August 2008 Archieve

August 30
"Back Sides"
For some reason ALL my boys & girls like showing off their behinds...thought I would share some cute pictures!

It's been awhile since I updated on us crazy DeYoungs. Life countinues to "happen" around here. Brian's finger is healing, although not to the expectation of his hand surgeon. The pins that they placed are still where they should be, but the bone has yet to fuse around them. He returns for another x-ray in 2 weeks, at that time if the bones haven't fused the surgeon will begin discussing amputation. YIPEE!

I have returned to the Dr. and we are preparing for what will be next in our journey. It has been recommended that I have the tumor removed, thus far we have made no immediate plans to do so. My seizures have increased over the last 3 weeks. I had one lasting well over 5 minutes, luckily Brian was just getting home from work. Apparently, afterwards I was slurring my words and screaming for him. (even though he was inches from me.) For me, the postictal state is the worse. (which is the aftermath of the seizure) I typically suffer from migraines, extreme fatigue, and confusion for 1-2 days following a seizure.

In addition, we are trying to prepare for our children to return to school. Kennedy is entering 4th grade this year, Dawson 1st, Cole pre-1st, Aleigha preschool, and Blake will continue with speech therapy 3 hours a week. Here is a quick peek at SOME of our school supplies:

Kennedy has started cheerleading, Cole soccer, & Dawson will be starting Boy Scouts! WOW. Did I mention that our van is broken??? Anyone know of a mechanic willing to help?????? Brian and 2 of our neighbors have been trying to fix it (thanks Steve and Tim!) but they have had no luck....

Hope that everyone is enjoying their LONG weekend. Take Care!


August 20
Stand for Something...
There’s a new movie coming out. Tropic Thunder boasts some powerhouse comedic stars who you’ll no doubt recognize. Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Robert Downey Jr. are the big moneymakers in this one. The folks at DreamWorks are banking that we, the American public, will be so drawn by this threesome that we’ll flock to theaters and gladly fork over 10 bucks or so for a couple hours of entertainment.
What they’ve neglected to tell us though, in all of their million dollar advertisements, and promotions and movie hype, is that some of the language in this “film” will most definitely be very hurtful to a large percentage of the population.
Do you remember the movie Napoleon Dynamite? I do, though I’d like very much to forget it, not because it was offensive, but because it was dumb. One of the reasons I remember it though is because for months after that movie was first made popular, I saw t-shirts for sale that had phrases like “Vote for Pedro,” and “Ligers Rock,” emblazoned across the front of them. That’s the beauty of marketing I suppose: when done right, it sends an unforgettable message to consumers.
You can imagine then, how completely repulsed I am by the fact that t-shirts are being made to help spread one of the messages Tropic Thunder endorses. One day soon you too might see someone walking around with a shirt that says “Full Retard” in bold letters.
Because, haven’t you heard? It’s funny to disparage those with intellectual disabilities.
Or not.
When my son was born it was bad enough that I had to worry about the looming possibility of him not breathing correctly, seizures, and countless other potential medical disasters. What made the situation worse though was the ignorant and hurtful comments from people I trusted. People in the medical community who took an oath never to do harm, though harm is exactly what they did when they called my sweet baby boy “mentally retarded” and hinted that sometimes kids like this end up in facilities.
It wasn’t until Cole reached a certain age when we were able to see that although God sent him to us "special" (as my best-friend likes to refer to these kiddos) he has presented us with a wealth of stories, all heartwarming and truly inspirational, and although he may be intellectually disabled, he is VERY MUCH SO HERE, VERY MUCH SO LIVING! He is a person playing a starring role in our family. He may talk a little different, we may have spent our Easter in an Ambulance this year because of a Grand Mal Seizure....he may take a few more medications than the neighbor kids, or channel his frustrations differently. Matter of fact - he can't hear out of his left ear. BUT believe me, he hears! Please don't label my son...not even if you are HOLLYWOOD.
Throughout history these people we’ve come to know as “special” have been discriminated against in more ways than we’ll probably ever know.
I think it’s time that we put a stop to that right now.
Please stand with me, with my family, and with my son as we demand dignity and respect for people all over the world who were born into bodies with limitations. People who struggle to accomplish tasks that might seem commonplace to you and I. People with feelings and souls who deserve far more than the hateful labels this movie has given them.
Please don’t spend your money to patronize a movie that ridicules my son, and others like him.
There is a country song lyric that says it in a way better than I: You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.
Join me in standing up for people like Cole. Your stand won’t soon be forgotten.


