Holiday Activities

 Talon's choir was invited to sing at the State Capitol Building in early December.

(She is in the back row, 4th from the left)

 Here she is watching the other schools sing.

 This is looking across the entrance at the opposite stairway. Its a beautiful building.

 The cub scouts helped the fire department sort barrels of donated food. Then pack them into boxes for needy family's & delivered them.

 We had the cereal barrels at the front of the line. If you ever donate food, donate cereal. There wasn't enough for every family to get a box of cereal.For some family's we had to put 2 single serving size box's in.

 Aden's double checking that they are not opened and Talon's pushing them down the line.

 Shane & Hayla

 OOPS I forgot to flip these! Since the wood stove is so bad for Hayla's lungs we don't use it. I plan on making it a plant stand.. and for Xmas it was a present overflow area.(PS that blue paint is so gone this spring!!)

 Oops continued...I love hanging all the kids Xmas art they make in school, bible study, & parties.The wreath on the door is from when Talon was in 1st grade.

I love this picture. Aren't they cute! Don't let them fool you...they where promptly removed from each other after this picture. They had been wrestling!

Cub Scouts Commercial

Here's a behind the scenes look at a local tv station. 

Click on this link below
to see the final project. 

http://www.cctvsalem.org/tranguide/medialiteracy/pac20_2010.html

Veterans Weekend



Ohhh what a long weekend! Yes the kids had extra days off, but b4 the "schedualed" days off Aden was sick (flu sick- yes we all had our shots months ago) then Hayla was, then it was the Adults turn. Finally Friday all was back to normal. Talon never got sick! I hope tomarrow is uneventfull. Today the kids & I ran some errands then stoped by a yard sale. I bought "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" for 50 cents & we watched it and made this "Thankful" banner today.It looks like it needs another L,  but I looked it up...one L. I had planned on making this with them b4 I got sick so I had everything already cut out & a pocket sewn on the background felt pieces. I got the idea when I was looking around at some other blogs I follow...so if you want to copy & make one w/ your kids over break go for it. I like it because it makes you think..."what are you thankful for?".

The last batch of Pumpkin muffins just came out of the oven...yeah I can go to sleep! Aden & I made them, which is wierd cause all day he was telling me how gross the pumpkin smelled cooking.But they like to bake with me. I f they turn out ok Ill post the reicpie...I got it off the internet so you never know.

"Thankful" Banner

• 9 pieces pre-cut felt (1 for mistakes)
• 1/4 yard drk colored felt (for letters)
• 1/4 yard harvest printed fabric (I used scraps from the attic)
• plastic harvest leaves (walmart had garland on clearance)
• hot glue
• scissors
• ribbon (about 90 inches)

Cut out your lettering, small patches of the harvest fabric, & trim the leaves off the wire.Make a pocket on the back of the pre-cut felt by guleing or sewing the top 3-4 inches down. Have the kids arrange the fabric, lettering, & leaves. Hot glue the down. Thread the letters with the ribbon & tack it up. *Have everything precut cause the kids will get bored waiting for you.

Halloween 2010'

 Okay these are backwards from the prder I wanted them in but oh well.This is Ruth's jellyfish costume.The tentacle glow in the dark.

 This is my kids trick or treating with the triplets.These neighbors built the fence just for Halloween night.

 Aden (darth vader) & the triplets.

 Why is everybody scared of clowns?I mean besides creepy masks like this one!

Shane & Talon

 Aden completly mutalated his pumpkin. It didnt even have a lid when he was done!Just a great big gaping whole in the head.

 Hayla got to us a little pumpkin knife this year & she did well.

 She made the wings the day b4 at Borders Halloween Spooktacular.

 This was Shane's...he like the geometrical shapes.

Talon's friend Reina met us at Borders. This is them.

Flash Me Friday

Chehayla has a "harvest party" today. They were able to dress up as farmers or a farm animal. She was a horse. She was much happier than she looks in the picture.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Cub Scouts

 Aden joined Cub Scouts about a month ago. Last night we went to the fire house cause the boys have been learing about fire safty. Also the volunteer fire fighters "baby sat" the boys while we had a parents meeting.

