Sweet precious girl.

This little girl of mine. She is so precious. Sure, she has her "moments", but this sweet face trumps any of those "moments".


She's a little sweetheart who LOVES anything and everything regarding Hannah Montana. High School Musical runs a close second. If she had her way. Which she does tend to get quite often ;o). Her entire wardrobe would contain nothing but Hannah wear!


I wish I knew what was going through her mind in this picture. I often sit and just watch her. The wonder that she has in her eyes. Knowing that her mind is always thinking. Wishing I knew.

Her communicating is really progressing this summer. Sure, she uses sign more than words, but I'll take it. She is actually signing and talking in sentences. She is doing so, more and more. I know her mind is as sharp as a tack. For some reason, that no one has been able to figure out. Carly just is not talking as much as she should be. Or, maybe I should say, as much as she is capable.

Just looking at her face, I find comfort. I find patients. I see wonder. I see a sweet precious little girl. I'm so thankful each day for this precious gift that God gave to my family.

ER visit.

Yep,you read the title correctly. Carly had to be taken to the ER today per our cardiologist. Remember my post from yesterday?? Well, the worry really kicked in today.

The day started off normal for a Tuesday. Carly was up and at 'em early this morning. Had toast and sausage for breakfast. Got cleaned up and dressed for school. We headed to the bust at 8:15. Off she went.

As the day went on. 11:30 to be exact. My phone rang. I looked at caller ID and realized it was the school. Oh wonderful. The school. What happened?? I answered and soon found out. My worst fear. Carly fell. Some dope, put her on a bike with training wheels and she fell off. Here's a smidgen of the conversation I had with the teacher over the phone:

teacher, "hi Joany"
me, "hi, what's up?"
teacher, "Carly was riding a bike at recess today and fell off"
---my heart skipped a beat at that moment
me, "she what?"
teacher, "um, she fell off a bike." "Did she have a loose tooth?"
me, "no"
teacher, "well, we're pretty sure she knocked a tooth out"
me, "I'm on my way"

I got to the school and found a couple of aides looking in the parking lot for Carly's tooth. I went into the classroom and thankfully squatted down to where Carly was looking at books. I looked into her mouth and discovered that the tooth was in fact still there. It was jammed into her gums. Let's just say, it's a good darn thing I was sitting down. I know I would have fainted dead away if I hadn't been. I sat for a minute thinking quickly. I needed to call cardiology and talk to them first. Carly has to have antibiotics before any dental procedures. I knew that. However, I never thought of her ever having a dental emergency.

Long story short. We were sent to the ER by cardiology. They wanted to be safe. They thought she may need oral surgery. So, off we went. We finally got to the ER around 2pm. Man, do they ever D R A G their feet. We sat and sat and sat and sat. Carly was suppose to have an antibiotic and pain meds as soon as we got there. Per cardie. That didn't happen. Matter of fact, no pain meds were give to Carly at all. Her antibiotic was brought in at 5pm. Except that we were down at the dental clinic having xrays of her teeth. We finally got back and tried getting the antibiotic down her. 4 tsp of the nastiest tasting medicine ever created. It was horrible. Carly gagged and barfed. The nurse said to hold on. She went and found a doctor. They then ordered a shot. The shot came at 6:40pm. It was in 2 syringes. Poor little girl had to get stuck in each thigh. Luckily, two nurses were in our room, one at each leg. So it was over quickly.



We were told soon after arriving at the ER that dental would come in and numb her up. Pull her tooth up to normal level and splint her bottom 3 front teeth. (I hadn't realized that two other teeth were loose.) Well, none of that sounded any fun to me. This was all per the ER doc. At this point, no one from the dental hospital had seen her yet.

Finally we got to see the dental doc., He said NO WAY to splinting a 7 year olds teeth. He said that's something you just do not do. He said that we were most likely looking at orthodontic work on the tooth that was jammed into the gum. Very likely, root canals on all three teeth. I about fell over. He then decided to get a set of xrays. As soon as he read them, he was thrilled. He said "oh this is good." Carly's roots had not closed completely up. This meaning, that the three teeth would likely be OK. The tooth that had been jammed had already started to come back up on it's own at this point. The doc said he was very optimistic that it would continue and get back into place.



