HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
This is my favorite holiday of the whole year. November always seems to take forever, just waiting for Thanksgiving day to arrive. :)
This year we are expecting 63 people! When my generation was young we would all gather at my parents' house. Now that we're all grown and some of US are having kids, we no longer fit. Last year we rented a sorority (they kick all the girls out for the weekend and it stands empty) and that was wonderful. This year we are doing it again.
Only two of my mom's cousins and their families will be absent this year which means almost the entire family is together. I am SO looking forward to today. (And as soon as my hair dries I'm out the door to head over there!)
We have a very traditional Thanksgiving spread - 2 turkeys, 2 hams (ok, most people only have 1), stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn, rolls, pies, etc. We also have a family tradition that most people have never heard of... CHEESE BEANS! Half of the family hates them - the other half won't even come if we don't have them. I am one of the latter.
I have been thinking of all the things I am thankful for... The list is so long but here are a few that are right up at the top:
I am thankful for my God.
I am thankful for my amazing boyfriend.
I am thankful for my wonderful son.
I am thankful for my incredible family.
I am thankful for Dorothy.
I am thankful for my big, stinky, snuggly dog.
I am thankful for hot showers, a warm bed, and a stocked fridge.
I am thankful for my job and my health insurance.
I am thankful for my health.
I am thankful for my car, my phone and my laptop.
I am thankful for sunny days and rainy days.
I am thankful for my sense of smell.
I am thankful for laughter.
I am thankful for you.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Showing posts with label NaBloPoMo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaBloPoMo. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Grovel, grovel, grovel
I know I haven't posted in ten days. I know that's a BIG FAT FAIL at NaBloPoMo.
I just don't care that much.
Ok, I care a little.
But I knew going in that this was a BIG ambition at this point in my life. And, you know, once I missed one day it was all downhill from there. :)
The past 10 days have been a bit crazy! Designing my Christmas cards, hiring and training a new caregiver, entering new realms of caregiving, brainstorming SAFE ways to do transfers and other things with Dorothy, getting ready for Thanksgiving, keeping Jordan up on his homework, and trying to stay caught up on sleep! (The latter of which has gone pretty well.)
I can tell this week that we've sort of stepped into a new "phase" with Dorothy. Transfers to the bathroom are no longer very safe (and are a bit nerve-wracking for me) so we're brainstorming there. Showers are no longer safe at all so she's been confined to bed baths until we can get a new (safer) shower chair. That process is taking FOREVER and now it will be at least next week before she gets one. Dorothy is a very stylish woman so going three days without washing her hair is gross for her (as it would be for anybody).
Heather comes down tonight, along with Terry (Dorothy's ex) and Jeff (Heather's boyfriend) and they're all staying through the weekend. I have five days off! :)
Today I'm going to get my hair cut (but I haven't actually told anybody that so you're the first to know) and I'm changing it up a bit. I have laundry to do, a car to clean out and a few groceries to buy. Tonight we're headed to Steve's sister's for a Thanksgiving dinner with his family. And tomorrow is the big day! :)
I just don't care that much.
Ok, I care a little.
But I knew going in that this was a BIG ambition at this point in my life. And, you know, once I missed one day it was all downhill from there. :)
The past 10 days have been a bit crazy! Designing my Christmas cards, hiring and training a new caregiver, entering new realms of caregiving, brainstorming SAFE ways to do transfers and other things with Dorothy, getting ready for Thanksgiving, keeping Jordan up on his homework, and trying to stay caught up on sleep! (The latter of which has gone pretty well.)
I can tell this week that we've sort of stepped into a new "phase" with Dorothy. Transfers to the bathroom are no longer very safe (and are a bit nerve-wracking for me) so we're brainstorming there. Showers are no longer safe at all so she's been confined to bed baths until we can get a new (safer) shower chair. That process is taking FOREVER and now it will be at least next week before she gets one. Dorothy is a very stylish woman so going three days without washing her hair is gross for her (as it would be for anybody).
Heather comes down tonight, along with Terry (Dorothy's ex) and Jeff (Heather's boyfriend) and they're all staying through the weekend. I have five days off! :)
Today I'm going to get my hair cut (but I haven't actually told anybody that so you're the first to know) and I'm changing it up a bit. I have laundry to do, a car to clean out and a few groceries to buy. Tonight we're headed to Steve's sister's for a Thanksgiving dinner with his family. And tomorrow is the big day! :)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
This and that
Oh, I see how it is. Diana (my one and only commenter) has NO faith in me (see her comment on my previous post) and is confident that I will fail at NaBloPoMo.
It's on.
(And Diana, I guess you're responsible for coming up with as many questions as you can for Ask Mikaila Anything because apparently you and my grandma are the only people who read this blog and she's my grandma so she knows everything. Grandmas always know everything.)
******
Today I am pretty sure that having children will be easier than this caregiving job. Dorothy has had a fairly rotten weekend (at least, a fairly rotten Sunday) which makes for more work and more hands-on care and more exhaustion.
Although we did sleep 9 hours again last night, 7 of them uninterrupted! I feel pretty amazing sleep-wise after getting two of those nights in a row.
******
This week I will simply be focusing on getting through the week. If I can do that, I have quite a bit of "down time" coming up. I'm hoping the week won't be too rough at work (you know, with this whole OT drama) and that everything will play out smoothly. I'm also praying that the vice president will have mercy on my situation and be cool about the whole thing.
Next weekend Heather will be down for the whole weekend which means TWO days of sleeping in and maybe even an evening out (I feel like such a grownup when I get to have those). I can spend the whole day Saturday with my boys and not worry about what time I come home from church. I'm hoping to take that belaying class at OSU's indoor climbing center so that Jordan can go climb his little heart out on one of those days.
The following week we have an OHSU appointment and those days are generally fairly draining for both Dorothy and I. Her doctor up there is the Lou Gehrig's guru and doesn't skirt around tough subjects (because they have to be covered). So aside from a two-hour drive each way, there's usually quite a bit of crying (which makes for more snot/spit/etc. and more suctioning) and Dorothy is completely wiped when we get home, as am I. Luckily those appointments are always on Tuesdays so when we get home I get to let another caregiver take over (one who has more energy remaining) and I get to ditch out for a few hours.
And later that week is Thanksgiving! My favorite day of the entire year! We are expecting an extra big crowd this year (with 45 being our average most years) at somewhere around 60. There won't be too many people missing this year... And I'm stoked. Cousins I haven't seen in years and years! Babies I've never met! No curfew! :)
******
And now, my two faithful readers, I'm off to finalize The Letter so I can take it to work tomorrow...
It's on.
(And Diana, I guess you're responsible for coming up with as many questions as you can for Ask Mikaila Anything because apparently you and my grandma are the only people who read this blog and she's my grandma so she knows everything. Grandmas always know everything.)
******
Today I am pretty sure that having children will be easier than this caregiving job. Dorothy has had a fairly rotten weekend (at least, a fairly rotten Sunday) which makes for more work and more hands-on care and more exhaustion.
Although we did sleep 9 hours again last night, 7 of them uninterrupted! I feel pretty amazing sleep-wise after getting two of those nights in a row.
******
This week I will simply be focusing on getting through the week. If I can do that, I have quite a bit of "down time" coming up. I'm hoping the week won't be too rough at work (you know, with this whole OT drama) and that everything will play out smoothly. I'm also praying that the vice president will have mercy on my situation and be cool about the whole thing.
Next weekend Heather will be down for the whole weekend which means TWO days of sleeping in and maybe even an evening out (I feel like such a grownup when I get to have those). I can spend the whole day Saturday with my boys and not worry about what time I come home from church. I'm hoping to take that belaying class at OSU's indoor climbing center so that Jordan can go climb his little heart out on one of those days.
The following week we have an OHSU appointment and those days are generally fairly draining for both Dorothy and I. Her doctor up there is the Lou Gehrig's guru and doesn't skirt around tough subjects (because they have to be covered). So aside from a two-hour drive each way, there's usually quite a bit of crying (which makes for more snot/spit/etc. and more suctioning) and Dorothy is completely wiped when we get home, as am I. Luckily those appointments are always on Tuesdays so when we get home I get to let another caregiver take over (one who has more energy remaining) and I get to ditch out for a few hours.
And later that week is Thanksgiving! My favorite day of the entire year! We are expecting an extra big crowd this year (with 45 being our average most years) at somewhere around 60. There won't be too many people missing this year... And I'm stoked. Cousins I haven't seen in years and years! Babies I've never met! No curfew! :)
******
And now, my two faithful readers, I'm off to finalize The Letter so I can take it to work tomorrow...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Continuing saga...
I bet you thought I was gonna miss a day, didn't you? :)
(Truth be told, I almost did. I literally forgot to post today and about an hour ago I had pretty much decided that oh well, so I "failed" at NaBloPoMo. I posted twice in one day this week so that counts. (Haha.) But then I washed my face and brushed my teeth and talked to my boyfriend on his drive home and it sort of woke me up so here I am!)
So this work thing...
I went over to HR yesterday and basically asked the guy over there what steps I need to take because there is NO WAY I can work 8 more hours in a week. For three weeks. No way at all.
Mr. HR Guy told me that my boss had given him a heads up that I might be coming to him (which was actually a good thing because it meant that he had some answers prepared for me).
What it comes down to is this: The overtime orders are coming from the vice president of our department. She oversees 5 hospitals. She's a bigwig.
I now need to write a letter explaining my need to be exempt from this overtime. HR Guy said that I should lay out my reasons but not go into TOO much detail. He said that I should also include what I told him about wanting vs. being able to work the OT. I am totally a team player and I totally want to be part of the solution (heck, I went into work today, on a SATURDAY, for two hours). But as you all know, wanting to help doesn't mean that I'm physically able.
