tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-320194012024-03-12T23:36:34.294-04:00Big Blue BarnTales from the great wilderness of our house in West Ottawa.MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-69742743983363713342014-07-24T22:12:00.003-04:002014-07-24T22:13:08.733-04:00Proximal humerus fracture - part 5<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">If you need to catch up, you can read </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/broke-bones-proximal-humerus-fracture.html">part 1</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">, </span><a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/proximal-humerus-fracture-part-2.html">part 2</a>,<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> </span><a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/proximal-humerus-fracture-part-3.html">part 3</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> and <a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/proximal-humerus-fracture-part-4.html">part 4</a> :)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">After two weeks spent with the half-cast on, we returned to the clinic for another appointment. It followed the same pattern as the previous one, with x-rays, a meeting with a doctor, and a visit to the Body Shop.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Instead of meeting with the head orthopedic surgeon, we met with one of the residents, which suggests that they're not considering this case all that worrisome. It was actually nice to get a chance to talk to a resident, because he was eager to explain things to us, and willing to go into more details when we asked questions. He suggested that it's possible or even likely that BR did not damage the periosteum around her bone, which is quite encouraging because it should be quite helpful in reshaping the bone and protect the rest of her arm (nerves etc) from the sharp edges of the bone. I have to say I have learned so much about the human bones and their development in the last month than I ever have in school. I guess I am paying a lot more attention now :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The doc told us that we should put the half-cast back on (it was removed for the x-rays), but we should start removing it daily and gave BR some exercises to do without the half-cast to help regain a full range of motion and work on regaining strength and flexibility. And after 3-4 weeks, we would be able to take the half-cast off for good. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">BR was super happy to hear that we would be able to re-use the existing half-cast, because she was quite worried about having to deal with another cast setting and heating up. She complained a bit about her arm hurting, but couldn't articulate whether it was more of an itch or a pain, so we figured it was just a bit tight and would work itself out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Our next appointment was scheduled for two months later. That meant that taking off the cast and working on all the physio would have to be done on our own, and she'd be back in school before we saw the doctors again. It's a good news/bad news situation, good because it gives us confidence that things are proceeding well, and bad because we don't really get a chance to ask questions or check how things are going until September.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">When we took off the half-cast the next day, we discovered that the two parts of the cast had pinched the skin on BRs upper arm. It now had a big bruise and a long cut and was just great for the parental guilt. We covered it up with a bit of ointment and some gauze before putting the half-cast back on. We tried to air it out as much as possible (bandaging up around it), and finally after two weeks it all healed up. It's quite interesting how much slower the skin heals when it's covered up all day and night.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">And so now you're all caught up. It's been two weeks since the last appointment, we've built up to having the half-cast off for the whole evening without pain or discomfort. BR alternates between feeling better and appreciating the progress she's made and being bored and annoyed at not being able to do things and being asked to take it a little easier. She misses spending time with other kids and having some time away from her parents. But she's a trooper and really we can't complain much about how the last 5 weeks have gone.</span></div>
MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-81782965658015263872014-07-23T22:30:00.002-04:002014-07-24T21:11:48.060-04:00Proximal humerus fracture - part 4If you need to catch up, you can read <a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/broke-bones-proximal-humerus-fracture.html">part 1</a>, <a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/proximal-humerus-fracture-part-2.html">part 2</a> and <a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/proximal-humerus-fracture-part-3.html">part 3</a> :)<br />
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Our second visit to the hospital was very different from the first one. For one, we were there less than 2 hours, which went by very fast. It's not surprising, as there was a lot to do:<br />
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<ul>
<li>got registered at the clinic, </li>
<li>waited a bit in the waiting room</li>
<li>received our requisition to go get some new x-rays</li>
<li>went to get those done</li>
<li>came back to the waiting room for a while</li>
<li>got called into a consultation room</li>
<li>waited a few minutes more</li>
<li>met up with the orthopedic surgeon</li>
<li>back to the waiting room for a bit</li>
<li>to the "Body Shop" to get a half-cast</li>
</ul>
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The consult with surgeon was quick and slightly confusing, as there was a lot to absorb. We tried to prepare questions ahead of time, but even then we felt like we didn't ask enough questions. The x-ray was still showing the bone very much disconnected and displaced, but the surgeon didn't seem all that worried about it, expecting that gravity will continue to work on it and pull things together.</div>
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**</div>
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He recommended that we get a half-cast, which is basically a splint made out of plaster, and tied together with a bandage. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrhJVako7Pkb3cwsD-541WEmCzwcP3T0D-tWvPnAsn-XApAfFo7zfRUGFFdW9xmTYOpD9nJSN-kh0h8xfbsLk_159RmZhHDlnwVFGgwYzSatJnE0EIikjBwfnfz3MiJtVXHNhGg/s1600/CHEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrhJVako7Pkb3cwsD-541WEmCzwcP3T0D-tWvPnAsn-XApAfFo7zfRUGFFdW9xmTYOpD9nJSN-kh0h8xfbsLk_159RmZhHDlnwVFGgwYzSatJnE0EIikjBwfnfz3MiJtVXHNhGg/s1600/CHEO.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
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BR was kind of happy to get the half-cast, as it gave her a certain feeling of legitimacy, like she belonged with all the other broken-armed and broken-legged kids. The big arm is definitely more impressive looking than just seeing her arm in the sling. Even her new collar and cuff sling was much more serious looking than the original.</div>
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**</div>
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The one thing we didn't know or remember about the plaster for the cast was that it gets hot after it gets applied as it sets. I think they don't mention it to the kids to avoid freaking them out in advance. However, in hindsight it might have been a good idea to prepare BR, because she really got quite scared and worried about all the heat. She was ok while the cast was being put on, but afterwards she kept crying and complaining about the heat. I think she was worried it was going to be like that forever. A few minutes later she was visibly relieved as things cooled off.</div>