The dental clinics verdict on her teeth. They say we lucked out. So far anyway. We are to watch that jammed tooth for 3 weeks. If it hasn't budged anymore. She will have to have a root canal on it for sure. The other 2 teeth should be OK. They should tighten back up on their own. His concern at this point was more for the jammed tooth. He was much more relaxed after seeing her roots were still open.

So, we need to take her to a dentist sometime this week. Have her watched for the next 3 weeks. And followed for a year. The dental doc said we were very lucky. He said this could have gotten very costly and time consuming. Not to mention, pure hell for Carly.

As for the school. Paul and I are very upset. At home, Carly is never alone on a bike with training wheels. Not even a trike. She can't even get on either one by herself, so we know that someone put her on the bike. No doubt, Carly was scared to death. Being on a bike with training wheels that teeters from side to side. As we all know they do. Not to mention, Carly doesn't have very good balance anyway. I know she was probably freaked completely out. No doubt, she was trying to get herself off of the bike. And took a tumble. Just what we DO NOT WANT or NEED!

She does have a few battle scars from the fall to go along with the teeth. She skinned her chin up pretty good. Her knee is torn up and her fingers on her left hand (the hand that doesn't work properly) are black now. Poor kid. She is staying home with me tomorrow. Guess I should have let her stay home today. She wanted to stay home and watch TV. She has a new favorite show, "Hi Five". She loves it and watches recorded episodes anytime she can get to the TV. The best part about that show, Carly says the name of the show. She walks around saying "hi five"!

Guess that's about it for tonight. I'm beat. We didn't get out of the ER until 7pm. Home at 8. Sure makes for a tired mama. I'm so thankful that Carly does so well with doctors. She just goes with whatever. She is happy and content in any hospital setting, as long as she has books to read!

Yes, the pictures were taken with my phone. I apologize again for the poor quality. Who thinks to grab a camera when going to the ER??? Not me, that's for sure.

What to do?

We have been talking the past few days regarding Carly and her continuously low platelet count. Let me back up a bit. Last Friday, I emailed our NP (nurse practitioner) with concerns as to what needs to be done for Carly. Honestly, I want to know why this is going on. What, if anything we can do about it. And, how in the world do we decide that it is, just a platelet disorder and nothing more. Wow. Just a platelet disorder. I do NOT like the sounds of that. Not one bit.

The NP returned an email to me almost immediately. Our Oncologist was in clinic that very day, so she too read my concerns. They tell me there is really nothing more they can do. They have run all blood work known. They did the bone marrow biopsy. Running 3 specific tests off of the biopsy. The big one being the cytogenetic test, which came back perfectly normal. So everyone is very confident there is no sign of relapse now or in the near future, (can't say never when referring to relapse, 'cuz it can happen at anytime) according to all tests preformed via the bone marrow biopsy. Although the NP and Oncologist did offer to send Carly to another facility (after I mentioned it) for a second opinion. If that would make me feel better. They also offered to do an ultrasound of the spleen to see it's function. However, they both said that Carly's spleen is normal. Per physical examinations that have been done over the course of 2 straight months.

Paul and I are trying to decide just what, if anything we should do. I know that if Carly has a platelet disorder, there really is nothing that can be done for her. Other than monthly monitoring of her platelets. I know that if they transfuse platelets, for a platelet disorder, it does no good. They will be eaten up as quickly as they transfuse. Sometimes, they will give a dose of steroids to give the platelets a boost. Only if they drop too low. Danger zone is 20,000 and less. Carly was at 62,000 last week. Then, there is something they sometimes give called IVIG. I'm not really familiar with this. I know some kiddos who have had AML leukemia, and have received this. Not sure what it is really. Or what it does. Guess I had better research it.

