Boss & Woody

Sometimes my desire to fully recount every detail prevents me from even posting anything and then I don’t have the long version, or the short version to remind me of the long version. So, here are just some random collections of ideas and things for sharing.

We have really enjoyed getting the kids out on their bikes. We have a pretty flat stretch between two corners that we go back and forth a few times and have even gotten Hank out to walk, since he’s leading a more sedentary life due to Boss’ condition (one of those long versions I have yet to write about) We used to take Family Walks around the block, so it’s nice to have a little bit of that back. The kids are definitely getting more confident and stable and enjoy it.

 

one day after naps:

 

A few snowflakes and Boss gets frisky. He likes the cold and playing.

 

Okay, these pictures prompted me to get this out finally. He has a genetic, degenerative demyelination of nerves. In other words, he’s losing control of his back legs. The communication with his brain is impaired and not traveling as well (myelination is a coating around nerves that speeds up transmission of signals-so he is progressively losing this coating). It started last Spring when we’d be on walks, we’d notice every couple of steps his nails would click/scrape against the road, like he wasn’t picking his foot up. It was pretty random and far apart at first, but then became a little more consistent. Then, we noticed, he’d be standing still and his back foot would just start twisting/spinning; just a little at first. Or he’d slip and lose his balance on slicker surfaces – like the hardwood floor or the deck. In the beginning, it would almost be comical, if you didn’t know what was going on – like how watching someone fall/trip elicits laughs. We kind of thought it was a hip problem at first, but as it became more pronounced and his legs would get twisted up or one leg would be stuck very far out away from his body and he’d turn and just look at it like, “what is that?” like it wasn’t even connected to him. (proprioception – knowing the location of your body at all times) A vet friend said it sounded like peripheral neuropathy and to follow up. So, we were referred to the big guns and I took him down for an assessment in August and at the time, it was more prominent in his left leg, but they even felt like it was also present in his right, just not as pronounced. They would flip his paw under, so he was standing on it and most dogs will correct that, but it would take a bit before Boss would; a sign the signal wasn’t getting to his brain. We were offered some options of doing an expensive ($2600) procedure of dying the spinal cord and observing..it could be a tumor pressing on nerves, or a slipped disc or a genetic condition, but even the procedure wouldn’t be the fix, if there even was one, it was just the observation. The genetic test was $100, so we did opt to do that and got the positive results back. So, it’s not definitive that it is what’s going on just because he has the gene for it, but it’s pretty darn likely. So, we tried little booties to give him grip, but they rubbed sores on his legs, so we just put it on his back leg now when we go outside and we take him out the front more, because there are fewer stairs. But, he also scraped his toenails down to the nubs and they would bleed a lot, so the booties help protect that as well. He struggles more and more and going upstairs is a definite challenge and we have A LOT of stairs in our house. The walkway from the driveway has 3 step ups and there are only 3 up to the porch compared to 3 levels of steps in the back to get to the yard, plus the stairs between the levels on the inside. Losing control on the steps was causing more injury. It’s been and continues to be very difficult watching him struggle. Thankfully, personality-wise, he’s still our Bossman, but it’s very emotional and we’re trying to make as many changes as we can to adjust to his adjusting needs and help him get around.

There are a lot of birds at the lake and Doug had a bird book looking them up over Christmas. It was a lot of fun and he showed us some pictures of Woodpeckers and we told him about how large the one around our house is and he got excited and told us about how rare they were – even bred at UGA and then released because they were endangered? So, ever since, I’ve been trying to capture pictures. We’d hear him, but not see him close enough. And even these pictures are pretty far away and very zoomed in. It’s hard to get a real sense of his size, too, but he’s a good 15-19 inches, I’d say. The first picture, he flew off as I snapped, but I kind of thought capturing the blur with the flash of red was cool, too. As I was taking these, he would disappear on the other side of the tree and I’d just see the shrapnel flying off and hear him digging out those bugs.