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**</div>
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We left the clinic with an appointment set for two weeks later. Things were quite a bit easier with the half-cast, especially the nights and sleeping. The only downside was that BR was a lot hotter with the cast, so we ended up installing a ceiling fan in her room. Our instructions were not to remove the splint for the whole two weeks, and we were worried about BR's skin getting sweaty and itchy, but luckily she only complained about it a handful of times and just blowing into the cast helped. I think a half-cast is much easier to handle from that perspective than a full cast.</div>
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**</div>
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The shirts and dresses I had prepared for BR the previous week really came in handy with the half cast - we were able to put them on and take them off without disturbing her arm at all, and allowed us to change outfits every day and give BR some variety and a chance to make some choices around what she was going to wear every day.</div>
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**</div>
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BR's energy was slowly returning, and with that came new challenges. She felt more secure with her arm bandaged up, but we knew her bone wasn't together yet and needed to move down some more, so we often needed to remind her to let her arm hang down, and not jostle it too much. She was also getting bored with the few activities available to her, and looking forward to any kind of new activity. We downloaded a whole bunch of new games to the tablet, introduced her to a bunch of new card games and generally tried to give her some things to anticipate, like birthday parties and picnic lunches.</div>
MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-77273531634793384062014-07-22T21:49:00.000-04:002014-07-22T21:49:48.682-04:00Proximal humerus fracture - part 3So as you may have figured out from the titles of the previous posts, the official diagnosis for BR's broken arm is "proximal humerus fracture" on the left side. It's a broken shoulder, the humerus, or upper arm bone broken right at the top. On top of being broken, the bone also moved sideways, causing a displacement of almost 2 cms. Given that BR's arm is not all that wide, it's a big break. Not surprising that anyone who saw the x-ray of the shoulder had a strong reaction.<br />
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***</div>
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I think all three of us were expecting BR to get a cast before getting discharged from the hospital. We were more than a little surprised to be sent home with just a little sling to support her hand. The idea behind it was to get gravity to pull the arm down and get the bone aligned. A great idea in theory, but quite a hard thing to manage when it comes time to try to sleep. The slightest movement and her arm would start hurting, so the first few nights BR would wake up screaming in pain, and even when she was asleep she would be whimpering and whining in her sleep.</div>
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***</div>
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BR is generally not a big fan of medication. It's always been hard to get her to take any antibiotics or pain killers, no matter how crappy she might be feeling. Luckily she hasn't required much medication in the past. Even at the hospital, she was not keen on taking the medicine provided to her.</div>
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Turns out, a broken bone convinced her of the usefulness of pain killers. By Thursday morning, she was counting the hours until she was allowed the next dose of whichever medication was coming up. We made sure she got a dose immediately before bedtime so she'd get some relief during her sleep, and if she woke up in pain in the middle of the night, we offered her some as well (with varying success). A few days in, she was back to her usual distrust of medication, giving us some hope that her state was improving.</div>
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***</div>
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The first few days were pretty rough. BR was so quiet and sad, unable to move much, just sitting there. She was a trooper, not complaining much at all, and she appreciated being able to watch TV most of the day. She could not use her left hand at all, couldn't really move (walking down the hall took 15 minutes), didn't feel like eating much. She enjoyed reading e-books, so I bought a few and let her read them on my tablet - but that didn't last long.Thankfully I figured out a way to borrow those from the library, because at 20 minutes per book, it was becoming an expensive habit (kid books are not that expensive, but they are pretty short).</div>
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***</div>
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When we left the hospital we were asked to book a follow-up appointment at the hospital's orthopedic clinic a week later. Counting down the days to the appointment helped us pass the time, and keep our anxiety in check. DH and I were a little worried about the possible complications in case the bone didn't get aligned (surgery, having to re-break the bone?). We tried not to worry about it too much, but all our googling indicated that this is a fairly rare type of fracture in small kids, and none of the x-ray pictures I found online looked as displaced as BRs. So while we tried to remain positive, we had some nagging worries in the back of our minds. And of course we didn't want to worry BR either.</div>
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***</div>
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As BR started feeling slightly better, her mood changed too. She was getting frustrated, both with the situation and with us. At the same time as she regained some strength and energy she felt ready to move more, and we had to remind her of her broken bone. She was also getting bored with the limited number of activities she was able to do. Add to it the crappy sleep, and it's no surprise it was a rough week.</div>
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***</div>
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The one bright spot that week was all the love sent our way by friends and family. BR's class sent her a full envelope of cards and notes from each student. Her teacher prepared her a wonderful bucket full of surprises. A friend dropped by and chatted with her for a little while and they did some crafts together. BR loved receiving flowers and stuffed animals, and she really enjoyed reading all the messages of encouragement in email and on FB.</div>
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***</div>
<div>
Since moving BR's left arm was out of the question, there was no way for us to remove her t-shirt. Since she was stuck at home all week and barely moving, we decided to keep the t-shirt on, giving her sponge baths from time to time. Finally, on the eve of our appointment at the clinic, we cut open the shirt sleeve and took it off, allowing her to have a full bath. Meanwhile I took a few of her shirts and dresses and opened up their left arm so we could get her dressed and undressed without moving the arm at all.</div>
MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-22264223924620323762014-07-21T22:24:00.000-04:002014-07-21T22:24:39.662-04:00Proximal humerus fracture - part 2So <a href="http://bigbluebarn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/broke-bones-proximal-humerus-fracture.html">part 1</a> ended with us in the waiting area of the ER, slightly dazed and confused. By that point BR had found a reasonably comfortable position in the wheelchair, and she looked more shocked than in pain. A nurse came out to triage us, she poked and prodded BR's arm, concluding that she didn't feel anything broken under the temporary splint. She was also surprised that BR wasn't screaming or yelling and seemed to be too quiet for someone severely injured. Unfortunately when she got to the elbow and started moving it around, BR cried out and started complaining about sharp pain (in the elbow). We didn't realize it at the time, but the nurse simply put in BR's file that her injury was to the elbow - despite the fact that I kept telling her how scarily angled her upper arm looked before it got wrapped up. She also told us to hold off on getting an x-ray until we've been seen by the doctor, to make sure the proper part of the arm gets checked.<br />
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****</div>
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Once the nurse left, the elbow pain only got worse. BR was whimpering and complaining about the constant pain, unable to get comfortable and just totally miserable. By that point we'd been at the hospital for a few hours, so we asked for some more pain relief, and she received a dose of acetaminophen. Didn't seem to help at all. </div>
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<br />Seeing her in so much pain and not seeing any progress in our situation, we decided to ask to have the x-ray done as soon as possible, so that we'd have it in hand when the doctor saw us. We got sent to the imaging department pretty much immediately, and the wait there was very short. It was quite nice to be out of the waiting room and feeling like something was finally happening.</div>
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****</div>
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The x-ray tech was not happy about BR being protective of her arm. She needed the elbow positioned just right on the table, and was quite curt telling her not to tense up, and that we wouldn't get any useful images if she didn't cooperate right-this-moment. BR was in fact not cooperating, she was quite scared and in pain and did not want to move her arm at all. Luckily for all of us, another technician came in, clearly experienced and with excellent kid bedside manners. She got BR positioned properly and they took the pictures.</div>
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****</div>
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At that point, it was back to the waiting room for us. Luckily the positioning of the arm for the x-ray seemed to help with the elbow pain, and BR was back to her calmer self. We managed to take her to the bathroom, and she was in much better spirits.</div>
<div>
<br />We were seen by the resident and doctor very quickly afterwards. The elbow x-rays showed nothing, so they got her arm fully unwrapped and the splint removed, at which point the odd angle was quite plainly visible. Unfortunately that part of the arm was not visible in the picture, so we were sent back to the imaging department for more x-rays, this time of the shoulder.</div>
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****</div>
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The x-ray techs were not very happy to see us returning. After the giant kerfuffle of our earlier visit, it was quite understandable. Luckily, the shoulder x-ray is a much easier procedure, no positioning required, everything is done just standing in front of a screen.</div>
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For some unknown reason, I looked directly at the tech's face the moment she took the picture (this was the same tech who was giving BR such a hard time for being uncooperative earlier). When she saw the picture, her jaw dropped and she had a quick moment of shock. She quickly regained composure, likely realizing I was looking at her. This is when I knew we had a bad break on our hands.</div>
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****</div>
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This time, when we came back to the waiting room, we weren't seen right away. In fact, we ended up waiting to be seen for a few more hours. By 8:30, BR was super tired and falling asleep from exhaustion. The wheelchair did not recline, so I had to support her head for it not to topple over. I got a lot of sympathetic looks from the other parents in the room. Neither BR nor I had eaten anything since lunch, and it was getting quite late at this point, but she wasn't allowed to eat or drink "just in case", and I couldn't even think about eating. We just wanted to see the doctor and find out what showed up in the x-ray.</div>
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****</div>
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Finally, almost 6 hours after arriving to the ER, we got called back to see the doctor. She was very nice to us, and she was apologetic for the long wait. She told us we had to take a look at the x-ray ourselves. I am glad we got a chance to take a look, but it was definitely not a pleasant experience. I don't have a copy of the image itself, but here's an image that should give you a basic idea of what it looked like:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41v-Vd_pjYWKhXIEcWUTWDGtLf9SugKtej6GS8ZYXR6aGfBg2DHt8To-nYlBzgYu73XuM-IN14sVo2drKAd7kips7_yMZ2DKJJ8-7OlVpU7OKIoxTNUiLh_XvDhbbDxOHt6tEnA/s1600/PHf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41v-Vd_pjYWKhXIEcWUTWDGtLf9SugKtej6GS8ZYXR6aGfBg2DHt8To-nYlBzgYu73XuM-IN14sVo2drKAd7kips7_yMZ2DKJJ8-7OlVpU7OKIoxTNUiLh_XvDhbbDxOHt6tEnA/s1600/PHf.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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She fashioned a simple "collar and cuff" sling for BR's arm and sent us on our way. Shell-shocked and bleary-eyed, we headed home.</div>
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MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-80437248677728422722014-07-20T22:16:00.000-04:002014-07-23T21:23:25.368-04:00Broken bones: Proximal humerus fracture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you're following BR's blog, you already know that BR <a href="http://rabbitthird.blogspot.ca/2014_06_01_archive.html">broke her arm</a> a month ago. She's doing much better now, and is on her way to recovery, so we've been able to breath a sigh of relief. But I still feel the need to document the whole story from the parent's perspective, so I've decided to dust off this old blog and do some posting here. I suspect this will take more than one entry, as it's been a long journey. So grab a chair and join me as I recall the unfolding of the events.</div>
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*****</div>
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That Wednesday I was trying to finish working on a document at work, so to minimize all distractions I took my laptop to someone else's desk (they were on vacation), so I could focus quietly. All of a sudden I received an email from DH simply saying: "BR fell down at school, unless I hear from you I'm leaving to pick her up in 5 minutes". I picked up all my stuff, sent a quick email to my coworkers (saying "I'm picking up my daughter and will be back online within the hour" - how optimistic of me), and headed to the school.</div>
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*****</div>