Carly is due back in for lab work in about 3 weeks. I think we have pretty much decided to get that lab work back and go from there. I hate the thought of getting a second opinion. Mainly because I know another facility will likely want to run their own series of tests. I hate the thought of putting Carly through any more than she really needs to be put through. Don't get me wrong. Our clinic is fantastic. I love our Oncologist and our NP. I trust them wholeheartedly. It's just that I'm so uneasy about these platelets. I'm terrified that they will suddenly plummet too low. How will I know? What if she falls? What if she hits her head? What happens if she starts to bleed internally? How will I know this??? Oh this is so frustrating. I'm just hoping and praying that these platelets will eventually resolve themselves.

In the mean time, we are left with the question of, "What to do"? I guess we'll just pray. Pray that somehow, someway, this problems resolves itself. It's so upsetting. We were just about to finish up our last 6 month clinic visit before being turned loose for 1 clinic visit per year! This stinks. It stinks bad. I thought we were in for smooth sailing. Guess not. Carly has thrown us another curve ball in this ever changing life of hers. I wish I could just take it all in stride. Just like she does. But, I'm a mom. A worried mom. A scared mom. A mom who wants her daughter to be healthy. A mom who is tired that her daughter has been through so much and continues to have to through so much. I'm thankful for Carly and the fact that she is such a trooper. She continues to march forward, through it all. And I will continue to march, right along side her.

What a difference a day makes!

Look who feels much better today!



We spent a good portion of our day outside. Carly had a blast. We didn't go outside until the house was in order. Whew...this little whirl wind woke up this morning just full of energy. She tore my living room apart. She played and played. After picking up and putting things away. We headed out. Once outside, I couldn't get her in the house. She obviously feels much better today. Thank goodness!

Enjoy your weekend. It's suppose to rain her all day tomorrow. Carly won't be too happy with that.

Sorry again for the poor quality of the picture. I forgot to bring my camera out and was left with only my phone.

Oh brother.

Carly got home from school this afternoon. She was absolutely fine. Playing, eating, singing along with her boom box. We went outside and she was fine. Playing in the sand box. Playing on the swing set. Then she started gagging. Not bad, but gagging none the less. I asked her if she was OK. She got mad at me. Then she sat down on the porch and threw up. Good grief. What else!?! We came in and cleaned her up. She asked to eat. I didn't think that was a good idea, being she had just gotten sick. She insisted. So, I got the Ritz crackers out and put a little apple jelly on a couple. She ate both of them. Drank a little juice and then fell asleep.



No fever and she isn't all that grumpy. So, here we go AGAIN!
Lets hope this is short lived. I think I'll call the school and see if there have been any bouts of flu. They'll probably think I'm a crazy person, but oh well!

Results.

I was really expecting much better results. I just got off the phone with a nurse from the cancer center. Carly's counts are "stable" in her words. She told me she had just talked with our oncologist. The oncologist said to have Carly checked again in about 4 weeks. Here are her counts today:

hemoglobin 12.1
white count 2.8
ANC 1.2
platelets 62,000

on June 25 her counts were:

hemoglobin 13.1
white count 3.0
ANC 1.6
platelets 58,000

Not very improved in my eyes. I just don't understand what is going on here. We did the bone marrow test and found no cancer. So, what is up with her platelets. This is not very comforting to me. Makes me wonder if cancer is just looming around and hasn't reared it's ugly head yet.

The nurse also told me that the oncologist said to "watch for signs and symptoms". Great. More for me to worry about. I had thought we did the bone marrow on Carly to rule this out and put my mind at ease. Well, obviously nothing is ruled out and my mind is NOT at ease. It's racing.

I would really like to get to the bottom of this platelet issue. Not sure who can do that for us. This has gone on since May. I just don't know what to do. I just hate sitting and waiting for cancer to show up. That's just exactly the way I feel. This is a crappy way to have to live.

Guess that's about it for today. I'm not in the greatest mood after receiving this news.

Still around.

This week so far has been a rough one. I feel like crap. Cramps, upset stomach and a headache to boot. Yep, it's that dreaded time of the month. Man, I get so tired of it. Seems like it just ends and them wham. It's back again. I don't know why, but it seems to be getting worse as I get older. As a teenager, it was really bad. I had prescription Tylenol with codeine. Now, I have prescription Motrin. 800mg to be exact. For a while, like after my first two kids. I seemed to be having an easier time each month. That continued right up until Carly was born. Now, it's right about back to the same way it was each month as a teenager. Ugh!

