Happy Monday, everyone! It looks as if we will have to go to Plan B in our home today. I had planned on getting a brand new start on school today, since we were able to get in ONE whole day last week....but alas, that isn't gonna happen. Several of the children are still sick. I took Ellie to the doctor on Friday. She had high temperature and a really gross throat. The doctor found a double ear infection and tonsillitis...but thankfully, no strep. Then, I was back at the walk-in clinic at our pediatrician's office on Saturday with Erin. She was having high temperature, headache, and she had a lot of pain in her chest when she took a deep breath. I was thinking "bronchitis", but no, the doctor said it was all viral. This stuff seems to be 'everlasting', but I know this too shall pass!
And here's the kicker. Chad woke up this morning about 5:30 am with severe lower left back pain. And folks, my husband DOES NOT like to go to the doctor...much less the ER. But he was in SEVERE pain with resulting nausea. I was thinking maybe he was experiencing a kidney stone episode. But in any case, he was in the Tahoe ready to go before I could even get dressed. I just grabbed my make-up bag and ran. And Chad was in his PJ's and barefooted! If any of you know Chad, you absolutely know he was in dire straits to leave the house that way. But we zipped to the hospital, and all the while I thought he was going to pass out in the backseat while I was driving.
We got to the ER, and they took him back immediately. By the time I moved the Tahoe to the parking lot and got back, the nurse already had him in a gown and had started an IV for pain. The pain eased off and they did a limited CT. The CT showed no kidney stone, but there were particles in the bladder and definitely gall stones plus an infection. It's possible that if he did have a kidney stone, it was dislodged, disintegrated, or passed...or it could have been the gallstones. The nurse told us that kidney stone pain is one of the few things she's seen that will bring grown men to their knees in pain. But we aren't exactly sure what was the cause...we may never know...but I do know that Chad hopes it doesn't happen again. When we got home, he felt so much better that he went on in to work. That amazed me, but then again, he knows what he can do! He has an antibiotic to get filled, and maybe that will help the underlying cause as well.
This past weekend, he competed in the Locate Rodeo up in Duluth. We were supposed to go with him, but with the children so sick, we stayed home. That was a LONG three days! The Locate Rodeo is a national competition where underground utility locators compete with each other for money and prizes. There are four divisions: gas, water, electric, and telecommunications. The locators have to do three "locates" and write down their measurements where they find the lines. Whoever has the most accurate measurements is the winner.
On Saturday night, there was a banquet to announce the winners. There is a winner for each locate in each of the four divisions, plus an overall winner. Chad won Event #3 in the Water division! Julieann's husband, Kevin, came from California to compete. He won in some of the individual locates in the Gas division, plus he was the OVERALL winner in his division...and that's REALLY big! Yay! Our husbands sat together at the banquet, and I thought that was pretty neat. Julieann and I didn't get to meet, but our husbands did! So I guess that's the next best thing!
I was sure glad to see my dear husband when he got home. He decided to come on home after the banquet, and he didn't get here until around 2 am Sunday morning! I really have been teasing him. About three years ago, right after the Locate Rodeo, he had to have an emergency appendectomy. This time it was either gall bladder or kidney stones. What is it with that Locate Rodeo??!! LOL I think they work 'em hard up there! But all teasing aside, we were really proud of Chad and how well he did. And we are happy for Kevin (and Julieann)!
So what does today hold, now that everything else is off track? Well, definitely lots and lots of laundry. I also need to get prepared for our first planning meeting for our homeschool group tomorrow night. I need to make copies of the information sheets and prepare the agenda of things we need to talk about and dates we need pin down for activities and family night suppers. We have a wonderful group, and we are very close-knit. This will be the seventh year since my friend Lori and I started the group back in 2001. The first year we had just a few families, and our enrollment has grown A LOT since then. I think we had about 21 families last year. And that may seem small compared to some groups, but it's good sized for our little rural community. We are so blessed to have such great members in our group...I definitely count them as some of my closest friends!
