Coio was on the phone with her friend (R) - it was her first phone conversation, beyond a few prompted words to Abuelita Lelia, ever, and it was cute. She asked R , "The person in charge of your school - is she nice?" and then said "The person in charge of our school is Miss Diana, and she's really nice."
She went on to ask, "Do you remember when we used to go to school together? That lady who was in charge of that school? She was mean to me."
Who says three and four year olds don't remember? One of my main regrets from the time I worked at that place is that I allowed MY OWN CHILD to be mistreated - in my presence - because I was too cowed by the boss lady to speak up. I vowed that day I would never let it happen again, and I count my lucky stars that my eyes were opened before the boy was banished to the atrocity she calls "The Toddler Program."
Showing posts with label C-Rex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C-Rex. Show all posts
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
MY FEEP!
C-Rex jumped off the couch at daycare. The sitter was just across the room cleaning up from lunch, and CR and another boy were both standing on the couch. She told them they needed to sit down or get off, and they both jumped off the couch. CR hit the floor hard - but on his feet, gave a yell and started screaming. She called me right away, (I could hear him screaming in the background) and I told her to watch it for a while and call me if he were still crying in 30min. She called back 15min later and said she thought it was getting worse and asked if I would be OK with her giving him some Tylenol. I said yes.
So I cut my errands short and hurried back to get him. She had finally calmed him down a bit, but he of course started crying again as soon as he saw me. We got him to the doctor, but while we were sitting and waiting I was looking at his foot and ankle - wiggling them around - and nothing seemed swollen or discolored. Nothing looked wrong, but when I put him on the floor he curled his left foot under his bum and cried out, "my feep! my feep!" The doctor came in and asked me to take off his pants so he could look at his whole leg. He took both legs and bent them up and down, stating, "his hips are OK, and his knees. His thighbone is good. His ankle and toes and all of the bones in his feet" (this as he carefully fingered each bone in turn). Then he took the boy's calf in his hands - firmly but gently - and CR flipped out, screaming, "Hey! TOP IT! TOP IT! Owie! My feep!!"
The doctor said he was pretty sure it was broken and sent us to the hospital for an x-ray. At the hospital the admissions girl was surly and rude. She couldn't find the order for the x-ray and kept us sitting there for 20min. Finally she got everything she needed and sent us over to radiology. They took the films - C-Rex hated it b/c he had to hold his leg out straight and not move. Plus he was not digging the little lead apron they wanted to cover his boy bits with. I had to hold him down for the pictures, but we got through it. Then we waited for the films to be read and for further instructions from the doctor. The word finally comes down that, yes, he has a broken leg. In fact, he has *two* broken bones. The verdict is "non-displaced buckle fracture of the tibia and the fibula."
All this time the boy's mood is surprisingly upbeat considering the fact that he has two broken bones and has not had a nap.
Finally we went back to the doctor's office where we waited another million years and finally ended up with a blue cast that goes from his mid-thigh down to his toes. The casting process was the worst part of the day. He had to be held down by two people (me and a medical student) while the nurse and the doctor wrapped his leg in the casting material. He screamed and tried to thrash and kick, and we were holding him down! It seemed like it was never going to end!
Of course, it did, but that only left me with a very unhappy boy with a massive new weight holding him down. He wanted it OFF and tried and tried and TRIED, crying "pease! pease! I need on!" (He doesn't get the difference between off and on all that well).
He's sleeping now, but I don't know what kind of a night I've got ahead of me. By the end of the day he was crawling around well enough, but he's still pretty ticked that he can't stand up. He's got to have the cast on for at least four and a half weeks, and I can't bathe him in the meantime. I guess he'll be a bit ripe for the next month or so.
So that's my saga. Honestly, I'm surprised it took him this long to end up at the hospital, as I've been expecting it for the last year or so - ever since he became mobile, really. I thought it would be a cracked open skull, but a broken bone is just as good.
I'm exhausted - it's been a LONG, crazy day.
So I cut my errands short and hurried back to get him. She had finally calmed him down a bit, but he of course started crying again as soon as he saw me. We got him to the doctor, but while we were sitting and waiting I was looking at his foot and ankle - wiggling them around - and nothing seemed swollen or discolored. Nothing looked wrong, but when I put him on the floor he curled his left foot under his bum and cried out, "my feep! my feep!" The doctor came in and asked me to take off his pants so he could look at his whole leg. He took both legs and bent them up and down, stating, "his hips are OK, and his knees. His thighbone is good. His ankle and toes and all of the bones in his feet" (this as he carefully fingered each bone in turn). Then he took the boy's calf in his hands - firmly but gently - and CR flipped out, screaming, "Hey! TOP IT! TOP IT! Owie! My feep!!"
