Merry Christmas

My Christmas letter,
A year in review,
Our kids- they grew,
And grew, and grew!

Like my poem? I should write greeting cards for a living- NOT! I really don't have much of a letter to write this year- this blog is my letter-- and pretty much sums up the year in our family.

We did an advent of the Savior's life and mission this year. Tonight, we ended with the second coming and the story of his birth. I hope that my children, as little as they are, were able to grasp the meaning of the season a little bit better!

I love Christmas! I love the lights, the music, the cookies, the shopping, the decorations, and the general spirit all around. For me, it culminates on Christmas Eve. I love the traditional reading of the the Christmas story in the bible. Something about sitting as a family, reading the account of the birth of Christ, and wondering what it must have been like to be sitting out in a field, watching one of the greatest events in history unfold before your very eyes-- Awesome!

I am so grateful for the quiet birth of a baby boy more than 2000 years ago. I am grateful for his life, his death, and most grateful to know that he will come again. May we be as those shepherds  in the fields that night-- ever ready to meet our Redeemer. 

Merry Christmas from our little family-- to yours!

Love,
The Peacocks

Sorry we didn't get a better picture. Ava was more interested in her slippers--and Ethan more interested in Ava. At least Andrew cooperates--for pictures anyway!

Frustration

A really tasteless joke (trying to stir up some controversy). Remember the Helen Keller jokes- (Bad, all of them) How do you torture Helen Keller? Put her in a round room and tell her to sit in the corner. Not nice at all, but it's how I feel today. I'm stuck in a round room with idiots telling me to sit in the corner, but I'm quite certain I haven't found a corner yet, and less certain that any exist.

Every doctor I speak to has a new opinion -they are right, I am wrong-that other doctor over there is wrong, but he said she was wrong. And yesterday you were suppose to know what you were talking about, but today you don't remember what happened-- and this doctor overrides that doctor's decision, but that doctor is out of the office... (are you frustrated yet?-- Yeah, me too!)

I have accepted that my child is a freak of nature, but is it too much to ask for one appointment where all her doctors sit down and explain to eachother what they know, how she should be treated, and most of all who the heck I'm suppose to talk to when she's a freak show next time? Apparently so, because they all have to collect their share of my insurance money, and it would just be too productive to actually agree and what should be done for her.

Four days out from a bad reaction and the allergist says she can't still be reacting- something else is wrong. ER doctor says nothing else is wrong- she is just still reacting. I'd call her pediatrician, but he has already admitted his ignorance and at least isn't afraid to tell me she is beyond his expertise. Now I'm sick from worrying about it, and I lost my voice and can't talk to anyone else.

I think I'll go watch "Christmas Vacation" now so Chevy Chase can scream my frustration!

Gifted

I want to say that this blog also serves as my journal- which means that you have to put up with some of my posts that may be of little interest to you, but are important milestones in my childrens' lives.

This is one for Andrew.

At Andrew's first parent teacher conference this year, his teacher suggested that he be tested for the gifted program at his school. We agreed do go ahead with the testing. His teacher warned us that he must test at the 99%tile to be accepted. That seemed like a pretty steep standard to meet and I had decided that I didn't really expect him to make it in.

In typical, public school system operating fashion- the forms and testing werent' completed until last month, and we finally received the letter this week. I was excited to read that he had tested high enough for both sections of the program (as they put it- he "qualifies for special services") and would begin (pending our signatures) after Christmas break. I have no idea what he will be doing, but I'm assuming they will clue me in-- I hope.

I must admit that I'm proud of him, and grateful that he will be less bored at school. Now the goal is to prevent him from becoming a nerd! He asked Santa for a globe and a book about Oceans for Christmas, so we definitely have our work cut out for us!

The $130 Hershey Bar

Yesterday was one of those days-- you know the kind you never want to have again?

It started at 2am with Ethan puking up all the nasty popcorn he ate at Target the day before. That woke up the entire family and after settling everyone down again I had to get up an hour later to get Ava to Children's Hospital for her procedure. All went well there, but we had to stay an extra hour because her heart rate wouldn't come out of the 180's. Then, to put the icing on the cake,  last night we got to experience the joy of the $130 Hershey bar--or should I say Ava did.

Wondering what is so special about a Hershey bar that it cost $130?? It was actually a couple miniature hershey bars, ingested by a highly allergic child, that ended in an epipen injection and a lovely night spent in the ER.

