grandmother was taken to the hospital due to pain in her side.  We later found out that it was her gallbladder.  She also had an infection on her leg.  Surgery was held off to see if some of the gallstones would pass and if the infection would get better/heal.

Then we got devastating news that Mom’s cancer was back and had spread to her liver and lungs.  We cried, promised to be strong and we’d get through this too.  The next day I learned that a colleague was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that Grandma’s surgery had complicated another condition that she had-pulmonary fibrosis which put her into ICU.

Then there was DJP’s 2nd birthday party.  We had a great time and there was great weather!  We celebrated and just didn’t let any of the bad news get us down. The birthday boy ate NO cake, which I made and iced (thanks to a high school friend for all her help with making my first homemade bday cake!).   All the kids got along great and had fun on the sliding board and in one of DJP’s gifts-a sandbox.

After DJP’s party, things went downhill even further.  Grandma had to be put on a ventilator (which she did not want to have happen) and Mom had her first chemo treatment which seemed to go well. It was determined by Grandma’s doctors that her lung capacity would not get any better and that she would always need to use a ventilator.  She did not want that because her quality of life would not be what she was used to and she made the decision to be taken off the ventilator.  Plans needed to be made-Jason’s dad had to get home quickly and we needed to make a decision about going to Florida for Grandma’s funeral.  DJP got to take his first plane rides and did a great job other than the landing into Tampa-but that’s even tough for me.  We learned that having some water in a bottle and some fruit snacks for him to munch on helped tremendously.

Once back home, there were only a couple of days of work until Spring Break.  The side effects of Mom’s chemo treatment were taking their toll on her.  She was itching and thought she might have shingles (a friend had visited her and had stress induced shingles) but she didn’t.  She was a bit dehydrated and needed fluids.  DJP and I took her to the doctor to have that done.  While we waited (since the treatment would take about 3-4 hours), we visited a playground nearby and DJP had fun running around and even tried a swing (which didn’t last long-he’s still not a fan).  Then we went to Wegman’s and did a bit of shopping and went in circles around the dairy department watching the train.  When it was time to check in with the nurse at the doctor’s office, she said I should come and probably take Mom to the hospital because she was not responding to the treatment like she should.  Once I got there, the nurse and I made the decision that because DJP was with me that we should call an ambulance to get Mom to the hospital.  About a half hour after Mom got to the hospital, she passed.  The doctor and nurses at the emergency room were wonderful-they asked if we needed anything and let us wait for Chris to arrive since he had about a 2 hour drive coming from work.  We are very lucky to have a very dear friend who came to get DJP to occupy him (running around the helicopter pad and finding rocks to play with) and take him home for bedtime, so that we could take care of some arrangements without having to worry about him and what he needed.  THANK YOU BUNCHES, Niki!!!!!

Once arrangements were made, we were just in a holding pattern due to Easter.  We spent a nice afternoon with family having a nice relaxing dinner (it was yummy!) and an egg hunt for the kiddos which was really cute to see.  DJP took too it like he’d been hunting eggs for ages!  Jason and I also went to the Orioles’ Opening Day-Mom would have wanted us to go no matter what because she herself would liked to have gone.

So…with all of that going on, the blog has been on the back burner.  I hope it doesn’t stay there, but there is sooooo much to accomplish with Mom’s estate and the end of the school year quickly approaching.

The funny things he does…

DJP has really come into his personality of late.

He is more “chatty” than ever (not really making sense to us). We think he is trying to say “one more” when we’re outside playing on his slide, but it sounds more like his version of “Elmo.”  Translating Toddler Speak is difficult.  Even more difficult than trying to figure out what my students are attempting to write in Spanish!

When he wants to show us something or have us do something, he grabs our fingers and pulls-it doesn’t matter to him that his parents are 40 somethings whose bodies don’t work as well as his almost 2 year old body does.

DJP has been playing a lot with his cars and trains.  He loves saying “GO!” and moving them all over the living room, including the chair and even the wall!

