Two years ago, we went to Castaway Bay and the boys have been asking to go back ever since. We intended on going back last year, but there was the whole thing where I drove an awful, unreliable Ford Focus that broke down on a moment's whim and we didn't go anywhere for awhile. So, I was definitely excited when we received an invite to this year's mom blogger event at Castaway Bay. Almost as excited as Luke and Tommy, but it was hard to match their excitement! As soon as they found out about the trip, they immediately began discussing their favorite parts of the waterpark. Since it'd been two years since we visited, Tommy wasn't old enough to do everything that Luke did, so Luke begin filling him in on all the things he would be able to do now. Needless to say, it seemed like February 7th would never arrive.
For us, Castaway Bay is the same driving distance mileage-wise as the Dells, but we avoid Chicago traffic. This is a huge perk, especially with recent weather conditions. The interstates have been awful, so going just a straight shot on the Ohio turnpike was a welcome, easy relief. When we arrived, check-in was quick and simple, and the boys were thrilled to find these goodies waiting for us in our room.
They changed into swimsuits pretty much right away, and we headed to the waterpark before I even had a chance to look around, but I did a quick moment to notice what a nice view we had.
I can imagine the water view and balcony our especially nice during the summer, but it wasn't all bad during the winter. There was just no way I was venturing out on the balcony with single digit temps!
We headed down to the waterpark, where the 82 degrees was honestly the most welcoming temperature ever. I don't think I've felt that warm once this entire frigid winter. Tommy played it safe and went on the smaller slide in the toddler pool, but I told him he was now tall enough for the Rendezvous Run which was Luke's favorite ride two years ago and convinced him to go on it with me. Since it's a water coaster, I thought he might feel more comfortable on that than a waterslide right away. As we went down the first hill, then into a dark tube, he was quiet. Then he started yelling, "This is awesome!" Then he made me go on it seven times in a row, and I regretted suggesting it and passed him off to Shane.
Luke, meanwhile, discovered that he is now tall enough for the Cargo Crossing and was busy making his way across the rope over and over again.
What I love about this is that there's a lifeguard posted at the entrance and only one kid is allowed in at a time. We've been at other waterparks where they don't limit the number of kids and the rope/float area can get kind of frantic and hard to watch. He also discovered that he is now tall enough for the biggest tube slides, so he drug me down those a few times. They are definitely fast!
After a few hours of play, it was time to get dried off and head to dinner (this was accomplished with the promise of arcade and more waterpark time later). Dinner was all-you-can-eat pizza and salad, both of which were delicious, but the highlight was obviously a guest appearance by Snoopy.
After dinner, we headed across the hall where the boys got to do some really neat crafts. They were able to decorate their own beach towels, paint picture frames and meet Lucy!
Peanuts Meet-and-Greet and Castaway Crafts are all fun activities offered to Castaway Bay guests (some crafts may cost extra). My boys definitely love the ability to meet and hug the Peanuts characters. And of course, the crafts were a blast. They always want souvenirs everywhere we go, so it's nice to have souvenirs that they have put time and effort into creating themselves.
After crafts, we headed to the arcade, where Tommy either wanted to play the games with the giant guns or ride on anything that moves. Of course.
The boys managed to win a combined total of 550 points and scored themselves a bunch of fun goodies. Like everyone else in the resort, the girl at the arcade was incredibly helpful and beyond patient as the boys took approximately 800 years to choose how to redeem their points. We let them go back to the waterpark for another hour or so after the arcade, then they were good and worn out for bed. And I got to head out to taste some local wines, which made my husband jealous.
With good reason… I'm still thinking about the smoked salmon and cream cheese. Being from the Northwest Indiana area, I'm mostly familiar with Southwestern Michigan wineries. However, it appears that the Lake Erie Shores and Islands area is not without its own celebrated wineries, either. We were able to sample several different wines and choose a bottle of our favorite to take. Second to spending time with my family, of course, this was definitely my favorite part of the weekend. I love the celebration and highlighting of locally owned businesses and while we pass signs for wineries on our drive in, it's not easy to stop with two small kids in the car. So to get the chance to sample these wines was really unique and a lot of fun. I chose a bottle of riesling from Firelands Winery and after looking at their website, I hope to get there someday soon to sample more! Although it was a family event, I liked that an adult event was planned after bedtime--it was definitely nice to get out and chat. It's hard to talk to other adults when you're helping your kids with crafts or dinner, so this was a nice way to make it work out so the attendees could visit with one another. I had a great time meeting a few new people and stayed out a little later by the fireplace in the lobby, chatting with and getting to know Theresa of Theresa's Mixed Nuts. It was definitely a fun night!
Saturday morning, the boys slept in a little, then Tommy and I went to get donuts (and coffee--Starbucks!). We ran into Snoopy in his nightshirt on the way to get breakfast. While we were waiting for our coffee, the girl at the register overheard me talking to Tommy and addressed him by name, asking him to come back and let her know how much fun he had at the waterpark. Again, I can't stress enough how great the staff is at Castaway Bay when it comes to dealing with children. After eating breakfast, we packed up, then headed back to the waterpark as soon as it opened. Tommy, of course, wanted to ride the raft over and over, but I convinced him to try the slide at the top of the Lookout Lagoon funhouse by promising him I would go down first and meet him at the bottom. Despite recently being terrified of even getting bathwater in his eyes, he loved it!
After about five times of my going up with him, he told me could do it by himself. What I like about Castaway Bay is that most of the areas are wide open so that you have the ability to stand and observe without losing sight of your children. So while Tommy went all the way to the top, I could keep an eye on his bright red swim trunks from the bottom of the slide and see him every bit of the way. Of course, he was moving so fast that he was pretty much a blur until he got to the top of the slide!
I lost count of how many times he went down the blue slide, but it must've been close to 20. Suffice to say, by the time we got him out of the park and into the car, he was exhausted. Happily exhausted.
Neither boy wanted to leave, but we've promised we'll go back--sooner this time. Of course, about two hours into our drive, we were headed back into more of our lovely Indiana winter, so we were missing the waterpark more than ever.
On the drive home, I read through some of the information that Shores&Islands left in our hotel room and realized that this area has much more to offer than we've realized. The Blind Perch is a new gastro-pub that specializes in local farm-grown meats and produce, as well as Lake Erie fish. Volstead Bar, housed in an old winery and brothel, and crafts classic cocktails hearkening back to the Roaring Twenties. I could go on and on, but suffice to say, between the list of unique restaurants and wineries, Shane and I are definitely considering the Lake Erie shore area for our anniversary get-away this June. I mean, provided we don't have any more snow days and we're actually out of school by June 25th!
As always, I can't say enough good things about Castaway Bay and would definitely recommend it as a fun, affordable family vacation. My kids would agree!
Although Castaway Bay provided us with this visit, all opinions are my own
Showing posts with label thomas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thomas. Show all posts
Monday, February 10, 2014
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Boys of Summer
Our summer is officially over. We said goodbye to it with a full day at the beach yesterday. As I tucked Tommy into bed, his hair still smelled like the beach even after a shower. If I could bottle up that smell and keep it with on long work days and long winter days, I would.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Graduate
On Friday, we saw Tommy's neurologist for what is hopefully the last time. The. Last. Time. When you've been seeing a specialist regularly for 2.5 years, it feels a little strange to break that relationship, but good. Very good. When we began weaning him off seizure meds in January, we hoped so big that this would be it. The end of our journey with epilepsy, but we were afraid to hope too big because epilepsy has a way of squashing your hope.
It's been a long journey, yet I recognize that our journey has been much shorter than that of so many others. Still, you guys. My baby looked like this when our journey began. That shaggy hair and those tired eyes from keeping him up for a sleep dep EEG and the always present pacifier. He was SO LITTLE. Remember how I rode in the MRI with him?
I get a choke-y tight feeling in my throat when I remember how terrifying those days were. We have come so far.
