HALLOWEEN 2010

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SNOW

The weathermen said it was coming and it did. I guessing we have 6 or seven inches of snow with a 1/2 of ice underneath it all. So we have been home since Thursday night. Even Ron has been at home with us. Which has been a wonderful treat. I catching up on some rest the Physical therapist prescribed and we are working through the last couple of nesting(necessary) projects. Lets be realistic with a c-section to recover from and a new baby I won't be touching closets and cabinets for a while!
The baby is kicking as I am typing. I think he is going to be strong!!! He currently thinks I'm a punching bag. I am currently 34 1/2 weeks. Which means my c-section in about 4 1/2 weeks. And yes I am counting. Mollie finally got to feel hime move which was really special. Her eyes just lit up as she realized what I had been trying to show her. She is going to be an amazing big sister and is already so helpful. I worry about the transition our family will make. Ron and I have talked a lot about it and we have talked to Mollie about some of the changes she might not think of. It will just take time. She does have a brand new pink room with a big girl bed that she is loving! We wanted her to have something new too.
I guess I'm back to resting and nesting!

6 Weeks to go!!!

Just in case you haven't heard Ron and I are expecting and soon!!! My c-section is in 6 weeks. My date is set for Thursday, March 4th at 1:00. Mollie is so excited she can hardly contain herself when you ask her. Ron and I are pretty excited too. We never really expected this gift would come along! Of course Ron is on cloud nine that he getting a son. Henry Reed Hardin--one name from each side of our families.
Now if you are wondering if we are ready???? Let's just say we are getting there. The nursery is coming along. We didn't repaint it because I have always loved that room so, we pulled out Winnie the Pooh and we are putting in biplanes. It is going to be really cute. And with some help from Meme and her wonderful sewing skills we will get it finished.
As for me, I'm not long-waisted and I'm quickly running out of room for this little man! I am ready to see him in person! We have seen some really good pictures of him with all of the ultrasounds which included 3D/4D. He is going to look like his Daddy! I couldn't have asked for more.
It's late and I am still working so bed is where I'm headed next. I will try to better with my posts!!!!

Am I still here?

The answer is YES!!! I haven't been a good blogger. And I am blogging now because there is an ice storm coming and we got to come home early!!! I'm hoping we get to stay home tomorrow with power!!!!
I have plenty to keep me busy. Not only am I behind on blogging, but my scrapbooking habit is suffering greatly. My goal is to clean out, rearrange the hall closet and my scrapbooking stuff! And then dig in for something creative!
Mollie is thriving in first grade and her sense of humor is in full force. Ron asked her a couple of weeks ago if she would jump off a bridge if her friends did? Mollie's response "How high?" We're going to have to work on that one!
Stay warm:)

First Grade

As you know I have been in kindergarten for a long time. This is starting my 9th year teaching kindergarten, but today I moved past it for the first time. Mollie went to first grade this morning. I find it hard to believe that she could be this old. She had a good day. Thankfully she transitions well, our biggest problem is everyone is exhausted and cranky! So off to an early bedtime for all!

Empty Nest

Well I do have an empty nest if only for a few days. Mollie has gone to stay at Meme and Pop's in Pine Bluff and go to vacation bible school. She is having a ball and has already had a major mildstone while there. Pop pulled her first tooth this morning. She was so excited!!! She also has been earning money at there house and she does see dollar signs!
She has gone to visit many times, but I normally have an agenda for myself. For example when I was in grad school she went so I could study and take finals, when I've been out of town or for inservice days at school. I have a to do list for myself, but the world won't end if it doesn't get done. So today I went swimming with a friend and saw a chick flick--Sex in the City. It was a great laugh and something that my fellow mom's and I never do. Not sure what tomorrow holds, but I go back to work Monday. So I see finishing some cleaning out, scrapbooking, and making myself go put my classroom together. Oh and Ron and I are going to try and see Batman. We shall see what tomorrow holds!

