Quite a year

Updating and re-entering as I've switched to moderated comments to avoid spammers on the comments... not really interested in comments in opportunities to meet Miss Lovey from Sierra Leone, or the latest in viagra treatments...

It has been quite a year for me and the family. Frankly, there has been so much going on, that the ability to blog and talk about issues has escaped me - and honestly, I've missed that.

First off, in an effort to not constantly delve into Gwenn's numerous medical issues, I now have started a CB site for Gwenn. It is allowing me to track her daily progress and issues, and to share with folks who are interested about her progress. If you would like access to the site, just send me an email and I will share the information with you.

Next, imagine the year as a piece of pie. Now take 90% of the pie away - that is the part of our lives ruled by Gwenn's multiple medical issues. The remaining 10% is all of the other things that are going on.

Last years au pair, Kristin, left in early August. The girls were sad to see her go. We had an up and down year together, but I was so proud of her in the end - she grew up considerably, had some personal goals that she reached, and did it all while managing with the girls. They miss her and have already asked when she is coming back.

Our new au pair arrived, CL. We had been very excited about her coming, as she was from China like the girls, and they were so excited to have Chinese food, learn Chinese words, and have someone from China in the house. It wound up being horrible. Basically, she had lied about her experiences - she didn't have experience working with special needs children, hadn't been volunteering in her local social welfare institute (orphanage), and when she said she had been driving for years, didn't even know how to turn the wheel of the car to get the car to respond. The end result of the lies was that she was out of control and verbally abusive to my children, including an incident where she shook Lucy. Issue after issue, and just shy of 3 weeks of being with us, I ended her stay with us. I have been told she was deported. I hope that in fact she was, as she is gone. I hate to think what she could wind up doing to kids if she is not being watched.

So, then we had a few weeks where Grandma came to help out, and we got another new au pair - one transitioning from her family in GA. It's been a bumpy transition, and while I like her a lot, I'm not sure she has the skills that are needed to do the job. While I have tried to coach her, it's not been smooth and I know that I can't go through a full year like this. We talk almost daily and I hope that together we can reach a decision in the next few days.

Currently, I'm sick with a kidney infection. I feel like crud which doesn't help things. I have enough work to do that it's not even funny. I've got FCC work, OES work, Gwenn medical work, appointments to make, forms to fill out, forms to hand in, safety deposit boxes to get materials out of, trust to update, and more than I can list. I'm hoping 2 weeks at the holidays may help.

That's it for now. I will post the girls new school pics tomorrow -they turned out great on the first go - something that has never occured before!

Love Without Boundaries

It's been a while, but I wanted to share the amazing things that Love Without Boundaries has been doing. I've talked of their work helping children in orphanages, but this feature on Amy Eldridge is the result of winning one of the awards given for Cookie Magazine - their Smart Cookie of the Year award!

Haircut, pt 2

New cut... sorry the pic isn't better. Kids are all asleep and no one else home to take the picture!

Haircut

Well, last night was my haircut. I have been waiting for this for a LONG time, and I could not wait to get my hair to a decent length again. Well, it's grown so much in the past year that with a slightly shorter cut than usual, I was able to donate my hair to Locks of Love. And, thanks to the incredibly thick Skildum hair, instead of one ponytail, it was three that I was able to give! I'm so glad to have my hair back where I like it, but honestly, a few months of bushy hair (my daughters tell me it's just like Hermione Granger...) it's worth it.

Gwenn sings

Gwenn joined the school choir this spring - here she is singing at the MLK Jr. event just a week ago! She loved it, and since it's the only school club I can get her to do, we'll keep it up!

When it rains, it pours...

One of the things that I love to think about is all of the great, funky medical bits I'm exposed to with my children. The latest is a diagnosis of torticollis with my daughter, Gwenn. Here is what a website has to say about torticollis:

What is torticollis?
Torticollis is a twisted and tilted neck. When your
child has torticollis, he cannot move his neck very much, and holds his head to
one side. His chin might point up a little bit. Torticollis can appear
temporarily and go away again, but it can also be present at birth
(congenital).
There are several different types of torticollis:

Temporary torticollis (selecting only the one that Miss G has...)
For most children, torticollis goes away after a day or two. All your child
may need is some rest, and perhaps a towel wrapped around his neck to keep him
still. This temporary problem sometimes happens when your child’s lymph
nodes are hot and swollen (inflamed) after he has had an ear infection or a
cold. Torticollis can also develop if your child hurts his head or neck
and the joints between the bones in the neck swell and become sore.

Gwenn is now sporting a very styling cervical collar, worn backwards because she is so little that even the small one from the office was too big for her. Lucky girl! I'll try to get a picture with the collar tonight!

Mypods and Boomsticks

You know, I love the Simpsons. After the most recent episode, I love them even more. Not sure what my favorite part is except potentially about Steve investing all his money in Microsoft stock... Enjoy!