52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 20 PICC line

I feel so blessed for both Emily and myself that she has a PICC line.  Seems a little harsh to wear an IV that is sort of permanent.  But this PICC line, which has been in for about 2 months now, has been an awesome and convenient help. 

 

Each time Emily goes to the hospital she generally gets poked a number of times before the IV team finally gets a line in place.  Then in a day or two the line blows and Emily needs a new line. 

When Emily was in the hospital at the beginning of June it took 6 needle sticks to get the second  (or was it her third?) IV in place and working.  It was 6 times of poking, digging, squeezing, holding and hurting for a single IV start. 

Those are the days during the hospital stays that are the most difficult for me.  I know Emily is in pain already and then she has to have more pain to try and stop the pain she is in….

After that hospitalization Emily came down with another bladder infection.  The culture results came back and it was decided that the best medication for the infection would be an IV antibiotic.  At this point Emily would either have to go back to the hospital (but she wasn’t really sick in any other way) or she needed to have an IV line inserted and our nurse here at home could help me take care of it.  I chose the latter. 

(Here I’m getting ready to start her IV antibiotic)

Inserting the PICC line is just like inserting an IV, but it has to be done in a very sterile way.  Everyone wore a mask, all the items to be used were sterile, they were opened on a sterile field, lots of gloves, and no breathing on anything.  The reason everything has to be so sterile is because the line goes directly to the heart. 

It didn’t take very long to get the PICC line in and tape it up.  Once it was in place Emily had to go get an x-ray to make sure it was in the correct spot.  The nurses in the Infusion clinic were so wonderful.  They made the time pass quickly and then trained Emily’s nurse and I how to use the PICC line, and how to use the infusion pump.  Emily had her first infusion of the antibiotic at the clinic just to make sure it all went well.

Since that day the PICC line has been used as an access site for the Lithotripsy procedure, blood draws, two rounds of antibiotics, and most recently Emily’s hip surgery.  No more needle pokes! 

(Hooking up the infusion pump)

Each week Emily has an appointment at Infusion Clinic to get the dressing changed on her PICC line.  This is still a sterile process, and the reason it has to be done at the clinic.

(Emily’s antibiotic running into her PICC line)

The PICC line can stay in as long as Emily needs it, and as long as she is infection free.  A nurse told me that some PICC lines can stay in place for as long as a year unless infection becomes a problem.  This little device has saved Emily and myself much pain and emotional turmoil, and I feel very blessed for the both of us.

Thanks for listening~

Book Review – Rachael Scdoris No End in Sight

by Rick Steber (c. 2005, Two Star, a Division of Bonanza Publishing, Prineville, Oregon)

(cover photo taken my Michelle Detwiler and is not the promotional image. I thought this cover image was much nicer than the older one shown Amazon)

Last month a television news program (Q13 Fox Morning News) was interviewing a sled dog racer, Rachael Scdoris (click name to open her website). I watched the interview with interest as she talked about her experiences with sled dog racing. This seemed like an interesting topic so when the news anchor asked people to send an email if they’d like to win a copy of her story I did just that, and won the book!

As I began to read her story I learned that Rachael grew up around sled dogs. At a young age she begged her father for a chance to run her own sled. While many parents might be hesitant to allow an 11-year-old to run a sled by herself in the wilderness, Rachael’s dad had one more reason, she is legally blind. What does Rachael see? Some shapes and shadows but not much more.

Blindness aside, Rachael’s story, No End in Sight, tells of enthusiasm and courage in the face of a myriad of obstacles set before her. As well as training for sled dog races, Rachael faces challenges from people who think her blindness is a reason not to allow her to race.

I was amazed at the blunt truth written about the hardships of sled dog racing, and amazed at Rachael for standing up to so many trials along her journey.

This book is an interesting and thought provoking read, especially if you are interested in learning about sled dog life through the eyes of someone who is legally blind. Now that I’ve completed this book I look forward to hearing more about Rachael Scdoris and her sled dogs in 2010. Way to go Rachael!

