OH MY BOY!!!
So this is how it started. Adam and Maegan are taking swim lessons both last week and this coming week. Adam was moved from the new swimmer class at 4:30pm to the advanced swimmer class at 5:15pm. Why is that important? It isn't until later. Just keep the timeline in mind.
Okay so we showed up to swim class on Monday and THE life gaurd, Mr.Tony, tells Adam he isn't swimming until later, at which point Adam comes to me in tears. The class he is going to be in is the last class of the day, and it is as far as you can go for swim classes here. It is challenging to say the least. Madie's first day in class she cried because her legs hurt so bad. The life gaurds have you swim back and forth, the length of the pool mind you, repeatedly...Hard work for a boy who couldn't swim three weeks ago.
So Monday sucked for the kid. He was so tired, and hungry, well he was just plain miserable. Come Tuesday he was upset about going to swim class, but you all know me. It wasn't an option. Anyway, he had a much better swim class and even went down the big slide. I had to catch him of course, but he still went down the darn thing.
On to Wednesday. We snuck Alan out of work early and made him come with us to the pool. Alan hasn't been to the pool more than two times since being on the island. We were all kinds of excited. We got there at 4pm, which left each of us time to play with Dad before the first swim class started. The major reason for having Alan come to the pool, besides giving him a chance to relax? We all wanted to show the Dad how each of the kids love to go down the slide now. Madie is in love with the dang thing, the one thing she has refused to do for the last two years is go down these slides. Now? She can't get enough of them. Anyway, I am instructing my little man to show his dad how brave he is as he is getting out of the pool. He is so engrossed in what I am saying that he turns around to go to the slide and smacks his head into the damn thing. Madie was waiting for him so she walked over to him and was asking how he was doing when her face went white. That was when we knew. BLOOD...Madie freaks, not over the blood, but over the pain her siblings may be feeling. She slaps Adam's hand back to his head, at which point Alan has reached the boy. As I get out of the pool and retrieve the pager, Alan administers first aid. Mainly lots of pressure and a towel. We get to our lounges that have all our crap when one of the life gaurds comes over and says he has a first aid kit, lets slap a band-aid on it. So we walk over and he pulls out the alcohol swab and swabs the crap out of what we can now see is a gapping wound. To give my son credit, he didn't cry when the insane amount of alcohol hit his open wound. Naw he just squeezed blank out of my hand. But no tears. At this point I am telling everyone who is around, but not listening that if I can see tissue, I want to take him to the ER. But who am I? Just an over reacting mother? I am telling you, there was no over reacting. I mean there could have been when the gushing blood was pouring out, or when the well meaning life gaurd scorched my son with alcohol. But really I was just repeating to the life gaurd, the kids, the husband, hell even the mama sitting with her baby, that a trip to the ER was needed. Of course no one listened to me. Nope we had to wait until MR.TONY says go to the ER....Mom's know shit apparently.
The good thing about Gtmo? All of our friends are docs. And one of them happened to be at the pool. SO we dragged Adam over to her on our way out and asked her opinion. She said it was deep enough and big enough for stiches...SEE!!! But she informed us that the ER doc on call was the bad one. The doctor that would require us to be there to do a cat-scan and observation time. Yea not what I wanted to do.
What did we do? Yep, we strolled down Alan's hallway and asked our three good doc friends, including Adam's doc, to look at his wound. In no time we had the boy steri-stripped and glued back together. They suggested stitches only to prevent scarring. But the men in the group all decided that boys with scars are way cool, so they just glued him and off we went. We had to get back to the pool to pick up Maegan who stayed to do her swim class.
Now this is where the time-line comes in. We left with Adam right before Maegan's class started. We got back to the pool before it ended. That's right. To the hospital and back in less than what forty five minutes. LOVE GTMO!
But that's not all!!
So now my beautiful little man has his first big noticable scar...It is ugly right now too...The steri-strip glue is dark brownish red and the glue is all caked up on it. GROSS....
Okay so I hosted a bon fire on Friday night, as a goodbye to the people leaving the island this summer. Good times were had by all. At least I thought so. Not for Adam. It must have been fun for him because he didn't show me his NEW wound until we got home.
