Bloom where you're planted

On Monday, Rick went to the dentist for his first checkup / cleaning. He watched me get my teeth cleaned first, so he would know what to expect. He did very well, and - unlike the 3 year old in the next room - does not have any cavities. The dentist came in and explained to Rick the importance of brushing teeth. He told Rick that there are little tiny tooth bugs that live in our mouths, and they eat the sugar from our food. After they eat, he said, they  poop. It's the tooth bug poop, he said, that makes holes in our teeth.

Well, this made a big impression on Rick, of course, as did the mask and gloves they gave him. I can't say that I'm real happy about tooth bug poop myself. I've never been able to  get in the habit of brushing my teeth before bed, as the many fillings in my mouth clearly indicate, but I've been brushing twice a day since Rick's tooth bug poop lecture.

And while we're on the subject of things said by doctors, I went to my optometrist tthis week, and I asked him what my vision is.. I think the last time I got a number was 20 years ago, and my vision was somewhere around 20/70. Well, it's deteriorated a bit... He said that my vision isn't quite 20/400, but it's close. No wonder I can't read my bedside clock in the middle of the night!

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting recently. I've been taking advantage of John's vacation to soak up all the relaxing I can so that I can recharge my batteries before John goes back to school on July 23rd. I've been cooking real food, too, not crock pot stuff, since I have a bit more time and energy in the evenings.

We have a new electrical panel now, and our neighbor is working on the concrete platform. The air conditioner should be installed about the time that John goes back to work. It'll sure be nice.

At work, we're beginning to work on the High Holy Days, which are in mid-September this year. It'll all be over before I know it, right? It's hard to believe that this is my 10th High Holy Day season.

A meme, courtesy of ross_teneyck:

Reply to this meme by yelling "Words!" (Or, really, any way you like.) I'll give you five random words, and you post them in your LJ and do whatever you feel like with them.

Here are the random words I was given, and any associations I have with them:

empire - There was a Bloom County strip, fairly early on in its history, where Opus and some of the rest of the gang were playing some variation of cops-n-robbers by riding on one of the character's wheelchair and shooting things with popguns. "Aaaagh! The Evil Empire," someone cries, and they all desperately shoot,,, at a billboard advertising AT&T. (This may explain why, when someone called me to tell me that he'd taken a job with the Evil Empire, my first reaction was to say, "AT&T?") 

gingham - tablecloths.

match -  fire fire fire! heh heh heh! fire fire fire!

catkin - don't know this word, but the picture I'm getting is of an adolescent cat. 

rumpus - pillow fights and feathers flying everywhere...  sounds fun!

As part of having air conditioning installed, we need to have a new electrical panel installed. Current code requires that we have a level 3'x3' platform in front of the panel. I think this is a lovely idea, because it's very difficult to get at our panel to reset breakers when they trip.

Our lot is sloped at either end - sloped up on the west side, and sloped down on the east side and in front of the house. The panel is on the east side of the house. I know how to build the platform itself, and how to make it nice and sturdy and even bug-proof, but I am puzzled about how to anchor the platform so that it doesn't slide into the neigbor's house.

At a rough guess, the slope is somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees, and is covered with ice plant (a slippery succulent). There's about 5 or 6 feet (maybe a little more) between our house and a chain link fence which is leaning a bit.

The obvious answer, of course, is to dig holes and sink posts into cement. That's a lot of work (see previous paragraph re: slope and slipperiness), and I'd rather skip that if there's a reasonable and sturdy alternative.

ross_teneyck  and/or adrianeh, do you have any ideas? How about the rest of you? Or do any of you know anyone reliable in San Diego who would be willing to undertake said digging, etc.?

Update: I consulted with our neighbor-across-the-street, who works in construction, and he suggested that we simply pour a concrete slab. He even offered to do it if we pay for the materials! He's going to price out a couple of options and get back to us. What a guy! What a neighbor!

It's taking me a loooong time to recharge. Our vacation helped but my batteries were only partially recharged. Two days back at work undid all the good that our trip did. [sigh]

It helps a lot that John is on vacation, so I am doing a lot less driving than usual. Also since he's on vacation he's doing more around the house, like laundry, dishes, etc. (Don't get me wrong - he does it during the school year as well. During the summer he does more.) It also helps that a couple of John's usual dances were not held this week - I got to sleep in on Saturday!