When we hit the two year mark (October!), his chance of remaining seizure-free forever hits 80%. It's amazing how this disease works, because one day I had a healthy 15-month-old who didn't like to sleep. And then, out of nowhere, he had three seizures in one week. Just like that. There are no signs with the type of epilepsy Tommy had. No fever. No illness. Nothing. Just one day, he fell down and had a seizure.
And just as suddenly, almost two years later, his neurologist tells us that we don't have to consider him actively epileptic anymore. I don't have a child with epilepsy. I don't. It is really hard to process that, because I did and now I don't, but I fully recognize that I could again and my God, that's a lot for your brain to handle. I asked her what we should do on his forms for pre-school. Do we write that he has epilepsy? She said no, that we don't want them to hover, that we want them to let him to climb to the top of the jungle gym and yes, yes, we do. But we also want them to know that he has a history of seizures, so we put that under past medical history, just like we would a broken leg. She said that often times, she still has people come in, but because Tommy shows no developmental delays and because he's never shown seizure activity on an EEG, there's no need for us to come back, unless he has another seizure, of course. No more yearly EEGs or blood tests.
I thanked his neurologist profusely for all she's done for us, for listening to us when the neurologist at our local hospital wouldn't. For being caring and loving Tommy. She told us that she loved these graduation ceremonies, even though she would miss seeing us. I know that we were probably one of her very minor cases, but she always treated us like his epilepsy was a big deal--she always understood that every seizure was so very scary.
This is the end of our journey, I hope, but I know that so many are still in their journeys. Epilepsy is and will always be a cause near to my heart. As we left her office, I found it hard to not cry, because it was big and overwhelming. We let Tommy choose a restaurant that night to eat dinner and celebrate, though I wasn't sure if he understood what we were celebrating. Someday he will. Someday he will understand this part of his life that was so big, during which he was so brave.
It's been a long journey, yet I recognize that our journey has been much shorter than that of so many others. Still, you guys. My baby looked like this when our journey began. That shaggy hair and those tired eyes from keeping him up for a sleep dep EEG and the always present pacifier. He was SO LITTLE. Remember how I rode in the MRI with him?
I get a choke-y tight feeling in my throat when I remember how terrifying those days were. We have come so far.
When we hit the two year mark (October!), his chance of remaining seizure-free forever hits 80%. It's amazing how this disease works, because one day I had a healthy 15-month-old who didn't like to sleep. And then, out of nowhere, he had three seizures in one week. Just like that. There are no signs with the type of epilepsy Tommy had. No fever. No illness. Nothing. Just one day, he fell down and had a seizure.
And just as suddenly, almost two years later, his neurologist tells us that we don't have to consider him actively epileptic anymore. I don't have a child with epilepsy. I don't. It is really hard to process that, because I did and now I don't, but I fully recognize that I could again and my God, that's a lot for your brain to handle. I asked her what we should do on his forms for pre-school. Do we write that he has epilepsy? She said no, that we don't want them to hover, that we want them to let him to climb to the top of the jungle gym and yes, yes, we do. But we also want them to know that he has a history of seizures, so we put that under past medical history, just like we would a broken leg. She said that often times, she still has people come in, but because Tommy shows no developmental delays and because he's never shown seizure activity on an EEG, there's no need for us to come back, unless he has another seizure, of course. No more yearly EEGs or blood tests.
I thanked his neurologist profusely for all she's done for us, for listening to us when the neurologist at our local hospital wouldn't. For being caring and loving Tommy. She told us that she loved these graduation ceremonies, even though she would miss seeing us. I know that we were probably one of her very minor cases, but she always treated us like his epilepsy was a big deal--she always understood that every seizure was so very scary.
This is the end of our journey, I hope, but I know that so many are still in their journeys. Epilepsy is and will always be a cause near to my heart. As we left her office, I found it hard to not cry, because it was big and overwhelming. We let Tommy choose a restaurant that night to eat dinner and celebrate, though I wasn't sure if he understood what we were celebrating. Someday he will. Someday he will understand this part of his life that was so big, during which he was so brave.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tommy's Team
Last year, forming Tommy's Team was a no brainer for me. Although the weather failed on us, with grey rainy skies, it was a beautiful day. One of the best I've had. To see all those people out there supporting us, supporting our cause--making it their own--was a feeling I can't quite describe.
This year has been a little different. So far, Tommy is still successfully off his medicine and although we hold our breath, breathing becomes a little easier each day.
Yet, epilepsy is still so prevalent, even if we no longer fill a medicine dropper two times a day for Tommy, even if he hasn't had a seizure in over a year. My best friend Keli's daughter was just recently diagnosed with epilepsy. As I texted with her and felt her pain from seeing an otherwise normal, healthy child go through all that she did in a single day, I thought back to our day of tests when Tommy was first diagnosed... and how no parent should have to go through that. But they do. Daily. Like it was for us, it is for them--unfair.
Friday, Shane came home from a work after talking to a student whose sister is epileptic. Like Tommy, she seemed to outgrow it around the age of four. Then when she went through puberty, the seizures came back and she had to go back on medication. In this way, epilepsy is one of the worst monsters ever, because it can lie in wait for years. And in this way, I know we will always be looking over our shoulders waiting for it to strike again.
For these reasons and so many more, we will walk again. To raise money so that someday, no parent will have to go through those tests again. Or that maybe when they do, someone will say to them, "Here is what we can do. Your child will never have another seizure again."
If you live in the area, I would love to have you walk with us. If you walked with us last year and have your shirt, please wear it again. I don't have a sponsor for shirts this year, but I'm going to do my best to get shirts for anyone new who is walking with us. If you can't walk with us, but would like to support our team, there are many things you can do. Donations of even the smallest variety are appreciated.
This year, we have some wonderful people supporting our team, too. Shrinking Jeans is currently hosting a DietBet weight loss challenge. It just started four days ago and runs for twenty-four more days, so you have lots of time to join and attempt to win the cash prize at the end. This is a great chance to jump start your spring weight loss. When Christy and Lissa emailed me and said they'd like to donate a portion of the earnings to Tommy's Team, I was beyond touched.
Another amazing piece of support is this beautiful necklace, created by Cameron. When she emailed me to ask if I was interested in her designing a necklace where the proceeds would go to support Tommy's Team, I was so touched and excited and well, I couldn't wait to buy one myself. Cam and I actually "met" when I bought a necklace that said "hope" from her shop while pregnant (pictured here) with Tommy--very fitting.
I am beyond excited and touched at this generosity poured toward Tommy's Team and moreso, toward the epilepsy foundation and epilepsy research. This year, as with last, we walk with hope for a seizure free future. In some way, I hope you will join us.
This year has been a little different. So far, Tommy is still successfully off his medicine and although we hold our breath, breathing becomes a little easier each day.
Yet, epilepsy is still so prevalent, even if we no longer fill a medicine dropper two times a day for Tommy, even if he hasn't had a seizure in over a year. My best friend Keli's daughter was just recently diagnosed with epilepsy. As I texted with her and felt her pain from seeing an otherwise normal, healthy child go through all that she did in a single day, I thought back to our day of tests when Tommy was first diagnosed... and how no parent should have to go through that. But they do. Daily. Like it was for us, it is for them--unfair.
Friday, Shane came home from a work after talking to a student whose sister is epileptic. Like Tommy, she seemed to outgrow it around the age of four. Then when she went through puberty, the seizures came back and she had to go back on medication. In this way, epilepsy is one of the worst monsters ever, because it can lie in wait for years. And in this way, I know we will always be looking over our shoulders waiting for it to strike again.
For these reasons and so many more, we will walk again. To raise money so that someday, no parent will have to go through those tests again. Or that maybe when they do, someone will say to them, "Here is what we can do. Your child will never have another seizure again."
If you live in the area, I would love to have you walk with us. If you walked with us last year and have your shirt, please wear it again. I don't have a sponsor for shirts this year, but I'm going to do my best to get shirts for anyone new who is walking with us. If you can't walk with us, but would like to support our team, there are many things you can do. Donations of even the smallest variety are appreciated.
