and there was much rejoicing in Heaven

I wish I had a picture of Lydia. She was so bright and cheery, even though she was wheelchair bound. I never heard her complain. She loved life, her family, her friend, and her Savior.

MCM and I passed on a laptop to them, one with Skype so she could talk with her Brazilian family while in the US and her US family while in Brazil. MCM had to teach her and her dad how to use a Mac, how to see things in a different light. It was totally different from Microsoft Windows, as anyone who has used a Mac and a PC knows. But I think it grew on her.

My heart cries for the family that will miss her, but part of me is glad that she was able to go home to heaven while she was home in Brazil. She had only lived a few short years, maybe 14, I think. I'm not sure. Those 14 (I'm gonna say it's 14, m'kay) years are years that will never be forgotten. I know that Lydia's mom and Dad (her dad grew up in Brazil as an MK, too!) will make sure that Priscilla, their 3 year old (agian, not sure on the age part) remembers Lydia and the love that she had for everyone.

Tomorrow, I'm going to scour through my clothes for something purple to wear. I hear it's Lydia's favorite color. As she's running on those streets of gold, swimming in perfect lakes, and talking to everyone, I will be wearing purple for Lydia.

attempting cloth

So, I know I said that I would like to do cloth diapers because they're cute and save money in the long run, but I would NEVER do it because of the laundry that I'm already drowning in.

. . . but. . . 

I did it. I'm getting my feet wet. I've got to take a break though because our drier has went kaput. First, it doesn't stop running when the timer dings (which has never dinged!), and now, it doesn't heat up, so it doesn't dry. Of all the times to do it, it did it Sunday morning while we were waiting to get dressed for Sunday school. We might be looking for a new drier in the near future, but MCM is going to try to fix it.

Anyways, here's some pictures of my "tip toeing"

my first, ok, but the legs are a bit tight and the front is kinda loose

 

I really like this print. I have a few more cut out, but I'm out of elastic and snaps

this is actually the third one I finished, and fits the best, but I don't like the velcro

As soon I put this on him, he ripped open the velcro...not a good idea

and just because he is so cute! Don't you just love that his pants make his toes peek?

The second one I made I forgot the front elastic, and it definitely needs it there, so I have to open the last seam to stick it in there. Also, I put buttons and buttonholes on it, and I think those are adorable. Thursday, I went all day without a disposable, but Friday, I had to use them because I only have about 5 inserts that I used the day before and remember what I was saying about the drier? Yeah, it was starting Friday.

things I've learned from having a toddler

What wipe, mommy?

~in no particular order~

1) anything small, in a crinkly bag, in the fridge, or out my purse is food. Some times it's not, sometimes it is. and sometimes it has to be made first. Like Ramen, you can't eat Ramen out of the bag.
2) any drawer will be opened and it's contents examined and picked through.
3) they are persistent and stubborn as anything. Once a simple "no" worked, now it's "no," a slapped hand to show I mean it, AND a removal of temptation to do it again.
4) super-deep belly laughs at a piece of hair falling to the ground means he's extremely tired and will probably crash soon. sorry, but that just wasn't *that* funny.
5) the floor is the kid's domain. items left on it will be carried to the last place you'd ever think to look for it. Drool will be used as a territory marker, anything remotely step-able, will be stepped on, and anything food-like will be brought for opening and eating.
6) even though feet are small, they can pinch like a pair of new vice-grips. I think it has to do with the surface area thingy that relates to high heeled shoes sinking in to soft soil while flat shoes walk right on top of it.
7) people do not stop asking about more kids. It's funny, though, after two or maybe three kids, no one asks when the next one is coming. They figure that you want to have more than one, but stop when you hit two or three.
8) a season's worth of clothes is equal to a small fortune. Even if you happen to shop the sales rack, even if you are smart enough to shop off-season (I'm not, but can you imagine me spending TWO small fortunes just to get ahead?), even if you happen to get a manager to approve using expired Kohl's cash from 2009 (which the cashier didn't believe me and gave me the stink eye, but I wasn't backing down! I worked hard to get it approved!), even if you dress your kid in a size bigger so that he can wear them longer.
9) naptime rules. Nothing should ever disrupt naptime. and if it does, it should be eliminated immediately! If naptime does not happen the way it should, the entire day can be considered epic fail and wiped from the calender! Unless you get the kid to walk, or smile, or talk, or eat, or finally go down at bedtime, then it has redeemed itself.
10) just because some kid down the street waves and blows kisses at 8 months, it's still something to celebrate when yours does it at 13 months.

look, pockies! for my sippies!