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When I got to the school, BR was sitting propped up on some blankets and pillows, calm but very pale, and her left arm was sticking out on a very odd angle. She looked scared and very freaked out, and didn't want anyone to come near, worried about being hurt more. There wasn't much I could do to make her more comfortable, but I tried to distract her a bit from the pain. She wasn't talking much, so I couldn't get much information about what happened, other than the fact that she fell on the bouncy castle that all the kids were playing on to celebrate the end of the school year.</div>
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*****</div>
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I was <strike>a little</strike> a lot over my head trying to figure out what to do. BR was refusing to move and did not want to be touched. The vice principal asked me whether I was ok with them calling an ambulance, and I was quite glad for the suggestion. We called an ambulance and waited. In an odd coincidence, earlier that day there was an accident in our neighbourhood where first responders were hurt in a training exercise, so there were fewer ambulances available, but we didn't have to wait very long.</div>
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*****</div>
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The paramedics were amazing. There was a young man who has little children, and it certainly showed in his interactions with BR. He quickly assessed her, asked a few questions and even made her smile once or twice. He created a quick splint and wrapped her arm and effortlessly lifted her onto the gurney without jostling her or causing her any pain. Once in the ambulance, BR visibly relaxed, she wasn't in so much pain anymore and she was able to talk a little and interact. In fact, about halfway to the hospital, she looked like she might even fall asleep, I guess as the adrenaline was wearing off.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpE7pNJFlCmNtdkik9tjHhkk0OJBN9OUoOR8__z2hwSvhWjWOKzdzZ3_inKpWwrNvHdNZPK-Pmn399qWzAsDB5yOhRtbi5V2uPHZ8GLmGXCRAOCeiF4Yn2dMNMnjshy_mSzvwqw/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpE7pNJFlCmNtdkik9tjHhkk0OJBN9OUoOR8__z2hwSvhWjWOKzdzZ3_inKpWwrNvHdNZPK-Pmn399qWzAsDB5yOhRtbi5V2uPHZ8GLmGXCRAOCeiF4Yn2dMNMnjshy_mSzvwqw/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooked up to the monitors, ready to go</td></tr>
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We got to the hospital, and DH was already there waiting for us (I'd called him once we'd called for the ambulance). We got admitted, BR was put in a wheelchair and given a dose of ibuprofen. Then we headed to the waiting room, joining many other families with sick and injured kids. We still didn't know what was wrong with BRs arm. The paramedic was not able to detect anything when he felt her arm, and with the splint on you couldn't really see the crazy angle of her upper arm.<br />
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To be continued...</div>
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<br />MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-41664949679590244622014-04-05T22:00:00.000-04:002014-04-05T22:00:14.269-04:00A message to me, to you, to all of usLife is tough. It's messy and it's complicated and it's unpredictable and at the core of it, it's very lonely. So why bother? Because there is a world out there that is so amazing it will take your breath away, and there are people out there who will move you and surprise you and inspire you. So whether it's the next great human invention, or the next gorgeous landscape, there's something out there just waiting for you to see. So do what you need to do so you can get there.MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-12711865335614605342014-02-27T22:02:00.002-05:002014-02-27T22:02:09.434-05:00A day in the LifeAfter reading a bunch of these this week, I've decided this is a meme I can really do, so here it is. It got a little long, sorry for that (and I did edit a bunch of boring work stuff out). I was hoping to have some pictures to include, but unfortunately discovered too late that there was no memory card in the camera :(<br />
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6:47: Wake up, realize I can still sleep for w bit, doze off<br />
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6:58: DH stumbles out of bed, up for the day<br />
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7:00: I can hear BR get out of bed, expecting her to come wake me up as she usually does. But instead she heads to the kitchen with Daddy. I quickly contemplate staying in bed for a while longer, but decide to just get up and join everyone in the kitchen.<br />
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7:05: Breakfast time in the kitchen. As usual, it's just cereal with milk. Each one of us has a different kind of milk (cow's milk, soy milk and almond milk). From time to time I get up to get a head start on lunch making, which usually happens the night before but last night I skipped it.<br />
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7:25: Breakfast is over, time to finish preparing lunches for BR and myself. DH is working from home today, so he can take care of his own lunch at noon.<br />
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7:30: Head back to my room to get dressed. I'm usually competing with BR as to who can be dressed first, but she's only missing her socks while I'm still gathering my outfit. She wins hands down, and goes to pack her lunch in her lunchbox.<br />
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7:38: Dressed and ready to go, I gather my stuff (laptop and lunch) into my bag. Head to the bathroom for hairdos.<br />
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7:43: My hair is done, we're actually running early (huh?) so decide on a fancy hairdo for BR. Two french braids both sides joining together at the back. Inspired by the closing ceremonies of the Olympics we watched the night before :)<br />
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7:49: Time for jackets boots, mitts, hats etc. It snowed last night, and the driveway pure ice covered with a fresh coat of snow. Gotta be careful out there!<br />
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7:52: Head out to the garage to get in the car. DH is sweet enough to accompany us to the garage, helping to carry the myriad of bags we're bringing (can't forget the piano class this afternoon). Just as we approach the garage I slide on the ice, flailing, slipping, twisting and sliding, but amazingly I manage to remain upright, if terribly ungraceful.<br />
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7:54: Off we go. It was a cold night, so the car is freezing, so I am again thankful for seat heaters :)<br />
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7:59: We've arrived at BR's daycare. Quick dropoff, say hi to the other kids and teachers, and I am out the door.<br />
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8:04: Time for the second part of my commute, daycare to work. Car is now a lot warmer, and I can set my radio to CBC. It's a quick commute, only two traffic lights.<br />
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8:14: I'm at work, and it's early, so I get a choice parking spot. Chilly walk through the parking lot and walkway to the building, once inside it's one floor up the stairs and to the end of the floor to my cubicle.<br />
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8:20: At my desk, They're still working on the roof, so I get to see all kinds of activity through the window, workers and machinery. Since it snowed, they have to do some snow removal (again!). For the umpteenth time I wonder why they're doing roof work in the winter, always seems like every time they make any progress there's another snow fall and they need to haul snowblowers onto the roof!<br />
