All the most important things about the Christian life are about balance. I wish I had a dime for every time I've said or thought this. Why balance? Because it's impossible for us to keep. If we could find the magic formula that kept us perfectly balanced in all circumstances, then...we wouldn't need Jesus. And if you don't need Jesus, you can't be a Christian.
I know that seems elementary, but from what I've been reading in the blogosphere...not so much. All references to sin, confession of sin, and the need of a savior are being systematically removed from "Christianity." It's mind boggling.
A little bit ago, a blog post from a popular Christian blogger who is a wife and mom (Jen Hatmaker) went viral. "Worst Mom Ever," it was called. She even ended up on The Today Show. Pretty cool!
A little bit later, I ran into another article. "The Very Worst Trend Ever: How our love of brokenness actually fails us."http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2013/july/very-worst-trend.html Also an excellent article. I have been thinking about it ever since.
When I read Jen Hatmaker's article some time ago, my mind put it into the category "For entertainment purposes only." There is a certain way of communicating that exists in our culture that is very....familiar...sarcastic...light-hearted...that is designed to bring humor to everyday situations. I see it in the television shows kids watch on Disney and Nickelodeon, I see it in the way my kids interact with each other and their peers, I see it on FaceBook and Twitter, I see it in the way that I communicate with my own friends and colleagues, and I definitely see it in the blog writing that I read. That communication pattern is the real trend, in my opinion. Let's face it, trying to communicate something through an online media is...difficult. It's exhausting to read too...but I digress.
No one ACTUALLY thinks that they are the worst mom ever for forgetting to sign school papers, making costumes at the last minute, or feeding their kid cheetos for breakfast. I think I could make a good argument that you might be the worst mom ever if you never did those things. Can you imagine how damaging it would be to grow up with a perfect mother? Anyway, worst foodie mom, worst PTA mom, worst granola crunching mom, worst suburban mom...maybe. But if anyone thinks they are actually the worst mom ever because of any of these things, they have a serious problem with perspective. (I've read enough of Jen Hatmaker's stuff to know that she doesn't appear to have this problem.)
My conclusion is that some people need to lighten up...
And yet...
when I ask my fifth graders, "Do you know what that's called when you do or say such and such?" And they say, "Disobedient" "Unkind" "Not honoring to the Lord" (all good answers) and I say, "Yes, it's all those things and it's also a SIN...they look at me like I've just used a curse word. I think we have to call sin "sin" for our children's sake. If you don't sin, you don't need Jesus, remember? And not knowing about your spiritual poverty is not good.
So I need to ask myself when I do those "real" and "broken" things: Am I being lazy? Is my plate too full? Are my priorities in the right order?
Consider this:
O Lord,
I have a wild heart
And cannot stand before thee;
I am like a bird before a man.
How little I love thy truth and ways!
I neglect prayer,
By thinking I have prayed enough and earnestly,
By knowing thou hast saved my soul.
Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be an evangelical hypocrite,
Who sins more safely because grace abounds,
Who tells his lusts that Christ’s blood cleanseth them,
Who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell, for his is saved,
Who loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives
Unholily.
My mind is a bucket without a bottom,
With no spiritual understanding,
No desire for the Lord’s Day,
Ever learning but never reaching the truth,
Always at the gospel-well but never holding water.
My conscience is without conviction or contrition,
With nothing to repent of.
My will is without power of decision or resolution.
My heart is without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention,
So I forget so easily the lessons learned,
And thy truths seep away.
Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.
(Taken from The Valley of Vision)
Who's the worst mom ever now!? Oh yeah...I am. And you are.
But then consider this:
1 John 1:4-7
And these things we write, so
that our joy may be made complete.
And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that
God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth;
but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us
from all sin.
It's all about balance.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Thursday, June 28, 2012
An exercise in thankfulness
It's not difficult to understand that we should be thankful for what we have. That we should "count our blessings." Gratitude is the language of contentedness, acceptance, clarity. It's even easier; however, to get get caught up in the busy-ness of life and forget to be thankful for the little things that have no less significance than the larger ones.
