Shaken brains change thinking and speaking

Winding down from the day and trying to catch up on some things as I wait for sleep to capture me.  Sure beats lounging in the dark and writing blog posts in my mind while I wait to wake in the morning.

I drank a Pepsi today.  I couldn't take a nap.  So now, I have caffeine coursing through my system.  Fortunately, tomorrow I have my hubby to cover for me if I need a nap so I can go back to my non-Pepsi state. 

One of my first goals when returning from Colorado was to kick the Pepsi.  This past week I did it, but then I had a couple since then.  But the caffeine headaches are gone.  At least I think they were caffeine headaches.  I did really well in Colorado.  Really reduced the pop intake because I didn't want to struggle with dehydration in Colorado. 

Since my return from Colorado, I have had a lot more trouble with my speech.  I saw the doctor before I left and was referred to a neuro doc. I just never have been back to my old self since the car accident.  Headaches, dizziness, numbness.  My doctor started calling neuro docs and we were referred to a Neuropsychiatrist to assess me and my symptoms.  I have more dramatic pauses to my speech and stuttering.  I have to work for words and the more I think the more pronounced (pun intended) the speech issues get.   Yes I meant to say the more I think.  Thinking is hard exercise these days for this brain.  It gets all fuzzy feeling and sometimes I think I feel it sweating a bit.   

When all is calm and quiet, it is as if the accident never happened.  Then I get busy around the house and talking to someone and it all changes.  The more animated or tired I am, well I try to find a sense of humor.  The word "who" gets me and, well, I pause and just "whoooo"t like an owl when I am with the kids.  Laughing is better than crying.  One of my clever witted children asked why I sounded like Porky the Pig.  To which he got a look and no response.  Of all things to compare the mother to, not the best choice. 

My brain gets tired.  I am told, that is, because it is trying to heal.  There is some talk about permanent brain damage in the speech area.  Surrounding parts of the brain may kick in to pick up the slack. 

The whole thing is just a confusing mess of whats??? The timing of the concussion with stress, cold/flu viruses, sinus stuff has really muddied the waters. I have such a high tolerance for sinus and ear pain it has been hard to know if dizziness is related to sickness or concussion. So I just kept resting. But I was pressed to seek a doctor appointment when faced with the question of whether to fly or not this past trip to Colorado. There will be more testing coming up.  Primarily for a baseline to monitor my brain's healing and for the future.  It should, also, (I am hoping it will) give us some indicators as to what is going on with me and my brain. With my mom's early onset of Alzheimer's it will be good record to have for my own medical history. 

For now, I wait...wait for appointments and rest.  I need to have moderate stress and activity in my life to allow my brain to heal. The first 3 months are critical... well the first 2 months are done and gone. There was nothing we could have or probably would have done differently had we known...we were doing the best we could at the time. To second guess ourselves won't change anything. So now I rest in knowing our life has significantly changed in the last 2 months. My responsibility load has been lightened and God's timing has been in it all. He knows far more what each day and year will bring. While the process has not been an easy one, He knows.   

One sweet ride!

This is Hockey Player's dream car.

Maybe in a different color.

But the car nonetheless.

 

 

McLaren

 

 

So imagine my joy when at the zoo, I turned around and saw this baby!

 

 

Oh yeah!! I can see my Hockey Player zooming down the hill in this baby!

He quickly pointed out the spelling was off.

But hey, it is not in yellow+! 

Check out those wheels.

 

Jehovah Jireh My Provider, His Grace is Sufficient for Me

A couple of weeks ago, I took Little Princess for a physical. Perfectly smooth morning it was. We stopped and found an awesome garage sale on our way towards home. Had a couple of chuckles and some fun together. While at the garage sale her nose starts gushing. The lady running the garage sale was sooo gracious. She was quick to grab some kleenex and kept encouraging us to take more. This nose bleed was slowing down none to quickly. Both Little Princess and I were grateful we stopped at the sale because otherwise this would have happened in the car and I was out of kleenexes in the car. AIY! As we would find out, I couldn't even find a restaurant napkin in the suburban. Completely unusual for us. But considering the time of year it is to be expected. Ragweed season and I am always sneezing, sniffling and sometimes the others join in with me.

