Consumnes River Preserve

Aden and Jonah on one of our day trips.

Hippie!

You are a Hippie

You are a total hippie. While you may not wear birks or smell of incense, you have the soul of a hippie. You don't trust authority, and you do as you please. You're willing to take a stand, even when what you believe isn't popular. You like to experiment with ideas, lifestyles, and different subcultures. You always gravitate toward what's radical and subversive. Normal, mainstream culture doesn't really resonate with you.

Are You a Hippie?

Tested

Some of the things that have happened this past week have really tested my committment to Peds Cardiology! I was recently reemed by a family and have just learned that someone, whom I love, is not going to be part of the heart program anymore. The latter was a killer to me. I am not sure what to do. It has been a very crappy week!

Aden's Quest

Many of you know how much Aden loves the river. He could spend most of his days at the American River, which is near our house. After talking about doing something to help others, he decided he would like to spend the day at the American River cleaning up. Thursday, April 3rd we are going to visit the American River, equipped with garbage bags and spend the day cleaning. We are looking for pledges for www.friendsoftheriver.org in helping 2-fold. We will try to make the American River cleaner while raising money to make a donation to them. We are looking for pledges per hour or per bag of garbage or a flat pledge, please specify.

Thankyou to all for your support!!!

Happy Easter!

I got this idea from Awesome Mom, thankyou!

I am stuffing my kids Easter Baskets and usually give them minimal candy and the rest toys or appropriate stuff for a 22-year-old-kid. What do you put in your kids Easter Baskets?

Be so happy that it is 2008 and not 1985

Sometimes, if I have finished my current book I am reading and my husband is at work, I take some time to poke through different heart blogs that are out there. I did just this last night and it is amazing to me how many families are awaiting their 3rd surgery, be it the Fontan or a repair. The waiting game. Oh, how I don't envy any of you but what could I do to make it easier? Absolutely nothing. One blog I read, Eka's blog talked about the 5-year-mark, which I have always thought, with any complex heart defect, if you can reach that age, things will surely be fine. It was good to read that someone else out there was thinking that (she many have a different interpretation). I am so thankful we are where we are now, Alexia has done amazing well, but if I had to choose, I would have wanted a baby born, with a complex heart defect, in the year 2008 rather then 1985, with everything that has changed in the world of Pediatric Heart Surgery.

I want to tell everyone, "It will all be ok!!", "Your children will be fine!" It will just be hell getting there.


Alexia and her PC, Andy Juris, after her repair in 1990.



Alexia, Summer 2007

Yay!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: We received word at 4:45 pm today, March 18, that the girls have been located. Grace is now back in Sacramento with her family tonight. Masha has been located and we're hoping to have her home tomorrow. The family thanks everyone who has helped to find them, and sent thoughts and prayers and love throughout. We will have more details tomorrow and will share them then.


www.whereisgrace.com

Grace

A Family we have known since Alexia was 5 recently lost their daughter. No, she didn't pass away, lured away is what they think.

Here is last night's KCRA story on 15-year-old Grace. Also, the family has set up a website in hopes of finding her, www.whereisgrace.com.

Please keep this family in your thoughts.

Very, very cool

This was our view from our front yard. The Blue Angels were visiting Sacramento and had a all weekend show. They were pretty spectacular and very fun to watch.

Winners!

3 ladies guessed what exactly what was in the blender. Awesome Mom, Jennifer Yates (my son's teacher) and Andrea. It was a pesto sauce that I used for stuffed chicken breasts that evening. They were stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and mozerella drizzled with pesto. Delicious. All the ladies win a rocket shaped spatula (see above)! I thought they were darling. Now, an extension of the contest. If you can guess how I made the pesto creamy (without adding any extra ingredients)you will win a bonus prize.

Good luck!

What is it??

What is it?? Whoever guesses the right answer wins a cool prize. If there are more then one people who guess the right answer, all the correct guessers win a prize!

Decision Making

How do you help somebody make the most important decision of their lives? Most of you know that I belong to a parent group, Hearts of Hope and have developed some friendships with amazing women. One in particular, Andrea and her husband Dan, have a huge decision to make. They must choose a Surgeon to fix their son, Drew's, little heart. They have received a few opinions, but not one of these physicians is willing to tell them what they must do. Andrea and Dan are very educated people and are amazing advocates for Drew but when it comes down to it, they need to decide and this decision will be one that is with them forever. I wake up thinking about them and go to bed thinking about them, I can't imagine what they are going through. I really can't, because the decision was made for us when Alexia had her repair 18 years ago. Only 2 people would touch her and both would do the same thing.