Thanks for listening~

On the Road to Recovery

Thank you all for your wonderful support and prayers!  Emily did so well yesterday.  I was able to get her to a sitting position on the edge of her bed without too much discomfort. 

Today she was doing well enough to travel home.  The journey was uneventful and she was happy the entire time.  Now she can rest and recuperate in the comfort of her own bed.  The way things are going she will be feeling much better in a week or two.  She’s already feeling better than she was the day before surgery. 

Keep praying, and thanks for listening!

Post Op

Emily did awesome!  She is on pain medication but I think this has been the easiest surgery she has ever endured.

Grace did great while we waited for Emily.

The view from our room.  Not much different from the last hospital stay.  But Grace had some optimistic words.

“Mom, look!  You have a room with birds!”

And this is what I saw when I opened my eyes this morning.

We’re hoping to go home tomorrow.  Please pray that Emily will be able to sit in her wheel chair for the 1 hr drive home.

Thanks for listening ~

Hip Surgery

Emily is having hip surgery today. 

 

Please remember her in your prayers.

52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 19 – Bright Morning Star

This morning I was so blessed to see the morning star!  Its above the tree in the center.  If you click on the picture it will enlarge so you can see it too.

The better part of the blessing was that my camera took a decent picture of it.  I have no idea how to take pictures in low light, or pictures of the night sky with this new camera (haven’t played with it that much). 

The star was so bright when I first saw it I thought it was an airplane.  Maybe it is Venus, I’m not sure. Anyway, the sky was so beautiful this morning and I felt blessed to see it.

Thanks for listening ~

Jesus Smiling Jesus Laughing

Occasionally I see an email circulated that has beautiful pencil drawings of a smiling Jesus.  When the email came my way again today I just had to look up the artist.  Unfortunately the email does not give the artists name so I did a little searching and found the website of this very talented artist, Jean Keaton.

My particular favorite is the one of Jesus holding an infant.  Please take a moment to visit her website and acknowledge the artist of these beautiful drawings.

Taking Hold of Hope

Psalms 43:5
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

This week has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me emotionally. As the start of school is close at hand my heart begins to feel heavy. I’m not sad that the girls will go to school, but every year at this time my heart aches for the life that Emily will not have.

This year with Emily entering high school the ache has become enormous. The gap is so wide between her development and that of her peers. And there is just no way to close it. I think of the future and her lack of communication and I am nearly overwhelmed. It should be so easy, with technology available, to put a computer in her hands and help her to use it. It should be, but it isn’t.

I’ve tried for years to open the doors to communication for her. And yet nothing has grown in the spots we’ve planted seeds. So what does this year hold for her? Hope.

Its a new year, a new school, and she is at a new age. So again, I have hope that this year something will occur, a new person in her life, a new technology, a new therapy to help her communicate. And my hope is renewed.

One time I had a dream that Emily was calling me. When I went into her room she was jumping on her bed and laughing. This is my favorite dream I’ve had about her.

While she isn’t able to jump on her bed today I know that someday God is going to give her a new body, one that will never break down. And she’ll be able to talk and sing. And with absolutely clear communication I’m pretty sure she’ll say, “Thanks for having hope Mom, I couldn’t have made it without you.”

Thanks for listening ~

Spring, er… Summer, er… Late Summer Cleaning

Well, I was going to write my blog just as soon as I finished my morning chores…..  Hummm  The morning chores turned into a room re-arranging, and then vacuuming, then scrubbing floors….  I think I’m done with Part 1 of my room re-arranging job and now I’m ready to rest.  So instead of something profound today I’ll just leave you with this:

Thanks for listening ~

Wednesday’s Walk - School

Today I’m blogging with Lynette over at Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground.  This week the topic is a memory of school.