Alan was in charge of the fire, and while he listens very well to me, add two Marines and a pile of pallets just begging to be burned, and you have a fire that rivals a homing becon. I mean I think Jamaica saw the fire. Anway...the sand on the beach around the fire for a good two feet was HOT. My little guy grabbed a handful of sand that burnt him. He told his dad and Alan put some ice on it, but by the time he got home and showed me, he had a blister that covered a good portion of his hand and it had small little seed blisters around the mammoth mamma blister. It is bad my friends. He also shows me his ankle which he twisted and it is swollen and to top it all off, his Mr parts have some eczema inflamation...
So not only does he have a wound on his head, he now has a blister straight from the bowels of hell, a strained ankle and his junk hurts and itches....He is a mess
As of today the family jewels are much better and the ankle is back to its normal size. BUT his head is still healing and that blister? Still huge and unpoped...
Needless to say the kid has taken his lickin's this past week. I am praying the kid stays safe this week, add him to yours as well....until later I send you all my love
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
whew
Okay so banners are done. Made the actual cakes for the Brownie Investiture tomorrow night, just have to decorate them, that is later tonight. Got actual brownies made for Sunday and the reception after first communion. Went through coupons with my chickie Leslie. Got the ivite out for the Bon Fire I am organizing next Friday (a Gtmo Goodbye, something like 50-60 people) and made Chy's invites....
Long morning. Two days ago Alan and I finally got all our goodies boxed up for our families back home and got those off in the mail...and last night I sat down to make some more crafty stuff out of sea glass, but was un-inspired so that got put back away.
Now I am waiting on the Bremcor men to get here and change/replace my smoke detectors, something they have been trying to do for the last week. And then off to lunch with the ladies, back for nap time. Once the kids get home we are all taking our showers early and then heading to the hospital to get Alan and then off to church for Madie's First Reconcilitation. The new priest here is very into confession and has asked all the parents and all elgible kids to go to confession as well. So I am gearing up for that....I'm not nervous at all, I just don't know what I will say. I confess my sins to God everyday and ask for forgiveness through him, not the priest so I am at a loss really what I should confess. Do I confess that I am not to thrilled with the catholic church and it's stance homosexuality or the fact that my son may not be able to have communion, all because using gluten and dairy is a must in communion wafers. Do I confess that I am only a practicing catholic right now because it is what I know and am unsure of what other faiths are out there. Or that I am too scared to leave the church? See too much for a quick confession. Alan is confessing today. So it may be a one parent confession today...
Then after confession we have the rehersal for Brownie's at six and then back home to finish Adam's homework, get dinner and get the kids in bed by 8. Then I will be decorating a cake, then I can hit the sack.
Tomorrow is not nearly as nuts. Only story time at the library and then some light cooking for Sunday. I am making charro beans, avacado salad and a quiche for the communion reception. So I am going to make the beans tomorrow, because beans are always better one to two days later. Then tomorrow evening Madie's brownie thing....Sat is easy just rehersal for communion and decorating the church and hall and then Sunday Communion...that will take care of this week.
Next week we have little flowers and laundry. We have to get our laundry all together so that I can start the long ardous task of packing for two months away from home. I am only packing enough clothes for five days as I figure we will be purchasing clothing once we get back home...
The countdown has begun and I am super excited. We really haven't sat down with the kids and explained when we will be leaving but they know it is soon....
Okay now I am off to shower, the Bremco bozos still aren't here....figures...Until later I send you all my love!!
Long morning. Two days ago Alan and I finally got all our goodies boxed up for our families back home and got those off in the mail...and last night I sat down to make some more crafty stuff out of sea glass, but was un-inspired so that got put back away.
