Day 9

It was rainy out today with a high around 50.  That makes more days of rain than sunshine during this quarantine. We all sat on the couch and watched church online from the laptop.  Then we broke out a 1000 piece puzzle of the old Yankee Stadium.  It really has been a lazy rainy day.



Today was announced the positive cases have raised to 165.

There are good things in all this.
1. With no activities/sports we have spent all this time together as family
2. Saving money...its expensive traveling, paying those gate fees, packing a cooler and still eating concession stand foods.
3. After a week of AMI, you should all have a greater appreciation for teachers!
4. The community has come together to help all in need.
5. Hopeful more people are getting close to GOD and finding the time for prayer.

Stay home if you can!

Day 8

Today was nice out.  We got up this morning and made a grocery run on the hunt for flour and meat.  We found both but it took 4 stores!  We made some Tik Toks, realized the light was coming in the window just right for some shadow animals, rode bikes until our legs hurt and finished the night watching the new Lion King.



With every passing day I notice more strange things.  Today it was the lack of traffic. On our bike ride we literally did not pass one car. NONE. ZILCH. NADA.  It's very weird being on a high traffic road and there being no cars.

Today the Governor announced there are 118 positive cases in our state. He said we are likely to reach the peak in 6-8 weeks.

Wait!  What?!  6 - 8 WEEKS!!!!

Social distancing and wash your hands!!!!
We are all in this together

Day 7

This pandemic is crazy!  My kids have been out of school since March 13.  That means they have not seen the outside world in 7 days!  Yesterday it was announced that school would continue to be out thru April 17.  The grocery stores are bare.  No toilet paper, sugar, Chef Boyardee, Lysol, hand sanitizer, the list goes on. You get the point. I don't know about the kids but I am having withdraws from sports.  We have spent everyday at a practice or game and if one of my kids weren't at a practice/game then we went to watch a friend play.  Out of the last 7 days it has rained probably 5 of them but on the days with no rain we got out and did some practicing.

In the Governor's press conference today it was announced that...
There are 96 new cases in Arkansas.
As of today, dining in, bars, gyms and other indoor facilities are closed temporarily.
The US Dept of Ed is cancelling the ACT Aspire test this year. (The girls were really excited about this one!)
There have been some complaints on price gouging and they are being investigated.
Beware of fake COVID-19 websites asking for personal information. SCAMMERS!

PROM at our local HS has been cancelled and Graduation is still under decision.  This is super sad.  Think back to your Senior year. I can't imagine what these kids are feeling.  You plan for PROM and Graduation for many years.  On another note...Our District is doing a great job at meal distribution to those kids in need.  Y'all, the school buses are still running the regular routes daily and stopping at the normal stops to hand out food bags!  That makes my heart so happy!!!  Many of you may know I worked for the district for 5 years. Those kids in the halls become like your own.  There are a few I still keep in touch with.  They are furthering their careers, getting married and having babies.  I LOVE to see and hear about their new endeavors . Anyway, while working in the schools I became aware just how many hungry kids there really are.  It's sad to say the least.  That being said, if you are in a position to donate food or money to a local food bank, please do so.

Social distancing and Wash your hands

We will call this Day 2

Today it was announced by the Superintendent that schools will be closed through March 20.  The week after is Spring Break so they will actually return March 30.  Arkansas Activities Association announced a dead period for all schools prohibiting any kind of practice, training, tryouts, etc.

Coronavirus COVID-19 may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Symptoms are mainly fever and cough but can be headache, fatigue, sore throat and shortness of breath
Also known as the China virus per the Pres.

Wash your hands
Don't touch your face

Friday the 13th

Time change, full moon and Friday the 13th.  What a week!  Today it was announced that the kids would be out of school Monday for cleaning and sanitizing of the schools.  The district is filing for AMI(Alternative Method of Instruction) days.  These days would not have to be made up at the end of the school year.  They got packets of homework which my girls have said they don't do that much work in a week, much less a day.

Chinese Coronavirus is coming they say....

Ear Surgery

So today Lil Bit had a tympanoplasty* on her right ear.  This is a surgery we have known was needed for the last 4 years.  We have just been waiting for her to get bigger so that the surgery would be easier.  We had an appointment last Spring Break(as we have had every year for 4 years) to give the ear a look and decide if it was time yet for surgery or not.  This year she said she was ready so here we are.  We were on the road headed for LR before 6:30.

We arrived just over an hour later.  This is my "no picture mom!" look. Hahaha

The took her back around 8:15 to be prepped and questioned by at least 4 people as to what procedure was being done.  I get it tho....its a security thing.  I would be more than pissed if they operated on the wrong thing.  She was so calm and answered everything like a big girl.  She really was ready for this.  As she told me before "God's got this" and she really does know He is always with us.