Grace first day of school 2008

My memories of school were….  well, I did my work, lets just say that.  It was more of a social thing for me.  I had friends and we did what we wanted to do.  I don’t remember feeling inhibited by bells or assignments.  I stood in the “smoking area” with the rest of the teenage smokers (Oh YUCK!  Did I REALLY do that????).  I also cut school when I wanted to and did things like go to the beach, hang out at friends houses.  Did I graduate?  Yes, but my diploma was hard won.  After leaving high school prematurely I chose to go back and attended summer school so I could finish.  It’s been 33 years and I’m so glad I made that decision! 

When I think of those days I have some fond memories.  However, I had no goals, no future to look forward to (at least that is what I thought), so I wandered aimlessly through school.  Just yesterday I was going through Emily’s school information.  She will be starting high school this year.  Since Emily has severe developmental delays her school days look much different than mine did.  To begin with it takes us 2 hours to get her ready for school in the morning.  She has medications and other medical procedures that need to be taken care of before she can even be washed up, dressed and put in her wheel chair. 

Emily rides a bus to school and we have a set time that the bus comes to pick her up.  She doesn’t follow the school bell schedule because of the time involved in her care in the morning, for which I am thankful.  Otherwise we would have to begin her care at 5am to get her ready for the normal high school start time. 

Emily’s High School

Once Emily gets on the bus (her nurse will be with her the entire day) she will travel to the high school and go into a “self-contained” classroom.  This does not mean she stays in one class all day, it just means she has a base to work from.  And this year, since the high school has so many classes to choose from, we’ve decided to let Emily visit many of the classes before deciding which ones she will participate in.

So, back to the home front.  I asked Jered, who is now 25, what he remembered about school (he was homeschooled from 4th grade through graduation) and he said:  Good hours.  I could sleep in if I needed to, and when I was done with my school work, I was done.  I didn’t have to sit around and wait for a bell.

Thanks for listening ~

Favorite Smells

Today Emily goes to infusion clinic to have her dressing changed over her PICC line. We have to do this once a week to keep the area clean and free of germs. But ripping the bandages off Emily can be irritating and stinky (the adhesive remover doesn’t smell that great).

While Emily was giving me that, “Mom, I HATE ripping this tape off my arm,” look, I decided maybe we should have a discussion about something fun so Emily could be distracted. So we (Emily’s nurse, the clinic nurse, and myself) decided to talk about our most embarrassing moments. Ha! What a time we had with that subject! We were laughing so hard that Emily wasn’t paying any attention to the tape ripping business.

For the bandage ripping theme today maybe we can talk about our favorite smells. Here are some of mine.

1. Wood chips in a logging camp or lumber mill. Just down the road from where I live there is some sort of logging transfer yard. From the smell of it they must de-bark the logs on the lot. There are huge piles of log chips as well as stacks of logs. I love to drive by there with my windows down.

2. Wood smoke from a camp fire. I love the smell of it on my clothing (as long as my clothes aren’t on fire) as well as in the air. We have often gone camping with our large 5th-wheel trailer. And even though we have the amenities that a trailer gives, I always enjoy sitting around the campfire. Here in western Washington it is not always possible to sit around the campfire because rain is often a camper’s companion. But when we do I tend to close my eyes and just savor the campfire smell.

3. The smell of the forest, pine mostly. I have always enjoyed walking through the forest, especially after a rain. The trees drink up the moisture and give off the most delicious smells. There’s nothing like the smell of a pine forest all fresh, green, and growing.

Do you see a trend here? I probably wouldn’t survive living in a treeless area, and definitely not in a desert!

What are some of your favorite smells?

Thanks for listening ~

52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 18 - Bees

I know this doesn’t seem like a blessing…. especially for those who are allergic to bees. I’ve never been afraid of bees although I’ve been stung a few times. But I just love to photograph bees, and that that makes bees a blessing to me!

There are different kinds of bees. Bumble bees are the big fuzzy kind. I see them occasionally around my yard. However I see a lot of honey bees on my flowers.

When I want to photograph them

I can always find at least one bee jumping from bloom to bloom.

