Hi Ho, Hi Ho...it's back to work I go!

Today was fun. I stayed home with Samuel so he could recover from surgery.

In advance, we had the teachers send us his school work for Wed-Fri because I wasn't sure how long he'd need to stay home. After taking the girls to school this morning, I learned why it is that I teach preschool & not third grade. I don't see homeschooling in my future, either. I did find it intriguing that we finished 3 days' worth of make up work in 2 hours. Sure, it was a not-so-fun 2 hours, but we got it done.

We watched a movie together when we were done. Hotel for Dogs is a fairly new release & we loved it. The basic premise is that 2 foster kids with a love for dogs start finding strays & taking care of them in an old abandoned hotel. A few friends join in....and a few more dogs....and before you know it, you've got an empty building with a few dozen dogs inside. The younger of the 2 foster kids is a mechanical genius & he builds all sorts of contraptions to feed the dogs when the kids are gone, a potty device that collects their...umm....waste products & disposes of it. It's really a fun movie that elementary through young teens will love. I don't think there was anything inappropriate in the movie, so I'll give it 2 thumbs up.

When the movie was over, that's when the true surgical recovery happened. I made lunch in the kitchen while my 9 year old (remember: surgery YESTERDAY) son moved the 2 couches (by himself!) to the sides of our coffee table so we could sit & eat together. Hmm....I wonder if he's feeling better?

A couple of hours later when the doctor's office called to check on how he's doing, I glanced over & saw his actions & said "Well....at the moment, he's doing jumping jacks and singing." The nurse cracked up and said, "Yes, I think he's better!".

And so......I'm whistling the 7 Dwarfs tune.....Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's BACK to work I go.

And ya know what? I can't wait. I love my job!

Samuel's surgery....and an "interesting" conversation on the way

Today was Samuel long-needed surgery for tubes & removal of his adenoids. We took the girls to school and then he & I came home so I could finish getting ready before we left about 8:30. We were due to check into the surgical center at 9:00.

As we got into the van, Samuel asked me a strange question, which was followed by an odd conversation. See?

Samuel: Mom, was King neutoned?

Me: Huh?

Samuel: Was King neutoned? You know, that shot they give dogs to make them calmer & less aggressive.

All I could think of was a fig neuton & sat there with a puzzled look on my face trying to figure out what he was talking about.....then it hit me...NEUTERED! Where in the world did this conversation come from??

Me: Honey, you mean neutered. And it's a surgery, not a shot. Yes, King was neutered before we got him.

Samuel: Why did they do that? He wasn't aggressive.

Me: Well, it's really not a surgery to change the dog's personality. It's the surgery that dogs have to keep them from having babies.

Samuel: Oh.

After a minute of his "wheels turning", he piped up again.

Samuel: Wait mom....boy dogs don't have babies. The girl dogs do!

Me: Well yes, but the boy dogs are daddies. When they have the neutering surgery, they can't be a daddy dog. Remember how I had surgery after I had Sarah so that I couldn't have any more babies? And some men have a surgery like that too. There is also a surgery for dogs that they can do to make them not have more babies.

Samuel: oh.

Again, we drove along in silence while he digested this & figured out more questions.

Samuel: So....what does the surgery do?

Me: They cut off the part of the boy dog that he needs to make a baby.

Samuel: You mean, like they take out the part of him that wants to help the mommy dog raise baby dogs?

Me: Umm....no..... The boy dog has sperm & the girl dogs have eggs and they have to get together to have a litter of puppies.

Samuel: Wait. What part of the boy dog do they cut off?

Me: Uh.....well, you know the boy parts you have (insert scientifically correct words that we use in our family)?

Samuel: Yes.

Me: They cut off the (scientific words again).

Samuel: oh. (He kind of gasped as he started figuring out that they cut off THAT.)

At this point, we were only about 3 miles from our house, so this all happened pretty fast. I was hoping he'd leave the conversation at this point, but apparently he wanted to hear more. This mama was in the front seat wishing that Larry was with us to help me answer all these questions....and still wondering what on earth sparked this conversation. Maybe he was watching Animal Planet while I was getting ready. It finally "hit" him.