Ron's Surgery

Ron's surgery went well and it is thankfully behind us! Ron seems to be feeling much better. He went back to work this week and has played golf twice. I think the golf is good for him. Hitting that little ball has got to relieve some tension from the last couple of weeks!
He handled the surgery really well, but I think it was harder than he thought it would be. He was much calmer than I was as the patient or the caregiver, but that is no surprise to anyone including me! I would have gladly taken some the nerve medicine for the procedure that he TURNED DOWN! Yes, he is a little crazy for doing that and I don't think he would turn it down if given the choice again. I have a theory that if they offer that type of medication without the patient asking for it then there is a reason and you should take it. Ron only said after "You didn't tell me that I should take it." My response because I wasn't allowed in the room when it was offered was "I didn't know I had to tell you to take what was offered!!!"
They had installed the latest version of the gamma knife machine since I had surgery in February and this made a big difference for Ron. First the machine is bigger and he's a big guy, second the planning is faster and third the procedure is faster.
So many people have asked what exactly is gamma knife, so I will try to explain. Gamma knife does not actual cut you. It is a type of radiation and the surgery part is the end of a long day full of procedures. It starts with a simple IV, some lab work, monitors, and medical history. All of this sounds familiar to anyone who has ever walked through an emergency room door. After that I was asked to leave the room, but since I have already done this I can still describe what was being done. Oh yeah, I wish I didn't have personal experience with this part because this is the worst! They give you numbing shots where they will attach they halo (this is where Ron turned down the meds that were offered!) The halo is then attached with screws to the skull in 2 places on your forehead and 2 places on the back of your head. From there you are taken for an MRI and CT. I thought this was the worst part of the day and Ron agreed with me. They add another piece to the halo and then lock all of that into the table on the MRI and CT machines. The MRI is the worst!!! After they take you back down to wait while the doctors use that information to plan your surgery. I waited somewhere between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Ron's was about 45 minutes. He surgery was simpler, but the equipment faster. His surgery took 29 minutes. He was out of surgery, halo free, and drinking juice by 10:45. We were back at the hotel by 12. It was 1:30 or 2 before I was back at the hotel after my surgery. It was such a relief to be back at the hotel and know that is was behind us and now we could move on.
I saw both of the doctors about myself while we were there. My visit went well and the tumors seem to be dying from the inside out as they should. There were not complications presenting themselves on my scans. That was a relief!
So there, it's done and we are moving on! I go back to work in 2 weeks and I'm just not ready. Ron has one more week of medicine and then we will both go back for check ups in late December. In the meantime soccer practice starts Tuesday!

Loud and Rowdy

On Thursday and Friday Michelle and I took Mollie and Jacob to Branson. We checked into the motel and hit the Disney store first. I racked up on nightgowns and swimsuits for Mollie. She really needed those 2 items. Next we headed to eat some shrimp. It was yummy! And Miss Mollie had fish. She loves it and ate a ton of it! Our first park was Celebration City and we went straight to fountains. Mollie was drenched in a matter of minutes and Jacob figured out how to use his foot on top of one and squirt people. Michelle and I just sat and watched! It was perfect. We rode all of the rides, won a couple of stuffed animals, and watched a show. From there we headed to Cakes and Cream on the strip for ice cream. Mollie has a new favorite she learned from her Pop. She started with chocolate ice cream and topped it off with marshmallow cream. It was 10:15 and she ate every bit of it!
We headed back to the motel and tried to go to bed. That is where the title of today's blog came from. I think Mollie is Loud, but took turns playing each role. Somewhere between 11:30 and 12 everyone quit giggling and crashed!
We started Friday with pancakes from a very fancy and popular restaurant--why McDonald's of course. Where else would you go with 2 six year olds. It was cloudy and not as warm as Michelle and I would have liked, but that didn't stop Mollie and Jacob at White Water. They spent hours playing on the climbing toys and we ended the day in the lazy river(my favorite.) We headed home with a couple of tired kiddos and adults. We did make one more stop as we got closer to home Martin Greer's Candy Shop. I had heard about it for years. I now know why. It was oh so yummy and the perfect afternoon snack! This trip is something that Michelle and I try to do each summer with our kids and I am so glad we did!

