A Week to Remember

Ashley had a wonderful opportunity this week to spend time with her Grandmommy, Gigi and Aunt Flora.   Grandmommy took her up to Belton for the week to visit with Brian's grandmother, whom the kids call Gigi and his aunt Flora.

When they returned on Thursday, Flora brought us many pictures to share their experiences with us.  Wow, they sure had a great time and did so much in 4 days!

Ashley worked with them to finish a baby quilt.  She helped finish the blue squares in the top left of photo.  

Gigi has been capturing squirrels in her backyard to keep them out of her pear tree.  Ashley and Aunt Flora captured squirrel #20 and released him down by the lake.

The ladies spent Wednesday teaching Ashley to make Gigi's speciality - homemade jelly.  She came home with many jars of new delicious new jelly, including Brian's favorite plum jelly.

In addition, she learned how to make her first apple pie - complete with homemade crust.

They then spent the day at the senior center quilting with Gigi's group.   Ashley excitedly told me she hand quilted three rows by herself.  

Isn't the quilt they were working on gorgeous!

The last morning, Aunt Flora took Ashley fishing.  Something she did with Brian when he was a little boy.   Surprisingly, Ashley learned to bait her own hook - even doing it on video.

She was so happy tell us about catching 3 fish - 2 perch and a minnow.  Flora was wonderful to clean the fish and let her bring them home to us.  

Brian and I were thrilled for Ashley to have this opportunity.  She loved getting this special quality time with both Gigi and Aunt Flora.  The visit was filled with memories she will cherish forever. 

Musical Beds

Since Brian and I bought a new king size bed this week, we decided to give Ashley our old queen mattress.  That means Laurie gets Ashley's better twin mattress.  Our little niece Megan gets her twin box springs and Ashley gets Granny's old queen headboard and frame.  And we have an extra twin mattress. Whew.  Did you keep that straight?

For a few nights this week, Ashley had both the queen mattress and twin bed in her room side by side.  (Yes, she has a large room).   With so much sleeping space in her room her siblings came and bunked with her.  Daniel and Ashley on the queen and Laurie on the twin.

I almost hate to move all the mattresses to the correct spots ands stop them from sleeping together.

The Tortoise and the Hare

The kids and I went with friends to see a fun production of The True Story of The Tortoise and The Hare at Miller Outdoor Theater.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed the fun yet cheesy production as part of a children's festival by Express Children's Theater.

After it was over, we all rode the Hermann Park train - quite a tradition with our family.  I've been riding it since I was little and Granny Merr would take all of us Henley cousins to the zoo and to ride the train.  

Yes, Ashley was mad about something - I think because other kids "took" the seat she wanted on the train.  Whatever.  She shook it off and got over it a few minutes later.

Creative Blogs

Today I saw a blog post on a crafty blog about making stuff with toothpicks.  I didn't really read the post, but seeing the toothpick shaped star I was inspired.  Tonight while making dinner, I gave Daniel and Laurie a handful of toothpicks each to design shapes and images.  Everything started out simple at first - a triangle, square, rectangle...  But then Daniel moved onto octagon, hexagon and trapezoids.  Next thing I knew he had designed pictures within pictures with his toothpicks with Laurie making a star and heart (sort of).  

What a great spur of the moment craft exercise!!

A Very Sick Birdie

After returning home from a busy day at the Museum of Fine Arts and a neighborhood playground, I received a call from Dr. D with an update on Laurie's latest chest x-ray.  I had been slow on getting Laurie her latest x-ray with the 4th of July holiday, waiting almost 4 weeks between x-rays.  Laurie seemed to be fine.  So when Dr. D. called me the evening of July 8th to notify me that her x-ray that week revealed pneumonia lurking in her chest, I was surprised, but confident Laurie was fine.  Dr. D. wanted to see us first thing the next morning, but I appealed for a later in the day appointment.  Ashley and Birdie were scheduled for a day of beauty with Cameron, Brenna and my mom at Sweet & Sassy, then lunch at a Tea Room.  It was to be Laurie's first trip to Sweet & Sassy.  Dr. D. wasn't convinced so easily, but I reassured her Laurie was fine while at the museum that day.  

