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August 24, 2004
Just another whirlwind week...
Let me start off by saying THANKS to those who responded to my dancing dilemma. I took your advice to heed and decided to put Kaillan in ballet and tap, only to find out classes were not offered during times that revolved around us. With school, swimming, Brandan's hockey and faith first programme, Remo's hockey, my cooking club and you know, everything else, I had a hard time committing. In the meantime, Kaillan is pirouetting holes through my floor. I'm going to wrap up this entry and make my phone calls.
If you're just tuning into us, you may not know the acrobats and hijinks we've lived with our hot shot boy. A year and a half ago, Brandan had a tobogganing incident that left him concussioned. I was naively stupid in sending him out without a helmet, and learned like THAT tobogganing accidents are a leading (though maybe not THE leading) cause of head injuries. Wear helmets, wear helmets, wear helmets. This winter, Brandan was pushed from behind in the playground, hitting his head on the side of the school, strong enough that he had whiplash on the other side. Concussion #2. A month ago, he was at camp when a boy kicked the soccer ball towards the wall and missed, sending the ball straight at Brandan's face. He never lost consciousness with any of the bangs. We took him to see the pediatrician after the last one and got the usual spiel about what to watch for and when to bring him back in.
Round about then, Brandan started a throat infection. When he complained about feeling nauseous, the doctor said it was probably the virus. Three weeks went by, his virus was long gone and he was still complaining more often than not about dizziness, nausea and headaches. He tells me things like his brain feels like it's shaking around in his head and his cousin is moving like the clouds, and because on a daily basis he was complaining about dizzy spells, I brought him back in. My pediatrician was away, so we saw the one Remo works with. He was very thorough in his exam and suggested Brandan might have a particular kind of migraine that is common in head traumas, that the best remedy for this would be to bring him to the Children's hospital where they could put him on an IV drug that might break the cycle. He asked that we keep a diary of when he complains and what he says. Off we went to the hospital. Because Brandan has already had a brain scan, and the radiation levels are equivalent to 100 chest x-rays, for a boy of his size (skinny minny nothing), they did not want to do another one. They did a lot of physical tests on him and unofficially ruled out a tumor. My gut instinct is that it is not that bad anyway. They said he has post-concussion syndrome and that Brandan has to be seen by a neurologist (this week).
I took a few days off and one of the afternoons we stopped by our pool. Brandan complained again about his stomach hurting, his face was green actually. We were supposed to pick up some movies and his friend too, but he said he wanted to go straight home. Without Mitchell? For sure he wasn't ok. It was during that episode that I considered what if all this time we were chalking the nausea and dizziness up to his head, when there is something else, like maybe a digestive problem bothering him? He's so thin. I could what-if myself to crazy land. This Friday we'll see the neurologist, I'm somewhat apprehensive about the visit. Obviously our first priority is in doing everything we can to ensure Brandan's health and safety, but still, it terrifies me that he won't be able to do sports any more. Taking a physically active, coordinated and strong, six year old boy out of the only fun he knows, away from his friends and the excitement? It'll break my heart. All of ours, actually. I can't imagine another way though. Fingers are crossed, though it's an AWFUL call.
There's a very special relationship emerging between Brandan and Emmie. They adore each other. It doesn't matter that they're five years apart and different sexes, when they see each other, they brighten. Brandan is so gentle and patient with her, she'll happily be held by him. Now enter Kaillan. In some three year old way, I'm not sure if it's competitive, or territorial or sensitive, she makes her presence known. She hugs Emmie too tightly or kisses her to a smother, sending her squirming or wailing away. Brandan and Emersan are tough. Kaillan is a drama queen. If they shun her, she falls apart. The first, middle and baby dynamics fall exactly in line in our family. Brandan is a leader and responsible. Kaillan wants attention and pushes buttons. She's sensitive, but she's also most sensitive to others. She's social and loving - when she's not on fire! Emmie is everyone's baby. If she wants up, even if you're in the middle of twelve things, you pick her up. She learns fast and the latest move, a lopsidaisical pirouette of sorts, is absolutely adorable.
What's also cute is that all of a sudden, Kaillan has a life. Friends to go to the pool with, to play dress up with. She counts them. Imagine being able to count all your friends in the world on ten fingers? It won't be long before she'll have a hard time keeping track of them, she's just that type. Sydney is our most favorite. I think it's cool to consider way down the road these kids will get all growned up and we'll have known them since they were babies.
Bare with me for a second while I mention the freaking mosquitos that ATE ME ALIVE this week. Monday, Remo had a golf tournament so I took the kids to soccer all by my lonesome self. I put repellent here and there on all of us because I don't like using much of it, and I have this theory that the smell alone will keep them away. That theory was shot to hell. I put nothing on Emmie's face and she got ten bites across her forehead. Sneaky little creeps, I never saw one land. I only had one dacquiri (honest) and I didn't feel a bite. While later I ironed three baskets waiting up for Remo, I started itching welts the size of a loonie. I tried a useless potion. The next night, I took Brandan to the pool and while the boys played in the pool (in the dark, I love that), I sat on the side with Molly, discussing the nightmare mosquito bites from the night before while again, they unknowingly laid assault. In the middle of that night I woke up scratching LAYERS of skin off myself. I slapped on after-bite, calamine lotion, the cow goop, you name it. Wednesday, I had a moms dinner I was passing on because of Brandan, but then the kids crashed early and Remo said go! When I got to the restaurant, the girls were outside on the terrace. Mosquitos came charging from God knows where and bit into whatever spare skin I had left. No word of a lie, I counted 16 on my feet alone, two on the BOTTOM of them even. I had 42 bites, and not the kind of itches you can ignore and they go away. It kills me that during all these attacks, I'm sitting beside people who don't know what a bite feels like. I heard they're attracted to banana eaters. If, on top of everything, I got West Nile? I'll be really choked.