I have been recently challenged to take the time to practice the art of thankfulness.
I'm not really interested in debating the theology of where that challenge came from here. And, it's not because I don't love theology and a good theological discussion. It's more because there is a time and place for everything and (if you've ever read this blog you already know) that this place is for the light-hearted side of my life and those of my family.
Like today when I remembered to say to the boys, "Thank you for having good behavior at the school uniform store. I know we were there for a really long time." To which they replied cheerfully, "You're welcome!" And didn't even act like they should get anything because of it. Because on a different day, all that could just as easily go a number of different and less savory ways. And I would be challenged to be thankful for those moments as well.
I have decided to take pictures of those "little" things that I'm thankful for and chronicle them here. For my kids to see later. That's why I needed to explain a little about what I'm doing. Will there be a thousand? I hope so. That will take me a long time because I don't want to force it. Will some of it be things that are difficult to give thanks for? Probably.
So here's number one:
Summertime Breakfast. By myself, on the back deck, under the shade of my umbrella (b/c good gracious it is HOT!!,) with a book to read...thankful, thankful, thankful.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
And also, I haven't used blogspot in a while and it is different. I don't know why the whole thing shows up as one paragraph because that's not how I wrote it. :(
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday Adventures
When I was a kid I remember that my mom always had sun tea brewing in a jar out on the patio. I don't ever remember drinking any of it, but it was there nonetheless.
On Saturday (which was one of those crazy everyone-in-the-family-has-to-be-in-a-different-place sort of days,) Parker and I had to rush to Kroger to get the after-game snacks for Carter's baseball team. While we were there, I saw this:
It's a sun tea jar! I started feeling nostalgic, which made me explain to Parker about sun tea on the back patio and then we both wanted some, so I bought it. I carried it out to the car by it's little green handle (Don't do that.) Just as the back door on the van was lifting, it dropped and shattered into 8 million pieces.
The cooler in the back of the car tipped over and dumped all the ice on top of the shattered glass.
Parker started to cry and said, "We JUST bought that, now we don't get to drink the special tea!!"
I cut my hand on the glass trying to pick up the big pieces and started bleeding everywhere, which made Parker cry harder.
The customer service people helped me with my cut and let me get another sun tea jar.
Parker was very late for batting practice.
The End.
And today, we enjoyed delicious iced green tea brewed by nature.
On Saturday (which was one of those crazy everyone-in-the-family-has-to-be-in-a-different-place sort of days,) Parker and I had to rush to Kroger to get the after-game snacks for Carter's baseball team. While we were there, I saw this:
It's a sun tea jar! I started feeling nostalgic, which made me explain to Parker about sun tea on the back patio and then we both wanted some, so I bought it. I carried it out to the car by it's little green handle (Don't do that.) Just as the back door on the van was lifting, it dropped and shattered into 8 million pieces.
The cooler in the back of the car tipped over and dumped all the ice on top of the shattered glass.
Parker started to cry and said, "We JUST bought that, now we don't get to drink the special tea!!"
I cut my hand on the glass trying to pick up the big pieces and started bleeding everywhere, which made Parker cry harder.
The customer service people helped me with my cut and let me get another sun tea jar.
Parker was very late for batting practice.
The End.
And today, we enjoyed delicious iced green tea brewed by nature.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
In which we enjoy the calm before the storm
Anyone who knows me even a little, knows that I am a serious believer in the mal-effects of artificial colors in food. If I had the energy I would link countless articles to this post that implicate this non-food item to hyperactivity, as well as depression and other psychiatric problems in children.
These articles are not the reason for my convictions; however, it's my experience with my own kids that clinches it. Two of our three children are extremely effected negatively by artificial colors. This is unfortunate on many levels. Our lives would be so much easier if I didn't feel like I "had" to make an issue out of this. And we make NO EXCEPTION!! The exceptions have long been deemed "not worth it", by both Brent and me.
