Proud Mother

Gabe just called to tell me he had made it home and was stung by a bug he thought was a beetle and tried to pick up. I start packing up my things to head home and make the boys meatloaf and get Gabe to football practice.
I checked my email one last time before leaving work for the day. Here is what I read.. Tears and smiles in my heart and on my face... she made my day and I cant wait to get home and hug his neck...



Hi!

I wanted to let you know how proud I am of Gabe. He is doing such a great job in third grade. He is a wonderful leader in the classroom and helps me out more than he knows. He makes my day everyday with his smile and excitement. He is not only a wonderful student but I see he is a wonderful friend to many kids. He is always surrounded by friends and is nice to everyone. He is doing a wonderful job with all of his work as well.

Please let him know how proud I am of him!
Mrs. Guetterman

Sizzle

Its been a while since I updated about my back/leg pain.. Since then I had quite a few diagnostic tests and procedures. My insurance company is probably ready to hire a hit man to take me out with all of the claims on my rap sheet. Anyway.... Between my spine specialists and my pain management doctor ,they decided that my chronic pain must be coming from the arthritis of the facet joints of the spine. Nerves called medial branches supply facet joints. They carry the pain signals to the spinal cord. The signals eventually reach the brain where the pain is registered. Pain is a warning when the joint is irritated So therefore on Wednesday of this week I had a procedure called rhizotomy or Radio frequency Ablation. Essentially what they did was cauterize or burn 6 nerves in my lower back whose sole purpose was to tell my brain I was in pain. Who needs that..... right? So the procedure itself hurt like the dickens but was tolerable considering I have had a whole lot of needles stuck into my spine lately. It put me into bed for all of Wed and Thursday but back to work Friday. I'm sore and and a bit loopy from the pain meds but I am keeping a positive attitude about it because it HAS to work...It really is the only option left for me. The doctor says it will take a few weeks for the nerves to completely die and I could have a year or more of relief before the nerve regenerates itself. I'm praying real hard on this to be my miracle!

Tidbits

Daddy, Daddy Daddy... We are hearing a lot of that around the house lately. Jackson is a real Daddy's boy right now. He wants to be right in the middle of everything John is doing. Here is "helping" him install the new dishwasher.. Yeah... we finally got a new dishwasher..Ours had not been cleaning properly for a very long time...

Grandma Gay and our Uncle James came for a visit. She does not come very often but we all sure do love it when she does. She is Gabe, Jack and Siennas great grandmother and its just a blessing to have her around. Growing up my brothers and a I would fight over who was going to have grandma scratch our back or tickle our arms. She is just about the sweetest grandma in the world and we love her dearly.

We went to the KC Zoo for the first time. Here are the kids on a old truck that was pretty cool looking.

Here is the Grumpy Gardener.. This picture is too funny.. He was bringing in cucumbers from the garden and he was getting super ticked off because I was making him hold onto them too long while I took a picture...It was our first garden this year and we grew everything from seed. It was pretty rewarding to grow our very own vegetables.. We will definitely do it again next year..

God Bless America

I Saw An Eagle Cry !!!
Today I saw an eagle,With a teardrop in his eye.
It literally took my breath away,To see an eagle cry.
I asked him, What's the matter?,And he told me what he saw.
A cowardly attack was made,On the towers that once stood tall.
He said everything he stood for,Had taken a shocking blow.
So he had to take a moment,To let his own emotions show.
Then he proudly told me,That our Nation would survive.
That our Liberty and Freedom,He'd be sure to keep alive.
He said for us not to be afraid,To stand together, not apart.
For a terrorist has succeeded,If he puts fear within our hearts.
Author, currently unknown

JW=BIG BOY

I thought for sure Operation Bottle would be a disaster and it turned out to go pretty smoothly. John and I threw the bottles in the trashcan in front of JW and he of course flipped out but recovered rather quickly. He has been sleeping better and eating better since taking it which is good.. I guess maybe mom and dad may have been more attached to the ba ba than he was. He started his first day at Little Building Blocks yesterday. John is working 3-12 this week so that an employee can take a vacation which worked out for JW, because he can just spend a few hours each day this week to ease him into full time next week. When I picked him Ms. Jessica said that he had been very bashful and quiet and simply observed the other children from afar. He didn't cry at all and I am very thankful for that. I will be sure to take some pics next week when he starts all day. Gabe also starts the 3rd grade on Thursday. He is bummed summer is about over but also excited to get back in school and see his buds. He really wanted to play tackle football and I was hesitant but thought I would probably let him. Turns out we missed the sign up date and practices have already started...Bummer, so we will do one more year of flag football which probably is best anyway.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Last week Jack's wonderful and loving sitter Patty informed teary eyed it was time she closed her daycare and spend more time with her mother in Iowa.. I am really happy for her although I know Jackson will miss her terribly.. They love each other a whole lot. I tell her on a weekly basis " I don't know how you do this " day in and day out. I love my children with all my being (and I even love yours too so do not be afraid to bring them around me) but there isn't a chance in hell I would run a daycare..My patience is almost non existent these days. Anyway.. So I panicked for a day or two because how in the world was I going to trust anyone else, especially some stranger. Just last week in Olathe, a 18 month old little girl went to her very first day at a licensed daycare and died of asphyxiation that same day because she got her head caught in a gate..What the hell, how long was she there? I can hardly watch the news each night because of these type of stories. I decided to call a daycare in town that treated Gabe real well a few years back and had just added on to their building and are now accepting 1 year olds and they were happy to take him. It will be a BIG transition for him. He is used to taking his nap in a separate room in a playpen and now he will be taking his nap on a cot with other children next to him.. She told me that a teacher would pat his back until he fell asleep. I think he will have fun and will be really good for him socially. BUT tomorrow is a big day......... OPERATION NO MORE BOTTLE ! We are finally going to lay down the law and strip the little lad of his beloved and soothing bah bah........ We are probably just as attached to it as he is.. Its sort of a special time for us still. He grabs his "B" (blanket) and will sit or lay next to you and rub his blankie or touch my face snuggling his head on my chest. He lets you smother him with kisses and play with his hair....ahhhhhh I'm gonna miss that bah bah..... So this weekend is going to suck big donkey balls!!! He will scream and cry and throw the sippe cups across the room and smack me in the legs and throw his back on the floor and slam his heels into the ground.. Luckyyyyyyy Gabe has a sleepover to go to on Night #1... Wish us luck....