These guys are on my mint plants.

The bees are also in my garden,

gathering nectar and pollinating plants.

Much of it wouldn’t grow if bees weren’t around. But look how good it’s doing…. This watermelon is now larger than a golf ball!

And now for a surprise…. Look who else I found while taking pictures in the yard!

This frog was on my avocado tree.

And a dragonfly sunned himself on the mint.

What makes you feel blessed today?

Thanks for listening ~

Clinic and Pre-Op

It was sunny when we went to clinic.  Made it a little difficult to smile for the picture.

Pre-op clinic says everything is a go for Emily’s hip surgery in a week.  Emily was none too happy to be there though.  But earlier in the week, when her hip was hurting her pretty bad, she smiled when I told her that she was going to have a surgery so the ortho doc could fix her hip. 

Emily got a new feeding pump this week. 

It is called a Joey and can give water intermittently while delivering formula to her.  Thus the two bags.

Both bags merge into one line inside the pump.

I’m hoping we can keep her bladder infections and kidney stones at bay by adding more water.  And of course it will be easier to do that with this new pump.  The pump was easy to learn to program and the battery stayed charged while we were out at clinic appointments yesterday.  That’s a plus!

And what keeps Grace busy while we are in clinic with Emily?

And then she was back to asking, “Is it time to go yet?”

What’s Growing and Going On This Week

This is a flower from the hospital flower garden.

The rain came down yesterday in torrents. Once it was finished I had to go check on my garden. I knew some plants would surely have been knocked over. The largest tomato plant was on its side, tomato cage and all. I picked it up and tried to right the cage. I’m hoping its still standing this morning.

Today Emily has a pre-op appointment with the orthopedic doctor. She has bone spurs growing out of the top sides of her femurs (thigh bones). Her right femur is longer than the left and it seems to be grinding into her pelvis. We have known for a long time that this hip was hurting her but I had no idea how bad it was till a couple of weeks ago.

Emily has been in so much pain since April that it was difficult to sort it all out. Now that the kidney stones are gone, and her tummy is digesting her formula again, the only things left are her hips and the constant battle with bladder infections. She’s having issue with another bladder infection right now and I’m so thankful she has a PICC line to administer IV antibiotics.

(Emily getting the bandage changed on her PICC line)

But through the pain this last week has been wonderful. She has become more animated and happy, enjoying her days with her nurse and her family. Thanks for remembering her in your prayers.

Through the Storm

Today we had rain.

I really enjoy taking pictures of the sky because it’s always changing. Sometimes it is dark, but even when you think it isn’t going to get any better all you have to do is wait.

Things are always changing.

I’ve been thinking about some of the difficult times in my life. Those of you who read my blog need to know that I’m just like you and your neighbors. Same issues, same problems. And just like the rest of you I don’t always react in a way that is wonderful, or even logical.

Just a bit before Emily came along my husband and I were at a crossroads in our marriage. I felt like I was lost and was ready to quit our marriage. There were a number of things I had wanted to do with my life that just didn't seem to be able to happen. And now I was asking myself if it was worth it to stay married.

I was a Christian. This wasn’t supposed to happen. But just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we don’t have the same problems that other people have. However, as a Christian I had a choice in how to react to my problems.

You guys know the rest of the story, I’m still married and we are very happy. But how did I get there? How did I make it through the storm?

I started over. I just decided one day that I was going to start my life over from that day and move forward. We did choose to make different rules to live by, rules both my husband and I talked about. And I made some new goals for my life.

And once we got our ideas in line with each other we began to move past the hurt, and I could see the clouds clearing.

Just like this picture.

And I held on to my faith because I knew God wouldn’t let me down. No matter what circumstance in my life takes me to the lowest depths, HE is there to hold me up.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

Thanks for listening ~

The Great Adventure

So I thought I had this automatic posting down.... NOT

I put the time and date on my post and when I turned the computer on this morning I was a little surprised to see my blog post was still in my Drafts. Well, that was the problem (I think). I should have hit publish after I put in the date and time I wanted it published. So, maybe I'll try it again sometime.

