Wednesday, October 31, 2007

How Cats Spend Halloween

By doing much of nothing at all.
I want to be a cat in my next life. :0)



Happy Halloween from Delilah!!

Happy Halloween

This is Kolin, my lil' "Slipknot Maggot".

OK, I have no idea what is up with the "maggot" but Kolin tells me when you are a Slipknot fan, you are a maggot and it's a good thing, a very good thing. Go figure.




Slipknot is a heavy metal band that my three boys love, alot.
This is Slipknot...



Scarey!!

I know some of the words to some of Slipknot's songs...guess that makes me a maggot too? Gross and Scarey.
A middle aged woman/wife/Mom/Gramma singing Slipknot...Gross and hilarious and probably not very amusing, or cool, or tight or sick or whatever those kid say these days.
But I do it anyway, because I am Mom..and I love to embarrass them as they tend to embarass me every so once in a while {every day}. :0)

Ahhh well, it's Halloween so anything goes, right?

I started the decrease in Kody's tic med's last night and though it may be too early to tell...so far so good, no tic's. He's still in his "Zone", but the good news is he hasn't started ticcing yet. :0)

Welp everyone...I've got work to accomplish, hats to make and errands to run so I better jump off for now.

Have yourselves a "Spooktacular Halloween" today!

Love, Kim

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Been Punked Lately?

Punked out, Punk Rock Style that is. :0)

Yep...it's confirmed, some nights I just have waaaayyy to much time on my hands.
I sit up thinking of what I can do to keep busy, between watching all my favorite Style channel shows and yelling at the boys to "Knock it off and got to sleep!".

Anywhos..there is a point to this, this is what I started coming up with in my midnight madness of staying awake..







That thing on top is supposed to be a "mowhawk", and it will be...today I am going to wrack that teeny brain of mine figuring out how to get the hawk to stand up staight.
Wish me luck, please. LOL!!

Not too much else new here...I do have some Kody news though.

I spoke to Neurology just a little while ago and the good news is his Doc there is almost positive that Kody's newest problems {the zoning out/confusion/clumsiness/loss of voice/autistic qualities} is caused by his tic medication, Orap.
This wouldn't account for the morning headaches or actually the headaches that come whenever he lays down.

The bad news..
We have to decrease the Orap until he is completely free of any traces of it and unfortuently his tics, speech, jaw tics will most likely come back full force.
He may also lose the ability to hold things in his right hand, which is exactly what happened last spring when his tics were at frull force.
I know this may some horrible, but when Kody's tics were at it's worst...we honestly thought he had a stroke, it was that bad.
Though not life threatening....it will be socially threatening for him. When it happens, he'll have to be hospital homebound all day instead of the half day that he does now.

We'll bring him back to Neurology on December 12th to see his Neurology Doctor, who unfortunetly will be retiring and his last day will be the same day he see's Kody Bear.
This is a pretty big blow to our family because Dr. Polack is an AWESOME doctor and really takes the time out to personally talk to us whether we are there in his office or over the phone.
You just don't see that anymore these days.

Other then that...things continue to rock on for us, one day at a time, one hour at a time.
You know our motto..

"Just Keep Swimming...Just Keep Swimming".

OK, I'm out for now. Have a wonderful day everyone!!

Love, Kim

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Where The Heck Did The Weekend Go?

Sorry...so, soooo sorry...but with between kids home on vacation, halloween parties and Desperate Housewives...it's been C*R*A*Z*Y!!

I'll be back on tomorow...for real.

In the meantime...Good Lordie, will someone just put Gabrielle and Carlos back together for good?

One more of the "Gothic Bear" and I'm out for tonight. :0)



See ya'all tomorrow, have a GREAT night!

Love, Kim

Friday, October 26, 2007

Gothic Prince

Just one from the Halloween party, at the boys karate school, that we went to tonight.
I'll post some more tomorrow. :0)



I couldn't decide which I liked better, the top color version or this gothic black and white.



Ah, what the heck...one more...



