childhood illnesses

Well, sigh, one of the things that one never thinks about when one has children/plans to have children, is the excitement of childhood illness. This time round it is Xander who is having a hard time.

Started on Sunday -- Donna had arrived home from a difficult trip and had suggested that they take us out to their favorite chinese restaurant as a way of celebrating Tom's birthday -- she'd missed it because she was out of town. We agreed and headed over to Issaquah to meet them around 4. Everything seemed to be fine but once we were in the restaurant and the food had been ordered/arrived, Xander began to fuss. He was 'done'. He wanted to 'go home.' Mommy didn't listen. What happened next was probably inevitable: Xander threw up. He'd only really had water, had refused food, but it was a LOT of water. All over himself, all over my leg, all over the floor. I excused us and hurried to the car. There I had a change of clothes for Xander -- though not for me. Tom followed with Jason and we headed home. That night and the next were a nightmare. Xander would beg for water (or Gatorade if that were all that was available) I would given him some and he would throw it up. I must've changed three beds and used up all the towels in the process. We shall have to get rid of the couch and the cushions on it as they are thoroughly drenched and unrecoverable. Sigh. At any rate, Tom stayed home Monday so that he could be with Jason while I took Xander to the doctor. Our appointment was at 8:40 am, we got home finally at noon. The doctor was concerned that the little ball Xander may have swallowed might be the culprit and ordered first an Xray of his throat and then a Barium swallow. Xander was amazing -- charming all who met him with long discussions of whatever was on his mind. He drank the Barium as directed, at least twelve swallows of it and his only comment was to ask if he could 'get down now' off of the table that they'd lifted him up on. The good news was that there was no sign of obstruction. The bad thing was that he hadn't had a bowel movement in days and so their next concern was bowel obstruction. All of Tuesday we watched, I made an appointment to take him BACK to the doctor's office for 2:40 -- and at 1:45 he finally pooped. What a relief. But that was not the end. Today, poor little tyke has diarreah -- which started while we were at the grocery where I didn't have a change for him -- and then, when he woke, he threw up all over himself and over the couch. I washed him up and let him sit in the bath with his brother in attendance while I went out to clean the floor and couch. Then while he was in the tub, he had another bout of diarreah... in the tub. So I got him out and on the toilet while I cleaned the tub. Then I cleaned him, put him back in the tub and cleaned up the floor.

Meanwhile, it looks like we will need to replace (1) the dishwasher and (2)the tape deck as well as the couch. Sigh. Such fun, don't you think?

Friday

Here is a picture of Jason with the first loaf of bread he ever made. We have to make more but recent events have rather pushed it to the back of the list. The next batch we make will be sourdough -- and we will be using fresh oil! The first batch was made using oil that was a bit too old... sigh.

Took the boys to Gene Coulon Park yesterday afternoon, despite Xander's nasty cough. We met there daddy there and they had a blast -- Xander especially, I suspect. You see, when we arrived there was a huge flock of coots and mallards on the grass -- I would guess at least 60 birds total. Xander couldn't resist and with a 'ROWR' he charged into the flock. They parted before him, but no one flew. The coots went to one side, the mallards to the other. It wasn't until Jason joined him that the coots decided to head for the water. An odd sight that was too! Coots are just not meant to walk on land. Their bodies are very round and their flippered feet are placed awkwardly for walking, out to the sides. The result is that, when Coots run, which they do only under duress, they look rather like sailors -- they roll from side to side. It took the boys some time to herd all the coots back into the water. There must've been something especially tasty in the grass because neither the coots nor the ducks seemed particularly inclined to leave. But the boys had fun. After the park, we went to Frys -- where Jason got a new PC game and Tom a new Gamecube controller. Then it was off to Royal Orchid Thai. That was a huge success. Both boys gobbled spring rolls -- Xander especially liked the sauce -- then they ate up all the Phud Thai. They finished off their meal with Coconut ice cream. That was a relief as earlier Xander had been insisting that he would not eat anything but MacDonalds. I am really rather sick of MacDonalds...