 

 

 

Spirit Week

I missed taking pictures of Crazy Sock Day and already posted Sports Day pictures. Then, on Friday was Field Day, where they wore their tie dyed shirts. I’d even made one for the honoraries: Wyatt, Sam and CJ, the little brothers that hang out a lot. Wyatt got to participate and did well while I helped run a balloon popping station. Thankfully, we ran out of balloons pretty quickly and I got to wander around after that. There was Tug-o-War with garden hoses, sponge relay, plastic egg on a spoon relay, obstacle course of walking on stilts, hopping in a sack and riding a bicycle back to the starting line, parachute, cookie walk, bubble station, hunt for eggs in a baby pool filled with styrofoam peanuts, Jingo (sports Bingo). At the end, they had all of the parent volunteers line up for Tug-o-war and the hose snapped and popped the woman in front of me leaving a nice red mark on her arm and abdomen! eek! Then, they let the Pre-K 1 and Pre-K 2 classes play and it snapped again! Thankfully, I don’t think any of the kids were hurt. They were going to call it, but Pre-K 3 needed a turn. They lined them up boys vs. girls, I think thinking they’d just do a quick photo op, but of course, they had to play, too, once they had that hose in their hands!

Field Day VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It was hot. They had snow cones in the room before Wyatt & I headed home for a quick bite to eat and a quick nap and then back to pick up Dellaina. Then, we went to the pool for the first time! Thankfully, Dellaina had a bathing suit from last season that was much too big to fit into!! Thanks, Morgan, I think! The water was FREEZING, but it was fun.

Saturday morning, I did have the neighborhood Yard Sale to go help out with for several hours. Greg got the kids and they went to Wyatt’s gymnastics for the Summer Blast (much like the Winter Blast – just a time for parents to come observe and there are some performances, etc.). I told them it started at 11, but apparently it had started at 10! Oops, but it worked out. Mrs. Helen bragged on Wyatt and said he was one of her favorites and did really well, especially for being the youngest in the class! After naps and watering flowers, we headed over for Dellaina’s group pictures for her recital. Only one of the girls didn’t come, so that was good – I was glad we didn’t skip it!

 

  Emma, Jayla, Abbi, Dellaina & Annie.

of course the one where they are all looking turned out blurry. *sigh. then, we went to McDonald’s with Emma & CJ and had a fun time. It was late when we got home.

Sunday, Greg & I got one side of the upper deck stained! It’s very slow work – especially with him on a tall ladder on the outside that he has to keep moving along and my spilling stain everywhere and having to try to spread it out to prevent drips drying. After naps we all went up to the pool together, which was nice.   Except the water was even colder, I think (because it was later in the day and there were more clouds?) and Wyatt kept complaining about his eyes hurting and didn’t get in the water much. We loaded up our large black/red entertainment center since it didn’t sell and will take it down to the lake this weekend.

It was a very pleasant weekend. I’m loving watching everything bloom! My bright, powder blue huydrangeas in the back yard and the ones in the pot in the front are a unique purpley-blue. I’m not sure the color is really captured, but I tried. Greg’s tomatoes and habenero (I mistakenly called it jalapeno last time and never corrected) are growing well, too. And remember the sunflowers? They are very happy in their large pot outside! We’ve hardly had to water them at all! More lilies have finally opened, too! We’ve seen the color for a few days and have been waiting! The pack was called Sunset Blaze or something and it would be nice if the red and orange (and maybe yellow somewhere?) would all bloom together at the same time, but it’s nice to see them regardless. The rose bushes have even more blooms as well.

 

Blooms VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Yesterday (Monday) was Backwards Day. You couldn’t necessarily tell Dellaina’s shirt and skirt were on backwards, unless you looked carefully…or she turned around. hee. Wyatt decided Spirit Week was just for Pre-K and he stopped participating.

 

Today was Crazy Hair/Hat Day. And while I tried to convince her just waking up in the mornings and not brushing her hair was definitely wild and crazy, she wanted a little more effort put into it. So, we put it up in 5 ponytails all over! There were a couple other girls with the same style when we got to school! Not quite crazy from the front, except with the top ponytail hung down in front, but kind of wild from the back!

 

(her favorite color is Yellow, can you tell?)

Magical

Thursday morning, dad had heart surgery! He’s had an aneurysm in his aorta for a couple of years that they have been monitoring and apparently it had grown since his last exam/checkup, so they decided to put a stint in. It’s a fairly standard procedure these days, and with 2 small incisions in the groin area, it’s much less invasive than when they would have to cut your chest open! I had a test that afternoon, so we couldn’t leave early, but after dinner, the kids and I loaded up and headed to stay with Granny & Granpa, intending to see Grandaddy at the hospital the next morning before he was released. It was nice to see G&G even though it was already bedtime by the time we got there and they both had to work the next morning. Granpa had gotten some little math workbooks at his store and brought them home. Even though they were 1st and 2nd grade level, Dellaina wanted to work on them, which meant, Wyatt did, too. She did really well, even catching on how to do “some traction” (as she reported to Greg) and take things away with her fingers.