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8:35: A friend drops by and we head to the coffee room. I just grab a cupful of hot water for my daily mint tea.<br />
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8:45: Head back to my desk, to attack the stack of emails that have accumulated since I last checked them at 10:30 last night. Will have no time to prep for my meetings of the morning.<br />
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9:30: First meeting.<br />
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10:00: Time for the next meeting - luckily in the same room. We have 5 people in the room and 4 on the line from India. I didn't prepare much to talk about, so I'm hoping we can have a quick one. But as usual we get onto some interesting topic and fill the hour.<br />
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11:00: Need to have a discussion about a different issue. There's 4 of us in different locations, and it takes us almost a half hour to figure out how to get a phone conversation going. Finally we get a teleconference setup. The meeting is slow and boring, and I am getting hungry.<br />
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12:00: Time for lunch, but a few more issues popped up that I want to address first.<br />
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12:20: Ok, I'm getting too hungry, going to warm up my lunch the coffee room. Bring it back to my desk and continue working on the myriad of things on the go.<br />
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1:00: and 2:00: Two more meetings. Need I say more<br />
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3:00: Time to make some progress on my actual work. Need to hurry, as I need to leave early today to make it to BR's piano practice. Aiming for 4:15.<br />
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4:15: Someone drops by my desk to alert me to a brand new issue that is coming my way. I should be heading out, but decide to take a quick look to see what is going on (curiosity something something?)<br />
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4:36: Get up from my desk in a hurry. Need to run down the hallway, trying to make it to the car as fast as I can.<br />
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4:41: Made it to the car, I'm on my way. Meet a deer at the edge of the parking lot, what a cutie!<br />
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4:52: Picking up BR. She's dragging her feet, doesn't want to leave her drawing and her friends. Finally get her to put on her jacket and boots, and we get to the car.<br />
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4:57: Heading to the piano lesson, there's no way we can make it there for 5, but no need to panic (right?).<br />
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5:04: We arrive to the piano lesson, run in and profusely apologize for the lateness.<br />
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5:05: I sit down and start writing the summary of my day. In 30 minutes, I've only made it to 10am?<br />
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5:35: Lesson over, time to head home. Trying to hurry BR along, but she's still ornery and annoyed at being told what to do. I brainstom with her alternative modes of transportation home...<br />
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5:51: We're home. I am exhausted. Luckily we have some leftovers for supper. Spinach, avocado, tomato salad, and coleslaw, as well as egg salad for the grownups. Pancakes for the kid who will not touch salad.<br />
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6:01: The doorbell rings. Our neighbour is canvassing for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We only see her a handful of times during the year, so we have a chat to catch up on things. Her youngest is going to university this year - eek!<br />
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6:25: Our neighbour is heading home to prepare dinner for her family. We can finally resume eating and catching up on the days events.<br />
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6:45: BR asks whether we still have some Olympics competitions recorded, and since we do, we plop ourselves on the couch to watch some figure skating. I take out my laptop to work on that new issue that popped up before I left work. DH is cleaning up in the kitchen.<br />
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7:15: Time's up. BR has a quick cereal snack with Daddy, while I try to wrap up the work stuff.<br />
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7:30: Bedtime routine starts: tooth brushing, hair brushing, putting cream on little hands that are getting full of eczema. Quick bedtime story, three songs, and she's asleep by 8.<br />
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8:00: I'm back to the couch with the work laptop. Worky, worky, worky...<br />
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9:10: Call my Mum for a quick chat. It's a quick one today, we'll be taking a quick trip to Montreal tomorrow and we'll see her then, so we'll get a chance for a longer conversation :)<br />
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9:25: Time to finish this blog entry. It's getting so long! I also need to write an entry for BRs blog :)<br />
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10:05: Bedtime for the grownups. Another day just flew by.<br />
<br />MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-52236458062751233172014-01-14T21:53:00.002-05:002014-01-14T21:53:42.281-05:00Owl-iciousLast weekend we celebrated BR's sixth birthday. We talked about themes for a while, and eventually settled on a theme of "owls". There's lots of owls in town lately (though we haven't seen any yet), so it seemed quite appropriate.<br />
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The party was at a martial arts place in our neighbourhood, so the only things we had to worry about were loot bags and some food to supplement the pizza included. We got an ice-cream cake decorated with an owl (didn't quite work out as nicely as I was hoping), and spent the morning preparing the little snacks.<br />
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We had small owl sandwiches (cream cheese and hummus with cucumber eyes and baby carrot noses).<br />
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A veggie platter with dip eyes:<br />
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And owl cupcakes with eyes made of round cookies with chocolate chips and noses made out of dried fruit snacks:</div>
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Pretty happy with how the snacks turned out. The kids were quite happy with the cupcakes, eating off the decorations and licking off the icing :)<br />