Hullo,
Followed up on the Home Schooling situation in Germany. Interesting. It appears that there was a law passed in 1938 that required schooling. (For the translated text, follow this link:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de33-45/schulpflicht38.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2BReichsschulpflichtgesetz)%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2003-44,GGLD:en ) 1938, if you remember, was the year of Krystalnacht. It was also the year that the Nazis ordered the expulsion of all Jews from non-jewish parochial schools. The logic behind the law was simple -- education creates society. Specific groups were exempted -- children physically or mentally incapable of attendence but it appears that there was a concerted effort going on to control thinking. At any rate, the law was never removed and is still in force in Germany. There have been a number of arrests in Germany as a result of the law recently because Christian parents who object to the content of what is being taught have been removing their children and schooling them at home, in many cases using curriculum NOT approved by the German state. One particular case was taken before the EU law courts who then upheld the German case. The German case, to whit, was that education created a homogenized, cohesive culture and that homeschooling -- particularly religious homeschooling -- created micro cultures that are not compatible with existing German culture. The more telling reason for the rejection of the parents' suit was, I suspect, the discussion of the child's interaction with other children. According to the text of the case (you can find the case online), the state was concerned that the child was not being allowed to interact with other children, thereby losing out on the necessarily socialization. The parents were quite blunt. They did not WANT their child socializing with its peers. That then was, I suspect, the key. The German state and the EU saw the event as an attempt at social isolationism. This does not, however, make the situation any the less disturbing. People are being arrested and imprisioned, their children are being removed from their care, all as a result of a law passed under a dangerous government. The major concern for folks in the US is that one of the EU principals who voted to support the German position is now here in the US holding a government advisory position on public education....

Home Schooling Challenges

Just a reminder how precious freedom really is. Read the following article on how people are being treated as regards educating their children. It is remarkably frightening, though I suppose that, given the country and its history, not surprising!

http://www.hslda.org/elert/archive/2007/02/20070205135755.asp

The day after the day after Tom's birthday

5:23 am
Tried writing yesterday but Jason woke early. We will see how things go today. Xander's cough is really awful -- AGAIN. He woke last night around 10:30 last night, coughing and choking -- wanted to go into the living room, wanted to 'BE AWAKE'. Poor tyke was in tears. So I gave him water, took him to the potty and cuddled him. Finally got back to my own bed about midnight. So far both boys are still asleep. We will see how long that lasts.

Tom's birthday was fairly successful. I spent the entire day cooking Lasagna Carnavale and birthday cake. Tom liked the Lasagna, the boys happily picked it apart, eating pasta noodles and meatballs/sausage. (Jason, noticing the ricotta, asked me dubiously 'What is that white stuff?' I told him that it was cheese. He looked at it very doubtfully and decided 'I don't eat white stuff.' Okay...) Then came the cake. I had made a German Chocolate Cake because that was what Tom requested. Jason had lobbied for Chocolate Nemesis (a cake that consists of chocolate, butter, eggs and sugar...) but after reading the recipe I voted him down. Told him we'd make it sometime when we had a large crowd of people. Of course, when Tom saw his bday cake, he might have wondered... it was, in Jason's words, HUGE. It was so big that we cut a small piece and divided it in half for the boys to share... and they didn't argue! Of course, there was more to the party than just the eating. At Jason's insistence, we had a pirate themed party -- a pirate pinata, pirate hats and eye patches, pirate music and paper plates. Tom does well as a pirate and Xander definately has the 'Yo ho ho' song down. Jason gave Tom a legos Yoda pen 'because Daddy is Old and Wise.' (Choke!) and Xander gave him some shortbread cookies. Mommy gave him a Lance Armstrong Video and a remote sensing cooking thermometer. The boys wanted him to test the latter item immediately, of course! Problem is, of course, that Tom actually got home on time for his birthday and I am afraid that may have set up expectations. The boys do love having their father home -- he plays with them like he was a big kid...

Anyway, let me see... what stories do I have from the battlefront? Well, besides the fact that we all have a nasty bug, there was the exciting moment on Saturday evening last. Xander may or may not have swallowed a small rubber ball (foot) from one of Jason's toys. I was cooking dinner when he began to cry hysterically. I raced in and in between incoherent sobs, I learned that he'd been chewing on one of Jason's music makers. Initially neither Tom nor I could see anything missing. Then Jason came over, took a look and said, 'Oh, the little balls on the feet are gone.' Oh man... so we raced off to urgent care -- before dinner, both boys hungry and tired. Tom took Jason to MacDonald's for dinner while I waited with Xander. About an hour later we saw the doc. He took a look, couldn't see any sign of the ball (and commented that there was no point in doing an Xray because rubber wouldn't show up!) but he did see that Xander's tonsils were so swollen that they were almost touching and that the back of his throat 'looks like a waterfall.' Tonsilitis, possibly strep. So he gave us a prescription for Zythromax and sent us home. The pediatrician's office called the next day to tell us to watch for the ball(s) in Xander's stools. They are concerned about possible bowel obstruction. At any rate, we got Xander started on the Zythro and no sooner had we done that then I came down with a bitterly sore throat and headache. Xander completed his course of meds -- and then got my bug. Jason has it also, I suspect, in a more moderate form. Sigh. I really do not like winter. I will be glad when the warmer weather -- and the better health -- return! At any rate, we did survive the trip and though there has been no sign of the ball(s), there have also been no indications of bowel obstruction -- thank Heavens!