Surgery lasted just over an hour before she was sent to recovery.  In the meantime, I read Bobby Bones Bare Bones book. Bobby makes so many references to things that really made me laugh out loud...I totally get it! I listen to the Bobby Bones show on KSSN every morning and just love the crew. If you don't listen, you don't know what you're missin!  Anyway,  I only made it to chapter 3 in the book but so far so good! 

So about 9:30 we were told we could go see her in recovery. Her face was splotchy red. Her little ear was swollen and bleeding and she had an iv in her hand.  She has very sensitive skin so every place there had been a lead or tape turned red. She looked rough!  She was still groggy and just wanted to sleep.  So here it is about 10 o'clock and I still haven't had anything to eat or drink.  Not totally unusual but I guess on days like these I should be sure to eat.   The nurse took Lil Bit's iv out and that's when I started to feel nauseous.  I asked Baby J to go get the peanut butter crackers out of the car as I went to sit in the chair next to the bed.  Next thing I knew, I was getting tunnel vision and the surrounding shuffling and beeps was going mute.  Dr G was sitting at a desk nearby so I called for him and said I think I'm going to pass out.....and then I was gone!  Not for long tho.  I was coming back to around the time J got back with the crackers.  Dr G said my diastolic was so low he couldn't feel it in my wrist. Uh Woah!   And then Lil Bit sits straight up out of a sleep to vomit.  I still cannot even stand yet but no worries, there were plenty more barf episodes to follow I could clean  up.  After a cold towel to the forehead, some coke and crackers I was back in business.  (Just for the record, if you hear I pass out all the time, I really don't.  I think I have only passed out 3 or 4 times in the last 10 years!) Lil Bit finally woke enough to get dressed and be moved to a chair.  Here she sits with her barf bag. Poor thing.

So by 10:30 we were headed home.  She really is a tough girl. 

*Tympanoplasty is the medical term for eardrum repair, to reconstruct a perforated tympanic membrane(eardrum). Tissue is grafted for the tragus(small cartilaginous lobe of skin in front of the ear. (She has 2-3 stitches where the cartilage was grafted.  This is where most of her pain is coming from I think.) An absorbable gelatin sponge is placed under the eardrum to support the graft. The graft is then inserted underneath the remaining eardrum remnant, which is folded back onto the perforation to provide closure. More gel is added on top to hold it all in place.

She had two sets of tubes so I suspect that her perforation is due to the hole not closing after the tube came out.

Donation #4

This was Lil Bits 4th time to get her hair cut for donation.  So proud of her!

5K

My girls did their first 5K.  That's 3.2 miles for those that don't know!  I am so super proud of them!!

I wasn't able to train due to some hip problems but I finished in 36:31.  Lil Bit was the winner of us 3 finishing in 36:04 and Baby Girl finished in 40:59.  Baby Girl was busy socializing and having fun and didn't give it a full effort or I know she would have finished sooner! But we all had fun and that's what matters!!! 

Cut-Pass-Love

Baby Girl got almost ten inches of her hair cut today.  We are sending it to Children With Hair Loss.  This is the second time she has donated.  Her new cut is very cute and she wears it well but boy will I miss her long locks!!

Another year has come and gone

Hair

Lil Bit has been wanting her hair cut for awhile but it was so long and pretty I really didn't want to.  But summer has arrived and all that hair is hot! So off we went for a haircut!  She got a little over 8" cut off.  It is not long enough for Locks of Love but Pantene Beautiful Lengths will accept anything over 8".  We are both very excited that someone will enjoy a wig of this gorgeous hair!

First Day

And so the first day of school has rolled around again....

A Big day

Today we traveled to Children's Hospital to get hearing aides for Lil Bit.  As we drove down the interstate I had many feelings.  I felt nauseous but hopeful for the things to come.  The nauseousness may come in part from all the construction being done on the interstate during our 70 mile drive.  I must be getting old because interstates make me nervous!  Lil Bit had brought books and was reading away.  When we got there she had another hearing test(she just had one in April).  From there we went to test the frequency of the aides too her ears.

 There is so much regarding hearing aides that I did not know!  A mold was made of her ear with this quick hardening goo stuff.  First some cotton stuff was put in the canal to make sure the goo didn't go to far in.  Then the audiologist popped two kinds of goo out of the package and mixed them together into a substance that could be squeezed out of a syringe.  It was then put into her ear and then we waited for it to harden.
The impression will be sent off so that an earpiece can be made for her.  She picked out a sparkly pink color and is very excited about getting that.  After getting the aides on and working she was asked what she thought.  The first thing she said was it was loud and could you please turn it down.  I think it was at that point my eyes started to water a little.  But I quickly had to get a grip.  It was just a happy/touching/many emotions type of moment.  She now has a loaner pair of green aides. She expressed she really wanted pink but green was all they had.  We hope to get her own pair as soon as we get everything figured out with insurance. And yes, I am sure they will then be pink! As far as Lil Bit goes she thinks her hearing aides are very cool and can't wait to get to school and show all her friends!!!  Life is good ya'll!  Count your blessings!!!