The next morning, things were crazy trying to get us all out the door for another busy day.  Laurie was refusing to get dressed and ready to leave.  Then she started crying, saying her back and stomach hurt.  Thinking she was constipated or something, I gave her a prune and tried to get her to use the bathroom.  She only seemed to get more upset.  Confused by her behavior and unable to get her dressed, I put her in the car in her pajamas.  By the time we got to a neighbor's house to drop Daniel off for his playdate, she was screaming.  We made it out to Hwy 6 and then her screaming got really bad.  At one point I had to pull over and try to comfort her.  I was really freaked out at her pain and even yelled at Ashley for not helping me comfort her while I was driving.  Ashley was scared by her constant screaming and I was frustrated and scared myself.  

We finally got to Sweet & Sassy a few minutes late.  I called my mom, who came and got Ashley out of the car.  She convinced me to just go straight to Dr. D's office without an appointment since something was very wrong with Laurie.  When we arrived at the office, Laurie was alternating between screaming and lethargic.  She was very pale. I knew she was not doing well by the reaction of the nurses.  They immediately took her back and brought in Dr. D.  After an examination, they catheterized Laurie for a urine sample and checked her blood/oxygen saturation levels.  Her levels were low with shallow breathing, so they gave her a breathing treatment.  At this point, I was terrified she had a ruptured appendix or something.  Dr. D sent us over to Methodist Hospital next door for an abdominal ultrasound and blood work.  

At some point, I had texted Brian and he met me when I got to Methodist.  It was scary seeing Laurie so lethargic and non-responsive.  We had to wait for a long time to get her tests.  Dr. D called me on my cell after an hour or so to see how it was going.  She was stunned to hear we were still waiting. Next thing I know, she was talking to the Diagnostic desk and we were called back immediately.  The ultrasound was inconclusive.  Laurie had so much gas in her abdomen they had a difficult time seeing much.  The blood work would take 2 hours for results.  While we were waiting for the radiologist to talk to us, Dr. D called us (she'd already talked to the radiologist), gave us the results and told us to come back to her office.  

When we got there, Dr. D. told us she could not send Laurie home, not in this condition.  The screaming had stopped, but she was extremely lethargic.  Only waking long enough to whimper and cry before passing out again.  They checked her blood/oxygen levels again, which were low, and gave her another breathing treatment.  She told us we were to go to the emergency room at Texas Children's Hospital.  Before sending us on our way, her nurse gave Laurie 2 Rocephin shots in her legs.  Those are just horrible shots (Daniel has had them). That woke Laurie up and caused her to start screaming again.

Brian and I left his car at the Dr. office and drove to the medical center.  We had started updating our friends and family on Laurie's condition through text messages and FaceBook.  It was a blessing to receive messages of prayers and support throughout the very long day.  

After arriving at Texas Children's, we waited again and continued retelling Laurie's story to everyone who walked in the door.  It was a frustrating time period.  We had a couple different doctors and nurses come in and talk with us, without really discovering out who was in charge of her case. Dr. D called to check on us and got the ER doctor's name & phone #.  Dr. D. was amazing.  I believe without her prodding the ER doctor, things would have taken even longer.  She called us multiple times during our entire visit to Texas Children's.  It was reassuring to have her explaining things to us since she knows Laurie and us so very well.  

Waiting for her chest x-ray

Laurie was started on an IV and sent for another chest x-ray and round of blood work.  While waiting for the chest x-ray, she started to perk up a bit.  After that, it was more waiting.  It was Dr. D who called my cell to tell us the results.  It was decided that Laurie's pneumonia had gotten worse and settled deep in her lungs.  It was pushing up against her diaphragm and causing her intense pain.  They started her on an IV of ampicillin and admitted her.  