In other news: we continue the pirate unit. We have read books and books about the topic, Jason continues to receive (from Jeff BRewer, one of Tom's co-workers/friends) postcards from that scallywag of a gingerbread pirate, Bare Belly. Jason also received a video on the history of pirates and is in the process of creating a pirate board game. We have read book upon book of pirate stories -- though I have not really pursued the RLS books since I think they may be a bit too scary for a five year old. Captain Wavy Cape, the comic strip, is still coming together and is beginning to gather a readership. And Jason has a number of pirate ship images from which he plans to build a legos construction. We will work on that this weekend some... though his daddy won't be home on Saturday to help as he is helping a friend move:< Xander loves the pirate theme as well and sings sea shanties with the best of will. (mom is not allowed to sing, according to the young emperor).

I'm going to break here. My shoulders hurt. Will write more later.

Finally!

HA! Finally I am back up and running. Have been having difficulties logging on AND finding the time... the latter is not a surprise. Xander has another upper respiratory infection. There was one night where he coughed all night long, literally. The next day Jason and I took him to the doc and were told that he simply had a very bad cold. Sigh. So we are doing the usual -- saline, humidifiers, vapo-rub, lots of baths. (He likes the last bit). Beyond the fact that the coughing sounds horrible and disturbs Xander's sleep, he and Jason sleep in the same bed and so it disturbs Jason as well. But everyone is sleeping peacefully for the moment.

The hard part about not being more regular with this is, of course, that the boys change and do so much so fast that I can barely remember day to day what they last did... but let me think now...

(This is Xander as 'Princess Atta' from 'A Bug's life. Why he is wearing winnie the pooh slippers with his wings is beyond me -- but the child knows what he wants and, especially in the land of make believe, I generally do not argue with him!)

Well one of the more interesting events has been Jason's creation of a new 'comix' strip 'The Adventures OR Captain Wavy Cape' I suggested that we might do something of the sort, casually, the other night and Jason was terribly excited. Nothing would do but we did it immediately. So while Tom played 'Hopper' (the bad guy in A Bug's Life) and was bounced on by Xander, Jason and I worked on his strip. That first night he drew six frames. The next day, with a little coaching from Mom on how to use Watercolor pencils, he very carefully added color. I include an image of his work. I am very impressed by the fine motor control involved in his work -- not just the drawing but the colored pencil. Normally Jason just slathers color on, not worrying about where it lands. In this case, though, after I had explained the challenges of reproducing his image, he worked very carefully and intently and kept the color exactly where it needed to be.

I have only included one frame from the strip, space being what it is, but one of the curious features of these first six panels is that there is no story -- not that one could tell just by looking at the strip. Each panel introduces one character -- Black Eye, the bad guy and his dog, Pegleg Sam the Pirate Man, Right hand hook and left hand hook, the pirate twins, Both hands Hook (aka Captain Wavy Cape), and the Joker Pirate. Turns out, when I talked to Jason, that he has an entire and elaborate storyline all thought out. Now I just have to help him turn it into a series of images on paper. The nice thing about this 'accidental' project is that it offers a way to teach about art and story telling. I have been having him really look at and analyze the films he watches, as well as the picture books we read, asking him to tell me what the images themselves, without the words tell him -- and whether the images do the job effectively. And besides, it is definately fun!

Xander, of course, had to help... so I gave him paper and water colors and water. When I checked on him, he informed me with great seriousness that he was 'painting with water' and making 'booteeful' pictures. He had NO interest in the watercolors at all, thank you very much! Periodically the young lord would command me to 'tear that one out, Mommy, so it can dry!' I would do so, of course, and he would look at it with great pleasure and say 'Isn't that a booteeful picture, Mommy? I did that!' Hmmm. Even in his art work, he knows what he wants!

Jason continues to amaze me. The other morning, early, I had been skipping channels, trying to find a weather report. I came across a bio of Stephen Hawkings and was watching it when Jason woke up and came in. He sat down and watched with great fascination and then, when it was over, proceeded to ask some very good questions -- like how do they know that what they think is right? And what precisely do Physicists study and why do they argue? Then he asked about Black Holes and what they were and had anyone seen them and if they hadn't then how does anyone know that they exist? I figured I will turn that whole discussion over to TOM!!!!!