Without further adeau (what? that's not how it's spelled?? It looks so correct that way).....

Ok, without further ado (oh that spelling is so boring)......

Raising Kids

When I had my sons I thought I had to do everything right. I remember thinking, “I’ll not be like that mom and let my kids get away with this or that….”

Back then I always had this nagging thought, “What if my kids grew up just to go to jail, or turned out to be no-good bums?” Nosirree, I wasn’t going to let that happen to my kids.

So I nagged, cajoled, scripted, pushed, prodded, and blew out a lot of hot air. And it was hard work keeping those boys in line. In the end they did just what they wanted to do. And, in spite of me, they turned out to be great adults. They both have jobs and neither has been in jail (that I know of).

(Adam)

Now that we’re raising our second set of kids, the girls, life is much different. Its been 32 years since I had my first child, and 8 years since my younger son graduated from high school, but... only 8 years since my last child was born.

(Jered)

We still use discipline, and still have rules, but life is much different now.

The boys complain about this from time to time. “You would have freaked out if there was paint on the kitchen table when we were kids.” To which I respond, “It can be washed off (or chipped and scraped off). "But mom, you're so lenient! You were much stricter with us" (meaning the boys).

Now days, if the clothes aren’t folded directly after the dryer stops, well, a wet towel can be thrown in and the dryer can be re-started to get the wrinkles out….. the dishes can be done when I have time, the floors vacuumed when the dog hair shows.

I still like to be on time, but these days I don’t fall apart when I’m not. And I think one thing that age has taught me is to be happy to spend time with my kids, not just training them, but being with them. So while I’m still parenting youngsters I’m going to Be All I Can Be, and not sweat the small stuff. They aren’t just a job, they’re an adventure!

I Didn’t Sign Up For This

How many times have you heard the words, “But I didn’t sign up for this!”? I’ve heard it when someone is talking about their medical issues, their health, or life in general. I think about those words (and a hundred other minor issues) when I’m awake at 2am.

How many things have I NOT signed up for? Well, I didn’t get in line to be a short person. And I certainly didn’t wait around for someone to hand out migraine headaches. But there are a multitude of things I DID sign up for that most people haven’t.

I DID sign up to be a parent. I DID ask for a child with multiple medical issues. I DID sign on the dotted line. I took the oath and I asked for our daughters lives to be entwined with us no matter what the cost.

Now I’m not a glutton for hardships. Its not that I enjoy doctor appointments, medical emergencies, or even trying to wrangle better deals with the medical supply company. However, I did realize that my hardships in life are nothing compared to those experienced by a child with special medical needs. And what better way to say “I love you,” or show someone that God really does care for them, then to sign up to be with them. After all, God has signed on to be with me…. why not share?

Emily’s life has been filled with many new and challenging situations as of late. We are on a rollercoaster of what seems like endless appointments these days. Emily needs to have a thigh bone resection surgery in a couple of weeks and she has a cyst growing on her left ovary. And after a brief hiatus the seizure episodes she has experienced have returned in full force. While I hate the consequences of a medically challenged life I love my daughter to bits. If I could squeeze one more ounce of love into her, to make her feel better, to make her laugh, I would.

So when I think of being up at 2am, while I’m sitting with her in her room, I can say with certainty, “YUP, I DID sign up for this.” And I’ll be here through thick and thin, for more ups and downs, to share life with someone who needs help in every way. And hopefully I’ll be able to give enough comfort, the way I would want it, if I were in her shoes.

Thanks for listening ~

52 Week Blessing Challenge – Week 17 Sleep

Today, for the first time in many moons I slept in.  My schedule normally starts very early, 5am. 

And I stick to this schedule, it works.  However there are times when I really need to sleep.  Today must have been one of those days because I slept in till 7am. 

When I don’t sleep in I can take a cat-nap every now and then.

