SchlegelRock

If you haven’t heard my complaints before about lunchtime you’re about to get an eye full.  Which is totally funny because I only have one at home now but it still effects me the same way.  I hate lunchtime.  I hate it with a passion so fierce I can feel it tightening my chest even now just thinking about it.  Why, you ask?  I’m not sure what the root causes are but I have come to loathe lunchtime more than any other time of the day.  And you know how much I hate mornings so I’m being real serious here.

I guess it started when Max was little and he would start asking me about lunch time starting at 10 am and then every five minutes after that until noon.  Add another kid and it’s another mouth asking when lunchtime is at ridiculous intervals.  Then the third comes.  Oh my gosh.  If one of them isn’t asking the other two are.  It’s non stop.  And yes, I do feed them snacks so they’re not starving.  Thank goodness I finally drilled it into the older two’s heads to watch the clock.  Stop asking me and look at the stinking clock.  Is it 12:00?  No?  Then it’s not lunchtime.

Then lunchtime actually comes and all I hear is, “I want a peanut butter and honey sandwich,” “I want a turkey sandwich,” “I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,”  ”I want cheese bread,” “I want grilled cheese,” “I want a cheese sandwich.”  Can you hear me screaming?  Because I am.  No one ever wants the same thing.  Do I look like a short order cook?  Because I’m not.  I am a loving mother who wants to make sure her children are fed but who would like to make one type of sandwich a day.  That’s all I’m asking.  One type.  Not four (Jessica our neighbor has been with us this Summer).

I even tried making one type of sandwich per day but it didn’t stop the little voices.  ”But I want turkey.  Why can’t I have turkey?”  ”I don’t want peanut butter!”  ”I said I wanted two squares one rectangle and a triangle.”  ”His squares are bigger than mine.”

And don’t even get me started on the shapes they want their sandwiches cut into.  Someone who shall remain nameless actually took cookie cutters and cut shapes out of their sandwiches for them so of course that’s what they want me to do.  I am not Martha Stewart people.  I’m not even grandma.  I’m mom and I cut in half.  That’s what I do.

So a month ago I finally wised up and started making the older three make their own sandwiches.  That way they can make whatever they want and cut it into a bajillion pieces if that’s what their hearts desire.  And now that the school year has started I’m going to let Max and Tru make their own lunches the night before so they can do whatever they like with their sandwiches.  Genius, if I do say so myself.

It’s looks like everything is taken care of right? Well, I’m writing this post because at 9:30 this morning Oli came into my room and asked if it was lunchtime.  I just about lost it.  I guess it’s time to start teaching him how to read the clock.  Poor kid has no idea his mom has so much built up anger about the subject.  But I am not a short order cook people.  I love being a mom but I do not love making four different types of sandwiches and cutting them in four different shapes.  I have my limits.

Now I’ll take a deep breath and try to put this all behind me.  There’s just one more kid to train.

I know there’s something that you have to do as a mom or a wife that drives you absolutely batty.  And it comes up almost everyday if not everyday.  I know I’m not alone.  What is it?

Update:  Even if you’re not a mom or a wife there’s gotta be something that makes you nuts.  We wanna know.

We’re headed back to Max again.  He deserves some time in the blog light.  I wanted to introduce you to Max’s girlfriend Jordyn.  Jordyn has been smitten with Max for a while and he finally came around a while back and reciprocated her feelings.  By reciprocated I mean he lets her hold his hand and I think he actually enjoys the attention.

It’s all very innocent and cute and I love watching them walk around holding hands.  Jordyn starts Kindergarten this year so Max is pretty much robbing the cradle but when they’re older a few years like that wont matter.  And we love Jordyn’s parents so even though the chances are slim to none that this will end up in marriage it’s fun to think about all the same.

When I get a picture of the two of them together I’ll have to introduce you to Abigail, Truman’s girlfriend.  But this is all about Max.

Laura, do you think this relationship is going to last now that Jordyn is going to school with all those boys?  Thank goodness we’re reinstating Thursday park day to keep the love alive.

Do you remember your first grade school boyfriend/girlfriend?

Update:  I went back in and corrected Jordyn’s name.  Good thing I caught that.

Warning:  This is a little gross but really not that bad.

