Sunday, November 30, 2008

Wow. It's been over a week since I last blogged? Time does fly.

Shawn came home last week and I don't think that I have ever missed anyone as much as I missed him while he was away. After spending the first night catching up, we ran away from home and holed up in a hotel for a couple of days. (We were a mere two blocks from our house). It was just what we needed. Of course, Kayla and Cody came by to check out our 'fort', but other than that, we were pretty much alone.

It was heavenly.

I am starting to feel the Christmas spirit again. Our Christmas village grew so much that we had to do major renos to find the real estate for it. Hopefully, it will up and glowing by this time tomorrow. I am almost a whole month behind on the project.


There has been more drama in Shawn's family and we are doing our best to not get sucked in. It is so easy to get caught up in crap, but I am trying to focus on the family that lives under our roof, not the extended ones.


It looks like Cody will be here through the holidays, too. I don't talk about it much, but the situation with his mother has just gotten progressively worse.

She has little or no contact with him, contibutes zero dollars to his expenses (she says that she is no longer responsible for him), but refuses to let me speak to the school or write notes on his behalf. She lives in another town, and has no idea what is doing or with whom....She can't write him notes simply because of the logistics, and she won't let me do anything for him.

It pisses me off to no end. I can pay his way, buy him clothes, lunches, give him bus fare, but I can't write a freaking note to the school or talk to his teachers. It seems to me that she wants it both ways.

Cody asked about going to see her and his siblings over the holidays. He was told that he is not welocome to spend the night there, and is not welcome on Christmas morning. He can go by on Christmas Eve for a couple of hours.

I haven't spoken to this woman.

No, I mean like EVER. I said hi to her once and that is IT. She has no clue what kind of people we are or if we are taking care of her child. She just couldn`t care less.

It infuritates me to no end, but for Cody`s sake, I remain silent. (Trust me, this is incredibly difficult for me).

ARGH!

Cody is more than welcome to stay with us. We will make him feel as though he is part of the family and he will have a great holiday here.

So....that`s about it. I am happy as pig in sh*t to have my family back together, and I am soo looking forward to the holidays with the rest of my family.

I just keep reminding myself that things could be much worse.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I got nothing.

I miss Shawn more than I ever thought that I would and I have done nothing since he left.

My Christmas village is still not up, and I am feeling very un-Christmas-y.

Very.

Meh.

Maybe a trip to the mall with KC will help.

Meh.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Close Call

Spencer was in a car accident last night. He was driving home from work when he was cut off by a driver that just didn't look at the traffiic around her.
No, really, she just was going on her la di da way and ignored everyone around her. Apparently, it is her world and we are just living in it.
Spencer is ok. He is bruised, cut, swollen and angry as hell, but he is ok.
The car, however, is a probably going to be a total right off.
He bought it in May.
I feel awful for him, but the most overwhelming emotion for me at the moment is gratitude.

I am so grateful that Spencer was not seriously hurt.
I am so grateful that nobody else was hurt, or worse yet, killed.

More than anything, I am thanking God that KC was at work and not in the car with Spencer where she usually is.

I have yet another reason to celebrate this holiday season.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Mr. Sunshine


Shawn is still in The Big City, working on the studio with Jethro.
Heidi sent me some photos of the guys at work, along with a little note.
It said something along the lines of: Shawn has been a ray of sunshine.
Hmmm....Ray of sunshine?
It's a good thing that she included photos, because the girls and I were confused.
Nope, it really is Shawn.
LOL.
Don't tell him, but we all miss him a bit.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

World Diabetes Day

November 14 is World Diabetes Day.


Jessica was diagnosed when she was 3 years old. I can recall the moment that the doctor gave me the news....She had been so incredibly sick, and I knew that something was wrong, but I chalked it up to the flu that had been going around. I had it, and I thought that she did too.

She started having accidents in bed at night, and that was not something that she had ever done before. Not knowing how seriously ill she really was, I bribed her with a Barbie doll that she wanted.

