Busy Weekend

Do not pity the dead, Harry, pity the living. Above all pity those who live without love. By returning you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed and fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say goodbye for the present. ~ Albus Dumbledore

Busy week, busy weekend.  This weekend flew by, it was a much needed time to get away from work.  Not a lot of relaxing done, but still an enjoyable time.  Friday we went over to a friend's place for a BBQ and bonfire.  We stayed out much later than we had planned.  Home around midnite and then had to get up for my son's soccer game early saturday morning.   Saturday my husband treated me to a matinee of the last installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  The movie was fantastic.  A lot had to be left out of the movie, but most things were touched on at least.  We then went to a stag and doe for his cousin.  It was a nice visit with some family.  We aren't much for drinking or partying but it was still nice.  Sunday we enjoyed a visit with my in-laws for a few hours then made our way over to see my parents.  Then we made our way home.

Today I will be sleeping away most of the day to prepare for work tonight.  I only have 2 more weeks of work then I will be off for 2 weeks, work a week then off another weekend and 3 days, work the Thursday and off another weekend.   I love vacation time :)

Well this is going to be a short post, I have to go to bed soon so i can stay awake tonight.

Here is hoping the week goes by quickly!!  :)

Almost there

'Today I will be driven by my goals, not my ego' Dr Lew Losoncy

End of school is near.  I can't get over how quickly the year has flown by.  It won't be long until the insanely hot days of summer are here and gone.

The kids are both playing baseball and soccer this year.  Tonight is my daughter's first soccer game.  She had a rough go at her first baseball game, she was pretty nervous.  Last night she played again (I missed it because of work) but from the report I got from her and her Dad she did fantastic!  She hit the ball every time at bat, and even once over everyone's head into the outfield!! Woo Hoo!  She also pitched and did a great job with that too.  I expect her teammates and coach were pleasantly surprised.  My son is enjoying baseball and soccer too.  He stands heads taller than all his teammates.  His league is called mosquito and each kid gets a chance to bat every inning and to run the bases.  It is more about learning than competition.

Tonight I will be meeting my niece and nephew for the first time.  My brother-law and his wife arrived earlier this week and are staying until Tuesday.  We will be visiting for the weekend.

(I forgot to finish this post....oops)

So we had a wonderful visit with my brother in law and family.  My niece and nephew are absolutely adorable and I love them to bits.  Ya no surprise there.  I also had a great time visiting with their parents  :D  The last night that I was there we girls (the sisters in law) and one of the cousin in law went on a haunted walk in the nearby city.  It was a lot of fun, just us girls.  I wish we didn't live so far away.....well that they live so far away.  BC is so far from Ontario.   It was great to finally meet my niece and nephew.

There was some sad new brought also.  My husband's grandmother has severe osteoporosis she is in a lot of pain and if she coughs too hard could break something.  I wish we could afford for my hubby and the kids to fly out to see her.  She is 89 years old and my hubby and his 1 brother are her only relatives left.  SShe hasn't met our kids and it would be so wonderful for her to meet them.

Who knows what the future will hold.


Cheers

Life is Good

In our life we can stare at the past, but only the future is ours to change!

It has been a couple months since my Dad's surgery.  I must say that things have gone quite well.  He is healing very nicely and is getting around with only a cane now.  The best thing of the entire situation is that my Mom has stepped up and is gaining self confidence and independence!!  I am so very proud of her.  She is not only driving in town now she has driven to the city, around the city and elsewhere!  She is handling things much better than she thought.  Way to go Mom!!  I truly hope that once Dad is able to drive again that she maintains her independence and continues on.

Work has been busy.  I am working a lot of overtime, but the money is much needed.  We have had to replace our toilet, the van needs to be repaired after an accident and of course it is summer now so between my dear hubby driving summer school and soon to be unemployed for a month with only unemployment it makes it much harder to do something special with the kids for summer vacation.  This year though with all the overtime I have worked it sure has helped.  We are in much better shape this summer vs last.  We are planning to take a trip to the Granby Zoo in Quebec.  None of us have been there before so it should be a nice treat for all of us.  Maybe next year we can go to yet another province  :)

I am very proud of both of my kids.   They both finished the year with amazing report cards.  My daughter has straight As and was disappointed that one was an A-!!!  She has worked so hard this year and brought the few Bs she had to As.  Who could ask for more??

