Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Watch out First Grade!!!



Lexi had her Kindergarten "Graduation" this week. She was presented a memory book and a carnation. Her teacher read her a book called the Kissing Hand and when another mom friend of mine next to me started crying I then started crying. BOO HOO!!! Then the teacher read a poem about how when the school year starts they are seeds and when the teacher "gives them back to us" at the end of the year they are flowers that have bloomed!!! OH MY!!! I seriously wanted to put my head down and openly weep. Lexi loves her teacher and we do too!!

Lexi with her memory book and flower!!

Bloom My Little Flower BLOOM!!!

Dell ????


Okay I'm really thinking of getting a laptop. A friend of mine told me he just got a DELL. He got the one that's about $500. He says it works great. I LOVE my MAC's!!!! Really really love them.....like it's a happy day to sit down in front of my iMAC!!!

I also need to think about my future. Someday I might be back in the official workforce and most workplaces use PC's. I have not worked with a PC in over 10 years. I don't want to have a huge learning curve and would like to be able to navigate around a PC.

The MAC laptop I really want is about $1500 with all the goodies and gizmos.....I could save tons of money to get a PC laptop......

Okay so now is the time for all the lookie loo's to leave a comment with some advice for me....come on don't be shy.......Save for a long long time to get my MAC laptop or maybe just maybe be able to squeeze a DELL laptop out now......???????

P.S. Truth be told....I really want to suft the net while sitting watching the kids swim......LOL

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Not to sound crabby.....

What's up with when you go to a huge superstore bulk warehouse that will not be named.....when you go and leave the building they have to draw a picture on the back of the receipt if you have a kid with you? I don't want to sound ungrateful but I got things to do....I don't want to stand there and play nice while the people in line in back of me sighs.

I know there should be more nice people in the world and that's what they are doing.....but mama's got places to be and things to do....oh yeah and 700 popsicles that I'm trying to get to the school so they don't melt........

Monday, May 29, 2006

San Francisco Days!!!

We had a very nice day on Sunday. We actually got out of our little town by 10:00 AM with a tank of gas, clean car and two kids ready for a fun day with their Aunt Wendy!!! After getting lost for a bit we found Aunt Wendey in Golden Gate Park. We went to Stow Lake and had Doritos, sandwiches and pop. We walked around the island and checked out the waterfall and cool stepping stones that lay right in front of it.

Then it was off for a pedal boat ride around the lake. Fun was had by everyone.

Well except the part where we went to the beach and it was so windy we had to put weighters on the kids ankles to keep them on solid ground. We ended the day at Stonestown Mall, had fun in the Hello Kitty, Apple and Borders stores. Rob had always been wanting to try the Olive Garden but the wait was an hour so we went next door to Chevys. We were full and tired on the way home but it was a great day. No where to be and your family with you!!! I love days like that!!!

Friday, May 26, 2006

Wolfie......Finally

Okay so yesterday we took a trek to a new Pediatric Rheumatologist. She's got all the medical records to review in advance. She seems very nice and ask's us a bit more information. She tells us that she's 99% sure that he had rheumatic fever


It fits the criteria and she was positive that's what it was. The one very important thing is that we have to prevent him from getting strep again. The protocol is that he stay on penicillin till he's at least 21. He's prone now to getting another "attack" of what he went through in Feb/March and part of April. It could even be worse since his body and immune system were in such a state of attack. If they keep him on a dose of the meds there is a very good chance that strep won't come back into his system. He can take 2 pills a day or get a shot once a month. It's his choice and right now he's choosing the pills. I think that the pills will get old and we will try the shots but I'm going to let him decide. The doc was pretty serious about him NOT getting a strep infection again and I think he really understood the importance of taking his meds.

Rob's a bit worried about him being on penicillin for so long. I can totally understand that but think that the pro's outweigh the cons at this point. I'm going to ask the cardiology about it when we meet .

RF can attack the heart and luckily for us when Wolfie went in for an ECHO there was nothing wrong with his heart. We will need to see a Cardiologist now once or twice a year for checkups and when he gets any dental work done up the dose of meds he's on.

She believes that some of the latest bouts of arthritis that he had come from being so sick for about two months. When an 11 year old tries to go back to his normal active lifestyle after having this illness it takes a long time for him to get back to 100%. There are no limits on what he can do....only his own body can tell him what feels good to try and do. I know that a summer of swimming will help immensely and we are praying that by fall and next year's basketball season he will be back in the saddle again and ready to PACK EM under the basket!!!







Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic Fever

* Definition

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an illness which arises as a complication of untreated or inadequately treated strep throat infection. Rheumatic fever can seriously damage the valves of the heart.

- Description

Throat infection with a member of the Group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria is a common problem among school-aged children. It is easily treated with a ten-day course of antibiotics by mouth. However, when such a throat infection occurs without symptoms, or when a course of medication is not taken for the full ten days, there is a 3% chance of that person developing rheumatic fever. Other types of strep infections (such as of the skin) do not put the patient at risk for RF.

