Category Archives: Around Town

Tubes tied

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Yesterday, I had a tubal ligation, more commonly known as getting your tubes tied. I received the laparoscopic method, which uses electrical current through a lighted, pencil-shaped instrument to cauterize sections of the fallopian tube. Yep, I am officially out of the baby-making biz!

The 3 Amigos & J-Crew kiddos pose in front of the Old Mill of Guilford — a fully operational, water-powered, 18th-century grist mill located right down the road from our CC community.

It was a decision that Stephen and I didn’t take lightly. There were, of course, many factors that led us to choose surgical sterilization, as opposed to other forms of birth control.

First, I’m certain I don’t want any more children. I am perfectly content raising the 3 Amigos and thank God for each of those blessings. Plus, if we had an addition, they’d have to be the 4 Amigos, obviously lessening the homage paid with the current nickname to the Martin-Short-Chase classic comedy flick. 😉

Let’s be honest, I’m no spring chicken. At age 42 and with my minor ailments, it is some times physically exhausting trying to keep up with the boys’ break-neck pace. I think another kiddo could possibly just push this old, broken body over the edge.

Gabriel rests @ the gates made of the retired water wheels.

Plus, the older women get, the higher risk the pregnancy, including increased chances of having a baby with Down’s Syndrome or other longterm maladies. Now I would love my child no matter what mental or physical challenges he or she would face.

But the thought of not being able to kick my independent and self-reliant kids out of the house at the onset of adulthood is something I don’t want to have to consider. At that point, my job is done, now it’s their turn to fly on their own.

I mean, sometimes counting down the days till the boys turn 18 is all that keeps me going … well, that and thinking about (lovingly) laughing at them when they call me for advice with their own children. That’ll be some sweet justice! And bring on the empty nest … eventually. 🙂

Houston stands guard atop the grounds of the Old Mill, where we stopped for a quickie field trip last week.

Lastly, my views on life have evolved drastically over the years. From being a participant in and radical proponent of the abortion industry in my 20s and early 30s, to now an ardent defender of the unborn, my only choice was to be proactive.

Having done extensive research on the potential abortifacient effects of typical oral contraception, I knew the pill wouldn’t work for me, nor would an IUD. In fact, I had one inserted after having the twins, but just got it removed in August.

Again, my research showed that, to my dismay, an IUD doesn’t always prevent fertilization. But what it does definitely do is prevent implantation of a fertilized egg in the lining of the uterus. So, to be consistent with my principles on life, I knew I couldn’t continue using the device.

Zeke checks out the architecture of the mill’s exterior.

A tubal ligation, on the other hand, prevents eggs from reaching the uterus for fertilization. And since condoms and the rhythm method are just too sketchy as birth control methods, in my opinion, my decision seemed clear.

As with any medical procedure messing with nature, there are risks. Out of 1,000 women who have had their tubes tied, 17 will still get pregnant. And of those, 15-20% will result in an ectopic pregnancy. This is when an embryo implants outside of the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes.

You know when people talk about abortion and the health of the mother, well, this is one of those rare cases in which both the woman’s life is in danger and the fetus isn’t viable. It’s just a horribly sad scenario. God willing, I won’t end up being one of those statistics.

The 3 Amigos hang w/ Dr. O, Houston’s phenomenal orthopedic surgeon. We are forever grateful to the good doctor for the wonderful care & concern he gave to our sweet, broken boy!

On 9/27, Houston had his final physical therapy appointment. I can’t believe how far he has come since his first visit with Mr. Scott … what an incredible recovery!

After therapy, we headed right over to see his orthopedist, who agrees that Houston’s elbow is doing great. His next appointment isn’t till late December, which will be six months after the break.

On 10/2, Gabriel and Zeke went to see their allergist, who wants them off the inhaler by the month’s end. She’s certain they’ve outgrown their cough-variant asthma, so November will start the trial. I pray she’s right, so we can finally get the twins off these allergy meds once and for all.

Mr. Scott & Houston (& the Mardi Gras skeleton) on his last day of physical therapy. Thanks for being such a great PT, Mr. Scott, & putting up w/ all of us during Houston’s many sessions!

10/3 marked the 25th anniversary of the first placental fetoscopic laser surgery for Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This groundbreaking work was pioneered by Dr. Julian De Lia.

