Southern Vacation: Home Tour

I think I belong in the south, I really do.

Brad, Amy, and I went on a walk around their neighborhood last Friday morning and I pretty much fell in love with each and every house we passed. (I have a love of homes. Which would explain my obsession with House Hunters - even if it is fake).

Let me take you on a home tour through their neighborhood of Garden Hills:

 

Okay, now let's all move to Atlanta!

Heading Home from Georgia

Elisabeth has been struggling this week. Before we left for Georgia, Elisabeth was having 'episodes' once or twice a day for an hour or so. But with each day that has passed she has gotten worse and worse. She screams and cries and thrashes for hours on end with no relief - for as much as 10 hours in a row.

We had her in a hospital here in Atlanta but there was nothing they could do for her; she needs to get back home to her medical team in Spokane. So they have armed us with a bottle of valium and we are going to board a plane today and hope to make it back to Washington with little or no incident.

Wish us luck. I'm nervous about flying all the way across the country with her in this condition. And I'm even more concerned about what's going on with Elisabeth.

Here is a small sample of what she has been experiencing:

Southern Vacation: Atlanta

The Arrival

 

 

We are staying with our friends, Brad and Amy - and let me just say that I am absolutely in love with their house. In love, I tell you!

Their daughter, Claire, has hydrocephalus like Elisabeth. They are total BFF's:

 

 And Happy, 

Happy Birthday 

to my Mom!!!

Home and Abroad

 

I took this picture yesterday when I was dropping our dogs off at the boarding kennel. As I looked at the horses and the landscape and the blue sky, I thought about the fact that while I love to travel and see the world, I also love my little place in it. 

*** 

 This morning we arrive in Atlanta. 

 Stay tuned for travel updates!

Brace Yourself

Elisabeth has been having trouble sitting lately because her scoliosis has gotten so severe; she just kind of tips over. So yesterday she got a back brace. The orthopedic surgeon said it won't stop her spine from doing whatever it is that it's going to do...but it might give her enough support to stay upright. (let's hope)

I love the little hole for her g-tube! 

And it tastes good, too:

In other news: the neurologist took pity on us and gave Elisabeth a prescription for Ativan for our trip to Atlanta. Thank goodness. I should have everyone on the airplane sign a thank you card to him.

We will be flying over night and arriving in Atlanta in the morning.

 Expect an (on the road) Home Show or two along the way.

Ciao!!

Packing and Paper Cranes

There are a million things that have to happen today.

Most importantly, I need to talk with Elisabeth's neurologist in hopes that he can prescribe her a sedative or something - because she is going crazy (literally). We had hoped that her behavior this past week had been due to shunt problems, but we had her shunt reprogrammed on Friday and she has only gotten worse (screaming, crying, thrashing, etc.).

I am going to beg the neuro for something - anything - to calm her down. Because tomorrow we have a cross country flight to Atlanta and there is NO way I can travel across the country with Elisabeth behaving like she has been.

So keep your fingers crossed that Dr. R can come up with some miracle med, okay?

In other news, remember all those paper cranes? Well, here is phase one complete: 

 

  

Alexandra has made a gazillion more cranes even since we strung those ones together...so I imagine we will have garlands of paper cranes hanging everywhere by summers end. Want one? 

Okay, I'm off to pack!

Paper Cranes

The girls and I are working on a special project - and it includes making a gazillion paper cranes.

It's going to be spectacular when it's done. 

 

Yesterday we went out to the craft store and bought more paper. I am lovin' these prints: 

 

Stay tuned for the completed project!

Kabobs

I find that the best way to make a kabob is with a mushroom at either end; it works as a stopper to hold everything in place.

 

 Once the kabobs are fully assembled we throw them on the grill...

 ...and serve them up alongside a pile of rainbow colored plates:

 

At least that's how we do it in these here parts.

The Ballet Recital - 2012

Typically the idea of an outside ballet recital in mid June is delightful. Typically we pack a picnic and eat it on the grass while watching all the dancers perform. Typically we are wearing flip flops and sunhats and hoping to find some shade underneath a tree.

Typically.

But this year...not so much.

It was freezing.

And rainy.

And windy.

Elisabeth and I looked like this the entire time:

And because of the frigid weather - and the fact that I was holding a very unhappy four-and-a-half year old - there is not an abundance of pictures. Gratefully though, Donald ran up and snapped a few with his phone.

 

 Brrrrrr...

Hello, Summer.

Today feels like the first official day of summer; the first day we all get to wake up and have nowhere to go and nothing to do. I'm pretty sure that we will spend the day baking cookies and watching I Love Lucy. That's the way the summer is supposed to be.

 

Last Friday when school let out for the summer:

   

 *** up tomorrow: The Ballet Recital