Wrapping this up the next day....
I happened upon my little mosquito scoop e-mail (I'm sharing and not endorsing or attesting to it) and I'm going to share the little tidbits because you never know...
""
Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets...best thing ever used in...just wipe on & go...great for babies.
Take one vitamin B-1 tablet a day April through October. Vitamin B-1(Thiamine Hydrochloride 100 mg).
If you eat bananas, the mosquitos like you - something about the banana oil as your body processes it. Stop eating bananas for the summer and the mosquitos will be much less interested.
This is going to floor you, but one of the best insect repellents someone found (who is in the woods every day), is Vick's Vaporub.
Plant marigolds around the yard, the flowers give off a smell that bugs do not like, so plant some in that garden also to help ward off bugs without using insecticides.
"Tough guy" marines who spend a great deal of time"camping out" say that the very best mosquito repellant you can use is Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed about
half and half with alcohol.
One of the best natural insect repellants is made from the clear real vanilla, the pure vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It works great for mosquitoes and ticks, don't know about other insects.
When all else fails--get a frog
""
So up there a page or two, you must have read into my concern over how brittle Brandan looks all of a sudden? He's had a fever for two days. A cough now and then, but no other symptoms. Last night he fell asleep on me as I was tickling his back and on the out of the way journey to his room, I stopped at the very good scale in our bathroom. Fourty-four pounds. I got out his vaccine book and looked back at the last time he was weighed, exactly one year and two weeks ago, he was fourty-four pounds. Stick a knife in my heart. Really, you don't know what it took me not to wake him up that very moment and spoon feed him mashed potatoes. You think I'm anxious? For fear of creating other issues, I'm actually laying low with my concerns in front of Brandan, but you should see Remo's father. He left work yesterday afternoon, uprooting Remo's entire production line, because he had to make sure Brandan was eating. He blames us for putting him in too many activities and for not putting him on daily antibiotics. Brandan has a cold? He needs antibiotics. He doesn't eat or his hair stands up on end? Antibiotics, obviously.
At the year-end soccer party I made the salad I'm famous for (with grilled chicken and vegetables) and the easiest coleslaw you ever made in your life, and the compliments never stopped. I love it when they think you're brilliantly talented and it amounts to ten minutes of chopped cabbage. It takes a package of Mr. Noodle/Ramen instant noodles and I think there's MSG in the flavouring, but whatever. It's really good and everyone asked for the recipe, I'll post it just as soon as I've answered the unanswered posters. Thank you for being so patient.
School starts Tuesday and we've got three grade one options. The one/two split, Brandan isn't autonomous or French enough for, the teacher with the warm, wonderful reputation or the miserable oaf. Most people I've spoken to wrote letters in January insisting they would not tolerate their child being placed with her. Odds are, we're going oaf. The only saving grace I may have (you have to follow my illogical logic), is that we were very generous with Mme. Poirier and it was her responsibility to place the children in the appropriate classes. Would she want to reward a mean teacher with ahem, wonderful parents, or pass us off to the one who deserves us? If we pull the short straw, we'll survive. I just hope we're not the only ones we know with the short straw. Misery loves company. Maybe we can find a way to make her nice.
Now that first day starts about 9:00 o'clock. An hour before that I have a date with Dr. Bray. It's been a very long year, I wonder if he's had enough time to prepare?
Remo's great and really very attentive these days. I love ‘em attentive. We're borrowing every spare moment we have to get ourselves organized. Like really organized, like chucking bags and bags of stuff out organized. Usually, I have a problem with saying goodbye forever because what if I need it again? But I'm getting there. I admire people who can say, go into their closet and clear it out in one shot. I have to keep going back in. I know there's the one year rule, the fashion rule, the it doesn't fit or it's broken and you'll never really fix it rule. One thing I loved about maternity wear is that you're limited. You had however many outfits and that's it. It was easy to take care of, easier still to get ready. I've been taking on one room at a time and considering a farewell to every single thing in it. As painful as it sometimes is, there's a pride or relief or peace that comes when I have all that stuff leaving my house. We have furniture, linen, appliances and gadgets that we'll never use and there's someone out there who needs it. It's nice because as Emmie is growing out of things, I can get rid of her baby things too. No more saving it for next time. Freedom.
Holy smokes, I'm cutting into work here and I'll be dead meat if I don't go, I'll try to hit the boards tomorrow, till then have fun and play smart. Or was that play fun and have smart? Just be happy. However!
Allisun
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