“Nobody cared about fighting TTTS until Dr. De Lia came along,” said Mary Slaman-Forsythe, president of the TTTS Foundation, in a Facebook post. “He saw the devastation TTTS brought families and felt that he could make a difference in this cause. He studied the placenta, lasered the placenta of monkeys who always gave birth to identical monkeys, and then the first surgery was” October 3, 1988.
“What a brave mother to be the first in the world,” Mary explained. “I want to send my love to her family, her surviving twin son, Josh … and to her and her twin son in Heaven. Every chance anyone was given to fight for their babies was because Dr. De Lia began the fight himself.
“He was the only one that cared along with pathologists who understood this was a placental problem,” she continued. “I was there to witness doctor after doctor yell and scream at Dr. De Lia for years, ‘Who do you think you are telling us how to treat our patients?’ They were not treating their patients, but they did not welcome his help. In fact, the National March of Dimes told me not to associate myself with him if I wanted my foundation to be successful.”

Well, here we are, some quarter of a century later and Dr. De Lia has truly changed the world for the better. Here’s what I wrote to him in a recent email.

Dr. De Lia,
In July 2008, I got the laser surgery that you pioneered. It was performed by the wonderful surgeons at the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati and was the medical procedure that saved both my twins lives.
As Albert Einstein said, “It gives me great pleasure indeed to see the stubbornness of an incorrigible nonconformist warmly acclaimed.” So, let’s here it for the rebels like yourself, who don’t bend like reeds in the wind. Thank God for heroes like you. Please keep up the amazing work you do for families all across the nation and beyond!
P.S. Attached you can check out a photo of my miracle babies, Gabriel and Zeke, who are now healthy as horses and will be celebrating their 5th birthday in about two weeks!

And here was his reply:

You are welcome.
The boys appear to have several things going for them: a) they are Libras (ahem!); and b) the guys in Cincinnati probably cranked up the juice from the laser machine when they operated on G & Z’s placenta (I can tell these things you know).
Looks like everyone is having fun at your place.
Love to all there,
Dr. D
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Medical College of Wisconsin
Fetal Concerns Program

What a kind, humble man and brilliant man. Simply amazing.

The dudes pose for a shot in front of one of the Old Mill’s historic outbuildings.

Honestly, we haven’t been doing much besides doc stuff and school these past few weeks. On 9/28, we did have a campfire with our new neighbors, Miss Melissa and Mason, and a playdate at the park with them on Friday.

They’re not really new, having moved in last spring. But we’re just now getting to know them. Melissa’s a sweet Southern gal and Mason is her energetic 3 year old, and the dudes love having another rambunctious boy to play with in the hood.

And Granny’s has been here for the weekend, helping with the kids and allowing me to recover from surgery. As always, thanks a million … you’re a life saver, Granny!

Houston, who is the king of medieval dress-up & make-believe these days, decked out Zeke in his favorite Middle Ages garb, which serve as knight, samurai & Muslim warrior costumes.

Tech update: I finally bought an iPad, which the boys and I lovingly refer to as Piggy. I sold Stephen’s motorcycle and used cash to buy the high-priced item in late summer. And now I wonder how I ever lived without it.

For a gal who doesn’t even have a cell phone, that sounds like a funny thing to say. But as the lead teacher of a homeschool family, it is just one convenient learning tool.

For the dudes, I have available only educational games and e-books. It’s a perfect solution to the doldrums of waiting in a doctor’s office or some other place that likes to thieve time.

Houston, Zeke & Gabriel take part in Crazy Hat Day @ CC community last week. Even though their hats weren’t that crazy, they sure had fun w/ their friends.

But overall, it is a Mommy gadget. My favorite things about Piggy are my blogging app, camera/video, calendar and the Web, of course. It’s astonishing how much spur-of-the-moment lesson prep I can get accomplished with this thing.

I also replaced my broken, water-logged iPod with a refurbished iPod nano. It’s only 16 GB, but that’s plenty of space for school stuff (CC, Awana and “Story of the World”), the kids’ music and my Jason Lewis podcasts. Yep, still keeping it simple!

Getting in the groove

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Wow, so much has been going on since the last blog entry — namely, my transition into now officially homeschooling all three boys. It has been quite the emotion-laden segue; just ask my ever-patient, always-encouraging hubby, Stephen.

I went from full-on freakout mode the first week to pretty confident mama last week. Getting back in the saddle of homeschooling began with lots twitching, some crying, tons of prayers for help, and then ended with my iPod plummeting into the toilet. Classic.

In contrast, the second week included absolutely no crying, a lot more calm and many prayers of thanks. One day at a time, as the folks in recovery like to say.

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Zeke (my only child who LOVES to pose for the camera) soaks in the final visit to the sprayground for the summer.

At least all my mistakes will make good fodder for comic relief way down the road when the boys are older, assuming that I survive this crazy thing called raising and home-educating the 3 Amigos!

