I'm home!

I got home at 7:00 pm on Friday. I'm having a hard time typing when I'm on drugs. (I typed the word "typing" like this: dipping.)

Here are the facts. I did not die. I am still deaf. They managed to keep the infection from spreading into my jawbone, which would be Necrotizing External Otitis. That was what we were worried was happening, and that would likely have killed me. So...good news there. I am in a tolerable amount of pain, I am very tired, and I might cry shortly. I am getting better though, and I'm back to see the specialist on Tuesday.

I missed two weeks of school and I still won't be able to go back for a while, but it's okay. Because I'm such a nerd and always do so well at school, they had a meeting about me and decided to make my semester over now, and they're counting my marks as if I completed the semester. That means I'm done. Nothing to worry about except getting better. Those are some nice teachers I have.

Also, if it weren't for Vicky, my kids would have been in foster care or something. Vicky...I love you. You are wonderful!

And now I'm going to go enjoy my drug-induced stupor. Or as I typed it the first time - drir insussed stupor.

Because you love me so much

Just letting you guys know I'm being admitted to the hospital. I just got back from the doctor and he got me a bed already, so I'm just getting a bag packed and I'm on my way. He doesn't know how long I'll be in for. Prayers for me and the kids would be appreciated very much. I'm scared!

Part 3

I ended up in the hospital on Thursday night with lots of morphine being shot into my bum cheek. My ear infection has taken over my body.

All things scary: waking up feeling like someone poured water on my head, touching my head and finding it very wet, turning on the light and seeing my hand is covered in blood, looking at my pillow and seeing it is covered in blood, realizing the blood came out of my ear.

I am still deaf in my left ear. The good news is that the doctor today said I should still be able to fly home for Christmas. That was one of my biggest worries. We're so excited for our trip, but I don't want my ear to tear apart when we take off. That would not be enjoyable. I have 22 days left to heal. I had a blessing finally last night, so maybe that will help. Hmm..although after the blessing I woke up covered in blood...

Pardon? Part two.

I never knew that having an ear infection could make a person throw up this much. If you knew this, then you could have at least warned me. Thanks for nothing.

I am currently still deaf in one ear. Funny thing is, I am right now skipping my sensory impairment class in which I learn about deafness. See? Funny.

Here's something to read. I don't have any comment on it, other than that it's interesting.

Pardon?

Starting with some happy news - I more than likely don't have the mumps. Yay!

I've been in a ton of pain on the left side of my head and neck since Friday. Last night it got even worse, and then suddenly this morning I went deaf in my left ear. Try that for scary! I went straight to the doctor, and it turns out I have a "rip-roaring" ear infection. Sexy. I asked how long until I get my hearing back in my left ear, and he said, "Well, as long as the damage isn't permanent, maybe by the time you're done your antibiotics."

Awesome. It had better not be permanent.

PS...this hurts very much.

Report Cards!

See mom and dad and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and grandparents? I didn't have bad kids like me when I grew up! Suck on that!

The teachers' comments:
"Max is a pleasure to have in class. He is working diligently in all subjects and has great leadership skills within our classroom community. His participation is appreciated and welcomed within all classroom activities and discussions. He is very mature in thought. He works very well in all kinds of working environments and serves as a role model for many in our classroom community."
"What a joy it is to have Corina in our class! She has adjusted very well to the routines of grade one and has become the model student in the class. She always works hard and completes all assignments on time. She shows kindness and respect to all around her. She is always doing exactly what she is supposed to be doing and often other students look to her for direction. She is becoming an excellent leader in our class.

Corina is always up for a challenge so is reading at a higher level than the rest of the class, and has attacked math skills such as adding, subtracting, and even division with no trouble! She is working with the Power of Ten math program which helps children think at a higher level, and is handling it very well.

I love all the stories that she writes at home and brings to school for us to read. Awesome job, Corina!

Corina is always happy to be at school and is willing to help me as well as other students in the class. Since the beginning of the year in Science we have covered topics such as seasonal changes in fall, creating colour, and the needs of animals in the fall. Corina has demonstrated an excellent understanding of these concepts. Keep it up Corina...you are awesome!"

Wow...it's really fun having such good kids. Yep, it is.

We do many things.

Here's our new obsession. Whatever we're eating, we shove it on a skewer. Now that's good fun.

Max had his half-birthday this week. That means he is 10½ now, and that I love him so much that he gets two birthday parties every year. He made this icing for the cake himself. It is homemade chocolate icing with Crispy Crunches, Aeros, Smarties - the Canadian chocolate kind, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and Kit Kats in it. It looked a little like chocolate vomit, but it tasted great.

