It's Christmas Break.....Means someone's got to be sick

Never fails, every year during Christmas break someone in the family gets sick, or worse.  Last year, it was my dad dying.  This year it was a quick trip to the ER for my youngest.  For the last few days he has been complaining of intermittent belly pain.  He also has been having a low grade fever.  My first thought, as with all my kids who complain that their belly hurts, "When was the last time you had a poopy?"  Danny told me he had one at his dad's house.  No big deal, a couple of days ago.  Well, earlier today, we were getting ready to travel to NJ to do Christmas at my Uncle's house.  First all, my kids love their Uncle Skip.  They look forward to seeing him.  So, when Danny told my mom that he thought that we shouldn't go today, as he felt too sick and hurting too bad, we knew something was up.  He was doubled over in pain, crying and crying.  Both my mom and I examine him, and took note that he had rebound tenderness in his right lower quadrant.....classic appenciditis symptoms.  Throw in the low grade fever.........off to the ER immediatly.  No sense going to his pediatrician, what are they going to say, wait a few days and come back if no better, or go to the ER and be evaluated.  So, we cut the middle man and went right to the ER.  Not what we all had planned.
We decided to go to the new local ER satellite.  We get there, and there is no one in the waiting room, and the guard tells use that there was only 1 other person in the ER.  We go right back, and as soon as we get to the room, the doctor is walking into the room.  The doctor agreed, the symptoms are classic appendicitis, so blood work, ultrasound, and x-ray are in order to see if my baby would be having surgery later or if something else was causing his severe pain.  The worse was me and my mom holding my baby down to help the nurses put an IV in his arm and draw some blood.  The nurse was so good explaining everything to him, and giving him permission to scream through the pain.  As soon as the IV was in, they wheeled him to the ultrasound, then to the x-ray.  Within 1 hour, we saw the doctor, had all the tests, and was waiting for the lab to finish up with the results.  Every test came back negative for appendicitis, however, my baby is constipated.  So off to the store to get some prune juice.  As soon as we got home, I got him a glass of prune juice mixed with apple juice (ER nurse suggested to mix the prune juice with apple juice to make it taste better), and heated it up a little.  My son told me that it tasted like apple cider, and he loved it.  Luckily, we started to have a little success before the night was out. 
I am just so thankful that I am home able to write about this, and not in the hospital helping my baby recover. 
So off to NJ tomarrow to celebrate Christmas in NJ.

I'm Trying, but.....

I have been trying and trying to move things in my living room enough to be able to put up the Christmas tree, but it just doesn't seem to get done.  I seem to have no motivation to get it done.  Today, I have managed to partially clean one area, only to find that everything is now in the middle of the floor....what to do with the stuff???  I usually put the tree in the corner, but my sewing machine is there.  I need my sewing machine up to finish a present.  I've decided to put the tree along a long wall, but would it be better to put the sofa there, and the tree where the sofa is?  I don't know.  Moving the sofa would allow the living room heater vent to be open, but moving it will partially block a bedroom door.  What to do?  I'm so conflicted.  I know the kids want a tree up badly, but I am not in the mood.  Too many sad memories!

What Every Driver Needs to KNOW!!

When I got my driver's license, before I was allowed to drive on my own, I first had to know how to change a tire.  Every driver should know how to change a flat tire.  Personally I feel that it should be part of the drivers test.  It is very important.  I learned first hand today just how important.  Today, I had my first flat tire of my driving life. 

I went to pick the kids up from school.  All was well driving to school.  I parked the car, went in to pick up the kids for their dentist appointment that was scheduled for 15minutes after picking up the kids.  I pile them all up into the van, start to drive away.  As I am driving out of the parking lot, the car starts to pull hard to the right.  Knowing something was wrong, I stop the van.  I walk around the van and noticed that the rifht front tire was completely flat.  GREAT!!!  Mind you, it's 40degrees outside and pouring rain.  Of course it's pouring rain, can't have a flat in nice sunny weather.  Luckily I was in the school parking lot, and many parents are around.  My first challenge was to lower the spare tire down.  I have a van that has a spare tire like a full sized truck, under the car between the rear tires, suspended by a cable.   The problem, lowering the cable to remove the spare.  I thought there was a metal clamp that needed to be unscrewed.  I tried my hardest, a fellow parent tried, all while lying on the cold wet ground.  By now, I am soaking wet and freezing cold.  After many attempts, I finially figure out that the cable needs to be lowered by putting the tire crowbar into this little hole and turning it.  Once the spare is off, I place the jack up under the car and raise the car.  As I am jacking up the car, a student's father loosens the lug nuts.  Sure, I could do it, eventually, but to me that is the hardest part of changing a car tire.  Luckily, my boyfriend placed the lug nuts on, and were torqued just right...not too tight.  With the lug nuts loose, I finish raising up the car.  I remove the flat tire, place the spare on, and tighten the nuts up, lower the jack, and away we go.  As I was placing the spare tire on the car, another mother walks over and starts asking me how I knew how to change a tire.  She proceeds to tell me that she has no clue, that her husband would have to change her tire.  When I told her that I wasn't allowed to drive without first changing a tire by myself, she proceeds to tell me that she now plans on making that a requirement for her kids.  My first thought was that she should learn before making her sons learn.  Had I been stuck on a road, with nobody insight, I still would have been able to fend for myself, and be on my way.  Sure, it was nice being in a parking lot and not on a road.  It was even nicer having lots of people around willing to help.  The best part for me was fathers in awe that I knew what I was doing, and had more tools to complete the task than I needed. 

Besides knowing how to change a tire, every driver should have a few things in there car.  #1-jumper cables-it's always easy to find someone to give you a jump if needed, not always easy to find someone with jumper cables.  #2-A small tool box with a hammer, a few wrenches, and screwdrivers. #3-a small air compressor (Had I not been able to figure out how to remove the spare tire, I could have pumped up the tire long enough to get to a garage and have the tire fixed). #4-Windsheild washer fluid-never know when you might run out and need it.  #5-1 extra quart of oil, enough to top off the oil if running low-make sure you know how to check the oil.  #6-something to put on the ground just incase it's pouring rain and you need to lay on the ground (I will add this immediatly), not to mention, it will keep you warm in the winter if the car gets stuck

Just another day in my life for sure!!!