We take our tissues, and special garage sale finds and continue on our path to home. Our path has another stop at the grocery store.

 

All was going well, and I told Little Princess to lay down, because we were only going a half mile to the store and we were on the back roads. If she laid down she would be better able to get the bleeding stopped.

 

We stopped at the light and within seconds, Little Princess is asking if we had been hit. Yep! In spite, of my assurances that all would be okay. We had been rear-ended at the stop light. The other driver, a nurse, is quick to check on us and we cross the street to a parking lot. When she sees Little Princess' bloody tissues she becomes concerned. I reassure her, no worries.

 

 But the bummer is we are running out of tissues and my nose is starting to act out because I standing outside in the Kansas wind. The police come... they discover the blood and ask if we need an ambulance. NOPE! Everyone is okay. Just a nose bleed. Cars are banged and bruised. Insurance companies will have to be called. Everyone is okay. The bleeding has stopped, so has my sniffling.
Good thing there are no more tissues.  

Once released we make our way to the store. Why do I have to go to the store?

Because between school, life and putting stuff on EBay, I have failed to keep up on my deal shopping for household goods. Thankfully, there was once upon a stockpile. Nothing like what you will see on Extreme Couponing. A stockpile nonetheless. However, when life gets hectic, that pile can dwindle.

I actually found myself needing to crisis shop for dishwasher detergent.

When I say crisis I mean, the dishwasher was full and there was overflow in the sink. This would be a run the dishwasher 3 times day.

If I was truly industrious, I would have searched online, found a recipe and made my own. But life is hectic and busy and well the store is only 2 miles away. The five dollars I would spend was so not worth all the time I would spend trying to find a recipe and make it.

I did think to grab my coupons, because

I vaguely recalled there was a buy 10 things get $5 off sale happening.

Good thing, because I was down to my last bottle of laundry detergent. I scored all of the below for my target prices when keeping up with the deals!

6 bottles of laundry detergent

Cereal

Pringles...just to be kind to my crew

Gatorade

and of course dishwasher detergent!

 

But did I remember tissues?  NOPE !

I left the store telling God thank you.

"Thank you for protecting us.  Thank you for the deals. Thank you for providing for me and my family. Thank you for a healthy daughter.  Thank you for no blood in the car.
(This is because, I told Little Princess I was sorry for stopping at the garage sale.  The accident might have been avoided if I had stopped.  She quickly pointed out if we hadn't stopped she would have bled all over the car.  Such an insightful young lady.)
Thank you for such a friendly driver to have hit us.  Thank you for insurance.

Thank you God for your provision.

Thank you for your faithfulness."

Exciting Sunday Afternoons

We had an evening of dropping kids off on the hour and then the pick up and exchanges would begin on the hour. In an effort I conserve gas, I tried to get creative. First up, Hockey Player needs to go to Youth Group.  Then, a date with Fun Girl and Professor Grammarly  going over English papers from the previous week.

 

Now doesn't that sound exciting !

Then we headed to Office Max but they were closed. 

Which was just fine. 

Off to drop her off for a work meeting. 

All that in an hour's time frame.

Then to visit and go through some of the most adorable little girl clothes ever. 

Lost track of time....

Hubby calls and picks up the HOckey Player from youth group.  Woohoo.  More girl chat time.

Then Fun Girl calls.  Her meeting is over and it is time to go to Servant Team.

We arrive and there is 45 minutes to an hour left. 

Stay or leave.  If I stay, then I get to be home a whole 15 minutes before leaving.

I stay. 

Glad I packed a book to read.  Didn't grade anything. I did get 2 of the 3 chapters that I needed to read completed. Just love it when I assign 3 chapters to one kid and 3 chapters to 2 other kids...all in books I have never read before.  All with the intention of we will discuss these books. 
An hour later, we are headed home.
  Home Sweet Home!
You know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Time alone in the car with one of more kiddos.  Getting to chat and visit.  Laugh and direct.  Driving lessons to boot.  Fun Girl counts down the days till she can drive alone.  It will be a blessing and help.  A day, I can't keep from coming.
For now, I just treasure the moment...even when they cause my eyeballs to roll around in my head.
They are growing up way faster than I care.  I treasure my relationships with them.