This year, we have some wonderful people supporting our team, too. Shrinking Jeans is currently hosting a DietBet weight loss challenge. It just started four days ago and runs for twenty-four more days, so you have lots of time to join and attempt to win the cash prize at the end. This is a great chance to jump start your spring weight loss. When Christy and Lissa emailed me and said they'd like to donate a portion of the earnings to Tommy's Team, I was beyond touched.
Another amazing piece of support is this beautiful necklace, created by Cameron. When she emailed me to ask if I was interested in her designing a necklace where the proceeds would go to support Tommy's Team, I was so touched and excited and well, I couldn't wait to buy one myself. Cam and I actually "met" when I bought a necklace that said "hope" from her shop while pregnant (pictured here) with Tommy--very fitting.
I am beyond excited and touched at this generosity poured toward Tommy's Team and moreso, toward the epilepsy foundation and epilepsy research. This year, as with last, we walk with hope for a seizure free future. In some way, I hope you will join us.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monsters, Inc with My Monster
When we started to wean Tommy off his seizure medication (so far, so good--crazy to think that he's on the same dosage now that he was at 15 months old), he stopped sleeping at night. He's never been a good sleeper, but he usually makes it to some point between 4:30 and 5:30 before he gets up. However, after we cut back on his medicine dosage, he started to get out of bed at 1 or 2 every single night. A week of this and we were exhausted, because getting out of bed at 1 or 2 didn't mean that he slept later in the morning. No, he was up just as early. And we both work full-time, so it's not like we were getting to ease into the day, anyway.
One morning out of desperation, I promised Tommy that if he stayed in his bed every night for a week, I would take him to see Monsters, Inc in the theatre. It's been his favorite DVD lately. I didn't think it would work, but somehow, it did. He made it through every single night for a week. If you count 5AM making it through the night which around these parts, we do. Now, when Luke was Tommy's age, I'd already taken him to a movie, but Luke was a different kid. I knew he would sit still through the whole movie, but Tommy can't sit still on our couch for an hour, so I knew it would be a miracle if we made it through the entire movie, but a promise is a promise.
So away we went to the movies. The whole way there, I talked about how you have to behave at the movies. I also talked about how we could get popcorn and a slushie, so that was our first order of business.
When we walked in, the theatre was completely empty (intentionally, I took us to the earliest show, hoping it wouldn't be very busy) and Tommy said, "Where are all the people?!" I told him he could sit wherever he wanted. He walked up a few rows, then decided he was happy with a seat right off the aisle. I figured this was good in case we had to make a quick exit.
I explained to him that because this movie was in 3D, we had to wear these special glasses to see the movie. He didn't want to take his off.
Until 30 minutes into the movie when he turned to me and told me that he could see just fine without them and no longer wished to wear them. I guess he didn't quite understand the concept of 3D.
He did pretty well, all things considered. Luckily, there were only about ten other people there. My only annoyance was that despite it being an empty theatre, a guy and his 9 or 10 year old son sat RIGHT behind us, which made me feel like when Tommy was rocking back and forth in his chair or flipping the arm rest up and down, I had to stop him. This in turn made Tommy more antsy, whereas if I could've just let him do it, had the guy sat anywhere else in the empty theatre, he would've continued to watch the movie while flipping his arm rest up and down and hadn't bothered anyone. Of course, each time I told him to leave his arm rest up and down, he reacted loudly because he didn't understand why it was so bad. Luckily, there was another little boy there who totally hadn't mastered his inside voice yet, either, so Tommy wasn't the loudest one. But, we made it through the whole movie with very little incidents, except for the one time that Tommy decided he wanted to sit in the row in front of us and tried to climb over the seats. I quickly squashed that one. Since he did a much better job than I thought, I let him play the hook game after the movie.
He didn't quite get the whole play til you win thing and thought he won this green puppy dog all of his own skills. I let him think that. He's been sleeping with it ever since.
Then we got a Happy Meal, after some disappointment in which I explained that the Dairy Queen next door was closed for the season (I know, buddy... I wanted ice cream, too) and on the way home, we got stopped by a train! He asked me to roll down his window so he could listen to the train go by.
All in all, I would say he had a great day. So did I.
One morning out of desperation, I promised Tommy that if he stayed in his bed every night for a week, I would take him to see Monsters, Inc in the theatre. It's been his favorite DVD lately. I didn't think it would work, but somehow, it did. He made it through every single night for a week. If you count 5AM making it through the night which around these parts, we do. Now, when Luke was Tommy's age, I'd already taken him to a movie, but Luke was a different kid. I knew he would sit still through the whole movie, but Tommy can't sit still on our couch for an hour, so I knew it would be a miracle if we made it through the entire movie, but a promise is a promise.
So away we went to the movies. The whole way there, I talked about how you have to behave at the movies. I also talked about how we could get popcorn and a slushie, so that was our first order of business.
When we walked in, the theatre was completely empty (intentionally, I took us to the earliest show, hoping it wouldn't be very busy) and Tommy said, "Where are all the people?!" I told him he could sit wherever he wanted. He walked up a few rows, then decided he was happy with a seat right off the aisle. I figured this was good in case we had to make a quick exit.
I explained to him that because this movie was in 3D, we had to wear these special glasses to see the movie. He didn't want to take his off.
Until 30 minutes into the movie when he turned to me and told me that he could see just fine without them and no longer wished to wear them. I guess he didn't quite understand the concept of 3D.
He did pretty well, all things considered. Luckily, there were only about ten other people there. My only annoyance was that despite it being an empty theatre, a guy and his 9 or 10 year old son sat RIGHT behind us, which made me feel like when Tommy was rocking back and forth in his chair or flipping the arm rest up and down, I had to stop him. This in turn made Tommy more antsy, whereas if I could've just let him do it, had the guy sat anywhere else in the empty theatre, he would've continued to watch the movie while flipping his arm rest up and down and hadn't bothered anyone. Of course, each time I told him to leave his arm rest up and down, he reacted loudly because he didn't understand why it was so bad. Luckily, there was another little boy there who totally hadn't mastered his inside voice yet, either, so Tommy wasn't the loudest one. But, we made it through the whole movie with very little incidents, except for the one time that Tommy decided he wanted to sit in the row in front of us and tried to climb over the seats. I quickly squashed that one. Since he did a much better job than I thought, I let him play the hook game after the movie.
He didn't quite get the whole play til you win thing and thought he won this green puppy dog all of his own skills. I let him think that. He's been sleeping with it ever since.
Then we got a Happy Meal, after some disappointment in which I explained that the Dairy Queen next door was closed for the season (I know, buddy... I wanted ice cream, too) and on the way home, we got stopped by a train! He asked me to roll down his window so he could listen to the train go by.
All in all, I would say he had a great day. So did I.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
This Christmas
If you follow me on twitter, you know that our major Christmas gift this year was some strain of the bubonic plague. Our first inkling of the sickness was Christmas Eve. Luke fell asleep at about 3pm, which is unusual because Luke doesn't nap. Hasn't napped for about three years, but I figured, hey... Christmas miracle! Truthfully, we'd had such a busy weekend that I thought he was just worn out and got ready for Christmas Eve church. Time went on and he kept sleeping. My parents came over for dinner and to go to church with us. Luke was still sleeping. I finally nudged him awake and he said he wasn't feeling well. I carried him downstairs, put him on the couch... and he promptly threw up all over the carpet. This is the kid who, by the way, aside from one minor ear infection early on in the school year has been healthy all year. So sick on Christmas Eve? Major insult, universe. My parents said they would stay home with the kids so we could go to church, as Shane and I do the reading at church every year. We headed out and told the pastor we would need to leave as soon as we did the reading, since we had a sick little guy at home.
After the reading, we came home and Luke was up and running around the house, which gave me hope that he was feeling better, that maybe the sick was just a fluke and he'd eaten something that didn't agree with him. We had all of our fingers crossed and kissed him and tucked him into bed and told both boys they had to get to bed for Santa.