 They had a great time we kept hearing them all yell & run around.

 Last weekend we went to a lame "try it" thing. There was no organized.."hi.. this is what we're doing.. go do this then go over there..." But at least we were able to do what we wanted then leave. We shot the guns & bows!

Obvioulsy Talons not a scout but she was able to play too. Archery was her favorite. When Shane saw this picture he said.."who wears sandles to go shooting?"

 Aden had a diffucult time with this. I think his arms are too short..shhh!

 Yeah come to think of ot they were oppistite. Aden took to shooting w/ no correction.

Except keeping it aimed down range! Kinda a big one. Talon kept trying to shoot from her stomach.

We joined right as they were starting thier fundraising. So far he's sold $482. worth of Carmel Corn. I didnt do it soon enough this year but next year I can set up an account pnline & the popcorn will be sent to who ever buys it on line. That's cool.

Wordless Wednesday

Family Updates

So the kids are in school & Ive been busy making quilts. This one was a challange called"Whirled Peas". I procrastinated all summer and did this in 4 days (including the day it had 2 b turned in).It is hanging in a quilt shop down town. The one Im working on now is a baby blanket for the CF socila worker at the hospital.I really like it, IM GOING TO TRY TO QUILT IT "FOR REAL".Right now I just "ditch stich".

Talon is very ambitious this year. She is in orchastra (playing the violin) and she wants to do choir, & she was invited to do conflict manager. Right now she is learning to pluck the strings. The other day the triplets (3boys that live down the road) came buy & they were all out on the grass w/ thier instraments...it was very cute.

Aden has started cub scouts. This will only be his second week but I think it will be great fun.Shane is really excited about it too.He is selling popcorn things & of course he wants to seel enough to win the cross bow marshmellow shooter!But Im excited for once thing get going w/ activities. I think were taking a year off base ball. No soggy evenings!

Hayla has started Pre School (thank you Mammy). She is going to Salem Academy & loving it. Her teacher is a germ-a-phobe which is great for her CF.They sing all these cute little songs that have hand movements. They are doing a "race 4 education". It's thier fundraiser for the school.This picture was taken in the kitchen /w her friend down the streeet.Elizabeth just lives at the end of the cul-de-sac & they've been playing back & forth at each others houses.

Wordless Wednesday

Flash Me Friday

"Put your hands in the air....

...& wave them like you just don't care..."

This is what she was singing this morning while she was waiting 4 me to get her seat in the truck.

Flash Me Friday

Todays picture is a toss up. I guess since I couldn't do one last week I can do 2 today!

Pict. # 1 Chehayla's Sunflowers

These are both from the garden this morning. I think this is the first time a took the picture in the morning. Yeah me!

Pict. #2 Talon's Morning Glorys

Clean Out #3

Doernbecher Childrens Hospital

Room 40 /9 North

I wanted to bring you behind the doors of a CF patient in Isolation,(a 4 year old patient).All CF patients are in isolation to keep them from giving others the bacteria that they grow & vise versa. Isolation means that she can not go to the "communtity areas", like the play room. And she cant walk the halls of the floor, but we can leave the room if she wears a mask & go out to the mail hall & cafateria & out door playground (on ground level) & to the courtyard on the 9th floor. Even when we did go to the cafateria or the main hall I had her keep her mask on just cause hospital s are filed w/ germs, everywhere. She pushes elevator buttons w/ her elbows!Also all "workers" that come into the room have to wear gowns and gloves top prevent cross contamination.The sign on the top left was made by a teenage CF patient for her. The letters pop of the paper. (Thank you Amanda!)

So this is what her picc line looks like.The circle is where the line is inserted in her arm & the blue oval shape is a snap system that is snaped around the tube &stuck to her skin. Then there's strips & big sheets of tape over that.It's very secure. The part hanging down is where we attach the IV line when it's time for antibiotics & lipids.They can also do blood draw fron there.On top of all this she waers a stretchy tube to keep it covered,(we call it a sock).As you can imagine the worst part of all this is getting the dressing changed. They use some detach stuff that disolves the stickyness but her arms are covered in peach fuzz.