OK, I seriously have to get my sugar high kids to bed.
Have a great night!!

Love, Kim

We've Got Naners!

There's one very good thing that's come out of all this rain we've been having here in Florida...



Our banana trees have been crankin' out bananas like mad. :0)

Now, if we could just figure out how to keep them there until they ripen before the squirrels get them, that would be something.

Have a great day everyone!!

Love, Kim

Thursday, October 25, 2007

For The Huggers Of The World....

Because everyone needs a little "Squeeze" every once in a while..

This week, in Fruitland Park Elementary, one 4th grade teacher asked her kids to bring in a picture of themselves to hang on the classroom door.
While all the kids in the class were blurting out..
"Oh, I have a cute one with my dog, my kitten, my hampster, etc..."

Only one kid sat there quietly, with that devious Grinchlike smile on his cute lil' face, dreaming of the picture that would be the talk of the school.

Guess which kid that was? :0)



We wish you a beautiful day today!
Now go on out and give someone ya love a big ole' Boa Constrictor kind of squeeze.

Love Kim and Kolin and Houdini and Korey Taylor. :0)

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

My Hero

Sorry to keep you all waiting..we got back home about 5, maybe a little after 5....unloaded the car, settled down, made dinner, ate, cleaned up the kitchen and I just now have about 5 minutes before I am off to bring the boys to PWCST {self defense class}.

Today, at Shands...the Cat-Scan and Shunt Series went off without a hitch. The wait to see Dr. P, went on forever...or so it seemed.
Their version of "running a little late" meant sitting around in a small chair for another 4 hours. UGH!

Anyway...the news we got wasn't what we were really hoping for but this is how it went.

As far as Kody's voice..they are clueless.
Maybe a ear/nose/throat doctor can help so they will set us up with one at Shands.

His C-Scan showed small ventricles which is good...or so we thought.

This is what Dr. P explained..

He didn't think the whole loss of voice/slurred speech had anything to do with his shunt but he said his other issues could.
Sometimes when kids have a shunt in thier head for a while {it's been 4 1/2 years for Kody}, the ventricles can stay small but intracranial pressure can still happen.

We have to see Neurology to rule out that his med's aren't the reason for al his new symptoms. If they are, great.
If not..then Kody will need a fourth brain surgery to test/monitor his intracranial pressure.

It's about a 45 minute surgery as to where Dr. P would drill another hole into his skull and insert a set of wires that is attached to a monitor which reads his intracranial brain pressure.
Then...and I am not sure about this because my mind was in a whirl at this point...Dr. P would place something in/on or around Kody's shunt that will continually measure the pressure...so another surgery for that wouldn't be nesessary.
At least that's what I think I heard....I'm just not 100% sure anymore. :0(

I did take a few minutes when we got home to do a super quick research on the web and the first few sites I found said something about intracranial presure/VP Shunts and uncommon symptoms.
Wouldn't you know the two things that jumped out at me was...

"Paralyzed vocal cords" and "Involuntary eye movements"

Well..if that just doesn't explain our past 7 months?!

Tomorrow I'll call Neurology and get started there but tonight, I just want to forget the whole day.

I'll leave you all with this quick snap I took of Kody, My Hero, today.



If you look hard enough, somewhere under that tough guy exterior, you can see a little boy who is tired. Who wants to so desperatly be normal again.
I would give up my life in a heartbeat to see that he could have his life back again.

Thanks so much for checking in...gotta run again!

Talk to you all tomorrow. :0)

Love, Kim

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

He's Just a Skater Boy

Three updates in one day...Dang!!

I wanted to post these tonight, I just thought they were way cool...just like that way cool and awfully cute youngest kiddo of mine. :0)









I most likely won't update until we get home from the hospital with Kody Bear tomorrow.
So, till then...have a great night!

Love, Kim

Discovery

Just one of the many perks of living in the "Sunshine State".
You can walk right on outside your front door and watch the space shuttle launch. :0)

One day though, I will remember to stand in the right spot.
This was taken from the street right right outside our front gate, see I missed the best shot. You can't see the shuttle, just the trail of smoke it left behind.



