A Family Project: Sleep Deprived EEG

I hope you can see and enjoy the humor in how even the medically mundane can become an adventure in our family.  

When planning for Matt to have a sleep deprived medical test, it is a family project.  For the test Matt would need to sleep less than 4 hours.  I knew he would fall asleep in the car on the way to the test so I had to allow for an hour of sleep in transport. Therefore, we made a plan to keep him awake until at least 4:30am.

It went something like this...No bath because we will likely need a bath during the night to stay awake.  We rented 3 movies and 2 "active" Wii games.  I had snacks and activities ready.

8:30-9pm             Twins are in charge because they thought they needed a shift.  (The usual bedtime is 8:30pm)

9pm-10pm            David was in charge of keeping Matt awake. (AKA Project Movies)

10pm - Midnight   Corrine was in charge and rolled out snacks, hot chocolate and a bit of noise.  (They woke me up a couple times.)

Midnight-2am       Grace was in charge and I have no idea what she did, but he was awake when I started my shift.

2am-8am              Mom (me) on duty....


Here are my shift's highlights:

2:18am   Matt falls asleep while using the potty.  (I catch him before he falls.)

2:20am   We do homework.  He wants Corrine to get up and sit with him again.  I say no.

2:40am   Movie and snack in kitchen so the chair would be uncomfortable and keep him awake.

3:15am   I literally "catch" Matt as he "falls" asleep at the kitchen table.

3:20am   Matt goes through all the kitchen cabinets.  I don't know what he is looking for, but he is awake so I don't care!  He can look all he wants!

3:30am   I break out the glow sticks so Matt wants to turn off all the lights...BAD idea!!!

3:45am   Another snack....back to the Wii games

4:11am   Matt brings me his piggy bank and wants to go the Wal-Mart.  It is starting to storm so I say no (and I honestly cannot imagine a fate worse than taking an extremely tired child to Wal-Mart at 4am.  I am pretty sure this is the "stuff" that causes concerned citizens to call Child Protective Services.  Otherwise, it might not be a bad idea since I do need a few grocery items.)

4:30am   Well timed LOUD thunderstorm.  Thank you Lord!  (I have a new prospective on why we have loud storms at night.  It is just the Lord helping out a mom!)...still playing Wii.

4:45am   Matt drifts off to sleep.  Time for a walk and ice cream.

5:15am   Daddy gets up for work.  Twins and Nate wake up.  Chaos ensues as the boys start arguing over the Wii, movies, getting clean and dressed.

7:00am   Everyone on the bus.  Matt and I head to the clinic.  He falls asleep.

8:00am  Arrive at clinic and he is awake and ready to check this all out.  He doesn't like the cold gel.   Luckily, once he is "wired", it only takes about 8 minutes for him to settle down and sleep.

10:00am Matt falls asleep on the way home and gets carried in still asleep.  Mom is drinking coffee ready to start paperwork and housework while Matt sleeps in my bed.  Never mind, Grace just took my coffee.....

Another family project is completed except getting Matt the Happy Meal that he has been promised.

"The Day We Take Down the Fly Paper and Put Up the Christmas Tree" & Other Events

Thanksgiving came and went as quickly as ever.  We spent Wednesday at my parents' house for a family dinner.  The kids were excited because this meant a family trip in our bus.  This was our first trip outside of town since we had mechanical trouble on the way to the farm in August.  The kids were a bit nervous about every sound and wind sway at first, but they soon settled in and went to sleep for the trip.   

Then Thursday was Thanksgiving at our house with all the feasting and board games that we could handle.

Friday marked our annual decorating day which we tease that it should be called "The Day We Take Down the Fly Paper and Put Up the Christmas Tree".  With so many kids constantly fanning the back door, we indeed keep a fly paper or two up from April thru November, and Thanksgiving marks the point that I feel we no longer have a fly problem!

We got most of the decorating done, but we were short a strand of indoor lights so we will have to finish "decking out" the big Christmas tree (pictured above with the fly paper) sometime this week. 

The BUSY Weekend

Matt with the cake Angela made
for his birthday.

