Everson is keeping us on our toes...

Sunday morning came especially early for me.  I had worked until 2 am and wanted to sleep in until at least 9 to be ready to leave for church by 10.  Doug woke at 7:30 saying, "I wouldn't be waking you if it wasn't important.  Everson is showing all the symptoms of appendicitis."

Well now, didn't that wake me right up!  So did the cup of hot coffee.

Everson was lying on the couch, pale, with a fever, complaining about how much his tummy hurt.  I asked all the regular diagnostic questions, thinking in the back of my mind..."I really don't want to mess with the Emergency Room today"

So I call the pediatrician.  Our regular doctor is not on call, so a partner calls back a little after 8.  We go through the regular diagnostic questions, even having Everson get up and try to walk around.  "It hurts every time I take a step with my right foot, " he says with a moan.

The doctor says, "Well it could be a stomach bug, or constipation, or appendicitis.  I wouldn't wait for the Urgent Care to open at noon, I'd take him to the ER now."  Thank you doctor, that's just what I wanted to hear...

So at Doug's urging, I hop in the shower, grab a travel mug of coffee and a bagel, and leave some final before church directions and head off to the hospital with Everson.  Only Doug and I know that we're going to the hospital...everyone under the age of 15 thinks we're going to the doctor's office.

Everson moans at every bump in the road.  As I turn a block earlier than the doctors office, Everson wonders why we're taking a different way.  I explain that we're actually going to the hospital.

Everson moans with every step to the ER...I'm 7.5 months pregant and NOT picking up my 7 year old and carrying him across the parking lot.  Mean mom.

We get into the ER and he is evaluated rather soon.  Xray, blood work and 2 or 3 painful exams all before noon.  A CT scan is ordered to confirm diagnosis.  By 1:30, the surgeon comes down for a consult, cancels the CT scan, and by 3pm, Everson is wheeled into an operating room for the removal of his inflamed appendix.

About 40 minutes later, the surgeon appears to tell Doug and I that all went well and that Everson would be spending the night in the children's hospital.  We see our very very drugged and groggy boy and laugh as we follow his bed to the children's ward for admission.

Our pastor and his 7 year old son come by to visit Everson, who barely could talk, due to a sore throat and post op drugs.

I come home and pick up the 4 healthy kiddos and homemade cards and return to the hospital for a quick visit.  All kids are appropriately grossed out by Everson's 2 inch scar on his abdomen and the iv in his hand.

I leave the hospital with the kiddos and put the younger ones in bed and regroup from my Saturday night and all day Sunday of not being home.  Doug is much better at the hospital overnight than I am, anyway ;-)

By the morning, the report is that overnight there was a low grade fever and not much fluid intake.  And no eating.  The surgeon will not release Everson from the hospital until he is eating and drinking (and preferably passing some solid waste).  As of dinnertime today, Everson has found an appetite (48 hours after his last meal) and his thirst.    The solid waste thing...not a chance of incurring any additional pain for this 7 year old!  So we wait.  Another night in the hospital and a pleading mommy tomorrow morning, who thinks all would be much better to have the kid at home ;-)

We'll keep you posted.  I can't guarantee a phone call to give you the update...it's been crazy juggling kids and parents and Doug's work schedule (he took today off, but is going back to work tomorrow).  Just assume that we'll call if things turn south and that no call is a good thing ;-)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! 

We love you Daddy.  We're so thankful for you and all the things you do for us..

.and all the silly things you do with us.  We love you for the hard things you do,

to make a home for us and to take care of our needs.       

The 5 (soon to be 6 E's)

Thank you Daddy, for living this for us: 

"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah 54:13)

This prophetic verse has its primary fulfillment still in the future. Nevertheless, it states a basic principle which is always valid, and which is especially relevant on Father's Day. The greatest honor that children can bestow on a father is a solid Christian character of their own, but that must first be his own gift to them. Before sons and daughters can experience real peace of soul, they must first be taught of the Lord themselves, and the heavenly Father has delegated this responsibility first of all to human fathers.

The classic example is Abraham, "the father of all them that believe" (Romans 4:11). God's testimony concerning Abraham was this: "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment" (Genesis 18:19). This is the first reference in Scripture to the training of children and it is significant that it stresses paternal instruction in the things of God. Furthermore, the instruction should be diligent and continual: "When thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:7).

The classic New Testament teaching on child training has the same message: "Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

Not wrath, but peace, as our text suggests. Great shall be the peace of our children when they know the Lord and keep His ways. Great, also, is the joy of a godly father when he can see the blessing of the Lord on his children, and then on his grandchildren. "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers" (Proverbs 17:6).

"Days of Praise", Institute for Creation Research

Peter and the Wolf 2011

Emma was Grandfather last year, and this year, she is playing the part of Peter.  She's very humbled to play this part...and very nervous.  Ellie is a Hunter.  She's double cast, so she's only in one of the two shows.  I snuck up there this afternoon during the dress rehearsal and tried to get video on my digital camera...the quality is not the best, but at least you get to see a bit of the girls in action.  In the Hunter scene, Ellie is I think the 4th hunter on the stage...she's not in a white leotard, b/c of the double cast situation.  She's wearing a white hat - I followed her with the camera.  .  Enjoy.

After dropping Emma off at a friend's house for a ballet/basketball switcharoo carpool, we took the boys to basketball practice and then went to Unidad Park with the younger 3.  Everyone but Elisha has been able to do something fun in the past week and he was begging for the playground.  Since it was 9am and cool and shady, we went for 40 minutes.  Ellie was, of course, a great playmate for Elisha.  Everson roamed around looking for something fun to do when he discovered the monkey bars...and discovered that he could go all across them...with ease!  He then ran around the playground looking for more monkey bars to conquer.  I told him we'd try to find some more at different playgrounds ;-)

 Climbing on top of the monkey bars was fun, too...getting down was tricker than he thought, though.

Elisha for some reason LOVES these yellow swings...and his swing pusher.

After the playground, we swung by Target for $2.69/gallon milk, and some new markers and posters from the dollar section.  2 gallons of milk and 3 $1 goodies ended up costing me about $4 cash.  We came home to fresh bread that was just finishing up in the oven...why don't I use the time bake feature more often?!

We came home and the younger 3 set to furiously coloring their new Cars and Toy Story posters, while I cleaned the pool filter and pulled weeds and dying plants from the garden...the chickens now love me!

I didn't sleep well last night, so I need a nap before work.  This afternoon will consist of  lunch, ballet run, pool for the boys, ballet run, laundry folding, dusting, vacuuming, dishes, dinner of pasta w/meat sauce and steamed veggies.  The littles will watch some fun movie before bed, and the older 2 are DYING to watch "The City of Ember" from Netflix now that Erik has finally finished the book!

So glad tomorrow is produce!  Erik and I get to team up to take out the back seat of the van and unload the produce while Emma is at ballet...should be an interesting morning.  Taking dinner to 2 families from church that had babies on Tuesday...they won't mind to both be getting the same thing ;-)  Meatloaf and roasted potatoes and zucchini.