Otherwise, all is well. We've been busy playing outside. When the weather is nice enough. I'm not sure what's up with summer this year. It's been very chilly. More so than warm that's for sure.

Carly has been going to school 3 days a week. She seems to love it. She absolutely loves riding the bus. Some afternoons she doesn't want to get off. She wants the bus to take her to grandpa and grandmas house.

Today, I picked Carly up after school and headed to a local lab for her blood work. I'm such a nervous wreck. Of course, I have no results yet. Every time the phone rings I about jump out of my skin. Basically, they just want to get a check on her platelet count. The doc wants to see what range they are in. She hasn't been checked since 6/26. Hopefully, they have come up to a more suitable range. Normal would be just dandy! Her next appointment with Oncology isn't until November. God willing.

We have a new scanner. Well, it's not really brand new. It was my parents and they bought a new one. I got the old one. So, it's new to me! Once I get it all hooked up and figure out how the heck to use it. I will post some pictures of Carly through out the years. I just may toss in a few of Ashleigh and Brad too! After all, they are big part of the A B and C's mom!

That's about it for tonight. I feel crumby. Carly is already sleeping and I am going to follow suit.

Shopping sisters.

We went shopping today. Ashleigh had a birthday gift to buy for her girlfriends one year old. Carly and I decided to tag along. Actually, I drove, they tagged along with me. ;o) We were headed to the Mall, but changed our minds and went to Kohls instead.

These two sisters have a ball whenever we go shopping. They were trying on scarves and hats in the girls department. I tried to take a picture (would have been really cute), but I couldn't operate Ashleigh's new cell phone. Oh, Ashleigh just informed me she found the video I took. So, I did capture that moment, just not in picture form!

We found our way over to the mens department and of course Carly spotted more hats. This time, Ashleigh gave me a quick lesson on the new phone and just how the heck to snap a still picture.


Voila!

After Kohls, we went for lunch at the Cracker Barrel where Ash and I had very yummy salads. Carly had chicken tenders and cheesy hash brown casserole. A couple of years ago, Ashleigh worked at Cracker Barrel and was happy to see some of her old buds. She was a little surprised to see that some were still in fact working there and hadn't moved on. After talking to a few of them, we quickly learned, they can't find any other jobs.

Then we hit the grocery store. Ugh! I hate getting groceries. Hadn't been in over 2 weeks, yikes. The kids were all gripping that "we don't have anything here to eat"! Honestly, they were right. We ran out of milk yesterday. Oops!

Enjoy your weekend. It's rainy and about 55 degrees out. What the heck?! I thought this was summertime. Tomorrow isn't suppose to be much warmer. I don't think the weatherman is calling for rain though.

Field Trip.

Yesterday, Carly's school went on a field trip. It was a really cool place called Castaway Cafe. It's an inside play scape for kids and adults. Too bad Paul had to go to work. It's right up his alley!

At first, Carly was really excited. Then, as we headed off to play and climb and climb and climb some more. She froze with fear. Too many wild kids. They were everywhere. Running, jumping, climbing and screaming too. It was a total of 2 day cares and of course Carly's class of 21 kids. Wow!

We climbed to the top. Well, near the top. Carly loved walking across a bridge. She must have walked it 10 times. Back and forth. Back and forth. Then, she decided to venture off to one of the 4 slides. She chose the pink one first. Of course, she wanted me to go down it with her. We got situated and headed down the slide. Let me just say. HOLY COW! We were zippin' so fast down that slide. We got to the bottom and Carly said, "all done"! Then she trucked off to a chair to watch the craziness going on.



It was soon lunch time. Pizza to be exact. The teacher rounded all the kids up and they ate and ate and ate. Then headed back out. Well, everyone but Carly. She is the s l o w e s t eater ever! She did eat her entire piece of pizza though. That's rare for her. Some of those kids ate more pizza than my grown kids do at one setting. Like 5 and 6 pieces each. No one seemed to end up withtummy aches. I was sure there would be a few. Finally, we headed back out to play. Carly was much happier with a full belly - of one piece of pizza!