Cleaning!!!

OK if you have been wondering why I haven't been blogging it's because I have been cleaning up and out. I think in general you could say that teachers are notorious for having a summer project list and I have a long one this year. I am starting with closets. We are having a garage sale on Saturday and I am trying to make a donation to it from every room in the house! I also have a lady coming to clean every other week and she started yesterday! Wow what a luxury! I recommend it to everyone!
Now we have been playing too. We drove up to Roaring River where the Todd family was camping weekend before last. We swam and they have this huge slide built into the side of a hill that was a blast. So for $6.00 an hour Mollie and Jacob would slide, run up the hill, and do it again. That went on for over and hour. It made me tired just watching. And of course they never stopped!
Mollie went to Camp Invention at our school last week from 8:30 to 3:00. It promoted problem-solving and creative thinking skills. It groups they built their own carnival games and a submarine out of recyclable materials. She took apart an old VCR and made gears. She really wanted it to be a robot that would clean her room. I told if she could figure out how to make it that I wanted one too!!! I was amazed at the things she learned!
On Saturday we went to Branson with Chris, Michelle, and Jacob Todd. We headed straight for White Water. Mollie likes fast water slides as much as she likes roller coasters! After 5 hours there we headed for Olive Garden. Yum-O! Then we hit Celebration City and first up was a roller coaster that Mollie had not ridden before and she loved it. We finally headed for home about 9. Thankfully Ron can still carry her to bed because he has had to the last 2 Saturday nights. We have been playing hard and enjoying every minute of it.
We started swimming lessons this week and Mollie is turning into a fish! Maybe we'll sleep in tomorrow! Other than that I don't see us slowing down much. Ron is working like crazy since he will miss 2 weeks in July between vacation and surgery. All is well.

Schools out for SUMMER!

Well Mollie's last day was Friday. It was field day. That means we spent about four hours playing on the playground in various stations. All of the kids had a great time and we ended it with a picnic. I can't believe that she is finished with kindergarten. Time just seems to be flying! She loved school and her teacher!
On Monday I still had to work, so she went with me and played in my room and helped by bringing things to me that I had to find a place to hide for the summer. Everything found a home and I am now done for the summer too. What a nice feeling!
So does that mean we have slowed down, oh no. We have had two softball games, gotten my hair done, been swimming twice and done some inservice for school next year. All of that since 3:15 Monday. I have also been working on a few little projects at home that have been on my to do list for a while. However I am refusing to get out of bed before 8:30!
Hair update: I have hair in my bald spot now!!! It's short, but it is there! However it stands straight up and the long hair around it requires a lot of back combing so that is doesn't stick straight through. A funny note about my hair...saw a friend the other day in a store. She saw Ron first because I had my back to her. She was trying to figure out who on earth Ron was with. Too funny!
Speaking of Ron...everyone's been asking how he is and there isn't much to tell. For those of you who have spent much time around him you know he's the big quiet type. And nothing has changed that. He is very busy at work right now and is just trying to survive that and not worry about the rest. I understand that. There isn't anything he can do right now so in order not to drive yourself crazy you shelve the problem until it's relevant again and that won't be until July. We have planned a trip to Fort Walton Beach, Florida for July 6-11. We will leave on the 14th for St. Louis.
Mollie has her last softball game tonight. We have had a lot of fun watching her this year. It amazes me how far she had come with it in so little time. They started by hitting off a tee and now they are trying out coach-pitch. They are lots of fun to watch and very entertaining.
We don't have real plan for today, except for the game at 6:30 tonight. I think I might scrapbook or stamp today! Happy thoughts to you all!