This weekend could not have been more packed full of excitement and energy.  In fact it has spilled on over into the start of this week!  Friday was Matt's 7th Birthday.  Saturday was lunch with family at grandma's. Sunday was David's 11th Birthday and Mother's Day.  Then Monday evening was Vanessa's 4th grade graduation and tonight (Tuesday) was Hannah's band concert. 

Friday started with Matt bouncing off the walls and he left for school almost vibrating! He had been waiting impatiently for this day for months!  So after the twins, Nate and I took Hannah to Pittsburg to school, I headed to Wal-Mart to get cupcakes and juice for Matt's class AND David's class.  (I must have looked like a pack mule carrying 48 cupcakes and 40 juice boxes into school!)



New glasses!

After school, we had to make a quick trip to the Vision Center because Vanessa had broke her glasses at school so we had to buy new frames (of course the warranty had expired..ugh).  Then we headed home for me to make Matt's requested birthday dinner....frozen pizza!  Have I mentioned how much I love this kid!  Such a simple request!  And he was more excited about his frozen pizza than the other kids have been about culinary masterpieces that they have requested! 

Saturday morning started at 5:40am.  Not because it had to start so early, but because the twins decided that we had overslept and should be on the way to Grandma's house!  Ed kept them busy until it was finally time to go and we loaded the bus...and found out the battery was dead.  So we UNloaded the bus and tightly packed everyone and everything into both of our cars.  At Grandma's the kids ran and played with cousins and ate ice cream/cake and opened birthday presents.  Then we packed back up and drove home.  After we got home, I cut 4 little boys' hair and Ed's hair.  Finally ending the day with head washings and baths.



David's pick!

Sunday started with church.  Then a light lunch at home before Grace took David and I out for OrangeLeaf.  While we were in Joplin, David did some shopping with his birthday money and I picked up the final groceries for his requested birthday dinner of salmon with shrimp and watermelon.  David did not want a cake...just watermelon..so that is what we did!



Photo by Barb Lake of the graduation program

Monday which originally had only one appointment quickly filled with activity, and it was afternoon before I was ready!  However, we still made it to Vanessa's graduation program on time.

Hannah at her concert.

Tonight, Hannah had a band concert in Pittsburg and she did great.  Hannah has only been back in Pittsburg Schools for about 6 weeks so we did not know if she would be ready for tonight, but she did it.  She obviously enjoyed the second song that they did.  It included marching and she smiled and would laugh every time that it was time to march.  A man sitting next to me who did not know that she was my daughter and said, "She loves music."  I said, "Yes she does.  She is my daughter." He said, "She is a joy to watch."  I thought to myself, "I couldn't agree more".

Busy weekends are fun, but I am ready for a slower pace next weekend!

Simple Weekend Fun

This last weekend was a simple, easy weekend at home with Daddy away at the state debate tournament.  The kids played in the yard.  Matt finally wiggled free his front tooth...this has been a long awaited tooth fairy visit!  We ate pizza for dinner, and David had picked movies from the library so we had a movie night.

Matt's tooth!

Luke in his favorite truck.  He wouldn't
believe me that it was also Grace's
favorite truck.  She got it for her 1st birthday!

Nate watching the neighbors play
catch so we discussed bird watching
to try to give his binocular interest a less
stalker-like focus.

 After Daddy got home, we went to the park on Sunday and had an easy picnic of Wendy's $1 sandwiches and McDonald's $1 large drinks. (McDonald's drinks are a great value because I can split one large into 3 plastic cups from home and get 3 little ones a drink for a $1.)  The kids fed the fish and played until it was almost time to take baths and go to bed.
 


Vanessa feeding fish

David & Nate watching the fish jump
for food.

Don't anyone faint from the shock, but it is a picture of
me.  David took some pictures at the park and he took
this one of me.  I thought he took a good picture.

I love Spring & Comp Ad Shopping

 

Not my CSA (community supported agriculture) share,
it is my goodie bag from my mom.

I met my mom today after she had visited her garden and after she had been shopping with the grocery ads.  She gave me a bag FULL of goodies that I love! 