I'm hoping to talk to my mom tomorrow about helping me with the letter. She used to work for the school district and wrote all SORTS of letters to bigwigs. I've never written one in my life. (Well, except for the time I wrote that very opinionated letter to Planned Parenthood when I was about 14 but that's a whole different post.)
And on a very happy note (Grandma B. this is for you)...
WE SLEPT FOR NINE WHOLE HOURS LAST NIGHT! And guess what?? 7 1/2 of those hours were UNINTERRUPTED!
Simply put, it was FANTASTIC. :)
And now, for some more of that good sleep.
(Truth be told, I almost did. I literally forgot to post today and about an hour ago I had pretty much decided that oh well, so I "failed" at NaBloPoMo. I posted twice in one day this week so that counts. (Haha.) But then I washed my face and brushed my teeth and talked to my boyfriend on his drive home and it sort of woke me up so here I am!)
So this work thing...
I went over to HR yesterday and basically asked the guy over there what steps I need to take because there is NO WAY I can work 8 more hours in a week. For three weeks. No way at all.
Mr. HR Guy told me that my boss had given him a heads up that I might be coming to him (which was actually a good thing because it meant that he had some answers prepared for me).
What it comes down to is this: The overtime orders are coming from the vice president of our department. She oversees 5 hospitals. She's a bigwig.
I now need to write a letter explaining my need to be exempt from this overtime. HR Guy said that I should lay out my reasons but not go into TOO much detail. He said that I should also include what I told him about wanting vs. being able to work the OT. I am totally a team player and I totally want to be part of the solution (heck, I went into work today, on a SATURDAY, for two hours). But as you all know, wanting to help doesn't mean that I'm physically able.
I'm hoping to talk to my mom tomorrow about helping me with the letter. She used to work for the school district and wrote all SORTS of letters to bigwigs. I've never written one in my life. (Well, except for the time I wrote that very opinionated letter to Planned Parenthood when I was about 14 but that's a whole different post.)
And on a very happy note (Grandma B. this is for you)...
WE SLEPT FOR NINE WHOLE HOURS LAST NIGHT! And guess what?? 7 1/2 of those hours were UNINTERRUPTED!
Simply put, it was FANTASTIC. :)
And now, for some more of that good sleep.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Red Tape
First of all, I am QUITE pleased to report that WE SLEPT UNTIL 5AM TODAY!!!
That's like 7 hours of sleep!
HALLELUJAH!
We had made another medication adjustment last night and are hoping that along with the oxygen Dorothy is now on, it will make a big difference. We'll try it again tonight and hopefully we'll see more improvement as we go. (Plus tonight is the weekend so we get more sleep anyway.)
I am currently going through some crap at work... An e-mail went out yesterday that every employee in our department is now required to work 8 hours of MANDATORY overtime each week for three weeks (starting Nov. 30th).
Simply put, I cannot do this.
However, this order is coming from our vice president so my supervisor and manager are not at liberty to exempt me from this new policy.
I will be going over to HR today to talk with the woman who knows all about Federal Leave Acts and all that stuff and will likely be taking paperwork to my doctor to fill out so that I can be exempt from the overtime.
I wish I COULD work the OT. I would love the money. I really DO want to be a part of the solution to the problem that's created this mandatory OT in the first place. I just simply can't. I have to get home to Dorothy. And even if we could find a caregiver to work another 8 hours a week (which is all but impossible), I can't ask Dorothy to shell out hundreds of more dollars just because MY job is making me work more.
As you can see, it's quite the situation. Hopefully my talk with HR will go well!
TGIF for sure.
That's like 7 hours of sleep!
HALLELUJAH!
We had made another medication adjustment last night and are hoping that along with the oxygen Dorothy is now on, it will make a big difference. We'll try it again tonight and hopefully we'll see more improvement as we go. (Plus tonight is the weekend so we get more sleep anyway.)
I am currently going through some crap at work... An e-mail went out yesterday that every employee in our department is now required to work 8 hours of MANDATORY overtime each week for three weeks (starting Nov. 30th).
Simply put, I cannot do this.
However, this order is coming from our vice president so my supervisor and manager are not at liberty to exempt me from this new policy.
I will be going over to HR today to talk with the woman who knows all about Federal Leave Acts and all that stuff and will likely be taking paperwork to my doctor to fill out so that I can be exempt from the overtime.
I wish I COULD work the OT. I would love the money. I really DO want to be a part of the solution to the problem that's created this mandatory OT in the first place. I just simply can't. I have to get home to Dorothy. And even if we could find a caregiver to work another 8 hours a week (which is all but impossible), I can't ask Dorothy to shell out hundreds of more dollars just because MY job is making me work more.
As you can see, it's quite the situation. Hopefully my talk with HR will go well!
TGIF for sure.
Das Not Funny! Friday
Click over on my right sidebar (under "memes I participate in") to learn more about this Friday fun!
******
This week Steve was talking to Jordan about eating lunch at school. Namely, how Jordan needs to EAT lunch at school. Their conversation went something like this:
Steve: "Bub, you gotta eat some of the lunch I pack for you."
Jordan: "But, I don't LIKE peanut butter sandwiches!"
Steve: "You used to like them, what happened?"
Jordan: "It's JUST peanut butter, no jelly!"
Steve: "I put jelly on your sandwiches..."
Jordan: "Yeah! And somebody TAKES IT OUT!!!"
******
A coworker and I were talking about our office chairs and how she is supposed to be getting a new one but it takes FOREVER. I agreed that it was very frustrating. She spouted off, "It would be faster to just get gastric bypass surgery!"
******
This morning I was at the dentist getting a crown put on my tooth. We had a brief conversation about how getting a temporary crown over Thanksgiving is kind of the pits. The dentist told me that the cement he was using for the crown has a bit of a clove taste to it. The hygienist replied, "So it will go really well with your pumpkin pie!"
******
What funny things have happened to YOU this week? Add your link here with MckLinky!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Goings on
It's TWO WEEKS until Thanksgiving! Let me tell you - I am VERY excited about that.
Here are a few things that I've been up to in the last couple of days:
* We've continued to adjust Dorothy's medications to try to get her to sleep through the night but the bottom line is that it just doesn't look likely. She wakes up between 2 and 4, unable to sleep. So the middle-of-the-night boost continues. She has also recently gone on oxygen at night in the hopes that that will help her sleep a little bit better.
* I hit a wall this week. Sunday night we were up 4 times and Monday I BARELY survived work. Tuesday I developed a headache around lunchtime and it persisted until yesterday, when I stayed home from work. I went and saw the doctor who basically told me, "If you don't start sleeping more, you're going to make yourself very sick." They gave me two shots for the headache, one in the back of each hip. Today it feels like I got a tetanus shot in my butt. My muscles are SO SORE. One of the shots made me very nauseous so last night was interesting. I actually had to stop mid-way through Dorothy's bedtime routine and go lay down on the cool bathroom floor for a few minutes. Really the only reason I'm at work today is because I simply don't have the PTO to stay home. I had planned to take Tuesday - Friday off Thanksgiving week but it looks like I'll be working Wednesday now (Tuesday is an OHSU day). Ick. The only reason I can take Friday off is because it's a mandatory day off and I have the option to take it unpaid.
* We have FINALLY found another caregiver! She will be working some of the hours we've currently just been piecing together and will also work Friday evenings which gives me a bit more time off. It's somebody who comes highly recommended by a girl who used to help Dorothy out and we totally trust her judgement. PLUS it's somebody I used to know and our parents have been friends for a long time so we practically don't even need to interview her. I'm thrilled.
And on a totally unrelated note... Do I really only have ONE READER?? Come on commenters! :) I have no material whatsoever for Ask Mikaila Anything! Ya'll gotta make yourselves known. :)
Here are a few things that I've been up to in the last couple of days:
* We've continued to adjust Dorothy's medications to try to get her to sleep through the night but the bottom line is that it just doesn't look likely. She wakes up between 2 and 4, unable to sleep. So the middle-of-the-night boost continues. She has also recently gone on oxygen at night in the hopes that that will help her sleep a little bit better.
* I hit a wall this week. Sunday night we were up 4 times and Monday I BARELY survived work. Tuesday I developed a headache around lunchtime and it persisted until yesterday, when I stayed home from work. I went and saw the doctor who basically told me, "If you don't start sleeping more, you're going to make yourself very sick." They gave me two shots for the headache, one in the back of each hip. Today it feels like I got a tetanus shot in my butt. My muscles are SO SORE. One of the shots made me very nauseous so last night was interesting. I actually had to stop mid-way through Dorothy's bedtime routine and go lay down on the cool bathroom floor for a few minutes. Really the only reason I'm at work today is because I simply don't have the PTO to stay home. I had planned to take Tuesday - Friday off Thanksgiving week but it looks like I'll be working Wednesday now (Tuesday is an OHSU day). Ick. The only reason I can take Friday off is because it's a mandatory day off and I have the option to take it unpaid.
* We have FINALLY found another caregiver! She will be working some of the hours we've currently just been piecing together and will also work Friday evenings which gives me a bit more time off. It's somebody who comes highly recommended by a girl who used to help Dorothy out and we totally trust her judgement. PLUS it's somebody I used to know and our parents have been friends for a long time so we practically don't even need to interview her. I'm thrilled.
And on a totally unrelated note... Do I really only have ONE READER?? Come on commenters! :) I have no material whatsoever for Ask Mikaila Anything! Ya'll gotta make yourselves known. :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A day in the life...
For quite some time now I've been wanting to do a post about how I spend my days. NaBloPoMo seemed like the perfect time!