The next morning, we woke up leisurely, ate breakfast and then headed over to Granny’s school for a quick visit. They were in the library and just going into the Star Lab when we got there! It was a big inflatable bubble we got to crawl into and they projected constellations, phases of the moon and map of the earth and the stars in the sky as we see them. It was really dark and Wyatt got a little nervous and wanted to sit in my lap, but once they saw the Lion! and the Wolf! and the snake! and the bear! it was pretty cool. By the time we left, Dad had been released and was ready to go, so we decided we’d just meet up, since the hospital was across town for us anyway and they’d be coming back by. I drove them through my old neighborhood and pointed out my house and the creek we used to play in (it’s now red/orange?! and yellow trim. with a dark brown garage door) and then went to play on the playground at McDonald’s. We ate and then went over to meet up with Mammie & Grandaddy, who’d gone to eat at the clubhouse at Jennings Mill. They were just finishing up when we got there and I was surprised how well dad looked. Other than his hospital hair and PJ pants, he was very active and alert. I was just expecting more feebleness, I guess! (Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers! He seems to be doing really well) So, naturally, I loaded the kids up and sent them on with the guy that had just gotten out of the hospital from having heart surgery! They headed to the lake and after dropping off birthday cards in Morgan’s mailbox, I headed back home. The had a great weekend with beautiful weather and lots of doting from aunts and uncles at the lake.

I got in a little nap and then went for my run. On which, I fell. Totally busted in the first cul-de-sac, running back down the hill, so lots of momentum. I stepped on a pinecone or sweetgum ball and rolled my right ankle, landing hard on my left knee and hands. I laid there and cried and watched my leg jump and shake for a bit and examined the layers of skin now on the inside of my pants, but I managed to get up and walk a bit and then kept going for my “run”, even more of a hobble than usual. My ankle didn’t hurt much, thankfully. I’ve rolled and sprained it so many times, it’s been stretched out a bit by now, I think. But my knee is very banged up, bruised and sore. I’ve been limping around all weekend. It’s especially hard on the stairs and I’m doing the Dellaina: taking them together – right steps down, left joins it; right steps down, left joins it; rather than right on a step, then left on the next step below, then right on the one below that, etc. After showering and icing it for a bit, I went out to dinner with my kickboxing gal pals. Good company, yummy salmon tacos and 2 “street margaritas” served in mason jars helped nurse my wounds! And the long island and divine lemon cupcake accompanied by live music was soothing for the soul as well!

Saturday, I got to sleep in, then went up to the neighborhood pool with Greg and trimmed the Crepe Mrytles around the pool area. We had to use our ladder to climb the fence because the lock box with the key in it wouldn’t open. We are the pruning bandits! Look out! It was nice to be outside in the glorious weather, working side by side; sometimes quietly, sometimes easily conversing. It was like old times, before the kids, but typically, we’d remark on the kids and what they’d be doing or saying, so also different.

I finally went to the dentist that afternoon for the first time in 2 1/2 years since losing my job/insurance. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, although it did take a long time. A few weeks ago, I felt like I had food stuck behind my permanent retainer on my bottom teeth and was trying to floss and popped it off one side! So, I had to pull it off the other side and realized, I just had that much buildup behind the bar from not being able to get to it well! So, it’s been nice to have free access for a change and it was great to have the buildup professionally cleaned off!

When I got back, I took a little nap and then hobbled around the neighborhood. Then got in a walk with Greg & the dogs; also like old times. We watched some shows and both observed by this point in the day, it was much different than our normal routine, because the kids would be upstairs in bed. But they weren’t.

I slept in again on Sunday while Greg went in to work for a couple of hours. I did some laundry and cleaning around the house and then headed outside. I limped around the neighborhood again and then helped Greg dig up and roll a massive rock to border the flower beds in the backyard. We spread mulch there and up at the mailbox and felt fairly accomplished. Can’t believe it’s February and we’re out in short sleeves sweating so much!