My son.....has come so far!!  Last report his reading was a C- and he brought that up to a B!!!  He worked extremely hard and did it.  All of his grades were Bs!  He has done a lot of growing and thankfully the school was very supportive and worked hard with us to help get him there.

Me.....well I am now at the 200lb mark and holding.  I put my gym membership on hold for the summer and I expect I will cancel it in September.  We are looking at getting a family membership at the Y.  I love Curves but it costs 55 just for me and the family membership at the Y is around 100 for the family....can't really see the point in paying for both places.  Plus I need some time to get my body used to the new shifts I am working.  It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Life has been good.  My family is healthy and happy.  Money is decent, not wonderful but when is it ever???  LOL  I am very excited for my summer vacation, and a nice trip with just us and the kids.  Life is good.

Well it is time for me to get ready for work.  Yippie.   3 night shifts this week.

Till next time.........

Mom and Dad

Pain is temporary, Quitting lasts forever - Lance Armstrong

I've had a glimpse of my possible future.  I can't say I love it, I can't say I hate it either.  It is more of a sense of loss and frustration.

Ok let me back up a bit and explain.  Tuesday my Dad had hip replacement surgery.  That in itself is not a huge deal.  My parents asked me if I could come and stay with them for the week to help out.  My Mom had a severe nervous breakdown years ago and has never truly been treated and refuses to get treated now.  She was given some meds which she takes, but no therapy etc.  So anyhow she can drive but chooses not too and so is now so nervous about driving anywhere but close to home (I'm talking blocks here) she can't.  Dad's surgery was in the next city a half hour away.  So here I come 2hrs away to bring Dad in for his surgery.  Then over the next few days drive Mom back and forth to visit until he was released a day early on Thursday.  Ok so my mom is falling apart with worry.  Dad is fine, more than fine, healing better than expected and is having a lot less pain than expected.  I have made sure all the bills are paid, that she has cash from the bank (doesn't like to use her debit card) dealt with the insurance company since they don't cover 2 of his life saving medications, scheduled his follow-up appointment and arranged for my husband to come to take Dad with our van not only for comfort but also because Mom won't drive.  I have picked up meds, odds and ends groceries.  Helped Dad with his exercises, made sure he has everything he needs and coached mom on what she needs to do once I go home.  Thankfully my dad's brain wasn't affected by the surgery so he can help her with what he needs as far as help in and out of bed etc.  But she is worried about the silliest (silly to me anyhow) things like not being able to get the vacuuming done, not doing something the way Dad would do it etc.  She is worried she will 'mess things up' and feels like she has no choice but to fail, she has quit before even starting.

She is such a strong woman.  If she would only try.  She refuses to let me get her into therapy to help her cope with her OCD and be able to relax.  She doesn't want to learn how to use her interac card, she doesn't want to be better at driving, she doesn't want to know how to do anything other than what she does now.  She is afraid to fail so she won't try.  She is completely dependent on others except for her own personal grooming.  Sadly I had to tell her that she can't depend on Dad always.  Someday he may not be there.  I also told her that if that happened, and I didn't feel she could live on her own or take care of herself enough to live with me then I would have to put her in a home.  I work full time and so does my hubby so we can't baby-sit her.  I think the thought scared her, and as much as I hate to do that to her, it is often the only way to get her motivated. 

She has taken the car out twice since I had that talk with her.  Once to go to Bible study by herself (and my Mom NEVER goes anywhere by herself, Dad is always with her)  she also went to pick up milk, she paid cash but she drove to the store and bought the milk by herself!  I was so proud of her!  It seems strange that I am mothering my own Mom.....but I guess that is how life works.  For now I have tried to reassure her that the world won't end if the dishes don't get done or the vacuuming or anything for that matter.  I told her to focus on Dad and herself.  My brother lives/owns the house where they are living so he can help make sure the house doesn't fall around their ankles.  One thing at a time and one day at a time.  Food & Water, pain management and breathing for both her and Dad, the rest can wait.