I love my job *cough-cough*

So, I have never disagreed with a doctor before. I've grumbled about orders, like insane things as, get this patent out of bed 3 times a day, or patient must be out of bed to eat (the patient was 400lbs!), or meds that are scheduled every 2 hours, or something insane.

Today, I disagreed totally with the doctor's plan. Let's call her Dr Prissy. She's a bitty thing, but very opinionated and very "prescribing." Everyone knows that she will order 20 tests when only 5 are actually relevent. She will keep a patient in PCU for an extra day because the blood pressure is above 130/80. Little things like that. Anyways, she saw on of my patients who's I's were greater than his O's, meaning he had retained some fluid somewhere. He had been in the hospital for more than a month, survived hypovolemic shock, survived (and recovered from) complete kidney failure. So...he hadn't peed for several days of his hospital stay. Of course he would be positive. A one time dose of a diuretic (something to make you pee) is not going to fix it. NOT GOING TO FIX IT!

When I hesitated when she told me this she jumped on my case, "you disagree, you don't think that is appropriate?!" Of course, I hadn't processed all this, so I denied it. I always do that, I'm never good about standing up on the spot! Anyways, the intensivist (ICU doc) doesn't like her either, and wants nothing to do with her, so she wouldn't stand up to her. The next doctor I explained it to, and who understood my point was the surgeon who fixed his massive bleed in to his abdomen, Dr. Tall'n'Mighty. So anyways, he's all "his weight is only 2 kg off of his admission weight, I'll cancel it because I don't think he needs that. Will that work?" Yup!

I love Dr Tall'n'Mighty. He always has students with him, like a gaggle of geese, and most of them are women (go figure), but when I see them show up on our floor, I'm all, "Oh, there's Dr. Tall'n'Mighty's minions." Ha. They are, they're exactly like minions. They swoop in, do their deeds (not necessarily evil, just deedy) and swoop back to tell him. Then, they all show up together a few hours later.

Super Savings - but not sure it meets the super part though...

Ok, so I gathered my coupons, and made a list. and I did really good sticking to it. I didn't by things like milk or bread or "staples" that I get on every shopping trip because I'm planning on hitting up Kroger (gonna try it out) after lunch. Brendon passed out in the van so we passed on CVS too (we need diapers, AGAIN!) [Brendon just woke up, so I'll have to finish later!]

[I'm back!!]

So, we bombarded Target. Leftish to rightish: Cottonelle TP (FYI: we-I used to use Charmain, but it was kinda pricey. So I tried Cottonelle, and you know what, it was a close second!) $1 off. Orange crush BOGO free from either it's website or facebook. Hunts pudding cups $1 off. Glad Force Flex trash bags on sale plus $1 off. Gogurt on sale plus $1 off. Quaker oatmeal on sale plus $1 off. Easy mac on sale plus $1 off. Sobe lifewater x2 on sale plus 50c off each. Mandarin oranges on sale plus $1 off. Tums $1 off. Nexcare bandaids (shrek!) on sale plus $1 off (but I think this coupon got missed!). Stride gum x4, BOGO free. Yoplait yogurt 50c of six (looking over my receipt, the cashier only rang up 5 of them, but the coupon still worked), Scrubbing bubbles drop in toilet bowl thingys BOGO free. Red grapes on sale plus $1 off, Kraft string cheese $1 off (I kept my MQ to use at Kroger, but I found out they don't even accept expired. Target does, so I should have used it there!). Animal crackers on sale (the only thing NOT ON THE LIST!! didn't I do good :D). Snyder's pretzels on sale plus $1 off. Chocolate chip muffins on sale plus $1 off. Kotex panty liners $1 off.  There's 4 coupons on the bottom of my receipt that I'm not sure what they're for, but it's a total of about $3 off.

So, all in all, I saved $24.24.

On the home front, Brendon is in bed for his second nap, but he's not sleeping. He's crying. I know if I gave him his paci, he'd go to sleep, but we've done so good.

Then I went to Kroger. I was expecting something...different. First looks, it's nice and homey, not getto like our FoodLion. But then, you notice little details. Like loose metal plates on the floor. I stepped on one, and it opened and almost ate me! Like peeling paint where a sign or letters had been removed. Like the metal walls of the freezer section that are corroded and dirty. They do have a nice (read big) selection of organic food and natural cleaners. That's a plus (not that I use them, ha!). The prices are a bit more than Target or Wal*Mart, expectedly so, but I was hoping not as much as they were. They don't accept expired MQ's like Target does, and you have to hand them in before everything is rung up. But not a bad experience. They had a deal where you buy 8 selected items, get $4 off. It says I saved $23.08, but a lot of that was "use your card and save $2 of our brand" type prices.