I plan to be fairly detailed in this post because I want it to be real. I don't want to sugar coat my reality for you. =) I've spent some time jotting down when I do things and how long it takes so this is an average weekday for me. This day starts at 12:00am and ends at 11:59pm.
3:00am - My alarm goes off. I get up, go to the kitchen and prepare a medication to give to Dorothy. She has trouble sleeping through the whole night and needs a "booster" medication to help with this.
3:02am - I go into Dorothy's room and give the medication through her feeding tube. Luckily, she stirs but does not need anything else from me so I adjust her pillows a little bit and head back to bed.
4:41am - I hear Dorothy's bell again and go in her room to see what she needs, grumbling because it's only 45 minutes until my alarm goes off. She looks at me quizzically and I ask her if she rang. She shakes her head and I go back to bed, grumbling some more because I'm hearing the bell in my sleep.
5:25am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:30am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:35am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:40am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze. (I am REALLY bad at getting up in the mornings.)
This continues until 6am.
6:02am - I finally drag my butt out of bed, knowing that I will be 10 minutes late to work again.
6:03am - I stumble into the kitchen and flip on a dim light. I turn the hot water on, wash my hands and leave the water on to warm up.
6:04am - I run 100mLs of water into a measuring container and pour in one can of Jevity (the liquid feeding tube food). I set that aside and rinse the can.
6:05am - Once the water is hot I run about 2 Tablespoons into a small cup containing Dorothy's meds that I crushed the night before and mix them around to dissolve them.
6:07am - I take a syringe and pour in 20mL of one liquid medication, then 5mL of another medication, then 10mL of an antibiotic Dorothy is currently on. Then I pour in the water with the dissolved medication. I put the plunger in the syringe and push the air out. Then I fill another syringe with filtered water and do the same.
6:09am - I place the two syringes, plus another empty syringe into a dish and carry that and the container of water and Jevity into Dorothy's room.
6:09am - I set the containers down on the cart next to Dorothy's bed and raise the head of her hospital bed so she is not so reclined. She barely stirs and goes back to sleep.
6:10am - I take the feeding bag off the IV pole and close off the line. I pour the water and Jevity into the bag, close the top and "prime" the bag (running the feeding mixture through the line so there is no air).
6:11am - I open the top of Dorothy's feeding tube, put the empty syringe into the top and open the clip that closes off her tube. I use the empty syringe to suck air out of her stomach so she doesn't feel so bloated after eating. This takes anywhere from 1 to 6 syringe-fulls to complete. Each time I clip the tube closed, remove the syringe, push the air out and re-insert the syringe.
6:13am - I give Dorothy her medications and then flush the tube with 50mLs of water (just as a visual, 50mL of water is approximately equal to 1/4 cup). I insert the end of the feeding bag line into her tube, open her tube and start the drip.
6:14am - I take the syringes and containers back to the kitchen, rinse them out and lay them upside down on a cloth to dry.
6:15am - I head for the bathroom.
6:17am - I finally step into the shower.
6:42am - I step out of the shower. (Yes, I take crazy long showers. It's what I do instead of drinking coffee. And yes, I know if I cut my shower shorter, I would not be late for work.) I put on lotion, moisturize my face, etc.
6:49am - I head to my room to get dressed, stopping in the hallway on my way to peek in Dorothy's room and make sure the feeding tube is still dripping (sometimes it gets stuck). It's not, so I go into her room and adjust the drip speed. It will have to drip fairly fast so Dorothy gets her full feeding before I leave for work.
6:50am - I head to my room to get dressed for real. I notice that it's 6:50 and think, "Ugh."
6:52am - I go back into the bathroom to fix my hair and brush my teeth. This is a ponytail day or an air-dry day because I'm running so late. No time for earrings, etc.
6:57am - I go back to my room and pack my "work bag" with a book, my hairbrush and anything else I need for the day and grab my purse.
6:58am - I set my bags by the door and go into the kitchen to put my lunch in my lunch bag (I packed it the night before and left it in the fridge).
6:59am - I fill a syringe with 50mL of water and head back to Dorothy's room. I stop the drip line, clip off the feeding tube and remove the line. I flush her tube with the water and clip everything off and close it up. If she's awake I ask her if she needs anything and often I adjust her pillows whether she's awake or not. If she is awake she will likely ask for the dog to join her on the bed.
7:01am - I go into the kitchen, throw away the feeding bag (we use them for one day (4 feedings) and the daytime caregiver will start a new bag) and rinse out the syringe. I wash my hands, put on lotion, don my jacket, grab my stuff, turn out the lights and head out the door.
7:04am - I think to myself that I'm not doing as bad as SOME days, timewise, and I text a coworker to tell them I'm on my way. I put my stuff in the front seat of my car and drive to work.
7:11am - I arrive at work after getting stuck at two lights, park and walk in.
7:14am - Ok, so I'm not doing great on time after all. I clock in and start my shift.
During my work day I will often e-mail Dorothy's daughter about things, print new med sheets or answer questions from Dorothy's friends at the hospital about how she is doing. I'm never really "off" from being a caregiver.
3:30pm - My shift is supposed to end but since I was late this morning I'll try to stay a little bit late this afternoon to make up the time. I often will clock out closer to 3:45 or 4.
3:45pm - I leave the hospital and go across the street to the pharmacy. We are out of cough syrup, which Dorothy takes 3 times a day to help reduce phlegm. There is a line so I wait.
3:55pm - I finally walk to my car and leave campus. (Sometimes if I actually DO get off work on time, I will run a quick errand after work. There are days when I do this just to snag 15 minutes by myself.)
4:05pm - I get home, gather my stuff and go inside, shushing the dog as I walk through the door. I go in my room, put my stuff down and give Charlie a quick rub-down because if I don't, he won't leave me alone until I do. He'sjustsoexcitedbecausehehasn'tseenmeALLDAY!!! Dorothy is often sleeping in her wheelchair when I get home.
4:09pm - I go out to the kitchen and talk with Polly (the daytime caregiver) for a few minutes about how the day went and if there is anything I need to know. We have a passdown notebook where we write notes to each other, but verbal communication is very important, too. She fills me in on any major changes while I wash my hands.
4:15pm - Polly leaves and I go over to Dorothy to check on her. She may need her pillows adjusted or she may want her Kindle or laptop or TV remote. Often times she will be in the middle of a feeding so I wait for that to finish before I lay down for my nap. I busy myself by reading any notes from Polly or Hospice and looking over the feeding log for the day.
Sometimes a therapist or nurse is at the house when I get home but most often it's just Dorothy and Polly. If there is someone else there, I usually talk with them and glean any information I can.
4:30pm - After taking care of everything needing immediate attention, I go in my room, change into jeans and lay down for a nap. On a good day there are no interruptions and I might sleep for an hour and a half. Most days are not like that. =)
4:35pm - I fall asleep (which I've gotten really good at doing quickly).
4:45pm - The phone rings. It's usually either Dorothy's mom (we will call her back in the evening), a friend from church (who calls almost daily and tells me, "THIS IS MARYELLEN! YOU TELL DOROTHY I'M THINKING ABOUT HER AND I LOVE HER AND SHE'S IN MY PRAYERS. OK? YOU TELL HER THAT. ALRIGHT, BYE-BYE. She's a freaking hoot but there are days when I wish she would skip calling. ;), or Hope (a friend from the hospital who is over at least 4 days a week). I take the call and then go back in my room, taking the phone with me in case it rings again.
4:55pm - I have just barely fallen asleep when I'm woken up. Charlie has lost his toy under a piece of furniture and is growling at it, willing me to come and rescue it for him. I sigh, go out and shove him out of the way and retrieve the toy. Dorothy and I shake our heads at each other because he does this at least 3 dozen times a day. I figure I might as well feed Charlie while I'm up because in ten minutes he'll be bugging me about that, too.
5:15pm - I have just gotten back to sleep when the doorbell rings. It's Hope, here to take Charlie for a walk. He FREAKS OUT BECAUSE OMG, HE HASN'T SEEN HER SINCE YESTERDAY! and barks and jumps and is generally uncontrollable. She gets his leash and says hi to Dorothy while Charlie waits VERY impatiently and loudly for her to hurry up. They leave and I go back and lay down.
6:04pm - Dorothy beeps the horn on her wheelchair to get my attention. 45 minutes is what I get for a nap today but it's better than nothing. It will get me through to bedtime. I go out to see what Dorothy needs.
6:05pm - Dorothy is hungry so I prepare her food and water and start her feeding tube.
6:09pm - I ask Dorothy if she would like anything else. She wants the TV channel changed, and for me to take off her BiPap mask so she can suction her mouth (she produces more saliva than she can swallow).
6:10pm - I help Dorothy suction her mouth but the mask is so gross that I have to rinse it at the sink. I do this, dry it and put it back together.
6:15pm - Charlie and Hope come back right as I'm putting Dorothy's mask back on. Charlie freaks out because OMG, HE MISSED US AND HE WAS GONE FOR A WHOLE HOUR AND DIDN'T WE MISS HIM TOO?!?! Hope asks Dorothy if she can rub her feet for her and I write down Dorothy's food/water in the log book.
6:18pm - I make some dinner for myself and for Hope and eat. Some nights I COOK dinner but tonight is not one of those nights so we have a simple dinner of pasta (although I do make the sauce from scratch).
6:45pm - I rinse the dishes from dinner, load the dishwasher and wipe the counters.
6:55pm - I go into my room and think, "Wow, I should tidy up a little" but instead, I open my laptop and read blogs. :)
7:10pm - Dorothy honks her horn again and I go out and see that her feeding is done. I flush her tube, rinse the feeding bag and hang it up to dry.
Some nights around this time Steve and Jordan will come over and we'll hang out in my room and read or sit at the kitchen table and do homework. On this particular night they don't come over though so I'm trying to have some ME time in my room, relaxing.