I immediately turned the cauliflower, asparagus and some of the peppers into dinner!  I love riced cauliflower, but I rarely buy cauliflower due to the current price.  Tonight I made it and topped it with grilled mixed veggies so it would provide more servings.  I usually only make it when I am REALLY hungry for rice and I do not have the carbohydrates left in my meal plan for the day.  The easy and hunger-satisfying recipe is below.  I served it with Tuna tonight (and cheese quesadillas and hot dogs for my picky eaters).

Riced Cauliflower with grilled veggies.

RICED CAULIFLOWER

Rinse and cut up one head of cauliflower.

Season to your taste with herbs (like oregano, parsley, basil, thyme & lavender) and a dash of lemon pepper.  Steam on low for 18 minutes. 

Let it cool a few minutes and then mash it with a potato masher or a ricer. 

Then while it is still warm stir in some butter buds or similar product and some garlic salt.

18 Years...is that possible!

Today is Grace's 18th birthday.  We planned her day to include some window shopping and some thrift store shopping.  (We bought a formal dress, 2 pair of pants and a vacuum cleaner...all for a $6 total at the thrift store so we were pleased with our bargains.)


Along the way, we took a break and had a birthday lunch of sushi with mochi for dessert.  (Mochi is pounded sticky rice around a small ball of ice cream.)

Later, we went and bought the ingredients for her birthday dinner.  As is our family tradition, Grace got to pick the menu for her dinner.  She chose crab rangoon dip, grilled shrimp and stir fry. 

Then after dinner, Grace and her Dad headed out for some father/daughter time at a fast and free WiFi spot.  He installed some new birthday gift software and fixed some problems on her laptop. 

She says it was a great day.  Last year her birthday was interrupted by an unexpected family commitment and nothing seemed to go right or on time that day.  I am so glad that this year's birthday was much more enjoyable and relaxing for her than last year!  

No!...Oh nevermind, rock on!

Grace and I had a mom/daughter evening out and took Nate along with us.  We "window shopped" plants for the garden.  Next we stopped at Fox Farm Whole Foods for dried seaweed and Fruit Leather to put in Grace's Easter Basket. 

Then we headed to Han the Sushi Man to try out the place.  Nate was our entertainment for dinner.  As soon as he saw the chopsticks...he knew what they were!  Drum sticks!  He started laying down a beat and having a great time.  Even after he saw Grace eat with her chopsticks, he was still determined that they were the most awesome kid's meal toy ever!  (By the way, Han's is good, fast and affordable.  It has a nice, clean and bright atmosphere.  Plus there is even a kid's menu with sushi without raw fish and it starts at $2.99.  Service is their weakest point and I had to borrow water from Nate's cup...which was okay because he was busy rocking his new drum sticks.)




















After Han's, we went to try OrangeLeaf.  It was good, but not great and expensive!  I don't think we will be going there again.  The small dishes were huge so my 4 ounces looked like 4 teaspoons.  Plus I had hoped to try the no sugar added options and there wasn't any.

Lastly, we went to the grocery store to restock on a few items and to get ready for Easter dinner.  It was a nice night out.

Chick Days at Our House

I think Spring might really be here soon.  Today a dozen baby chicks arrived at our house.  These chicks are sleeping soundly tonight after a busy day of meeting the many Workman's!  The little Workman's are sleeping well tonight too!  (All photos except the 3rd one were taken by Angela Covington.)

Forty-something...

Well, today marks one year of trying to make "my forties" a good decade.  I have accomplished some great things, some okay things and I made a couple BIG mistakes.

On the great things list, I lost 131 pounds since this day last year.  I am very pleased with the results and I met some wonderfully supportive people at Neosho's TOPS chapter.  On the good list, I had a tumor removed this year that was benign. (But it only weighed 10 ounces...I was hoping that it weighed a lot!)  On the bad list, I tried to improve my housekeeping skills, and I think I made progress.  However, I irritated my kids with constant reminders and I limited their "fun" to limit the messes so I still have to work on balancing all that fun vs. clean "stuff".  Unfortunately, most of my kids' favorite activities tend to be messy.