The next morning, both boys catapulted out of bed at 6. Both seemingly healthy, both overjoyed that Santa came.
Santa doesn't wrap presents, by the way. Santa is lazy.
Unfortunately, we quickly learned that the fluke was not Luke being sick the night before. The fluke was Luke somehow feeling better long enough to unwrap presents at our house Christmas morning and head to my parents' house to unwrap presents over there. I have no idea if he somehow managed to power through because it was Christmas or if there was a lull between the sicknesses, but by afternoon he was running a 103 fever and passed out on the couch.
There's really nothing sadder than a kid who is too sick to play with his new toys on Christmas.
We headed home and put him to bed. The next day, I took him to urgent care where he was diagnosed with a bronchial infection and given antibiotics. By that evening, I was throwing up. By the next morning, Tommy was, too. Unfortunately, my stomach flu wasn't as quick as Luke's and I was sick for 48 horrendous hours. By the time I stopped with the stomach flu, I was already congested. You know how after you have the stomach flu, all you want to do is rest? I couldn't lie down because I was so stuffed up and couldn't stop coughing or breathe through my nose. It was miserable. Tommy through this ran a 103 fever. Once his stomach flu passed, he was congested, too. Back to urgent care, where I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and Tommy a double ear infection.
And we had another kid to sick to play with his new toys.
The wait at urgent care, by the way, was over two and a half hours because everyone in the whole wide world is sick.
In short, this Christmas break was not the Christmas break we'd planned at all. Thankfully, Shane managed to stay healthy. I don't know what we would've done if he'd been sick, too. All I would like now is for the three of us to get over the last of this congestion (oh, and for my feet to heal, too, because I would really, really like to run again) and salvage our last few days of break. Today we actually left the house and went somewhere other than the pharmacy and urgent care! I hope your Christmas was much healthier than ours.
After the reading, we came home and Luke was up and running around the house, which gave me hope that he was feeling better, that maybe the sick was just a fluke and he'd eaten something that didn't agree with him. We had all of our fingers crossed and kissed him and tucked him into bed and told both boys they had to get to bed for Santa.
The next morning, both boys catapulted out of bed at 6. Both seemingly healthy, both overjoyed that Santa came.
Santa doesn't wrap presents, by the way. Santa is lazy.
Unfortunately, we quickly learned that the fluke was not Luke being sick the night before. The fluke was Luke somehow feeling better long enough to unwrap presents at our house Christmas morning and head to my parents' house to unwrap presents over there. I have no idea if he somehow managed to power through because it was Christmas or if there was a lull between the sicknesses, but by afternoon he was running a 103 fever and passed out on the couch.
There's really nothing sadder than a kid who is too sick to play with his new toys on Christmas.
We headed home and put him to bed. The next day, I took him to urgent care where he was diagnosed with a bronchial infection and given antibiotics. By that evening, I was throwing up. By the next morning, Tommy was, too. Unfortunately, my stomach flu wasn't as quick as Luke's and I was sick for 48 horrendous hours. By the time I stopped with the stomach flu, I was already congested. You know how after you have the stomach flu, all you want to do is rest? I couldn't lie down because I was so stuffed up and couldn't stop coughing or breathe through my nose. It was miserable. Tommy through this ran a 103 fever. Once his stomach flu passed, he was congested, too. Back to urgent care, where I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and Tommy a double ear infection.
And we had another kid to sick to play with his new toys.
The wait at urgent care, by the way, was over two and a half hours because everyone in the whole wide world is sick.
In short, this Christmas break was not the Christmas break we'd planned at all. Thankfully, Shane managed to stay healthy. I don't know what we would've done if he'd been sick, too. All I would like now is for the three of us to get over the last of this congestion (oh, and for my feet to heal, too, because I would really, really like to run again) and salvage our last few days of break. Today we actually left the house and went somewhere other than the pharmacy and urgent care! I hope your Christmas was much healthier than ours.
Monday, December 3, 2012
A Date Weekend
Life has been very busy lately. I haven't been able to run as much due to some random, stupid foot injury that I'm going to get checked out this week (please let it be minor and quickly healed), so I've had more free time on the weekends, which is nice. It is also maddening because the weather has been unseasonably warm and it's killing me to not be out running in it, but I'm trying to enjoy the thrill of easing into the day and not jumping out of bed to hit the pavement. It's kind of working.
Saturday, Shane had to help move his grandpa from assisted living to a nursing home and Luke had plans with my parents, so Tommy and I had the whole day to ourselves. The day started off a little suspicious when Tommy accidentally dumped an entire cup of orange juice on his head, but after weeping pulpy tears, I got him in the tub and calmed him down and we were off to Target.
We don't go to Target often because I like to not spend all of my money all of the time, but when we do, we have to look at the bikes and the vacuum cleaners. It's Tommy's routine. He likes to point out which vacuum cleaners people own. He also likes to discuss the steam mops. Our real purpose in heading to Target was to let him pick out his own underwear because I am very desperate and would like him to finally potty train. He chose Spiderman underwear. I hope this works. Of course because it's Target, I also bought 1231231209 things I didn't need, like an advent calendar, some Archer Farms frozen ravioli that sounded good, various types of cheeses (obviously I was shopping while hungry) and two giant things of International Delight Peppermint Mocha creamer (okay, I needed the creamer).
After Target, we were going to get frozen yogurt, but the frozen yogurt place wasn't open yet so we ended up going to Steak n Shake. I asked Tommy if he wanted a milkshake. Then I asked him if he'd ever had a milkshake, to which he said no. I can't believe a child of mine made it three and a half without ever having a milkshake. I'm such a failure of a parent!
He was a little disgruntled that he had to wait for his milkshake, but once it arrived, he decided it was clearly worth that wait.
We had a great time, even though it took him 1200 years to finish his chicken fingers. I think we were the slowest eaters in Steak n Shake. We had a great time. Then we headed to the post office to buy stamps for our Christmas cards. Tommy got to do the honors of dropping the Christmas cards into the big mailbox, which is one of our favorite things to do.
Tommy isn't really quite big enough for us to go to the movies. Well, we could take Luke to the movies at his age, but he can't sit still a movie in our house yet, so I'm not even trying that one. So when we do one on one time, it's simple things like running errands and going to lunch, just spending time together. It's precious and fun and I'm so glad for this time.
Sunday morning, it was kind of rainy, which ruined our plans to go to the arboretum. Instead, I asked Luke if he wanted to go see Wreck it Ralph, which I've wanted to see since I saw the preview this summer. We headed off to the movies, where we discovered that Sunday morning was not a busy time, as there were only about twelve people in the theatre. Luke wanted to sit in the very last row, so we did. Even though it was an early show, we still had to have popcorn and icees!
We both loved the movie! It was really cute and funny, as well as incredibly original. I love video games, too, so I liked that whole aspect. Luke said he really liked it, too, but that some of the jokes were "inappropriate potty humor." You can tell what we correct on in our house!
Afterward, I asked Luke if he wanted lunch, but he told me he was too full from the popcorn. Somehow he had room for ice cream because, you know, that's a different stomach and all.
While we were gone, Shane and Tommy took advantage of the nicer weather and hung up all the Christmas lights, so it was a good day all around. It's not every weekend that I get two shots at one-on-one time with my boys, so I'm going to count this one as a huge win.
Saturday, Shane had to help move his grandpa from assisted living to a nursing home and Luke had plans with my parents, so Tommy and I had the whole day to ourselves. The day started off a little suspicious when Tommy accidentally dumped an entire cup of orange juice on his head, but after weeping pulpy tears, I got him in the tub and calmed him down and we were off to Target.