Now I am waiting on the Bremcor men to get here and change/replace my smoke detectors, something they have been trying to do for the last week. And then off to lunch with the ladies, back for nap time. Once the kids get home we are all taking our showers early and then heading to the hospital to get Alan and then off to church for Madie's First Reconcilitation. The new priest here is very into confession and has asked all the parents and all elgible kids to go to confession as well. So I am gearing up for that....I'm not nervous at all, I just don't know what I will say. I confess my sins to God everyday and ask for forgiveness through him, not the priest so I am at a loss really what I should confess. Do I confess that I am not to thrilled with the catholic church and it's stance homosexuality or the fact that my son may not be able to have communion, all because using gluten and dairy is a must in communion wafers. Do I confess that I am only a practicing catholic right now because it is what I know and am unsure of what other faiths are out there. Or that I am too scared to leave the church? See too much for a quick confession. Alan is confessing today. So it may be a one parent confession today...
Then after confession we have the rehersal for Brownie's at six and then back home to finish Adam's homework, get dinner and get the kids in bed by 8. Then I will be decorating a cake, then I can hit the sack.
Tomorrow is not nearly as nuts. Only story time at the library and then some light cooking for Sunday. I am making charro beans, avacado salad and a quiche for the communion reception. So I am going to make the beans tomorrow, because beans are always better one to two days later. Then tomorrow evening Madie's brownie thing....Sat is easy just rehersal for communion and decorating the church and hall and then Sunday Communion...that will take care of this week.
Next week we have little flowers and laundry. We have to get our laundry all together so that I can start the long ardous task of packing for two months away from home. I am only packing enough clothes for five days as I figure we will be purchasing clothing once we get back home...
The countdown has begun and I am super excited. We really haven't sat down with the kids and explained when we will be leaving but they know it is soon....
Okay now I am off to shower, the Bremco bozos still aren't here....figures...Until later I send you all my love!!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Busy as Bees
Holy Moly I had no idea that I had taken so long to write...All I can tell you is that it is the same old excuse. I have been so flippin' busy and things don't look like they are going to slow down for some time.
So let's see....Madie is doing spectacular in school. She has learned to do diaramas, she LOVES them. She did one over Little Red Ridding Hood, and then one at school over Elephants. She had to do all the research and everything. This summer while we are in TX she is going to do another one, complete with research and all. Keep her mind a working. Two weeks ago the Nation celebrated Take Your Child to Work Day. Well amazingly enough the base CO approved everyone to participate. So Alan had Madie come to the hospital. Mind you I was off island at the time for a check up. Anyway, Alan arranged it so that Madie could spend about an hour with a number of different woman at the hospital. Madie spent time with the XO of the hospital CPTN Kinney-Gutshall- who is a nurse and second in charge of the entire hospital. She then spent an hour with CPTN Nunely- the nurse directorate, the person in charge of all nurses, they toured the ward together and visited with patients. She spent time with LT St Clair our internalist and got to take her Dad's vitals. And to top the day off she spent time with LT CMDR Griffin, the lab directorate. She had a great day and she and Alan came home and made a presentation banner for the class. AMAZING. Alan never told me he was planning all this, so when I found out that he did all this and to top it off made sure she spent time with WOMEN...lots of bonus points for that man I assure you.
As for Adam he is having a bit of a hard time. The boys in the neighborhood have gotten out of control and been mean lately so he hasn't been venturing outside very much. But he does seem to be doing pretty well despite not romping out of doors. School is going great for him, and he is loving it. His reading has gotten better, not the best, but not the worst. So we are going to focus on reading this summer to get him a little stronger on that front.
As for Maegan, she is doing well. She is a bit bored being at home with me and would like to start school, or have the kids home all the time. That said she and I are working hard on her letters and she is getting so good.
So during the kids Spring Break I took them to the pool everyday. While we were there one of the lifegaurds stopped me and asked me why Maegan and Adam were in life vests. I explained that despite numerous swim classes for each of them, they refused to actually swim. He looked at me and told me in his Jamiacan accent that if I enrolled the kids in his swim class, which lasts two weeks, that he would garauntee that they would be swimming like fish by the end of class. So I enrolled all three of them and have spent the last two weeks running from school, to swim class, to the hospital to get Alan and back in time to eat and get to meetings. INSANE, but THEY SWIM now. Both Maegan and Adam are swimming un-aided and doing great. Adam is swimming the width of the pool and having a ball, and Maegan is swimming a bit from the side of the pool into my arms and back. At any rate I am amazed at what they have accomplished and that being such, I will be enrolling them once again next week for another two week period. They will finish the classes just in the nick of time, we will be leaving for TX two days after their last class. Bring on the fun in TX.