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Happy 2014!MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-71360619937090227292012-02-12T20:39:00.002-05:002012-02-12T22:20:13.921-05:00Time for introspection...A few weeks ago, a good friend (whom I unfortunately don't get to see often enough), asked me a pointed question - "Are you depressed?". My first reaction was to say of course not! I can't remember the last time I had a hard time getting out of bed (my reference point for depression?)... And then I realized that it's pretty much impossible for me to stay in bed with a four year old who needs me to get up at the before 7 every day :) <div><br /></div><div>And so I started thinking about it some more, and couldn't really come up with a conclusive answer. I've been so focused on my kid, and all the logistics of juggling work and family etc, I've clearly spent very little time examining my own emotions. So little time in fact, that I can't even tell where my emotions are at. Of course I am very skilled at burying any and all inconvenient emotions... </div><div><br /></div><div>So I've decided to dig a little deeper and figure out what is going on with me. And to keep myself honest, I'm putting it all up on the blog. Hopefully I can keep it up and update as I figure things out. Of course time is (and will be for the foreseeable future) in short supply in these parts, so the updates may have to be short...</div>MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-66617321997715487532011-04-12T13:27:00.002-04:002011-04-12T13:45:34.556-04:00Insensitive commentsSigh... Sometimes I think I get too worked up over things. But maybe it's worth it if it makes for good blog post fodder/motivation?<br /><br />At lunchtime today, a coworker who has two kids (the older is BR's age) was talking about getting up to tend to the younger one in the middle of the night. Another coworker was questioning her about it, suggesting it may be time to night wean and sleep train the youngster. I chimed in to say that BR was still waking up most nights at 2 and a half... This was meant as a helpful comment, letting my friend know that other kids also woke up in the middle of the night at her son's age, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it.<br /><br />Turns out I should have kept my mouth shut. I was told I didn't know what I was talking about since I only had one kid, and that just cannot compare to having two of them. Never mind that I wasn't trying to compare, or even say anything like "I know how you feel", since I am well aware that I don't. I sure didn't appreciate having it shoved in my face, though, and basically being told that I am not part of the group, because I only have one child.<br /><br />Of course, having two children is different than having one (and in most cases, harder, especially in the early years). But at the same time, I would hope that as adults we would not be induging in silly games of "I have it so much harder than you", especially when it comes to such a minefield as human reproduction. Arguably, people have somewhat of an idea of what's coming when they decide to have a second child. On the other hand, some of us may not appreciate to be reminded that we "only" have one child (and that's all we'll ever have - queue the tiny violins).<br /><br />Anyway, I guess my lesson here is to learn to keep my mouth shut. Won't be easy!<br /><br />Thanks for letting me get this off my chest I feel better now :)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-70956906355273137082011-04-08T21:12:00.002-04:002011-04-08T22:09:50.703-04:00A lot of work ahead, and some funIt's been a hard week in our household. BR is going through another phase of asserting her independence, wanting to control absolutely everything and fighting us tooth and nail if things don't go her way. I had kind of hoped the "terrible two's" were behind us, and all of a sudden we get tantrums like we haven't seen before.<br /><br />Today I realized something: at least part of the problem in the last few weeks has been on my part. In the past, when BR had a meltdown or a tantrum, I remembered that she was just a kid (baby, really), trying to sort out her emotions, and not able to handle them. I think we've been fairly successful in navigating those waters.<br /><br />This time things are different. BR seems defiant, and trying to push boundaries in ways she's never done before. While in the past she might have fought us on one thing or another, because she actually cared about that specific thing, we could often negotiate with her and explain why things had to be done a certain way. Now, once she gets into the fighting spirit, she will fight over anything and everything, and there's just no negotiating at all. She does not want to hear it.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this is where I discovered how stubborn I really am. I can't believe I never really wondered about my stubbornness before, but at least now I know. I get it into my head that my job is to enforce some boundaries, and while I try to do my best to pick my battles, once the line in the sand is drawn, I stick to it. Not that it feels good, mind you. I get annoyed and frustrated, but I won't give in, and we and up in a battle of wills.<br /><br />Anyway, half the battle is figuring out the problem, and today I realized how much baggage I am bringing into the whole exchange and how much resentment it stirs up inside me. I'm realizing that I don't enjoy being the rule enforcer, but I don't know how to do anything other than deal with rules. The saving grace thus far has been the fact that BR also loves rules (taking after her Mum I guess), and so as long as we explain things well at her level, we were usually ok.<br /><br />Anyway, all that as a long way of explaining that I have a fair bit of work to do to apply this new found knowledge/understanding, and work at diffusing situations by not letting these altercations get the best of me and not contribute to the escalation. Wish me luck!<br /><br />Luckily there are lots of fun things planned for the weekend too, that we can look forward to (playdates and things!), so I'm hoping it will all be good in the end :)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-56568195509199590842011-04-05T22:08:00.002-04:002011-04-05T22:23:34.117-04:00Gack!...to borrow BR's favourite expression of frustration :)<br /><br />Of course as soon as I decide to participate in NaPoBloMo, our internet access goes all kablooey as soon as rain started on Sunday. Two days of slow as molasses internet meant that I only updated BR's blog.<br /><br />On the plus side, all the forced introspection to find out some things to let go of really did seem to work out pretty well. I am feeling a lot less overwhelmed today than I was on Friday, which has gotta be a good thing :)<br /><br />Things I am ready to let go of: parental guilt at not always being the 100% perfect parent (easier said than done, but I'm working on it), as well as stressing out over my current weight/appearance. I think I am about 10lbs heavier than this time last year and have been trying to find non-intrusive ways to deal with that (as to not overburden myself), but just the fact that I'm regularly thinking about it is tiring enough. So out it goes.<br /><br />So that's that :) Bedtime now, but more musings to come later.MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-54502574721584711202011-04-02T22:16:00.002-04:002011-04-07T22:23:32.402-04:00FillerOk, so I'm not going to hit the one post a day thing, not even close, and things are a little busy/chaotic right now, but I figured I had a minute to post this photo from a few weeks ago. It's not the supermoon, but it's close (a few days earlier):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbz-i38vWY_ytEUFoq24s1MkVpgzeF4mtREmH81xMsub4R19dug6ly1rbcaIwaqMc7qPcmSbMiVkf9rIj94DMBffUXLglYREDSfPF7aMHYpAxTKKauuCkLUs7LWUKhYwMc2oTuQ/s1600/IMG_1603_crop.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbz-i38vWY_ytEUFoq24s1MkVpgzeF4mtREmH81xMsub4R19dug6ly1rbcaIwaqMc7qPcmSbMiVkf9rIj94DMBffUXLglYREDSfPF7aMHYpAxTKKauuCkLUs7LWUKhYwMc2oTuQ/s200/IMG_1603_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591176555780052498" border="0" /></a>MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-27289418843971211452011-04-02T21:50:00.002-04:002011-04-02T22:16:01.696-04:00So far so goodWell, instead of decluttering, today we decided to fill up our day by heading to a sugar bush. It was a nice family activity, outside in the beautiful sun, walking through the woods and enjoying the sights. We got there early enough that there weren't too many crowds, which was pretty nice.<br /><br />We got back home for a quick snack and went out for some errands. On our way back, BR fell asleep in the car just as we were getting home, so I sat with her in the car (while DH was taking his own nap inside the house), and managed to finish reading one of my library books - <a href="http://parkinglotrules.com/">Parking Lot Rules</a>.