And The Rain Came Down

There's been solid rain in the air for two days straight plus off and on for a week...at least.

My brother sent me a text today that said,

"Quack Quack"

Yeah...he's a man of many words and a sensitive side to boot!

A neighboring town, which I seem to spend a lot of time in for one appointment or another is experiencing minimal flooding and the Sheep River did peak today so hopefully all will subside there.

Until this downpour stops, there are no rain boots to be found, stores even have signs saying, "Sorry no rubber boots" on the front doors....my boys are still loving finding worms and placing them back in the flower beds and not to forget the use of umbrellas. Wuhoo! Well, sometimes they are swords ("I'll sword ya!") but usually they are just rain gear.

Happy Weekending to you!

Hope yours is dry.

Bup's Randomings

"You're my best girl, Mom"

" W, you're my best friend."

"You're my honey, Mom."

All the above are said with the tilt of a head and a sweet little smirk.

"Bing bang rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day."

Bup has started singing off and on all day and it is A-Dorable!! So kissy cute!

I'm loving secretly listening to him as he plays and sings his little heart out. Warms my heart, thats what it does. And...makes me smile too!

{Who let the child play hockey in the house? WITH a wooden stick? Hint...it wasn't me!}

Sittin' In the Garden...

...playing with worms.

Long, skinny, slimy ones

Short, fat, juicy ones

Sitting in the garden playing with worms.

A Birthday Letter to Bup

Happy Birthday R! Bup....as W christened you just days after your birth.

You are quite the little man now. 3"7 and 54lbs. Growing all the time. Wearing a size 6...same as your "big boy".

Here are a few things I've noticed about you.

I like your heart. Your sweet little heart that prompts you to give super hugs and kisses or throw your arm around my neck and coyly tell me, "Your my best girl."

Your funny little sense of humor brings a smile to all of us. Your love of knock-knock jokes and the giggle that proceeds the punch line. "Orange you glad I no banana!"

Now that you're 4 you've graduated to a big boy bike and love it! It's so fun to watch you cautiously ride your Hot Wheels bike, lightly ringing that little bell on the handle bars.

Trains, trains and more train tracks. "Will you play train-tracks with me?" I promise to play more train-tracks over this next year.

You're sweet and adorable with the kissiest cheeks, R. There's no doubt about it! Where you found that stubborn streak when it comes to eating foods you're not interested in or taking Trileptal...I just don't know! Must be from your dad!;)

Your daddy and I know this next year will be one of great changes for you. So many "hosdible" visits, a fun summer and then preschool again in the Fall. We wish great things for you Buppy. Regardless of what this 4th year brings, we are so proud of you and loving watching you grow.

xoxo

Momma and Daddy

Summer Bucket List

Spring is in full blooming force here. Finally! I must boast that our front garden is the prettiest on the block. Yep. Ya heard it here. Bragging about blooms! Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, blue carpet, etc.

Our summers in Alberta zoom by and before I know it Fall will be killing my pretty flowers! Three months of summer is much too short.

So, I need to plan and prepare otherwise blink, blink and it's gone! Plus, with B's work schedule being so...worky-worky...it's up to me to make sure we all have a super fun summer.

Here's our Summer Bucket List:

W: go to the beach

- Calaway Park...for a long, long time.

- that other park..hmmmm..Heritage Park. Yeah!

R: go to the hosdible (hospital). [uh, yeah, do you think we spend too much time there?]

- camping

- McDonnell's for a milk shake. (to which W pipes up..."You can't do that!"

B: camping

-Calaway Park

-Victoria

M: ocean beach (China Beach, Frenchman's Beach, etc)

-weekly park excursions

-horseback riding

What's your summer fun list? Check out other fun ideas here! Thanks to my friend for giving me a virtual kick in my bucket which therefore urged me to look forward to family funtimes.

A Dora Birthday

It's no secret that Mr. Almost 4yrs Old love-love-LOVES Dora the Explorer. Especially that Swiper! "He's a tricky fox!"

On Saturday we celebrated Bup's 4th bday ( a couple of weeks early) so that B- the- D could join us as well. Working within his work schedule.

Everything went really well. No fighting. No refereeing. Happy kids. Great cake. Aaaand a boy themed Dora party! Which was important to all especially Big Brother W as he was concerned he would not have fun as it would all be pink!