Jessica wanted that doll so badly that somehow, she actually stopped wetting the bed at night. That was nothing less than amazing since she was beyond sick at that time.

I recovered from the flu, and Jessica was still sick. In a matter of of days, she lost an astounding 8 pounds off her slight three year old frame.

I called my family to take us to the hospital. My motherly instincts told me to go, now.
I couldn't get a drive and I didn't have the money for a taxi.
Looking back, if I had known just how bad it really was, I would have called an ambulance.

A neighbour drove us to the hospital - Jessica, Geoff and I. I have no idea where KC and Kayla were. I can't remember that part.

She was taken into the er immediately. There was no triage, no waiting.

I was told later that if I would have waited a mere couple hours longer, we could have lost her.

It has been nearly 11 years since that day.

I wish that I could say that things have changed. but nothing really has.
Jessica still has daily injections, and checks her blood sugar several times each day.
In fact, far from getting better, the past 13 months or so have been a nightmare for our whole family.

I don't know if they will ever find a cure for this horrendous disease. Ten years ago I was told that in ten years we would wipe it off of the face of the earth.

It's still here, it's still stealing lives and destroying families.

Today, on World Diabetes Day, more than ever, I am thinking of Jessica and all of the other people out there that are suffering.

KITCHENER--Emma Ermel is tired of the needles. The four-year-old Kitchener girl was diagnosed in June with Type 1 diabetes, and insulin injections and blood sugar tests have become part of her daily routine.“I hate those needles,” Emma said.She wishes she could get rid of them, and maybe even diabetes. That’s why she’s going to sell hot chocolate tomorrow — World Diabetes Day — to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.The money, Emma said quietly from the safety of her mother Amy Ermel’s arms, is “for people who are trying to find a cure.” Emma and her hot-chocolate crew will be at the Zehrs store at the corner of Ottawa Street and Strasburg Road tomorrow from 4 to 8 p.m. World Diabetes Day falls on Nov. 14 in honour of the birthday of Frederick Banting, who helped discover insulin in 1922. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, and that number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Juvenile diabetes is a growing concern in Canada, said Margot Fitzpatrick, regional manager for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in southwestern Ontario.Every year the number of children with diabetes rises by three to five per cent, she said. And the number of children diagnosed before the age of two has tripled in recent years. “This disease is growing incredibly and something really needs to be done about it,” Fitzpatrick said.The foundation funds research and offers outreach programs, including mentors for families just diagnosed and support groups.“That beginning time is extremely difficult for the whole family,” she said. “It’s a huge learning curve.”Suddenly families have to deal with regular blood testing, injections, a strict diet, and the constant worry about blood sugar levels.“It’s a really fine balancing act,” Fitzpatrick said. That’s how life feels in the Ermel home since Emma’s diagnosis. Amy thought something was wrong with Emma when her daughter was unusually thirsty, and going to the bathroom more. She suspected a bladder infection, but tests showed Emma had diabetes — and her blood sugar level was very high. Even a few days more without treatment, Amy was told, and Emma could have become seriously ill. Then Amy and her husband Shawn Ermel were bombarded with information on managing Emma’s diabetes. Four times a day Emma gets insulin injections, usually in her arms or belly, and her blood is tested regularly throughout the day. Amy frets over all the many factors that can cause Emma’s blood sugar level to fluctuate, even just the excitement of her junior kindergarten class.“It’s getting easier, but it’s never a thing where you can just sit down and take a breath.” jweidner@therecord.comDiabetes factsMore than two million Canadians have diabetes.Type 1, usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, accounts for about one in ten cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in high-risk populations are being diagnosed.Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy.Diabetes is a chronic, serious condition. If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications including heart, kidney and eye problems, and nerve damage.Symptoms of diabetes include: unusual thirst, frequent urination, weight change, extreme fatigue, blurred vision, frequent infections, and tingling in the hands or feet.Scientists believe lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. A healthy meal plan, weight control and physical activity are important prevention steps.Source: Canadian Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.ca

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

So....Yeah.
I went to my appointment today. Of course, my surgery was postponed and all I got was some fillings done. I was such a mess that the doctor said that he will have to send me to a specialist.
Sigh.
I was so wound up about the whole thing, I really just want to get it over with.
The good news is that Shawn hasn't left town yet and he was able to go with me.

