Keep on movin'

Nothing like coming home and jumping right back into the swing of things!  I got home Sunday afternoon, and then left an hour later for a photo shoot.  Once I got home, it was time to get the girls ready for the week ahead.  Monday was gymnastics and therapy, Tuesday was Ailish's troop meeting and parent meeting, Wednesday was Kieran's troop/parent meeting *and* a Dodger game to top off the night, Thursday was dental cleanings and Friday wrapped up with cheerleading.  Yup, Kieran is taking cheerleading.  In the midst of all this, we've all been dealing with cold/allergy/wildfire issues, so while Kieran was able to fight through it, Brenna has been home from school since Wednesday afternoon.  The highlights and lowlights:

The Dodger game - highlight because, of course, it's a Dodger game!  Lowlight because they lost :(  And I learned that eating at the Stadium Club (fancy schmancy restaurant) feels more like eating at any chain restaurant with a TV than it does eating at Dodger Stadium, but hey, I'm glad I tried it.  Believe me, stick to the Dodger dogs and garlic fries while you're in your seat!  It will be a much more genuine a Dodger experience.

Thursday, I had to cancel Brenna's cleaning appointment because she was sick, so the trickers at the dentist's office trapped me - I've been begging off the cleanings for several months because I said I had no one to watch the girls while I got my teeth cleaned.  But since Brad was home with Brenna and the other two were getting their teeth done, they were able to snag me.  I didn't want to, for so many reasons - most importantly, my mouth is a very expensive minefield waiting to explode.  I know, I know, the longer I wait, the more damage will be done, but mostly I was just waiting until January, when our cafeteria plan kicked back in and we'd get reimbursed for all the expenses - because the work my mouth needs is so big, it's only covered 50%.  So in the midst of my cleaning when she has that awful scraper - I can think of only one scraper that's worse, and girls, you know what I'm talking about - she scrapes one of my teeth and I feel it give way.  Yes she did, she took off half my tooth!  I know it wasn't technically her fault - I knew it had been cracked for some time, but I also think it could have held until January.  Honestly!  So now I have to wait until a week from Monday to get a very expensive crown put on it.  Not my idea of fun.

Now an expensive endeavor that *is* my idea of fun - I bought my Dodger postseason tickets.  I hope hope hope I will actually get to use them!  I sat there for 10 minutes, trying to decide whether to buy the World Series tickets, knowing they were much more expensive than anything else I'd bought (other than camera equipment), but also knowing if they make it to the big series, I would never forgive myself for not getting the tickets when I had the chance.  It's tooth and nail all the way right now, but I'm hoping they can put together some more of the magic they had Monday night and take us all the way.

Yesterday was Kieran's second cheerleading class.  Poor Brad had to take her the first time to sign her up.  He sent me a phone pic in Houston with the message, "And the indoctrination begins..."  I have no idea whether she'll actually be a cheerleader in the long run.  Lord knows my flirtation with cheerleading did not turn out well for me.  I was talked into trying out for the junior high squad by a friend who was too scared to try out on her own.  Considering there were 6 spots on the squad and 6 of us trying out, I thought why not.  I may not be the most coordinated person on the planet, but I do have a big mouth and lots of enthusiasm!  At the very last second possible, another friend decided to join in on the fun.  Can you see where this is going?  Yes, 7 girls vying for 6 spots, and yes, the only girl to not make it was me.  So no, I don't have fond memories of cheerleading, but when I want to embarrass the girls, I break out my "L" jump and hope I don't break anything!  But Kieran does have more going for her than I did.  She's definitely loud, she's cute, she does look somewhat coordinated, although I don't know where she got that from - must be a recessive gene.  And she has that charisma, that way about her that just lets her easily make friends.  Whether this is a one-time flirtation or the start of a longtime thing for her, I support her - I just want her to have fun!  And fun was definitely what she had last night!

I came home to watch the Dodgers win, and headed off to bed because this cold thing just has me wiped out.  Then Brenna woke me at 5:00 - she's having a full-blown manic episode complete with hallucinations, and the poor thing was scared to death.  Thankfully I'm smarter now than I was the year she had four manic episodes, and I thought we just had to ride them out.  I can juggle her meds a bit, throw in a sedative and hope that it does the trick.  I'm sitting with her now, and the rambling has finally stopped.  Sleep has taken over the voices, hopefully for several hours.

Another busy week ahead - tomorrow, Ailish has a birthday party to go to, then next week all three girls have troop meetings, I have three leader/Service Unit Manager-type meetings, and then the usual suspects, gymnastics, therapy and now cheer.  As much as I hate the idleness of summer, the busy-ness of the school year can wear me down pretty quickly!

No word yet on Ailish's new placement - I am supposed to wait until Wednesday, and if I don't hear by then, I can call and inquire, so that's the current plan.  As much as I waiver, it only takes another fit (and she's continued to have at least one a day, and was late to school nearly every day this week because of fits/refusing to wake up) to remind me why she needs more than she currently has.

I just got my plane tickets for Memory Trends - two more weeks until I hit my hometown, Vegas Baby!  And I finally get to meet the crew of ScrapsAhoy.  Woot!!  I just have to keep focusing on the positives and do the best I can to get through the tough stuff - I sit here watching Brenna's face, completely erased of the panic she felt an hour ago, and it makes me want to cry.  But we just have to keep moving, keep hoping for better medication advances, for something positive to happen, for a miracle.  Until then, we just keep going.

Comments

[Alice the Brit]

I LOVE LOVE *LOVE* the photo of you and Brad at the stadium, you both look so happy!! And the photos of Keiran are adorable too.

Hey here's a thought - I am going to go to San Antonio, Texas in Feb I think) of 2007 for the Women of Faith National Conference (with my friend Jen (your age) and her sister Regina) - wanna meet us there??? It's half-way - can't believe it has been pretty much 10 years since we have seen each other!!

[Cheryl]

Jen. I enjoy reading your blog. You don't really know me, but I am well acquainted with your sis....CoCo. Is she still in Vegas? I emailed her and did not receive a response....

I LOVE your work and you really have a gift with journaling. When I grow up I want to be just like you ;))