By the time we got back to playing. The 2 daycare centers had packed up and left for the day. Carly was much more at ease playing. We, played and played. Took a break and went back at it again. When it came time to leave, guess who didn't want to go?!? Yep, Carly. (I, on the other hand was EXHAUSTED from all the climbing) She kept telling me, "No" and "More, more, more." I told her we'd come back another day and bring daddy. Of course she said, "sissy & bubba". (Ashleigh and Brad), to that I said, we'll see. Although, I'm not sure they'd enjoy it at their age!





I wish she could have enjoyed it from the get go, but she knows her limitations. Her balance is quickly tested whenever rambunctious kids get to close to her. Carly is very much aware of her poor balance. Don't get me wrong, she can climb, run, jump....and so on. However, she knows if a kid accidentally bumps her, she will likely lose her balance and fall down. So, she steers clear of major romping of other kids.

Just before we had to load the bus, we headed back up the play scape. This time Carly wanted to go down a different slide. Well. Let me just say. HOLY, HOLY, HOLY COW! That one was faster than the first one we went down. Of course, she had to make me go down with her. Good thing. That slide tossed us both around! She would have freaked by herself.



All in all, it turned out to be a great time. Exhausting for me, but fun to see her having a good time.

Umm..some people need to get a clue!

I was up early this morning. In fact, I was up before the start of the Today Show. I rarely, if ever get to watch morning T.V. Carly beats me to the T.V. and I usually busy myself with morning chores. Anyway, today I thought, what the heck. Carly was in her sisters bedroom, while Ashleigh was getting ready for work. So, I tuned into the Today Show. One of the first stories was about the husband and wife in Florida who were murdered the other day. This couple adopted special needs kids. They actually had adopted several children who were born with Down syndrome. Naturally, whenever I hear the words Down syndrome, my ears perk up. The story starts, which by the way, makes me sick to my stomach. The commentator starts his bit. Then, I hear it...the phrase that never sits well with me, "many of the children suffer from Down syndrome." Oh, I really don't like that phrase. Who the heck is this guy anyway?? He's suppose to be educated right? I mean, he is a news guy. Obviously, he knows nothing about Ds.

Sadly, people do say things like this. Is it because they are stupid? Uneducated? Arrogant? Or is it because, that's what people really believe? Do they really believe my daughter suffers because she was born a child with Down syndrome? If that's the way they think. They need to get a clue! And they really need to spend some time with Carly. She does not suffer because she was born with Ds.

Yes, Carly has had many of the health issues that coincide with Ds. Such as heart issues, thyroid issues and leukemia. She does have a cognitive impairment. But, suffer? Not so much. I suppose some people would say that it's directly related to Carly being born with Ds. However, any child can be born with thyroid issues. My cousin has a son with severe thyroid issues. He was not born with Ds. Any child can be born with heart issues, just like Carly's. Anyone can develop leukemia. Many children suffer from cognitive impairment. You don't have to have been born with Ds to have any or all of these issues. Get a clue!

Carly is happy, loving, forgiving, eager to please, smart, witty, silly, non fearing, one of the bravest little gal's I have ever known. Don't get me wrong. It's not always wonderful. She, like other children has bad days. She can be naughty, stubborn as all get out, sassy and disobedient. She is so much more alike, than she is different from all kids. Again, get a clue!

I suppose, it's due to the fact that people who aren't around a person born into this world with Ds., just don't know anything about it. They don't take the time to educate themselves on it. Why would they, if it doesn't effect their lives? At any rate. I hate this phrase,"suffering from Down syndrome".

