In the midst of the storm

Something is wrong with Mr. Boy and we don't have any solid answers yet. What we do know is that it is something in the Auto Immune Family and that he has arthritis.  Whatever it is, it is taking my active 10 year old and turning him into an old man.   We are spending lots of time with various doctors and specialists and no one has a solid answer, everything is murky.    

 

Every doctor reminds me that these type of illness take a year or more to diagnose and that patience is key. I don't want to have patience, I really want answers.  In the meantime I'm trying really hard to keep things normal for everyone. In the middle of all this, I have found a deep gratitude, because no matter what, we are incredibly lucky.  As I sit in the waiting rooms in the hospitals and doctor's offices, I am very aware that we are surrounded by people who are a lot sicker than we are.  We can handle this and we can learn to manage, I am confident of this.  Plus,  there are good things all around me, like when I looked up one evening to see the hillsides bathed in the golden light of dusk. It's my favorite time of day. 

 

Usually dinner is in the works and there is a basketball game going on.    

There are other good things.  It turns out that the jacuzzi is the best thing for his aching joints.

I was reminded that five years ago, Mr. Man said that he would never ever own a home with a pool.  It would be over his dead body.  Currently, he is alive and well, and we have a pool in our own backyard.   

 

Which makes me believe that nothing is absolute and that gives me hope.    

On building a house

It's no secret I am in love with our home. The beloved chalet has been an amazing home to raise my family in.  I love this home for all the solace it provides.  Each and every night I give thanks for this home before I crawl in bed.   Maybe it's silly or worldly to love a house this much. Remodeling this house was a labor of love and I still miss our crew.  We recently had a small job done and my very favorite Juan and our beloved contractor came back for a day.

During the construction I fretted about my kids well being. I worried they would look back and be traumatized by the constant chaos.   I worried they would be mortified that we were mistaken for being homeless at Carls Jr.   All that worrying was for nothing.  My kids loved it, loved almost everything about it.  Loved the bulldozers, the dust, the endless pile of "props" aka rubbish, and they loved eating out most of the time.

Then this week for Career Day, Mr. Boy decided he wanted to be a contractor /architect so that he can build cool houses for families, just like our contractor did for us.   I couldn't be more proud and I'm pretty certain I did all that worrying for nothing. 

Comparisons

 

Name:  Zeena Warrior Princess

Likes: Jalapenos, People (especially AK), Jumping out of the car during school dropoff to chase children, Any and all food.

Favorite Food:  Whatever falls on the ground

Dislikes:  Stupid Rules; such as don't sit on the couch, sleep on the bed, or steal off people's plates

Claim to Fame:  When I dropped and broke a jar of Jalapenos, Zeena ran over and began chowing it down, broken glass and all while I frantically tried to clean it up.   I fretted over the next week about her getting sick, she didn't even flinch. 

Name:   Zoey

Likes:  Sniffing People Inappropriately, Snoring really loud,  Baseboards and trim moldings.

Dislikes:  Most People, Loud Noises, Pool Fences,

Favorite Food:  Hypoallergenic Dog Food.  This dog can't even look at food without breaking into hives, because she is allergic to everything, except the pool fence, she could eat that all day long. 

Claim to Fame:  Being the only dog I've ever met that is allergic to grass and trees.  I've never had a vet tell me "You should really keep your dog inside."