Happy Anniversay Spencer and Aileen!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Enjoy your day! We love you!

By the looks of things, a lot has happened in 6 years!

Willis had to go to the Vet

Well, after three days, I had no luck in getting the stick out of Willis' mouth. After returning from the grocery store today Willis met us at the car and the smell coming from her knocked me down, so I knew that a trip to the vet was in order.

The vet thought she may be better at holding Willis than I was, and after realizing that Willis was having nothing to do with letting anyone in her mouth, she decided to sedate her. After one dose and 15 minutes Willis got hyper like a child whose dose of Benadryl backfired. So, she was given another dose and another 15 minutes.

She did calm down a bit, but wasn't sleeping and was still having nothing to do with her mouth being touched. So, an intravenous dose of valium was next. FINALLY she went out. Of course, I kept thinking about Poogan and how her death was due to complications of being dosed and I kept watching her breathing the whole time. That is until the Dr. removed the stick.

It was just an oak tree type branch, about the size of my pinky, firmly wedged between the back molars across her palette. Once removed, a large, necrotic trough across her palette was revealed. Bloody and icky looking, Legare says, "eeewww - that's gross!".

The doctor pulled out several patches of dead tissue, and you could actually see some bone. A lot of work for three days! Well, after some reversing medicine, a shot of antibiotics and a bottle of take home pills, we get to bring Willis home. The nurse suggested soft foods, the Dr. wasn't sure that this wound would slow Willis down.

Well, the Dr. was right, Willis turned her nose up at the soft food, but lay with her head in the automatic feeder. I had to go next door to retrieve something, and guess who followed? Willis, running the short cut to meet us there and back. So I would say that she should be o.k. Especially since she will be taking 600 mg of antibiotics a day for the next 7 days. God just doesn't allow for animals to feel pain the way we do I guess. Smart thinking!

Parts of the Day for August 15th

Worst Parts:
Me - Not being able to help my dog.

Willis (my black lab) has bitten a stick and a part of it is lodged between her back teeth. Today was the second day of her staying under the house sulking because of this stick. She won't relax for me to be able to pull on it hard enough to get it out. I can get my hand in her mouth and begin to tug at it (the stick feels as if it's as big around as my finger), but she panics, and I am not able to get it. I know it must hurt, plus ... it's in there SUPER tight. She is generating enough saliva that hopefully the wetness will help to break down the stick and help it come loose.

Ella (my yellow lab) is known for this "Stuck Stick" phenomenon, but she seeks me out to get me to help dislodge it. Smart dog! She's not as high strung as Willis is - and that's an understatement describing Ella, not Willis, I promise you haven't met a more laid back dog than Ella.

I even enlisted Thomas' help to try to hold Willis down so I could better get at the stick. He was great at holding her down, but she was still squirmy enough that I couldn't make any head way. My heart hurts for my dog. I'll try again tomorrow.

Children - None

Best Parts:
Me - one of my best friends (she's also a cousin), Sue, has opened Belle Amie Salon and today was the Opening Day! Sue has been doing my hair since before Bryan and I were married and we've been waiting on her to hang her own shingle. And wow, is Belle Amie a precious salon! Congratulations, Sue!!!

Children: (two Good Parts since there were no Worst Parts)
1st part - Today, they are again in agreement...renting movies...RV and Shaggy Dog.

During one scene of RV (a very cute movie, but some of the humor was a bit old for my kids) the Dad is placing blocks under the back tire of the RV so that it doesn't roll away. When he is done he says, "That was easy". To which Legare exclaims, "He could have just pushed the Easy Button!". Of course there was lots of laughter!!

Too much TV in Legare's day, I would say. For those like Bryan who aren't in the know, the Easy Button is a sales gimmick for Staples. It is a big red button that if pushed, is supposed to make things easy for you. They really sell them in the stores. It has "Easy" printed on it, and when you push it a voice says, "That was Easy". Legare wants one.

2nd part - Talking to Granny this morning on the phone. I think they each must have told her about every individual school supply they had, down to the box of Kleenex. Sorry, Mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEGARE!!!

Fitting that I woke up at 5:15 this morning to go to the bathroom .... he was born at 5:04 in the morning the day he was born. And his birthday then was a Thursday too, I think!

Happy Birthday, Legare! We love you so much and can't believe that you have been with us for 6 years - WOW!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELIZA!!!

How exciting that you're ONE! My how a year flies by!
WE LOVE YOU!!!








Two of your BIGGEST fans!

Parts of the Day for August 9th

No Worst Parts today....Yay!

Best parts (for both children)....



Helping to make Legare's Birthday cake.
















Probably really just licking the beaters.
















Or maybe just licking the spoon.

But since I allow for two Best Parts if there are no Worst Parts....they both said their second Best Part was taking these pictures......








...after they saw this one, the laughter became contagious. Even Bryan left the couch to see what was so funny.

Legare's New Hair Cut

Legare wanted a "Ty Keener" haircut. Ty is one of Legare's good friends who sports a buzz cut all year long.

I decided to let Legare do it, it's summer time, 100 degrees, what could it hurt, right? Well, Legare no longer has "handsome hair"...the kind of hair that requires you to comb it to the side with your fingers. He looks a bit like Dad!

He'll be 6 tomorrow by the way!!!!

Teeth are feeling normal

o.k .... I am feeling way better than I thought I would...my teeth are seated back where they are supposed to be, my headache went away after the first dose of ibuprofen today, and my neck wasn't stiff like I thought it would be (though it feels like a trip to the chiropractor would be in good order).

My tongue has a nice sore spot on it, I have a bruised feeling spot on my chin (no discoloration as of yet), and my jaw joint is a bit sore feeling. But I am impressed by how little I am actually affected by my whop in the face. Mom says that if my jaw wasn't dislocated, it could have possibly been that the bursa sack (is this the correct word) in the joint could have been displaced from the blow. This could be why my mouth didn't function correctly for bit, yet left no swelling. Mom used to work for an orthodontist and had patients that this happened to.

Proper Use of Kitchen Gadgets

I have the neatest contraption in my kitchen. Imagine your cabinets that are at the floor. This one is a skinny one, not the standard size in width, but the standard size in height. In it, is a spring loaded shelf that holds my food processor. When it is released, the shelf actually swings out and up to create a platform for the processor. It is designed this way so that you don't have to pick up the heavy processor each time you want to use it. It's pretty handy. I think Bryan's Grandmamma (Lila) kept her mixer on it. That's why the cabinet is the standard size in height. Designed to house the tall, skinny mixer.

Well yesterday, I was trying to get a little too domestic. I had a large pot on the stove going boiling peanuts (Bryan's idea, but I was the one cooking them), and I was making some pimento cheese. I was using the cuisinart to shred the cheese - and since the cord is not long enough, I actually removed the processor from it's little platform and had tucked the platform back in the cabinet.

I had most of the cheese grated, but needed the little Cuisinart Plunger to get it down the rest of the way. So I went cabinet diving to try to find it.

Well, you may or may not know that the cuisinart is HEAVY. I would say five to ten pounds. And when it is sitting on this shelf, the shelf pulls out nice and slowly; the weight counteracting the strength of the two springs. When the cuisinart is off of this shelf, the two industrial size springs cause the shelf to travel at about Mach 30.

Well, remember, I had the Cuisinart on the counter at this point, and as I was kneeling in front of the spring loaded shelf. I think I decided that I needed to release it to get it up and out of the cabinet so that I could look under the cabinet with an unobstructed view.

I know that I had both hands on the shelf...one pulling the release, the other bracing to help it come up with some control - since I knew the weight of the Cuisinart wasn't there to help. Well, my bracing hand apparently did nothing except go for a fast ride as the shelf clocked me in the chin.

This caused a tremendous POW! in my head and neck- I actually saw stars - and it knocked me on my back sprawled out in the middle of the floor. I was seeing the underside of the sink's lip.

I was dazed. I took inventory of my teeth, because they felt funny. All there, nothing splintered. My tongue hurt. Is that blood or spit? I can't tell. WOW...my jaw really hurts!
Get up to the sink...spit...minor traces of blood. Wow, my jaw really hurts. The joint in front of my ear is on fire. Crying starts - I'm in pain. Bryan is a bit spooked at this point, because I have said hardly anything except, "my jaw", "my jaw". More crying. I go to move my jaw around and it feels pretty funny. Oh, no - have I broken my jaw?!?!?!? O.K., no. There's pain, but not that kind of pain. O.K....my teeth aren't touching. My jaw feels like it's getting stuck when I try to close it. Is it dislocated? I don't know...man, my jaw! My ear! More crying. Panicked crying. I need to go to a doctor. I say this. My voice doesn't sound right to me....like I have a swollen tongue. But I think it's because my mouth isn't working right.

l hear Bryan call his Mom. I am still crying - in pain and in panic. I notice that as I'm crying, my mouth is staying open and I feel the need to cover it with a cloth - I say again (o.k. cry hysterically) to Bryan...I think I may have dislocated my jaw. The look on his face is horrible. He looks at me, and doesn't see anything that looks out of place. This is Good. Bryan's mom is here in what seems like record time. Did she run?

Man, my jaw hurts!
My ear hurts!
More crying.

I decide that I need to try to move my jaw - is it really dislocated? Can't be.

Well, its range of motion stops when it's not supposed to. I then realize that I definitely know it's NOT broken - the pain would be too intense otherwise. And this is just weird pain - not collarbone broken pain. I don't know if my jaw is really dislocated or not, but now I feel like I need to move it because it feels like it needs to crack - like a knuckle. So I try moving it. It pops and slides a bit. We get in the car and head for a medical center - a privately owned ER type place that doesn't allow ambulances.

About half way there, I realize that the pain is subsiding a bit. This is good. However, my head is killing me. And my neck. And my ear. So, this is what it's like to punched in the face!

By the time we're at the medical center, the pain is mostly gone...just dull aches everywhere. Including my back and butt. Must be from when I hit the floor. Dr. Brian (not Bryan) says things feel fine. We do x-rays - nothing broken. Jaw is in place. I may be sore. Don't chew gum. Be easy chewing. Take ibuprofen (I turned down the prescription pain meds - I have children to be coherent for), etc., etc.

Still not sure if my jaw was actually dislocated - there is no swelling of my face. This is the only thing that makes me wonder - all of the rest points to dislocation. Could have been a partial movement out of place I guess. Could be the force of the blow just sprained the tissue surrounding the joint. At any case, it hurts when I begin chewing, and when I am at the height of a yawn it hurts and feels peculiar. My teeth still aren't lining up quite right, but at least they touch now. I also still have a mean headache and my ear feels like I'm getting ready to get an ear ache. But it's 6:30 in the morning, and it's time for some more ibuprofen.

I'm very lucky that this thing hit my chin, not my teeth, or my nose. That would have been a true trauma. The hit on the chin just made for a good blog for my Momma to read.

Hey, Aunt Susie!!

So glad to see you here! What a big smile your posts put on my face!

Thought I would take the time to introduce you to the others since I was named after you and all; and since I am up - again - in the wee hours. I love you!

And I love all you other sweet people who read this stuff!

On to another note...I am a goober! I'm so excited that I posted on Farmgirl fares blog earlier - that doesn't make me a freak does it?