Now for my 41st year, it seems that I will get to spend at least part of it recovering from our biggest mistakes of 2013.  Those mistakes, of course, were buying two homes in McCune, Kansas where the local school district voted to close the school right after we closed on the houses.  I am so glad that our home in Neosho never sold and that we did not complete the expensive home modifications in McCune!  Please be praying for a quick sale of the McCune houses.  We could also use your prayer for us to have clear direction from God because we really were hoping to end Ed's long commute to work.  He has driven it since 2008 without complaint, but it is three hours of family time (and sometimes sleep time) that is gone from everyday.  God protected us by having the school make its decision before we invested money in modifying the new houses, and I am trusting Him to make the McCune mistakes resolve quickly.  It seems like a lovely town, and I am sure He knows the right people to buy the houses.

Exploring Kansas

It has been a long time since I posted, but we have been busy!  We have left the farm, and we have been back for a weekend visit because we miss it.  We purchased two homes in Kansas which we were preparing to be our new home, but now we have learned that the ideal school that we thought our kids would attend is likely closing so we are a bit hesitant to invest much more in the houses since we do not know if they will hold their value after the school closes.  We still have our home in Neosho and we are just starting the transition towards being Kansans. 

This Saturday was our first Saturday in Kansas, and we spent it exploring Hickory Creek Farm, which is just outside McCune.  Daddy had a debate tournament so it was just the kids, our helper, her younger brother and I.  This was my first time driving the bus, but we took mostly dirt roads from McCune.  I was relieved that we did not even meet another car on the way there.  By the time we were headed home, I was much more comfortable with the bus.  I might even drive it again.

The kids loved Hickory Creek Farm and due to the flatness of Kansas it was much easier for me with my wheelchair than our Missouri favorite at Right Choices Corn Maze.  Hickory Creek does not have accessible hay rides, but Grace carried Vanessa onto the wagon.  Jon has never cared for hayrides so he and I sat that out with him.  The playground area was awesome.  It has great activities, and it is mostly fenced which made watching Nate easier. 

Now I must say that I had always thought Ava, MO was very rural with country fun.  However, Kansas has reset the bar on rural fun.  While we were at Hickory Creek, we saw and even participated in events and activities like duck races, pig races, chicken races, rope making, and hay bale moving contests.  BTW-The duck race was my favorite!  Those ducks really move!

If you get a chance to come checkout Hickory Creek Farm, then please let Ruth know that we sent you and let us know so we can meet you at our new houses and give you a tour!

Runaways!

Grace decided it was time to runaway.  She just couldn't take isolated country living, limited internet and constant sibling "companionship" anymore.  However, since she does not have a driver's license, she had to have me runway with her!  She was hoping to head into Ava for free internet at McDonald's, but I had a better idea.

We started with a stop at Henson's Gas Station in Champion, MO for some gas. (If you haven't been to Champion, you must check out their news.  Its a favorite web site of mine.) Grace had not been to Henson's and asked if they took debit card.  They were polite and did not laugh, but I did!  Then Grace was bewildered by the 40+ year old gas pumps so Betty Henson came and personally taught Grace how to pump gas.  (I couldn't believe Betty remembered my first name after all these years!  Its been over 30 years!)

Then we took the dirt roads to Assumption Abbey.  Grace had never been there and Fr. Paul took time to give her a tour and tell her about their daily lives.  She was impressed with their self-sufficiency, devotion to worship and hospitality.  The monks start their days at 3:15am and have worship 7 times a day.  They are very self-sufficient and even sew their own clothes.  The monks make and sell fruitcakes 6 days a week and they ship these fruitcakes around the world.  This is their 25th year of making fruitcakes, but when I was a child, they made blocks.  The Abbey offers a quiet retreat for contemplation and prayer. 


 We also stopped at the creek on Abbey property and enjoyed the beauty and quiet.  However, when I saw their posted signs, I think they need to sell these signs too. 