This is what I saw when I walked back into my front yard..about 15 feet away from where I was standing in the street.



Next time..I am so there, I will stay in the yard. :0)

~Kim~

More Punkins'

Kody has a teeny bit of a rough night last night but a much better morning. :0)
He woke up around 10:30 coughing in his sleep {that's what woke him} and he came running out to my room in a panic telling me to "Help Kolin, he's choking!"
Welp, Kolin was in the next room just as fine as can be {and wide awake watching Monday Night Raw}...it was Kody that was coughing...but in his state of sleep he was blurting out and mumbling Kolin's name.
Poor kid...he had that deer in the headlights look and honestly, I could barely understand him except for "Help Kolin Mom".
Anywho's..I put him back in bed and he was passed out asleep again in a split second.
This morning..he has no memory of it at all. :0)

Tomorrow's the big day, Cat-Scan, Shunt Series and a visit to his Neuro-Surgoen to see what's up with that noggin of his.

Adriana had a great day yesterday. :0)
She was just all smiling and even has started to make some word sounds. Really...if you say it to her over and over she'll say "Hi".

Welppers..I had better get myself in gear...I have got a ton of hat orers to complete and get to the post office this afternoon.
Thank you to everyone that has been keeping me busy..LOVE YAZ!!!!!

I hope your not tired of them yet...but here in the land of everything green {or blue and orange if you happen to be a Florida Gators fan like ourselves}, we have no autumn/fall colors at all.
So..like good lil' ole' transplants..we fake it by heading out to our local pumpkin patch..where everything is poppin' up orange.

More Pumpkin Patch pic's from this past weekend on the way...







Have a beautiful day everyone!!

Love, Kim

Monday, October 22, 2007

If You Think You Love Your Kids Alot....

Just wait until one of these shows up at your door...











Grandbabies...ya just gotta love them. :0)

The kiddo's are off from school today, for some kind of teacher workshop..or something like that. Report cards are due soon so maybe they just need a quiet, no kid day to get those in order.

I already put in that phone call to Neuro. and I'm waiting to hear back. If all goes well at Neuro-Surgical on Wednesday, then they are on standby.

Hmmmm...not to much else new round here so I better get myself in gear and get to work while I still only have one wild child up.

Have a great one today!

Love, Kim

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Pumpkin Patch Memories

Yesterday I took 4 kids to the pumpkin patch.
Yep...I took a ton of photos, but for tonight I'll show you all just one.
HA...just one, I know..that is sooo unlike me.

No worries, I'll make up for it tomorrow. :0)



Have a great night everyone!!

Love, Kim

PS. Adriana had a real good day today. Technology {the monitor} works like a charm. Plus...the medication seems to be working and the rice cereal the Doc's had Kayara start putting in her bottle seems to be helping to keep the food down a bit more.
She's not out of the woods yet, so, if you would..please keep up the prayers for her, and her Mommy, who is absolutley exhausted and refuses to leave her side not even for a minute.
Thats my girl...she just doesn't surprise me. :0)

Look Who Came Home Yesterday!

That is one exhausted looking Mama.
I'll update again a little later on, I just wanted you all to know our sweet lil' baby girl grandbaby is home.
That's her apnea monitor that you see there. There is a strap velcroed across her chest and the leads {wires} go right down her outfit and come out her leghole and are attached to the machine.
I'll learn how to use it this week. :0)





Thank you all so much for your prayers. :0)

Love, Kim

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Adriana and Kody Update

Thank you all soooo much for the prayers, the well wishes and for giving me the "oomph" I needed to keep going yesterday.

Here's what we know so far...

Yesterday the Doc's at Florida South Hospital in Orlando did and X-Ray series on the baby, while they were x-raying her they had her drink at the same time.
Within seconds of the test they could see that she has something called "reflux".
She drinks her bottle and it comes back up, except that it dosn't come "out" {sorry, I know it's early}.
So, basically she has been aspirating on her own food.
This is soooo scarey because she could have, at any time, died in her sleep.

