Mishmash

There was so much catch-up type stuff to do this week. The house really needed a good cleaning now that all the goody bag stuff was gone. Yesterday Jack and I went and bought some closet storage system things to organize all the kids' clothes better. Faith is having so much fun pretending to "shop" on her set that she keeps asking me if another load of laundry is done yet so she can hang more stuff up. I need to go by more hangers... there aren't any left and we haven't gotten to the jeans yet!

I went and checked on my HOF entry at the USPS site and got this message. I guess that means I am officially entered into the contest now, unless they have DQed my entry already... LOL

Your item was delivered at 1:07 pm on February 01, 2006 in RIVERTON, UT 84065. The item was signed for by S MUES.

After three weeks of waiting while three repair guys kept coming by just to tell us they needed to order more parts, the new washing machine is fixed. Six kids and three weeks without a washing machine... well you do the math of how much laundry that is! Being able to wash clothes again meant a run to Costco to pick up laundry detergent and fabric softener, and while we were there Todd and Beth engaged in a fun round of monkey see monkey do!



I brought home some kind of heavy cold from CHA. It isn't a serious issue like bronchitis, just enough stuffiness and coughing to make me feel like I am dragging my feet everywhere. I suppose with all the running I was doing in the last few weeks that I should have seen it coming. I think Chris even warned me about it at some point... LOL... so here it is. I know better than to go into crowds that big without some Airborne in my system!

Since today was the Superbowl, Jack and the kids watched the game together and snacked down on their favorite football foods. (cheese and pepperoni) I was going to scrap, but I ended up getting our taxes done and sent off instead. There are lots of reasons I like having six kids, and filling all their names in those little dependant rows is one of them... LOL.

I took Chet in for counts on Thursday. He looks so healthy. I know that. I know it is hard for people to look at him and know he isn't 100%. It really took me by surprise, though, to see the doctor just take a look at him and think all was well. The hardest thing about having aplastic anemia for Chet is that he can't play sports, and there isn't anything he wants to do more. At the beginning of the appointment I told Dr B that we needed a note for the school nurse (which is a whole other story I am not too thrilled about) to get Chet excused from PE. He looked at Chet and said "why?" I was a little surprised and said, "because he has aplastic anemia, low platelets, and has to avoid contact sports." He said he looked great, and did I want him to play sports. Chet just lit up... completely lit up. He thought his favorite dreams were coming true. I just asked the doctor to wait until we had a platelet count before any decisions were made. Fifteen minutes later he came back feeling so bad for saying anything because Chet's platelets are at 50,000. (the lowest end of the "normal" spectrum is 150,000) That is way too low to risk any contact sports. Chet is physically fine... he has been between 50,000 and 75,000 for five years now, but emotionally he was heartbroken. This is my sweet boy who does anything I ask him to do with a smile, he wouldn't hurt a flea, and all he wants to do is play some sports. Right now his PE teacher has him standing on the sidelines watching the other kids play all the things he wants to play (another very touchy story for me right now), and after the doctor left the room to get the note and take care of a prescription for Chet's dental visit next week, Chet just broke down and cried. I knew it was coming... I saw how happy he was when he thought he was cleared to play, and I knew those counts weren't nearly as high as the doctor thought they would be (he is an excellent doctor... I just know when Chet's counts are down a bit by observing his behavior and seeing how dark the rings under his eyes are.) I don't know that anything has ever made me feel such sad anguish as that moment did when I knew there was nothing I could say or do to make it better for him. This has been weighing heavy on my heart all weekend. We have always offered plenty of substitutes for sports, but I think this just brought home to him how much he is missing out on, and I wasn't prepared to see him ride that swell of hope and crash in misery in a matter of moments.

I don't want to end on such a somber note, so for a little levity I am posting this photo that I found on my camera when I downloaded the card tonight. Todd has been practicing some self-photography apparently, and I thought the nose shot was a bit funny!


I plan on getting some scrapping done tomorrow. I have a layout I want to get done about Chet and the issues going on with the school nurse and PE teacher right now, and I know I won't get anything else creative done until I get that idea onto paper so it isn't bouncing around my brain anymore! I have some assignments and my DS article to get done before I leave next week, so I better get to work!

TTYS