Snow day

Sunday was a blast. We took the boys to Sno-Hyak snow park at Snoqualmie pass. It was a bit of a drive -- about 50 minutes. Then we spent a bit more time driving down the entire expanse of the icy road looking for a good place to stop. The farther on we went, the more snow mobiles we saw. Finally we came to a turn about and turned about. We went back to the beginning and parked there, then unloaded and dressed the boys. We'd already put them in long underwear with sleepers over the top. Once at the park, we put on mittens, coats and boots. Then, gathering up the pancake and the tobboggin, we headed uphill. Xander was, initially, very unhappy. He wanted to ride the pancake NOW and couldn't understand our insistence on walking. But we finally found a spot high enough on the trail and stopped. There we began the run -- and it literally was a 'run' for me! Xander plopped down on the pancake and off he spun down the trail. I ran, full out for part of it, alongside him, making sure that the pancake didn't spin off into a snow drift or bang into anyone coming up the trail. Tom and Jason followed in the tobboggin, Tom pulling, Jason laughing. We traded and began again. We played there for quite awhile then gathered boys and snow stuff up and walked further up the trail to look for snowball making materials.

Tom and Jason charged ahead. Xander marched determinedly after. I offered him my hand, to 'help him up the hill.' His response: 'I can help MYSELF up the hill!' and so he did. We came to a relatively flat surface and stopped. There we found a natural 'snow fort' and the boys and I 'hid' in it while Tom lobbed snow balls. Most of the time I was attempting to push the boys up the sides of the fort so that they could throw snow balls at their father. Funny thing, I think they ENJOYED sliding down the snow face first!

When it was time to return to the car, I sat on the tobboggin with Xander while Tom sat on the pancake with Jason and we spun down the trail. Part of the way down, we switched and the boys laughed the whole way.

It was a good day and one we shall have to repeat.

Cooking takes the lead

I really need to be better about keeping up with this! My mother is right: the days are long but the years are short. What she could have added is: the moments are many and fleeting! Seems like I turn around and the boys are into something new.

For example, the other day, thinking about things to do that would provide Jason with both learning and fun, I suggested we make bread. We did. We made Honey Whole Wheat bread. Jason measured and stirred and then he and his brother pounded (kneaded) the bread. Jason had the bigger bowl and worked diligently to get the flour incorporated and the bread springy. Xander had a smaller bowl and a small piece of dough. He enjoyed thumping and throwing it but that got old and so, being Xander, he dumped the dough out onto the table and set the bowl on his head... I had stepped into the kitchen to check the oven and when I turned around, there was Jason, working away, and a metal headed monster beside him. "OH XANDER!" I wailed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He laughed and took the bowl off. Jason, still absorbed, barely glanced at me as he commented "You know Xander. Everything is a hat." Xander was delighted with this insight and has been repeating it, periodically, for the past few days.

We put the bread to rise and when it had, I showed it to Jason, before we baked it. It came out just fine except that the oil was a bit off. So we dumped the oil and bought new. We will make sourdough next -- I just need to get the starter set up as it has to perk for 24 hours...

Our next adventure in cooking was pie making. Tom just recently was told that one of his ideas has been patented. He is justifiably proud and we wanted to do something to celebrate so, while he was off at work on Tuesday, the boys and I went shopping. We made him a special celebratory dinner -- Steak Au Poivre (using Jacque Pepin and Julia Child's recipe), Broccoli with Hollandaise (Jason made -- and ATE most of -- the hollandaise), potatoes, and a home made apple pie. I made the crust, Jason the filling. I have promised Jason that he can make the next pie crust, and so he will, tonight, when we make 'Stargazy Pie.' While dinner was cooking, the boys made their father big posters that said 'Congratulations Daddy' and 'We are proud of you.' Tom was delighted. The posters are still up in the door. Dinner turned out well and Xander, who is not much of a steak eater, decided that he REALLY liked Steak Au Poivre. He kept gobbling it down as fast as I could cut it up for him. He also liked pie crust. Jason just liked pie.. Should be interesting to see how they do with the pilchard pie tonight, hmmm?

Jason is fascinated by math these days. All on his own, he is going around figuring out addition problems. 'MOMMY!' he will announce with loud excitement 'DO YOU KNOW WHAT 1+3 is?' Obligingly, I say 'No.' 'FOUR!!!!' and he is off to do another 'Math Problem' in his 'Math area.' I have found numerous sites on the web where one can obtain 'worksheets' with math problems -- including mazes etc -- and have been printing them up for him. He loves the stuff and just keeps going at it. Xander, watching his brother, wants to 'do school too!' Of course, in Xander's case, 'doing school' means sharpening pencils... Yes, we have a pencil sharpener and after he saw his brother sharpen pencils (something Jason enjoys mightily... I think sometimes he writes just so that he can dull the tip and need to sharpen it!), Xander decided that that was the coolest thing going and HE wanted to do it. Sigh.