The doctor said he was pretty sure it was broken and sent us to the hospital for an x-ray. At the hospital the admissions girl was surly and rude. She couldn't find the order for the x-ray and kept us sitting there for 20min. Finally she got everything she needed and sent us over to radiology. They took the films - C-Rex hated it b/c he had to hold his leg out straight and not move. Plus he was not digging the little lead apron they wanted to cover his boy bits with. I had to hold him down for the pictures, but we got through it. Then we waited for the films to be read and for further instructions from the doctor. The word finally comes down that, yes, he has a broken leg. In fact, he has *two* broken bones. The verdict is "non-displaced buckle fracture of the tibia and the fibula."
All this time the boy's mood is surprisingly upbeat considering the fact that he has two broken bones and has not had a nap.
Finally we went back to the doctor's office where we waited another million years and finally ended up with a blue cast that goes from his mid-thigh down to his toes. The casting process was the worst part of the day. He had to be held down by two people (me and a medical student) while the nurse and the doctor wrapped his leg in the casting material. He screamed and tried to thrash and kick, and we were holding him down! It seemed like it was never going to end!
Of course, it did, but that only left me with a very unhappy boy with a massive new weight holding him down. He wanted it OFF and tried and tried and TRIED, crying "pease! pease! I need on!" (He doesn't get the difference between off and on all that well).
He's sleeping now, but I don't know what kind of a night I've got ahead of me. By the end of the day he was crawling around well enough, but he's still pretty ticked that he can't stand up. He's got to have the cast on for at least four and a half weeks, and I can't bathe him in the meantime. I guess he'll be a bit ripe for the next month or so.
So that's my saga. Honestly, I'm surprised it took him this long to end up at the hospital, as I've been expecting it for the last year or so - ever since he became mobile, really. I thought it would be a cracked open skull, but a broken bone is just as good.
I'm exhausted - it's been a LONG, crazy day.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Brief Update
My boy likes to sit on the potty. But don't try to take his diaper off for it. No, he'd just like to sit with his clothes on and make a "sssssss!" sound. It's pretty cute. Hopefully this means he's getting close to actual potty training.
I'm actually pretty spoiled about diaper issues right now. Since the boy goes to daycare all day most days, I don't deal with a whole lot of diaper mess. It's a pretty sweet deal.
(edited to remove the repetitive "actually"s - where's my thesaurus?)
I'm actually pretty spoiled about diaper issues right now. Since the boy goes to daycare all day most days, I don't deal with a whole lot of diaper mess. It's a pretty sweet deal.
(edited to remove the repetitive "actually"s - where's my thesaurus?)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
WFMW - The metoo Seat
This week's Works For Me Wednesday is a tribute to the Phil and Ted's metoo. I looked around for a good, simple, chair that I could use for C-Rex. We have a very small apartment, and floor space, especially in the kitchen is at a premium. There was just no way I could fit a high chair in there. Unfortunately, most everything I found was huge, bulky and impractical.
Until I discovered the metoo. It is lightweight (weighs only two pounds!) and collapses to just one inch thick. It's nylon, so it wipes clean with just a washcloth, although one time in the summer I took the garden hose to it after an outdoor cookout. No need to wrangle off the washable cover or any such nonsense. I've found that it attaches to most tables, although I have had problems with foldable picnic tables. Phil and Ted's is a great company with an impeccable reputation, so you can buy with impunity.
Check it out, but don't blame me if you're tempted to chuck your bulky highchair.
Until I discovered the metoo. It is lightweight (weighs only two pounds!) and collapses to just one inch thick. It's nylon, so it wipes clean with just a washcloth, although one time in the summer I took the garden hose to it after an outdoor cookout. No need to wrangle off the washable cover or any such nonsense. I've found that it attaches to most tables, although I have had problems with foldable picnic tables. Phil and Ted's is a great company with an impeccable reputation, so you can buy with impunity.
Check it out, but don't blame me if you're tempted to chuck your bulky highchair.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Stomach Flu Bites - WARNING: This Post is NOT for the Faint of Heart!
My entire family came down with a nasty bug this week. It started on Monday night when C-Rex vomited all over me at 4:30 AM. Things went downhill from there. He developed diarrhea, but then - bizarrely - he seemed to be better on Wednesday, and we went to school without incident. After his nap that afternoon, though, he started vomiting again landing a spectacular shot right down the front of my shirt. Picture me attempting to calm a crying baby while trying NOT to toss my own cookies due to the fact that I've got a lake of vomit formed inside my bra.