August 18
31 Years....
So I turned 31 yesterday, celebrated the day with my family....

Enjoyed some great food, a cookie cake with the neighbor kids, and invaded Nicole's pool...(thanks for sharing while you are away!)



I was trying to think of something "profound" to write about, something great that I have learned in 31 years....the truth is, much of what I have learned have been lessons taught from my kids. To be honest the last 9 years of my life are the years I'm most proud of. I'm not talking about following my dream in health care, I'm not talking about all the hours of studying...I'm talking about spending my life as "mom" "ma" "mommy". Thank-you Kennedy, Dawson, Cole, Aleigha & Blake for allowing me to accomplish my dream in life. Thank-you for calling me "mom'.


August 12
Bees
Somehow I stumbled across this article that talks about a study in which British scientists are tracking how bees hunt in hopes of figuring out how serial killers choose their victims.
Um. Huh?
Sometimes I just feel like someone is somewhere tokin' on a doobie and saying "Duuuude, I'm so wasted! We should so totally write a research proposal. Yeah!" It just seems so random. I mean the article starts about by saying,
"Just as bees forage some distance away from their hives, so murderers avoid killing near their homes, says the University of London team."
Uhhhh-kay .... Is this whole comparison the basis for the research? Because, if so, I'm sure I can get some British research dollars to figure out the link between dolphins and gang violence because,
Just as dolphins resist anything restrictive around their middles, so do gang members avoid wearing belts and pants around their natural waist.
It's not that I don't believe bees should be studied. In fact, I think bees are quite fascinating. Really! I've always thought that. I have a totally love/hateyourstinkin'guts relationship with bees. It's been this way since I was a child. I love the behavior of bees. I love their hierarchy and their drippy honeycombs. I love that I was told once that a bee shouldn't be able to fly (something about the weight to wing ratio) but since no one ever told the bee about his inability, he flies anyway. I love the fuzzy wuzzy bees and I love the honey bees. I love the hum they make and I love the shape of their hives. There are a lot of things to love about bees.
However, I do believe one of the worst things in the world that that can happen to you is to get stung by a bee.
I know. You are thinking I'm daft because who would possibly list that as one of the WORST things in the world? You may be thinking how I could put that above all the really horrible things that happen like cancer and murder and brussel sprouts, but let me say this... If you were allergic to them like me, you may agree. I swell up so much after being stung it's truly almost comical. Like in Charlie and the Chocolate factory, I have to go to the juicer.
AND... in addition to everything else, bee stings have the added awful bonus of killing the bee.
Now come on. That just seems ridiculous. I have a hard time believing this is a good defense mechanism. It just feels so counterproductive. Sure, I stepped on you, Bee, but you didn't have to kill yourself just to get me to move. It's just all so dramatic. So drastic. It would be like me ripping my head off and throwing it at someone to get them off my porch. Effective? Maybe. Dire consequences for dinner that night? For sure.
Perhaps, I shouldn't be so critical of the bee researchers. I mean after all my years of being stung, who I am to judge? Maybe they're onto something. Clearly, they have some brilliant insights. Just check out this quote:
"understanding how bees are recruited to flowers is much easier than understanding the complex thoughts of a serial murderer," Dr. Raine said.
Wow.Thanks, Doc. That's money well spent.


August 08
8-8-98 ~ 8-8-08
Happy 10 year Anniversary sweetie!!!



10 things that I have learned in 10 years:

1. A sense of humor is necessary.
2. I don't agree with the "never go to bed angry rule". For us, sometimes a good nights sleep puts things in perspective.
3. Compromise takes on a whole new meaning when you get married.
4. Inside jokes help keep a marriage interesting...
5. Bringing up the past is not fair when fighting (yes honey, I'm still working on this.)
6. When I'm sad, sick, mad, happy or afraid - Brian is the first person that I want.
7. Kids are WONDERFUL, but complicate a marriage. (mommy & daddy dates are a must.)
8. Getting married young is hard...BUT gives you an opportunity to grow up together.
9. Hugs still feel as good as they did 10 years ago.
10. and mostly, I have come to know that I married my best-friend and that our love for eachother is unconditional; together we can make it through anything.

Thank-you honey....I love you.