Mrs. Meyer's is also on the agenda for today. I plan on deep-cleaning both bathrooms with my lavender toilet bowl cleaner and all-purpose cleaner. I LOVE Mrs. Meyer's products, and the wonderful smell is a bonus. If I have to clean potties and sinks, then I might as well enjoy it! I do have to say, however, that the honeysuckle scent was definitely my favorite. But alas, that was a limited offer. Right now, there is a new baby fresh scent available...sounds heavenly. Oh yes, I also plan on cleaning out the fridge today.
And last of all, I want to get in my T-Tapp this afternoon. I have been doing a 14 day boot camp with the Total Workout, and this is day 14. I've come too close to not get in this last day. After today I will begin working out every other day for a few weeks, and then hopefully I can switch to just 2-3 times per week. I can definitely tell there's some inch loss already, especially in the thighs, tummy, and back end...plus my back has NOT been hurting at all since I started. It's hard to get in a 40-50 minute workout each day, but the health benefits have been very evident. I can tell a difference in my clothes as well. I plan on doing a full review of T-Tapp later on, but at this point I think it's GREAT!
Well, I hope you all have a blessed week!
*Image at the top by June Dudley~ entitled "Sunkissed"
*Image right above by June Dudley~ entitled "Grandmother's Garden"
Aren't these paintings gorgeous? She has some other paintings that are just as lovely on her website!
Oh my goodness, what a week you had, Amy! I will keep your husband in my prayers. I had my gallbladder taken out several years ago and remember the pain beforehand very well!
I think it is so neat that your husband and Julieann's husband were able to meet up and visit!
Good for you for working out every day. It's always exciting to see those inches disappear!
I will pray that everyone is feeling better at your house soon!
Hugs,
Kelli
Oh, I am so sorry to hear about your husband. I told my husband about Chad, and he is in both our prayers. I hope the kids are all feeling better--and I hope you are feeling good--it is a lot of work for us mom's when our family is sick. That is so neat about the working out--yay!! My doctor said i can go back to exercising---I tired doing a sit-up---LOL---oh what a sight that was. I am nusring Kevin, so my pregnancy weight is coming off nicely--but don't ask me to do a sit-up...LOL.
I am so happy our husbands got to meet, so hopefully you and I can go next year---that would be soooo awesome!!! Congratulations on Chad winning. I have to go get a frame and put Kevin's rodeo certificate in it--I know he likes to keep all those memories--he can hang it up in his office. The trophy they gave him this year was so nice--it was small---one year the trophy was bigger then me--too big...okay I think I just talked your ear off...Have a wonderful day Amy--and woohoo, on them winning :)
I do hope your husband feels better!!! I will pray!
Would you share more about your view of T-Tapp? I borrowed a tape from a friend with an intro, but she never actually did it!! LOL!! So I would love to hear all your thoughts on it!
Just had a visit with you. Thanks for the thought that you might be able to help me with getting reflective blogger award onto my blog. It is fine now, my only problem (which I imagined it was) was that I was not at home on my own computer so could not import it into my photo. software. Once I couold do that there was no problem.
So sorry you were having such a bad time with children sick and then yur husband on top. Glad it was not serious. It is a hard situation though. Gall stones andkidney stones so excrutiating from others I have seen. My prayers and love go out to you.
I do so love having contact with your Mum.
I'm a very happily married pastor's wife, former schoolteacher-turned-homeschool mom of six wonderful blessings, and freelance writer--and we live in the great state of Georgia! I'm a southern girl through and through...but most importantly, I'm a child of the King! We have just finished up our twelfth year of homeschooling, and our two oldest have now graduated! This is my place to record thoughts about homemaking, Classical-Charlotte Mason based homeschooling, writing around the fringes of family life, and more...so welcome to my little corner of the world!
So I guess that's the next best thing!
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