Did you know that red and yellow food dyes are not allowed in foods in England? And that American companies (such as KRAFT) have alternate food recipes that they sell in Europe in order to comply with this law? I have a friend who lives in Europe. When we had this conversation he said, "Oh, so is that why my Trix cereal seems brownish instead of brightly colored?" Yes, that is why.
But tonight, we made an exception. All this week during Spring Break, the ICE CREAM MAN has been driving by my house. And my children stand on the side of the road, waving sadly, like they live in the hotel that you can check out of, but never leave. Something like this:
Tonight when we were taking our nightly walk around the neighborhood, the ice cream man stopped and we had this conversation:
Him: "Are you these kids' parents?"
Me: "Yes?" (Slightly hesitantly, just in case they're in trouble.)
Him: "Well, we've been seeing them out whenever we come to this neighborhood and what we like to do whenever we see kids who don't get ice cream when there are others that are is...give them free Posicles."
Have mercy.
Sooooo, the children got to enjoy a popsicle this evening, thanks to the ice cream man who now will expect us to buy ice cream all summer (haha.) The kids were absolutely thrilled.
We're talking sheer joy.
I developed an eye twitch watching their enjoyment, but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth right?! (What does that even mean?)
I apologize in advance to anyone who sits next to us in church tomorrow to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.
Purple depression-on-a-stick.
Parker's Popsicle is RED. Is there anyone who would like a sweet 7 year old to spend the night tonight?
Carter's Popsicle is ORANGE.
These articles are not the reason for my convictions; however, it's my experience with my own kids that clinches it. Two of our three children are extremely effected negatively by artificial colors. This is unfortunate on many levels. Our lives would be so much easier if I didn't feel like I "had" to make an issue out of this. And we make NO EXCEPTION!! The exceptions have long been deemed "not worth it", by both Brent and me.
Did you know that red and yellow food dyes are not allowed in foods in England? And that American companies (such as KRAFT) have alternate food recipes that they sell in Europe in order to comply with this law? I have a friend who lives in Europe. When we had this conversation he said, "Oh, so is that why my Trix cereal seems brownish instead of brightly colored?" Yes, that is why.
But tonight, we made an exception. All this week during Spring Break, the ICE CREAM MAN has been driving by my house. And my children stand on the side of the road, waving sadly, like they live in the hotel that you can check out of, but never leave. Something like this:
Tonight when we were taking our nightly walk around the neighborhood, the ice cream man stopped and we had this conversation:
Him: "Are you these kids' parents?"
Me: "Yes?" (Slightly hesitantly, just in case they're in trouble.)
Him: "Well, we've been seeing them out whenever we come to this neighborhood and what we like to do whenever we see kids who don't get ice cream when there are others that are is...give them free Posicles."
Have mercy.
Sooooo, the children got to enjoy a popsicle this evening, thanks to the ice cream man who now will expect us to buy ice cream all summer (haha.) The kids were absolutely thrilled.
We're talking sheer joy.
I developed an eye twitch watching their enjoyment, but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth right?! (What does that even mean?)
I apologize in advance to anyone who sits next to us in church tomorrow to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.
Purple depression-on-a-stick.
Parker's Popsicle is RED. Is there anyone who would like a sweet 7 year old to spend the night tonight?
Carter's Popsicle is ORANGE.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
In Which The Boys Go On an Exploration
I let the boys go on an "exploration" today. They went by themselves (with lots of guidelines) down the street into the cul de sac. They packed backpacks full of flashlights, lanterns, blankets, change of clothes, binoculars, pocket tools, etc. then they packed them onto a handtruck b/c they were "too heavy for our backs". They were gone about 20 mins before I got in the van and drove down there, just to check. (No helicopter mom here!) They were standing on the side of the road using binoculars to look at the lake (b/c they're not allowed to leave the street and definitely are not allowed down by the lake.) When I asked them how it was going, Carter said:
"Welllll, we've seen a lot of things you don't see every day."
*searching through bags*
"Like this giant mushroom with a black stem, and *more searching* this leaf that's yellow on one side and brown on the other."
Haha!