This morning an "Apnea Monitor" is being delivered to the hospital and Kayara will take a two hour course to learn how to set it up and use it. Afterwards she'll take an hour long CPR course and pass it {which should be no problem, she used to be an ambulance volunteer way back when} with flying colors and then they will release Adriana.

She's also taking a medicine now and for the life of me right now, I can't remember what it''s called but Kayara says it seems to be working.

Soooo.....it seems to me that all those prayers are working bigtime, but please keep them up because I have a feeling this is going to be a long ride for a while.

Now on to the Kody update..

I talked to the Neurosurgical Dept. at Shands yesterday {Dr. Pincus' office} and they scheduled Kody for this coming Wednesday morning. His Cat-Scan is at 9:20, then we go and get him a "Shunt Series" done and the we go up to Neurosurgical Specialties and see Dr. Pincus.
It was late in the afternoon when I found this out so I won't be able to call Neurology until Monday morning to find out when they can get him in there...we were hoping all would be done on the same day.

I don't think I fully told you all what exactly was going on with Kody so let me tell you now...while Alona {she's here...yep, finally!} is giving me a 20 second break. :0)

For the past couple, maybe 2 1/2 months we've noticed that his voice is going. First we thought it was the puberty voice changing thing but intead of his voice going from deep to squeaky and back again..it's just been getting quieter, and slurrier. It is, at the point where it's even difficult for us to understand him.
In addition...slowly he's been developing other symtoms like, clumsiness, confusion, he can't follow directions {even simple ones like "get into line"}, can't retain information, his short term memory problems are back, he's been getting morning headaches again and he is in a contant state of being what we call "The Kody Zone"..he's in his world, totally oblivious to anything..like a constant stae of confusion.

It was best described to me as this..

You know when a drunk has had too much to drink and they overcompensate to try to act "normal" but it is obvious that they are not...that is how he is.

We know things are changing, others besides family have seen it too.

Sooo...we'll start off with the VP shunt that he has in his head which leads down to his belly.
All the signs, especially the morning hedaches,leads us in the direction that his shunt is malfunctioning.
If so, he'll need it taken out and another put in.
That's a good fix...but, it comes with it's own set of complications..a fourth brain surgery.
Any surgery is dangerous...another brain surgery could really set him back bigtime.

If we find out his ventricles are within a normal range, then it's up to Neurology to help us figure out what is going on, medicines, seizure episodes, we just don't know.

Please keep praying for him too.
He's knows something is wrong, he's feeling the sting if being teased, and he just wants so bad to be normal again.
This is the first time in a long while that it is clear he has brain damage.
But...he's still a happy, lovey kid..and nothing can take that away. :0)

OK, I better run...cinnamon rolls are ready {Pillsbury..not homemade!!} and Alona has got everyone going crazy with her energy...energy my kiddo's don't have much of in the AM. LOL!!

Have a beautiful day everyone!!

Love, Kim

Friday, October 19, 2007

Prayers For Adriana and Bear

I am so sorry for not getting on here yesterday, it was quite the crazy day.

First...
Adriana {my almost 2 month old grandaughter} was rushed by ambulance to the hospital last night when she stopped breathing and her lips turned blue.
It happened again on the ambulance ride.
At the hosp., they took a ton of tests including a spinal tap to rule out meningitis.
They then took her by ambulance to a childrens hosp. in Orlando where they have specilists there for her. She's stil there right now.
Please if you could..pray for our sweet baby girl and her Mommy {our daughter} who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Second..
Kody has been having some problems these past, at least two months.
I'll explain more later because I reslly do have to get the kids up for school but after spending most of my day on the phone with his Shands Doc's.I am waiting for a call back today with an ASAP appt. for a Cat-Scan. There may be a possible malfuntion with his VP shunt.

So...that was our day yesterday...it sucked pretty much summed it up.

OK..let me run, I'll get back on later when I have another 5 minutes.