Brian and I had a very long, exhausting and emotional day.  The nurses and staff at Texas Children's were amazing.  So nice and reassuring.  When we got up to her room, it was like a hotel in many ways.  They were extremely accommodating of not only her needs, but of us also.  One debate Brian and I started having was who would stay the night with Laurie.  Brian flat out told me he would not leave.  I tried discussing it with him, telling him I wanted to stay, but he had to be the one with her.  I just couldn't imagine leaving my baby in the hospital and going home for the night.

Coloring with Daddy in the ER

Once we got up to the room, with the IV, antibiotics and earlier shot all in her system, Laurie finally was perking up.  Brian ran out to buy us dinner and my sister came by to bring us a few things from home. Besides the important things like a change of clothes, toothbrush and cell phone chargers, they brought Laurie a stuffed animal, new nightgown and books.  Shelly's girls were sweet sitting on the bed, reading to Birdie.  

It was decided that Brian would spend the night and I would go home to sleep, so I left with Shelly and Bryan.  It was hard to get myself to go to sleep when I got home, but I was exhausted. Even stranger was waking up by myself, getting ready and heading back to the hospital.  Maybe this is how Brian felt each time we had a baby and he came home to sleep.  

The difference a day makes

When I arrived in Birdie's room, she was like a different child.  Very happy and awake.  The new nurse on duty had trouble believing this cute little girl bouncing all over the room had been so sick the day before.  

While Brian went out to get lunch for him and I, Birdie stood in the big window to watch him walk on the street below.  Then she started posing and dancing in the window.  

Dancing in the window

After we arrived back home

They released her that afternoon with a prescription for more ampicillin and orders of follow up and rest.  Laurie seemed such a trooper through it all.  We discovered a little later that it really affected her.  (Crying with anxiety at follow up Dr. appointments, not wanting to sleep by herself and scared of needles.)  

It was a real wake up call for Brian and I.  Laurie hadn't really appeared very sick in the weeks leading up to that day, but looking back, there were subtle signs she wasn't feeling well.  Dr. D has become very protective of Laurie. She didn't present with the normal signs and symptoms something was terribly wrong fooling all of us by thinking she was fine.  After all, we were just at the museum and playground the day not concerned about her health.  

Even though she perked up so quickly, we are still taking it calm and easy.  She is a little slow and needs more time to heal.  Thank you for all the prayers and support over the last week.  It has helped more than you will ever know. 

Taking it easy a few days later

Houston Museum of Fine Arts

With Ashley getting more interested in various types of art, I was very excited to take the kids to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts this summer.  Mom, Cameron and Brenna came with us last Thursday.  We discovered that the MFA offers a unique art inspired story time for kids.  A docent leads a small group of children to specific art pieces where they sit, discuss the art and read a book corresponding to the gallery they are sitting in.  We were really lucky getting the docent and tour we did because we focused on artists I love.

Our first book was read while sitting in front of 6 Frederic Remington paintings.  This was perfect because she and I had just finished a book on Remington, his life and works.  When asked, Ashley chose this piece, The Herd Boy, as her favorite in the room.  The blue in the landscape and the solitary horse made this painting her favorite.  Overall, I think he was her favorite painter of the day due to subject matter.

We next progressed upstairs to a gallery containing some of my favorite artists.  Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.  

After spending time with a Van Gogh, we moved into a room with Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, Cassett and stopped in front of a Monet.  Our docent showed the children this picture in a book of Monet's now famous bridge at Giverney painted in 1897.

She then directed them to the painting below, which was hanging above her head.  It is of the same bridge, but painted by Monet in 1923 after he was mostly blind. The kids were fascinated trying to compare the two pictures and find the resemblance.   Daniel had a great time pointing out the bridge to the group.

After the story time was over, the seven of us spent another hour exploring several areas of the museum.  Mom and I quickly discovered that the guards were very skittish by the kids exploring the galleries on their own.  Birdie was already bored with our excursion and refused to stay next to me, so I ended up carrying my 38 lb 3 year old daughter through most of the museum.

While we stayed probably 30 minutes too long for the kids young attention spans, I had a wonderful time introducing them to so many different types of art.  We saw a sarcophagus, a Rembrandt, a few Picassos, a Botticelli, a Tiffany stained glass window, and stared at a couple of Jackson Pollocks till our eyes went cross.  I had the opportunity to introduce the kids to my all time favorite sculptor, August Rodin.  

