First Day of High School

My boy is in High School! He has started High School and he loves it. It is a blessing to me to have my kids excited about learning. Austin is involved in drama and orchestra.

It Is What It Is

Cynthia has been diagnosed with Dercum’s Disease. It is a rare disorder (I always knew I was unique). This isn't a fatal disease (unless a lypoma decides to travel and block heart valves that is), it is just a painful one.

They don’t have a cure and they say to treat the symptoms, which are:

• Disproportionate weight gain
• Lypoma – fatty tumor on upper legs, arms, I have hundreds (I've had 40 removed so far)
• Arthritis aches – tested, I don’t have arthritis
• Allergies symptoms 58 pricks later, no allergies
• Fatigue in arms and once in awhile in legs
• Migraines, major/frequent migraines Includes: swelling, nauseous, light sensitive, hurts to move, whole body hurts
• Blood pressure - rising
• Headache - different types
• Some depression
• So tired when I wake up in the morning sometimes, have to go back to bed
• Memory loss (the kids seem to take advantage of this one)
• Cannot tolerate heat, have issues with cold (migraine trigger)
• Easily bruise
• Susceptible to illness
• Feet and ankles painful
• Lower back pain, intense
• Cannot wear tight clothes/headbands (migraine trigger)
• Swollen fingers/thumb painful to touch
• Delayed pain reaction (get hit on arm, hurts, and then 5 seconds later major pain)

Thankfully these symptoms do not all rear their heads at once and I like knowing I have this disease if only to feel like I am not crazy. It is nice to know that it is normal (with this disease) for my arms to be exhausted when I load the groceries into the car or when I wake in the morning to feel like I haven’t gotten any sleep.

Parental Pride

Kellie is on the honor roll! As you may know, Kellie struggles with reading which makes her accomplishment that much more impressive.

A Heavy Load

Two traveling monks reached a town where there was a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair (a sedan chair is a seat suspended by two poles that is carried). The rains had made deep puddles and she couldn't step across without spoiling her silken robes. She stood there, looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants. They had nowhere to place the packages they held for her, so they couldn't help her across the puddle.

The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing, and walked by. The older monk quickly picked her up and put her on his back, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She didn't thank the older monk, she just shoved him out of the way and departed.

As they continued on their way, the young monk was brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "That woman back there was very selfish and rude, but you picked her up on your back and carried her! Then she didn't even thank you!"

I set the woman down hours ago," the older monk replied. "Why are you still carrying her?

I Guess Kel is Paying Attention

We were watching Music and the Spoken Word and the chior sang "Down By The Riverside" and Kellie said, "Well then they can't study the Book of Mormon."

Bakin' Cookies

For his Home Economics class, Austin had to make copies of a recipe, cook the recipe (by himself), and take it in for the class to try. He was confused by one ingredient but didn't question it; he just followed the recipe. The cookies were good, not great, but good. Later we found out that when he had copied the recipe he left out the word “baking.” He ended up putting in 1 ½ Tsp. of Sprite rather than 1 ½ Tsp. of baking soda.

Grandma Cook's Oatmeal Cookies
Cream Together
1 ½ Cups white sugar
2 Cups brown sugar
3 Eggs
1 Lb butter
2 Tbls. vanilla
Mix Together
6 Cups flour
1 ½ cups oatmeal
1 ½ Tsp. baking soda
1 ½ Tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients together.
Add 2 ½ to 3 Cups chocolate chips.
2 Cups nuts (optional; a wrong option but optional).
Bake 350º 8-9 min. leave on cookie sheet 5 minutes.

Bad Mom

Austin was recalling his childhood and told his sisters, "When I was younger I was being bad, so mom froze one of my toys and wouldn't let me play with it."

What really happened was Cynthia thought of a fun, cooling activity for a hot day: She froze one of his Star Wars action figures and let him use the hammer and screwdriver and go on an ice archeological dig.

We were amazed at how wrong he got it. How he mistook what should have been a nice memory as a punishment and an intricate one to boot.