At which time Grace chooses to either throw tantrums or decorate me depending on how her medicine is working.  This picture was taken on the day she decided to decorate me.

When Emily’s been sick and I’ve missed lots of sleep I look like this.

I used to look like this a lot, especially when Jered was young.  He has a disease that causes chronic low blood sugar.  We HAD to feed him every 4 hours just to keep it up.  As he got older I was able to do all-nighters with him and I just carried it over to the all-nighters with Emily.

Those days are long gone and Jered is grown now. 

But Emily still needs me at night sometimes, like last Friday.  On nights when she is up a lot I sleep in her room.  I don’t really get a lot of sleep but it seems to comfort her that I’m close by when she’s in pain.

After pulling an all-nighter the one thing that helps is this.

No special brand here, not shaken, fluffed, creamed, or extra tall.  Just the regular cup’O Jo.  By the time I’ve finished it I’m usually good to go.  Well, mine is about gone now so its time to get my day started.

Thanks for listening ~

Chef in the Kitchen

 

Yesterday, for all of you who visited my blog and read the post, not one of you told me that somehow line #2 missed  being placed into the list!

After reviewing the list I can’t for the life of me remember which wonderful and fantastic thing it was about me that I had written.  So today I’ll insert something I wish was wonderful and fantastic about me.

I have tried every way possible to be a great housekeeper and cook and I just am not.  I don’t really like it  and probably never will.  I wish I could stand at the stove and add a dash of this and a pinch of that, smiling and knowing that things will turn out well.  But it’s more likely that I hold my breath and hope for the best, sort of like someone who hopes they can swim. 

Back in 2004 I wrote this little piece that I think you will all enjoy.  It’s called

Chef in the Kitchen

Cooking has never been one of my greatest thrills. However I have had moments of excellence. Sunday was one of those moments. I was trying out a new recipe for French bread. The measuring, the mixing, my four-year-old daughter’s hand in the dough, and still everything was working out perfectly. I put the roast in the pressure cooker and worked on the vegetables. The bread baked a lovely golden brown and the aroma floated through the house. Soon I’d be in the spotlight!

My proud moment suddenly turned sour as I lifted the juicy roast out of the pot. Imagine my surprise when I saw a floppy rectangle hanging off the bottom of the meat. Oh no! My perfect meal was ruined! The little packing sheet from the meat wrapping had simmered along with the roast. Quickly turning the meat over before my family could smell that dinner was about to be served I carefully scraped the paper excess from the bottom of the meat and tossed it in the trash. The dinner was set on the table and my family walked into the kitchen. Amid compliments from sight, smell, and taste, no one was the wiser. My shining moment had arrived. I had finally mastered French bread. Little did they know I needed more work on mastering the roast!

Thanks for listening ~

Just Visiting on the Front Porch

I’ve linked up with Lynette Kraft today to do some visiting on the front porch.  We are all talking about 10 charming or interesting things about ourselves.  So, here goes!  Anyone who would like to link up and share with us can find McLinkey on Lynette’s blog.

1. I like music.  No, I love music.  I listen to classical and Christian music mostly, however I am also a great fan of rag-time, marching band music, as well as international music (mostly Scottish and Irish)

3. I finally dyed my hair, after many, many, many years of wearing it natural.  It looked okay, some days even cute, and mostly like my sister April.  I think I’m done with hair dye though and I’ll probably grow it out now.

4. I like fresh tomatoes.  Actually I like all the growing things in my garden.  This is the first year in many years that I have actually grown a full garden.  I like to make things myself and it just amazes me to see what has grown.  All I had to do was dig holes and throw the rocks out!  Next year I plan to have a larger and much better garden.

5. I like wool.  I like to touch it, smell it, and I love to work with it.  I am a spinner and weaver and I love to make things from the raw wool.  I’ve spun yarn and made socks, and I wove a shawl from my hand spun yarn.  Spinning is so much fun for someone with tactile needs.  It seems to fill me up and relax me.