We don't go to Target often because I like to not spend all of my money all of the time, but when we do, we have to look at the bikes and the vacuum cleaners. It's Tommy's routine. He likes to point out which vacuum cleaners people own. He also likes to discuss the steam mops. Our real purpose in heading to Target was to let him pick out his own underwear because I am very desperate and would like him to finally potty train. He chose Spiderman underwear. I hope this works. Of course because it's Target, I also bought 1231231209 things I didn't need, like an advent calendar, some Archer Farms frozen ravioli that sounded good, various types of cheeses (obviously I was shopping while hungry) and two giant things of International Delight Peppermint Mocha creamer (okay, I needed the creamer).
After Target, we were going to get frozen yogurt, but the frozen yogurt place wasn't open yet so we ended up going to Steak n Shake. I asked Tommy if he wanted a milkshake. Then I asked him if he'd ever had a milkshake, to which he said no. I can't believe a child of mine made it three and a half without ever having a milkshake. I'm such a failure of a parent!
He was a little disgruntled that he had to wait for his milkshake, but once it arrived, he decided it was clearly worth that wait.
We had a great time, even though it took him 1200 years to finish his chicken fingers. I think we were the slowest eaters in Steak n Shake. We had a great time. Then we headed to the post office to buy stamps for our Christmas cards. Tommy got to do the honors of dropping the Christmas cards into the big mailbox, which is one of our favorite things to do.
Tommy isn't really quite big enough for us to go to the movies. Well, we could take Luke to the movies at his age, but he can't sit still a movie in our house yet, so I'm not even trying that one. So when we do one on one time, it's simple things like running errands and going to lunch, just spending time together. It's precious and fun and I'm so glad for this time.
Sunday morning, it was kind of rainy, which ruined our plans to go to the arboretum. Instead, I asked Luke if he wanted to go see Wreck it Ralph, which I've wanted to see since I saw the preview this summer. We headed off to the movies, where we discovered that Sunday morning was not a busy time, as there were only about twelve people in the theatre. Luke wanted to sit in the very last row, so we did. Even though it was an early show, we still had to have popcorn and icees!
We both loved the movie! It was really cute and funny, as well as incredibly original. I love video games, too, so I liked that whole aspect. Luke said he really liked it, too, but that some of the jokes were "inappropriate potty humor." You can tell what we correct on in our house!
Afterward, I asked Luke if he wanted lunch, but he told me he was too full from the popcorn. Somehow he had room for ice cream because, you know, that's a different stomach and all.
While we were gone, Shane and Tommy took advantage of the nicer weather and hung up all the Christmas lights, so it was a good day all around. It's not every weekend that I get two shots at one-on-one time with my boys, so I'm going to count this one as a huge win.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Epilepsy Awareness Month
This post has been sitting in my drafts all month. Call it writer's block, call it heart block. I'm not sure why. I wanted to write this post, I really did. I wanted to write it in November because November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month. I've written about epilepsy before. Two years ago in November when Tommy was recently diagnosed. More recently in April when we were fundraising for Tommy's Team and so many of you graciously gave to us.
I wanted to write again, though, because this cause is important to us, because so many people do still reach out to me with questions about epilepsy and seizures and about area doctors. Instead I stared at this draft for a month and here it is, the last day of November and I don't know what to say.
I want to tell you that if you've come here because your child has seizures or because your child was just diagnosed with epilepsy, stay strong. There is hope. If you've had to see your child go through tests, it's painful. It's unfair. You wish you could take the tests for them, as you pray that the results are normal. Or that if they're abnormal, they at least give you answers. What a strange thing to pray for.
This may sometimes be the face of epilepsy, as the parents of epileptics see it.
Brave. Making a tough guy face at the camera, with a head full of electrodes and bandages. You feel like he is braver than you because you couldn't imagine being so brave at three, let alone now.
This is also the face of epilepsy. A healthy, sweet boy. Introspective. Not smiling for the camera because he was D-O-N-E with the photo session at that point, but still letting his mama hold him close.
He hasn't had a seizure for over a year now. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say that. I'm so happy, but I'm also so scared. I'm scared because he lived 15 months of his life without ever having a seizure and then one day, he just had one. Just like that. This is what epilepsy is. I know this. And so, I move forward with the realization that he could have one tomorrow. With each day that passes, I sometimes forget. I forget that he has epilepsy and then, I remember. When he's quiet in the next room a little too long. When he moves in a strange way. When he trips over nothing. Then my breath catches and I wonder if that's the moment that my heart is going to shatter.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm hopeful, I am. I am so hopeful. He's never had any abnormal test results. We have no indications that he won't outgrow this. I've just learned to be distrustful of this disease and it's hard to shake that, but I still carry this hope with me, in a tiny little corner of my heart.
I guess I didn't really teach you anything about epilepsy, except this: my little boy is so brave. Whether he has more seizures or never has another again, I will always treasure his bravery through this journey. I never imagined this as a parent. I never could've imagined this as a parent. It's not something that you sign up for or something that you ever worry about when you're pregnant or when you're holding your new baby in your arms, and trust me, I had plenty of worries, but here I am. Here we are. What I know is this... whatever happens, epilepsy hasn't beaten us yet--and it never will.
2nd photo credit goes to Donya
I wanted to write again, though, because this cause is important to us, because so many people do still reach out to me with questions about epilepsy and seizures and about area doctors. Instead I stared at this draft for a month and here it is, the last day of November and I don't know what to say.
I want to tell you that if you've come here because your child has seizures or because your child was just diagnosed with epilepsy, stay strong. There is hope. If you've had to see your child go through tests, it's painful. It's unfair. You wish you could take the tests for them, as you pray that the results are normal. Or that if they're abnormal, they at least give you answers. What a strange thing to pray for.
This may sometimes be the face of epilepsy, as the parents of epileptics see it.
Brave. Making a tough guy face at the camera, with a head full of electrodes and bandages. You feel like he is braver than you because you couldn't imagine being so brave at three, let alone now.
This is also the face of epilepsy. A healthy, sweet boy. Introspective. Not smiling for the camera because he was D-O-N-E with the photo session at that point, but still letting his mama hold him close.
He hasn't had a seizure for over a year now. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say that. I'm so happy, but I'm also so scared. I'm scared because he lived 15 months of his life without ever having a seizure and then one day, he just had one. Just like that. This is what epilepsy is. I know this. And so, I move forward with the realization that he could have one tomorrow. With each day that passes, I sometimes forget. I forget that he has epilepsy and then, I remember. When he's quiet in the next room a little too long. When he moves in a strange way. When he trips over nothing. Then my breath catches and I wonder if that's the moment that my heart is going to shatter.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm hopeful, I am. I am so hopeful. He's never had any abnormal test results. We have no indications that he won't outgrow this. I've just learned to be distrustful of this disease and it's hard to shake that, but I still carry this hope with me, in a tiny little corner of my heart.
I guess I didn't really teach you anything about epilepsy, except this: my little boy is so brave. Whether he has more seizures or never has another again, I will always treasure his bravery through this journey. I never imagined this as a parent. I never could've imagined this as a parent. It's not something that you sign up for or something that you ever worry about when you're pregnant or when you're holding your new baby in your arms, and trust me, I had plenty of worries, but here I am. Here we are. What I know is this... whatever happens, epilepsy hasn't beaten us yet--and it never will.
2nd photo credit goes to Donya
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Knock Knock... trick or treat!
It's safe to say that this was our best Halloween yet.
This was the first year that Tommy really, really got it. Last year, he was still a YOUNG two and while he understood that he was getting candy at some houses, he was still content to hang back and was mostly still too shy to hold out his treat bag. This year? He was off and running with his brother.
At one house, he gleefully shouted KNOCK KNOCK as he ascended the steps, followed by TRICK OR TREAT. If you know Tommy, you know how shy he can be around people he doesn't know, so you'll know why we all looked at each other and burst into laughter at his excitement.
I didn't take very many photos because I was too busy watching them run from house to house and have fun. We trick-or-treated for an hour, which is probably our longest time. Tommy started to get tired toward the end and handed my dad his candy bag between houses with the warning, "But don't eat any of it, Papa."