Now they're back and they're too tired to unpack their bags.
"Welllll, we've seen a lot of things you don't see every day."
*searching through bags*
"Like this giant mushroom with a black stem, and *more searching* this leaf that's yellow on one side and brown on the other."
Haha!
Now they're back and they're too tired to unpack their bags.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Whose money is it anyway?
It's no surprise that our three children are each very different from each other. But our two boys are very, very different.
One makes his bed, one insists that he doesn't need sheets.
One can be trusted with "grown-up" tools, while the other can barely be trusted with a fork.
One is cleaner, one is more dirty.
One is a "good eater", the other eats like a bird.
One is better with figuring out technological things, the other is better with his hands and building things.
One is more athletic, the other enjoys different kinds of books and music.
I don't mean to make one trait seem more "positive" and another more "negative". They both are very sweet and kind. They have their strengths and weaknesses. They are both sinners who need Jesus. It's just interesting to watch as we're trying to parent them in a way that is purposeful and meaningful, the different ways that they process what they're learning.
So, we started giving all 3 kids an allowance a while back. We don't have a system wherein we pay them to do chores or anything like that. (Not that I'm disparaging that system.) It is a "given" that certain things are required of them as a member of our household. We just decided that if we gave them a little bit of money and made them pay for some of their own stuff, it would be easier for them to learn about monetary value, delayed gratification, and all that. And of course, it has been so interesting to watch how they handle this.
Hunter, age 10, receives $10/month. She spends most of it, but she is good about putting the "right" amounts into her piggy bank and the collection plate at church, although she has to be reminded a lot. She doesn't act like her money is burning a hole in her pocket, but if she wants something, she'll go ahead and buy it.
Carter, age 8, receives $8/month. He wants to save up to buy an Ipod. Not an Ipod shuffle, an Ipod Nano. I think they cost $80. He has $62. Do you know how long it takes to save $62 at $8/month minus tithe and savings? He is definitely his father's child. He will not spend a penny. The other day he tried (notice I used the word "tried") to throw a baby-fit because I would not buy him a $6 book at the bookstore that would teach him how to read the footprints of wild animals so could track them.
HE HAS SIXTY-TWO DOLLARS!!
That little lesson makes me think we're doing a good thing because not all that long ago, I wouldn't have thought anything of buying him a $6 book if he really wanted it and probably would have bought him a Nano for his next birthday.
Anyway, Parker, age 6, receives $6/month and his money burns a hole in his pocket. I think he might have had $2 left in his wallet from last month, but that is only because he misplaced his wallet. Today he had his $6 from June. He wanted this Superman watch that was on sale for $3. Then he cried because I wouldn't buy him Lego Batman Wii game for $20. He said things like:
"Saving up takes FOREVER!"
"I'll never be able to do it!"
"I promise I'll pay you back!"
and my personal favorite interaction, which took place WAY AFTER we had left the incident behind us and were getting ready to check out:
Him: "Well, how much money do you have in your purse?"
Me: "None that is for Wii games."
Him: "But don't you have one of those little cards?"
Exactly.
One makes his bed, one insists that he doesn't need sheets.
One can be trusted with "grown-up" tools, while the other can barely be trusted with a fork.
One is cleaner, one is more dirty.
One is a "good eater", the other eats like a bird.
One is better with figuring out technological things, the other is better with his hands and building things.
One is more athletic, the other enjoys different kinds of books and music.
I don't mean to make one trait seem more "positive" and another more "negative". They both are very sweet and kind. They have their strengths and weaknesses. They are both sinners who need Jesus. It's just interesting to watch as we're trying to parent them in a way that is purposeful and meaningful, the different ways that they process what they're learning.
So, we started giving all 3 kids an allowance a while back. We don't have a system wherein we pay them to do chores or anything like that. (Not that I'm disparaging that system.) It is a "given" that certain things are required of them as a member of our household. We just decided that if we gave them a little bit of money and made them pay for some of their own stuff, it would be easier for them to learn about monetary value, delayed gratification, and all that. And of course, it has been so interesting to watch how they handle this.