Alan is doing better. He is getting very excited about his vacation coming up. The fact that he hasn't had a day off in almost a year combined with the fact that we get to go HOME, he is thrilled.
As for me. Shoot I am doing so much my head seems to be swimming. Let's start off with my trip back to VA. I saw the doc who told me that my vitamin D was was low, so I have supplements to take now. Since my D was so low I have been very lethargic and out of sorts, but now that I am taking the supplemnets I seem to be doing much better. Anyway, I have lost a total of 155lbs as of the end of March and am only 35% BMI instead of 62%. He told me that I am doing great and for the size I was compared to now, he is amazed. He doesn't think I will be losing too much more, but I assured him that I wasn't going to stop losing the weight, although it is much more difficult now. I can tolerate sugar again, which is a bad thing, because ever sinceI had the surgery sugar seems to be the only thing I want to eat ALL the TIME!! So now I have to deal with cravings and I have gotten my hunger pains back. I am trying to combat all of this with staying as active as possible. I am hoping to be just as active when we hit the TX border...
Okay so I am doing well in the weight area, although I seem to have pissed off my family by not posting any pics of myself. I am wanting to have a big reveal dang it and since I have had to work my ass off for this, I plan on enjoying myself....
As for what else I have been doing. Let's see, I am the Secretary for the PTO and although being secretary shouldn't require alot of my time, it does. And I seem to have about three thousand activities I am involved in. How about I just give you a run down of what we have to get done BEFORE we leave for the states in three short weeks
First up this week tonight I have a PTO meeting as well as a spouses club meeting,TUE- Adam is due for a check-up before we leave the island. His pediatrician will be gone by the time we come back from the states so Brian, his doc, wants to go over Adam's meds and stuff before we leave. We are getting the car checked up, no air at this point. And then the mom's of all the first communionites will be here to help me finish making their banners. The church didn't plan on banners, but three of us mother's decided we needed them, and the church graciously gave us royal blue and royal purple felt. Now mind you, we don't have a Walmart or a Michael's so we have had to just use what we have. I have it all. Alan says I am a craft supply hoarder because I don't like to part with what I have. He is right, but it is for projects like these that I hoard. Needless to say I had plenty of ribbon and material to make great banners. And we will be finishing them up tomorrow. Then Wed is our slow day with only coupon clipping in the morning and then parish council in the evening. On Thurs Madie is making her First Confession and all the parents have been asked to make a confession as well. Our new priest is really into confession. We shall see what happens there. Madie says she isn't nervous, but assures me that she will be crying because "that's just what I do Mom!" We also have Brownie rehersal for the bridging and investitiure ceremony. So then Friday is here and we have Feild Day in the morning and then Madie has her Brownie Ceremony. Sat has us practicing for her First Communion and something else I just can't remember what it is. And then finally Sunday will see us celebrating Madie and her First Communion. We are having a reception afterward in the Fellowship Hall, but us mother's are in charge of not only decorating the hall but making the food. And then after Madie is communionized we will go home and I am hoping that I will finally be able to nap.
That brings us to the following week, which starts swim classes again as well as getting ready for Little Flowers Girl's Club. It is coming to a close and it ends with a luncheon and a final bestowing of patches on the girls. I am helping get the luncheon together, and on the same day the girls will be doing the May Crowing of Mary at mass. Our house will also be celebrating Father's Day since we won't be with Dad for Father's Day.
Then to top all that activity I am planning a huge goodbye Bon Fire for all the residents that will be heading off to greener pastures this summer. We are losing A TON of our friends while we are off island this summer and the kids and I wanted to have a party for each one of them. So instead we decided to have huge bon fire. A lot of my friends have pitched in and have helped me get this together. So come the 14th we will be hanging out at the beach and enjoying each other for the last time. I figured a good time was better than heading to the pier and crying my ass off as people leave.