Samuel: SO.........the girl dog & boy dogs who haven't had that surgery have to umm....touch their 'parts' together to have a baby?

Me: Yes.

Samuel: (said in horror:) Is that how it works for people too?????

Me: Yes.

Samuel: That is SO gross. I don't want to get married & have children. No way. That's weird.

Me: What? No grandkids for me? I bet you'll change your mind when you get older.

Samuel: Uh-uh! That's gross. I don't want to have to do THAT--ever. Sorry mom.

After a moment of quiet I reminded him that this was a private subject that he did NOT need to go to school & talk to his friends about. He agreed that he'd NEVER talk about THAT because it was gross!! ha ha! We'll fill in more details later, but I figure for a 5 or 10 min conversation, he got the basics down.

LOL!!!!!!!!! I never knew that we'd be discussing reproduction on the way to his surgery!!

We arrived at the surgery center & got checked in. Grandma arrived to hang out with us and we got taken back into the Pre-Op room fairly quick. The nurse gave him a gown to put on. While I signed forms, Grandma got him into his gown. The nurse kind of whispered to me "Do you think he'll let me start his IV now or should we wait til he's in the OR?" I told her that he'd be fine to do it either way. He's always fascinated with watching them draw blood & give him shots at the pediatrician's office, so I said to go for it. She was really sweet, a mother of 4. She talked him through everything she was going to do and showed him each piece of equipment while she got it going. Sure enough, in just a couple minutes' time, he had an IV in his hand without ever shedding a tear or acting upset or anything. What a trooper!

We had to wait a little over an hour before surgery time, so we occupied our time with taking pictures & being silly.

When the surgical nurse came him & put the Versed (goofy drug, as we call it) in the IV, Samuel was pretty insistent that he was "just fine" & didn't feel 'funny' at all. Since they put it in the IV, it hit his system a lot quicker than if he drank it, so within just a minute his eyes looked a little glazed over & he just grinned a big goofy grin. The nurse laughed & said "Yep, I think it's working. Why don't you lay back, honey?" He flopped back on the pillow & they wheeled him away feeling perfectly content to go off to surgery with strangers.

Mom & I were led to a family consult room to wait. I timed it. When we got into the room, I went next door to the bathroom & looked at my watch. It was 11:17. The doctor walked in to tell us it was over & things went fine at 11:34. I knew that the tubes surgery was only about 10-15 minutes long, so apparently adding in removal of the adenoids doesn't add much time to the surgery at all. We were led into the post-op/recovery room at 12:05. It took him a little while to wake up enough to sit up & drink some juice. When he first woke up, his throat was numb from the lidocaine that they put on the tube when they intubated him and he was a little freaked out because he didn't think he could breathe or speak. Poor baby boy was coughing & gagging a little in an effort to get in a big breath. The nurse (who was SO sweet) came in & talked to him & assured him that it was just numb and that he was indeed breathing just fine. (His oxygen level was 99, so clearly he was breathing without a problem.) By 1:00, we were getting into the van to come home.

Throughout our time at the surgical center, nurses & doctors mentioned that "this is the boy who let them start the IV" repeatedly. We really didn't think that he'd pulled off something that was that big of a deal, but mom finally asked the nurse why we were getting so many compliments about this seemingly little thing. He said that they have so many kids to physically fight them on putting in an IV that it's just always a big deal when a kid willingly allows them to without them being sedated first. And to sit there & calmly watch the whole thing was a big deal. We were proud of him for behaving so sweetly & cooperating so well, but didn't realize that it was going to be a big to do with all the staff there.

He came home & sat on the couch watching cartoons til suppertime. He didn't eat anything because he wasn't hungry and kept falling asleep over & over. At about 7:45, I picked him up & carried him to his bed after Larry & I held him up to put his medicine in his mouth a few minutes prior. Obviously the effects of the anesthesia haven't fully worn off yet!

