Wordless Wednesday

Friday Fill In

1. Angel or not, I will tolerate no back talk!

2. You can not pressure me to be any way you want me.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of yourself.

4. My legs don't work after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I manage to embarrass myself.

6. Thursday is a day fraught with peril.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening, tomorrow my plans include hanging out with some friends, and Sunday, I want to get some laundry done!

My April Fool (or Kaemie Quote of the Week)

Kaemie, my 16 year old, has been known to say some random things. Just a few minutes ago she asked me "When people talk about the troops being overseas, how many seas are they over?"

Then she told me that she could probably do her homework better if she was "on the pot." Luckily, I quickly discovered she didn't mean something like "smokin' the crack" because she told me that the toilet was one of her favorite places to be. I guess we all need to have our happy place.

And she let me know how excited she is about the school play she is in by telling me "I'm going to be the best drunken porter ever!" It's MacBeth, in case you're wondering. And, yes, I am so very proud of her.

They Got the Goat, Too!

The big news of the past week is that Kenna's surgery went well!

Here she is in her long braces before the surgery. These go to her upper thigh and have metal pieces at the knees. They squeak when she walks so we have to have WD-40 on hand like the Tinman and his oilcan. The metal also tears up clothes, when we can find pants with legs wide enough to fit over the braces. And it takes Kenna a good chunk of time and energy to get these on. So even though she will continue to need leg braces for the rest of her life, she and I are hoping she will be able to walk in braces that go to just below her knees.

We stayed in the Ronald McDonald House near Children's Mercy Hospital. That is such a wonderful place. The people were nice and the rooms were comfortable. Each night we were there, a group or family volunteered to bring supper so we had great home cooked meals.

Children's Mercy Hospital is a great place to be if you have to take a child for medical procedures. The doctors and nurses explained everything to me, but they all included Kenna in their questions and answers. No child wants to have surgery, but I really think that Kenna felt like she was part of the process. Kenna was allowed to take a little stuffed goat that she received as a "Get Well" gift from her friends into the operating room. The nurse even put a name band like Kenna's wrist band on the goat's neck to identify it as Kenna's.

Kenna was incredibly brave. I knew she was scared, but she managed to hold back the tears until they wheeled her away from me to take her to the operating room. The nurses soon had her talking about school and her friends to distract her. My step mom and I sat in the waiting room long enough for both of us to run out of things to talk about (which does not ever happen). The nurse in the operating room called me to let me know that Kenna had fallen asleep and that the operation had started. She also called when they had finished the left leg and were starting on the right. Then the doctor came out when it was over and told us what he had to do and that it went well. Once Kenna was awake and coherent, we met her outside the OR at "Reunion Avenue" and followed her up to her room where she stayed overnight. Kenna and her stuffed goat had matching hot pink casts on each leg.

Kenna is home and recovering well.