I took Tru to the Dr’s today to get a his pins taken out and a new cast put on.  It was really interesting.  I learned that to put the pins into his arms they put the straight pins into a drill and while watching a live x-ray they drill the pins through the bones.  Then when they are placed they bend the ends so they can wrap them up.  Didn’t know that before.

I also learned that bones have no nerve endings.  Or so says the Ortho Tech that took the pins out.  The part that hurts the most when removing pins is pulling off the scab on the outside of the pins.  All I know is Truman laid perfectly calm and still while the guy twisted and pulled out the pins.

I felt so bad for the Tech because he said some people are so scared and grossed out that they scream and pull away from him which only makes the process painful and worse.  He was genuinely relieved and grateful that Tru was so calm for him.  I am too.  I really enjoyed watching the process and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if Tru was thrashing around.

As you can see Tru got a green cast with glitter stuck all over it.  I don’t think we are ever going to let the kids get glitter again because it is falling off all over the house.  I can’t wait to see what his bed looks like tomorrow morning.

Dr. Garg says Truman is healing really quickly so in two weeks we’ll probably get the cast off for good.  Well, at least until the next time, right?  He can’t do PE but he can play at recess like a normal kid so I am really happy about that.  He’s going to have a great time.

I’m wondering, what color casts have you had?

Max was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday.  It was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had as a mother.  In our church we baptize when we’re eight years old.  Scott and I were both baptized at eight.  We believe that at the age of eight we’ve matured and developed enough that we start making conscious decisions of right and wrong.  Before the age of eight we are considered innocent and there is no need for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  But once we become mature enough we are given more responsibility through baptism.

In the baptismal covenant Max promised to take upon him the name of Jesus Christ (always try to live as Christ would live), keep His commandments and always remember Him.  Max has promised to help his fellow boys and girls, to always watch out for those around him.  In return he was given the Gift of the Holy Ghost.   That means that as he keeps his baptismal covenants that the Spirit of God will be his constant companion.  To help keep him safe.  To help him know right from wrong.  To comfort him when he’s lonely or afraid.

I went yesterday to get my blood drawn at Kaiser.  I’m supposed to do this regularly because of the bipolar meds I’m on but this time it had been a year and a half since my last draw.  I got a call from my Psychiatrists nurse a while back gently reminding me that he had reminded me to get it done months ago.  Fine.

Everything went pretty well.  There was a fifteen minute wait on the first floor so I went up to the second and waited maybe 5 minutes to get called in.  The lady drawing blood had trouble finding my vein so that hurt a bit but other than that, everything went fine and now I wait for my results to make sure everything looks OK.

The reason I’m telling you this is because every time I get my blood drawn I get flashbacks to when I was pregnant with Max and got it drawn for the first time. You see I had started having panic attacks only I had no idea what they were so I thought something was really wrong with me.  I was also throwing up everything that I ate that wasn’t ice-cream so I was pretty depleted and tired and I thought I was losing my mind.  And my bipolar hadn’t been diagnosed yet so I really had no idea what was going on.

So I show up to get my blood drawn and I’m starting to hyperventilate but I’m trying my darndest to keep it together.  But that doesn’t last for long.  The lady puts the needle in and starts the draw and I start crying and hyperventilating at the same time.  I just wanted to run out of there screaming and crying and curl in a ball somewhere to hide from it all.  I was not in a good place.

Then another Phlebotomist walks up behind my station and says, “She shouldn’t have got herself knocked up if she couldn’t stand to be poked.”  Great.  Thank you so much for your kindness and compassion.  I can still remember what that felt like to sit there and hear her say such an insensitive thing.  Of course it made me feel worse.  I felt like not only was I falling apart but medical professionals viewed me as weak and had no compassion for me.  I felt hopeless.

All she had to do was ask me if I was OK or say something soothing to me but she chose to be cold and calloused and make fun of me.  She had no idea that I was bipolar, and that I didn’t know it yet, and that the pregnancy exacerbated my condition and that the panic attacks were still unknown.  Maybe she thought I was on drugs or just afraid of needles but does that really matter?  I was clearly in distress and she had the power to make me feel at least a little bit better or shut her mouth and not influence the situation at all.

Needless to say I went home and got in bed and cried for a good long time.  I’m amazed that I’m even able to get my blood drawn anymore but I am.  I flashback to that experience every time I go and hope for a better one this time.  At least I know how to deal with a panic attack should I have one and my meds keep the rest in check.  So far so good.  Even if they can’t find the vein the first time.  Nobody’s perfect, right?

Do you have any horror stories that still linger when you go see the Dr?

I forgot about Stake Conference (a big twice yearly gathering) at Church yesterday so there was no place to announce Max’s and Hannah’s baptism this Friday at 7pm at the Los Altos Stake Center, 1300 Grant Rd, Los Altos.  I know some of you have kids in Primary so I thought you might be interested.

Max had his interview with the Bishop yesterday and it was so amazing to hear his answers to the Bishop’s questions.  It’s incredible what he knows and understands already.  We are so excited for this step he’s taking to follow the teachings of Jesus.

We would love it if you could come celebrate with us but totally understand if you can’t.

Can you tell he’s thrilled I made him take this picture?  Sorry I didn’t post this Monday but things have been pretty crazy here.  Here’s the haps.  Scott broke the wrist bone that sits directly behind the thumb.  There’s a chip taken out of it and what looks like a prior injury in the exact same spot as well.  The deal with this bone is that while most bones have blood flowing into them, this bone has blood flowing out of it so it takes longer to heal.  Of course it does.

Scott has his current cast on for four weeks and then they x-ray it again and if a miracle happens he’ll be done, but he’ll probably have to have another cast put on for an unknown period of time up to 12 weeks.  That’s right, I said twelve weeks.  Apparently that blood thing is a really big deal.  We are praying people so we’re going to pray for four weeks and hope for the best.

Scott was back at work Monday for a half day and back yesterday for a full day.  He’s supposed to be taking half a day off for the next week or so but you know Scott.  He’s go, go, go.  The pain is gone though and with the half cast it makes life so much easier.  He just has to get used to typing with his left arm bent at an awkward angle.

Thanks for all your concern and well wishes for both of our broken boys hopefully this will be the last broken bone this Summer.  Or ever, maybe.  But what are the chances of that happening?

Apparently Scott couldn’t handle Truman getting all the attention so he went and broke his wrist Friday night.  He was mountain biking at Saratoga Gap and took a nasty tumble.  The whole left side of his body is pretty badly scraped, cut and bruised.

Right now he is just in a splint until later today when he goes to the Orthopedic department today to see what they want to do with him.  I guess that’s what the ER does.  Splint it up and make an appointment with Orthopedics during the week.  Makes me feel really fortunate that Truman got seen so quickly.

So the funniest thing (and tragic) happened when the nurse in the ER asked Scott if he wanted some pain meds.  Being Scott he made some kind of joke about it which put her on high alert that he was a druggie just there to get pills.  So they gave him one pill while he was there but wouldn’t send him home with any.  That’s the funny part, the tragic part is that he has been in quite a bit of pain and regular old Tylenol is not cutting it.  So I don’t care how funny you are don’t joke around about addictive substances in the hospital.  No pretend bomb threats at the airport, no joking around about pain killers at the ER.

I’ll let you know what the doc says when we get more information.  The ER doc said it could be minor and he’ll be left in a splint or they could do surgery and put pins in.  She didn’t know.  Our modest opinion is that he’ll just need a cast.  But what do we know?

Scott’s coworkers all signed a card and gave Truman a huge bag of Bionicles and Legos.  Scott said he had something to bring home but I wasn’t expecting such a generous gift.  And they all signed the card!  What do you say to a kid that you don’t know who broke his arm?  They were all really cute and clever and sweet and it really made me feel like Scott was being taken care of at work if his coworkers would take the time to do this for Truman.

My favorites for the card was when Jamie said “Drink lots of milk!” and right next to her Bryan wrote, “Forget the milk.  Go straight for the ice cream.”  Truman lit up when I read that to him.  ”Yeah mom!!  Let’s have some ice cream!”

I cannot tell you how well the Bionicles are going over.  All four kids (Jessica our neighbor is with us Mon – Thr) are all in the boy’s room totally engulfed in them.  The other great thing about the gifts is that they were really, really well thought out.  The gift came with three balloons (two of which are already popped thanks to our textured ceiling) and there were three sets of Bionicles.  One for each boy!  Whoever picked everything out knew what they were doing.  One smart cookie!

