Avocado Flowers...

We are trying a fun and interesting experiment--growing avocado flowers. Now I know that sounds weird, especially living in Alberta where we get VERY cold--far from the tropical climates they like! But nonetheless, I am having a good time seeing the changes each day when I come into work; puts a smile on my face!!

I started with an avocado from the grocery store, used the fruit, cleaned the seed. I didn't take pictures of those steps, but I am sure you get what I mean!

Then you need to insert toothpicks (I have a very crazy, serious adversion to "unfinished" wood, so I have to use plastic toothpicks!). You can't put them in too deep, only about 1/2 an inch. I've read online to use 2 toothpicks, but I've only used 2 and it is seeming to work fine.

Then you need to put the contraption in a cup or jar of water. Don't fully cover the seed with water; instead leave some seed exposed at the top (this one could use a little more)

Now the fun game of waiting begins! You will notice that the seed will begin to get crack and that is a good thing! My first one began to crack almost as soon as 24 hours later. The next picture was taken on March 22nd about a week into the project, you can see the root beginning to "pop out"!

This picture was taken today! I was so suprised to come into my office and see the root externally!

You may notice too, that the pictures are actually of 2 seeds that I am growing. I didn't take beginning pictures of the first seed, as I honestly didn't think it would work! So the blue toothpick seed is the first, the green is the second. I have another avocado at home that now is making me itch to do this with the boys at home! I can't wait to begin it with them, so they can watch this right along with me!!

Be sure to check back for updates and more pictures--I almost hate that the weekend is here--I will be so excited to come into work on Monday and see the new progress!!

Here is a picture of a picture & the resolution is horrible because I took the picture of a picture off my home PC!!

This was our first Christmas picture as a family. Only we are a couple of kids short!!

I promise that I will get the "real" one uploaded as soon as I can...

This is a picture of Mikey with his very first, brand new toboggan! He had fun trying out the different ones in the store. We (ok, I) had to make sure that he would be able to hold on, use the handles etc, with mittens on. He kept trying to hurry me up by letting me know that he uses crazy carpets at school and "they don't have handles mom, and I can still use them". His tone is becoming funnier each day! Such a little man!

(disclaimer: I really am beginning to loathe blogger's picture uiploading feature. I mean come on, why must they make it so darn difficult to align pictures?)

A New Year, A New Me

I'm back! I've been back at work since January 4th, 2010, but have been super busy cleaning up, catching up and the like. I really really missed working. That may sound a little crazy to some, but I really did. I love my job. I love my doctors. I love my patients.

I do have a brand spanking new neck, but alas I think they gave me a partially used model ;) The surgery itself was not that bad. The pain was horrible. The philly collar was a nightmare. I go for my post op check {finally} on Jan 21st. I still find my left arm to be affected. At times my neck will tense up and stretch my head to rest on my left shoulder. I do not even know when this is happening. I will have Guy come up to me and tell me to straighten my head; or even better, he will adjust it for me! But when this happens [and moreso throughout the day}, my left arm will be rendered useless. It will flex to a position that is along my body, bending along the front and my hand will be "locked" in an upwards position. Very hard to explain, but it bothers me.

I do find my headaches have drastically lessened which is HUGE for me!! Gone are my times hanging out in a blacked-out bathroom, sitting on the floor with my head between my legs!! woo hoo!!

The boys are doing really well. Liam told me Sunday night that he wants to go work for Safeway {grocery store} when he is 16, until he is 18. Then he will still live with me, but will help us with bills!! OMG my sweet boy is the greatest! Then he decided that Guy makes really good money so he will work with him when he is 18!! Money money money, Liam has always been about the money--right from toddlerhood; making his precious Poppa Tom get out of his favorite couch so he could ransack under the cushions looking for what fell out of Poppa's pockets! Not to mention how he'd literally go through Poppa's pockets because that money was going fall out anyways!!!

Mikey is Mikey. He absolutely is in love with music. He really always has been, but lately he has taken a big interest in instruments. Guy and Pierre are very good at acoustic guitars and Mikey will sit between them just watching {and sneak in a few strums while they are not watching1}. Well Guy bought a mini AG for the boys and Mikey tried. He tried just as he always tries at everything. Guy tells me that it will be impossible for him to play. I don't believe it, but logically I think I know that it will be hard. Mikey's PT said it will be difficult. I don't want to believe that. I went my whole pregnancy & even his first few months of life thinking so many things he wouldn't be able to do--or everything will be difficult. But then he proved me and everyone else wrong. Mikey has been able to do everything and anything. He would always find a way & then I became his biggest fan and supporter.

I feel like if I think he won't be able to play guitar, then I am letting him down as a mom. I have never let him use his hands as an excuse, he's never needed that. What would that make me, if I "give up" on him? I hate feeling like this. I never wanted to use his hands as an excuse, but then I am starting to think that I am lying to myself and to him. ..

Holy moly--my surgery is going to be on Tuesday. OMG November 24th. That is literally right around the corner and I am now suddenly scared out of my mind. I go through PAC tomorrow and find out on Monday what time I go in on Tuesday morning.