School

I've been scolded for not blogging enough lately. So here goes...there are 6 days left of school this year. I usually am so ready for a break, but this year I have very different feelings. First I have a great group of kids that I have completely enjoyed this year but, I am used to having say goodbye to my kids. What I am not used to is my child being in that group. I am a mother this year and I am seeing things on the other side. I, like every other kindergarten mom, am not ready for her baby to be this big. I have always told parents that it would be hard for me too and it is. However, my child is not one of those who hangs on my leg crying and not wanting to go. She is and always has been the child waving and saying "See ya Mom." She has loved kindergarten and looking forward to first grade. All I can say is watch out because here she comes!
Once I have survived the next 6 days I am looking forward to sleeping in and just hangin out.

Ron's Surgery Date

We went to St. Louis this week. The Dr's are in agreement that he should have surgery. It will be July 15th At Barnes Jewish Hospital. He will have Gamma Knife, which is the same surgery that I had in February. I will have my 6 month check-up at the same time. We hope to kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak. Ron told our Sunday school class last week that maybe we could get a punch card or even 2 for 1! Sounds funny, but there is some truth there. So now we wait again.
P.S. 14 Days of school left!

Prayer Request

My best friend Danita was in a bad wreck tonight with her 3 year old, Kyla, and 1 year old, Keaton. A chicken truck ran her off the road causing her to flip several times, hit a light pole and land upside down. Thankfully they are OK! Kris said her foot hurts and she has cuts on her neck from the seat belt. Kris's truck will probably be totaled. The driver of the truck didn't even stop. There were witnesses who saw the whole thing and stopped to help her.
It will have been 1 month since Ron's wreck tomorrow and I am so thankful to have all 4 of them in one piece. However I am ready for this roller coaster ride called life to slow down just a little.
OH and there are 19 days of school left!

Pink Hair

Yes, pink hair! I have a few pink highlights in my blond hair. I have started to like change when I go to get my hair done and we decided to have a little fun with it. Ron didn't believe me when I warned him. I'm not sure why, but it was an instant hit with Mollie! I think the whole neighborhood heard her scream when she saw it. My friends at school got a kick out it. They have learned that I have lost my fear when it comes to my hair. Mom just laughed, I'm sure she was probably shaking her head and rolling her eyes in Pine Bluff as I told her. Its not permanent and I love it! No telling what we might do this summer to it!

What's next?

We got comformation that Ron does have a meningioma. We have appointments to see my two doctors in St. Louis on May 8th. He is going to have surgery, but we will determine the time line when we see the doctors. We are thinking it will be this summer. In the meantime we had a very calm day. Ron had to work and Mollie and I never left the house. It was nice and quiet!

New Day, New Truck

We signed all the papers on Ron's NEW truck this morning. He had a very busy week this week at work since he was gone on Monday, so I have been making the rounds to the car lots after school seeing who had reasonable options. I found a couple and then Ron would go test drive them after work.
We ended up with a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT with 32,000 miles on it. To tell you the truth it looks like some little old man has one big toy and took very good care of it. It's in perfect condition and has everything on it. It's a 4 door king cab, it's huge and we even got in the garage tonight. That's a big deal since it is at least 3feet longer than the Explorer. It's is a pretty truck and actually can serve as a second family vehicle. Mollie is in love with it because it goes vrooooooooooom, vrooooooooooom when you pull out! She says that when she is old enough to drive she wants a truck. Of course she will need one for the horses she thinks she will be hauling around by then!
It's nice to have one part of this mess finished. We sent Ron's scans on to St. Louis this last week and hope to talk to our Dr. sometime this coming week. We may be making a trip to St. Louis sometime soon depending on what he says. Ron and I know so much about the road we are headed down. It is both a blessing and a curse. We know where the best doctors and hospitals are, but I know what it feels like. Ron has watched me go through all of it, and I hate the idea of him having to learn first hand. Ron wont make any decisions on what he wants until after we talk to Dr. Zipfel.
Right now we are taking it one day at a time, and putting one foot in front of the other to make ourselves keep moving. As I am writing Mollie is asleep in Ron's lap. It is a beautiful sight! She knows that Daddy was in a car accident, that his old truck is gone, that he hit his head, and that the doctors are taking care of him. We have not told her what they found in the process. Since Christmas she has been through both of her Great Grandmothers funerals and my surgery, so we have decided to wait until we know more.

