How My Kids Will Remember Me

The Olympics are finally over. I didn't get to see much coverage of the events but I would keep track of some of the stories via the internet and Yahoo News.

I have to admit I loved watching curling. I have read several posts as to how it's not a real sport but I just found myself somewhat enamored with it. Bob Schieffer had a humorous piece in something questioning how and why people got into this game. Tennessee even has at least one curling club of which I am aware. If I lived in the eastern portion of the state I would, for sure, have to join the Great Smoky Mountain Curling Club - or at least go watch matches from time to time.

Of course, two of the more emotional stories to come from the Olympics were the luge athlete being killed during a practice run and the sudden death of Canadian figure-skater Joannie Rochette's mother shortly after arriving to watch her daughter compete.

Ms. Rochette went on to compete and, against the odds, was able to make it the podium - capturing the bronze. I read some statements she made concerning her mom and one really stayed with me - I suppose because it reminded me of the relationship I have with my own daughter. Rochette said that her mom "sometimes could be a pain in the ass" and went on to say that the two were best friends and that her mom always wanted the best for her daughter, encouraging her when needed and putting her down when that was needed, too.

I know my children, especially my daughter, will almost certainly one day say I could be a great big ole pain in the you-know-what. But I hope they will also know that I was their biggest fan.

Shane

Remembering my nephew

Shane Harrison

Oct. 11, 1971 - Feb. 26, 1990

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Others stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same.

My Little Boy

It has been just over a week since John-Heath hit his head and began having facial spasms. Fortunately, today has been a very mild day of these. I have noticed him twitching very few times. We still have an appointment with the pediatric neurologist this Wednesday but I am very hopeful that whatever he is experiencing is temporary and will be short-lived. I am thankful! Someone sent me the following in an email and I think it is very true...

The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.

Fe Fi Fo Fum

I have what one would call an addictive personality. I can watch the same show or listen to the same song over and over again until I just get sick of it. So, it's a good thing I've never felt a desire to drink or worse.


I suppose my children have inherited this trait from me. Ren will go through periods where she will watch the same television series over and over. Little House on the Prairie came first, then Reba, Seinfeld, I Love Lucy and now Desperate Housewives. John-Heath watches Spongebob Squarepants like it's going out of style.


And, like all children I suppose, they have their favorite bedtime story they want told again and
again.

Our children have always enjoyed being read to. They also enjoy being told stories too.

With Ren, the story she most requested was one about an old, thought-to-be haunted house near the local grade school. I would always have to put Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in as characters and her favorite part was when the door would screeeeeeetch open and something would jump out. Ren has always enjoyed this genre. She was no older than 5 when she first saw Sleepy Hollow.


John-Heath is also into the classics, though he does not enjoy being scared. His usual request is my simple little version of Jack and the Beanstalk. He is quick to point out when I change or omit something in the story. Did mother throw the beans out the window or door?

Fe Fi Fo Fum

I smell the blood of an Englishman

Be he alive or be he dead

I'll grind his bones to make my bread

What the Future Holds

This past Saturday began quite normally. We were all up and piddling around. Ren and I decided to go watch Weston, my great-nephew, play pee-wee basketball - his first year. He was a carbon copy of his dad from many years ago on the bench across the gym, skinny legs and all.

Ren had made plans during the game to go to an all-you-could-eat chocolate buffet (BYOM - bring your own milk) with a friend later that evening. So, since we had some time before she was to leave I thought it would be a good idea for John-Heath to get in a nap.

When attempting to lay down he struck his head rather hard on the bed's headboard. He cried and cried but after several of mommy's kisses he was better and took a short nap.

About an hour after his nap we noticed him having some mild facial twitches which looked like heavy blinking. This lasted throughout the evening. By Sunday afternoon the twiches had turned more into spasms, drawing his cheeks up and forcing his mouth open into an odd little smile. A call to the on-call doctor was not vey helpful.

A trip to the pediatrician on Monday led to a CT later that afternoon to check for any bleeding, etc. that could be causing his problem. Fortunately, the scan was clear. Unfortunately, this just led to more questions. If the bump on the head was not causing the spasms, then what was? A side note...he was not to be easily scanned. He had never seen a CT machine before and I neglected to prepare him for this. He became very scared and had to be papoosed for the pictures to be taken. Nikki Morris, a long-time family friend, and the other lady were so patient with him and didn't act a bit annoyed by all his crying.

That was a rough day. His spasms were really bad. They would occur so frequently, usually in triplicates, he could hardly watch cartoons or play with his trains. He also began rubbing his eyes every time he had a twich or spasm. We noticed they seemed to be worse when he was fairly still - watching t.v., being read to, playing with his trains, etc. If he was running around and more active they did not seem as bad.

Of course, John and I spent the rest of the evening on an off the internet googling any variation of his symptoms. This was not a wise thing to do and only served to add to the worry, rather than relieve it. There are so many things out there - from magnesium deficiencies or simple childhood tics that many young people temporarily experience to Tourette's Syndrome and the like.

Thankfully, today has been better. He has still had several twitches (including some in his right hand, arm, and leg while sleeping) but the severe facials spasms have not happened as often. We put him in an Epson Salt bath this morning just in case his magnesium level is low. We had read where this can help bodily twitches.

Family and good friends that know are praying that it will turn out to be nothing serious or long-term. I know there are parents who face much more grim situations every day and that I am still very blessed. But, as I wrote to a friend, I just feel so helpless when I see his little face contort like it does and knowing that something could be going on inside him that he can't control and neither can I.