Thinking of you both, 24-7, as the saying goes. I adore you!

Spanking; Good or Bad

In the 22-years that I have been a parent, I have never spanked, I may have thought about it but never did. I just never could justify that way of parenting. I was never spanked as a child and maybe that type of parenting just spilled over into my parenting. Fortunately, I surround my self with like-minded moms and dads who are the most patient people that I know.

I follow the same rule: "Discipline" doesn't mean punishment. In fact, it comes from the same root as "disciple,"--you want your child to follow you (through love and devotion), into right action.

I do think that having a pretty mellow, sweet and good mannered seven-year-old is because I follow this way of thinking. But sometimes I wonder what the 9-year-old change will bring because I have heard some stories!

So the reason I have decided to post about this is because of a study I recently read on msn.com, Spanking Raises Chances of Risky, Deviant Sexual Behavior. Now I am curious what you all have to say.....

Below are some pictures of Aden's first field trip to a local Bio-Dynamic Farm. They were able to visit Bella, a pregnant cow due to give birth early March, feed her fennel and help get the sheep out to pasture for grazing. They visited the chickens, learned about the bee hives and were able to pick some broccolli for a snack. We then went on a long walk towards the American River, stopped and had lunch, climbed up to a very steep rock hill and then the class decided they wanted a very hefty fallen branch back to the top, so "heaved" it up and made it (no small feat)! We then walked to a very old oak tree but the class decided they would rather climb a burned down tree and they were covered from head to toe in ash. It was an amazing day!

Couldn't Resist!

I think I have shared with you that at my son's school part of the first grade curriculum is making knitting needles and then learning to knit. This morning, before going off to the gym, I found my husband teaching himself how to knit. Now he can share this experience with Aden. Time for me to get crackin'.

Still Reminiscing

This is a digital photo of a photo from a camera, I'm sure, is not made anymore. About 19-years-ago, this picture was taken of Alexia, soon after I left my first husband. We moved into my mom's house and were just setting up Dr.'s, PT, OT etc and feeling very comfortable! I had to share this one because this was when my life started to change for the better......I never turned back.........

Happy CHD Day and Valentine's day!

Oranges

Anybody want a bag, picked from Farmer Aden?

Reminiscing

I am in a reminiscing sort of mood today. I googled Alexia's surgeon, who did her repair 18+ years ago, Dr. Hillel Laks. It wasn't untill our last support group meeting, did I really realize what an amazing accomplishment actually took place. When Alexia had this repair in 1989, pediatric open heart surgery was still very new. I am sure this was an experimental surgery. I remember it being a very long day, close to a 14 hour surgery. I remember the next day, was a critcal day with 2 codes. I remember 4 weeks later going home. Do you know how much I would like to thank him personally, but he probably doesn't even remember us. I want to do something for him (remember he is 8 hours from us) and I hope you can help me. I want him to remember the day he fixed Lexi and him to know how much I am thankful. I need ideas. Post ideas here and If I use one (or more) of them, you will win a Valentine goodie bag/box.

Heart Stuff

About 6 months ago Amber and I decided we needed a real life, face to face support group for families of children with congenital heart disease. I met Amber a little more then a year ago, on line, when she started seeking out support for her son, Logan, who has congenital heart disease. With the blessing of certain professionals and a monthly free room at Sutter Memorial Hospital, we had our first meeting. 7 ladies showed up and we had a great time. Tonight is our next meeting, with over 35 people signed up to come, we have Rick Mainwaring, MD, Pediatric CV Surgeon and Adult with Congenital Heart Disease, Surgeon speaking. Our group is called Hearts of Hope and the ladies in this group are fabulous. In addition, Cynthia Hubert, feature writer for the Sacramento Bee, contacted me and wants to also come tonight and do a full on feature spread in the paper. It feels so good being able to give back to families just starting this journey. I wish there was more for me 22-years ago, when I ws just starting. But now, I will focus on helping........

Hummingbird

Did I ever post that my husband is an artist? Outside of the job he has as a PICU Nurse, to make money, he also is a really good painter. He has beautiful paintings, alot sold, but some unable to sell (I wouldn't let him) like this one. I have some that are near and dear to my heart, that no sum of money could take them away from me.

I can't wait for Spring, this painting reminds me of it. What do you think?

Geographical High

I recently peeked into another Blog I follow, Life's A Stitch as the writer was talking about geographical highs. She is in BC, I, in California. I have only traveled to a few places worth writing about but the most beautiful place I have been to, so far, is in California. My family went to Trinidad for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. It was spectacular!

Where is your geographical high?