On a sadder note: the snow is gone. We are back to the old Seattle Standby, rain. On the other hand, we have promised to take the boys up to the Sno-park this weekend. That should be great fun. And with the snow gone and the roads MOSTLY clear, the boys and I can once again venture out to the parks... we just have to dress warmly since the temperatures, while not freezing are still mighty cold.

Opps, here boys yelling. Bye!

Back again

Back again after a long hiatus.

What an event past few months. We went to Tucson for Christmas and spent some wonderful time with Mom, Dad, Matt, Maggie and the kids. Then we came home. On the return flight, Jason was nearly inconsolable during the descent. When, several days later, he was still tearful and having a hard time sleeping, we took him into the doctor. Sure enough, the poor baby had a double ear infection going. His brother, though suffering from a nasty upper respiratory bug, did not have ear infections, thank heavens.

On the other hand, Jason, dosed with antibiotics, recovered fairly rapidly. Xander went the other way. He developed a cough that got so bad that it was, quite literally, keeping everyone awake. So in to the doctor with him -- he is now back on Axid as treatment for reflux and it seems to be working. Though he still has an occasional cough, he is not coughing all the night through and is sleeping somewhat better.

Then there is me: Several days ago, I got a splinter under the nail of my left thumb. Tried to remove it using nail clippers (DUMB!) and ended up clipping it off instead. Tried soaking it out but after two days it became pretty clear that there was an infection going. Urged on by my husband and mother, I made an appointment to get it removed. Yuck. It was worse than I thought. First, I had to have a tetanus shot since I couldn't remember when my last one had been. Then it took four shots of Lidocaine around the base of my thumb to numb it sufficiently for the doc to remove the splinter. Now I am on Vicodin and Augmentin for the next ten days. Joy. Actually, the current worst of it is that the bandage I have on the thumb is bulky and awkward. And the pain, such as it is, seems to be a result of the injections near the base of the thumb -- unless I bang the thumb itself, it doesn't hurt. What a fuss over a silly little splinter!

But there is good news in the world. Tom got a patent award for some very clever thinking. I told him that he should use the money to buy himself that camera he has been wanting. He is quite pleased with himself, as you might imagine!

And it is snowing -- again. Despite the weather mens' predictions that the next few days would be 'clear, cold, with no precipitation' it is snowing. Rather satisfying in some ways as Jason was worrying that the snow would go away. We pointed out that is was below freezing, and likely to remain so but the new falling snow seems to be a better way of reassuring him -- a clear, visible indication of the state of the world. It is not a heavy snow, mind you, just gentle dusting but it has been going on for about 1/2 an hour and shows no sign of stopping...

As to our life time learning: Jason's gingerbread pirate, Bare Belly the Belly Button, and his first mate, Bare Bottom, ran off on an adventure. We received several postcards from him while he was in Arizona then, surprise, surprise! He was shang-hied. His ship was taken and he was stranded on a grey foggy dock somewhere unknown! All we know is that it was a blond woman who commandeered his ship. Meanwhile Jason is learning all about pirates: he has been practicing his pirate vocabulary both by writing the words (and learning their meanings) and by doing word searches to find them. He does love word puzzles and I found a website that allows me to generate said puzzles using the words I designate! He has been using his math skills in treasure hunts, in counting the coins from his piggy bank, and in tallying the points on his behavior chart. We have been reading pirate books, listening to pirate songs and stories, and playing pirate games. Jason also read his first 'by himself' book the other day, not a surprise, given his large number of sight words. The pirate theme is fun, I admit. I am planning to borrow the video 'Pirates of Penzance' for him to watch as we have the music from it and I suspect that he will enjoy that as well. Meanwhile, I get a chance to do some learning of my own.

Xander, of course, is absorbing all of this as well. I am constantly amazed at what he knows/has learned. He has potty trained himself, having had only one accident (during a nap) while we were in Arizona. The only down side is that he has wakened several times at night because he needs to go potty -- and once he is awake, he is generally disinclined to return to sleep, preferring instead to talk... He adores his older brother and wants to do, quite literally, whatever it is his older brother is doing -- right then and there. He is always delighted when Jaosn invites him to play or to go potty and trots off after his brother, singing delightedly 'I'm going with my bahbah!' Indeed, while we were in Arizona, Xander's one struggle was accepting that his brother might want to play with his cousin Zach. 'THATS MY BAHBAH!' He would yell. He has since decided that, while Zach is his cousin, Hope is his sister... and he adores 'Baby Judah.'

All for now. My shoulders are hurting. Will add more later.

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