Hunter, age 10, receives $10/month. She spends most of it, but she is good about putting the "right" amounts into her piggy bank and the collection plate at church, although she has to be reminded a lot. She doesn't act like her money is burning a hole in her pocket, but if she wants something, she'll go ahead and buy it.
Carter, age 8, receives $8/month. He wants to save up to buy an Ipod. Not an Ipod shuffle, an Ipod Nano. I think they cost $80. He has $62. Do you know how long it takes to save $62 at $8/month minus tithe and savings? He is definitely his father's child. He will not spend a penny. The other day he tried (notice I used the word "tried") to throw a baby-fit because I would not buy him a $6 book at the bookstore that would teach him how to read the footprints of wild animals so could track them.
HE HAS SIXTY-TWO DOLLARS!!
That little lesson makes me think we're doing a good thing because not all that long ago, I wouldn't have thought anything of buying him a $6 book if he really wanted it and probably would have bought him a Nano for his next birthday.
Anyway, Parker, age 6, receives $6/month and his money burns a hole in his pocket. I think he might have had $2 left in his wallet from last month, but that is only because he misplaced his wallet. Today he had his $6 from June. He wanted this Superman watch that was on sale for $3. Then he cried because I wouldn't buy him Lego Batman Wii game for $20. He said things like:
"Saving up takes FOREVER!"
"I'll never be able to do it!"
"I promise I'll pay you back!"
and my personal favorite interaction, which took place WAY AFTER we had left the incident behind us and were getting ready to check out:
Him: "Well, how much money do you have in your purse?"
Me: "None that is for Wii games."
Him: "But don't you have one of those little cards?"
Exactly.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Adventures in Camping and Other Things
I hardly ever blog anymore. I need to do it more because I'm realizing that I share so much information on Facebook about all the interesting (to me, anyway) things the kids do/say and then it's just...gone. And this blog is supposed to be for them. Goodness knows I'm not writing them down anywhere else these days. Anyway, I was reflecting on this weekend this morning and wanted to write it down.
Parker had a positive strep test last Thursday and got antibiotics. He got two doses that day and seemed to be on the mend. I even posted pictures that day of him and his siblings having a water balloon fight that afternoon. He woke up on Friday, though, unable to swallow. It was a little scary. His mouth was hanging open, he wouldn't move his head or mouth at all, he couldn't even swallow his own spit, it was just hanging out of his mouth. I took him back to the doctor, assuming they would give him an antibiotic shot. Hunter had to have that once for a terrible ear infection, it's very painful and you have to wait in the doctor's office (screaming child in hand) for 20 minutes to make sure they're not going to have a bad reaction to it, but it gets the job done. Instead, they sent us from there to the Children's Hospital due to possible "Peri-tonsilar abscess", whatever that means.
**An aside: I have been letting Hunter stay home alone for short periods of time since she's almost 11. I let her stay home while I went to the doctor and wasn't able to go home to pick her up.
We spent four hours in the ER. That hospital is WONDERFUL, by the way (Scottish Rite). We had to wait in the same waiting room where I stood the night Lonnie died asking doctors and nurses where they took my sister. (That's where they took her boys from the accident and we all went there.) But we didn't have to wait in there for long.
*Aside: They gave the boys BLUE GATORADE (which has modified food starch in it) and TWO artificially colored Popsicles each. The boys were THRILLED beyond measure. They said things like, "This is delicious!" "Our mom NEVER lets us have these!" I, on the other hand, developed an eye twitch just watching them. As far as the food starch goes (which is code for "gluten", which Parker is intolerant to), let's just say it's a good thing he was doped up this weekend.
They gave him heavy doses of antibiotics and pain killers to see if they could get a look at what was going on in there and see if it would respond to treatment. If it was indeed an abscess, he would be having surgery that day.
We watched 3 movies: Mulan, Fly Me To The Moon, and part of Tinkerbell.