Their excitement was probably sweeter than the Halloween candy that I stole from their pile after they went to bed.
I hope your Halloween was full of treats!
This was the first year that Tommy really, really got it. Last year, he was still a YOUNG two and while he understood that he was getting candy at some houses, he was still content to hang back and was mostly still too shy to hold out his treat bag. This year? He was off and running with his brother.
At one house, he gleefully shouted KNOCK KNOCK as he ascended the steps, followed by TRICK OR TREAT. If you know Tommy, you know how shy he can be around people he doesn't know, so you'll know why we all looked at each other and burst into laughter at his excitement.
I didn't take very many photos because I was too busy watching them run from house to house and have fun. We trick-or-treated for an hour, which is probably our longest time. Tommy started to get tired toward the end and handed my dad his candy bag between houses with the warning, "But don't eat any of it, Papa."
Their excitement was probably sweeter than the Halloween candy that I stole from their pile after they went to bed.
I hope your Halloween was full of treats!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Hallo-Weekend
I have a love-hate relationship with fall. I think I discuss this every year, but I do. I would love this season so much more if it wasn't followed by winter. I hate winter. there is no love about winter. I hate snow. I hate cold. End of story. So, it's hard for me to really love fall because I know that winter comes next, but I still try. I like the changing leaves. I like the apple cider. I like Halloween. I like the weather in terms of running.
I don't like that I'm sitting inside my house right now and I can hear the wind screaming and I can feel how cold it is through the house. I do not like this. I should only feel cold in my house because it's July and I've turned up the air conditioning.
Still, I choose to live here, so I try to make the best of this season. We ended October with a lot of fun. Saturday morning, Luke and I were invited to a pumpkin decorating event at the Fairmont Chicago. I love carving pumpkins with the boys, but I hate the stress of knives around my kids, so this was a lot of fun for me. Although I helped Luke with a few things, it was fun to sit back and let him go wild with his pumpkin. I am ridiculously craft challenged, so the thought of giving him a box of craft supplies and a bottle of glue never occurred to me, but we'll be doing this with both boys and pumpkins next year.
We also got to sample pumpkin seeds (both savory and sweet) and pumpkin cookies prepared by the Fairmont chefs. Part of the love side of things that I have with this season is anything pumpkin flavored, so we're planning on recreating the cookies to share with our family on Halloween!
Luke left with a pumpkin carving kit, a bag full of candy and this very decorated pumpkin, which he made me carry back to the car. Of course. On the drive home, Luke said, "Mom, I had a great time at that party!"
A side note about Luke, he absolutely loves hotels. So even though we weren't staying there, all I had to do was tell him that it was in a hotel and he was already hooked. Ever since we stayed at the Swissotel this August, he's been asking if we could go back and stay overnight for his birthday in February (we usually let him choose an overnight at a water park in lieu of a big birthday party). After our short visit to the Fairmont, he's now considering this an option. Why? Because they have an escalator right off the main lobby. Something tells me this is not how most people choose hotels.
Sunday morning, we went hiking at our favorite local arboretum, which is all decorated for Halloween. The boys loved the additions to the train garden.
As well as the hay maze, which Tommy tried to cheat his way through by climbing on top of the hay bales.
And then I started whining about the cold and asked if we could please go get lunch and also, how many months until summer?!
I don't like that I'm sitting inside my house right now and I can hear the wind screaming and I can feel how cold it is through the house. I do not like this. I should only feel cold in my house because it's July and I've turned up the air conditioning.
Still, I choose to live here, so I try to make the best of this season. We ended October with a lot of fun. Saturday morning, Luke and I were invited to a pumpkin decorating event at the Fairmont Chicago. I love carving pumpkins with the boys, but I hate the stress of knives around my kids, so this was a lot of fun for me. Although I helped Luke with a few things, it was fun to sit back and let him go wild with his pumpkin. I am ridiculously craft challenged, so the thought of giving him a box of craft supplies and a bottle of glue never occurred to me, but we'll be doing this with both boys and pumpkins next year.
We also got to sample pumpkin seeds (both savory and sweet) and pumpkin cookies prepared by the Fairmont chefs. Part of the love side of things that I have with this season is anything pumpkin flavored, so we're planning on recreating the cookies to share with our family on Halloween!
Luke left with a pumpkin carving kit, a bag full of candy and this very decorated pumpkin, which he made me carry back to the car. Of course. On the drive home, Luke said, "Mom, I had a great time at that party!"
A side note about Luke, he absolutely loves hotels. So even though we weren't staying there, all I had to do was tell him that it was in a hotel and he was already hooked. Ever since we stayed at the Swissotel this August, he's been asking if we could go back and stay overnight for his birthday in February (we usually let him choose an overnight at a water park in lieu of a big birthday party). After our short visit to the Fairmont, he's now considering this an option. Why? Because they have an escalator right off the main lobby. Something tells me this is not how most people choose hotels.
Sunday morning, we went hiking at our favorite local arboretum, which is all decorated for Halloween. The boys loved the additions to the train garden.
As well as the hay maze, which Tommy tried to cheat his way through by climbing on top of the hay bales.
And then I started whining about the cold and asked if we could please go get lunch and also, how many months until summer?!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Seasonal Greetings
Almost two years ago, I won a blog auction for a card creation on etsy. It was right around the holidays, but I'd already created our Christmas cards. I thought about saving it for a birthday invitation, but I decided to send out a happy New Year card instead. We got a lot of compliments on the idea and after that, I tried to send a card with pictures of the boys to greet each season. Some slipped away from me because of stress or money constraints, but I still tried my hardest. I've found that some of our older relatives who aren't online love them the most because they still get relatively up-to-date photos of the boys--and who doesn't love a surprise in your mailbox, even if you are online?
This one was one of my favorites...
(That's a picture of my computer screen--excuse the poor quality.)
Since then, I've discovered that I can make postcard size prints on my MacBook, write a cute note on the back, print and order via iTunes. It's so easy! Although I'm obviously not a photographer, I'm just a mom with a DLSR who does her best.
Another favorite was the photo I took this summer. The farmer planted wheat behind our house and I managed to catch this shot at golden hour. I was so happy with it.
This was our most recent one. I wish I would've swapped them, so Tommy's face wouldn't have been in shadows... but again, mom with a camera.
Still, despite the stress of taking the photos and the cost of printing them and postage, I love it. I love when people tell me they enjoyed it or when I walk into our sitter's house and see it on top of her entertainment center or when the boys' great-grandma calls and tells us she took it with her to the hair salon. Totally worth it. I realize this reads like I'm being sponsored by Tiny Prints or Hallmark or Snapfish, but I'm not (although if any of those places would like to sponsor my seasonal postcards, please feel free). I do these completely out of my own pocket, just because who doesn't love an extra reminder that it's a fresh new season, with new smiles and new joys?
This one was one of my favorites...
(That's a picture of my computer screen--excuse the poor quality.)
Since then, I've discovered that I can make postcard size prints on my MacBook, write a cute note on the back, print and order via iTunes. It's so easy! Although I'm obviously not a photographer, I'm just a mom with a DLSR who does her best.
Another favorite was the photo I took this summer. The farmer planted wheat behind our house and I managed to catch this shot at golden hour. I was so happy with it.
This was our most recent one. I wish I would've swapped them, so Tommy's face wouldn't have been in shadows... but again, mom with a camera.
Still, despite the stress of taking the photos and the cost of printing them and postage, I love it. I love when people tell me they enjoyed it or when I walk into our sitter's house and see it on top of her entertainment center or when the boys' great-grandma calls and tells us she took it with her to the hair salon. Totally worth it. I realize this reads like I'm being sponsored by Tiny Prints or Hallmark or Snapfish, but I'm not (although if any of those places would like to sponsor my seasonal postcards, please feel free). I do these completely out of my own pocket, just because who doesn't love an extra reminder that it's a fresh new season, with new smiles and new joys?