We'll be staying home tomorrow (he & I) to get a little more rest & heal up.

Thanks for the prayers you lifted for us! The little munchkin went to bed in no pain but he was still pretty groggy. I bet he'll be more alert tomorrow!

Editted to add: If you would like to see pictures of Samuel before/after surgery, check my facebook page. If you're not on Facebook, email me & I'll send you a few pics.

How cool is this?

Just take a peek at this link: http://theridiculant.metro.co.uk/2009/04/spaghettilaced-hot-dogs-your-new-food-sensation.html

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham & Cheese

I posted this on Facebook, but I know some of the folks who read my blog aren't FB devotees, so I'm sharing it here, too.

This was last night's supper & ohhhhhhh so yummy. Enjoy!


1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can cream of potato soup, undiluted (original recipe calls for 2/3 c. of this, but I used the whole can)
1 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
5-6 medium red potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced (original recipe called for 8, but I used 5-6 & it seemed like plenty)
3 c. fully cooked, cubed ham (I used the full 3 cups, but I think it might've been a little too much. You could probably go with 2 to 2 1/2 cups & it would be fine.)
1 c. shredded Mozzarella
2 c. shredded Cheddar, divided

In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Add the potatoes, ham & cheese (reserve 1 c. of cheddar); toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13x9 pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 65-70 min. or until bubbly & potatoes are tender.

I pulled it out about 5 min before it was due to be finished to check the potatoes & threw on the remaining cheese so it was all gooey & melty when I pulled it out at the end of the cooking time. Can you say "comfort food"? :)

Random Thoughts with Liz

I'm getting antsy for school to be done. The kids & I (and "my" kids at school) are ready for school to be over with. It's Spring Fever time! Rather than focusing on the smell of new pink erasers & the feel of a smooth new pencil, I'm daydreaming about the slip & slide in our front yard and day trips to the park & museums! I hate hot weather, but I'm really looking forward to summertime!!!

Every time I get into my car & smell the raspberry air freshener, it reminds me of the smell of snowcones & I get all wistful thinking of days when I was a kid and went to the snowcone stand across the street from the park. I think of the time last summer when we piled all the kids & two of the neighbor kids into the van & made a trip to the snowcone stand to get everyone a cold treat on a 100 degree day. I have no idea what hours the snowcone place is open now. We will have to check that out before June!
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Samuel's tubes/adenoids surgery is Wednesday. We'll find out on Tuesday afternoon what time surgery will be. He & I will be out of work/school on Wednesday & Thursday for sure, and we'll play it by ear on Friday. I've got a sub in place just in case we decide to play hookie one more day, but can call & cancel if he's ready to get back to school on Friday. I have a feeling, however, that he's going to want to stay home.
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Today makes 1 week since we lost King. The initial heartbreak has passed and the kids aren't spending every single day talking about King now, but you should see their bedroom walls. Last Monday, I had about 50 pics of King printed & picked them up from CVS before I picked up the kids from school. When they got home, they all attacked the package of pictures & nabbed their favorite pictures. Samuel & Sarah stapled a thousand pics all over their walls to be able to look at King all the time. :) Savannah tucked her pictures into her journal where she wrote a sweet memorial about him. Hopefully in the next week or so, we'll have a chance to go to my parents' house & let the kids see King's grave. I've held off on doing that yet because I know it may be too soon & I don't want to start the tears all over again just yet.

Interestingly, I still haven't stopped looking into the backyard as I drive in from taking the kids to school or when I come home from work. I can still picture my sweet fluffy dog raising up his head from his favorite napping spot to greet me when I came home. Sure do miss that sweet doggy!
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On Tuesday, Samuel will take the Math portion of the TAKS test. You may remember our concern about the reading portion that he took last month. He did REALLY well on that part despite our fears that he would fail, so I'm hoping he'll do equally well on the math part. Fortunately the math portion doesn't carry the heavy dread of the reading part. For 3rd graders in Texas, if you fail the reading part of the TAKS test, you fail 3rd grade. The math part is important, but it doesn't carry the pass/fail power of the reading part.