Meanwhile, we were supposed to be leaving for the church camping trip at 1pm. We were going to swim with our friends in the morning, who were also going to be taking care of Bella (Hunter's guinea pig). We were mostly ready for the trip, but not completely, and I still had things I needed from the grocery store.
Brent left work to go home with Hunter. The boys and I left the hospital at 4:15. The hospital that's in Atlanta. On a Friday. On the radio they said that a cattle trailer had turned over on the highway just north of our exit (30+ miles outside the city). So it was the bad kind of traffic. A parking lot. While I sat there, I was thinking about what that means. Poor cows! They must have been so scared! How did they get them out? Did they wander away? They would have to get people to come in and handle the cows, someone to come and get the trailer upright. There's no way that the cows went willingly into another trailer.
Sheesh.
I had to get off at several exits before mine and snake around to my area. It was 6:30 when I pulled into the pharmacy to get Parker's medications where they said, "Hold on, let me check to see if we have these." I told the boys, "Start praying that they have these medicines." And they started praying.
**Aside: What a couple of troopers the boys were, by the way! Parker was so sick he couldn't really help it, but Carter was such a trooper. At the very end of the day he said, "I'm really getting sick of Parker, Mom." But he was just tired and being honest.
CVS had the meds but they wouldn't be ready until 7. We went home, threw the camping stuff into the van and were back at CVS at 7:05.
Parker had to go back to the doctor at 9am to make sure that the antibiotics and steroids were going to do the trick, so the new plan was for us to all go together to the camp site (so much of this part of the drama could be avoided if Brent had a car that I could drive, his is standard transmission.), get it set up, then Parker and I would drive back home, sleep in our own beds (which I thought would be better for Parker anyway, since he was still really under the weather), go to the appointment on Saturday, stop at the store to get the rest of the stuff we needed, stop back home to gather Nico (our dog), take care of Bella, and head back.
However...
Remember about the cattle trailer? Well, it wasn't cleared up by 7:15 when we left CVS. The highway was a parking lot. We decided to go up an exit (about a 10 minute drive) which would be north of the accident, and get on there. Forty-five minutes later...we were getting on the highway at that exit. The park where we were camping with our friends is only about 45 minutes from our house. We were pulling in right before 10. Usually, state parks lock the gates around 10 and no one can get in or out unless it's an emergency. And that would require banging on the door of the old people who run the place (aka "camp hosts") to get them to unlock it. I pulled up to that gate to leave to go back home t 10:10.
*sigh*
We were locked in. And unprepared. We left the dog at home alone overnight (which we've never done before), uncrated. I had pulled out Parker's and my stuff (pillows, blankie's, etc.)and left them at home. I had my cell phone, but the battery was dead and my charger was at home. I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of Parker sleeping on the ground in a tent that night, but what can you do? At least I had his medications. I would have woken up the old folks if I didn't have them.
Neither one of us slept very well. I set the alarm on Brent's blackberry to be able to wake up in the middle of the night to give him his medicine and I set it to wake me up at 6:30, but we were both already awake at both times. The park opens at 7, we got home, got dressed, took care of the pets (Nico was hiding b/c he pooped and peed in the boys room, but it wasn't his fault), and were at the doctor's office at 8:55. We were there for 2 hours. (The waiting and driving in this adventure are enough to drive a person to drink.)The doctor was pleased with the progress he made overnight. She was worried about us taking him on a camping trip. She told me to "watch him near fire and water" and "don't let him go off on his own with the other kids".
Um, ok. She obviously doesn't know me very well. I'm just naturally neurotic about both those things and wouldn't dream of letting him go off with anyone.
I was already nervous about the fire. He is always up in it, poking at it with sticks and whatnot. He had to take Loretab for the pain, which made him very loopy and stumbly. ugh.
We went to the store, gathered up Nico, made sure Bella was set up until Sunday, and made it back to camp by about 2ish.
*Aside: Can I just talk about how wonderful our church family is? When we got there at 10pm Friday night they were waiting for us, two guys were there to help Brent get the tent set up, someone fed them breakfast while I was gone with Parker the next day, they were in the process of feeding them lunch when I got back, someone paid for Hunter to be able to go swimming with them since I'm the one with the cash, and EVERYONE was concerned about Parker and wanted to check up on him.