Today we arrived back home only to find out our A/C unit had quit.  It is a warm 87 degrees in our house.  So until it is fixed we will stay with my parents.  The good thing is I think Peanut passed his stone yesterday. The kids were great on our trip.  We are very blessed to get go and do the things we have.  Here is one last picture from the ride.  Lil Bit just couldn't stay awake reading that book. lol :)

Last day in town

Peanut woke up not feeling so good so we got a late start.  Today is day 4 with the kidney stone...I sure wish he would pass that thing quickly and smoothly.  Anyway, our first stop of the day was at Angelo's for lunch.  It wasn't my favorite place but it was food!  Then we went to the Aquarium.

This was really a neat place. Baby J's grandfather and friend Vicki went with us.  I am not sure who was the most excited to go in!

Backyard Butterflies...you could buy nectar and feed these little guys!

Us looking through the dome at the Komodo Dragon

I love this picture

And I pet a stingray!  Ya I know...I'm a cool mom!

 Next stop was Mount Trashmore.  This park got its name from the once being a landfill and a hill was sculpted from the trash.  Interesting!

We stopped here just for Peanut to check out the 24,000 square ft skate park.

He wasn't feeling the best but still gave it a go. He actually said he preferred the park he has back home Meanwhile Baby J and I took the girls across the street to the Kids Cove Playground.

After a couple of hours and snow cone, we headed back to the beach!  The beach today was not nearly as crowded.  The water was cooler and the waves much bigger.  At the end of the day we are all exhausted once again.

Busch Gardens

Today we went to Busch Gardens and it was HOT!  But we had loads of fun!

 First we stopped at Sesame Street Forest of Fun.  We got to see the train go by for the first time.

 

 Bert and Ernie's Loch Adventure

 After a few minutes at this splashpad Baby Girl lost her first tooth!

 They had so much fun on this "big ride"

We rode Oscar's Whirly whirl, Elephant run, and too many others to list. Baby Girl rode the Pompeii with Peanut and Baby J and she wasn't scared a bit!  She's not scared of much!

We spent about 8 hours at Busch Gardens today.  We got hot...then got soaked on water rides...had a ton of fun....and got exhausted.

Virginia Beachin

My sexy chauffeur on the way to Virginia Beach

Me an the girls 

 Woah!  Look at those waves!

 Buried!

The day after the fourth and the beach was packed!!!  We found us a little spot and enjoyed the day with Baby J's twin sister and her family and cousin Rich.  When it was time to leave, Lil Bit yells, "We can't leave yet!  I'm not tan!" :) After the beach we all joined up with Papa for dinner at Steve's Steak House.  YUM!

Peanut and his cousin Rich at dinner

Never a dull moment

This morning Peanut woke up complaining of severe stomach/back pain.  At first I thought he must have what I had Tuesday morning combined with sleeping on a pull-out couch.  After about thirty minutes he was in the fetal position and moaning.  Then throwing up.  I knew it was worse than I had originally thought.  I was thinking it may be his appendix.  We decided he need to go to the ER.  We had found a better room across the street at the Holiday Inn so we needed to check out and get us across the street.  Baby J left me and the girls at the hotel and headed to RRMC.  Baby J's twin and her family were staying at the Holiday Inn also so we hooked up with them and they took us to Papa's house to enjoy the 4th.  We had hamburgers, fish, ribs, hot dogs, potato salad, cake....and I'm sure there was more.  Lil Bit and her cousin Courtney making hamburger patties.

Then the girls helped clean and cut the tails off the fish.

Meanwhile at the hospital Peanut is being hooked up to IV and waiting on x-ray results.  Turns out he has a kidney stone!  They gave him some prescriptions and sent him on his way.  16 is young for those but he will survive.  I'm just glad it wasn't his appendix.  Baby J and Peanut got to Papa's just in time to eat. After dinner we all got together for some pictures. My family with Papa. (Baby Girl looks rough.  She spent her afternoon chasing the cat and entertaining Uncle Rog and Richard at the grill)

Courtney and Peanut

 Courtney and Baby Girl

Next stop....Youth Challenge. Papa is the founder of Youth Challenge of Hampton Roads.  Youth Challenge is a residential program that helps individuals spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physical through Biblical principles.  It really is an awesome deal.  For more information visit www.youthchallengehope.org  The program is run on nothing but donations so if you feel it in you to give, they will gladly accept what you can offer. Here are some pictures from out visit to the men's home. 

 Livia lounging in the boss' chair

After our visit at the Hope Center we all went to Victoria Pier to watch the fireworks.  It was a nice breezy 75 degrees.  Happy Fourth to everyone.  Oh what a day it has been!