Monday morning is here! Our weekend was good. Didn't do much, but yesterday November 15th, marked 3 years of Mikey's "Happy Hand Day". So hard to believe that 3 years ago he got his "new" hands. That surgery was the hardest one to put him through. I never thought that we would decide to operate o nhis hands, but he needed it. When he was learning to stand, the nubbins would catch on things {one instance required an ER vist, as he nearly ripped on off when it got stuck in a cupboard door}.

He was so cute post op though, with his little boxer hands! Gosh Mikey, you sure amaze Mommy!

I had my pre op done on Saturday morning and I am fit for surgery. My GP's faxed off the required form and I am hoping a date gets set this week. It will be so good to finally have a date! My doc also said that in light of the damage on my left side, it has now caused inflammation of my rotator cuff. I was prescribed anti-inflammatories {yippee for little yellow houses}, but to take them in combo with the T4's, makes for me tol feel yucky! I am grateful though, that I don't get sedated with them however.

I am hoping that this gets resolved soon {the inflammation} as it is making for work to become "hard to do". My typing gets messed up as my left arm/hand on occassion decides to "pass out" on me and I keep making mistakes. Really not a good thing to have happen-very frustrating!

It's been a couple of days and I'm sorry for that. Things have been busy and in all honesty, I've been in terrible pain. I honestly feel like a 32-year-old living in the the body of a 90-year-old {one that is not full of "piss and vinegar" as my Gramma used to say!}. I don't know at times how I will be able to make it until January. My left side tends to seize up when it wants to. It usually begins in my left arm and hand. It becomes "fuzzy' feeling and very warm. Then it spreads to my left leg and my foot becomes so full of pins and needles that at times I am moved to tears.

It is very hard with work-being a medical assistant in front of the computer most times is a HUGE contributor to this. But I love my job. No matter how many times my GP tells me "oh how are you still working, especially full time?". I pretty much laugh at him each time. Sure I could "give up", but I can't. I love my job. He tells me I have my medical benefits and I know I am so gratefully lucky to have this, but I can not see myself taking that option. Not at this point anyways.

I would be very bored at home! I go crazy over stat holidays and summer/winter holidays! I miss the patients, I miss my docs, I miss work. I miss being OUTSIDE of my "Mom life". Plus, I am strong. I keep telling myself that. I went to school as a single mom of two little boys {Mikey was a year and Liam was 3}. THAT was hard. But I did it. I did it for THEM. I wanted them to be proud of me. I thought how it would be for them when they entered school and their friends would ask them "what does your mommy do". I didn't want them to say "my mommy can't work". I pushed through school. As much as I hated dropping them off at daycare every morning. I hated seeing their sad faces. They needed the other kids interaction and I really did want Mikey immursed in other kids to get "used" to THE questions that I knew we could not get around from.


I got off a bit on a tangent there. I appologize. I have been a bit emotional the past little bit. I strongly believe that with all that is going on in my body that it is throwing off my regular system. Blah. One day. Soon. I will be free of this pain. Of this nightmare. I keep getting told by everyone of the complications that could happen from this surgery. I am well aware that nothing is guaranteed. But I can not NOT try. I need to do this. I am too young to feel like this. I need to be able to enjoy playing with the boys {and stay up later than 7PM!}. Although I am also not looking forward to having an incision across the front of my neck {I really am not so secretly} hoping that the stenosis will be severe enough by OR time that he needs to convert to an incision on the back of my neck. In any case, it will all be worth it, right?


I also am such a dimwit and not sure if I mentioned that while I met with the Neurosurgeon I completely forgot to ask him about the mass in my supraclavicle. To be fair though, he was searching for my current scans {my GP's front end girls are really not on the ball} and then he got called to the ER. I am to meet with my GP this Saturday & I pray to God that he does not cancel that appointment, as he is famous for doing. If you could spare a few extra prayers for this too, I would greatly appreciate it!

Mikey was in the Saint City News November 6th, 2009 edition! http://saintcitynews.advancedpublishing.com/(S(kqzq1oa2wwfnq455ofbsume4))/default.aspx?bhcp=1 He is on Page 14!!


And now, here are a couple of pictures for your enjoyment!!

Mikey chillin' in the bubbles {jaccuzi's and Lightning McQueen bubble bath need to be monitored!!}

And in this picture, you will see WHY I am the World's Proudest mom! This is a side-by-side picture of their school photos for 2009-2010. My word, they really are becoming big boys!

Hope you enojy the rest of your day & now I must get to work!

P.S. Does anyone else find the photo uploader here on Blogger is really a HUGE PITA {computer lingo for those that might be wondering!}?!!!

Sometimes I wonder. I wonder WTH this really is all for. I wonder what the point is. I wonder why even try. I wonder.

My daddy was told last week he has prostate cancer. Cancer.Cancer.Cancer. The friggin C word is every where. It is around every flippin' corner. Looming. Waiting.

Why I wonder. Is this "thing" the plague of our time. I've no doubt that that is true. I wonder though, I was never as aware of this damn disease until ironically I began working in Oncology. And it is THERE. It is HERE. It is everywhere and I hate it.hate it.hate it.hate it.hate it.