Dancing Machine

Video clips:

Recent pics for your enjoyment. Video to come shortly.

Stubborn Grout, Target

Well, a 1:1 vinegar and water solution does not work very well when you're trying to spiff up your grout. Next up, a baking soda/water mixture. We'll see how that does. If that doesn't work, I'll try either peroxide or a commercial tile & grout cleaner. It looks so skanky. I've got to do something.

Took the girls to Target today. I just had to get out of the house. Of course, it took me an hour and I was cranky and sweaty and cursing under my breath, but I got everybody loaded up and off we went to Target. Once there, all the girls were great. The babies just hung out in the double-wide and Lani stayed close by. My shopping trip was very successful and we blew an hour to boot. Plus we were stopped every 10 feet by cooing shoppers who were enamored by the twins. Imagine the spectacle if I had triplets.

Thinking of Guy, Madeline, Aunty Judy and Michael today. Dad says Guy got moved to a rehab facility. That's good. One step closer to recovery.

Updates

So first, Alana is feeling better. She's not 100%, her lips look a little gruesome, and she's acquired a cough, but the worst seems to be over.

Second, Chris isn't coming home till Labor Day. His company desperately needs him (like we don't!) as evidenced by his 15-hr/day 7 day weeks. As for me, I'm steamrollering through my projects in anticipation of next Friday's broker's open house. I do NOT even know how I'm doing it. Today I cut down an ailing ficus (need the saw in fact) and potted and planted till dirt was oozing out of my pores. Tonight I tackle the stained grout on the kitchen floor. Yeah, yeah, I should have kept up with it, but I can give you three good reasons why I didn't.

Now on to the pictorial!

Lani - before

Lani - now

My patio plantings - impatiens in the bed here

Impatiens in the trumpet vine bed with a New Guinea Impatiens in the copper pot

A little potted bouquet on the bistro table

A clematis lookalike gracing the far wall. Replaced the poor doomed ficus. A pot of yellow flowers, don't remember the name on a stand.

The front lawn being prepared to receive the sod.
You can see the trench where he planned to install sprinkler lines but I did not snap pics of the pipes being laid down.

The sod called Marathon. A misnomer if you take a look at the sod installed!

Like our patchwork quilt effect. I'm sure the buyers will LOVE it!


Babies!

Cari clapping.

Why Does the Universe Hate Me (and Chris)?

First, I want to send my thoughts and prayers to my cousin, Guy, who is in the hospital after suffering a possible stroke. He's only 44, so it's pretty upsetting and shocking. Mom says he's improved a little since yesterday. Very good news!

Now, on to my petty grievances...Lani spiked another intractable 104 degree fever, which I treated with a dose of Tylenol and Motrin. Even with that double whammy, it took a whole hour for the fever to recede. When the medication wears off, Lani is a crying mess who refuses to eat or drink. I noticed today that her gums are a deep sickening red and swollen, she's got little white ulcers on her lip, her cheek, and her tongue. She refuses ice pops, ice cream, juice, fruit punch, CHOCOLATE. That's how I know she's sicker than she's ever been! I can only imagine how bad the sores hurt.

So once I noticed the sores, I called my friend Laurie as I was returning from nursery school. I wanted to let her know not to expect us at dance class tomorrow. And guess what, the first cop whose driven through our neighborhood in 3 years ends up pulling me over. For talking on my cellphone, for god's sakes, which I so rarely do. Oh, the irony. And then we find out I don't have my up-to-date insurance card. Oh yeah! Score one for the universe. Well, this policeman was so nice and we just chatted cordially about family, the economy, etc. His wife's been out of work for awhile, I learned. She used to be a loan officer at a bank. Anyway, the kind man only gave me a $25 ticket for the insurance card business. So all's well that ends well.

As my day started hurtling out of control, I called the pediatrician to set up an appointment. For the first time, I took all three to the ped's office by myself. The diagnosis:Gingivostomatitis possibly caused by HSV-1 (the herpes virus that causes cold sores). It's very common and most people do contract the lifelong infection during childhood. Lani likely contracted from an infected adult in the last few weeks.

Despite the triple threat, the visit went surprisingly well though I did not like the new doctor I was forced to see. She seemed to operate by rote and she couldn't remember anything I said two minutes before. When I asked what I should do if the babies catch this virus too, she suggested I give them ice chips and popsicles. Ummm, right, they're 9 months old. I don't think so, Dr. Goofball. And the medical assistant had to ask me how to spell febrile. Geesh.

I managed to maintain my composure all day despite having had all my plans disrupted, operating on days of little sleep, and worrying about a very sick and crabby preschooler. But I admit I lost it when Blue peed on my newly cleaned area rug. (I just had it cleaned 2 days ago). I was home when she did it too. I don't know what is going on with her, but suffice it to say that I screamed at her, cursed her out, and threw her out of the house. She's still out there with Griff. I'm not sure I'm ever letting either of those filthy beasts back in.

Poor Chris is being beaten up by the universe too. He's been working 12-14 hr days 7 days a week back in Boston all while living at a Residence Inn. Fortunately, his boss, whom Chris respects a great deal, seems to appreciate the level of commitment and technical expertise he has brought to their ailing operations. Unfortunately, they need him so bad that they don't want him to leave this Thursday for much needed R&R at home. We'll see what happens. We really miss our Daddy!

It's hard to tell how red and swollen Lani's gums are from this pic, but you can see the crusty white ulcers on her top lip.

A better view of the ulcers on the top lip.
She has an ulcer on either side of the front her tongue.

Hike, one, two!

We are 9 months old! Woo hoo!

Lani is so sick

Lani had a terrible night. Her fever spiked to 104.1 degrees even on medication, and I panicked a little since she is prone to febrile seizures. Anyway, she was a little delirious and upset and seemed to have the chills. I decided not to go the ER since all they would do nothing more than try to get her fever down. I figured I could do that at home. She wasn't due for any more meds, so I rubbed her lightly with a cool wet cloth for about 40 minutes. I rechecked her temp. It dropped to 103.7 and her legs felt cooler at least. I stayed awake while she dozed in my bed making sure she didn't get hotter. Eventually, I dosed her again and by 1am, she was cool to the touch. She was slightly warm this AM, so I dosed her again in hopes of staying ahead of it.

I think it might be an earache or a UTI. She has no respiratory symptoms. However, she has been complaining of pain in her left cheek and shoulder and also her belly. In the last few months, she has often complained of pain in her huhu but the cultures never turn up anything. I will take her to the doc on Monday to see if we can root this out.