<br /><br />The rest of the day went by in a blur, but at least having finished the book I now have one less thing on my plate :) It was worthwhile to finish the book, while a lot of the content was common sense, it had some helpful reminders. I think the whole reason I checked it out of the library was because I needed some of these reminders, so it all works out well!<br /><br />Still not much progress on yesterday's goal for the weekend, but I do have a whole other day to work on it - I am optimistic!MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-77977227851395914522011-04-01T21:51:00.002-04:002011-04-01T22:21:29.023-04:00NaPoBloMoI'm going to try something new this month. Clearly the last attempt at blogging more often did not work all that very well... So this month I will be aiming for short posts, but daily (eek!).<br /><br />Today's prompt is "What are you ready to let go of?". And I am not sure of the answer. It is clear to me that I am juggling too many things at once (hence the radio silence on the blog). Work is very demanding at this point, and I am on a path to join the ranks of management - I am hoping that it would mean less work hours, or specifically, less overtime hours... But in the meantime it means putting even more responsibilities on my plate as I learn to navigate the chasm (between grunt and management)<br /><br />At home, I am working on completing a personal interest course, which I am hoping to finish by this summer.<br /><br />On the other hand, there's all the home obligations - BR's blog (not dropping that), food prep, laundry (also not negotiable), preparing for the trip to Poland at the end of the month, and possibly a few smaller trips in the summer.<br /><br />I also have a few library books on the go. Now that I'm typing it all out, it does sound like I've crammed a few too many things into my schedule - and that is even ignoring the miscellaneous dentist and doctor visits that have a tendency to crop up...<br /><br />Which actually leads me to one answer - maybe it's time for me to let go of the need to "improve" myself on all fronts (exercise, reading, self-improvement, you name it). So my goal for this weekend is to choose a single goal to focus on for the next three months. Hopefully I can come up with a targeted focus that will leave me feeling less harried and confused...<br /><br />Here's hoping :)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-29662195869323817862011-02-02T22:03:00.003-05:002011-02-02T22:16:43.438-05:00Navel gazing with a needle in my armFunny thing happened today at work. First of all, because of the big snow storm, barely anyone showed up at work. Secondly, a blood donor clinic had been scheduled in our cafeteria, and they weren't very busy. I had tried giving blood in the past, and always ended up feeling faint, and I was told to try again after having a child.<br /><br />So today it felt like the perfect situation to try again. I went down, filled out the paperwork, spent a fair amount of time waiting, talking to the nurses etc. I actually had to convince them to let me try again, since the last time I attempted to give blood (13 years ago) they put a big note on my file about fainting. Anyway, in the end they gave me another chance.<br /><br />I was halfway through the big bag of blood, in a record breaking 2 minutes (it used to take me quite a while to fill the bag), when the familiar light-headed feeling started creeping in. I let the nurse know, they immediately sprung into action, flipping my seat head down, cold compresses, a fan, the whole shebang. And thus, I have been banned from giving blood ever again...<br /><br />On the one hand I am glad I tried again, now I know I am just not made to give blood. On the other hand I feel bad for causing all this trouble, really uncomfortable with all the hoopla made about me (I didn't even faint!), and a little bit embarrassed about the whole episode. Quite a few coworkers must have seen me there surrounded by nurses and compresses etc. Luckily I've lived down my share of embarrassing moments at work, so I am not overly concerned :)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-83142073081241016292011-02-01T21:51:00.002-05:002011-02-01T21:56:41.070-05:00Technical difficultiesLe sigh! I truly had good intentions for more posting (and still do in fact). Was interrupted by BR getting sick (two days of fever and misery followed by a week of antibiotics), but more importantly by technical adjustments. DH spent the weekend re-imaging my laptop, and then did it again on his day off yesterday. My poor laptop needed it in a bad way - it had become so sluggish it was bordering on unuseable. It's quite unbelievable how much faster and quieter it is working now! So I have no more technical excuses for the radio silence. My daily updates to <a href="http://rabbittwo.blogspot.com">BR's blog</a> should take a fraction of the time they used to, leaving me more time for other posting/reading and miscellaneous activities.<br /><br />But now it's bedtime, so any profound thoughts I had to share will have until later. Goodnight!MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-14744768439727254742011-01-23T20:15:00.002-05:002011-01-23T20:34:21.379-05:00Getting chattierI've been neglecting this blog quite a bit over the last few years (mostly due to all the blogging I do on <a href="http://rabbittwo.blogspot.com">BR's blog</a>). But I miss it, and I get a little disappointed in how many fully composed (in my head) posts I have not managed to type up over the last while. So I am going to try something new - I am challenging myself to post something at least once a week.<br /><br />So this post is my way of making sure I commit to this publicly, so that I hopefully don't forget about it ;)<br /><br />Hoping to be talking to you a lot more very soon :)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-79943939540236765632010-12-14T12:47:00.000-05:002010-12-14T12:47:47.156-05:00Deer visitorsPicture taken out of BR's window this morning:<br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/V6b8lHw3fQ" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rnVfJjb55mk/TQePUqu7FoI/AAAAAAAAAW8/uiqxtM86hPU/s512/IMG_0247.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />There were four deer in total, venturing out of the woods to find something to eat - mostly attacking low branches on our trees and shrubs.MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-34694161952048633332010-05-17T20:46:00.002-04:002010-05-17T20:53:13.224-04:00Time with familyWent down to my office tonight to drop off and pick up some assorted things. Luckily I had grabbed the camera, as I got to snap this shot of a goose family:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48-3OKzj-vLK9Npy9NRWa0wOEfYn_NFoNYSvn3bYuZhHaXOnLZcJymnmaaSquCgpD4XkTE_ELMIU_2k1ONTwuk1gq27NAi09wGZMKGXdw_yvAgZ9Tm7gf1_xJNtvTyJu7cEH5pQ/s1600/IMG_2818_crop.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48-3OKzj-vLK9Npy9NRWa0wOEfYn_NFoNYSvn3bYuZhHaXOnLZcJymnmaaSquCgpD4XkTE_ELMIU_2k1ONTwuk1gq27NAi09wGZMKGXdw_yvAgZ9Tm7gf1_xJNtvTyJu7cEH5pQ/s200/IMG_2818_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472405456347426978" border="0" /></a>Thanks to the fence, I didn't get attacked - they can be quite vicious!MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-82330253987999404462010-04-08T09:47:00.002-04:002010-04-08T09:51:13.030-04:00Family tiesConversation with BR this morning on our way out of the house:<br /><br />BR: "Lamb and Froggie and Giraffe are sitting together. They are sisters."<br />Me: "Sisters are nice."<br />BR: "Papa is a sister."<br />Me: "Well, no, not quite."<br />BR: "Papa is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">brother</span>."