But in the meantime, I am constantly learning and adapting, figuring out the best way for me to to just keep it simple and fun. Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t have structure, lessons plans, checklists, and longterm and short-term goals.

But what it does mean is that if life gets in the way of those to-dos, I try to take it in stride. After all, most of those circumstances have valuable learning lessons embedded within them.

Of if we blow off the slated agenda for the day in order to improv, go off on a tangent, take an unscheduled field trip, enjoy each other’s company or just be, I know the world’s not going to come crashing down around us. In fact, it probably means we’re doing pretty darn good.

When he’s not horsing around, Gabriel can be quite the model, too, especially when he’s donning cool head gear.

But what I must come to expect is that every new school year, there is going to be a learning curve, with new subjects, new expectations, newly matured students, new commitments, and a new mama-teacher with another year under her belt. I should embrace this metamorphosis rather than fight it.

So, having said all that, let me express love and gratitude to Stephen for being my cheerleader (and a great teacher in his own right), my extended family for being so supportive, and my homeschool community for their constant encouragement and sharing of knowledge.

Let me also thank my awesome and inquisitive kids for (almost) always being ready for a new challenge, and of course, my incredible God for calling me to and equipping me for this wild ride called homeschooling. As I always say, it’s never a dull moment!

Houston’s just thrilled to add his new little plastic army men to the boys’ Fort Apache set — totally worth the impulse-buy purchase from Target’s dollar section.

So, CC community kicked off on 9/3. Houston is in Apprentice (stage 2 of Foundations) and Gabriel and Zeke are in Abecedarian (stage 1). I requested that the twins have separate tutors to give them a break for one another, as well as let each be his own person in his own class with his own unique experiences.

I think Gabe and Zeke really like the dynamic thus far ’cause they seem to be thriving doing the solo thing. And Houston, of course, loves having three hours away from bros. Plus, his class is led by one of his favorite buddy’s mom and includes a lot of his friends from last year.

We are in Cycle 2 this year; if you recall, CC has three cycles of memory work during the grammar stage of study. Last year’s history was mostly ancient stuff, but this year’s focus is one the Middle Ages. Obviously, the boys are quite enthusiastic about studying medieval history, knights, feudalism and the like.

The Fine Foursome: Piper, Zeke, Gabriel & Jackson enjoy the last days of summer.

I am making my first attempt at lapbooking this year. For those of you who are not in the know, the gist is that these are hands-on learning tools that are put together by student and mom on a weekly basis, and are supposed to augment the child’s CC memory-work experience.

Sweet Christie gave me a primer on the ins and outs of making a lap book, which entails lots of printing, cutting, folding, gluing and organizing, and even more so when you’re making separate lapbooks for three students. It was pretty overwhelming at first, but I think I finally have a fluid system for getting these things assembled.

The boys first night of Awana was 9/4. I’m excited to get the 3 Amigos involved for the full nine months of the program. Houston is in Sparks, which “ignites the curiosity of … kids to learn about the people and events of the Bible, building a foundation of wisdom for knowing Christ.”

“The Americans are losing, but they’re trying to get freedom,” Asher said to Houston during this battle. But Big Hashy often plays another war game called “Get off my property.” Little libertarians in the making makes for a happy mama!

The twins are Cubbies, which “celebrates the spiritual potential of preschoolers … by helping them develop respect for God, His Son and His Word.” Basically, the difference is a more intense curriculum for the older kids, but still a hefty bit of verse memorization even for the Cubbies.

So far, the dudes are really into it, and are extremely pumped about earning patches for their cool vests. They also get to see Asher and Jackson, and a few other CC and old Westover buds at Awana. Whatever motivates my kids to delve into the Bible and become a mature follower of Christ works for me!

Then on 9/5, Houston resumed piano. His teacher, Miss Julie, was surprised how well he played, considering it was his first lesson since breaking his elbow back in early July. Way to go, Music Man!

The 3 Amigos show off their completed passports from their “Around the World” summer studies.

Speaking of the ol’ elbow, Houston has healed incredibly well. The x-ray at his orthopedist appointment on 8/30 showed this, but his physical therapy sessions prove it.

We had been meeting with his PT, Mr. Scott, biweekly and then weekly. And now Houston has only one more therapy session ’cause he has gained back all movement and mobility of both flexion and extension. Thank you, Lord, for the amazing progress!

8/30 also happened to be my 42nd birthday. Stephen took me out for a fancy dinner, while Miss Jessie watched the boys. Sure, I have my fair share of aches and pains and other age-related woes, but overall, I’m feeling alright and again thank God for good health.

Another proud accomplishment: The dudes completing their Shark Unit. What a nice way to wrap up our summer learning adventures!