My glimpse into the future was of caring for my parents.  My Dad won't be so bad, he is used to being independent.  It is my Mom that saddens me.  I know she has so much more potential and she is wasting the gift of life she has.  I also don't know if I could handle seeing everyday where I would be if I hadn't worked so hard and long to recover and be the person I am. 

So tomorrow I go home.  I'm nervous about leaving, but I am sure they will be fine....but I can't help but worry, I guess that is what children and mother's do.....

A great big slap in the face reminder

Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. - John Wooden

I have wanted to blog about this for awhile.....well since it happened actually, but I really needed some time to think it through and get over it myself.

Anyhow, it happened on Tuesday.  I had spent the day Monday with a headache and sore throat so was looking forward to a day of relaxing, going to the gym and getting caught up on things around the house.  Well it was not meant to be.  Tuesday I woke up and thus began my day of getting the kids ready for school.  Except my daughter complains of a sore tongue and carries on as she usually does when she has been up to late and doesn't want to go to school.  So thinking nothing of it I told her to brush her teeth and use mouth wash then get ready for school!  So now I'm irritated.  Can she not just get up and get ready like she knows she has to do EVERY DAY????  Sigh.....obviously not.  Within the next few minutes or so after brushing and rinsing she was crying and having trouble talking.  So I told her she could stay home and I would call the Doctor's office.   The nurse was busy so the receptionist said she would have her call me back.  This took about half hour, during this time it got to the point she couldn't swallow, the drool was just running down her face.  To make things worse her nose was running too.  Just as I was deciding I should take her to the ER, the nurse called back and told me to take her NOW.  So I got her dressed and off we went.

She was triaged & registered immediately, then brought right into a bed.  Right away they got her ready to start an IV.  It took 2 tries in each arm before they could get it, her veins kept rolling.  Finally the IV was in and flushed, then they injected epinephrine.  The doctor came in to see her and ordered more medications.  He proceeded to let me know that it was Anaphylaxis.  He wasn't sure at that point if it was caused by an allergy or a tongue infection.  It would depend on how it reacted to the medication.  If the swelling went down quickly then it would be most likely an allergy.  The curious part to it all, was that it was only the tongue affected, not the throat or mouth.

To make a long story short, my poor girl was terrified and so was I.  We spent the day there while the medication did it's job and they monitored her to ensure she wasn't going to have a bad reaction to it.  They eventually sent us home with a prescription for 2 epi-pens. The next morning was a trip to our Nurse Practitioner to make sure everything was OK and also setup a referral for an allergist.  So for now, we wait, make sure she has her epi-pen with her at all times and pray.

The experience reminded me just how precious she is and how easily I could lose her.  While I know I can't focus on the negative, I will let it remind me that she is precious and growing so quickly but still needs us.  I love her dearly and hope that we will get the allergy tests done soon and the results back quickly.  I would rather know what to avoid then be worried every second that something could cause it to happen again.

Well that was my week.  I missed going to the gym all week, today is Good Friday so they are closed.  But my daughter is OK and thankfully we now have the epi-pen and knowledge of what to look for.

I hope you don't have a scare to remind you just how special someone is to you.

Working, Working oh and Working

Be the Best YOU that you can be, everyone else is taken - Unknown

I worked 8 hours of overtime today and work Friday, Saturday and Sunday all 12 hour shifts.  I honestly, truly debated whether working today was a good idea after my oh so recent depression scare.  I decided that if I don't push my limits I won't be able to find out just what they are.  I also need to know if it was the extra work or just a combo of lack of sleep and dreary weather.  So here's hoping.......since in another month or so I will be working 4 day shifts one week and 3 night shifts the next and then repeating.  I am really looking forward to the new schedule, so I am praying that my body will adapt.

