Wednesday, July 4, 2007

It's 2 o'clock on the Fourth of July. I bet you are all out there barbecuing and shooting off fireworks today for my mom's birthday. She and I just had a 2-1/2 hour snuggle in the rocking chair. Aunt Jenny and Cousin Addison were here for an hour, and I watched Addy play with some toys, eat some lunch and then play with her mom's makeup. She got the lid off the lipstick, then stuck her finger down in the tube. Boy oh boy, did that cause Mom and Aunt Jen to perk up. "Oh, no, Addison! Oops! Gotta get that lipstick off your fingers before you get it on everything!" (She was NOT happy about having the fun makeup taken away.)

This has been a very busy week. I'll bring you up to speed as quickly as I can. On Monday morning, the allergist called to say that she got the test results back from my blood test in the hospital. They had sent off my blood for a full Midwest panel to see what I might be allergic to here in Missouri. Guess what - it was NEGATIVE - on everything! Cats, dogs, trees, grass, ragweed, dust mites, mold, etc. I'm clear. Now, while that is good news, of course, it makes us all go, "Hmmmm. How is it all clear if my troubles all seem to start up in the Spring/Summer?" Another mystery to add to my list. I'm just full of them!

Then a little later on Monday morning, my Uncle Scotty showed up in town! Wow! What a big surprise! Nobody knew he was coming. Mom and Ian are going to Chicago to visit Uncle Scotty tomorrow, and he shows up in town the same week! He said that since his days off are Monday and Tuesday, and Addison was in town, he thought he'd better get to Farmington to see everyone while we're all in one place. He talked to me and gave me kisses, and he played catch with Ian. On Monday evening, I went to Ms. Ruby's pool to watch Uncle Scotty, Ian, Cousin Addison and Grandma swim for a while. Mom and I supervised. I can't get in the water anymore since I have my trach tube - too dangerous. That water could splash into my tube and go right into my lungs. That's pneumonia waiting to happen! (But watching them splash around was fun, too, even though Addison was kind of fussy.)

Uncle Scotty was telling us about a baseball game he went to in Chicago. He saw the Cubs play the Rockies, and he had a seat right at the Rockies dugout. While the Rockies were warming up, his friends were heckling the players a bit. (I'm not sure what that is, but it doesn't sound very nice.) Then Uncle Scotty yelled to the Rockies pitcher and asked if he would take a picture of him and his friends up in the stands. He said, "Sure!" so he threw his phone down to the pitcher, and the guy dropped his phone (great hands for a baseball player!), then he took his picture and threw the phone back to him. Kind of funny, huh?

Speaking of funny things, the other day, my mom was writing in my cousin Rachel's birthday card. She yelled to Ian, "Come in here and sign this, Ian." (He always helps me sign my name on birthday cards.) He went to the kitchen and said, "What is it, a liability waiver?" (What was he talking about? He's so weird.) Then, Uncle Scotty was talking about some movies he had seen. Mom said she hadn't seen many movies over the last few yeas, and Uncle Scotty hadn't either. He said he really didn't like movies very much. Ian said, "And yet you work in Hollywood. Oh, the irony!" (My brother - he talks like a grown-up sometimes.)

My teacher, Ms. Paula, came to work with me two times on Monday. Mom videotaped some of my classwork. I did a really good job looking at the right pictures, and I turned my head to the right shapes. My PT, Jan, came to see me, too. It was a busy day, with all kinds of visitors!

On Tuesday morning, I had a dentist appointment. Jennifer is my hygienist's name. She is so nice to me. She cleaned my teeth very carefully, then polished them and put fluoride on them. Then the best dentist in the world came to look at my teeth. He found two teeth that are almost loose - so Mom and Dad have to keep a close eye on those. We don't want anymore teeth going down my esophagus! My next appointment, I have to get x-rays. Those are REALLY hard to do in my mouth. I like to be challenging.

Tuesday afternoon, my OT, (Ms. Sarah), my Speech Therapist (Ms. Kathy), and my new "main teacher" (Mrs. Eaton) came to my house to work with me and talk about the best plan for the rest of the summer and when the new school year starts. Did you know that my school starts again on August 16? That's way too early, isn't it? But that's okay because I love school work.

Also on Tuesday, I got to see Uncle Scotty again, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Ryan, Cousin Addison and Grandma. Then Uncle Scotty had to leave. Addison played at my house for an hour while Aunt Jenny and Mom went shopping. Dad and Ian watched her play and showed her some smoke bombs and sparklers outside. She wasn't allowed to get too close to anything, though.

I'll tell you what, the last five days have just been cram-packed with people at my house, and it's not over yet. Everyone is coming here for Mom's birthday dinner this evening. Dad is cooking, which makes the house smell so good! I wish I could eat it. Nurse Nicole made Mom's birthday cake. It's "chocolate orange blossom." Doesn't that sound delicious? It's a chocolate cake with orange-flavored icing. I bet Dad will put some on my tongue for me - maybe even a tiny bit of ice cream. They don't want me to get anything down the wrong tube and end up in my lungs, so I only get tiny bits of tasty things to see if I like them. I bet Mom will ask me to help her blow out her candles, but there will be WAY TOO MANY for me to blow out, though!!!

I think you are all caught up now on what I've been doing. I'll probably have to wait a while to write again. Mom has to help me, you know, and she'll be gone a few days. She is my typing assistant. I tell her what to write, and she does it for me. Right now, I'm starting to get all gurgly again, so she's going to have to go suction me. I have to keep her on her toes! That's one way to keep her young.

Happy Independence Day to everyone! Love to you all!