Gracie: August 2005 Archives

This weekend has been long. I am sorry if I have not made it around to your journals yet. Thank you all for the lovely comments on the previous post. Yes, I know I am very blessed to have the life I lead now but it wasn't always so. I don't take one minute of my time with Steven for granted and neither do the children. We love him completely, totally, beyond what I can put into words. If you leave my journal with one thing let it be this: Love your spouse and your children as if today is the last day you will have to love them. Love each other well for in the end all that counts is how much you loved and were loved. Now for the update: Gracie has a problem with nose bleeds every so often. We don't know what sets them off or when they will happen. We may go for a week with a nose bleed in the middle of the night and then months of nothing. Friday night she had a mild nose bleed. Saturday she had 3 or 4 which prompted us to agree we should see a doctor ASAP. Saturday night on the porch in the rockers she had a huge nose bleed. She said she felt the pop in her nostril and then it just poured. It hurt to the point she had tears. Saturday middle of the night another nose bleed. Sunday morning a small nose bleed, then another, then a huge one that lasted 30 minutes and she passed huge clots. Off we rushed to the local Medical Center/Hospital. Outside a huge sign read NO EMERGENCY ROOM ... WTF? By this time her nose has stopped bleeding and we decide to go back home. She seems fine. We are home 30 minutes and another huge nose bleed and clots the size of your thumb. In the truck we go to the hospital in the next county. This ER is a triage. Most service is first come first served. We saw some gruesome looking people waiting in pain and injured and they were not taken right in -first come first serve! After two and a half hours we were no were near to be seen by a doctor. Gracie's nose had stopped bleeding and we decided to take her home. It is 6pm and so far so good. I have the a/c cranked down low and she is not allowed to jump around and play rough. She is on the sofa upstairs in their TV room with a cold drink and a remote for the TV. I will be making an appointment tomorrow with an ENT to check her sinus. My sister had terrible nose bleeds as a child and ended up having to have the capillaries in her nose cauterized. I seriously think it may come to this with Gracie. In other news - children had told me they had everything clean and everything in its place upstairs. I go up and begin looking in closets and under beds and find huge messes. They have spent most of Saturday and Sunday cleaning. I mean deep cleaning. Every bed was stripped and every stitch washed. Floors have been mopped. Furniture is dusted. I doubt they will ever tell me something is clean and I find it is not. They do not like it when I stand over them and inspect every single thing. I know: I am a mean momma. So be it. Upstairs is clean. I have read three books this week: The Secret Life of Bees - This is a great book. If you have not read it you must obtain a copy and devour it for yourself. You will not be disappointed. I read The Mermaid Chair a while back by the same author and enjoy it as much. You really must read these. Miracle - Short read. This one doesn't take much concentration. Simple story. Quick romance. This is one for keeping in the bathroom and just reading a page or two at a time. You won't get lost or loose the story line. The Good Wife Strikes Back - This book is for someone more in a very late 40's - early 50's state of life ending one era and begining again, discovering a new self heading toward 60. I found that it took over two thirds of the book to get to the point and then it was lost and muddled in memories that had NOTHING to do with the current scene of the book. It is first person by an English wife and I struggled through it finding pieces and parts of other books and movies pulled into it. It almost made me feel as if I were reading something from a junior Red Hat Ladies reading list. Don't waste your money on this one. With tomorrow beginning the first whole week of back to school I have planned and prepared for my current project. In order to have a safe nursery we are moving Gracie out of her bedroom and into the bedroom opposite of Colby. It has direct access to the bathroom and it also is nearest the stairs, front and back. The reasoning is I don't think a toddler would be safe in that room with a bathroom and 2 staircases nearby. Gracie has wanted that room since we moved into this house. So now she is getting it. I have purchased the paint and will begin painting her room tomorrow (I hope). I have my white cast iron bed I brought up from Georgia ready to go in. I have ordered her a new set of mattresses. I have purchased beautiful bedding of white and cream with pink and raspberry roses -very pale and dainty. I need to find a large rug for that room. I have 2 weeks to finish up the big stuff before her mattress arrive. I am a woman on a mission with a deadline. I want to give you a tip. I know alot of people have a real problem shopping at Walmart. I on the other hand am all about getting the biggest bang for my buck. When we have replaced mattresses for beds I have ordered them from Walmart.com. I have purchased Simmons Beauty Rest luxury mattress sets for far less than buying them in a local store. The freight is usually around $50 and they bring the mattresses to the bedroom and unwrap them and put them in place. Seriously, be frugal and look for deals and you can purchase name brand top of the line items for discount prices. Steven and I went to Lowes Saturday morning and we found they were putting most of the summer patio furniture pieces on clearance. I bought three tables and two lounge chairs for my pool area for next summer at below 50% off the regular retail price. We have stored them in the pool house (tobacco barn) until next spring. I really hate to pay retail for anything. Last week our pool was dug. I have lots of photos of the process. This week the iron work should be done and ready for the gunite to be blown. I really hope we will get a week or two of use out of it before cold weather sets in. And how was your weekend?

School days, school days,
Dear old golden rule days.
'Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic,
Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick.
I was your queen in calico,
You were my bashful barefoot beau,
And I wrote on your slate,
'I love you, Joe,'
When we were a couple of kids. Colby's first day of college was Tuesday. She was nervous sick having not been in classroom since 6th grade. She isn't comfortable driving alone and Steven and I took her to school. She needed to check the bookstore for her psych book as it had not been in stock previously. This is what she told me later that evening when the house was quiet and we waited for Steven come home from work - "Dad waited while I purchased my book. He carried my books and walked me to class." That is the first time in her life someone other then I walked her into school on the first day. Yes, I know she is 18 but she didn't mind. She let him walk her in because she knew it would make him feel better -if not herself. I can't even begin to tell you how excited Steven was to take her to school. He took the morning off to do so. The women in his office thought it was the sweetest thing they had ever heard. Wednesday was Gracie's first day of second grade. Again Steven took the morning off so he could be with her and walk her to class. He carried her bookbag and walked her down the long hallway. Her teacher is a very nice young woman. I think she will have a good experience in this class. Yesterday wasn't the most perfect day for Gracie. Just before lunch she was physically ill and I was called by the nurse to come pick her up. So we had a half of a first day. Her teacher gave all of the students a ziplock bag containing the following: 1 cotton ball 1 hershey's chocolate kiss 1 sticker 1 penny 1 star 1 tissue 1 band-aid 1 eraser 1 Life Saver A little note tucked in read: The cotton ball is to remind you that this room is full of kind words and warm feelings. The chocolate kiss is to comfort you when you are feeling sad. The sticker is to remind you that we will stick together and help each other. The penny is to remind you that you are valuable and special. The star is to remind you to shine and always try your best. The tissue is to remind you to dry someone's tears. The band-aid is to reminf you to heal hurt feelings in your friends and yourself. The eraser is to remind you that evryone makes mistakes and that it is okay. The Life Saver is to remind you that you can come to me if you need someone to talk to. I wonder how many children in that class will grasp the true meaning of those items and learn to trust and respect their teacher and classmates. Today is my first day at home all alone. Everyone is gone to school or working. What will I do to fill my time? I went to the bookstore yesterday and picked up something to fill my time (other than chores): The Secret Life of Bees, The Good Wife Strikes Back, and True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters. Cup of coffee anyone? Put your feet up and we can sit in the quiet still of this morning and lose ourselves in another world. What are you currently reading?