It was nasty.
That night was Coio's birthday. We had cake, and she got the Barbie Mariposa (she's got wings, so she gets a green light in our no-Barbie home). She was thrilled. That night Tilo slept in the living room so his sleep wouldn't be interrupted by a sick and fussy baby (gosh, how would it be?). Coio took advantage of his absence by climbing into bed with me at some point in the middle of the night. Then at 3:30, SHE vomited all over me and the bed and everything.
Amazingly, C-Rex slept through the whole episode - the crying, "I vomited! My pants are wet! The cleaning up of the mess. The vomiting AGAIN - repeated three times. It took up much of the wee morning hours. In the meantime, Tilo told me HE was sick, and my frantic dash to the bathroom told me that I had not dodged this bullet either. We got up at 6:30.
We were all in a bad way. Coio impressed me by jumping up off the couch and darting to the bathroom twice to vomit in the toilet - making it both times. She never had diarrhea and recovered much more quickly than anyone else in the house.
Tilo and I stumbled through the day as best we could. C-Rex, who by then hadn't vomited in almost 24 hours, continued (and continues to this moment) to have unpleasantly pungent and watery diapers, but he has been remarkably cheery throughout the whole ordeal.
Everyone else is back to normal. Five by five.
It was nasty.
That night was Coio's birthday. We had cake, and she got the Barbie Mariposa (she's got wings, so she gets a green light in our no-Barbie home). She was thrilled. That night Tilo slept in the living room so his sleep wouldn't be interrupted by a sick and fussy baby (gosh, how would it be?). Coio took advantage of his absence by climbing into bed with me at some point in the middle of the night. Then at 3:30, SHE vomited all over me and the bed and everything.
Amazingly, C-Rex slept through the whole episode - the crying, "I vomited! My pants are wet! The cleaning up of the mess. The vomiting AGAIN - repeated three times. It took up much of the wee morning hours. In the meantime, Tilo told me HE was sick, and my frantic dash to the bathroom told me that I had not dodged this bullet either. We got up at 6:30.
We were all in a bad way. Coio impressed me by jumping up off the couch and darting to the bathroom twice to vomit in the toilet - making it both times. She never had diarrhea and recovered much more quickly than anyone else in the house.
Tilo and I stumbled through the day as best we could. C-Rex, who by then hadn't vomited in almost 24 hours, continued (and continues to this moment) to have unpleasantly pungent and watery diapers, but he has been remarkably cheery throughout the whole ordeal.
Everyone else is back to normal. Five by five.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Rude Awakening
There's nothing like being jolted awake at 4:30 AM by projectile vomit.
C-Rex had a rough night. He couldn't get to sleep and was twitchy all night. Finally he was still and quiet, and I thought we'd be good till morning.
We almost made it.
I awoke to the sound of impending vomit. I heard it coming, and there was nothing I could do but sit up and try not to get too much of it on me. He coughed and puked and then laid (lay?) back down and went back to sleep without much fuss. We tried to clean up around him as best we could - don't worry, he wasn't in it - thinking it was just something from dinner that had bothered his tummy.
No dice. Just a few short minutes later I heard it again, and this time it got everywhere. So I got up and got him cleaned up - even putting him in the bath to wash his hair.
Since then we've been through the cycle of nurse/vomit a dozen times. I'm not looking forward to the rest of this day.
C-Rex had a rough night. He couldn't get to sleep and was twitchy all night. Finally he was still and quiet, and I thought we'd be good till morning.
We almost made it.
I awoke to the sound of impending vomit. I heard it coming, and there was nothing I could do but sit up and try not to get too much of it on me. He coughed and puked and then laid (lay?) back down and went back to sleep without much fuss. We tried to clean up around him as best we could - don't worry, he wasn't in it - thinking it was just something from dinner that had bothered his tummy.
No dice. Just a few short minutes later I heard it again, and this time it got everywhere. So I got up and got him cleaned up - even putting him in the bath to wash his hair.
Since then we've been through the cycle of nurse/vomit a dozen times. I'm not looking forward to the rest of this day.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
It's all over
C-Rex has accomplished the inevitable. Yesterday he succeeded in climbing up onto one of the kitchen chairs.
Nothing is safe anymore. It's only a matter of time before I find him in the middle of the kitchen table, on the counter-top or even attempting to scale the fridge.
The countdown to his first trip to the ER starts right . . .
NOW!
Nothing is safe anymore. It's only a matter of time before I find him in the middle of the kitchen table, on the counter-top or even
The countdown to his first trip to the ER starts right . . .
NOW!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Ho ho ho!