7:14pm - I visit some more blogs and read what's going on in some blog communities. I plug in my iPod to charge it up and sync some music. I might read a magazine or call a friend.
8:02pm - I hear Hope saying goodbye in the living room so I quickly finish what I'm doing and go out there. She is leaving earlier than usual tonight but I am very thankful because that means an earlier bedtime.
8:05pm - Dorothy is ready to get ready for bed so I take off her blankets, move the pillows under her legs, set aside her white board and TV remote and take off her breathing mask. I help her wipe her face with a washcloth and she wheels into her bedroom.
8:10pm - Dorothy parks her wheelchair and we start the bedtime routine.
8:11pm - I undo Dorothy's wheelchair seatbelt, take off her pants, hoist her forward and position the sling for the lift behind her back. I lift each of her legs one at a time to get the sling in place. I pull the lift up to her chair and hook the straps of the sling to the lift.
8:13pm - I raise her up out of her chair, careful to attach her catheter bag to the lift so it comes too and doesn't pull. I maneuver the lift around and push Dorothy up to the shower chair she uses in the bathroom. I lower the lift, positioning Dorothy as far back in the chair as I can. Once she's resting on the chair, I pull the lift back a little bit and go behind the chair where I grab the straps of the sling Dorothy is in and use my arm muscles (of which I had none when I moved in) to pull her up and back even more in the chair. If she doesn't get back far enough, she slides forward too far and... let's just say I'll have some cleaning up to do later. So we try to get it right the first time. :)
8:15pm - I remove the sling and push the lift back into its corner. I unlock the brakes on the shower chair, wheel Dorothy into the bathroom and position the chair over the toilet. I help Dorothy sit forward in the chair (so she's not slumped against the back of it) and leave the room, closing the door.
8:17pm - I go back in Dorothy's room, park her wheelchair off to the side and plug it in to charge for the night. I raise the head of her bed and adjust the sheets, and do a couple of other things to get ready to put her in bed.
8:21pm - Dorothy taps the buckle of the "seatbelt" on her chair to let me know she's finished and I go back in the bathroom. I flush the toilet, reposition her chair in front of the sink and grab the baby wipes (yes, to wipe her bum). After cleaning her up I empty her catheter bag into the toilet and flush again.
8:24pm - I wash my hands and put toothpaste on Dorothy's toothbrush. I drape a towel over her chest and use one hand to hold her head upright because her neck muscles are getting very weak. I brush her teeth and rinse the toothbrush.
8:26pm - I position a container under Dorothy's chin and she holds it there while I use a water pik to rinse her mouth of toothpaste.
8:28pm - I run a washcloth under hot water and wash Dorothy's face. I pat it dry and put lip balm on her lips. I ask her if she'd like me to do anything else and she thinks for a second, then smiles and shakes her head.
8:31pm - I wheel Dorothy back into her room, take off her "seatbelt," hoist her forward and position the sling behind her again. I attach the sling to the lift and the catheter bag to the sling and lift her out of the shower chair. I move the shower chair into the hallway and push the lift up to the bed. I swing Dorothy's legs around so she is parallel with the bed and attach the catheter bag to the bed frame.
8:33pm - I slowly lower the lift, positioning Dorothy where she needs to be and repositioning the lift as needed so it doesn't come down on her head. When she's all the way lowered I remove the sling from the lift and then remove the sling from behind Dorothy. I push the lift back against the wall and throw the sling over it.
8:36pm - I put a pillow behind Dorothy's head and one under her shins to elevate her heels (to prevent sores). I put a sheet over her and then position various pillows on either side of her (I say various pillows but there is a science that WORKS and we don't stray from it!). :) I drape the comforter over Dorothy and pull her bedside table over the bed so she can reach her bell.
8:40pm - I go into the living room and retrieve the cart that holds Dorothy's BiPap machine, suction machine, and other various things we use. I wheel that into the bedroom and plug in the BiPap machine. Dorothy wants to suction her mouth before putting on her mask so we do that. I put her mask on and make sure it's positioned right before I turn on the machine. (Are you seeing a trend with the positioning of everything?)
8:45pm - I either turn Dorothy's TV on and find something she wants to watch, or bring her her laptop or Kindle, depending on what she wants. I get everything set up for her and start on the rest of the "bedtime routine."
8:48pm - I throw dirty clothes and dirty washcloths into the hamper or washing machine. I put the shower chair back in the bathroom and drape wet washcloths over the faucet to dry or throw them in the laundry. I lock the doors and turn off the porch lights. I tidy up the living room (pillows on couches, blankets draped over chairs, magazines in piles, TV remotes on the coffee table, fireplace turned off, slippers/pens/etc. picked up.
8:57pm - I sit down at the kitchen table to write a note to Polly for the next morning. I let her know of any major happenings over the course of the evening (if Dorothy had a choking spell or if she was extra teary, etc.) and let her know of anything that needs to be done the next day (medication refills, notes for the Hospice nurse, etc.). I tell her things like if the dishwasher is clean and if we had trouble with anything (i.e. any machines acting funny). Basically just anything she may need to know for the next day. I look at the schedule book so I know what's happening the next day and will know what to ask about when I get home from work.
(I am USUALLY interrupted while writing this note.)
9:13pm - I wash my hands, prepare Dorothy's evening meds and give those to her via her feeding tube. She is busy watching TV and in about 10 minutes she will ask me if I've given her her meds and I will laugh and say, "Uh, yeah, you were there!" and she will laugh and shake her head. :)
9:18pm - I initial that I've given Dorothy her meds and start a log sheet for the next day. I initial the meds I will give in the morning and write down that she will have 240mL of food and 200mL of water at 6am. I flip back to the note I wrote to Polly and leave that page open in the notebook so she sees it first.
9:24pm - I let Charlie outside while I pack my lunch. I put everything into lunch-box-sized containers and leave them in the fridge for the morning. I set out anything non-refrigerated so I don't forget it. I call Charlie back in the house and give him a biscuit if he comes (we're working on that whole "come" thing). I wipe his paws.
9:34pm - I wash my hands and get Dorothy's morning meds ready by crushing everything she will take and setting out the liquid meds. I also crush the medication she will take at 3am and set it out.
9:39pm - I go in the bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth.
9:45pm - I go through the house and turn off all the lights. I check on Dorothy and ask her if she'd like me to turn the TV off when she's done with the show she's watching. She would so I go in my room and put away my laptop and any clothes/stuff lying around. I set out stuff for work tomorrow and change into my pajamas.
10:00pm - I go in Dorothy's room and turn off the TV. She usually writes a question or comment on her white board and we talk for a minute. I tuck her in by pulling her blankets allll the way up to her chin and making sure her pillows are adjusted right. I recline her bed a little bit and make sure she's comfortable. I also make sure her bell is within reach before I say goodnight and turn out the lights.
10:08pm - I go back into my room and think to myself, "We did pretty good tonight!" 10:10 is a fairly early bedtime for us! I read for a few minutes, check Twitter, text Steve and set my alarm for 3am before I turn out my light.
And thus ends a day in my life. :)
I plan to be fairly detailed in this post because I want it to be real. I don't want to sugar coat my reality for you. =) I've spent some time jotting down when I do things and how long it takes so this is an average weekday for me. This day starts at 12:00am and ends at 11:59pm.
3:00am - My alarm goes off. I get up, go to the kitchen and prepare a medication to give to Dorothy. She has trouble sleeping through the whole night and needs a "booster" medication to help with this.
3:02am - I go into Dorothy's room and give the medication through her feeding tube. Luckily, she stirs but does not need anything else from me so I adjust her pillows a little bit and head back to bed.
4:41am - I hear Dorothy's bell again and go in her room to see what she needs, grumbling because it's only 45 minutes until my alarm goes off. She looks at me quizzically and I ask her if she rang. She shakes her head and I go back to bed, grumbling some more because I'm hearing the bell in my sleep.
5:25am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:30am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:35am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:40am - My alarm goes off and I hit snooze. (I am REALLY bad at getting up in the mornings.)
This continues until 6am.
6:02am - I finally drag my butt out of bed, knowing that I will be 10 minutes late to work again.
6:03am - I stumble into the kitchen and flip on a dim light. I turn the hot water on, wash my hands and leave the water on to warm up.
6:04am - I run 100mLs of water into a measuring container and pour in one can of Jevity (the liquid feeding tube food). I set that aside and rinse the can.
6:05am - Once the water is hot I run about 2 Tablespoons into a small cup containing Dorothy's meds that I crushed the night before and mix them around to dissolve them.
6:07am - I take a syringe and pour in 20mL of one liquid medication, then 5mL of another medication, then 10mL of an antibiotic Dorothy is currently on. Then I pour in the water with the dissolved medication. I put the plunger in the syringe and push the air out. Then I fill another syringe with filtered water and do the same.
6:09am - I place the two syringes, plus another empty syringe into a dish and carry that and the container of water and Jevity into Dorothy's room.
6:09am - I set the containers down on the cart next to Dorothy's bed and raise the head of her hospital bed so she is not so reclined. She barely stirs and goes back to sleep.
6:10am - I take the feeding bag off the IV pole and close off the line. I pour the water and Jevity into the bag, close the top and "prime" the bag (running the feeding mixture through the line so there is no air).
6:11am - I open the top of Dorothy's feeding tube, put the empty syringe into the top and open the clip that closes off her tube. I use the empty syringe to suck air out of her stomach so she doesn't feel so bloated after eating. This takes anywhere from 1 to 6 syringe-fulls to complete. Each time I clip the tube closed, remove the syringe, push the air out and re-insert the syringe.