He should've gone to the hospital

 

Granny took an unexpected trip to the hospital last month.

 

Dad's Bud went with me to hang out for the morning to wait for doctors.

Lunch, Granny time and DS play time.

 

Then it was time to head home and we were blessed to see this beauty!

 

 

 

I stopped to look closely and discovered this was Hockey Player's dream car.

Dream imported car.

McLaren !!!

 

 

Dad's Bud and I couldn't help but take a few pictures. 

We definitely had to make sure Dad's Bud was in the picture.

Wouldn't want Hockey Player to think we were playing a trick on him.

He does have nice taste in cars.

 

When I Grow Up...

and get married and become a dad.
Those were the words I heard come out of "The Man's" mouth the other day.
I had to shake the shock and finishing listening to what he was going to do...

When I grow up and get married and become a dad I am not going to Sparks and Awana.  I am going to stay at home. 

Silence from Mom.  He was trying to make a point. 
Then I said, "I am sorry, I will be very disappointed in the man you have become if you do that."

Silence.

Why would he say this?  He loves Sparks.  He loves Awana. 

He has recently discovered a favorite show is going to be on tv on Wednesdays.

I quietly told Big O Daddy O about this conversation in the car.  He chuckled and he told me why.

I guess "The Man" has been making his case to Dad recently when he couldn't win me over.  I had told him, I wasn't willing to lock him in the closet and I had given my word to serve at Awana.  I was going to keep my word.

So as he is making his case to Dad he tells Big O Daddy O,

"I have to watch it on Wednesday! It is a new episode!  Then it will be a re-run and I HATE re-runs!"

There you have it.  When he grows up and becomes a dad he will never probably watch tv because he will only get to watch the re-runs. 

Rules of the Road according to Fun Mom

When driving on wet, slippery roads, the speed limit is...........?
Fun Mom:  As fast as you can drive.
laughter  ! ! !
Fun Mom:  Safely,  As fast as you can drive Safely!
Close to the answer given by the book.  Reasonable speed for the road conditions.

Hockey Player Rocks the Track!

This was Hockey Player's final Awana Grand Prix as a clubber. 
Our Club has started having a leader division the Grand Prix.
So that means next year as an L I T he will be able to compete as well. 
If mom and dad have the time to do help get the car cut out.

 He was going for "Best Paint Job" or "Most Realistic Car"

A McLaren was his choice design.
Set up the laptop, studied pics, took some serious time picking out just the right paint colors.

Then he demostrated a great sense of humor and tremendous grace when the winner was announced for "Most Realistic Car".
He lost to his Silly Monkey Sister's Car. 
Seriously? What is realistic about monkeys driving a car? 

He took it well. 

He wins "Best All Around Hockey Loving Son" award

and

"The Most Awesome Big Brother" award.

Princess Monkey!

Awana Grand Prix was earlier this month. 

We started dreaming and planning the end of December. 
Work started early-mid January.

Little Princess went for Fun.

Banana Yellow with Monkeys riding and driving!

 Who knew she would win the award for "Most Realistic Car"

Check out the monkey holding the steering wheel!

These monkeys are little wowed! by their ride down the track.

BSA Pinewood Derby!

This year Daddy's Buddy chose to be a part of Cub Scouts.  It was a hard choice, but hockey and Cub Scouts were at the same time.  Cloning was just not an option for my boy.  Scouting has been a little nerve wracking for me, cause it is so out of my comfort zone.  Big O Daddy O's work keeps him from participating as much as he would like, so I try to fill in the best that I can.  I am learning all sorts of new things.  And I am learning more about my son as he grows in character and in knowledge of what it means to grow to be a man. 

January means Pinewood Derby time.  Fortunately, I have a bit of experience with the Awana Grand Prix.  7 years to be exact.  So, even though the process was a bit different, I didn't feel like a fish out of water.  I am always nervous about the first year for each kiddo.  Nervous how they will do, and how they will react to the results.  I just want them to be okay, no matter what.