No news other than that. Still feel cruddy from the nitrous, but otherwise ok.

How was your day?

Monday, November 10, 2008

Not Much Happening...................

Well, there isn't much going on here. Shawn got laid off, but it looks like he will have some work out of town.
He is going out of town to do some work for family. My family. Not the blood kind, but the kind that you choose because they are so great. He will be staying with them for the duration....
He assures me that he will be on his best behaviour.


I have dental surgery on Wednesday. I don't mind telling you that I am scared outta my mind. I am petrified of the dentist, and I always need laughing gas.
Never makes me laugh.
Ever.
Since Shawn will be gone and KC and Kayla are in school, I will have see if Spencer will pick me up on his day off. I will be a big mess and plan on spending the rest of the day in bed.

Things are fairly normal here otherwise. I like normal - well, our version of normal, anyway.
Jessica is healthy and happy (and turning 14 next month), KC loves school, Kayla and Cody are surviving in the same house without killing each other, and Christmas is coming.

Oh yeah, life is good :)

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Monday, November 03, 2008

We Need A Little Christmas

I am soo excited about Christmas! There are only 51 days until Santa...That might seem like a lot, but when you break that down into shopping days, or baking days, it looks more like this - 1230 hours, 78319 minutes and 4429105 seconds until The Big Guy delivers presents.
Oh, not Santa, Shawn!

In the meanwhile, I am sneaking little Christmas-y things out bit by bit.
Santa and Clarice, with Rudolph, and my new ornaments, including my Bumble.


There are some not-so-new ones, like Gary, my inflatable Ginger Bread man. The kids hate Gary. I have no idea why. He waves happily to them whenever they walk by.
Poor Gary. Look how happy he is.

I am scouting new real estate for the village, too. It's taking longer than I thought. I wonder if Shawn would mind giving up his half of the bedroom for a few weeks???

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Fat Albert's Halloween Special - Pirated Video 112 (Halloweenathon)

Happy Halloween everyone!



Jessica was given a clean bill of health, no kidney damage! I was so freaked out, and convinced that she was sick, mostly due to the fact that nobody would give me the results over the phone.


No wonder we were scared.


I took Jessica to the dentist, and we were given MORE good news.


Jessica's braces will cost a couple grand LESS than we first thought. That's the estimate, anyway. It is still about 5 grand more than we have, but it takes a weight off of our shoulders. It feels more manageable.




Halloween is tomorrow and I am bummed out. Last year we had about 10 kids, tops. I bet that five of them were drunken college kids. This year, we have major road work being done on the street, so we will get zero kids. You cant even walk on the sidewalk...Oh, wait, they tore that up.


This is disastrous for us. We love the pumpkins and the decorations, and the little kids coming by all dressed up. Ruby usually gets in on the act, too. She has several different choices, but I really like the bumble bee costume. Unfortunately, she ate her headpiece when she was a puppy.




Halloween just isn't happening for us. It is truly tragic.




I guess I will have to focus my energies on other things.





Friday, October 24, 2008


Freaking insomnia. I just realized that I packed Shawn's lunch in High School Musical lunch bags.
I am a mess. I think that I am going to try to sleep off my insomnia.
As for Shawn, I have a feeling that nobody will even mention the lunch bags.
Just a hunch.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

This is complete suckiness. The no computer thing. I hate no being able to check in when I want to know what is going on in blogland!


Things are somewhat improved. Yes, Shawn had all of his tools stolen, but we were lucky enough to have a boss with good insurance. Shawn's boss replaced most of what went missing, and Shawn only missed about three days of work. We will need to come up with several hundred dollars to get back to where we started....a fall arrest, the tool bags, the hatchet....but he has a screw gun and he is back to work. I feel so lucky. It could have been a lot worse. We can survive a crappy paycheck or two. No biggie.