6:13am - I give Dorothy her medications and then flush the tube with 50mLs of water (just as a visual, 50mL of water is approximately equal to 1/4 cup). I insert the end of the feeding bag line into her tube, open her tube and start the drip.
6:14am - I take the syringes and containers back to the kitchen, rinse them out and lay them upside down on a cloth to dry.
6:15am - I head for the bathroom.
6:17am - I finally step into the shower.
6:42am - I step out of the shower. (Yes, I take crazy long showers. It's what I do instead of drinking coffee. And yes, I know if I cut my shower shorter, I would not be late for work.) I put on lotion, moisturize my face, etc.
6:49am - I head to my room to get dressed, stopping in the hallway on my way to peek in Dorothy's room and make sure the feeding tube is still dripping (sometimes it gets stuck). It's not, so I go into her room and adjust the drip speed. It will have to drip fairly fast so Dorothy gets her full feeding before I leave for work.
6:50am - I head to my room to get dressed for real. I notice that it's 6:50 and think, "Ugh."
6:52am - I go back into the bathroom to fix my hair and brush my teeth. This is a ponytail day or an air-dry day because I'm running so late. No time for earrings, etc.
6:57am - I go back to my room and pack my "work bag" with a book, my hairbrush and anything else I need for the day and grab my purse.
6:58am - I set my bags by the door and go into the kitchen to put my lunch in my lunch bag (I packed it the night before and left it in the fridge).
6:59am - I fill a syringe with 50mL of water and head back to Dorothy's room. I stop the drip line, clip off the feeding tube and remove the line. I flush her tube with the water and clip everything off and close it up. If she's awake I ask her if she needs anything and often I adjust her pillows whether she's awake or not. If she is awake she will likely ask for the dog to join her on the bed.
7:01am - I go into the kitchen, throw away the feeding bag (we use them for one day (4 feedings) and the daytime caregiver will start a new bag) and rinse out the syringe. I wash my hands, put on lotion, don my jacket, grab my stuff, turn out the lights and head out the door.
7:04am - I think to myself that I'm not doing as bad as SOME days, timewise, and I text a coworker to tell them I'm on my way. I put my stuff in the front seat of my car and drive to work.
7:11am - I arrive at work after getting stuck at two lights, park and walk in.
7:14am - Ok, so I'm not doing great on time after all. I clock in and start my shift.
During my work day I will often e-mail Dorothy's daughter about things, print new med sheets or answer questions from Dorothy's friends at the hospital about how she is doing. I'm never really "off" from being a caregiver.
3:30pm - My shift is supposed to end but since I was late this morning I'll try to stay a little bit late this afternoon to make up the time. I often will clock out closer to 3:45 or 4.
3:45pm - I leave the hospital and go across the street to the pharmacy. We are out of cough syrup, which Dorothy takes 3 times a day to help reduce phlegm. There is a line so I wait.
3:55pm - I finally walk to my car and leave campus. (Sometimes if I actually DO get off work on time, I will run a quick errand after work. There are days when I do this just to snag 15 minutes by myself.)
4:05pm - I get home, gather my stuff and go inside, shushing the dog as I walk through the door. I go in my room, put my stuff down and give Charlie a quick rub-down because if I don't, he won't leave me alone until I do. He'sjustsoexcitedbecausehehasn'tseenmeALLDAY!!! Dorothy is often sleeping in her wheelchair when I get home.
4:09pm - I go out to the kitchen and talk with Polly (the daytime caregiver) for a few minutes about how the day went and if there is anything I need to know. We have a passdown notebook where we write notes to each other, but verbal communication is very important, too. She fills me in on any major changes while I wash my hands.
4:15pm - Polly leaves and I go over to Dorothy to check on her. She may need her pillows adjusted or she may want her Kindle or laptop or TV remote. Often times she will be in the middle of a feeding so I wait for that to finish before I lay down for my nap. I busy myself by reading any notes from Polly or Hospice and looking over the feeding log for the day.
Sometimes a therapist or nurse is at the house when I get home but most often it's just Dorothy and Polly. If there is someone else there, I usually talk with them and glean any information I can.
4:30pm - After taking care of everything needing immediate attention, I go in my room, change into jeans and lay down for a nap. On a good day there are no interruptions and I might sleep for an hour and a half. Most days are not like that. =)
4:35pm - I fall asleep (which I've gotten really good at doing quickly).
4:45pm - The phone rings. It's usually either Dorothy's mom (we will call her back in the evening), a friend from church (who calls almost daily and tells me, "THIS IS MARYELLEN! YOU TELL DOROTHY I'M THINKING ABOUT HER AND I LOVE HER AND SHE'S IN MY PRAYERS. OK? YOU TELL HER THAT. ALRIGHT, BYE-BYE. She's a freaking hoot but there are days when I wish she would skip calling. ;), or Hope (a friend from the hospital who is over at least 4 days a week). I take the call and then go back in my room, taking the phone with me in case it rings again.
4:55pm - I have just barely fallen asleep when I'm woken up. Charlie has lost his toy under a piece of furniture and is growling at it, willing me to come and rescue it for him. I sigh, go out and shove him out of the way and retrieve the toy. Dorothy and I shake our heads at each other because he does this at least 3 dozen times a day. I figure I might as well feed Charlie while I'm up because in ten minutes he'll be bugging me about that, too.
5:15pm - I have just gotten back to sleep when the doorbell rings. It's Hope, here to take Charlie for a walk. He FREAKS OUT BECAUSE OMG, HE HASN'T SEEN HER SINCE YESTERDAY! and barks and jumps and is generally uncontrollable. She gets his leash and says hi to Dorothy while Charlie waits VERY impatiently and loudly for her to hurry up. They leave and I go back and lay down.
6:04pm - Dorothy beeps the horn on her wheelchair to get my attention. 45 minutes is what I get for a nap today but it's better than nothing. It will get me through to bedtime. I go out to see what Dorothy needs.
6:05pm - Dorothy is hungry so I prepare her food and water and start her feeding tube.
6:09pm - I ask Dorothy if she would like anything else. She wants the TV channel changed, and for me to take off her BiPap mask so she can suction her mouth (she produces more saliva than she can swallow).
6:10pm - I help Dorothy suction her mouth but the mask is so gross that I have to rinse it at the sink. I do this, dry it and put it back together.
6:15pm - Charlie and Hope come back right as I'm putting Dorothy's mask back on. Charlie freaks out because OMG, HE MISSED US AND HE WAS GONE FOR A WHOLE HOUR AND DIDN'T WE MISS HIM TOO?!?! Hope asks Dorothy if she can rub her feet for her and I write down Dorothy's food/water in the log book.
6:18pm - I make some dinner for myself and for Hope and eat. Some nights I COOK dinner but tonight is not one of those nights so we have a simple dinner of pasta (although I do make the sauce from scratch).
6:45pm - I rinse the dishes from dinner, load the dishwasher and wipe the counters.
6:55pm - I go into my room and think, "Wow, I should tidy up a little" but instead, I open my laptop and read blogs. :)
7:10pm - Dorothy honks her horn again and I go out and see that her feeding is done. I flush her tube, rinse the feeding bag and hang it up to dry.
Some nights around this time Steve and Jordan will come over and we'll hang out in my room and read or sit at the kitchen table and do homework. On this particular night they don't come over though so I'm trying to have some ME time in my room, relaxing.
7:14pm - I visit some more blogs and read what's going on in some blog communities. I plug in my iPod to charge it up and sync some music. I might read a magazine or call a friend.
8:02pm - I hear Hope saying goodbye in the living room so I quickly finish what I'm doing and go out there. She is leaving earlier than usual tonight but I am very thankful because that means an earlier bedtime.
8:05pm - Dorothy is ready to get ready for bed so I take off her blankets, move the pillows under her legs, set aside her white board and TV remote and take off her breathing mask. I help her wipe her face with a washcloth and she wheels into her bedroom.
8:10pm - Dorothy parks her wheelchair and we start the bedtime routine.
8:11pm - I undo Dorothy's wheelchair seatbelt, take off her pants, hoist her forward and position the sling for the lift behind her back. I lift each of her legs one at a time to get the sling in place. I pull the lift up to her chair and hook the straps of the sling to the lift.
8:13pm - I raise her up out of her chair, careful to attach her catheter bag to the lift so it comes too and doesn't pull. I maneuver the lift around and push Dorothy up to the shower chair she uses in the bathroom. I lower the lift, positioning Dorothy as far back in the chair as I can. Once she's resting on the chair, I pull the lift back a little bit and go behind the chair where I grab the straps of the sling Dorothy is in and use my arm muscles (of which I had none when I moved in) to pull her up and back even more in the chair. If she doesn't get back far enough, she slides forward too far and... let's just say I'll have some cleaning up to do later. So we try to get it right the first time. :)
8:15pm - I remove the sling and push the lift back into its corner. I unlock the brakes on the shower chair, wheel Dorothy into the bathroom and position the chair over the toilet. I help Dorothy sit forward in the chair (so she's not slumped against the back of it) and leave the room, closing the door.
8:17pm - I go back in Dorothy's room, park her wheelchair off to the side and plug it in to charge for the night. I raise the head of her bed and adjust the sheets, and do a couple of other things to get ready to put her in bed.
8:21pm - Dorothy taps the buckle of the "seatbelt" on her chair to let me know she's finished and I go back in the bathroom. I flush the toilet, reposition her chair in front of the sink and grab the baby wipes (yes, to wipe her bum). After cleaning her up I empty her catheter bag into the toilet and flush again.
8:24pm - I wash my hands and put toothpaste on Dorothy's toothbrush. I drape a towel over her chest and use one hand to hold her head upright because her neck muscles are getting very weak. I brush her teeth and rinse the toothbrush.