I wouldn't have missed that for the world. Although, I must admit that if my husband hadn't been heart-set on going Friday night (we paid for two nights, we're going for two nights, damn-it!), I would have chucked it Friday night and gone after Parker's appointment on Saturday.
We had a fantastic time. I think there were 13 families on the trip. Hunter got to hang around with her buddies, the boys messed around in the woods. There was a really nice swimming pool. I've never been to a camping park with a swimming pool.
Anyway, Parker is getting better and better. He doesn't have to take the Loretab anymore and we just have to be diligent with the steroids and antibiotics and watch him for a relapse for this week. He seems pretty good though.
I need a nap just from writing this.
PS: I only took one picture of our camping trip and it's of Hunter and her buddies. I would have posted it on here, but I can't find my camera. I'm sure it's here somewhere. Probably packed away with the camping stuff.
*sigh*
Parker had a positive strep test last Thursday and got antibiotics. He got two doses that day and seemed to be on the mend. I even posted pictures that day of him and his siblings having a water balloon fight that afternoon. He woke up on Friday, though, unable to swallow. It was a little scary. His mouth was hanging open, he wouldn't move his head or mouth at all, he couldn't even swallow his own spit, it was just hanging out of his mouth. I took him back to the doctor, assuming they would give him an antibiotic shot. Hunter had to have that once for a terrible ear infection, it's very painful and you have to wait in the doctor's office (screaming child in hand) for 20 minutes to make sure they're not going to have a bad reaction to it, but it gets the job done. Instead, they sent us from there to the Children's Hospital due to possible "Peri-tonsilar abscess", whatever that means.
**An aside: I have been letting Hunter stay home alone for short periods of time since she's almost 11. I let her stay home while I went to the doctor and wasn't able to go home to pick her up.
We spent four hours in the ER. That hospital is WONDERFUL, by the way (Scottish Rite). We had to wait in the same waiting room where I stood the night Lonnie died asking doctors and nurses where they took my sister. (That's where they took her boys from the accident and we all went there.) But we didn't have to wait in there for long.
*Aside: They gave the boys BLUE GATORADE (which has modified food starch in it) and TWO artificially colored Popsicles each. The boys were THRILLED beyond measure. They said things like, "This is delicious!" "Our mom NEVER lets us have these!" I, on the other hand, developed an eye twitch just watching them. As far as the food starch goes (which is code for "gluten", which Parker is intolerant to), let's just say it's a good thing he was doped up this weekend.
They gave him heavy doses of antibiotics and pain killers to see if they could get a look at what was going on in there and see if it would respond to treatment. If it was indeed an abscess, he would be having surgery that day.
We watched 3 movies: Mulan, Fly Me To The Moon, and part of Tinkerbell.
Meanwhile, we were supposed to be leaving for the church camping trip at 1pm. We were going to swim with our friends in the morning, who were also going to be taking care of Bella (Hunter's guinea pig). We were mostly ready for the trip, but not completely, and I still had things I needed from the grocery store.
Brent left work to go home with Hunter. The boys and I left the hospital at 4:15. The hospital that's in Atlanta. On a Friday. On the radio they said that a cattle trailer had turned over on the highway just north of our exit (30+ miles outside the city). So it was the bad kind of traffic. A parking lot. While I sat there, I was thinking about what that means. Poor cows! They must have been so scared! How did they get them out? Did they wander away? They would have to get people to come in and handle the cows, someone to come and get the trailer upright. There's no way that the cows went willingly into another trailer.
Sheesh.
I had to get off at several exits before mine and snake around to my area. It was 6:30 when I pulled into the pharmacy to get Parker's medications where they said, "Hold on, let me check to see if we have these." I told the boys, "Start praying that they have these medicines." And they started praying.