So she was admitted on Friday the 20th. We've never been there on a weekend b4 & it turned out great. Shane took Fri. & Sat. off work & came up w/ the kids. They got a motel for the weekend & came to visit Hayla every day. That was a great treat.This is Talon & Hayla.

Partners in crime..Aden & Hayla.

What'a up w/ the tough-guy lips?

She was doing the pulp fiction dance...no they've never seen that movie!

This is me, Mom, from Aden's point of view. I n the back ground is TYalon on the bed & Shane in that chair that makes into a bed. Every time you sit in it, the seat slides out from under you a little bit!

Shane & the kids left for home Sunday. So we had to entertain ourselfs the rest of the week. This is whear I slept & our awsome veiw. The hospital is built in the hills above portland, so the views are all great. From the main hall thier are windows the length of the hall that over look the hillside , the river w/ all the differant bridge, the "east side"of Portland, and above all that in the distance is Mt. Hood,(with the sun rising the thr right of it). Thats the Doernbecher section & it's attached to OHSU.

Her antibiotic schedual is 6am/2pm/9pm(for a differant one)/10pm

She was on the 9pm dose, just goofing around.She wouldnt spot "skating" on the pole.

We spemt a whole week just hanging out in between treatments. Besides IV's she also is doing respitory treatments 4 times a day. Because she was in isolation they brought in activities for us to do. You can see the play dough behind her.

The bag hanging on the IV pole is the lipid drip I mentioned in the other post.

This is called "pep", its basically exercise for your lungs. She's suposed to blow in the mouth piece & hold the right amount of preasure to keep the ball in between the 2 lines on the part she's holding w/ her keep. Yes, feet to her are just another set of hands! Before we left Mama (Shanes mom) & Talon got her some things too keep her busy. You can see the eraseable book she was working on. Mamma also got her glow ing the dark braclets. That was the coolest. When we went to sleep she had be hang them on the IV pole & the nurses thought it was great when they would peek in to check on her.

We had only planned on being there 4 days but we ended up staying for 7. Good thing they have a family laundry roon, free too!

In case you couldn't tell in the first picture, yes those are underwear on her head! Don't worry they are clean. I had to trick her so I could get them away from her cause she wanted to wear them down to the cafateria! What a wierdo.

On Tuesday Burgerville can & had a ice cream social but cause of isolation we couldn't go. But we did get our hands on some ice cream. Also later that day they were doing jewerly making. I went down & asked if they vould bring some for her to work on.

This is my favorite activity that they do. Also my favorite picture of the trip.On Wednesday is BINGO day! Hayla's fav. activity. We had to play in the room...but just as fun. You watch from the tv (they set up a camer in the play room on the south side) & call in when you have a BINGO. Everybody's a winner at Doernbecher. Then the bring around a prize cart & she picked a toy & a stuffy. (But no touching, they have to hold things up by the door.) She picked a "barbie"doll type doll & a Pound Puppie that came w/ a DVD.

After Wednesday we were back to entertaining ourselfs. Wed. evening I finished a book I've been working on forever. (Hayla took this pict!). I called Ruth (Shanes' mom) & told her that my book had a sequil I didn't know about. She was at home w/ the kids. Since Shane had the next day off she gathered the kids & went out to the thrift stores to find my book! That was so sweet. They brought it to me the next day..they were already coming so Ruth could visit Hayla..& Shane had a door to pick up at the distributers in Portland (for his business). Anyways I really appriciated, by the time we left Fridat I had read more them 1/2 of it. (Nanny- they're about a family & thier connection to Ireland & to each other..maybe I ll send them to you)

So Thurs. & Fri. there was nothing to do but read & be board.Of course we went to the outside playground(Thur. we spent hours there, on & off), and I hauled her all over in the wagon.

Nothing to do but be goofy. Then Friday came....

....just nothing to do, but wait to be discharged. We didnt get out till 4pm. Ther was a big accident on the I5 earlier in the day so the 45 min. drive home took 2 hours. We go back up on Tues to get the picc line out (hopefully). She did a great job diring her RT. She got a lot of mucus & chunkies out of her lungs. She's also on oral antibiotics M-W-F for forever tohelp prevent her from needing a clean out every 6 months like what been hapening.