8:26pm - I position a container under Dorothy's chin and she holds it there while I use a water pik to rinse her mouth of toothpaste.
8:28pm - I run a washcloth under hot water and wash Dorothy's face. I pat it dry and put lip balm on her lips. I ask her if she'd like me to do anything else and she thinks for a second, then smiles and shakes her head.
8:31pm - I wheel Dorothy back into her room, take off her "seatbelt," hoist her forward and position the sling behind her again. I attach the sling to the lift and the catheter bag to the sling and lift her out of the shower chair. I move the shower chair into the hallway and push the lift up to the bed. I swing Dorothy's legs around so she is parallel with the bed and attach the catheter bag to the bed frame.
8:33pm - I slowly lower the lift, positioning Dorothy where she needs to be and repositioning the lift as needed so it doesn't come down on her head. When she's all the way lowered I remove the sling from the lift and then remove the sling from behind Dorothy. I push the lift back against the wall and throw the sling over it.
8:36pm - I put a pillow behind Dorothy's head and one under her shins to elevate her heels (to prevent sores). I put a sheet over her and then position various pillows on either side of her (I say various pillows but there is a science that WORKS and we don't stray from it!). :) I drape the comforter over Dorothy and pull her bedside table over the bed so she can reach her bell.
8:40pm - I go into the living room and retrieve the cart that holds Dorothy's BiPap machine, suction machine, and other various things we use. I wheel that into the bedroom and plug in the BiPap machine. Dorothy wants to suction her mouth before putting on her mask so we do that. I put her mask on and make sure it's positioned right before I turn on the machine. (Are you seeing a trend with the positioning of everything?)
8:45pm - I either turn Dorothy's TV on and find something she wants to watch, or bring her her laptop or Kindle, depending on what she wants. I get everything set up for her and start on the rest of the "bedtime routine."
8:48pm - I throw dirty clothes and dirty washcloths into the hamper or washing machine. I put the shower chair back in the bathroom and drape wet washcloths over the faucet to dry or throw them in the laundry. I lock the doors and turn off the porch lights. I tidy up the living room (pillows on couches, blankets draped over chairs, magazines in piles, TV remotes on the coffee table, fireplace turned off, slippers/pens/etc. picked up.
8:57pm - I sit down at the kitchen table to write a note to Polly for the next morning. I let her know of any major happenings over the course of the evening (if Dorothy had a choking spell or if she was extra teary, etc.) and let her know of anything that needs to be done the next day (medication refills, notes for the Hospice nurse, etc.). I tell her things like if the dishwasher is clean and if we had trouble with anything (i.e. any machines acting funny). Basically just anything she may need to know for the next day. I look at the schedule book so I know what's happening the next day and will know what to ask about when I get home from work.
(I am USUALLY interrupted while writing this note.)
9:13pm - I wash my hands, prepare Dorothy's evening meds and give those to her via her feeding tube. She is busy watching TV and in about 10 minutes she will ask me if I've given her her meds and I will laugh and say, "Uh, yeah, you were there!" and she will laugh and shake her head. :)
9:18pm - I initial that I've given Dorothy her meds and start a log sheet for the next day. I initial the meds I will give in the morning and write down that she will have 240mL of food and 200mL of water at 6am. I flip back to the note I wrote to Polly and leave that page open in the notebook so she sees it first.
9:24pm - I let Charlie outside while I pack my lunch. I put everything into lunch-box-sized containers and leave them in the fridge for the morning. I set out anything non-refrigerated so I don't forget it. I call Charlie back in the house and give him a biscuit if he comes (we're working on that whole "come" thing). I wipe his paws.
9:34pm - I wash my hands and get Dorothy's morning meds ready by crushing everything she will take and setting out the liquid meds. I also crush the medication she will take at 3am and set it out.
9:39pm - I go in the bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth.
9:45pm - I go through the house and turn off all the lights. I check on Dorothy and ask her if she'd like me to turn the TV off when she's done with the show she's watching. She would so I go in my room and put away my laptop and any clothes/stuff lying around. I set out stuff for work tomorrow and change into my pajamas.
10:00pm - I go in Dorothy's room and turn off the TV. She usually writes a question or comment on her white board and we talk for a minute. I tuck her in by pulling her blankets allll the way up to her chin and making sure her pillows are adjusted right. I recline her bed a little bit and make sure she's comfortable. I also make sure her bell is within reach before I say goodnight and turn out the lights.
10:08pm - I go back into my room and think to myself, "We did pretty good tonight!" 10:10 is a fairly early bedtime for us! I read for a few minutes, check Twitter, text Steve and set my alarm for 3am before I turn out my light.
And thus ends a day in my life. :)
Monday, November 9, 2009
"Not Me" Monday
Hop on over here to find out what this Not Me! business is all about!Here are a few things that I would NOT have been caught doing this week!
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I did NOT completely flip out when I finally went to fix my car blinker, got everything taken apart and realized the guy at the auto store sold me the wrong part! And I would never say to my boyfriend, when he suggested that I just take my car to Jiffy Lube and pay them $20 to do it for me, "No! Because I am a GIRL and I can FIX my car and it will only cost me $4!" Nope, not me!
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This week at work when an angry patient called me on the phone I certainly did not laugh under my breath at her because she was making her situation more complicated than it needed to be. I am a professional and I always listen politely and never roll my eyes while on the phone! So when she started screaming at me I did not get a little bit happy over the fact that I was going to tell her, "Ma'am, if you continue to yell at me, I am going to end this call." And then I did not get a little bit bummed when she hung up on me first! Psh, how childish. Not me!
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This week when Steve and Jordan were in the den reading, I did NOT let Charlie jump up on the bed with them just because he looked so mopey. He's a DOG! So then when they left and he stayed on the bed, I would never have just let him sleep there all night! Not me!
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What things did you not do this week? Link your post here with MckLinky!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Bucket List
A loooong time ago I started a list of things I want to accomplish in life. While I've lived with Dorothy and often feel like there are things I want to do that I simply don't have time for (i.e. I need to be here with her and not out fulfilling my own needs) I have added a lot to this list. Here is a portion of it for your enjoyment! These are in absolutely no order and are things I want to accomplish because I want to, not because I feel like I should. :)
1. Learn to play the harp
2. Get married and raise a family
3. Homeschool my kids
4. Swim with dolphins
5. Travel to NYC
6. Be a counselor
7. Skydive
8. Lead someone to God
9. Visit Hawaii
10. Get a degree
11. Join a book club
12. Learn to dance really well (especially Ballroom and Swing)
13. Buy a house
14. Travel abroad
15. Be a stay-at-home-mom (even for a short time)
16. Learn to surf
17. Read at least 10 classic books
18. Learn to pass seven clubs (juggling)
19. Become diligent at menu planning and shopping more frugally
20. Learn to play the guitar
21. Keep adding to my list
1. Learn to play the harp
2. Get married and raise a family
3. Homeschool my kids
4. Swim with dolphins
5. Travel to NYC
6. Be a counselor
7. Skydive
8. Lead someone to God
9. Visit Hawaii
10. Get a degree
11. Join a book club
12. Learn to dance really well (especially Ballroom and Swing)
13. Buy a house
14. Travel abroad
15. Be a stay-at-home-mom (even for a short time)
16. Learn to surf
17. Read at least 10 classic books
18. Learn to pass seven clubs (juggling)
19. Become diligent at menu planning and shopping more frugally
20. Learn to play the guitar
21. Keep adding to my list
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Mommyhood hopes and dreams
I have been thinking quite a lot lately about the future. Namely, my future children.
Steve and I talk all the time (like, daily) about our future kids. Their names (yes, we've named them), our hopes for their personalities (his silliness and my level-headed-ness) and the way we will raise them.
As Jordan continues to call me Mommy more than he calls me Kaila and Steve continues to refer to me as Mommy and never as Kaila, I've been thinking about this more and more.
As Jordan journeys along through second grade this year and I sit with him in the evenings and work on things like expanded notation and identifying the beginning, middle and end of stories, I think about it more and more.
Here are just a few other things that I am greatly looking forward to about motherhood:
* I cannot wait to see the look on Jordan's face when he becomes a big brother. He asks us weekly (and often more frequently) when he gets a baby brother or sister. He has all sorts of creative names up his sleeve and I'm sure that his younger siblings will end up with quite the unique nicknames. :)
* Steve and I have talked a lot about my desire to homeschool our kids. Steve recently talked with Jordan about this and Jordan has expressed that he would like to finish 5th grade at his current elementary school and then he would like to be homeschooled as well. I love his school. They have molded and structured his learning to fit his needs and he has totally blossomed because of it. He has had wonderful teachers for all 3 of his years there and they have worked very closely with Steve and I to keep Jordan on track and to make learning fun for him.
I have always looked back on my own homeschooling journey with VERY fond memories and I would love to provide that for my kids as well. I learned how to cook and type and sew when I was 8 years old. I learned to be friends with every age group, not just my own. I remember the homeschool groups and the plays and the book writing... I am so anxious to do it all again.
* I want to be a babywearing, breastfeeding, baby-food-making mama. And a blogging one. :)
* I hope to have a whole gob of kids. Ok, maybe 4 more for a total of 5. Steve is a little leery but he says as long as we're all healthy and happy and can afford it, he wants lots of kids, too. I'm fairly certain that God will keep us happy and healthy and allow us to afford as many kids as he wants us to have. :)
Steve and I talk all the time (like, daily) about our future kids. Their names (yes, we've named them), our hopes for their personalities (his silliness and my level-headed-ness) and the way we will raise them.
As Jordan continues to call me Mommy more than he calls me Kaila and Steve continues to refer to me as Mommy and never as Kaila, I've been thinking about this more and more.