A New Day

There is a saying that has been around in the teaching field for awhile and it is "monitor and adjust." That is what we are trying to do. Ron and I both went back to work today and Mom and Dad went home. They were an enormous help while they were here! The yard and house look great and those were things that were on our weekend list that just couldn't happen while your sitting in a hospital in another town.
We starting looking around a little for a truck for Ron with my Dad this afternoon. The great search has only just begun. I am going to go look at the Auto Park where my cousin works tomorrow. Ron will still be at work, but I have idea what he wants and I can at least figure out who has some good options for when he has time this weekend. He did get a rental tonight which was great news. When we first arrived they were going to put him in a Ford Focus. I just laughed at the idea of them folding Ron up into it. Thankfully we got an upgrade!
And for the good news Ron's tournament brackets came in 2nd and 3rd. Not what he wanted exactly, but out of 11 not too bad from my perspective!

Live Life and Love

If I have learned one thing it love the people around you. I need to tell you that Ronny Hardin is the love of my life. He has taken care of me when lets face it life wasn't pretty and I was probably crabby and in pain. He picks up the slack at home and most importantly he has loved me through it all and makes me smile!
Having said that let me tell what all has happened since Friday night. Life has changed for us again. Mollie and I went to Anderson, MO (just over the state line) for my best friend Danita's daughter's birthday Friday night. We were spending the night and going to return late Saturday afternoon. Ron went to the Razorback baseball game with his brother. On Ron's way home a teenager, without a drivers license, and in a borrowed car (and the friend didn't know it was borrowed) pulled out in front of him. Ron managed to swerve and only hit the back end of the car instead of directly hitting him. But Ron couldn't stop and hit a large concrete base of a light poll on the passenger front side. Everyone involved was very lucky for it not to have been worse. As usual Ron set it aside and didn't want to worry me and I didn't find out till the next morning. I came home as soon as I found out. His head was still hurting and he was dizzy. I took him to the emergency room. He visually looked fine, but the Dr. wanted him to have a CT scan of his brain. When he came back it was not with the kind on news we had expected. Ron either had a small bleed in his brain or a menginoma. For those who don't know that is the exact type of tumor that I had surgery for 8 weeks and 6 years ago. I thought someone knocked the wind out of me and there sat my husband being as strong as he has ever been. They weren't certain which it was and wanted to send him to Springfield, MO where they had neurosurgeons to read his scans and evaluate him. So into an ambulance went Ron and I came home to pack. Thankfully we had dropped Mollie off with my friend Kim. Mollie had stayed with her family while I had surgery in February. I left as soon as possible and picked up Danita in Anderson. With her husband Kris following us it was 8:00 before we got there. Ron's brother and his wife met me there. By the time I got there he had already had another CT and seen the ER Dr. We were finally moved into a room about 9:30. I sent Danita and Kris home about 11:00 thinking it was bleeding and we would be going home on Sunday. But when we saw the neurosurgeon Sunday morning he wasn't sure which it was and wanted Ron to have an MRI to find out. So Ron had the MRI about noon Sunday and I went to buy him socks. It was the only thing I had forgotten to pack for either of us and under the circumstances that I packed that was pretty good. After the MRI we waited all day. We finally saw the Dr. again about 8:30 this morning. It is a menginoma-a type of benign brain tumor and the same kind I have had. It took another 3 1/2 hours to get him discharged.
We are both still in shock and experiencing a whole range of emotions. Ron's truck is totaled and we will be dealing with that over the course of the next week or two. I have already called St. Louis and they are expecting us. We will work out the details of that hopefully tomorrow.
Once again life has thrown us a curve ball when we thought we were just starting to recover from the last one.
We did end the evening on a better note. Mollie had her first softball practice tonight and she is playing with several friends this year. They are so funny to watch. We have not told her anything about the diagnosis yet. She does know about the car accident.
I feel a little scattered with my writing tonight, so please forgive any mistakes. Ron is watching the NCAA final game and I am looking forward to my own shower and bed.