For Christmas this year I got just what I wanted: teething. Well, OK, I got a Microsoft Zune, but the teeth are what I was really looking forward to. And not just any teeth; no sissy incisors that slice their way easily through the gums. No, I'm talking MOLARS.
You know what I'm talking about. The inconsolable fussiness. The resistance of anything with more consistency than an overripe banana. The nights that go on and on forever. Being awake at 2AM.
Good times.
You know what I'm talking about. The inconsolable fussiness. The resistance of anything with more consistency than an overripe banana. The nights that go on and on forever. Being awake at 2AM.
Good times.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
WFMW - Pretty Presents
It's been ages since I blogged, but I'm thinking I'm going to try again. I'm going to start slowly by posting just once a week as part of Works For Me Wednesday over at Rocks In My Dryer.
So here it is, my debut WFMW post: Pretty Presents. I've gotten several compliments on the stack of presents underneath my (tiny) Christmas tree this year (yeah, we just put up the little tree and have the whole display fenced off from señor destructo-boy, AKA C-Rex.) What, you ask, is my secret?
Drum roll please: Let's hear it for cheap-o brown kraft paper! Three bucks will get you a roll of forty feet that can get you through this year's mountain of packages and well into next year's too.
But brown paper is pretty boring, you say. Well, you have a point. Now it's time to make with the pretty, and I direct you to fancy fabric ribbon. It's sort of pricy, so right after Christmas, hit up your favorite craft store and raid the Christmas ribbon display. It ought to be between 75% and 90% off, so you can splurge and get ten or fifteen (or twenty) rolls. Put it away until next year, and you'll be ready to put together a beautiful pile of presents.
Don't despair if you don't have any fabric ribbon on hand, or if you run out of ribbon before you run out of boxes to wrap. I ran out this year, and I was able to pick up more at 50% off at JoAnne's in early December. Not quite the steal it will be after the holidays are over, but still not bad.
So that's it. Plain brown paper and pretty fabric ribbon. It Works For Me!
So here it is, my debut WFMW post: Pretty Presents. I've gotten several compliments on the stack of presents underneath my (tiny) Christmas tree this year (yeah, we just put up the little tree and have the whole display fenced off from señor destructo-boy, AKA C-Rex.) What, you ask, is my secret?
Drum roll please: Let's hear it for cheap-o brown kraft paper! Three bucks will get you a roll of forty feet that can get you through this year's mountain of packages and well into next year's too.
But brown paper is pretty boring, you say. Well, you have a point. Now it's time to make with the pretty, and I direct you to fancy fabric ribbon. It's sort of pricy, so right after Christmas, hit up your favorite craft store and raid the Christmas ribbon display. It ought to be between 75% and 90% off, so you can splurge and get ten or fifteen (or twenty) rolls. Put it away until next year, and you'll be ready to put together a beautiful pile of presents.
Don't despair if you don't have any fabric ribbon on hand, or if you run out of ribbon before you run out of boxes to wrap. I ran out this year, and I was able to pick up more at 50% off at JoAnne's in early December. Not quite the steal it will be after the holidays are over, but still not bad.
So that's it. Plain brown paper and pretty fabric ribbon. It Works For Me!
Friday, September 7, 2007
Employment Outlook
I don't know if I'm going to keep up assisting in the kindergarten in the mornings. It's exhausting. I've got to drag C-Rex (formerly known as Taco) out of bed super early and sacrifice his morning nap so that Coio can follow me around at school going, "Mommy?"
I'm thinking I'm going to send out the fliers I made for Spanish classes. I'm going to go through the phone book and send a flier to every preschool listed. If I can get just four clients (at $50 per 30-minute session) a week, I'll be doing great.
Add to this befuddlement of mind and spirit the fact that my former employer has been telling people she's going to take me to court because I'm in violation of the non-compete agreement I signed with her. Forget the fact that I'm NOT COMPETING with her, but if she really wants to go there I'm sure I can convince her otherwise. Do you think she really wants her skeletons out of the closet? I'm inclined to Get Gephart.
I'm thinking I'm going to send out the fliers I made for Spanish classes. I'm going to go through the phone book and send a flier to every preschool listed. If I can get just four clients (at $50 per 30-minute session) a week, I'll be doing great.
Add to this befuddlement of mind and spirit the fact that my former employer has been telling people she's going to take me to court because I'm in violation of the non-compete agreement I signed with her. Forget the fact that I'm NOT COMPETING with her, but if she really wants to go there I'm sure I can convince her otherwise. Do you think she really wants her skeletons out of the closet? I'm inclined to Get Gephart.
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