Then, after a brief nap, I drove down to Pemberton Park, near the World of Coca-Cola and the GA Aquarium and met up with mom and the kiddos. They were eating at Johnny Rockets and their hair was very bedraggled and endearing. They were animated and excited about the upcoming show. We walked over to the tent to see Peter Pan! It’s called a 360 degree theater, where the stage is in the middle and seating goes mostly all the way around. They project scenery up onto the tent walls and ceiling behind you and all the way around and it’s a fascinating experience. You felt like you were flying along with them and ducked when they went under bridges or flinched when the cannons were shot out at you and boomed! We also all jumped at the end with the crocodile had a very large, deep burp after eating Captain Hook. The kids were enthralled. Wyatt was on the edge of his seat a lot and would sit with his hands covering his mouth at times, anticipating. Dellaina was giggling and also clinging, but it was just so wonderful to experience with them and the light and joy in their eyes. Tinkerbell was a hoot – so expressive and definitely the comic relief. The crocodile was a very cool puppet clearly controlled by 2 men, but the growl vibrated your chest and it was very cool. There was so much wire work with acrobatic flying scenes and the Mermaids were ribbon trapeze artists. Tigerlily, the Indian girl had a dance that was entertaining. The end fight scene had a “slow motion” part acted out that was amusing (like The Matrix) It was fun to have the kids clapping right along with everyone after different scenes and at the end when all of the actors come out to take their bow (or aerial flip as Tinkerbell did). We kind of jumped up at the end to leave and Dellaina broke down. It was late and a long weekend, I think she was let down that it was over and then she started crying that she wanted to go back to the lake. Wyatt cried about going back to the lake, too, until I reminded him that Daddy was at home waiting to see him. Then, he started crying about wanting a sword he saw 2 other boys had, but we’d already exited the tent by then, thankfully.

Video Overload

Once again, I've been working on getting these posted for months. I have to transfer them to our old, dilapidated computer, because it actually has a Movie Maker on it that somehow converts my really huge files that come from my camera into much smaller files even after I've added titles, transitions, effects and credits and made a movie!

Here's one from our trip to Savannah back in September where Wyatt is getting down to the live band. I love that he's such a singer and dancer and so social. at least at this age I do.

Also, in September, when Wyatt first started taking Gymnastics. It took a couple of classes, but once he got how to flip over the bar, he loved to just keep flipping.

This is a longer one of several different ones I took of Dellaina in dance class. The first segments are from a class at the end of September. Wyatt was in my lap and pulls on the camera strap several times, causing the camera to be very shaky at times, but I keep recording. I love how intent Dellaina is. And she seems so happy - she loves all of the imagination and pretend things they get to "act" and dance out. It seems right up her alley. I show several of the other girls a lot just to show how focused she is in comparison. (was that mean? oops.) She finally gets to be the leader of the class and wear the fancy tutu at the beginning of November and seems to enjoy the different things they are doing and takes it all so seriously, but hopefully is having fun, too!

Here's video of us trying out Wyatt's new tee that he got for his birthday. It would "pitch" the balls and while we improved immensely with more practice, it highly amuses me to watch the first few Bloopers. (the bat that came with it is plastic and actually can slide up in itself to condense, so you have to make sure you pull it out tightly, as you will see)

Here's a video of the fun we had at our neighbor's house back in November.

Also from November; I like to watch them jump up to dance along with the TV. Especially when we get cute Risky Business shots.

We hear this "song" quite a bit when the cousins get together on the tire swing. They love to twist and unwind.

Pocahontas

Last week, Dellaina’s class was studying Native Americans. They were supposed to dress up throughout the week in things like braids, beads, vests, etc. I remembered a girl in the neighborhood that had been Pocahontas for Halloween, so I emailed her mom to ask if we could borrow her costume! Dellaina was thrilled and got all dressed up on Tuesday. She already had the boots and Granny had given her beaded necklace that she’d made when they dressed up as Indians and I had the suede headband with flower cutouts from a loooong time ago. Her teachers were so thrilled they asked if she could wear it again on Friday when they were having their big celebration. The parents were invited for breakfast and the kids sang songs for us. It was fun.

Tuesday:

 

Hey, get out of my shot! haha

 

 

Friday (hiding in the back):

Ms. Rhoda and Mrs. Keren

Play dates

We had another fun adventure down at our neighbors house. What a fun toy! Hook a wagon to the back and instant fun! Some of the pictures are blurry, but the emotion is still captured.

 

 

 

 

Then, we had a fun birthday party at Play place.

 

 

birthday girl, Veronica.

And one afternoon Samuel and Emily came up to play. It had been a long time since we’d gotten together, it was fun to play.