His imagination is vivid.  Whenever we’re reading a book and he sees something edible, he pretends to take a piece and eat it.  He will even offer some to me or Jason and his bear.  The other day, he was having a snack of popcorn and Lightening McQueen was dipped into the bowl for some popcorn!

My favorite thing that he does is when he’s thinking about what you’ve asked him, he puts his forefinger on his lips and ACTUALLY ponders for a few seconds.  The other night while Jason and I were going through the nightly routine with DJP, he wanted one Elmo sock (because the other is in Isle of Socks Lost in the Laundry).  He wanted to wear it with his footie pajamas.  We told him that “Daddy will find the other sock and you can wear them tomorrow.”  He did his little pondering thing and laid back down to listen to me read “The BFG.”  He sat up again and pointed to the basket on his dresser where I put the one sock.  I said, “You can wear those tomorrow.”  He seemed okay with the answer and laid back down again.  This continued twice more (repetition…I’m not ready for it!) until it was time for night night.  Sometime after I went to bed, Jason found the missing Elmo sock and put it on DJP’s door knob.  When DJP awoke at 4:45am (15 minutes before Mommy’s alarm goes off), I saw the sock and looked at Jason with raised eyebrows and his response to me was…”I wanted to make sure I remembered it because our son remembers those kinds of things!  And hopefully in the future, we won’t be seeing any socks hanging from his door knob!”  Better not be! (says the Mommy!)

One thing Jason and I can live without are the mini tantrums that DJP has when he doesn’t get his way.  If Jason goes downstairs and DJP sees him doing so, watch out!  He cries (yes, with real tears streaming down his face), falls onto his belly with arms and legs spread and then gets up and looks at me like “Why didn’t Daddy let me go with him?!?!?”  Poor kid…

DJP is still a fruitatarian with the exception of one vegetable (if you can call it that), the baked snap pea crisps.  We offer him meat but get an emphatic “NOOOOOOOOO” and sometimes even a hand gesture/wave that stops us from putting the meat on his tray.  He will occasionally eat yogurt and cheese.  His preferred variety of cheese is shredded.

We don’t go to the doctor again until after his official birthday, so we’ll update with measurements then!

I hate to rock the boat! (AKA I have an opinion!)

I don’t like politics.  NOT AT ALL!

I understand that everyone has a different opinion and that it is good to listen to both sides.

I think what I truly dislike is that both sides (yes, BOTH) do not understand compromise.  It sounds so simple and in my head it is.  At work, at least in my department, compromise is a practice in which we handle most issues-especially when it comes to scheduling.  We all know that in order to get one class that we would like to teach, we have to teach one that is out of our comfort zone.  (Which I think is fine and makes me a better teacher because I have to do MORE preparation and ask for assistance-difficult for me at times)

I think BOTH sides do not know where to draw the line about what is appropriate/fair/humane.

Two very sensitive issues have been brought to the forefront this week that are polarizing in the best of circumstances:  abortion (especially mid/late-term) and contraception.  I have opinions on these topics.  Those opinions have wavered slightly during my teen and adult years due to my own life experiences.  I have read A LOT about both topics.

First, let me state, these are MY opinions and this is MY outlet for MY opinions and MY feelings.

Okay here goes…on the topic of contraceptives…this could be TMI for some (FYI)…  For most girls, puberty is a fascinating/scary/dreaded/wonderful/fearful/marvelous/exciting/whatever adjective you wish to add.  I was no different in having those feelings/emotions.  It’s a time when no one wants to be different.  If you are, there’s something wrong with you.  Well, I was different.  There was something wrong with me.  I saw doctor after doctor until one could put a name to the problem.  I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (aka PCOS).  It was a new thing back in the 80s.  Some doctors did not think it existed.  From about the age of 15, I was put on contraceptives, not because I was sexually active, but so that I would have a period and the other symptoms of PCOS would be lessened.  According to one voice this week, I would apparently be a slut, promiscuous, round-heeled (read the last entry), especially since my parents’ health insurance paid for the medication.