Monday, September 17, 2012
Can't the weekend last forever
This weekend was one of those glorious, sunny mid-70s weekends that hover on the cusp of summer and fall.
Saturday morning I woke up early to get my long run over and done as quickly as possible. Using the term quickly loosely here, as I had to run 13 miles. The Train Like a Mother plan doesn't mess around when it comes to owning, as I basically just ran a half marathon when my half marathon is still two months away. The weather was perfect for a long run, thankfully! I finished and lazed around the house (read: grocery shopped, went to Walgreen's, and did a load of laundry) in compression socks for most of the day, then went to Dairy Queen to fill some of my calorie deficit. Sunday I woke up surprisingly mostly not sore, aside from a little bit in my legs, so we decided to take advantage of another beautiful day and headed to our favorite local arboretum.
The boys loved the chance to stretch their legs and run in the sunshine.
And splash
Of course, we always have to visit the train garden!
I'm hoping we get a lot more weekends like this before winter settles in and I look back on this post, all gloomy and sad. Sigh.
Saturday morning I woke up early to get my long run over and done as quickly as possible. Using the term quickly loosely here, as I had to run 13 miles. The Train Like a Mother plan doesn't mess around when it comes to owning, as I basically just ran a half marathon when my half marathon is still two months away. The weather was perfect for a long run, thankfully! I finished and lazed around the house (read: grocery shopped, went to Walgreen's, and did a load of laundry) in compression socks for most of the day, then went to Dairy Queen to fill some of my calorie deficit. Sunday I woke up surprisingly mostly not sore, aside from a little bit in my legs, so we decided to take advantage of another beautiful day and headed to our favorite local arboretum.
The boys loved the chance to stretch their legs and run in the sunshine.
And splash
Of course, we always have to visit the train garden!
I'm hoping we get a lot more weekends like this before winter settles in and I look back on this post, all gloomy and sad. Sigh.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Is it okay to hope a little?
Friday we saw Tommy's neurologist, for the first time since February. It was our longest stretch seeing her, because it is his longest seizure-free stretch. As the months tick by, I'm afraid to breathe these words in more than a whisper. Afraid to talk about it, much less type it. Even now, I'm so afraid. I am so afraid I'm going to jinx it, that our carefully placed house of cards is going to crumble once I hit submit this post.
I know this is silly, but October scares me. October will be one year since his last seizure. October will mark the two year anniversary of when his seizures first began. I kind of hate October. All the what ifs and the fears and the whys swirl around in my head. What makes him seize in October. What happens? What can I do to make it stop? Is he going to have another seizure? Please, God. No. I can't do this anymore. Sometimes we forget that he has epilepsy. Sometimes we've allowed ourselves to hope that he will never, ever have another seizure again and I just don't know what I will do. I know it's a possibility, but I just don't even like to think about it.
Anyway, we had a good appointment. There's so much that I want to share with you, but I can't just yet because my mama heart can't handle it all at once. It was positive. Hopeful. And I just have to hold on and make it through October, then I can share more about Tommy and what his future holds.
For now, I want to tell you how proud I am of this boy. He doesn't really like doctors and he gets nervous, but he sat so still while they took all of his vitals.
Then we found out he needed a blood draw and he didn't even shed a tear. He whimpered a little when the needle went in, held my hand, then he just sat and watched. Better than most adults!
He earned himself a Spiderman sticker and a cookie from Au Bon Pain for that. I am so proud of him. Next month, he will have to have another EEG. I hope and pray the results will be normal as they have always been. Epilepsy is exhausting, though, because there's no test that can tell us if he'll have another seizure, really. We just wait each day as we have been and pray that this boy goes to bed healthy.
I know this is silly, but October scares me. October will be one year since his last seizure. October will mark the two year anniversary of when his seizures first began. I kind of hate October. All the what ifs and the fears and the whys swirl around in my head. What makes him seize in October. What happens? What can I do to make it stop? Is he going to have another seizure? Please, God. No. I can't do this anymore. Sometimes we forget that he has epilepsy. Sometimes we've allowed ourselves to hope that he will never, ever have another seizure again and I just don't know what I will do. I know it's a possibility, but I just don't even like to think about it.
Anyway, we had a good appointment. There's so much that I want to share with you, but I can't just yet because my mama heart can't handle it all at once. It was positive. Hopeful. And I just have to hold on and make it through October, then I can share more about Tommy and what his future holds.
For now, I want to tell you how proud I am of this boy. He doesn't really like doctors and he gets nervous, but he sat so still while they took all of his vitals.
Then we found out he needed a blood draw and he didn't even shed a tear. He whimpered a little when the needle went in, held my hand, then he just sat and watched. Better than most adults!
He earned himself a Spiderman sticker and a cookie from Au Bon Pain for that. I am so proud of him. Next month, he will have to have another EEG. I hope and pray the results will be normal as they have always been. Epilepsy is exhausting, though, because there's no test that can tell us if he'll have another seizure, really. We just wait each day as we have been and pray that this boy goes to bed healthy.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Summer [weekend] Of the Universe: Adler Planetarium
If you follow me on twitter or Instagram, you know that we had a pretty amazing weekend. You may have even told me that you were jealous and I probably replied that I understood because, well, it was an amazing weekend.
Last month, I received an email from the public relations manager at Adler Planetarium inviting my family and me to spend a weekend in Chicago experiencing Adler. Shane and I actually went to Adler on our first date and hadn't yet taken the boys, so I thought this would definitely be a good opportunity to take them--as well as an opportunity to let them experience Chicago as tourists. Since we live close to Chicago, we don't normally stay overnight. I knew that this offer would let us see the city like tourists and I was pretty (okay, REALLY) excited.
The best part of this weekend was that although we were given several different vouchers for things in the city, we weren't told when to do these things. It was designed to be a self-guided experience, and I can't say enough what a great idea that was. As anyone with young kids know, it's sometimes tough to keep to a strict schedule and is much easier to work with them instead of against them. The fact that Adler let us do that really means a lot and made this weekend that much more enjoyable.
So, what DID we do? As I said, we got to shape our weekend, so we left early Saturday afternoon and headed to the Swissotel Chicago. We opted to do valet parking, which was a quick and easy experience and upon checking in, we were given a great gift bag from Adler. The boys were so excited at their new goodies, but they were equally as excited with this view.
That little head in the picture is Tommy's. He didn't move from the window for at least 20 minutes. I cannot rave enough about our accommodations. We stayed in the classic double room, a perfect size for us. The room itself was gorgeous and very clean. I especially loved that the bathroom had a separate bathtub and shower, which is not something you often see in hotels. Once we tore ourselves away from the incredible view, we decided to head to dinner. What's nice about the Swissotel is that it's very close to Michigan Avenue, but there are also always taxis at the ready if you want to go further. As we were going a little further and didn't feel like the long walk with the boys, we decided to take a taxi. It was so nice to be able to step outside the hotel and get right into a taxi. And the boys? They were thrilled at the prospect of their first ever cab ride!
Although I've eaten my fair share of Chicago style, deep dish pizza, I'm ashamed to say that I'd never eaten Lou Malnati's.
It's safe to say that we all thought it was some of the best pizza we've ever had and we stuffed ourselves silly.
I also can't rave enough about the service. Despite it being a very busy location and it being a Saturday night, with a wait for seats and a wait for pizza, our waitress was so on top of things. She refilled our drinks constantly, brought out the food as quickly as she could, and had a smile on her face the entire time. Even when Tommy, of course, had a pre-food meltdown.
After dinner, we snagged a taxi to Navy Pier and hopped on a different kind of taxi--a water taxi. Before this weekend, I was unaware that Shoreline Sightseeing water taxis go between the museum campus and Navy Pier. It's only a short 10-15 minute trip and you get the chance to view Chicago from a different angle. My kids loved the boat ride and we all loved the sights.
After our boat ride, we headed back to the hotel, where we ooh-ed over our view in the dark.