Needless to say Truman is totally thrilled that for no other reason than he has a cast on he got some presents.  I’m thrilled because we’ve been spending A LOT of time indoors so that Truman doesn’t re-injure his arm (we met a girl at the pool yesterday who had pins in her elbow that she somehow bent so the Dr.s had to re-break her arm to get the pins out and then reset it again.  Not something I want to go through or have Truman go through.)  It’s always great to have a new activity that the kids are excited about.  Quietly playing with.  So all in all this was an incredible surprise.

Has your work ever surprised you like this?

I don’t know about you but there are some things I buy that I buy just for me.  Not to share with Scott even.  Just for me.  Pudding is one of those things and certain cereals are another.  My kids have tons of cereals that they like so I buy a big selection and put it in our cereal cupboard for them to get at when it’s breakfast.  The Lucky Charms on the other hand is stashed in the highest cupboard in our kitchen where supposedly only I know where to find it.  Never happens that way though.  I will go out to the kitchen to get a bowl and open the top cupboard and the Lucky Charms is gone.  So I check the kids cupboard and sure enough, there it is.  And not only is it in there, it’s half gone.  Half gone!!!?  How do they eat half a box of cereal in one morning?  There are only three of them.

Well, I’m sorry to say the other morning I lost it and starting ranting to no one in particular about how I don’t like that many cereals and how I buy this cereal just for myself because everyone else likes all the different cereals and I don’t and how I put the cereal way up in the cupboard so everyone should know it was mine and how could they eat half a box of cereal in one sitting.

The all wise and knowing Scott finally said, “Alisa, they’re going to eat your cereal because they like it too.   Maybe you should buy two boxes next time.”  Oh my gosh!  Why didn’t I think of that?  Here I’ve been trying to hide the cereal from them when I could have just gotten them their own box.  I mean who doesn’t like Lucky Charms, right?  The only problem I see is when they finish their box in 2 days and come searching for mine.  Man, I need to find a better hiding place.

Do you have something you buy only for yourself and guard with your life?  Why do they always find our hiding spots?

I’ve got pictures of the x-rays they took yesterday of Tru’s elbow.  I put them at the bottom of the post so you don’t have to see them if you don’t want to.  You can see if you look very carefully at the first one where the break goes clean through the bone.  The pins are the only thing besides the tendon holding in in place.  You’re lucky because I tried to take a picture of the pins sticking out of his arm when they took the splint off but for legal reasons you’re not allowed to take pictures in there.  It was weird looking.

I don’t know what is going on but we had another almost flawless experience at Kaiser yesterday.  I didn’t have Truman’s card but the receptionist very happily looked up his name and got us on our way.  I had brought my DS Lite to play Super Mario Bros while Truman watched and we waited but we didn’t wait more than 5 minutes the whole day.  From the cast room to the x-ray room to the Dr’s office.  Seriously, we practically walked in each time.

I was cracking up and getting frustrated though because the x-ray tech had such a thick accent that Tru couldn’t understand a word he said.  It was so funny to watch Tru’s face as the man told him to hold his arm up straight but Tru just didn’t get it so the man would repeat it over and over again.  Hilarious.  Of course I didn’t step in and help that would have been too nice of me and the job got done in the end.

I don’t know if I should even mention this but you know when you see pedophiles and sexual offenders on TV they all kind of have the same look?  Well our poor cast tech had that look and I feel so bad even saying it but it creeped me out a little bit.  I didn’t treat him poorly or insist he not touch or talk to my son but I felt bad for him that he had that face and look about him but was probably the nicest guy.  He was really great with Truman.

I can’t give enough praises to our Dr.  She practically bent over backwards when Truman needed to go to the bathroom.  I kept telling her he could wait until after the appointment but she just stopped at one point and led us to the bathroom because she didn’t want to keep him waiting.  It was incredible.  He wasn’t even dancing.

So Truman got a glow in the dark cast again and he’ll have in on for three weeks until they take the pins out then another two weeks after that.  I remember trying to take a picture of the cast glowing last time and it did not work out so I’m not going to try again this time.  Same camera, same results, I’m sure.

Truman had one rough night where his arm hurt so bad he couldn’t sleep but he’s been really great since then.  It’s hard for me not to just let him play with the other kids like normal but this break was so bad and he’s got pins in there so we’re going to make him take some time off of the playground.  I know, it breaks my heart too but as the doctor told us a couple of times if this doesn’t heal correctly he could completely loose the use of his arm.  That’s too scary for me to even think about.

OK, enough with the long post already.  Tru is doing great and we’ll keep you posted on his progress.