Savannah will also take a portion of the 7th grade TAKS that day, but I honestly don't even remember what part. She has always done well on standardized tests, so I know she'll be fine.

Sarah gets to go on a field trip that day while the older kids take a test. She's giddy talking about going to the movies & skating rink.
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Today was our membership interview at Bethel. I kind of laugh at the idea of an "interview" for church membership. It's really way less formal than the word "interview" sounds. Most churches do something similar, but every place calls it something different. The truth is, you sit down with a church elder & just talk. They want to know that you agree with what the church believes & stands for, that you are indeed a believer in Christ, that you are willing to serve in some capacity in the church....that sort of thing. The elder we talked to today laughed during our interview & said it was funny that we were even sitting down to have this conversation. Considering that the church licensed Larry to preach several years ago, it's kind of obvious that they're going to accept us as members. It was nice to have a while to chat with Chuck, though!
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Savannah has a Gameboy game she wants to sell on eBay. She's been bugging me (usually at the most inoppurtune moments) for several days now about getting on eBay & listing it. Today, in a moment of frustration, I told her we'd list it Thursday night at 7:21pm. We both laughed, but tonight, she mentioned it again.......restating the date & time we'd be getting on eBay to sell it. She cracks me up. She's so literal. She is sincerely going to hold me to the Thurs 7:21pm time. ha ha!
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Time to start a new week!

Anyone know?

Over a year ago, we had a ton of viruses removed from our computer when it crashed. Leading up to the crash, I had trouble with pop ups (to the tune of hundreds of them). Lately, I'm having trouble w/ pop ups from blogspot sites. I've reset my AOL pop up controls because I only have the problem when I go through AOL's browser. When I use Firefox I don't have a problem at all.

If it doesn't help (the controls being reset), I may switch over to reading blogspot sites strictly through Firefox. BUT....I don't know how to set up favorites on Firefox. Can someone tell me?

1 day later

I guess we always knew, when we adopted King, that we only had so much time with him. He was old when we adopted him but we didn't care. We fell in love with him & knew he was the one to complete our family. He was about 10 years old (not sure exactly) when we adopted him over a year ago, so now he would've been around 11.

When we adopted King, the rescue group's listing called him a Collie/Chow/Keeshund mix. Upon researching all these breeds, we believe he looks most like the pictures we've seen of Keeshunds. A vet he saw about 6 weeks ago leaned more toward calling him a Chow, but the truth is, he was a mixed breed. We don't really care what he was though...he was precious & truely changed the lives of my kids.

You see, Sarah was terrified of ALL dogs before King came into our lives. After falling in love with King, she's grown past her fears.

Samuel was less scared than Sarah & more skiddish/nervous around them. After meeting King & caring for him these past 15-ish months, he is 100% comfortable around all dogs.

And our sweet Savannah fell deeper for King than probably any of the rest of us. You see, when we had our last dog (Coco, a lab), it was her face that Coco bit. After that night of going to the ER for stitches, we got rid of Coco. I think Savannah always felt "responsible" for having to get rid of Coco and there was a hole in her heart (because she really loved Coco!). When King came along and we brought him home, she was head over heels in love before she went to bed the first night.

In the past year (give or take), King has blessed us with his sweet, sweet, sweet dimeanor. He was gentle & kind. He barked about once a month (seriously), never ran, never jumped. He went camping with us and rode to the schools to pick up the kids in the afternoons with me. We'll never forget the day that he hopped out of the van when the door opened for the kids to get in. Thankfully he didn't go anywhere...he just wanted to see what all those kids were doing! :) He's been for more walks than I can count and has touched all our hearts with his sweet nature. EVERY child in the neighbhorhood loved King & they're equally crushed about his death.

Today was easier than yesterday & I know tomorrow will be easier than today. One way or the other, we're going to get through this and come out better on the other side. We are blessed for having known King at all.

Thank you for all the sweet emails & comments here and on Facebook.