6. I live in the Pacific Northwest.  It does rain a lot here, but this summer the weather seems to have played a trick on us and we are really having a summer this year!  Normally it rains till about the end of July or August and then it’s hot through September.  This year the sun is out, the temps are up into the 80-90 and beyond.  Wow, the grass is dry and brown….  something I never thought I’d see here.

7. I totally enjoy the ocean, waterfalls, rivers, and fire.  Mesmerizes me.  I wish I could paint and draw better than I do.  I love the mountains and trees especially.  I would love to paint and draw scenery, and if I could I would probably have a house full of it!  Well, another craft for another day.

8. Speaking of crafts…. crafts are so much a part of my life.  I love to craft anything (except cooking).  From making paper, to making my own ink, or making laundry soap and weaving cloth.  I love to make things.  It doesn’t mean I don’t like to buy stuff because I love that too.  However making something myself gives me so much satisfaction.  I did it myself.

9. I love history and family history.  I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading about things that happened in America’s early years.  And when I see that my very own family helped make history it makes it so much more special to me.  So I took that love of history and began to make family history scrapbooks.  As I research family history it seems to give me a sense of where we are as a nation.  I’m so fortunate to have research capabilities at my fingertips.

10.  Lynette used the word “charming”.  My house, which I think should be charming, is decorated in late 20th century garage sale.  I like to live a comfortable life.  And while I wish my house was cuter, and had cute things hanging on the walls, I’m just not there (at least not in this house).  However I would LOVE to have a charming house.  So, I’m starting to look around at houses and I’m hoping someone will want to buy ours some day, maybe for commercial purposes (we are both a commercial or residential property).  I’m not looking forward to painting, or even packing boxes, but if someone wanted this place I’d sell it in a minute.

So, there you have it, 10 wacky and wonderful things about me.  If you ‘d like to join us on the front porch you can link up on Lynette Kraft’s website.

Thanks for listening!

Princess and the Frog

Today I’m joining Lynette Kraft and Wednesday’s Walk.

This is a little story of Grace when she was about 4 1/2 years old.

The Princess and the Frog

My darling daughter, the little princess who dances around with curly hair flying as she sings made up songs, came in from play and told me, “Mommy, I fink my froggy is going to die.” Now this got my curiosity up. What could my little princess have done to kill a frog? I followed our little dancer outside to where I saw a small green frog on its back stretched out in death. “Humm, what happened to your little froggy?” I was curious now because the frog, even in death, looked like it should. Her answer should not have astounded me; after all, she was our little princess. “My froggy was dirty so I washed him.” “Oh!” That should have explained it, but it didn’t. I’d never heard of a frog dying from getting a bath in what was probably a puddle of water. After all, don’t frogs like the water? “How did you wash it, honey?” Then came the answer I wasn’t expecting to hear, “Wiff soap.” OK! Soap killed the frog. I tried to hide my smile as I consoled her. “Yep, your frog is dead. Frogs don’t clean up with soap, honey. Next time, just use puddle water. Now, lets go wash your hands.”

As I led her into the house funny thoughts raced through my mind of all the little froggy princes who would be afraid tonight that their bath water would kill them. But now I could say for sure, “Beware little froggy prince, it’s not the bath water that will kill you, it’s the soap!”

The next day as we were getting ready to leave for an appointment my daughter excitedly ran back into the house. “Mommy!” She was yelling and singing. “My froggy got away! My froggy got away! Hi-Ho the Der-E-O, my froggy got away!” When I asked her what she was talking about she said, “My froggy isn’t dead! My froggy hopped away!” “No Princess, I say softly, “Your froggy is laying outside on the ground somewhere. He’s dead.” I couldn’t convince her otherwise. Funny thing is, when I walked out to see for myself I couldn’t find that soapy frog anywhere. As my Princess was jumping and singing “Hi-Ho the Der-E-O my froggy hopped away,” I thought to my self, “Maybe frogs do like soap after all!”