I shall never forget the look on Ava's face ( with a chocolate bar in her mouth) of sheer pleasure as she realized we'd been holdin' out on her. And I'm sure she'll remember the look of terror on her mother's face as I scooped her up and frantically tried to remove chocolate from her face and mouth.

We'll spare you all the details of the next 15 minutes- basically Bendaryl- Flovent- Ventloin- two panicked parents- a couple calls to my sister for advice (Thanks Debbie!)- and finally when she began to cough so badly that she was no longer breathing- an epipen.

And in case you were wondering- it WAS a movie like effect! I stabbed the pen into her leg and held it for ten seconds- at the end of which she began breathing somewhat normally. Though I hope to never have to do it again- it was amazing to see the immediate and drastic change.

We called our neighbor to watch the boys and headed to the most ghetto, white trash ER known to man. Unfortunately, it's the closest one to us, and Ava was so pale and sleepy that we didn't feel we could chance going to a bigger hospital. There was "no room in the inn tonight" and she was placed on a bed in the hallway- where Mom and Dad spent the next three hours getting a white trash education as she was doped up on Xopenex, oral steroids and oxygen.

My favorite was the lady next door. Apparently she got hungry and her shave head, ponytailed boyfriend asked the nurse if she could have something to eat. The nurse said, yes, but nothing salty - no salt." Ten minutes later he shows back up carrying a huge bag from Taco Bell! Sometimes you just have to laugh out loud and apologize later! When they repeated to the nurse what she had said- she shook her head and walked off. I guess some people just can't be taught! We won't mention the lady that came in off the ambulance because she threw up once and didn't feel good--and then proceeded to coo over Ava. Or the lady next door who's pain scale was on a 10, but was well enough to argue with the nurse over why she was drinking Gatorade when she wasn't suppose to.

So now you know that a $130 Hershey bar is not as great as it sounded-- I don't think I ever want to try one again. And if you're not dying - never go to a backwoods, white trash Emergency Room. You may come out worse than you went in!

Fingers Crossed

Ava goes in tomorrow for another scope-- I'm amazed at how relaxed I am the second time around to throw $8,000- $10,000 out the window! Ha ha!-- No really, it's just easier all around when you've been there, done that.

She has posted her best weight gain ever this month!!!! She is now in the 30%tile (negative that is- LOL) I'm full of it today. Honestly she is, by all standards, still very tiny for her age, but this is the FIRST TIME in her life, her weight has trended upward on the growth charts. Very exciting! And to top it off- she grew an inch--which puts her only 1 1/2 inches below the 0%tile!!

Armed with this great news, we and the doctors go into tomorrow hopeful that this scope will be clean, and we have finally gotten rid of everything that is causing her EE to flare.

So here's my fingers crossed-- X!

Deep thoughts....

"The necessity of trial and tragedy is to point out the divine potential in all of humanity."

Lunchtime Conversation

Ethan asks me as I'm making his sandwich, "Mom, are you gonna get the piss out?"

"What did you say?"

Are you gonna gets the piss out now?"

"Oh you mean the pears?"

"Yeah the piss-- I love them!"

Let's just say we're going to be working on how to properly enunciate the word pears.

Reminds me of a time a few years back when a certain little toddler loved frogs-- and his parents had no idea for months that he liked them so much-- they just knew they were constantly red-faced as they tried to explain to strangers why their 1 year old was saying such awful words! (And when you don't understand the child,- they repeat it over and over again.--Ahhh...fun times!)

And to announce the end of lunch Ethan declares, "okay, I'm full with piss and sandwich now."-- at least I'm entertained!

The List.....

....Cake Balls
Caramel Corn
Fudge
Peanut Brittle
Candied Almonds
Chocolate Pretzels.... (Santa's Wish list arrived today-- apparently he's still thinking if this is enough or if he wants more!  Greedy little twit isn't he? Oh and his elf list keeps growing too- don't know if I can keep up this year!)

And the World revolves...

Around Ethan. Didn't you know that already? He's quite certain it does.

I dropped him off a preschool this morning after a week of Thanksgiving vacation. The preschool director opened his door and said "Good Morning!"

Ethan stepped out, surveyed the landscape of preschool teachers and helpers, and in his loudest, and most charming 4 year old voice asked, "Did everybody miss me?"

The sidewalk erupted in laughter and I guess for that moment-- he was right in his assumption!