I have most of my meds now. I still need the Cymbalta, but I am on the right track again. Thank God. I don't know if I can handle anymore of these mood swings...It gets pretty ugly.


Cody has a job now, working with KC at the party store. He is a great kid and I really enjoy having him here. I just can't help but wonder about a mother that dumps her kid and then gives him $30 a month to get by. I wonder if she thinks that she has sponsored a child overseas. Thirty bucks a month won't cut it here in K Town.


Today is Betty's birthday. I have been thinking if her all week (ever since I ran into her sister that so kindly reminded me of her birthday). I hope that she is doing well and I wish her all the best. I will not however be calling her or sending her an email.

I just can't do it.


November 1st is nearly here. You all MUST know by now what that means..

Christmas Village !

I have some new additions to the village and it has outgrown its little corner of my home. With the new family member and all of the crap that we have inherited recently, I have no idea where I will put the village this year. I was thinking that maybe one of the kids could giver up his/her room for the holiday season. I don't think that's too much to ask...Is it? Shawn has been coming up with all kinds of crazy ideas. Unfortunately, crazy is the operative word.


There is still no word on Jessica. She had some testing done and I still waiting for the results. I am trying to think positively here, but the longer I wait, the more difficult it is. If I hear anything, I will let everyone know. I going on the assumption that no news is good news.


I thought that I would throw in a photo of Shawn and I. There aren't too many photos of me wearing actual clothes (as opposed to sleep pants and nighties) and as a bonus, I am smiling here, not looking special needs with my eyes closed or drooling.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Dear Asshats

Dear Asshat(s):
Thank you so much for the quality time that Shawn and I have been allocated due to your thoughtlessness. We will now have many hours together thanks to the fact that you have stolen all of Shawns drywall tools. I do mean all. Two extra large hockey bags full of thousands of dollars worth of tools, some that we will never be ale to replace.
I am just curious....What are you going to do with a fall arrest system that is made for someone Shawns size? I hope that you have fun with it. It took us three years and $200 to find one in the size we needed.
We only recently replaced the tool belt - also a speciality item - and all of his tool pouches. It took us so long to replace everything because we have to save our money to pay for these things. By the time Shawn pays his expenses every month, we are lucky to have enough to go around for the basics in the house....
Those hockey bags were $50 each, as well. They are pretty dirty, so I doubt that you can use them for anything. Drywall dust seldom comes out of hockey bags and leather pouches.
You must have needed 6 industrial extention cords, too. They are fairly unsightly for use in the house, but you must have really needed them.
I bet that you will have a blast with the $700 laser level, too. Oh, the hours of entertainment!
Thank you, Asshats. Thanks to you, Shawn is unable to work until we replace his tools. Unfortunately, we don't have thousands of dollars sitting around to buy new tools.
You can see our dilemma. No tools = no work. No work = no money. No money = no tools.
I am still stunned. This will set us back for years to come. I hope that you will sleep soundly in your beds tonight, knowing that you have just ruined us.
I for one, will not be sleeping much at all.

Monday, October 13, 2008

I am so behind with everyone. I have missed so much and I have missed all of my friends so much!

Last weekend, Shawn, KC, Spencer and I went to see my family in Windsor. I have an aunt there, my Dad's baby sister, and her family. There is only 7 years between my Aunt Beth and I, so she really is my Dad's baby sis. She is awesome. I love her husband, my Uncle Jeff, and my Grandmother lives there, as well. My lil cousin Kristy just had a baby of her own, and I could not get enough of her. I gotta say, we make gorgeous babies in our family. Must be the good genes.

The visit was too short and I always come away wanting more..more family time, more great memories, more hugs. It was an incredible reunion. Shawn had never met my aunt and uncle, or my Grandmother. We have been together 7 years and I think that my aunt was starting to question whether or not Shawn was real or just a figment of my imagination. Those of you that know Shawn know that never in my wildest imagination could I dream up Shawn.

The boys all went fishing in Lake Erie, which is a 2 minute drive from the house. My aunt, KC and I went to see the vineyard where cousin Kristy's husband works and who do we meet there?