Brendon's still crying, wailing now. Help me be strong!

On our way home we stopped at CVS. Got some diapers and wipes. Thought the wipes were part of spend $10 get $3 back, but not the small pack. So I returned them, and they gave me cash back. Did you know, at CVS (not that I'm promoting this, not at all, just a "huh" thing) when you use a coupon to buy something, then return it, you get the full price back.

That's the fruit of my labors today.

every time I read it, I go "huh?"

Brendon has this book⋄. It's called "baby's first quack." I'll "read" it to you, and you can make your own decision as to whether it's a "quack" or not. *snickers*

*opens the book*
Left side has a calf. Right side has a cow. Underneath the cow, the flap reveals a glass of milk. Ok, not too bad, they all relate.
*turns the page*
Left side has a panda . . . hmm . . . Right side, has a rabbit. Odd combination. Underneath the rabbit is a carrot. Ok, rabbit eats carrots-I get that. Maybe someone things a panda eats carrots? Different idea than the previous "story," but still plausible. Let's continue
*turns the page*
Left side has a foal, right side has a horse. Oh, ok, going back to the first "story"? Underneath the horse is a saddle. Still doable, and relative. Not such a bad book yet.
*turns the page*
Left side has a emu . . . ?? Right side . . . zebra . . . Underneath the zebra is grass. So, does a emu eat grass? Maybe, I don't know. It appears the book has two strains of thought going on, one is the two animals are adult/baby and the item they're most known for, two is two animals that eat the same thing. With me so far?
*turns the page*
Left side has a puppy; the right side has a dog; underneath the dog is a bone. Ah-ha! So they are going with the multi-strain book! Are you sure!?
*turns the page*
Left side has a lion, and right side has a . . . fish?! Now, if we take the two animals and the theme, what do they both eat?! *crickets* Underneath the fish is coral. *scratches head* Maybe someone had a total brain fart? I bet it won't happen again, right? Right?!
*turns the page*
Left side has a lizard; right side a monkey. Underneath the monkey is a banana. Wait a sec, they've totally changed books in the middle! Now, they're going with a random animal for the left side, and pair of animal and eats-this/lives-here. Wow, so complicated.
*turns the page*
Left side is a tiger; right side is a bird (parrot, actually, but the word says bird); underneath the bird is a nest. So, I was right. Random animal on the left, animal and eats-this/lives-here pair.
*turns the page*
Left side is a kitten; right side is a cat with wool underneath the cat. Now, slow down a minute!! I thought we had changed story lines already! It can't keep going back and forth, someone is going to get hurt!
*turns the page*
Left side is a chicken; right side is a pig; underneath pig is mud. Wha-ok, back the original-changed story, now. Deep breath, I can do this!
*turns the page*
Left side has a lamb; right side has a sheep; underneath the sheep is a barn. Again, I get those relations. They both live in the barn, or something like that. One page left.
*turns the page*
Left side has a giraffe; right side has a camel. There is no flap underneath the camel, so there's no way to fit them both into the story. I usually just skip these pages. I mean, who wants to end a story with a random pair animals. One has a long neck, one has a lumpy back. One lives in the dessert, one lives in the . . . where does a giraffe live? Jungle? Rainforest? Safari! :)
*closes book*
What a quack!

I think I might just stick this book back in his toy box and think of happy thoughts. But I can't help trying to figure out what in the world this author was thinking! If there was only one pair of random animals, I'd say maybe they needed to stick in an extra page. Or maybe if the random animals were all at the end. But they're randomly thrown in there with the puppy/dog, kitten/cat pairs. I think I'm going to write a children's book. I'm going to call it "stuff," and fill it with random pictures, like a cup, a grocery bag, a hair ball, a car, a dead bug. And, then I'll put a flap or two under some pictures and put colors in those. See who can figure out my randomness!!

*insert really evil, creepy laugh here*

⋄Disclaimer: someone did give Brendon this book, and he does like to flip through the pages and look under the flaps. I'm not criticizing their choice to buy the book, or being ungrateful for it. It just makes me go "huh" when I read it to him. That's all!