I totally cheated this year and hosted R's party at a local bowling alley as Bup is a bowling enthusiast. Plus, then I wouldn't have to clean the house! Worth the investment I say!

The cake? It was a yummy carrot cake that I did NOT make. This is the first time I have ordered a cake and I am glad I did. It just made it so much easier as I don't know that Dora and the gang would have been quite so accurate or hispanic had I drawn them. Maybe more stick like.

After an hour of bowling, the kiddos sat down to a Swiper coloring page (which I found on line as well as the invitation), Swiper masks made of felt (free handed by moi!), R wore an appliqued 4 birthday shirt, then cake and gifts. Super easy. Super fun. Super cheat. (On Rs family birthday on the 19th...well, it'll be smaller scale and more homemade too.)

Yet, most importantly, Bup was so proud and happy about his Dora party. I can't believe he's almost 4!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day has come and gone but it's remnants are still on my heart.Many bloggers shared their sweet celebrations and one special gal had the energy and insight to put together a Mother's Day interview series.

Do you have a few free moments? Feel like reading about women and their mothering experiences?

Head on over to Two Mittens. She's a lovely mother of three who is creative and talented and kind enough to share the reality of a few mothers that are graced my her presence. Check it out!

My smile was wide and my eyes full of tears as I experienced my first Mother's Day Tea at the boys' school.

It was fantastic! Funny little kiddos singing sweet songs, one cute little boy in glasses lifting his tshirt for all to see his tummy, another boy in a tie singing his heart out and both so proud of the gift they made me as well as serving me iced tea and a cupcake.

A perfect Mother's Day celebration!

"That's whats shakin at the Dairy Queen, Honey!"

This afternoon found the three of us at ACH for R's follow up appt with Dr.Neuro.

W CHOSE to come to the hospital over school...which is amazing...and just fine by me. He hadn't been to the hospital "for fun" in a while. So, while he spent time in Emily's Backyard, R and I were in the Neuro Clinic. Thank heavens for EB. It's a fabulous, supervised play room for patients and/or their siblings. It's been a godsend for our family. Plus, I think it's good for W to come sometimes and feel included in all the hustle and bustle of hospital appointments.

What did we learn today?

Topamax is now a part of R's med regime to try and stop the seizures from rearing their frightening heads. Especially after Monday's episode.

Surgery is still on the radar and we meet with the Neuro surgeon in 10 days-ish.

MRI still end of June and now has the interictal spect added to it. Wuhoo! Thank goodness...because an ictal spect would just be ug-e-ly!

Today....I just felt sorry for us. Sad and sorry. Not wanting to go this route but knowing we really have no choice without robbing R of his development. But I was still sad. Came home and buried myself in the covers for 30 min for a tiny tear or two and a good old ostrich approach. I even set the alarm. 30 min was all I allowed since there are two little boys who need me to be present.....even when I don't feel like it. It's part of the parenting contract. Be present no matter what.

Who needs the paddles to get your heart going when you hear that "you are lucky he is doing so well cognitively. The amount of tubers he has in his brain....he shouldn't be doing this well."

There was an inner gasp at that.

Yes, I know we are lucky. I know that in all my heart but hearing that did not make me feel lucky. I'll get over it and feel lucky later....right now, I'm doing a little wallowing.

"Everyone" always asks if Bup seizes in his sleep. Which gets on my nerves. I do not sit up and watch him at night PLUS with his type of partial complex seizures the naked eye would never tell. Today it was confirmed.

The VEEG showed lots of activity during sleep.

Which explains part of Monday's events. First, R slept until 1030am!!! I LITERALLY checked to see if he was still breathing.

Upon waking up, R had a nose bleed that lasted for the most part of an hour. It was not a happy day. Just clingy and whiny and teary and wanting to be carried. Carried! Uh...Mr. 24.5 kilos...my aching everything!:)

Added to the sadness, is that R was holding his right arm stiff with a clenched fist or he would fold it against his chest. This lasted until about 13opm and then it was like a light switch flipped. R became the happiest, friendly, regular little self. Weird. Disconcerting.

Definately seizure activity.

Which explains the long sleep. Post ictal.

And so the light bulb turns on and the reality that things just may be progressing in a manner that we do not want for R therefore the need for an additional med.....and (gulp) surgery.

That's what's shakin' here.