While I'm sure the kids will not remember all that we saw and it didn't change their lives, I loved showing it to them.  Hopefully seeing so many different types of art at one time opened their mind to what is possible.

After our tour, we discovered a kids craft time at the museum.  They each got to make their own golden crown.  Then we had a delicious lunch at the Cafe Express in the museum.

It was a long day, that got a little longer when we were done.  On our way home, we met some friends at  an indoor playground for a couple more hours of fun.  Looking back it seems that our day of fun might have been a little too much for Laurie, who ended up hospitalized the next day.

4th of July 2010

A few pictures from our 2010 Fourth of July. 

Making homemade ice cream with GrandDaddy & GrandMommy

Video of Birdie & Ashley's fun with sparklers

 Happy Birthday America!

We ended the great day watching fireworks together in a parking lot.

Candy Sushi

On Friday, Daniel and I tried our hand at rolling sushi but instead of sea weed paper and rice, we used fruit roll ups and rice krispies.  We found the recipe for Candy Sushi in our "Cooking Rocks" cookbook by Rachel Ray and just had to try it.  

It was a pretty simple recipe - mix rice krispies with melted butter, spread over unrolled fruit rollup, place twizzler in the middle, then roll up and slice.  Sounds very easy, but in reality, it wasn't.  Have you tried unrolling a fruit roll up without ripping it?  It's tough!  And very amusing.  We had lots of laughs while trying to get fruit rollup out from under our fingernails and roll them out smooth.  Let's just admit now that Daniel got to eat his fair share of ones that got messed up.  

All in all, they turned out great. And even looked like real sushi.   Daniel managed to leave a few for his sisters and the Thiem girls who were over playing.  He was sure proud of making his very own sushi roll that even the girls loved.

An Amazing Concert

My wonderfully smart husband bought tickets months ago for us to see Sting with the London Philharmonic Symphony.  I had completely forgotten about it and wasn't terribly looking forward to it since I was scheduled to volunteer at a swim meet early the next morning.  And, we'd already seen Sting twice in concert.  Once on his Brand New Day tour 10 years ago and with The Police reunion tour a few years ago.    

More than the concert, I was simply looking forward to an evening with my husband.  We drove up to the Woodlands early and had dinner at PF Changs.  Sitting in the audience waiting for the concert to start, I got excited.  We were so close.  And the stage was full of instruments.  It was amazing.

We did act like the dorks we are and took a picture of ourselves.  Guess we should have waited for the sun to go down first, oh well.  

This concert was unbelievable.  Sting has an amazing voice and unique sound usually, but when you pair him up with a full orchestra, it was breathtaking.  He took every song to the next level by changing an already great song to make it even better.  Of course, I had to mention to Brian several times that Sting is terribly handsome to which Brian continually reminded me that he will be 60 next year.  Ouch. 

My absolute favorite song of the night was "Russians" from The Dream of the Blue Turtles album.  (I say album, because it was released in 1985 before CDs.)  While in high school, I fell asleep every night listening to my tape copy of the album that my sister had made me.  I often wondered what led Sting to write this particular song, so it was a wonderful moment for me to listen to him tell us all about it.  Then to have him sing it with passion accompanied by the symphony was simply amazing.   I am bummed to find out that it will not be on his Symphonicities album being released in July.  

Listening to the music of the concert increased my desire to buy a piano and ensure my kids learn how to read music and play.  I'm not sure how good I would ever be again, but it would be nice to be able to sit down and play.  I also foresee a symphony concert in my children's future. I'd love to have them understand and appreciate the individual instruments and the grand sound that comes when they all play together.

It was a great night.  We had lots of time as a couple to enjoy each other and experience a wonderful concert together.  Thank you sweetie for another wonderful Sting concert.  

These last pictures are from our midnight stop at Whataburger on the way home.  We were so thirsty from sitting outside in the heat for a 3 hour concert.  And we refused to drink anything during the concert for fear that we'd need a potty break and miss something.