Rick discovered recently that he is scared of the dark (so we got a nightlight) and is also scared of the light cast by headlights coming up our street (so I put up very substantial curtains in his room). The new curtains block out so much light that Rick has been sleeping later in the mornings and on Saturday, he didn't wake up until 8! I'm really liking that!

I think it will also help a lot that we won't be holding the Callers' School this summer. I agree whole-heartedly with John's reasons and motivations for holding the school, but it gets really rough to give up every Sunday afternoon for 3 months. (We didn't get enough people this year to hold a class.)

Something else that should help is that we are getting central air conditioning installed soon! Yay! No more days of 97 degree temperatures inside the house!

So all these factors will help; I can feel my batteries recharging. It's just going to take a long time, that's all.

On Monday, we got up before dawn and flew to Seattle, where we spent the afternoon through the next morning with ross_teneyck. Rick played light saber with his Uncle Ross many, many times, and inbetween Ross getting his legs cut off at the knees, John and I had a nice visit with him, too. John had his first HDTV experience, so I may be hearing more about that in later conversations. :) 

On Tuesday, we drove to the Portland area and spent a couple of very nice hours visiting with my Grandpa Ross. I haven't had any opportunity to spend time with him in the last couple of years, and all of the time I've spent with him since the spring of '06 has been at funerals. It was nice to chat when there wasn't a funeral.

After that visit, we piled back into the car and drove to rephetibel's house. Now, it was a long drive to Grandpa  Ross' house (about 3 hours) and it  was another long drive to Rephetibel's house (another 2.5 hours or so). I had been hoping that Rick would nap in the car, but alas, he did not. By about half an hour from our destination, Rick was bitterly and vocally convinced that we would be driving forever and would never get there. Get there we did, however, and there was much rejoicing.

On Wednesday, we puttered around the property and visited. That evening, Neil built a campfire in an old washing machine tub and we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on sticks. This was Rick's first experience with this method of cooking, although he's seen it on tv. John and I hadn't done it in years. We all heartily approved of the experience. I'd forgotten how good hot dogs taste when they've been roasted that way. I'm thinking about getting a firepit thingy for our patio, but both John and I are very aware of the fire danger here and are not at all sure that we would be comfortable with a fire in our back yard, contained though it would be. That requres more thought.

On Thursday, Rephetibel and I went into the Big City and visited a fabric store and a couple of other places. We came back without much to show for our expedition, but  had a nice time visiting with each other. A nap happened to fill up my afternoon, which was nice.

On Friday, we all crammed ourselves into the rental car and headed off for the Black Sheep Festival. We all checked out the sheep and goats for a while, then Rephetibel and I wandered through the booths of yarn, rovings, spinning, and weaving. It would have been nice to have more time, a shopping list, and a recent lottery win, but it was still lots of fun. When the guys were done, we all left.

Saturday morning we packed up all our stuff and drove back to Portland, where we returned the car and flew home. We landed at about 6:15 last night, came home, and began reassuring the cats that we do indeed love them. Rick immediately started pulling out all his toys and playing with them. He must still be recovering from the trip; when we got home from church/lunch today, he went down for a nap (as did I) but he's still napping, nearly 4 hours later. Tomorrow, I go back to work, Rick goes to the summer camp program at preschool, and John will stay at home and enjoy his vacation.

We all had a very nice time on our vacation, but it's nice to be home again, too.

Home, safe and sound after a good vacation. Now time for laundry and grocery re-stocking.

I haven't had a chance to update you all on what the doctor said. I went in on Friday to discuss this lactose problem I thought I'd been having.

My doctor thinks that it isn't lactose intolerance, but Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The symptoms of IBS can be triggered by certain foods or stress or both; sometimes it happens just because. Apparently lactose is a common triggering mechanism for people with IBS, which is why I've been thinking that milk (etc.) was my problem. in a way, it is.

By the way, I just discovered that soy milk warms up nicely and tastes really good with dark chocolate hot cocoa mix. Mmmm... hot chocolate!

Rick had his general 4-year-old checkup this morning; his vision, hearing, blood pressure, weight, height, urine, and blood were checked.