It's really interesting to me when we are out and about with Carly. We encounter people in stores, at parks, restaurants and so on. Some do stare at us. Some even give us dirty looks. The dirty looks usually come from little old ladies. Can you believe that? Some people have actually asked "does she have Down syndrome"? I say, "yes, she was born a child with Ds". I've even heard this as a response, "really? she doesn't really look like one because she's cute." Can you believe that?! Then there are those who really have no idea that Carly was born a child with Ds. Most people just marvel over her. Usually, I offer the Ds portion up after I've been asked how old is she? Carly is very little. She does not look like a 7 year old. Most people think she is 3 or 4. So, when I mention that she is indeed 7. Their eyes about pop out of their sockets. Sometimes, I go into the whole explanation of why she is so small. I tell them that she was born with Ds. I tell them of her health issues too. To that, most shut their mouths. Like maybe they've just opened Pandora's box or something. Once in awhile, they are curious. They even ask questions. That's OK with me. I would rather they ask me questions and LEARN a bit about our kiddos. Like I said. They are more alike than they are different.

Last week, Ashleigh had a delivery dropped off by the Fed X man. Carly and I were outside. She was jammin' to Miley/Hannah that happened to be playing on the boom box. I signed for the package and the guy says to me. "Oh she's a doll. What's her name?" I told him thanks and clued him in on her name. He went on to tell me that he has a brother who is 47 years old that was born with Ds too. We talked a little. I found out his brothers health is slipping. Up until the last year, he was healthy as a horse. This guy absolutely loved Carly. He went to his truck and came back with a pencil bag full of goodies for her. Most likely, we will see him again today. Brad has a delivery expected at some point.

So, I suppose it all boils down to the fact that people just do not understand what Down syndrome is. People don't understand how those who are born with Ds, don't necessarily suffer any more than anyone else born into this world. But, for a news guy/gal to make a stupid comment. Well...they need to get a clue!

Huge accomplishment!

Some people take the little things in life for granted. Such as learning how to swing. On a big girl swing that is. This is something we have tried with Carly for the last couple of years. She just didn't have the strength or balance down for a big girl swing. Well guess what??? She does now! Huge accomplishment. She is so darn proud of herself.



Now, all she wants to do is swing, swing, swing. We spend much of our day at the swing set. It's well worth it though. Just seeing that smile of amazement on her face each time.



Sorry for the poor quality of this last picture. I only had my phone with me at the time. I realized that I had the camera setting set on "cloudy". Thanks to Michigan having crappy weather for so darn long.

Heading back outside to swing of course!

Happy Thursday all.

January or July??

Carly just cracks me up all the time. Yesterday, when I found a second to sit down and watch the first 4 minutes of the local evening news. Carly was off doing her own thing. She was being rather quiet. Never a good sign. All the while...that whole 4 minutes, that I sat watching the news. I continuously questioned what she was doing. Of course, I got no response. At the end of that 4 whole minutes, I decided I had better go check on her. This is what I found.



Miss Carly dressed for winter in July! She had found an old coat and a pair of snow pants. Dressed herself up and was insistent on wearing this outfit outside. And that she did. We headed outside. Me to the clothesline and Carly to the swing set. In a matter of minutes she had shed the coat. Finally, she took off the snow pants too. Yesterday wasn't that warm for July, but it was nowhere near cold enough for winter wear!

I've been absent from my blog for several days. Only because we've been enjoying time with family. And having fun over the long weekend.

We went to a parade on the 4th then to a chicken BBQ put on by the fireman. We've enjoyed bonfires, s'mores and fireworks too.



Carly for the first time ever, did sparklers. She had a blast! She even enjoyed the spectacular fireworks display that my brothers put on for us. Normally, Carly is scared to death of fireworks, but this year she actually did enjoy them.


She has a sparkler in this picture, but it's hard to see due to the bonfire in the background.

Brad had a mishap while doing some kind of firecracker. It was a colorful one, none like I have seen before. You were suppose to light them and then toss them. Well, we figure this particular one was defective. Brad lit it, but before he could toss it, it went off in his hand. It ended up ripping the tip of his index finger open. He is OK, but was in quite a bit of pain after it happened. Kind of put a damper on the rest of the night for him. We are just thankful it was just his finger. We all know it could have been much worse. Finally, you meet Brad, our 19 year old son.



Carly and daddy went canoeing down my brothers river. Very shallow river I might add. They got stuck more often than they were able to paddle down river!