We went to Virginia from 9/6-9/8 to celebrate Dina’s, Papa’s and my birthday, as well as Gramsey and Papa’s 50th anniversary! It was lovely family outing, that included hardshell crabs, a riveting cigar smoke with Papa, bonding with Meredith and Gramsey, and Stephen’s and my late-night political rap with Rick and Jacob. Thanks, y’all!

Granny also visited Labor Day weekend. I was able to organize the office (which was still in shambles after the house painting) while Granny took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. We appreciate all that you do for us, Granny!

Some other fun things …  the boys and I made our last trek to the sprayground on 8/23; went to Dixie’s birthday party on 8/24; gave Houston a faux hawk on 8/26; went to Barnes & Noble to get his Houston’s free summer-reading book and then to Chuck E. Cheese before meeting up with Daddy and the J-Crew for dinner.

Shirtless, shoeless and ready to kick butt, Houston spearheads the backyard wrestling matches with formidable foes, “Double Trouble!”

This weekend was utterly gorgeous, so we spent a lot of time outdoors. On Friday night, we went to a high school football game (it was the twins’ first). And Saturday, Stephen coached the boys in target shooting with the BB gun, as well as with Houston’s bow and arrow.

Today, there was more archery practice with neighbors Dixie and Maddie, as well as a basketball game refereed by Stephen. Thanks for being such a cool, hands-on daddy, Daddy!

What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger

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Or so the saying goes. And perhaps that may be true for the boys. But I’m beginning to wonder if all the 3 Amigos’ falls, bumps, bruises, scrapes, gashes, maladies and injuries aren’t going to put me in an early grave. This stuff can stress out an old mama like me.

So here we are, tending to Houston’s mending arm and dealing with all the to-dos that come along with his recovery: cast removal on 8/6; getting a removable hard splint; the twins and I accompanying him to physical therapy twice a week; applying a heat pad and doing arm-extension exercises at home; keeping the arm safe, etc.

Woody & the Injured Boys: Sounds like a great band name for a couple brothers who are bound & determined to get boo boos.

But really, things are good. Houston has gained back a lot of flexibility, mobility, strength and use, especially in extending his arm out straight. In fact, he improved by 5 degrees just this week.

Houston does have ways to go with bending his arm, though, which is not surprising due to the severity of his break. We’re optimistic overall and are just taking it one day at a time. Please still keep our tough guy in your prayers!

“Write your injuries in dust, your benefits in marble.” — Benjamin Franklin

So on 8/14, we met some of our CC friends at a park few towns over for some fun in the unseasonably temperate weather. Houston worked his arm responsibly and the twins had great success in bike riding on the playground’s flat, paved surface.

As I was packing up the van, I heard Zeke wailing. He had fallen from the play equipment and had a huge, golf-ball size lump on the back of his head. I think I went into mother shock ’cause some of the details after that are kind of blurry.

Stephen is now giving the kids Spanish lessons every Sunday for an hour — a longtime goal of ours that is finally happening & everyone is loving it!

I didn’t see the accident and there are differing accounts as to what happened. Some eye-witness parents told me that Zeke hit his head on a metal pole when coming down, while the kids said his head only hit the ground (which was luckily covered with ultra-safe shredded-rubber mulch).

But what everyone did agree on is that Zeke fell from a very high height, which Miss Christie estimated to be about 15 feet. And thank God my dear friend was there ’cause I was pretty much speaking in tongues when I called Stephen, so he had to talk to Christie to figure out what had happened and then the best course of action.

Fortunately, Zeke wasn’t puking or blacking out or doing anything much other than crying. But due to the extreme elevation of his plummeting descent, Stephen wanted me to meet him at the ER. So, Christie led me out of the semi-unfamiliar town to the the highway, until I was on a recognizable route and could speed away toward the hospital.

From Lincoln logs to Legos, the 3 Amigos are passionate about constructing things out of tiny pieces & then inevitably crashing their creations down.

The CT-scan showed that all of the swelling was happening on the outside of Zeke’s head and that his brain was fine — no bleeding or contusions or distension going on inside my sweet boy’s head. Thanks (again), Lord!

And according to Zeke, he and Asher had been playing an intense game on the towering platform, which required him to chase Asher with his eyes … wait for it … closed! I’m telling ya, I really abhor helicopter moms, constantly hovering over their kids and their every move.

“Raising children is an uncertain thing; success is reached only after a life of battle and worry.” — Democritus

But perhaps I should take a closer look at this modern phenomena and attempt to reattach the umbilical cord, for safety concerns, of course. Obviously, I’m kidding.