Vision: works
Hearing: works
Blood pressure: normal
Weight: 71 lbs.*
Height: 46.5 inches
Urine: fine
Blood: not anemic

71 lbs. and 46.5 inches. His last checkup was in January of 2008; he has grown 5.5 inches since then, and gained 16 pounds. 5.5 inches in 17 months - that's an average of 1 inch every 3 months. No wonder I have to keep buying clothes! (I will say here that one of John's teenaged relatives grew 12 inches in the last year, and he's not done growing. 5.5 inches doesn't really compare to that.)

When I explained to Rick what the little cup was for, he thought I was joking. Peeing in a cup is silly! Besides which, he didn't need to pee. (He got pretty stressed about it even though I was trying to calm him down. However, all the discussion about peeing eventually made him realize that he did have to go, after all.) He also got four shots, poor kid. He didn't like them at all, though he was pretty good. He cried, but held pretty still. I'll be glad when the immunizations are all done. 

I was surprised to find out that the carseat law is "6 or 60" - I thought it was "6 and 60." Apparently it would be legal for Rick to go without a carseat or booster. Don't worry; I have every intention of keeping him in a carseat or booster as long as I can stuff him in one. (His current seat goes up to 55 inches and 100 lbs. so it's good for a whiile.)

All in all, a pretty good checkup.

*Yes, he's a big boy. The doctor said that he's on the heavy side, but is satified since we're aware of the issue and are encouraging activity and not stuffing him with junk. I am extremely prickly on this issue. Negative comments - possibly any comments - about his weight or my parenting skills will have the same results as poking a surly bear. 

I have a very long list of Things Which Must Be Done By the End of the Day on Sunday. I should be working on my list tonight instead of writing this, but I'm tired and I think I'm going to go to bed soon.

Quite often, when I am writing a list, it is because I have too many things to think about and I need to write them down so I can get some coherence in my head. Otherwise, I can't think because I have a to-do list ticker-tape constantly running through my head and it takes up all my thinking space. My long lists tend to include things such as "take deep breaths and relax" or "don't kill anyone." This list includes "play with Rick" but I don't think it has "sleep" on it. 

When I was in college, our grocery lists would often have "sanity" and "sleep" on them, especially during midterms and finals It  made us feel better at the time... :)

Rick's family party was well organized; I've been learning from previous years. We only snagged one picnic table, but the important thing was the adjacent shady spot where everyone set up their chairs and visited. The weather was lovely and the company good. The food seemed pretty well-received, too.

Now we're home (with not very many leftovers), Rick has been bathed, and we're ready for the nightly Big Bed ritual. I think I'll put on my own pjs because I'll probably fall asleep before Rick.

I found some of the lactose-free cheese at Smart and Final and selected the Swiss to bring home. It's actual cheese (and tastes like it, too), but it doesn't upset my tummy! It is a little stronger cheese than I'm used to, but it's CHEESE and therefore all is well. Other flavors that were available were Havarti and Muenster (sp?). I'm sure I'll try those at some point.

Today is Rick's family birthday party at the park. Just about everything is ready; I will just need to frost a cake and pick up a couple of things at the store today (like ice) and pack it all up in a convenient take-to-the-park package. We're having make-it-yourself sandwiches. I have three kinds of bread, 4 kinds of meat, two kinds of cheese, assorted condiments, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, etc.; small bags of chips; water, soda, and juice boxes; chocolate cake (fully loaded with sugar and calories, but non-dairy) and reduced-sugar angel food cake, accompanied by fresh strawberries (kept separate) and blueberries and cool whip. That should take care of the dieters, non-dieters, diabetics, lactose-intolerant, and strawberry-allergic folks, while still feeding them yummy food.

Well, we all had noodle soup for dinner, followed by chocolate cake (decorated with a red spaceship on top) and Rick's present from us. He got a remote-controlled space shuttle, and he was very excited. It only goes forwards and around in circles but Rick really likes it.

Since Friday night, we've eaten out 5 times (if you include ordering pizza as 'eating out'). Oh boy. That'll hurt both the budget and the waistline. [sigh]

I haven't done much this weekend... Yesterday afternoon I spent watching mindless tv and dreaming about how good pizza would taste. My discovery was that pizza doesn't taste nearly as good without cheese. Still good, just not great. AND I reacted to something in the pizza, darn it. Hmph.