Sophia A. Carter Heath

Can't sleep tonight. Random thoughts floating through my mind and it occurs to me that exactly 22 years ago on this very same night of the week and at nearly this same time I was spending the night at the home of my boyfriend's grandparents in Culleoka. I would marry said boyfriend that upcoming August but on this night I am sleeping in a rather large upstairs bedroom when I am awakened by a train whistle.

Granny and Papa's house was a short distance from the tracks so it wasn't such an oddity to hear a whistle - except that it was just after midnight and the train did not pass through at that hour.

I will find out at some point the next day that my grandmother, my father's mother, has passed on. Though her departure from this life and my awakening did not occur synchronously, I have always connected the two events.

Goodnight, Mammy Sophie.

Out of the Mouth of a Babe

My 4-year-old has always had a perceptive sense of humor. Aside from an obvious DNA match it is something he shares with his sister. She, too, has a great sense of humor and a most infectious laugh (when she wants to - I mean she IS a teenager now, after all).


It was clear to us very early on that John-Heath had inherited this trait to laugh easily as he found gastrointestinal noises, both the self-made and second-hand variety, of particular hilarity.


Today, he still laughs most readily all throughout the day and takes great delight in making others laugh as well. However, the times when he is the funniest is when he has no clue he is being just that. Case in point - tonight as I was writing a letter to someone he was sitting on the bed beside me. I noticed that he kept tugging at his underwear. Something, it seemed, was causing quite the discomfort.

"What's wrong, John-Heath?" I asked.

"It's these underwear. My wink-wink keeps coming out of them".

"It's getting bigger every day."

Guess What?

UPDATE: The following post was, as you tell, written in February. Well, I thought I would add it to the blogging bloopers list Susan has started at Between Naps on the Porch. For the blooper, just read. You'll find it. And, if not, I'll tell you at the end.

I can hardly believe as I sit to write a few things about our most recent snow and the fun we had on our days off it is snowing again. Oh, how I love the winter! If it has to be cold out I want it to snow.

Last week the biggest snow this area had seen in many years blanketed our countryside. Students - and teachers - were treated to 4 snow days. John measured a spot in the front yard that was 8 inches, with the drifts around the house much deeper. Overall, most areas on our lawn were right at 6". This snow was not necessarily a good one for snowball fights and snowmen as it was a very dry snow, but we were able to make a nice track for sledding off the western side of our yard. With skillful navigating we were able to keep from sliding off into the pond. John-Heath needed only one trip down with John to decide he was big enough to do it on his own. Ren had a good time that first day with Mark, Paula, and Makayla being pulled around on a sled behind the 4-wheeler in front of the Old House.

All said, we were able to enjoy two good days and one fun night of frolicking.

More snow memories

Snow Cream

( a bowl of snow -make sure it is clean snow - , some sugar, milk and a little vanilla flavoring) YUM!

John realizing he's not a spring chicken anymore after attempting to snow board down the hill. Can you spell Chiropractor?

John building John-Heath a snowman after a little melting had occurred. This was John-Heath's first-ever snowman.

John ruining one of the heating elements on my glass cook top while cleaning boiled over hot chocolate - a costly little mistake.

Oh well, considering I stripped the transmission in our car two weeks ago by throwing it into reverse and trying to exit the garage at the same time I can't say much.

Going supersonic off the hill with Ren and making it past the 'ditch'.

This just in...Sumner County Schools will be closed Tuesday, February 9 due to inclement weather in the county. I have come to love the sound of Jeremy Johnson's voice.

P.S. Did you spot it? The blooper? Or should I say the costly little mistake? What I didn't tell in the post was that the reason the hot chocolate boiled over to begin with is that I left it unattended to check my blog's dashoard. Yikes! Oh, and let's just keep this a secret between us ;)

Prayers for Dylan Snider

The kids and I have really enjoyed our days off from school due to the big snow of 2010 and I'll write down some remembrances about that in another day or two (hopefully). Tonight, however, I want to write about a little boy named Dylan Snider - a precious little boy of whom I wish I had never heard...for I first became aware of his name due to a most horrible tragedy that befell him.

A day or so before Christmas 2009 the local television stations reported about a little boy, age 5, who had been playing with a slightly older brother in their backyard around a fire pit of some sort. Full of mischief, I'm sure, and the naivety of their ages and being boys just being boys they caused an explosion by playing with fire and a container of gasoline. According to reports, mom and dad were out doing a little last minute Christmas shopping and left them in the care of a much older sibling.

Little Dylan sustained 3rd degree burns to over 80% of his body. He was treated for a short while at Vanderbilt in Nashville before being transferred to the Shriner's burn unit in Ohio. Due to his injuries his small intestines had to be removed, as did some of his fingers. He was given a small chance of survival. All this just before turning 6.

I have had this child on my mind so much since first hearing of his accident. I cannot imagine the pain this sweet baby is going through. I have heard his daily baths and bandage changes are particularly painful. I also, as a mother to a nearly 5-year-old boy myself, cannot imagine the pain and helplessness his poor mother and family feel. It must be agonizing.

Thankfully, he is amazing his doctors and family with how well he is doing. This has been one prayed-for-little-boy and I believe it has made the difference. Of course, I am sure he is not out of the woods yet and it is certain he has a tough year ahead of him ( for one thing, he is in need of an intestinal transplant).

If by some chance you have wandered onto this little journal experiment of mine and are reading this post please stop for a moment and say a prayer for this child.

Go here to read more about this sweet baby boy

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylansnider