First off, update on L.B. After seeing several specialists, it seems that his original diagnosis of cerbral palsy was incorrect. Instead, it looks as though he does have a blood disorder that was never mentioned in his medical report. We're still waiting on more test results to get a confirmation.
It has become more and more clear that L.B. was probably held quite a bit. He very often will walk from person to person in our house with his arms raised, looking for someone to hold him. It's also obvious that he hasn't had to do much for himself. The other day I gave him his sandals and told them to put them on. It wasn't pretty. Have you ever seen the Youtube video of the inebriated guy trying to put on his flip flops? It was a lot like that. He didn't seem to have a clue how to do it. We're working on it.
He is clearly very bright and picks up on things quickly. He continues to enjoy imitating people which seems to be helping him pick up some English. He is starting to initiate using English rather than just repeating what we say. He really can be like a little echo, which is cute, but can be frustrating if you're trying to give him directions on something. We were playing a game where he had to match cards in his hands with cards I laid out on the floor. I was trying to explain what he needed to do and it went like this:
Me: Okay, find the ball (tapping the card in his hand).
L.B. (tapping the card in his hand): Ball
Me: Yes, that's a ball. Find one over here (pointing around to the cards I laid out)
L.B. (pointing to the cards I laid out) Find here.
Me: Yes, find it here.
L.B. Find here.
Me: No, you find the card. Don't just copy mama.
L.B.: Copy mama.
During this discussion the WTs have already found their matches and are attempting to confiscate L.B.'s cards. He does catch on eventually and it's only because he's so smart and was able to ignore my poor directions and gesticulations.
He still operates pretty independently of the WTs. Here is a rare picture of the three together, and he's happy....
as long as they keep their distance. When they get too close...
Uh, not so much.
This is a pretty common scene of general mayhem. Where's L.B.?
At a safe distance away from the melee.
So what else has been going on this month? After helping to run our church's Vacation Bible School, we took one day off and then headed up north for a week of camping with friends. Let me stop here and point out that it really takes about three weeks to plan and recover from a camping trip with kids. It's two weeks to plan and pack, one week of cleaning and laundry.
After leaving later than planned and a five hour drive, we were glad to arrive at Humboldt before nightfall...barely before nightfall. Because of VBS, we arrived a day later than our friends. We enjoyed one glorious day of camping, before the rain came. And when it rained, it poured. We're talking a thunderstorm that sent us running out of our tents early in the morning to try and put away as much as we could. We would have been willing to wait out the rain if it hadn't decided to make its way into our tents. Once puddles started forming on the little boys' sleeping bags, we knew we had to pack it in.
All of our friends decided to leave as well. To try and salvage a little more of the trip, we decided to meet up with two of the other families with wee ones for lunch on the way home. We packed up, sent our friends ahead so we could follow, got into our cars (we took two to accomodate both us and our stuff, we have a lot of both), and mine would not start. James popped the hood, looked around, and found a mouse and its nest cozy warm in our engine. One of our friends came back to check on us, but it seemed that nothing short of calling a tow truck was going to work.
With no cell service, James had to make frequent trips to the ranger station to call our insurance company and work out the tow and the servicing. We also had to figure out how to transport all of us to where the car would be towed, about 20 minutes north. Between the smaller car and the tow truck, we still would not be able to fit. Thankfully, James convinced the very gracious ranger (who was just getting off duty) to give him and one of the toddlers (tods) a ride to our destination (we paid for the gas) while I waited for the tow truck. We were told that it would take up to three hours for the tow truck to get there. Sure enough, three hours later, with no heat in the car, wet kids, and having to entertain two tods (the older three were troopers), we were excited to see Bryan the tow truck driver. He tried the Suburban and it wouldn't start for him either.
After towing us to the very nice town of Fortuna, this very nice guy went out of his way to help us out. He heard me trying to figure out how we were going to shuttle all of us to the hotel where James and M were waiting. I would have to leave D and G there at Fortuna motors (which had closed up for the night), drive over to the hotel which was not that far away, drop off some of the kids and go back for D and G. He offered to drive D and G (who had been riding with him on the way up) to the hotel while I drove the other three in the functioning car. What a relief!
To make a long story short, we arrived in Fortuna on Tuesday and went home on Thursday. What was wrong with the Sub? Apparently nothing. The blasted thing started up right away for the mechanics. They did a few things, but determined that something was blocking some sensor which caused the engine to shut down. That's my scientific explanation. So two days in a hotel room with three tods. Okay, truth be told, I enjoyed our time there. We had fun with the kids and had concentrated amounts of time with them without being distracted by life.
Here are a few pics from our one day of camping of our five day trip:
The three tods having lunch while Dad and the three OS are out hiking
K is perusing D's Lego club magazine while he draws his comics
Take note of the figure in the lower right corner. Let's go in for a closer look.
This little guy decided to throw a tantrum and was placed in this seat as a consequence.
We seriously did not leave him there that long. He had missed his nap, and tantrums are so draining!
He's getting re-energized for his next one.
Welcome to an American tradition, my son, s'mores!!!
We got home last Thursday, and Friday K came down with some mystery illness. She had a high fever and complained of her teeth hurting. It wasn't until the next day that I looked into her mouth and saw lots of little sores all over her cheeks, lips and tongue. Poor baby, the only thing she wanted to drink was medicine, so I bribed her into drinking a smoothie I made by putting it in the medicine spoon.
I think she was on to me...
We thought she might have fever sores, until M came down with the same thing on Monday. Then we knew it was something contagious. On a hunch, I looked at M's feet and hands and called the advice nurse. We both came to the conclusion that the WTs have hand, foot, and mouth disease. Today the disease claimed two more victims: G and C. Amazingly enough, our golden boy L.B. has not yet succumbed. The mouth sores are the painful and I am having to prepare many different meals as different things sound good to different people. Am I allowing them to have their own way with food? You better believe it! Even one little old sore can ruin your day, imagine a mouth full of sores! Will this plague claim more victims? Stay tuned and see (oh, and please pray that it won't!)