Then we hit up the swimming pool, located on the 42nd floor. I also want to note that the Swissotel has what appeared to be an awesome fitness center with great views of the Lake. Luke noted, "Mom, you could run tomorrow," but I'd already done my run and was planning on being lazy! As luck would have it, we got the boys out of the pool, bathed and settled in just in time to watch the Navy Pier fireworks. We had a pretty good view, I'd say.
I want to rave over how quiet the Swissotel was. I know there were people all around us, yet I didn't hear a peep. The rooms appear to be spaced apart so well that you don't even hear TVs filtering through the walls, as you would in other hotels. This is huge to me.
When we woke up in the morning, we... well, we raved over the view. Are you surprised?
After a great breakfast at Eggys, which a twitter friend recommended to us knowing how close to the hotel it was, we reluctantly packed up and checked out of the hotel.
The trip from Swissotel to Adler was pretty quick, even with the air and water show going on this weekend. I have to say that the view from Adler Planetarium comes pretty close to tying with the view from our hotel room in terms of amazing.
What I love the most about Adler are the different shows that they have in the theaters and I couldn't wait to show the boys. I wasn't sure what would be best for them, but the man at the desk was really helpful in going through the different choices with me and helped me choose the two earliest shows that they would probably enjoy the most. Luke was absolutely enthralled with the way the shows worked and was excited before they even began.
Tommy was a little more skeptical, but he enjoyed them once it started and he settled in and watched it. Luke loved the way the cameras would zoom and circle and go really fast from one point to the next. I loved watching his face and watching him absorb every little bit of it. I have to say that the new Welcome to the Universe show is incredible. We were all in awe of what technology can create and it's definitely great for all ages. We also loved Night Sky Live!, which is a live show that changes seasonally and explains what stars you would be able to see in the night sky tonight and why you only see certain stars at certain times of the year.
After taking in three shows, Tommy was starting to get a little sleepy so we thought we should explore a little more. Luke really enjoyed the Telescopes exhibit. You were able to look through several different telescopes and view early concepts of telescopes, as well as see yourself through infrared. Both boys really liked that!
They were also huge fans of Planet Explorers, which has three different plays areas and is meant to inspire imaginations and learning. I like how Adler does a good job of balancing the "hands off" type of exhibits with hands on. In fact, I felt like there was more for the boys to touch and do than there was that they couldn't touch. Even in the theatre, we felt like we were a part of the shows, due to the way the screen surrounds you.
We were hardly out of the parking lot before this little astronaut was asking when we could go again--I believe that speaks for itself!
Parts of our weekend were generously provided to us by Swissotel, Shoreline Sightseeing, Lou Malnati's, and Adler Planetarium, but opinions are all my own
Last month, I received an email from the public relations manager at Adler Planetarium inviting my family and me to spend a weekend in Chicago experiencing Adler. Shane and I actually went to Adler on our first date and hadn't yet taken the boys, so I thought this would definitely be a good opportunity to take them--as well as an opportunity to let them experience Chicago as tourists. Since we live close to Chicago, we don't normally stay overnight. I knew that this offer would let us see the city like tourists and I was pretty (okay, REALLY) excited.
The best part of this weekend was that although we were given several different vouchers for things in the city, we weren't told when to do these things. It was designed to be a self-guided experience, and I can't say enough what a great idea that was. As anyone with young kids know, it's sometimes tough to keep to a strict schedule and is much easier to work with them instead of against them. The fact that Adler let us do that really means a lot and made this weekend that much more enjoyable.
So, what DID we do? As I said, we got to shape our weekend, so we left early Saturday afternoon and headed to the Swissotel Chicago. We opted to do valet parking, which was a quick and easy experience and upon checking in, we were given a great gift bag from Adler. The boys were so excited at their new goodies, but they were equally as excited with this view.
That little head in the picture is Tommy's. He didn't move from the window for at least 20 minutes. I cannot rave enough about our accommodations. We stayed in the classic double room, a perfect size for us. The room itself was gorgeous and very clean. I especially loved that the bathroom had a separate bathtub and shower, which is not something you often see in hotels. Once we tore ourselves away from the incredible view, we decided to head to dinner. What's nice about the Swissotel is that it's very close to Michigan Avenue, but there are also always taxis at the ready if you want to go further. As we were going a little further and didn't feel like the long walk with the boys, we decided to take a taxi. It was so nice to be able to step outside the hotel and get right into a taxi. And the boys? They were thrilled at the prospect of their first ever cab ride!
Although I've eaten my fair share of Chicago style, deep dish pizza, I'm ashamed to say that I'd never eaten Lou Malnati's.
It's safe to say that we all thought it was some of the best pizza we've ever had and we stuffed ourselves silly.
I also can't rave enough about the service. Despite it being a very busy location and it being a Saturday night, with a wait for seats and a wait for pizza, our waitress was so on top of things. She refilled our drinks constantly, brought out the food as quickly as she could, and had a smile on her face the entire time. Even when Tommy, of course, had a pre-food meltdown.
After dinner, we snagged a taxi to Navy Pier and hopped on a different kind of taxi--a water taxi. Before this weekend, I was unaware that Shoreline Sightseeing water taxis go between the museum campus and Navy Pier. It's only a short 10-15 minute trip and you get the chance to view Chicago from a different angle. My kids loved the boat ride and we all loved the sights.
After our boat ride, we headed back to the hotel, where we ooh-ed over our view in the dark.
Then we hit up the swimming pool, located on the 42nd floor. I also want to note that the Swissotel has what appeared to be an awesome fitness center with great views of the Lake. Luke noted, "Mom, you could run tomorrow," but I'd already done my run and was planning on being lazy! As luck would have it, we got the boys out of the pool, bathed and settled in just in time to watch the Navy Pier fireworks. We had a pretty good view, I'd say.
I want to rave over how quiet the Swissotel was. I know there were people all around us, yet I didn't hear a peep. The rooms appear to be spaced apart so well that you don't even hear TVs filtering through the walls, as you would in other hotels. This is huge to me.
When we woke up in the morning, we... well, we raved over the view. Are you surprised?
After a great breakfast at Eggys, which a twitter friend recommended to us knowing how close to the hotel it was, we reluctantly packed up and checked out of the hotel.
The trip from Swissotel to Adler was pretty quick, even with the air and water show going on this weekend. I have to say that the view from Adler Planetarium comes pretty close to tying with the view from our hotel room in terms of amazing.
What I love the most about Adler are the different shows that they have in the theaters and I couldn't wait to show the boys. I wasn't sure what would be best for them, but the man at the desk was really helpful in going through the different choices with me and helped me choose the two earliest shows that they would probably enjoy the most. Luke was absolutely enthralled with the way the shows worked and was excited before they even began.
Tommy was a little more skeptical, but he enjoyed them once it started and he settled in and watched it. Luke loved the way the cameras would zoom and circle and go really fast from one point to the next. I loved watching his face and watching him absorb every little bit of it. I have to say that the new Welcome to the Universe show is incredible. We were all in awe of what technology can create and it's definitely great for all ages. We also loved Night Sky Live!, which is a live show that changes seasonally and explains what stars you would be able to see in the night sky tonight and why you only see certain stars at certain times of the year.
After taking in three shows, Tommy was starting to get a little sleepy so we thought we should explore a little more. Luke really enjoyed the Telescopes exhibit. You were able to look through several different telescopes and view early concepts of telescopes, as well as see yourself through infrared. Both boys really liked that!
They were also huge fans of Planet Explorers, which has three different plays areas and is meant to inspire imaginations and learning. I like how Adler does a good job of balancing the "hands off" type of exhibits with hands on. In fact, I felt like there was more for the boys to touch and do than there was that they couldn't touch. Even in the theatre, we felt like we were a part of the shows, due to the way the screen surrounds you.
We were hardly out of the parking lot before this little astronaut was asking when we could go again--I believe that speaks for itself!
Parts of our weekend were generously provided to us by Swissotel, Shoreline Sightseeing, Lou Malnati's, and Adler Planetarium, but opinions are all my own
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