I can hardly believe spring is here!  My daffodils have all bloomed, so my tulips won't be far behind.  I am loving the warmer weather.  This and fall are my favorite times of year.  It is still cool enough out to enjoy the sun without broiling and warm enough that a light coat or sweater is all you need if anything at all.  In another couple of months I will be tempted to sell my soul for central air conditioning!!  LOL  We have never owned a house with central air in the 10 years we have been married and every summer for about 2 months I swear over and over that we will get central air, this is the last year I will suffer like this again etc etc etc, but there always seems to be something else more important than air conditioning  :p  I do promise that my next house will either have central air already installed, OR it will be installed immediately upon closing!!

Work is going well, at least well enough that I don't mind working an extra shift this week :D  Actually for the most part I do love my job.  As with everyone else there are days that I need to remind myself of that, but mostly I do love my job.  The company I work for pays me very well, I have full benefits (mostly company paid) and a pension.  I have complaints, but it is mostly about co-workers.  Surprisingly Management is good to me, I have no complaints about how they have treated me.  I know a lot of people who have a lot of complaints about management (both where I work and other places) and many people who don't get paid as well as I do and work much harder. 

Well I have to get up early tomorrow and go to the gym before work, so I had better get to bed.

Have a great weekend!

Sadness, Strength and Hope

Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life - Buddha

I am feeling better today.  It always scares me when I feel sad for no reason, and even scarier when it lasts for a few days.  Wednesday night I worked and towards the end of the night had developed a wicked headache.  It took a couple hours before I could get off the floor to take some advil, but once I did it didn't take long to start working thankfully!!!  By the time I got home Thursday morning I was pretty dragged out.  I decided in my infinite wisdom, to not take any chances of not sleeping.  I took an Aleve and a full sleeping pill then went straight to bed.  I had a wonderful sleep.  I slept from 9am until 5:15!!  I still didn't want to get up, but for some reason the company I work for thinks I should show up since they pay me???  How silly is that LOL!

Thursday night went much better. I felt rested, the line ran well and to top things off I was able to get a lot done.  Now I did have an issue with one of our temp agency associates but I dealt with that.

Today I slept a couple hours.....yep about 2.....maybe 2.5, then I got up and had a shower and got ready to go to the gym.  Today was a weigh and measure day.......it hasn't been a fun day for me lately.  I have hit a plateau and so the scale isn't moving and I am getting frustrated.  Today was better news than I expected though, I gained 2 pounds BUT lost almost 0.5% body fat!!  So that tells me that I am retaining water but still burning fat.  I have decided to give myself a week of NO diet at all, then I will start the phase 1, 2, 3 cycle again once my metabolism is fired up again.  With the sun out again and the warmer weather here I hope to get out more often. 

On another note, my sister in law sent me an email today.  She is a remarkable woman.  I envy her in so many ways, am so proud of her and love her to bits.  My dear SIL decided to try the Curves challenge once she saw not only what it is doing for me, but how much I am enjoying it.  She started with a month of strength training, then added the eating plan and now has decided to quit smoking!!  She is quickly approaching the 72hour mark.  While it hasn't been easy she is doing well and I am proud of her for tackling yet another huge life change in such a short time.  I don't need to cross my fingers because she doesn't need luck, she is a strong woman and I know that when she puts her mind to something, nothing can stop her :)  Love ya Girl!!


I am relieved that my mood has lifted.  While I am not singing and dancing in the streets, I am also not on the verge of tears (well ok crying)  on and off.  I am hoping that with good night sleep tonight and some sun tomorrow (hopefully a good walk with the dog) I will be back where I want to be.   I am positive now that I missed (ignored??) some signs from my body telling me I was pushing it, so it pushed back and slugged me over the head with a sign.  No more pushing it for me, at least for awhile.....anyone who knows me, knows I like to push my limits.  So tonight a dose of sleeping pill and a snuggle up to my hubby.   Tomorrow, get some yard work done, some sun, a visit with a good friend and some laughs!!  I had my sad day, now is time to be happy again.

Cheers!