I wanted to post an update on my mom and what is going on in case anyone was wondering. The last week has been terrible. I found an apartment for my mom here, which is good, and it is a great apartment. Much bigger than expected for the price, and not even ten minutes away. However the movers will take a week to get her stuff transported so she will be sleeping in our living room with our macaw on an air bed. Our macaw has a huge cage, the smallest size down from a double, and the living room is a small formal, so it will be cramped. I wish we could provide something better for her but thankfully it is only a week. She has been stressed beyond belief getting everything arranged, and there have been a few snags with insurance, movers, etc, but it seems like everything is on track for her to come in Tuesday.
So her test results from biopsy came back and cancer is not estrogen fed, meaning whether she will need chemo is up in the air. We aren't thrilled by this. My grandmother (her mom) had ovarian and could not handle chemo. She died at 64. My uncle has a rare kidney form that has been in his bones years, also cannot handle chemo.
My dr. wanted to send me for genetic counseling, but while my insurance will pay for the visit, they will not pay for the blood work, so it will be pointless. I would need another person to have breast cancer to qualify. In the words of my husband, "What, does everyone have to keel over?"
On another note, I went to my neurologist for a follow up on my migraine medication. My husband and I had argued the night before because he doesn't like when it gets raised and wanted me to ask about long term effects. So I did, and neuro said it was really just kidney stones. So I said I have those anyway, and he freaked! He looked through my forms and saw where I clearly circled it. Turns out I never should have taken the medication. He said I would probably be fine since I have been taking it for two years, and haven't had a stone sine '05,but I had to sign a release and cut out tea and soda, drink nothing but water now, and avoid things with vitamin c.
In addition, my cell phone "updated" so naturally it is all messed up, and my computer randomly crashed so now I have no computer (I am typing all this on my tablet), my youngest has a behavior psych appointment (finally) mondsy morning which is good, but horrible timing, I have tons of beddi get to wash for my mom, and I have to somehow keep the house clean until my mom sees it for the first time Tuesday.
I think that's it.

A New Flavor

So it has been a while since I posted.  Quite a while.  Which doesn't actually matter to anyone since no one reads my blog.  I don't care, it's really just for me anyway.  To start, let me warn anyone who stumbles upon my blog that there will be a new flavor to my posts.

Since it has been a while I should write a quick update.  We actually did get relocated to Florida.  So the sweater was pointless.

I have spent the last week with my head spinning.  I've been on the phone, looking at apartments, hearing about doctor's appointments, giving moving advice, and more, all while trying to manage three kids and a home.  My husband had two appointments, a small in-office surgical procedure, and an MRI.  We think he's fine, but we will find out for sure next week if his PVNS has returned.  However we are trying to get my mom down here as soon as possible.  It looks like she will be here in a week and a half.  Why the rush?  She needs to be nearby so I can help take care of her, and she needs medical treatment as soon as possible.  My mom found out four days ago that she has breast cancer.

My husbands parents are coming to visit next weekend.  We haven't seen them since February so they would like to see us.  It will be nice to see them, and I'm glad we aren't going there; it's not easy with the kids and pets right now.  It is also fourth of July week.  Luckily the fourth lands on a Wednesday, so that means no OT for my son, which will give me a break (I kind of feel guilty about that, but I need the extra time).  My husband is taking off Wednesday through Friday and I was looking forward to five days of relaxation with him, but that ended up getting filled with three doctor appointments and preparing his parents coming.  Did I mention we also have to pick up the keys to my mom's new apartment and try to find a bed for her and have it delivered?  Oh well.  Maybe we will get a vacation next year.

Now I have about half a million...no, make that half a million and one things to do to get ready for the visit, and the bad part is that they have to be done on specific days.  I hate that.  I can't get things done ahead of time and then relax!  I mean, really, why can't a house full of three kids, two dogs, and two birds say clean for five days?  Where is that rule written?  But, apparently, there is some secret rule book that kids, dogs, and parrots share, and it dictates that mommies everywhere must tidy, sweep, mop, vacuum, and clean kitchens and bathrooms the day their parents-in-law visit.  Ah, well, such is life.

