A delayed post

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Jacqueline showing me how many is "2"

It's official. Jacqueline really is two. I can't believe it. The weather was perfect today, the first bearable day we've had in a week. We ate dinner and had the cake & presents outside. We got her a potty chair (something she won't really appreciate right away, but we will), a bath bubble blower, and a bunch of familiar board books just her size. She is such a little bookworm, she loves her books. She had a strawberry cake with cherry icing. She was such a cute little angel. Really. Since we've been at Grandma's, she's been having some trouble sleeping. ie: she learned to crawl out of the playpen and gets up at her leisure, bugs her brother in his tent, getting up and roaming the house in the middle of the night, etc. But tonight, alhamdul-allah, she and her sibs went to bed without any trouble. She was just plain tuckered out. Daddy really misses her and wished he could be there, she talked with him on the phone this morning. Any time someone sang her Happy Birthday today, she would mouth the words but not say them. Kuli sana winta tayyib, ya Jacqueline!


P.S. I neglected to post this on my own personal blog the day of. sorry

The Journey Home

As always, the trip back to Cairo sucked big time. The short leg, the long leg and the medium leg. There are many things that could have been worse, but it was pretty grueling. Jacqueline only slept for about 45 minutes on the overseas leg (8 hours long), and slept most of the Frankfurt to Cairo leg. She was pretty sleep deprived. Grant, I think, pulled off the highlight of the trip, though. When we were in the Chicago O'Hare airport, he opened the door to the automatic defibrillator station and set off a the alarm. We were sitting on the floor against the wall (no seats to sit on) and I heard this alarm go off. I wondered where it was coming from and Grant came running around the corner (we were on the corner) with his hands over his ears saying, "Sorry sorry sorry". I walked around the corner and closed the door and the alarm went off a minute later. And really, when you think about it, how is a blaring alarm going to help a heart attack situation? Still, this rude guy (NOT an airport official) got in my face and said , "You know that the fire department is going to come? You're in trouble!" I told him to eat rocks and packed things up and went over to the airline desk and told them what my son did. She said, "So what! Would you like to pre-board?" Would I, would I? (peg leg peg leg) We were the first ones on the plane. Which is a toss up in my opinion. I'd either be first or last. The kids can't stand waiting in line but then you are on the plane for a longer period of time before take off. I just got on. By the time I get the kids settled, etc. most everyone has boarded and we don't have much time before take-off.

Eliza and Mairyn were pretty low maintenance, as usual. They both saw friends of theirs from school in the Frankfurt airport. They were on the same flight as us and played together until it was time to board for Cairo. Oh yeah, and the airline bent my stroller up. I had a whole other issue with that, but really, a long story short, it was quite long and awful and I'm glad that I'm not doing it again for a long, long time. Next summer, when we leave Cairo, Spencer is leaving with me and that's all that matters!

Tonsils 2.0

Tonsils, take 2! This last Tuesday, the 8th, Grant had his tonsils and adenoids out! (adenoids is not easy to spell, but I've gotten plenty of opportunity to perfect it!) The same Dr. McMasters took Grant's out and he said that his adenoids were blocking 90% of his nasal passageway. So imagine number 4 on this diagram below enlarged to mostly filling that cavity they are in.


Grant breathes through his nose now, something he hasn't ever done on a regular basis. He is doing great now; eating and drinking and playing and done with the medicine. He did not like the pain medication they prescribed and would fight every dose. He didn't eat or drink as much as Mairyn did, but then again, they are unique children in their own rights. He wasn't as nauseated as Mairyn was and so, went home from the hospital sooner, but he was more stubborn about everything. I'm glad we have this behind us and I won't be dealing with so many sore throats and fevers this next year. YAY!!

My Kitchen Makeover

My kitchen was white, all white, the cabinets have stared at me like blank canvases this whole time. I'm sorry I don't have "before" pictures, but you can imagine them white, not too hard. I love the silhouette style, so I did some experimenting, and it turned out just how I wanted. It's all freehand, medium is acrylics.

Mairyn and the Tonsils

On Thursday, Mairyn had her Tonsils and Adenoids out! We had to be at the hospital by 6:45 am, bright and early. An hour before we arrived at the hospital, I had to put some numbing cream on her hands, that way the I.V. wasn't as memorable. Although, they doped her up with some Versed (a twilight medication) and she was flying high. She was hallucinating that people were flying around her, waving her arms to shoo them away. They gave her a little teddy bear upon admittance. She named in Adrian and promptly forgot, we named that bear several times.


They came and got Mairyn at about 10 after 8 and she was back in her room an hour later! Mairyn had asked them if they could save her tonsils so she could see them, and they complied. When she was brought back from recovery, she had these puffy eyes, was really groggy but she had her little jar with tonsils and she was holding them aloft like a trophy! I don't see how she could breathe or swallow with those things in her throat, they were the size of Aggie marbles! (I took a picture, bu they were just too gross to post) She was pretty nauseous and out of it most of the day, but we finally left at 2 pm. When check-out time came, they gave her a couple options for mode of transportation. They have a pillow padded wagon or a wheelchair. They also said I could just carry her out, but Mairyn piped up and voted for the wheelchair. A neighbor that is a nurse at the hospital, brought her a coloring book for kids to prepare them for their visit. In the coloring book, they said that when you leave the hospital, you would leave in a wheelchair. So, she left in a wheelchair.


Mairyn is doing great now; it's amazing that it was only two days ago. She has a bit of a sore throat and still just prefers yogurt and juice, but she is generally in a good mood, that Tylenol with codeine is wonderful!!

Flights and Fights!

Well, here we are, T-minus 12 hours until we leave! I am all ready, about 95% there. Just charging electronics, getting the toiletries together and thinking that I must be missing something! I always over-pack! I start out with good intentions, but things just keep hopping into the suitcases. Although I think we may be very close to perfection for this trip. Only two suitcases to check and our backpacks as carry-ons. Yes, you heard me right, Lydia really is packing and checking suitcases. I usually just send two medium boxes with all our stuff and we go bag-free, but I just didn't get my act together soon enough this time and we would have been waiting for clothes on the other end. That and Spencer is traveling with me to the States. Again, not usual. I'm always doing this alone. Entering the U.S. is usually more of a pain than exiting. You have to collect your suitcases, recheck them, etc. and I don't like to deal with that when I have 4 kids in tow! But with two adults, some things are just easier.

Eliza and Mairyn are pretty self-sufficient on the plane. As long as they have paper and pencil, they can be entertained for hours. Grant, well, since we traveled last year, he has finally taken an interest in watching movies. I don't think he'll be the crazy man that he has been in trips past.

Now, Jacqueline is an entity herself. As long as we can read One Fish, Two Fish nonstop for 30 hours, we'll be fine! We found a teeny sized version that is perfect for her to hold, so she may be independently entertained for 10 minutes or so!! Alright, that's all folks! We'll see you on the flip side!

Grant's Birthday!!

Can you believe it? Grant turned 4 on Sunday!!! He wanted a Spiderman cake and I did my best to fulfill his birthday wish! He is such a big kid now. He talks and everything!!