Love ya all!!

~Kim~

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Halloweens Coming...

I don't know what is more cuter...

Kaysha, who every other week, without fail, buys her cat a cute lil' outfit {from the extra-extra small doggie dept.}, or her cat Paris, who patiently and willingly wears everything Kaysha brings home. :0)



Happy almost Halloween..we like to start early in our home. LOL!!

Love, Kim

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Green Day

I love this kid of mine..I love him alot.
I love him so much that I'd like to share a little useless trivia with you all this morning.

Kolin is my last of the litter...a litter of six.

Karl has brown eyes, the same color as Kody's and I have one blue eye and another that is half blue and half brown {but thats another story for another day}.
With the exeption of my new grandaughter, nobody in our family has inherited sapphire blue eyes.

I have always wanted a blue eyed child.

I tried..over and over but all I got was brown eyed tikes. Now, some of those kiddo's went from blue {which always excited me, you have no idea} to brown {which thrilled their Dad to no end} to hazel..which I suppose is a happy medium between the two.
Three of our kid's kept their brown peepers.
Two went hazel.

I thought for sure this last baby of mine would give me the dream of a blue eyed baby. I wasn't about to stop until I got one.
However...Karl had a few ideas of his own..and adding to the kid collection after 6 wasn't going real well with the likes of him.

I never did get my blue eyed baby boy, but somehow, someway we did end up with this green eyed beauty. I'm telling ya...when Kolin is out in the sunshine, his eyeballs just light right up, they sparkle emerald like a dang shamrock on St. Pat's Day.

So..this set of photos today, I'll call "Green Day", becuase he kind of has the green pattern going for him.
Green eyes.
Green shirt.
Green hat.
Green gum.
Green face.

Gotta love boys, and lots of saop and warm water. :0)







Have a great one everyone!!

Love, Kim

Monday, October 15, 2007

Sunday, October 14, 2007

What's a Post Without Pic's?

B*O*R*I*N*G..that's what!

This is just one of a whole lot that I took this past week.

So peaceful looking, isn't it?



Remember though...they fished with gummy worms and just for the record..the fish didn't eat any.

Here's two more...Kolin with his mountain hat, which he calls his "Snowboarder hat" and keeps demanding I take that "Fuzzy thing" off the top. While it may be cute for younger kids...he says he's "just not into it." LOL!!



And just one more, cuz I have to get ready to watch "Desperate Housewives."
We'll have a DH review tomorrow. :0)



I am sooooooo in love with that gum machine. "Heart...Heart...Heart" it!! :0)

See you all tomorrow!

Love, Kim

Happy Sunday!

I didn't want to be known as the "Blogger Slacker" {that's for you Sheila!} so I thought I'd stop by and say "Hey" to ya'all.

"HEY!!!!"

I wish I would have had the time to stop in all day but I have been sooooo busy because tomorrow I am launching a new line of the cutest hats ever.
This collection, believe it or not, was inspired by my gumball machine Karl brought home a few days ago.

Every skull hat will be the colors of gumballs...with a big ole' flower sewed right on.
They are reall cute, really..I wouldn't kid ya. :0)

Anywhos...I'll be having them up on From My Heart To Your Head
tomorrow.

Plus, to make it even sweeter...I'm also posting a sale, yep sale..I love sales and I know you do too! :0)

So...that's why I haven't posted anything all day..becuase my fingers are numb, I think I have carpul tunnel, my eyes are ready to fall out my head.
But I can't stop...I am addicted to crocheting hats! LOL!!

Oh, before I take off...Alona will be here this coming weekend for pictures, finally!
Since she started big girl school this year, and after school care, and activities..I don't get to see her as much as I'd like to anymore.
Kayara and her ex husband share custody and it seems latley that everytime she has her...it is either storming out badly {and who wants to drive in that, yuck!} or someone has had the stomach flu.
This weekend she is all mine which means by Monday, she'll be all yours too. :0)

OK, gotta run and pick Kaysha up.