I also decided about two weeks ago that I am making berry jam filled cupcakes for the fourth, and as those who know me know, when I get an idea in my head, it is like a train.  Unstoppable.  So despite my week, I am, today, making the strawberry and raspberry jam filling and baking those sweet cake cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting on Tuesday.

Right this moment I am just sitting on my freshly swept, newly-tiled-but-yet-to-be-grouted porch, sipping a diet sprite while I write this blot post.  I am trying to take a small break from my life.  What I really want to do is go out to my studio and melt the heck out of many rods of beautifully colored glass, but alas, my studio is gone, left behind many states and months ago.  Instead I am going to look forward to a smaller yet hopefully just as effective little corner in the garage that will someday be my own, and a time when my oldest will be more challenged in school, my younger two will be more manageable, my husband will be out of pain, and my mom will be cancer free, and everyone can live happily.

 Now back to reality.  I have cleaning to do.

Not So Warm and Cozy

I decided to make a sweater. It makes perfect sense, since it is, after all, 90+ degrees out right now. In my defense, however, it is getting down to the 60's at night and I am nearly always very cold by nature. So when I started waking up cold in the morning, and my husband applied for a relocation to Ohio, I decided it was high time to don that trusty crochet hook.

Unfortunately that trusty crochet hook deceived me. If you read about my yarn fiasco in a previous blog post, then you know this sweater was already off to a fuzzy start. Once I finally had the yarn I needed, I printed out the pattern. I knew I would have to modify it a little since it was too long for me. But shortening it isn't a big deal. I also didn't want a hood, but that was added after the sweater was finished. Again, nothing I couldn't handle.

I made my starting chain. Then came the actual pattern stitch. Why in the world they made the pattern the way they did was simply beyond me. I could think of at least two other methods to make it much easier to work up. I made a few inches, took it out, made a few inches, took it out...again and again until I finally got it the way they wanted. Then I realized I needed a bigger crochet hook to get it the size they wanted - it was going to be small. That was ok with me, though - I am a very small person and I did not want this sweater to be nearly as oversized as they did.

When I finally got the hang of the way they wanted me to do the pattern stitch, I was able to quite easily make the back. It took me about two days. Even though it was a complete aggravation, it did look pretty good. The yarn was nice.

Then I started on the front. Same problem, only worse! I had to take the front out almost 10 times before I got it going correctly. It was so frustrating! I managed to get a few inches done when my mom, with her years of crocheting experience, came over. I showed her my sweater project. She held up the completed back portion and crushed all my hopes and dreams by uttering three little words. "It's too small."

It was. Just barely, but enough. An inch or so more and it would have fit me. I turned it this way and that trying to make it work. I looked at her pleadingly. If only she could change her mind! I looked back at the partly completed sweater and tried to make it fit me. Her only response to my shenanigans was, "No, don't stretch it."

I was utterly defeated. I had to admit it. My mom was sympathetic.

"I had to take out that hat three times before I got it right," She told me.

I looked at her through my eyelashes, resentful. "That was this big." I held up my hands in a circle, fingers touching.

"Well," she said, defensively, "I've had to take out many a sweater and start over! Come on, now, you just have to take it out and start over!"

Helpful as always, my mother gave me a few more pointers and before she left I was in possession of a rather large and, amazingly, perfectly round ball of yarn that I never could have wound myself. I decided I didn't like that pattern nearly as much as I thought I did and decided to scrap the whole idea after all. Instead I found another that I like better and have started on it. Would you believe it? It is the same darn stitch, done the same darn way. Only this time, I am doing it how I want, and it is working out much better. What's more, so far, it even fits (but I must admit I have only done 1").

After all this, we will probably get relocated to Florida.