Today was the preschool's art show, sing-a-long, fashion show, and auction - their major fundraiser of the year. We went, watched Rick sing and walk the catwalk - and boy, did he ham that up - and admired his artwork that was on display. We quite easily restrained ourselves from bidding on anything. There was some nice stuff, but...

Rick's birthday is on Tuesday, and he has two parties - one on Wednesday at preschool, and one on Sunday at a park for the extended family. I thought it would be nice to have a small celebration for the nuclear family; because of our insane Tuesday night schedule, we decided to celebrate tomorrow night. I told Rick tonight that he could pick what we have for dinner - he could choose a restaurant or he could choose what I would cook. He was very excited, and immediately asked for noodle soup (aka ramen) (wow - cheap, fast, and easy!). I told him that I would also make a cake, and of course he chose chocolate. It got complicated, though, when I asked him if he wanted a tall circular cake or a short square cake (I meant rectangular, but said square). He didn't care for either option and decided that he really, really wanted a tall square cake. I baked a rectangular cake and will cut it in half and stack it, and see how it comes out. I got a dairy-free chocolate cake mix and dairy-free icing mix; we'll see how it tastes. I know I could have made a cake and icing from scratch, but I'm tired and didn't wanna deal with it. So there.

I looked around online and discovered a company that makes lactose-free cheese. This is real cheese, made from real cows' milk. Somehow they do an extra something to the cheese that takes the lactose out. I looked for it at the store tonight - the website said my grocery store carries it - but I didn't see it and the three of us were all perilously close to melting down, so I didn't ask anyone. I'll look more some other time, or try another store. If it's good, I'll let you know. Mmmmm... cheese!

Off to bed.

Rick had a thorough eye exam, complete with dilation and whatnot. His eyes are perfectly healthy, thank you, and he doesn't seem to be favoring one eye over the other. His stereoscopic vision is excellent. Yay!

We're to take him back in a year or two for another exam, just to see how he's doing then.

I have undergone an interesting attitude shift towards dairy foods  recently. I find it rather fascinating to watch, and to see how quickly we can be trained to react differently to certain things.

Foods that, a mere month or two  ago, were completely enticing and delicious now look repulsive to me. I find myself literally flinching from dairy foods. I've started referring to dairy foods as "toxic substances." Of course, the guys in my life continue their milk and cheese consumption unchecked - which is perfectly understandable. However, when I pour Rick some milk, make him a cheese sandwich, or peel the lid from a carton of yogurt, I find myself wishing for gloves and those tongs that people use when handling molten metal. Dr. Pavlov would be proud.

For the most part, I do feel a lot better now that I've cut out the dairy products, but I'm not back to pre-intolerance levels yet, and I'm not sure if I am really lactose-intolerant or if my symptoms are being caused by something else - or caused by something in addition. I have an appointment with my primary care physician in a couple of weeks. Hopefully he will be able to give me some answers or send me to a specialist. I'm betting on the specialist.

Yesterday was one of the exceptions to the "most part" statement in the previous paragraph. In the middle of the afternoon, right after eating some lentil couscous soup, I blew up like a puffer fish. My stomach was so bloated and painful that I left work early and went home to put a hot bean pillow on my tummy. After an hour or so the bloating moved south and stopped being so painful, but I was still feeling the after effects this morning. When my tummy first started hurting, I read the ingredients again, and even called the company to double check - no milk products are in the soup. The only other things I ate yesterday were completely dairy-free. This is one of the reasons that I am not sure if milk is really my problem, or my only problem. We'll see what the doctor has to say. In the meantime, I'll continue to stay away from the toxic substances that I continue to purchase and serve to the two people I love most in the universe.

In happier news, I discovered tthrough extremely cautious experimentation hat I can eat premium dark chocolate with no problems, and can eat a small handful of m & m's with only moderate problems. I could see days when the chocolate fix would be worth the tummy ache (if  there was no dark chocolate available). I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, but it's certainly better than no chocolate at all.