**Aside: What a couple of troopers the boys were, by the way! Parker was so sick he couldn't really help it, but Carter was such a trooper. At the very end of the day he said, "I'm really getting sick of Parker, Mom." But he was just tired and being honest.
CVS had the meds but they wouldn't be ready until 7. We went home, threw the camping stuff into the van and were back at CVS at 7:05.
Parker had to go back to the doctor at 9am to make sure that the antibiotics and steroids were going to do the trick, so the new plan was for us to all go together to the camp site (so much of this part of the drama could be avoided if Brent had a car that I could drive, his is standard transmission.), get it set up, then Parker and I would drive back home, sleep in our own beds (which I thought would be better for Parker anyway, since he was still really under the weather), go to the appointment on Saturday, stop at the store to get the rest of the stuff we needed, stop back home to gather Nico (our dog), take care of Bella, and head back.
However...
Remember about the cattle trailer? Well, it wasn't cleared up by 7:15 when we left CVS. The highway was a parking lot. We decided to go up an exit (about a 10 minute drive) which would be north of the accident, and get on there. Forty-five minutes later...we were getting on the highway at that exit. The park where we were camping with our friends is only about 45 minutes from our house. We were pulling in right before 10. Usually, state parks lock the gates around 10 and no one can get in or out unless it's an emergency. And that would require banging on the door of the old people who run the place (aka "camp hosts") to get them to unlock it. I pulled up to that gate to leave to go back home t 10:10.
*sigh*
We were locked in. And unprepared. We left the dog at home alone overnight (which we've never done before), uncrated. I had pulled out Parker's and my stuff (pillows, blankie's, etc.)and left them at home. I had my cell phone, but the battery was dead and my charger was at home. I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of Parker sleeping on the ground in a tent that night, but what can you do? At least I had his medications. I would have woken up the old folks if I didn't have them.
Neither one of us slept very well. I set the alarm on Brent's blackberry to be able to wake up in the middle of the night to give him his medicine and I set it to wake me up at 6:30, but we were both already awake at both times. The park opens at 7, we got home, got dressed, took care of the pets (Nico was hiding b/c he pooped and peed in the boys room, but it wasn't his fault), and were at the doctor's office at 8:55. We were there for 2 hours. (The waiting and driving in this adventure are enough to drive a person to drink.)The doctor was pleased with the progress he made overnight. She was worried about us taking him on a camping trip. She told me to "watch him near fire and water" and "don't let him go off on his own with the other kids".
Um, ok. She obviously doesn't know me very well. I'm just naturally neurotic about both those things and wouldn't dream of letting him go off with anyone.
I was already nervous about the fire. He is always up in it, poking at it with sticks and whatnot. He had to take Loretab for the pain, which made him very loopy and stumbly. ugh.
We went to the store, gathered up Nico, made sure Bella was set up until Sunday, and made it back to camp by about 2ish.
*Aside: Can I just talk about how wonderful our church family is? When we got there at 10pm Friday night they were waiting for us, two guys were there to help Brent get the tent set up, someone fed them breakfast while I was gone with Parker the next day, they were in the process of feeding them lunch when I got back, someone paid for Hunter to be able to go swimming with them since I'm the one with the cash, and EVERYONE was concerned about Parker and wanted to check up on him.
I wouldn't have missed that for the world. Although, I must admit that if my husband hadn't been heart-set on going Friday night (we paid for two nights, we're going for two nights, damn-it!), I would have chucked it Friday night and gone after Parker's appointment on Saturday.
We had a fantastic time. I think there were 13 families on the trip. Hunter got to hang around with her buddies, the boys messed around in the woods. There was a really nice swimming pool. I've never been to a camping park with a swimming pool.
Anyway, Parker is getting better and better. He doesn't have to take the Loretab anymore and we just have to be diligent with the steroids and antibiotics and watch him for a relapse for this week. He seems pretty good though.
I need a nap just from writing this.
PS: I only took one picture of our camping trip and it's of Hunter and her buddies. I would have posted it on here, but I can't find my camera. I'm sure it's here somewhere. Probably packed away with the camping stuff.
*sigh*
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