Englerville USA

wander through the many streets that are our life...

Name:
Location: Chicagoland, Illinois, United States

>The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck<

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

the latest word

I swear, I have been trying, but it's just no use...
I tried over and over and over on Brian's laptop to get the latest pictures up but the camera just refused to upload! For a while, I thought I was doing something wrong, but alas Brian confirmed that it is actually his port that is broke!
So I guess my writing blog will have to tide you over for now (it's like poetry isn't it?).
The latest word from our side of the world:
Several weeks ago my grandmother had a mild heart attack. Even though it was mild, it's still pretty serious since she's 98 (I think???). She was in St. James Hospital for the first couple weeks, then they transfered her to a nursing home in Beecher for rehab. Since she had been laying in a bed for that long, she basically needs to learn how to walk, get her own food and go to the washroom on her own, things like that. The first couple of weeks she was there she did not look well. I don't think that anyone (at all) was working with her. She could barely lean over laying in the bed to talk to us. I helped her out of bed and into the wheelchair so she could sit up the first time we visited her there and it was not easy, let me tell you! I guess my dad had a meeting with some of the staff last week and they set a date as a goal to get her out of there (it's Dec. 7 as of now). She is supposed to walk to and from all of her meals - which is kind of far. Her room is the last on the far right wing and the dining hall is on the far left. Tonight I took the kids up there to take her on a little "walk" and I am amazed at the difference! She walked all the around the entire place at least 5 times (3x pushing Isabella in the wheelchair! 1x with a walked and the last time with nothing!), she is even able to go to the washroom on her own! I am really excited for her to come home. She said to me tonight that she has to get home for Christmas because she is "gonna dance around the tree and probably knock it over"! Pretty funny : )
Her mental health seems well - although tonight she did repeat herself a few times and she thought that Isabella was boy. So that worries me - not a ton, but a bit. Overall though, I think she is doing really well and hopefully she will make in home in the next few weeks!
Another fun tidbit is that I had to have a tooth pulled a few weeks ago. I was pretty freaked out to get knocked out - but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I made a dumb mistake telling Brian to go to the Original pancake house immediately after so we could all get breakfast (none of us had eaten anything). Everything looked and smelled sooooo good. But as soon as they put the food on the table I had to run out to the car. If I would have waited another few seconds, I think I would have lost it... Brian says that feeling like you are going to throw up after you get put to sleep is common. Guess I should've know that before I sat down to eggs. But I had a nice sleep in the car while they ate, so it worked out well. I didn't realize what an extensive procedure this will be though. He said in about 4 months when it heals, I would go back and get the post put in - but what I didn't realize is that I would have to wait ANOTHER 4 months before the actual crown can be attached to it! An entire year -Yuck.
Everything else is pretty much life as usual. Last week Brian was in Vegas for a business conference for 4 days - then he was home for 4 days and he had to fly to Colombia again! Really awesome that he has these opportunities and is doing so great at his job - but we miss him TERRIBLE! He will be home soon - and it worked out good as I will be out of coffee tomorrow morning and did not want to buy another bag (it's so expensive! but man it's good...)! He should be arriving with a nice suitcase full of coffee beans ; )
Kids are doing well - Isabella chatters up a storm (she mimics everything!). She loves to follow behind Kaylin carrying her bitty baby and feeding it whatever drink she has ("bebe milk me?" or "juice me you?") I love how she strings sentences together! "Colin share me you?" (translation:Kaylin will you share with me?). The other thing she does that Brian and I think is hysterical is she says "yeah... can" to everything. like if you ask her any question "Isabella, are you cute?" "yeah... can" she'll answer! it's so funny! I think she got that from me asking Kaylin questions or to do things, because she'll answer me with yeah, I can momma.
Kaylin's newest thing is she is drawing actual little people when she colors! They are so cute!!! She'll draw all of us, then she'll draw hair and ears and teeth. When I can, I'll put a picture up of one. She is also writing letters (she can draw an "O", "T", "X" and a number "7" really great!
They are getting so big...

Friday, November 16, 2007

Butterfly Release

Grandma Cathy got this really neat gift for Kaylin - you get caterpillers in the mail, you let them eat and grow in this little jar for a couple of weeks. Then they crawl to the top of the jar and turn into cocoons, - then you transfer them into this "habitat", until they crawl out! It's really neat. This was the day she "set them free"! It was really neat when they crawled onto her finger, hesitated and then flew off! They came back all summer long to "say hello" to her as she says!
The kids riding in their cars down the sidewalk