As Jordan journeys along through second grade this year and I sit with him in the evenings and work on things like expanded notation and identifying the beginning, middle and end of stories, I think about it more and more.
Here are just a few other things that I am greatly looking forward to about motherhood:
* I cannot wait to see the look on Jordan's face when he becomes a big brother. He asks us weekly (and often more frequently) when he gets a baby brother or sister. He has all sorts of creative names up his sleeve and I'm sure that his younger siblings will end up with quite the unique nicknames. :)
* Steve and I have talked a lot about my desire to homeschool our kids. Steve recently talked with Jordan about this and Jordan has expressed that he would like to finish 5th grade at his current elementary school and then he would like to be homeschooled as well. I love his school. They have molded and structured his learning to fit his needs and he has totally blossomed because of it. He has had wonderful teachers for all 3 of his years there and they have worked very closely with Steve and I to keep Jordan on track and to make learning fun for him.
I have always looked back on my own homeschooling journey with VERY fond memories and I would love to provide that for my kids as well. I learned how to cook and type and sew when I was 8 years old. I learned to be friends with every age group, not just my own. I remember the homeschool groups and the plays and the book writing... I am so anxious to do it all again.
* I want to be a babywearing, breastfeeding, baby-food-making mama. And a blogging one. :)
* I hope to have a whole gob of kids. Ok, maybe 4 more for a total of 5. Steve is a little leery but he says as long as we're all healthy and happy and can afford it, he wants lots of kids, too. I'm fairly certain that God will keep us happy and healthy and allow us to afford as many kids as he wants us to have. :)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Das Not Funny! Friday
It's been awhile!!!
(Click here to read about Das Not Funny! Friday.)
Here are a few of the things that have had ME laughing lately!
******
At a game night recently, a friend was talking about how cool something was and my brother goes, "Yep. It's one of those things they're calling "epic" these days!"
******
Jordan was talking to me about Charlie (my dog) and making up all kinds of stories about him having money and a wallet. He asked me where Charlie would put his wallet and I said, "In his pocket, of course!" Jordan asked where his pockets were and I told him they were there, you just can't see them because of all his fur.
Jordan paused for a second and then looked at me, made two thumbs-up signs and wiggled his thumbs at me, saying, "But how's he gonna get his money out? He doesn't have opposable thumbs!"
******
My cousin is a teacher at a daycare center and always has hilarious stories to tell about the kids she works with. Recently she told a story about a little boy who noticed her cross necklace and asked her, "Do you love Jejus??" She told him yes, she did love Jesus. "I love Jejus, too!" he replied. "AND DRAGONS!"
******
What about you? What funny things have you heard this week? Write your own post and share it here with MckLinky!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thursday Thirteen - 13 sites I enjoy
1. Blogger, of course! :)
2. Twitter. What can I say?
3. Slogan Generator. This one is fun to plug in with people's names.
4. MckMama. Her family could also use your prayers right now. Stop by and read their story!
5. AtlasQuest. For all your letterboxing needs! :)
6. I Can Has Cheezburger. One for the cat lovers out there!
7. Dancing Hippo! This is one that Jordan enjoys.
8. Facebook. Hey, let's be real here.
9. 4tunate. What a great blog.
10. Nick.com. This is another one Jordan enjoys.
11. Reading to Know. This is the blog of a friend of mine and has a lot to offer!
12. Winnie the Pooh and Hippo, too! This is ADORABLE. Really, if you're going to follow two of the links in this post, make them these last two. (And #4.)
13. And my all-time favorite... Haha Baby. I seriously laugh so hard at this that tears come to my eyes.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wednesday - Dorothy's 66th birthday
I had intended for this to be a Wordless Wednesday post and a chance to finally share photos from Dorothy's birthday party. However, as I was posting the photos I realized that they really have a story behind them and since Dorothy is so dear to me, it's a story I want to share.
Dorothy is a watercolor artist and has become very good over the years. She still loves to paint and thankfully it is something that she is still able to do and still enjoys in short sessions. Since I have lived with her she has finished four pieces.
Heather and I had talked about what we could do for Dorothy's birthday that would be meaningful to her and came up with the idea to display her art and have a small artist's reception for her. We had originally wanted to display her artwork in the hallway of the hospital where she is very well known and respected, but that option didn't pan out for us. Instead, Heather and Dorothy's neighbor and dear friend Ellen contacted the owner of an art gallery here in town and he agreed to let us display Dorothy's art and hold a reception for her on the afternoon of her birthday.
We had wine and appetizers for everyone to enjoy:
My manager from work even came. :) He thinks very highly of Dorothy and it was fun to have him stop by.
The rainbow cake was (obviously) a SMASHING success. I actually got a bit tired of explaining how I had made it! Haha.
This is my favorite piece of Dorothy's and one she finished just recently for her mom's 96th birthday. It's one that I will eventually get a print of and hang in my own house. I believe she painted this from a photo that was taken in her neighbor's yard.
I am going to get a print of this photo and frame it, too. :)
Dorothy, Heather and I:
Dorothy is a watercolor artist and has become very good over the years. She still loves to paint and thankfully it is something that she is still able to do and still enjoys in short sessions. Since I have lived with her she has finished four pieces.
Heather and I had talked about what we could do for Dorothy's birthday that would be meaningful to her and came up with the idea to display her art and have a small artist's reception for her. We had originally wanted to display her artwork in the hallway of the hospital where she is very well known and respected, but that option didn't pan out for us. Instead, Heather and Dorothy's neighbor and dear friend Ellen contacted the owner of an art gallery here in town and he agreed to let us display Dorothy's art and hold a reception for her on the afternoon of her birthday.
We had wine and appetizers for everyone to enjoy:
My manager from work even came. :) He thinks very highly of Dorothy and it was fun to have him stop by.
The rainbow cake was (obviously) a SMASHING success. I actually got a bit tired of explaining how I had made it! Haha.
This is my favorite piece of Dorothy's and one she finished just recently for her mom's 96th birthday. It's one that I will eventually get a print of and hang in my own house. I believe she painted this from a photo that was taken in her neighbor's yard.
I am going to get a print of this photo and frame it, too. :) 
Dorothy, Heather and I:
Dorothy, since living with you I have learned SO much and even though we have our hard days, this experience is not one that I would trade. You have helped me to become a better, more understanding, more patient person and have really enriched my life and the lives of people very close to me. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and for sharing your home and your family and friends with me. I love you very much!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Recipe - Rainbow Cake
I know you've all been just DYING to know how I made the incredible rainbow cake for Dorothy's birthday, haven't you? :)
I'm here to tell you!
I should warn you ahead of time though: while this cake is definitely not hard to make, it is VERY time consuming. But also totally worth it. I don't think I have ever gotten so many compliments before on something I've made!
Let's begin, shall we?
For the cake, you will need:
2 boxes of white cake mix (Ok, I usually make my cakes from scratch but in this case, that would have been even MORE work. And the cake mixes I used (Betty Crocker) were actually quite delicious.)
Food coloring (I used gel coloring that I got at the craft store. It comes in ALL colors and is the only way you will get a true purple or orange.)
Make up the first cake mix and separate it into three bowls (about 1 1/2 cups per bowl). Color one bowl of cake mix blue, another green and the third bowl purple.
Pour each one of these bowls of batter into a 9-inch cake pan and bake according to the directions on the box. Remember to check the cakes about 10 minutes before they should be done. With less batter in the pans, they tend to cook faster.
Mix up the second cake mix and repeat the coloring process, this time with red, orange and yellow. Bake these three cakes the same way.
Let all six cakes cool completely. Using a bread knife, cut into the cakes horizontally to even them out. They tend to have dips and valleys baked into them and you want the tops to be level. This is important so that the colors will display evenly when the completed cake is cut. Your rainbow will appear warped and not even unless you level the tops of each cake first.
To make the frosting you will need:
4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1 T vanilla
To make the frosting:
Mix together room temperature cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add vanilla and combine. Slowly add the powdered sugar. After the 5th cup, taste the frosting. If you would like it sweeter, add the 6th cup (I did). If you like it the way it is, leave the 6th cup out.
To assemble the cake:
Start your assembly with the purple layer. Lay your purple cake on your cake stand or plate. Frost the cake with enough frosting to spill over the edges. Use the flat side of a large knife to smooth out the frosting on the cake.
Add the blue layer of cake on top of the purple one. Again, frost to top of the cake with enough to spill over the edges. Use your knife to smooth out the frosting. This time, also run the edge of the knife along the outside of the cakes to smooth the edges.
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.
Repeat with the green layer, and then the yellow layer.
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.
Repeat with the orange layer and finally with the red layer.
It really helps to freeze the cake between assembling layers. The cake can start to get really heavy by the time you add the 4th layer or so and if it is partially frozen at this point (or at least chilled), it will hold up much better. In addition, it is easier to frost a cold cake than it is to frost one that is wobbling all over the place! :)
Cover the cake with frosting and run the smooth, flat side of a knife all over and around your cake to smooth it out nicely. Add wording or decorations with royal icing. You can also add frosting and food coloring to a pastry bag and add little dollops of frosting around the bottom edge of the cake, but clearly I forgot to do that. :)
Voila! Beautiful Rainbow Cake!
I'm here to tell you!
I should warn you ahead of time though: while this cake is definitely not hard to make, it is VERY time consuming. But also totally worth it. I don't think I have ever gotten so many compliments before on something I've made!
Let's begin, shall we?
For the cake, you will need:
2 boxes of white cake mix (Ok, I usually make my cakes from scratch but in this case, that would have been even MORE work. And the cake mixes I used (Betty Crocker) were actually quite delicious.)