In other news, tomorrow is a day off for me and Rick - it's Shavuot - and we are full of plans. Rick has an eye appointment, and will also have a haircut and a playdate with Sami. A busy day all around. I should go to bed to rest up for it. :)

Today is Memorial Day, and therefore time to remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. Time to remember my Uncle Rick, after whom my son is named. Please, God, help us figure out PEACE around the world, and soon.

Let me also remember those who served our country and survived the experience: My Grandpa Ross and Grandpa Dick; my uncle Neil; John's uncle Jim; John's cousin George. Our friend Scott, currently in Iraq repairing helicopters. God's blessings and peace upon you all, and my profound thanks for your service.

Today, we have no schedule and no firm plans. I'll go to the grocery store, Michael's (for some beads for Rick to string for those fine-motor skills) and Smart & Final (for some non-dairy creamer to keep in my purse). Other than that, I plan on relaxing and puttering. We have tentative plans to get together with friends at some point today. It'll be a nice day!

Friday night, Rick went to my Dad and Stepmom's for the night, so John and I had a DATE. We went to see the  new Star Trek movie, and it was a Class One Hoot. They had a lot of fun with it, and it was definitely in the spirit of the original series. I haven't enjoyed a Star Trek movie that much since the one with the whales - but this one is better.

Yesterday we went to the wedding of one of John's cousin's kids - he and the bride are both (only) 21. The teenagers in the family thought it was all very romantic and were quite excited. The adults were reminiscing about their weddings. It was a nice wedding, and they looked very happy, but I can't help but wonder how long it will last. They are so young ... but I know people who married at that age who are still happily married, with grandkids.

John and I have been married for 8 years and have known each other for 16 years now. (I've known hiim for as long as I was in school - isn't that amazing?) For me, our marriage has not been difficult at all. It's easy and comfortable and reassuring, like putting on my favorite pair of jeans. The rest of my life it's what's difficult - parenting and working and being a grownup and keeping the family fed and the house somewhat clean.

The computer's battery is low and I need to take my shower anyway. More later!

see more Lol Celebs

I just love that.

Anyway... Rick and I got back yesterday from a lovely visit with adrianeh and her family. We got in a lot of visiting, an afternoon in the pool, a dinner out, and a trip to a local park in the short time we were there. It was a really nice visit, and Rick behaved pretty well. He was VERY good during the actual traveling portions of the trip (until we were almost home).

I went back to the doctor today - she had sent me to get an abdominal ultrasound - and she said that my insides are perfectly normal, so I must just be lactose intolerant. I have to say that I have been feeling much, much better since I cut milk out of my diet. I am surprised how many foods have milk or cheese as ingredients, though. It'll take a while for me to find things I know I can eat.

[yawn]

I need to go to bed. G'night.

This last weekend, I got a digital timer for my crockpots. The timer that I had before had failed TWICE last week, so it was high time for a new device. I've used it three times this week, and it works just fine - yay! And last night I got the replacement crock for my small pot. Yay! It's so nice to know that dinner will be ready when we get home.

Last night's dinner had some milk in it, which I didn't realize until it was already prepared. (The recipe called for a jar of beef gravy, and the gravy had milk in it.) I took a lactaid tablet and tried a small bowl of the dinner (Swiss Steak Supper). Then I went to bed with a heating pad on my tummy and a painkiller. I seem to be really sensitive to dairy products, and the lactaid either doesn't help much or doesn't help at all. I've talked to a friend of mine whose husband is lactose intolerant, and he apparently thinks that I may be allergic to lactose because my reacation is much more intense and more immediate than his. I dunno what's going on; at this point, all I know is that milk = pain. I have a follow up appointment with my doctor in a week and I will either find out more then, or be sent for more tests. In the meantime, I will continue diligently avoiding dairy products.

Next week, Rick and I will spend a couple of days visiting with my college roommate and her family. It'll be so nice to see her and her husband and meet her toddler! It will also be very nice to get away for a couple of days... John wasn't able to get the time off, so he'll be staying here.

Rick's birthdays are approaching with great speed and it's hard to believe that he'll be FOUR in just over 2 weeks! Where has the time gone?

There's more that I've been wanting to write, I know there is, but now I don't remember... I suppose it will come to me when I am away from a computer or at work. Ah well. [yawn]

G'night.

I think the icon says it all.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!