I have this horrid way of going into competitions thinking the worst. 

The wheels will pop off.  I won't be able to help or fix it. 

They will lose and be devastated and cry great big crocodile tears.

They won't have fun.

I have no idea why. 

7 years now and I still get nervous.

We still have fun.

We still end the races talking about next year, what they will do differently and how the next car should be designed. 

 Daddy's Buddy was all business. Serious, matter of fact and watchful.

He was a great sportsman, which made this momma happy.

He was the kind of competitor this momma hoped he would be!

To top it all off, he WON!

Even better is first through third place in each den gets to go to District.

A new change.

Which means all 3 boys in the den get to go together! 

They were all so excited for the news.

Not believing, is sometimes seeing...

I have noticed of late, that I am becoming a bit pessimistic and cynical.
So when I heard the weather report of 4-8 inches, I scoffed.
Won't happen.
When I heard people rumble about school closings, I scoffed.
Won't happen.
I couldn't possibly experience the joy of shutting down of activities and busy-ness this weekend.
I am ever so grateful, God chose to ignore my little cynical self.
I went to bed ever so early last night.
I even looked at the olders and said, lights out by....
I am going to bed.
Consider yourselves tucked in.
10 hours later, hubby is waking me up to tell me the car is fixed.
30 minutes later still bleary eyed and staring at the tv for weather closings and then onto the internet cause I was too impatient to wait on the scroll bar anymore.
All that I had scoffed at, really did happen.
Schools did close,
Lots of snow did fall.
I don't know the final count in inches.
I just know my kids did school as usual, they hung out with one another. We picked up the Date Mobile, took it back and got it again and came home just in time for me to take 1 1/2 hrs. nap.
Hockey games canceled (go figure?). Much to my pleasure.
They have a practice instead...maybe they do, not us. We shall see.
All that I have left on my calendar is a hair appointment and church.
I have a few kiddos begging to do History. So maybe we will do that as well.
Hot cocoa, naps, and a fire in the fireplace...sounds like a perfect weekend.
Maybe perfect enough to knock me out of the doldrums and my cynical attitude that caused me to scoff so heartily at the weather man this week.
For now, I am just enjoying the giggles I hear in the basement as all 5 kiddos are getting along and having fun!

Date Mobile update!

Hubby Just Called !
I was RIGHT!
I WAS RIGHT!
It was the air compressor keeping the car from starting.
Who knew I could figure out such a thing about cars?
I can't even change the oil in a car.
I doubt I have the strength to change a tire.
I probably could if forced to, but for now I just rest in the capablity of hubbys arms to take care of it all for me.
But this time, I can say I helped!
And I didn't have to get dirty hands.

Who knew??

I could be a budding auto mechanic?
This week I received a call from hubby dear to please come get him from work.

His date-mobile won't start.
Date-mobile = Ford Taurus.
Bucket front seats
does not fit all 5 kids
We could go on a date & not look in the backseat & see car seats & maybe for a moment imagine ourselves 15 years younger.
The Date-mobile.

DM has been making a clunking sound for a few days. Big O Daddy O was waiting for the weekend to work on it. The Date-Mobile became insistent on receiving some undivided attention.

So Big O Daddy O starts working on the problem related to the car not starting. He checks the battery. He checks the starter. A few other things. I ask about the clunking. Couldn't the clunking be the problem? BODO told me earlier in the clunking stage, the clunking was related to the air compressor.
"Oh, I forgot about that."
"Maybe"
So he mentions it to his car buddies. A few other hmmms, yep that could be it.
So BODO is off to see if the air compressor is why the Date Mobile won't start.
Then we have the option between air conditioning this summer or no air conditioning.
The difference is in $$ comfort and dollars $$
But either way, it is cheaper than a car payment. The Date Mobile is paid for. Not pretty, but paid for.
In the meantime, I am reveling in the fact, I helped BODO out with the car. AND I didn't have to get my hands dirty! I just had to remember something he said.
Beautiful!
Now he can't say I don't listen or remember anything he says!
Beautiful!