On July 5, Paul, Carly and myself, along with my oldest brother, and his family, who were visiting from IL., headed to the Detroit Zoo. It was a great day to be at the zoo. Sunny, warm and breezy. Carly like the Giraffes the best. She and daddy even got to feed one!



The only thing missing was Ashleigh. Carly has missed her terribly. Although, Ashleigh is having a great time in California. Little stinker has been out yachting with some friends. Walking the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She sent me a text pic of Christopher Reeves star. That was cool! And, she of course has been laying on the beach. She is due back home late tonight. Carly is very excited!

Hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July weekend as much as we did.

In a nut shell...

It's busy around here. To say the least. I guess it is most of the time though, so it really shouldn't be any surprise. Here's what's happening around our neck of the woods. In a nut shell that is!

Carly has been coughing like crazy since Tuesday night. Being a heart patient, she can't take any over the counter cough meds. So, we ride it out. She is on antibiotics, again! Hopefully they will kick in and help that cough out. SOON!!!

Carly is going to summer school. Well, she is suppose to be going to summer school. It actually started last week. It's three days a week for 8 weeks. With the exception of having next week off for the 4th. Well, last week she was only able to go 2 days, due to her appointment with oncology last Thursday. This week, she went on Tuesday runny nose and all. When she got home, I realized she had started in with the coughing. I kept her home on Wednesday and Thursday. She is feeling a bit better, but the cough. Oh, my goodness. It gets bad at times.

Here's a question for everyone out there. Let me start off with a bit of the story first. Then we'll get to the question. Ok. Carly got off the bus Tuesday afternoon. She gets home around 1. Tuesday is the day that the kids are to bring a lunch from home. The other 2 days, lunch is provided. So, I packed her a 1/2 of PB&J sandwich, a gogurt, cheese and crackers and a few animal crackers. Oh, an apple juice too. Anyway, when I went to get her off the bus, I was informed by the driver that Carly was mad at Miss Sherry (teacher). I was a little surprised. Carly rarely gets mad at anyone. I asked the bus driver why and this is what I was told. "Carly wouldn't eat her sandwich and so Miss Sherry wouldn't let her eat anything for lunch." I know for a fact, my chin hit the floor of the bus. I was furious. Would you all have been? Do you think it's wrong that the teacher refused to let Carly eat any of her food? I most certainly do. In the first place, Carly isn't a sandwich eater. The only reason I put that 1/2 of sandwich in her lunch was because I'm trying to get her to eat sandwiches because she will be going to a full day of school next year. Let's face it, school lunches are crap...in most places! Carly will, on occasion eat a few bites, but I don't force her to eat it. I encourage it, but never force. Do you all think that the teacher was way out of line by refusing Carly her lunch? I was just curious and wondering if I'm a nut job for being angry that my child came home sad and starving. I can just picture her little face sitting there watching everyone else eat, but not being allowed to have her lunch, that I packed for her. Chime in and let me know what you think. Gotta move on. I'm getting all worked up again!

We sent Ashleigh off to California late last night. She has gone on vacation with a group of friends. She was very excited, but nervous too. Ashleigh had never been on an airplane before. Their flight was delayed for 1 1/2 hours before take off. That irritated all of them just a bit! But, they are there safe and sound. She is staying at New Port Beach, for any of our California friends out there. I of course have no idea where the heck that is though! At any rate, I hope she has a good time. Maybe the weather out there is better than it is here in Michigan. Sheesh!

Speaking of Michigan weather. The weather has been crappy. It doesn't feel at all like summer this week. The temp today was 63. Yesterday, it wasn't even that warm. On the bright side, things are suppose to warm up for the weekend. Sunny and in the mid 70's for the 4th. Sounds perfect! Let's just hope the weather man got it right.

We are looking forward to some time with family this weekend. My brother and his family are here for a long weekend. They live in IL., now. They were in NM for 15 years and then moved to SC. My brother retired last year and found a great job working for Cargill. My niece has joined the Air Force. Following in dad and mom's footsteps. She leaves for basic training in August. So, they are up visiting before she starts her new journey.

In a nut shell, that's about it for us the past few days. Boring, I know. ;o)