Christmas must be coming, because Santa was downtown last night. We went to Galt Gardens for the lighting of the Christmas tree. It's supposed to be fancy, but after living in London where they light up every tree in Victoria Park, this one tree with lights seems pretty ghetto. We always laugh at Lethbridge when they light it up. Here we are waiting for the one special tree to be lit up...
And here is Santa! He was quite preoccupied with finding out my nationality and where I got the name Sara. Weirdo. Corina asked him for Polly Pockets and Max asked for a Pocket Bike. I'm going to buy an old pair of jeans from the thrift store and give them each one of the pockets for Christmas, and tell them Santa was too busy asking if Mommy is Russian and he must not have heard them properly.
This is important. I had these Godiva Dark Chocolate Raspberries last night. They had them at the check-out in Chapters. I think they are the yummiest thing I've ever eaten.
And finally, I went to the doctor today for the pain in my ear, neck, throat, and face. I sort of feel beaten up. She thinks there's a chance I have the mumps! There's an outbreak of mumps at the college, and a girl I know just finished up her quarantine time. (Nine days.) She sent me to the hospital for some tests. I'm screwed if I have to be quarantined. I'll sure get to catch up on sleep though, so there's a positive side to it.

True story

If you get the fanny burps after eating many, many cloves of roasted garlic, people who come to your house will say things like, "Wow...something smells good in here! What are you having for dinner?"

What's in like in New York City?

Max challenged me to a singing contest tonight. He said he bets he knows more of the words to Hey There Delilah than I do. I don't really know the song, but that doesn't stop me from telling him I can beat him. Corina taped our contest for us.

I guess I have to admit...Max lost. Haha Max!

It was kind of neat the way my sister Krista started laughing through my face at the end there. Seriously...we have the exact same laugh? I had no idea.

Sweet dancing, Max. You make me proud.

Today I won my children's approval

When I got dressed today, Max said, "Sweet...that looks nice."

When Corina saw me, she said, "Why are you so cool now?"

Yeah...I'm awesome. I got a new hoodie and new socks, and apparently that makes all the difference in the world. Corina is also very cool today, as you can see in the video. We sure do love making videos...

Post Secret

Hahahaha!

Remembrance Day

This morning I skipped classes to go to the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the kids' school. Max was in the honour guard like he is every year. They have all the Cubs, Guides, and other things like that in a procession. This year Max was chosen to carry the Canada flag in the ceremony, which is a pretty cool deal. Now you may watch it.

Just a sexy little alien mark

Two weeks ago I had many suction cup type things attached to me at the sleep clinic, which all came off early the next morning. Some of them left red marks for the rest of the day. One of them was really special though. It left a red mark that has lasted two weeks so far. See?

I think it's permanent! I also think that picture is weird and it's kind of hard to tell exactly which part of my body that is. Maybe this should be a contest, in which Sherpa gives a prize to the person who guesses correctly.

Wii in the basement....yeah.

I love watching Max play games on the Wii. He always looks so ridiculous, but I always look very awesome.

Today was an exciting day because we taught ourselves how to take home movies with our digital camera, so expect to see lots of movies for the next while until we get bored of it.

Grease and things

Last night we went to Grease. Yay! Our seats were second row centre, so we were just about on the stage. The best part of the whole thing was watching the kids' faces as they watched the show. Mouths hanging open, eyes wide...they were trying to take in everything that was happening. They absolutely loved it. The worst part of the show was the woman sitting beside me who apparently had tuberculosis. Her cough was terrifying. I was leaning so far over in my seat to avoid her that I was almost on top of Max.

Here are the kids waiting for the show to start. Do you wonder how Corina waits? Like this: "How much longer now until it starts? How much longer now? Now how much longer?"
Corina got her fancy new jewelry yesterday. It's her new medic alert bracelet. She can switch the black band for the red one, or for the pink one with butterflies. She decided to start with black because she looks more like a big kid in it. Now if she decides to have a seizure at school, not only will the teachers know what to do, they'll also be shocked that her bracelet is so grown-up looking. I got my new Cookie Party shirt yesterday. It's my Sarah Silverman costume. Here is a link to some Cookie Party for you. http://youtube.com/watch?v=lFb8X0Kf6TY Go watch it, or I'm gonna beat the crap smell right out of your anus.

Halloween and such.

I try to be a fun mom when I can. Last night we trick or treated for three hours. Three hours! And then we ate candy until we were stuffed, and went to bed quite late. But then this morning Corina woke up for school and puked all over the living room, so maybe next year I should be a little less fun on Halloween.

Here are the kids on one of our healthier days, making a fruit pizza.
It looks so good! I wish we still had fruit in the house. I'm hungry.
Here they are in their costumes for school. Corina actually looks like Cinderella, doesn't she? What a pretty little girl she is. I dressed up in 80's clothes. Unfortunately none of the kids at my practicum school understood what my costume was. I got a lot of, "What are you supposed to be?" One kid even said, "So...are you an alien?" I'll have to go with something a little more obvious when I'm working with kids. I wanted to go as Sarah Silverman, but my Cookie Party t-shirt didn't come in time.

And here are my babies all ready for trick or treating. Corina work something a little warmer than what she wore to school. It was actually a pretty nice night though. Good job, Lethbridge.