And then we have our big trip off island. The Chronister Clan is heading to TX and OK for a few months. Alan only gets to be with us for three weeks, but three weeks is so much better than nothing. I can't wait to see the family and the kids are about to bust a gut waiting. Today in fact I have all the stuff we have been saving for gifts stacked up in the living room and hope to get them in a box and mailed off tomorrow.
So I hope that you forgive me for my lack of communication. I hope to get better while we are off island. But knowing my family I will be just as busy back home. That and at least here we operate on island time. I am both excited and worried about our trip back home. I mean home is HOME, but island life is so...I can't explain it. It is is chaotic here but everyone and thing is so relaxed that it is hard to get stressed about anything....
okay the kids will be walking through the door any minute and I am getting typers cramps...so until we meet again, I send you my love
Oh and I apologize for the spelling. Still haven't found the spell check!
So let's see....Madie is doing spectacular in school. She has learned to do diaramas, she LOVES them. She did one over Little Red Ridding Hood, and then one at school over Elephants. She had to do all the research and everything. This summer while we are in TX she is going to do another one, complete with research and all. Keep her mind a working. Two weeks ago the Nation celebrated Take Your Child to Work Day. Well amazingly enough the base CO approved everyone to participate. So Alan had Madie come to the hospital. Mind you I was off island at the time for a check up. Anyway, Alan arranged it so that Madie could spend about an hour with a number of different woman at the hospital. Madie spent time with the XO of the hospital CPTN Kinney-Gutshall- who is a nurse and second in charge of the entire hospital. She then spent an hour with CPTN Nunely- the nurse directorate, the person in charge of all nurses, they toured the ward together and visited with patients. She spent time with LT St Clair our internalist and got to take her Dad's vitals. And to top the day off she spent time with LT CMDR Griffin, the lab directorate. She had a great day and she and Alan came home and made a presentation banner for the class. AMAZING. Alan never told me he was planning all this, so when I found out that he did all this and to top it off made sure she spent time with WOMEN...lots of bonus points for that man I assure you.
As for Adam he is having a bit of a hard time. The boys in the neighborhood have gotten out of control and been mean lately so he hasn't been venturing outside very much. But he does seem to be doing pretty well despite not romping out of doors. School is going great for him, and he is loving it. His reading has gotten better, not the best, but not the worst. So we are going to focus on reading this summer to get him a little stronger on that front.
As for Maegan, she is doing well. She is a bit bored being at home with me and would like to start school, or have the kids home all the time. That said she and I are working hard on her letters and she is getting so good.
So during the kids Spring Break I took them to the pool everyday. While we were there one of the lifegaurds stopped me and asked me why Maegan and Adam were in life vests. I explained that despite numerous swim classes for each of them, they refused to actually swim. He looked at me and told me in his Jamiacan accent that if I enrolled the kids in his swim class, which lasts two weeks, that he would garauntee that they would be swimming like fish by the end of class. So I enrolled all three of them and have spent the last two weeks running from school, to swim class, to the hospital to get Alan and back in time to eat and get to meetings. INSANE, but THEY SWIM now. Both Maegan and Adam are swimming un-aided and doing great. Adam is swimming the width of the pool and having a ball, and Maegan is swimming a bit from the side of the pool into my arms and back. At any rate I am amazed at what they have accomplished and that being such, I will be enrolling them once again next week for another two week period. They will finish the classes just in the nick of time, we will be leaving for TX two days after their last class. Bring on the fun in TX.
Alan is doing better. He is getting very excited about his vacation coming up. The fact that he hasn't had a day off in almost a year combined with the fact that we get to go HOME, he is thrilled.