None other than Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe. Of course, my camera was with Shawn, cuz you gotta get photos of the fish. When the boys stopped there later, they didn't bother with photos, either. Mind you, I have about 15 photos of my cousins vintage 'vette, from every angle. No Gordie Howe, but fish and a 'vette.

Oh well.

I miss my family already and it has only been a week.

I got some kind of cold/flu when we went south last week. I missed my dental surgery that Monday. Now, I am a huge dental-phob (must be a word for that, but I don't know what it is) and now that I have to rebook the appointment, I will be obsessing about it for another couple of weeks. I need work on ALL BUT ONE of my teeth. I can't put my kids through school, but that dentist is gonna be able to put his through school no problem.

Shawn had family here from Hungary,and I missed out on meeting them, as well. I am kind of bummed about that, because I was so looking forward to meeting his cousins. I couldn't infect people that came half way around the world with my weird illness.

KC is starting school again next week. I am so proud of her. She hasn't been able to find any (paying) work in advertising, so she has decided to try her hand at...wait for it....

Dental assisting! LOL. My biggest fear come to life!

I know that she will kick ass at this. She looks so cute in her scrubs and she is going to the same school that I went to when I took my PSW course. Kayla is thinking of taking a course there next year when she graduates.

We had our Thanksgiving meal today. Shawn and KC made sooo much food. I am still stuffed, some 10 hours later. After dinner, we all watched Hocus Pocus, the girls' fav Hallowe'en movie.

As much as my family is growing and changing, it's nice to know that some of the old favourites will never change.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

I'm back :) My pc crashed, again, and I had to wait for Kc to loan me her laptop. I had two hundred emails to go through when I finally logged back on. It's good to know that I haven't been forgotten.
I'll try to catch up this weekend. I have missed you all soooo much!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

It's Like This

Ok. I have been gone a long time. There has been a lot going on and I am not coping well.
I am not ready to talk about Jessica. Things might not be as bad as I think, but I don't want to talk about it or even dwell on it. I am afraid of jinxing it. For now, she is ok. Well, her boyfriend broke up with her in a text message, but other than that, she is fine.
The concert was incredible. Beyond anything that I could have imagined. Kayla and I had a great time together in Toronto. We spent the day after the concert window shopping and hanging out with KC and Spencer. I love Toronto! We took a pile of photos, but since my pc is still a mess, I haven't been able to download any yet.
I got a card in the mail last week from my blog buddy, Whim. It was handwritten and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to get a real card. I nearly cried when I read it, but I held it together, barely.

Something else happened last week. I can't get into too many details, but we very nearly had one less family family member on Shawns side of the family. One of his nephews was actually stabbed with a screwdriver.
I am not sure if it was because of my meds situation (or lack there of right now) or a serious case of family loyalty, but my reaction to A's stabbing affected me in a way that I shocked even me. I felt an overwhelming need for vengeance and it scared the f**k outta me. I very nearly did something that would have changed the course of many lives - forever.
Geoff is a Major stressor for me right now, too. He refuses to help out at all with Jessica and her braces, but he has money to fly off to Cuba? I have asked him for $1000 and the total is estimated to be about 8 grand. Even with his second job, he is too broke to help. Maybe they are flying there on Steffanie's broom stick and saving money that way. I'll have to ask her what kind of mileage she gets.
I am off my meds. I don't have any left, other than my sleepers, which are not working anymore. I seem unable to do what it is I need to do to get more meds. I seem unable to do anything right now, except to be angry. Life is not much fun right now. For me, or those around me.
Argh. I am not going to whine here, not today. I am just telling it like it is. I know that things could be worse and I am trying to focus on that....The fact that things could be, and have been worse.

I am going to see my Grandmother on Sunday. She lives about 4 hours away and because we don't have a car, getting to Windsor is no easy feat. Spencer is driving us on the weekend and this will be the first time that Shawn will meet my Dad's side of the family.

Hopefully, I will be around more this week. I have missed you all.

Biddie