But c’mon … can’t my boys just be a little more careful? Or do I have to become an overbearing, overprotective zealot? Surely, there’s a compromise somewhere in there. Hopefully, we’ll figure all that out before I have a trauma-induced heart attack!

I keep telling Gabriel that if he (my boy who is most like a bull in a china shop) can avoid major injury during childhood, it will prove to be an amazing story for he & brothers to share w/ their own kids one day.

Even if the self-induced injuries were nil, there are still always medical concerns that can eat away at a parent. As you know, Houston has Horner’s Syndrome, which we were fairly certain was caused by an injury to his sympathetic pathway during birth.

Yet, there was always that slight concern that the condition was due to something other than birth trauma, like a mass or tumor in the chest or neck, which in turn, affects the ocular muscles. Our local eye doctor has always been great and given Houston phenomenal care.

But with Houston’s semi-frequent headaches, auras and nosebleeds (and Obama-care looming), we wanted to put to rest any serious concerns once and for all. So, we headed to the Duke Eye Center on Tuesday to see one of the country’s leading pediatric neuro-opthalmologists.

Now that summer’s almost over, this pre-injury pic of the dudes swimming w/ Daddy reminds us that we’ll have to get the boys their aquatic fix @ the YMCA’s indoor pool this fall & winter.

As we had hoped and prayed, it was confirmed that Houston’s syndrome is indeed congenital and, thankfully, not a severe case at that. The doc said we might want to consider cosmetic surgery for his ptosis down the road.

Stephen and I figure that we’ll discuss the eye-lid-correction procedure (which is a routine, day-surgery kind of thing) with Houston when he’s older and can make an informed decision on his own. But for now, all is well.

Other than all that heart-rending medical stuff with the kids, I recently underwent my first mammogram, which was pure torture! I also found out that I now have tendonitis in my left thumb. I love the wisdom that comes with age, but I could surely do without this lame body!

August hasn’t been all doctors and hospitals, though. We really have managed to have quite a good month regardless of all the healthcare happenings.

Zeke & Houston get giddy over a dancing ghost @ Cracker Barrel, where we stopped for lunch en route home from the Duke Eye Center in Durham.

On 8/7, Miss Christie had us over for cupcakes and ice cream for Jackson’s 4th birthday. We then hit their neighborhood pool for what was our first swim since Houston’s accident. Everyone took like fishes to water, and it was a pleasant, injury-free outing.

On 8/12, we went to the sprayground for the very first time this summer with Miss Beth and the boys. We had a grand time and plan on going again tomorrow with the J-Crew.

On 8/13, I took the dudes to see Despicable Me 2, which was Gabriel and Zeke’s first real movie (meaning at the theater and not a dollar flick). Their obsession with Gru and company continues unabated, so much so that we are even toying with the idea of them dressing as minions for Halloween.

Another thing the 3 Amigos are really into is Pink Floyd. It started when Daddy and they watched a documentary about the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii in 79 AD.

A tad perturbed by the fact that Mommy will only let them spend $1 from each of their piggy banks on video games, the 3 Amigos gather in front of the Tim the Minion poster after seeing “Despicable Me 2.”

Somehow, this morphed into viewing video clips of Live at Pompeii, the 1972 concert film in which the band performs in one of the Italian city’s ancient amphitheaters. The boys are especially enthusiastic about the movie’s version of the ethereal song “Echoes.”

Also on their fave Floyd playlist is GoodBye Blue Sky from the 1979 masterpiece, The Wall. Even though it’s a spooky, foreboding song about the Blitz of the U.K. by Nazi Luftwaffe during WWII, the dudes find it utterly appealing.

From British progressive rock and American punk (particularly The Ramones’ Beat on the Brat), to classic country and contemporary Christian hits on K-Love, the kids have quite a diverse ear for music. And luckily, Stephen and I would have it no other way!

The dudes stand in front of a beehive during a visit to Historic Orchard @ Altapass during their time in the mountains for the Houston Family Reunion.

Last weekend, Stephen and the boys went to the mountains for the annual Houston Family Reunion. Other than the accidental deaths of Amarillo (a yellow caterpillar from home) and Zebra (a found caterpillar from Granny’s), they enjoyed seeing family, some from nearby and others from afar.

I stayed behind to clean and reorganize the house, since we had our walls, ceilings and all trim professionally painted earlier in the week. The mess was definitely similar to that of a move and my work is not yet complete. Sigh.

But the casa already looks great! It’s amazing how much dirt and funk some spackle, primer and a fresh coat of quality paint in beautiful colors can hide. Plus, I’m confident I’ll have things in working order by the official kick-off our homeschool year on 9/3. Yee haw!