As for me. Shoot I am doing so much my head seems to be swimming. Let's start off with my trip back to VA. I saw the doc who told me that my vitamin D was was low, so I have supplements to take now. Since my D was so low I have been very lethargic and out of sorts, but now that I am taking the supplemnets I seem to be doing much better. Anyway, I have lost a total of 155lbs as of the end of March and am only 35% BMI instead of 62%. He told me that I am doing great and for the size I was compared to now, he is amazed. He doesn't think I will be losing too much more, but I assured him that I wasn't going to stop losing the weight, although it is much more difficult now. I can tolerate sugar again, which is a bad thing, because ever sinceI had the surgery sugar seems to be the only thing I want to eat ALL the TIME!! So now I have to deal with cravings and I have gotten my hunger pains back. I am trying to combat all of this with staying as active as possible. I am hoping to be just as active when we hit the TX border...
Okay so I am doing well in the weight area, although I seem to have pissed off my family by not posting any pics of myself. I am wanting to have a big reveal dang it and since I have had to work my ass off for this, I plan on enjoying myself....
As for what else I have been doing. Let's see, I am the Secretary for the PTO and although being secretary shouldn't require alot of my time, it does. And I seem to have about three thousand activities I am involved in. How about I just give you a run down of what we have to get done BEFORE we leave for the states in three short weeks
First up this week tonight I have a PTO meeting as well as a spouses club meeting,TUE- Adam is due for a check-up before we leave the island. His pediatrician will be gone by the time we come back from the states so Brian, his doc, wants to go over Adam's meds and stuff before we leave. We are getting the car checked up, no air at this point. And then the mom's of all the first communionites will be here to help me finish making their banners. The church didn't plan on banners, but three of us mother's decided we needed them, and the church graciously gave us royal blue and royal purple felt. Now mind you, we don't have a Walmart or a Michael's so we have had to just use what we have. I have it all. Alan says I am a craft supply hoarder because I don't like to part with what I have. He is right, but it is for projects like these that I hoard. Needless to say I had plenty of ribbon and material to make great banners. And we will be finishing them up tomorrow. Then Wed is our slow day with only coupon clipping in the morning and then parish council in the evening. On Thurs Madie is making her First Confession and all the parents have been asked to make a confession as well. Our new priest is really into confession. We shall see what happens there. Madie says she isn't nervous, but assures me that she will be crying because "that's just what I do Mom!" We also have Brownie rehersal for the bridging and investitiure ceremony. So then Friday is here and we have Feild Day in the morning and then Madie has her Brownie Ceremony. Sat has us practicing for her First Communion and something else I just can't remember what it is. And then finally Sunday will see us celebrating Madie and her First Communion. We are having a reception afterward in the Fellowship Hall, but us mother's are in charge of not only decorating the hall but making the food. And then after Madie is communionized we will go home and I am hoping that I will finally be able to nap.
That brings us to the following week, which starts swim classes again as well as getting ready for Little Flowers Girl's Club. It is coming to a close and it ends with a luncheon and a final bestowing of patches on the girls. I am helping get the luncheon together, and on the same day the girls will be doing the May Crowing of Mary at mass. Our house will also be celebrating Father's Day since we won't be with Dad for Father's Day.
Then to top all that activity I am planning a huge goodbye Bon Fire for all the residents that will be heading off to greener pastures this summer. We are losing A TON of our friends while we are off island this summer and the kids and I wanted to have a party for each one of them. So instead we decided to have huge bon fire. A lot of my friends have pitched in and have helped me get this together. So come the 14th we will be hanging out at the beach and enjoying each other for the last time. I figured a good time was better than heading to the pier and crying my ass off as people leave.
And then we have our big trip off island. The Chronister Clan is heading to TX and OK for a few months. Alan only gets to be with us for three weeks, but three weeks is so much better than nothing. I can't wait to see the family and the kids are about to bust a gut waiting. Today in fact I have all the stuff we have been saving for gifts stacked up in the living room and hope to get them in a box and mailed off tomorrow.
So I hope that you forgive me for my lack of communication. I hope to get better while we are off island. But knowing my family I will be just as busy back home. That and at least here we operate on island time. I am both excited and worried about our trip back home. I mean home is HOME, but island life is so...I can't explain it. It is is chaotic here but everyone and thing is so relaxed that it is hard to get stressed about anything....
okay the kids will be walking through the door any minute and I am getting typers cramps...so until we meet again, I send you my love
Oh and I apologize for the spelling. Still haven't found the spell check!
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