Later Gators!!

Love, Kim

Saturday, October 13, 2007

YAY!!! It's Saturday!!!!!!!

Ya'all have nooooo idea how good it felt to sleep in till 8:30 this morning.
It would have felt a whole lot better if Kolin wasn't leaping on me informing me that the tooth fairy forgot him last night. Darn that tooth fairy, that make two teeth in a row.

Hey Tooth Fairy...

YOUR FIRED!!!!!

Welp, I just can't stay on here real long today...I've got 4 hats to stich up and have in the mail by Monday.
Lovin' it...Lovin' it!
Plus, one more for Kolin makes 5.
Hmmm....I don't know if that Kolin really likes the style he picked out or he'll just do anything for a chance to get into the super cool gumball machine Karl brought home for me yesterday.
I am, and I proudly admit this..

A gumball machine freak!!

I love them, I want them, I want them all. Old ones, new ones, crazy ones, all ones.
I just love them...love them as much as I love chippy paint chairs. :0)

Here's some pictures for the day.
Tonight, if all goes well, I'll work on getting the fishing/alligator day ones up. Heck, I've been sooooo busy I haven't even had a chance to pull them off the camera yet.

The most photographed baby in the world...









Cousins...



Another of Mr. Supermodel Ben....



And this lil' outake I thought was too funny not to show. :0)
I have no idea what to name this one, any ideas? LOL!!



Have a great day everyone!!

Love, Kim

Friday, October 12, 2007

Sometimes Technology Bites

I swear this computer wants to make me insane!
Not only did I lose the capabilities to press a button and have things like internet pop up, but I also lost Photoshop this morning.
Talk about sending me into a panic..I thought for sure I was going to have a nervous breakdown.
Photoshop is as important to me as my coffee machine, and I truly "heart" my Kuireg with all my heart...I do, really.

Anywhos..that being that, I fiddled and fooled, a clicked and I swore and somehow I am back on-line.
I have no idea if Photoshop is going to work out but I'm here, and that's a very cool thing.

Yesterday morning Kayara, Adriana and I got together with some friends, Nikki and Brandy. Nikki and Brandy are sisters and the 4 of us used to work together at the same restaurant back in our waitressing days.
Nikki is also, married to Arthur's {Kayaras b-friend and Adriana's Daddy} brother, Zeke.
One big ole' happy family, right? Well..us gals are anyway. LOL!!

So, really the only pic's I have to show you are just a couple before my Photoshop decided to get a bug up her butt. :0/

How cute are these blue eyed babies?



This is Ben. We call him Beb-Ben, he's Brandy's baby boy. Doesn't he have the coolest hair?
Ben-Ben will be 2 next month. Guess who gets to photograph the b-day boy at his dinasour party? Yep..me. :0)



This is Nova. Nova is Nikki's lil' girl. She's only 6 months and already a "Super Diva".
Look at those thighs...couldn't you just squeeze them babies all day? I did..well, all morning anyway.
Someone please tell me why those thighs are soooo cute on Nova but not on me? :0(

Here's another of Miss Nova. Can you believe her Gramma told me she has never had "professional" pictures taken?
I had to laugh because first you'd never know it, she was all smiles and girlie giggly stuff and second..."professional", holy cow, I am flattered! Thanks Nova's Gramma. :0)



Last but not least, a couple more of Adriana, who is a "Super Diva In Training". She won't be training much longer..the girl has got it down pat. I hear redheads are fast learners. :0)





Hopefully I can get some pictures up tomorrow. The boys spent their afternoon, yesterday, fishing and trying to call an alligator out of the water like it was a puppy. It was fun, it was wild, it wasn't relaxing..but what can you do, they're boys.
Ummm....plus the fact that I thought gummy worms would be a perfect fish bait and, ummm..after watching Kody and Kolin eat almost every one of them, I was told I was wrong.
Fishing, worms, those are boy things anyway...and I am sooo not boyish. So there boys!! :0b

Thanks for stopping by!!

Love, Kim

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