Hair and Nails

If you haven't seen me in a while my appearance has changed a little on its own and then I have helped it along. My whole life I have been consistently praised for one particular thing, and I treasured that, it has been my hair. It has always been very thick and hairdressers loved to play with it. It took me five years to grow out what the hospital butchered the first time. If you do the math it was a little over a year ago when I finally let go and started to really play with it again. I have been having fun with both the cut and the color. The loss of my hair this time has been a little different. Last time is what cut within 1/4 inch of my scalp if it was that long and it was in the crown. That meant I couldn't see it in the mirror as easily and I had a lot more hair in the front to pull back and cover it up with. This time it is smack on the top of my head, my scalp is in full view, and there is a very thin amount to pull back. The whole spot is maybe 3 x 3. It is sparse, but it is starting to grow! The words peach fuzz have new meaning to me! Therefore I pull it back and....add a hair piece. My new best friend is fake hair. I never dreamed I could find some fun in this process, but playing with hair pieces is fun and it makes me feel pretty when I look in the mirror. I wore hats for a few weeks, but at school it felt like I was advertising that something is wrong. Everyone was supportive of however I got through this, but I felt sick when I saw myself no matter what. I now have instant curls, a long blond pony tail, a spiky bun type comb, and more coming in the mail. My school buddies just start to giggle when they see my come in with something new. And Mollie's reaction is by far the best! She loves to watch me play as I create in the mornings and she is waiting to earn her own wig. She wants the Hannah Montana version. The funny thing about that is she and Ron decided that I look like Mama Montana with my blond hair.
Mollie has had a lot to deal with since Christmas too. We have buried both mine and Ron's grandmothers inside of 8 weeks and I had surgery while trying to keep things regular at school for her. I have been trying to add some special mother/daughter time, so today we got our nails done. She loved it! They painted her nails hot pink and then added a little flower design to two nails with a little glitter. I promise its not as gaudy as it sounds and she was thrilled. I got a simple french manicure, which disappointed Mollie.
We capped off the evening with dinner at mexican restaurant with Ron. Mollie could live off of salsa if we would let her! It has begun to rain again and we have one more school day to make it through so I bid you good night.

Soapbox...I've been egged on!

A few of my friends have asked me to continue with my soapbox on the current state of our educational system. Let me say that I love where I work and I think we are very fortunate to have our kids in school in this area as a whole. This area has faced major growth problems, but with a thriving economy to support it. That in no way compares to the problems inner city schools face and the national news backed that info up with some scary stats tonight on the graduation rates. Mollie is getting a solid foundation and again I love where I work.
Having said that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is flawed and creates a lot of paper trails and not a lot of help. And come on, the title...really do you think any teacher intends to leave a child behind. That alone is just plain insulting to any teacher who went into the profession for the right reasons. I'm not expert on the laws, but bring it up and you will be able to hear teachers groan down the street. It doesn't seem to matter what side of the voting isle you are on the answers seem to be the same.
My other big beef is testing. Do you realize that people who know nothing about planning quality education on a daily basis make these decisions. We start testing every child in the state next week and my darlings are included in that. Can I just say I hate it. Some of the little ones don't realize what is going on and that is a blessing! What is the most painful to watch is when they are smart enough to realize they don't know the answer. I know that some testing is a necessary evil of education, but what could we do to improve it if we had just some of that money to lower class sizes. I could only begin to guess how many millions we spend on testing in this country!
I love my job, my school and mostly my kids! They are why I do what I do!
One last thing to leave you thinking about...voting for president. I realize that the war and the economy are what we hear the most about. I agree that they are important. I will be the first to gripe about the cost of gas these days, but I don't feel like I know what any of the three remaining candidates will do with the current state of NCLB and the educational system as a whole. We need to ask more questions, because when the war is over and the price of gas has evened out our children will still be living with what we teach them and they will be our soldiers and economists!