<br />Me: "Yes, he is."<br />BR: "Papa is a brother to Mummy?"<br />Me: "..."<br /><br />Of course I did go into the whole explanation of who is related to whom and how, but I thought it was just so cute to watch her explore all these new (to her) concepts...MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-73329680006299450782010-01-26T21:30:00.002-05:002010-01-26T21:33:50.355-05:00Passport picturesHow come they always seem to suck? We just got some done this weekend, and DH looks like some kind of serial killer, I look totally matronly, and while BR looks pretty cute, she seems so sad! And it's not like they forbid kids from smiling in these pictures ;)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-67000914710761368092010-01-20T14:04:00.002-05:002010-01-20T15:51:48.764-05:00Handheld doohickey?I am starting to think I need to give in and get myself some kind of electronic tether device, like one of those modern cell phones or some kind of other handheld device. I don't really need the cell part of it, as I rarely find myself wishing I could call someone (though I imagine that could change easily once I actually had a cellphone). But I am finding it hard to keep on top of all the "to-do" lists I have on the go, and even more importantly ;) the blog post ideas that pop up in the most odd places, like the dentist's waiting room.<br /><br />So in the interest of having my life flow smoother, keeping the number of to-do lists to a respectable 2 or 3 (instead of the dozens floating around right now), keeping better track of appointments and commitments, and generally be less frazzled at times (at least I hope so), I am convinced I need to get me one of those things.<br /><br />A few years ago my company was running a trial of the network (one part of the company was working on wireless networks), so I signed up and got to use a fancy cellphone/PDA/wifi thing for a little over a year. It certainly helped me get more organized, but I was really hard on it, and after a while it started spontaneously hard rebooting on me, losing all my information in the process and driving me absolutely mad!!! So I have to be careful in my choice of device... Obviously those things have come a long way in the last few years, so it should be easy to find something more robust :)<br /><br />So if I have any readers left after my prolonged silences, if you have any ideas/suggestions let me know (via comments, emails, or whatever works for you, I am not picky). I haven't started looking yet, so any pointers at all are very much appreciated.<br /><br />And if you're thinking it's odd that someone working for a telecomm company has no clue about wireless devices, my lame excuse is that I've never worked in the wireless division, and like many old-school geeks I am somewhat gadget-averse and have a big phobia of ongoing expenses like monthly service fees. What can I say, it takes all kinds, eh :)MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-56472293190061540182010-01-19T20:45:00.002-05:002010-01-19T21:34:08.196-05:00Discombobulated<div>Background info: my current employer is in bankruptcy protection, and selling off different divisions one at a time, including my area, which was sold at auction and is currently being transferred to the new owner. This week we've seen layoffs for some, and job offers extended to others.</div><div><br /></div>I am only now realizing how discombobulated I've been feeling over the last few weeks. Luckily it's all job related ;) We've known for a while that 15% layoffs were coming early in the year. I don't even think my crappy frame of mind had anything to do with being worried for my job (at this point I am mostly feeling fatalistic about the whole thing, and I'd like to think I would have been mostly ok no matter the outcome); I think it's the whole atmosphere at work getting to me. Things have been quiet, hushed, everyone huddling down and trying to get their own work done lest they appear as not being busy enough (and hence somewhat disposable). It made for a very grim workplace, a far cry from the usually friendly and mostly cooperative environment I am used to...<div><br /></div><div>The fly in the ointment here is that I've finally snagged the team lead position I had been promised eons ago (as in, before I even got pregnant), so I should be ramping up my leadership role. I thought I was doing pretty well at first, but I am realizing that the last few weeks I've basically been doing the bare minimum on that front, basically just focusing on my individual goals, due to the aforementioned atmosphere...</div><div><br /></div><div>The layoffs were announced yesterday, and job offers extended today. And yes, I am one of the lucky recipients of an offer letter. I am hoping I can somehow drag myself out of this fog and start focusing on the task at hand (leading the team) before I seriously start hating my job with a passion and become grumpy and bitter...</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. I am hoping that now that I've broken the long blog silence, I will get back to posting more regularly. I have tons of blog-thoughts rattling in my brain asking to be released...</div>MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32019401.post-10849808066278887712009-12-04T11:42:00.002-05:002009-12-04T12:42:35.805-05:00Company for breakfastThis morning, BR and I were having breakfast, when all of a sudden I noticed some movement outside our kitchen window. I turned BR's high chair around so she would have a good view, ran to get the camera, and started snapping.<br /><br />At first, you could barely see them:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFhJmHVcmx0E2f_T0IF4dja2cN_mPmlrG2tcEiDZ_vuq4yYp2Lk7t0qobbTjbg4pun4ykMkA-I3X1xYOmZULoCW-hrDhV0RFNNHWT20x90qW318PFfNCLmG4AOZvk2caZMZ1yEA/s1600-h/IMG_9757_crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFhJmHVcmx0E2f_T0IF4dja2cN_mPmlrG2tcEiDZ_vuq4yYp2Lk7t0qobbTjbg4pun4ykMkA-I3X1xYOmZULoCW-hrDhV0RFNNHWT20x90qW318PFfNCLmG4AOZvk2caZMZ1yEA/s200/IMG_9757_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411433598096197074" border="0" /></a><br />Then a brave soul ventured a little closer:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_XV_Yqsi1B7daOScReYmpCo0Hmq-ypM8OJVCRbM1d0BPs98WxvfMANvulGtKbCqyT1SVc7Jbr48EXiH5D0Hny1bnEvGv9MX7eeX4F5bfy381ddMYs1LF4mTZTnhXzlWRVoll4g/s1600-h/IMG_9767_crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_XV_Yqsi1B7daOScReYmpCo0Hmq-ypM8OJVCRbM1d0BPs98WxvfMANvulGtKbCqyT1SVc7Jbr48EXiH5D0Hny1bnEvGv9MX7eeX4F5bfy381ddMYs1LF4mTZTnhXzlWRVoll4g/s200/IMG_9767_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411433600652156914" border="0" /></a><br />Soon to be joined by a few friends:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRjReFJFtqVTAxl4roC1fsA5L9pi7CAcyoqzAWu3L4EmgFIvz1nUJRBbMtJnzuHIgtq9HUK5RNfNGzRoEX9nbaNiHU2vcCxiKObc_iWTCTbGNdX36KIf50UlfX2t2xxT-8Rbjvw/s1600-h/IMG_9772_crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRjReFJFtqVTAxl4roC1fsA5L9pi7CAcyoqzAWu3L4EmgFIvz1nUJRBbMtJnzuHIgtq9HUK5RNfNGzRoEX9nbaNiHU2vcCxiKObc_iWTCTbGNdX36KIf50UlfX2t2xxT-8Rbjvw/s200/IMG_9772_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411433610205758178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />BR couldn't stop laughing at their white tails :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZL_AFbShDYOyC8xFwZeP0baNHSSVkwIjnj83z-u0WpoXXvC7T71uqdxhaGelfW_F9tp4dxwQiR82ysuYN7K3GFlhzKQfRcklSYnJr4jD7NzlXLVCZtRKaSD9rJjyIgHFk5WoBhw/s1600-h/IMG_9776_crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZL_AFbShDYOyC8xFwZeP0baNHSSVkwIjnj83z-u0WpoXXvC7T71uqdxhaGelfW_F9tp4dxwQiR82ysuYN7K3GFlhzKQfRcklSYnJr4jD7NzlXLVCZtRKaSD9rJjyIgHFk5WoBhw/s200/IMG_9776_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411433612563798050" border="0" /></a>MChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16671700665622680145noreply@blogger.com0