Finally, we headed to Rockbridge Trout Ranch for the afternoon.  This is one of my favorite places, but I've never brought any of our kids here with me so now my getaway is no longer a secret.  The Grist Mill is a great place to soak up the great views and enjoy some beverages (and per Grace's request....free internet).  The temperature was only 70 degrees with a light breeze so it was a perfect day for this outing.    It was a great day to runaway!  I'm glad Grace thought of it.

 

 

Summer Days in the Country

"What do you do at the farm?"

 So many people have asked me this question and they assume that our "city" kids must be bored.  However, so far except for a few rainy days, the kids have been delighted with country living....the creek, catching critters, visiting Cousin Carl's farm, playing casting games with the fishing pole, going to town to Ava Drug, and building tents inside the house are their favorite activities so far. 

Ava Drug's Soda Fountain is a favorite treat.

David and Vanessa with a critter.

We still have lots to do and we are quickly running out of Summer Days to fit it all into on this visit.  The kids seem to think that this might be a good place to visit every Summer so maybe we'll just take another walk and save some of the other activities for next Summer.
 

Day 162: Weight Gain & Kids Who Cheer Me Up

Today was a REALLY bad day.   It was the worst that I have had in a while so I guess I was overdue, but "Wow, oh wow!" 

If I had know, I would have stayed in bed this morning with the covers over my head.  I won't go into all the terrible highlights but the day got rolling with weighing in and having a dreaded and feared gain.  My first gain in 162 days of dieting.  I am not surprised because trying to sell our house/buy another has me stressed and I've been staying up late packing so I'm not getting my rest and of course, my kids are at home eating all day long!

Other highlights were a professional group's error that is causing me to look like I don't pay my bills.  The dryer went out.  I broke my key off in the ignition.  I had a terrible headache and the kids seemed to be extra loud.  Plus we added more "to do" to my list for getting the house ready.  I tried to turn the day around with a diet approved lunch salad from Subway, but Nate got it and dumped my drink into my salad which made it wilt to an icky, slimy meal.

One last highlight (or lowlight, more appropriately) was finding out that our realistic first option for a house in Kansas (not the dream group home) is going to be auctioned for cash so we may not be able to get this most affordable home. 

My Kids to the Rescue

The little guys just knew I had a headache, but they brought some much needed comic relief to my afternoon. 

First, Mark let me know that his tummy was hurting and a few presses on his tummy revealed that he was obviously constipated.  I asked him if he had pooped today and he said no.  I asked, "When did you poop last?" and he said "In the potty."  (I love these funny "still learning language" conversations.)  So we reviewed that I was not asking where, but when...like yesterday or Sunday...and his answer was "Someday".  I think he meant Sunday so after drinking a cup of warm water and a bathroom visit, he let me know that the water fixed his tummy ache. 

Then Luke crawled on my lap as I was on the computer looking at the newest Camp Kivu pictures and saw this picture of Grace in a raft.

He asked if Grace is still at camp (for the thousandth time since she left 9 days ago).  I said yes and he pointed at the picture and said, "This is Grace at camp."  I said yes and in a very concerned voice he asked, "Her camp flooded?"  Now I must tell you that I was tempted to just say "Yes!"  As a mom I find my kids going rafting to be terrifying.  Frankly, I would prefer that Luke think that he should only do that if the camp floods!  However, I was a good mom and explained that camp did not flood and that she was having fun.  Much like I feared, Luke let me know that he wanted to go to camp and do that. 

Lastly, at bedtime, I kept hearing cricket sounds and I started checking all the windows to see which one was open because the air conditioner is running.  I climbed over a bed and around moving boxes and still found no open window.  This whole time Matt who was supposed to be going to sleep, kept trying to tell me something and I kept telling him hush so I could hear the cricket.  Finally, he insisted on telling me something and he said "The noise is from Jon's crib toy."  I almost died laughing because sure enough, Jon had activated it himself and it was playing a lovely cricket's tune.

David Turns 11!

David chose his birthday celebration to start with going to a movie with his big sister and hero Grace. 

Then he chose for him, Vanessa, Corrine and Grace to head to Carousel Park.  This was Vanessa's first trip to the park and David took lots of pictures.

Finally he ended his celebrating with presents and his favorite meal, which is breakfast with lots of bacon.