What gets my goat about this is that a judgement, a poor one at that, was made because of a a viewpoint held by a person in a position to broadcast that judgement however he felt like it.  (Yes, I understand we all have the right to free speech in the USA, but there is such a thing in the legal world as libel.)  Unfortunately, this person cannot EVER walk in the shoes of the woman (or any female)of which this judgement was made because he is a man.  He will never know what it is like to have a menstrual cycle, be pregnant, give birth, go through menopause, or have any number of health related issues dealing with the female reproductive system.  He will never know what it is like to be told, at a very early age reproductively speaking, that he might not be able to have children because of this syndrome.  He will never know what it is like to have to tell a perspective spouse/partner that having biological children may not be a possibility.  It is hard enough to deal with the physical aspects of the syndrome but the emotional and psychological ones are much more difficult.  I do know what it is like.  I’ve lived it.  I bear the scars both emotionally and physically.  I’ve dealt with more doctors than I ever want to think about-most of whom thought what I was talking about was crazy.  I’ve gone through some strange medical tests, some of which I still have no idea why I had them done.  However, I would go through all of them again to have what I do today-a beautiful, healthy little boy.

I guess my point is…until you’ve been there and done that-don’t judge.  Remember the GOLDEN RULE-do to others as you would have them do to you.

The Duster

Over the weekend, while I was doing some cleaning, DJP wanted to help.  He took to dusting (my least favorite thing to do).

World Cancer Day

Today is World Cancer Day.  It is a day to do something to change your life to help prevent cancer.  It is said that 1 in 3 cancer deaths can be prevented by changing what we eat, exercising and having tests (mammograms, dermatology exams, etc.) done on a yearly basis.

Cancer has impacted my life in more ways than I ever imagined.  My FIL is a survivor of prostate cancer, my nephew is a liver cancer survivor, a friend from high school is a breast cancer survivor and my mom is a pancreatic cancer survivor.  I have friends and family who are currently battling various forms of cancer-kidney, prostate, lung and melanoma.  The one case of cancer that has impacted my life the most is my dad’s.  He had melanoma.  He had no outward signs.  It was difficult to see the strongest man that I knew succumb to this horrible disease.  My dad put on a brave front, put all his ‘business’ in order and was happy to be with his family in the last six months of his life.  I think of him every day and wish things could be different.  My dad’s passing has made me change my own life.

I go to the dermatologist every six months for a check up.  I have had moles removed.  Some were fine.  Some were atypical.  It did NOT hurt to have them removed.  All it took was a phone call to a dermatologist’s office and an explanation of what my current medical history was and I had an appointment within 2 weeks.  My brother also goes to a dermatologist (and has since he was a teenager) due to some of the moles he has had.

I’ve also changed my diet.  I’m eating more fruits and vegetables and making sure that they are washed well.  I even try to buy organic (when I can-Thanks TJ’s!) and use ‘real’ sugar, not substitutes/chemicals.  I’m also making sure that I get in at least 7,000 steps a day (Thanks, Virgin Health Miles & HCPSS!) and am starting an exercise program.

These changes are simple.  We can all do something-stop smoking, eat an apple/orange/banana, cut back on red meat, see your doctor.  Do something today!

A day at the playground

With the crazy warm winter weather that we’ve been having in Maryland, Jason and I took DJP to a local playground yesterday.

Breakfast with Daddy

Breakfast with Daddy is apparently hysterical in the world of DJP!

A Nice Surprise

Yesterday, I came home to these:

It was a nice surprise from my boys!  Thank you, JBP and DJP!  Love you both!

Back to life…Back to reality…

Exam week is over.  Grades have been turned in.  Students are still attempting to turn in late work.  Exams have been gone over.  Students are saying, “That was dumb!” in reference to why their answer was wrong.

Now back to planning, teaching and hopefully learning.