Food coloring (I used gel coloring that I got at the craft store. It comes in ALL colors and is the only way you will get a true purple or orange.)
Make up the first cake mix and separate it into three bowls (about 1 1/2 cups per bowl). Color one bowl of cake mix blue, another green and the third bowl purple.
Pour each one of these bowls of batter into a 9-inch cake pan and bake according to the directions on the box. Remember to check the cakes about 10 minutes before they should be done. With less batter in the pans, they tend to cook faster.
Mix up the second cake mix and repeat the coloring process, this time with red, orange and yellow. Bake these three cakes the same way.
Let all six cakes cool completely. Using a bread knife, cut into the cakes horizontally to even them out. They tend to have dips and valleys baked into them and you want the tops to be level. This is important so that the colors will display evenly when the completed cake is cut. Your rainbow will appear warped and not even unless you level the tops of each cake first.
To make the frosting you will need:
4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1 T vanilla
To make the frosting:
Mix together room temperature cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add vanilla and combine. Slowly add the powdered sugar. After the 5th cup, taste the frosting. If you would like it sweeter, add the 6th cup (I did). If you like it the way it is, leave the 6th cup out.
To assemble the cake:
Start your assembly with the purple layer. Lay your purple cake on your cake stand or plate. Frost the cake with enough frosting to spill over the edges. Use the flat side of a large knife to smooth out the frosting on the cake.
Add the blue layer of cake on top of the purple one. Again, frost to top of the cake with enough to spill over the edges. Use your knife to smooth out the frosting. This time, also run the edge of the knife along the outside of the cakes to smooth the edges.
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.
Repeat with the green layer, and then the yellow layer.
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.
Repeat with the orange layer and finally with the red layer.
It really helps to freeze the cake between assembling layers. The cake can start to get really heavy by the time you add the 4th layer or so and if it is partially frozen at this point (or at least chilled), it will hold up much better. In addition, it is easier to frost a cold cake than it is to frost one that is wobbling all over the place! :)
Cover the cake with frosting and run the smooth, flat side of a knife all over and around your cake to smooth it out nicely. Add wording or decorations with royal icing. You can also add frosting and food coloring to a pastry bag and add little dollops of frosting around the bottom edge of the cake, but clearly I forgot to do that. :)
Voila! Beautiful Rainbow Cake!
Monday, November 2, 2009
"Not Me" Monday
This is the first "Not Me" Monday in quite awhile! Click here to find out what this meme is all about!
Feeling guilty for eating 15 Oreos in one sitting? Hoping nobody saw you having a heated conversation with yourself in the car? Embarrassed for the sake of the UPS guy when you answered the door in your pajamas and no bra? Well, don't be! Here are a few things that I did NOT do this week:
For one thing, I did NOT tell Jordan that if he couldn't carry his own Trick or Treat bag, he could be done Trick or Treating. I would NEVER threaten to end an evening of fun over who was going to carry a bag. And OF COURSE the bag was heavy! I would never refuse to believe that my child couldn't carry a bag containing 10 pieces of candy. Not me!
I also did NOT buy a light bulb to replace the blinker in my car and then forget (AGAIN) to actually replace it! I am totally NOT the kind of person who would drive around town with a barely-working blinker that blinks triple-time. No way. Not me!
And finally, there is NO chance that on Halloween night I ate a piece of CHOCOLATE before bed! I would never risk an allergic reaction, nor would I hope and pray that I would sleep through the major headache that was sure to ensue. That would NOT have been me. Nope!
What about you? What have you NOT done this week? Post about it on your blog and add your link here with MckLinky!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Welcome...
...to NaBloPoMo! This month is going to be super fun and I am really looking forward to it!
I recently gave you a sneak peak of what this month looks like but here are the highlights again. =)
*A Day In The Life (learn what it's REALLY like to be a caregiver)
*New recipes
*At least one video post
*A giveaway! It will be my first! (And it will likely be tied together with a contest so hold tight to your seat!)
*A guest post!
And one of the things I'm looking forward to the most - Ask Mikaila Anything!
All you have to do this month is think up questions to ask me! Simply leave a comment on any of my posts leading up to that day (hint: it will be towards the end of the month so you have lots of time) and I will do my best to answer any and all questions!
I would love to hear more from my readers (most of which I think are lurkers) so don't be afraid to be interactive this month! I would really enjoy getting to know some of you better!
Ok, you do actually have one more job this month...
Enjoy NaBloPoMo!
I recently gave you a sneak peak of what this month looks like but here are the highlights again. =)
*A Day In The Life (learn what it's REALLY like to be a caregiver)
*New recipes
*At least one video post
*A giveaway! It will be my first! (And it will likely be tied together with a contest so hold tight to your seat!)
*A guest post!
And one of the things I'm looking forward to the most - Ask Mikaila Anything!
All you have to do this month is think up questions to ask me! Simply leave a comment on any of my posts leading up to that day (hint: it will be towards the end of the month so you have lots of time) and I will do my best to answer any and all questions!
I would love to hear more from my readers (most of which I think are lurkers) so don't be afraid to be interactive this month! I would really enjoy getting to know some of you better!
Ok, you do actually have one more job this month...
Enjoy NaBloPoMo!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Coming right up... Ribbit
I have to be totally honest here. I have some great posts up my sleeve. BUT. There's this thing called NaBloPoMo. You don't even have to click on that link - I'll tell you what it is. National Blog Posting Month. You post every day for one month. That's it!
I know, pretty simple, huh? A couple of my friends participated last year and I thought, "You know, I don't want to have to try really hard to come up with 30 days worth of posts and therefore risk losing the fun of blogging." But this year I'm starting to network a little more in the blogging community and the traffic on my blog has increased quite a bit. I think I'll give it a shot!
So folks, while I try to give you SOMETHING to read for the rest of this month (you know, so you're not TOTALLY bored while waiting for November to roll around), you can anticipate these post topics, COMING SOON:
*My hopes and dreams for mommyhood, both with Jordan and future children.
*A Day In The Life (learn what it's REALLY like to be a caregiver)
*New recipes
*At least one video post
*Ask Mikaila Anything (start thinking up your questions now!)
*And if you're lucky, maybe even a giveaway! It would be my first!
Of course, I will still participate in some of the memes I have done in the past. You can see what those are over on my right sidebar.
And now, I'd like you to meet some new friends of mine, Darryl and Darryl.
Steve and I have always had a "thing" with frogs. I think this started because way back when, Steve didn't call me a dork or a turkey, he would call me a toad. Ever since then, they have been the "object" in our relationship. (Even though that's totally hard to explain, I think you probably know what I mean. Some people do roses, others do stars, we do frogs.)
For our anniversary Steve told me that he was bringing my present over and that I needed to put the dog away. I thought, "It's either food or something alive and he would never get me something alive because Dorothy would freak."
It was something alive.
I couldn't believe it when I unwrapped these guys! They're so cute and fun to watch! They're really quite active (at least, at the moment they are swimming ALL over the place - maybe I gave them seizures from the camera flash) and kind of relaxing to observe.
Of course, they needed names. My dad is actually the one who suggested Darryl and Darryl and I thought it was hilarious. Especially because they're pretty darn hard to tell apart. I gave them middle names as well because I also liked Steve's suggestions. So they are Darryl Herman and Darryl Louie.
Apparently these guys will live 2-4 years and I love that they are almost no maintenance at all. I feed them twice a week (stuff similar to fish food) and as long as their buddy Gary (a snail) stays alive, I only have to change their water every 5 months. My kind of pets!
(Don't get me wrong, I would love a cat but then Dorothy really WOULD freak!)
I know, pretty simple, huh? A couple of my friends participated last year and I thought, "You know, I don't want to have to try really hard to come up with 30 days worth of posts and therefore risk losing the fun of blogging." But this year I'm starting to network a little more in the blogging community and the traffic on my blog has increased quite a bit. I think I'll give it a shot!
So folks, while I try to give you SOMETHING to read for the rest of this month (you know, so you're not TOTALLY bored while waiting for November to roll around), you can anticipate these post topics, COMING SOON:
*My hopes and dreams for mommyhood, both with Jordan and future children.
*A Day In The Life (learn what it's REALLY like to be a caregiver)
*New recipes
*At least one video post
*Ask Mikaila Anything (start thinking up your questions now!)
*And if you're lucky, maybe even a giveaway! It would be my first!
Of course, I will still participate in some of the memes I have done in the past. You can see what those are over on my right sidebar.
And now, I'd like you to meet some new friends of mine, Darryl and Darryl.
Steve and I have always had a "thing" with frogs. I think this started because way back when, Steve didn't call me a dork or a turkey, he would call me a toad. Ever since then, they have been the "object" in our relationship. (Even though that's totally hard to explain, I think you probably know what I mean. Some people do roses, others do stars, we do frogs.)For our anniversary Steve told me that he was bringing my present over and that I needed to put the dog away. I thought, "It's either food or something alive and he would never get me something alive because Dorothy would freak."
It was something alive.
I couldn't believe it when I unwrapped these guys! They're so cute and fun to watch! They're really quite active (at least, at the moment they are swimming ALL over the place - maybe I gave them seizures from the camera flash) and kind of relaxing to observe.
Of course, they needed names. My dad is actually the one who suggested Darryl and Darryl and I thought it was hilarious. Especially because they're pretty darn hard to tell apart. I gave them middle names as well because I also liked Steve's suggestions. So they are Darryl Herman and Darryl Louie.
Apparently these guys will live 2-4 years and I love that they are almost no maintenance at all. I feed them twice a week (stuff similar to fish food) and as long as their buddy Gary (a snail) stays alive, I only have to change their water every 5 months. My kind of pets!
(Don't get me wrong, I would love a cat but then Dorothy really WOULD freak!)
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