Children between the ages of five and fifteen are most susceptible to strep throat, and therefore most susceptible to rheumatic fever. Just as strep throat occurs most frequently in fall, winter, and early spring, so does rheumatic fever.

- Causes and symptoms

Two different theories exist as to how a bacterial throat infection can develop into the disease called rheumatic fever. One theory, less supported by research evidence, suggests that the bacteria produce some kind of poisonous chemical (toxin). This toxin is sent into circulation throughout the bloodstream, thus affecting other systems of the body.

Research seems to point to a different theory, however. This theory suggests that the disease is caused by the body's immune system acting inappropriately. The body produces immune cells (called antibodies), which are specifically designed to recognize and destroy invading agents; in this case, streptococcal bacteria. The antibodies are able to recognize the bacteria because the bacteria contain special markers called antigens. Due to a resemblance between Group A streptococcus bacteria's antigens and antigens present on the body's own cells, the antibodies mistakenly attack the body itself.

It is interesting to note that members of certain families seem to have a greater tendency to develop rheumatic fever than do others. This could be related to the above theory, in that these families may have cell antigens which more closely resemble streptococcal antigens than do members of other families.

In addition to fever, in about 75% of all cases of RF one of the first symptoms is arthritis. The joints (especially those of the ankles, knees, elbows, and wrists) become red, hot, swollen, shiny, and extraordinarily painful. Unlike many other forms of arthritis, the arthritis may not occur symmetrically (affecting a particular joint on both the right and left sides, simultaneously). The arthritis of RF rarely strikes the fingers, toes, or spine. The joints become so tender that even the touch of bedsheets or clothing is terribly painful.

A peculiar type of involuntary movement, coupled with emotional instability, occurs in about 10% of all RF patients (the figure used to be about 50%). The patient begins experiencing a change in coordination, often first noted by changes in handwriting. The arms or legs may flail or jerk uncontrollably. The patient seems to develop a low threshold for anger and sadness. This feature of RF is called Sydenham's chorea or St. Vitus' Dance.

A number of skin changes are common to RF. A rash called erythema marginatum develops (especially in those patients who will develop heart problems from their illness), composed of pink splotches, which may eventually spread into each other. It does not itch. Bumps the size of peas may occur under the skin. These are called subcutaneous nodules; they are hard to the touch, but not painful. These nodules most commonly occur over the knee and elbow joint, as well as over the spine.

The most serious problem occurring in RF is called pancarditis ("pan" means total; "carditis" refers to inflammation of the heart). Pancarditis is an inflammation that affects all aspects of the heart, including the lining of the heart (endocardium), the sac containing the heart (pericardium), and the heart muscle itself (myocardium). About 40-80% of all RF patients develop pancarditis. This RF complication has the most serious, long-term effects. The valves within the heart (structures which allow the blood to flow only in the correct direction, and only at the correct time in the heart's pumping cycle) are frequently damaged during the course of pancarditis. This may result in blood which either leaks back in the wrong direction, or has a difficult time passing a stiff, poorly moving valve. Either way, damage to a valve can result in the heart having to work very hard in order to move the blood properly. The heart may not be able to "work around" the damaged valve, which may result in a consistently inadequate amount of blood entering the circulation.

- Diagnosis

Diagnosis of RF is done by carefully examining the patient. A list of diagnostic criteria has been created. These "Jones Criteria" are divided into major and minor criteria. A patient can be diagnosed with RF if he or she has either two major criteria (conditions), or one major and two minor criteria. In either case, it must also be proved that the individual has had a previous infection with streptococcus.

The major criteria include:

  • carditis
  • arthritis
  • chorea
  • subcutaneous nodules
  • erythema marginatum

The minor criteria include:

  • fever
  • joint pain (without actual arthritis)
  • evidence of electrical changes in the heart (determined by measuring electrical characteristics of the heart's functioning during a test called an electrocardiogram, or EKG)
  • evidence (through a blood test) of the presence in the blood of certain proteins, which are produced early in an inflammatory/infectious disease.

Tests are also performed to provide evidence of recent infection with group A streptococcal bacteria. A swab of the throat can be taken, and smeared on a substance in a petri dish, to see if bacteria will multiply and grow over 24-72 hours. These bacteria can then be specially processed, and examined under a microscope, to identify streptococcal bacteria. Other tests can be performed to see if the patient is producing specific antibodies; that are only made in response to a recent strep infection.

- Treatment

A 10-day course of penicillin by mouth, or a single injection of penicillin G-is the first line of treatment for RF. Patients will need to remain on some regular dose of penicillin to prevent recurrence of RF. This can mean a small daily dose of penicillin by mouth, or an injection every three weeks. Some practitioners keep patients on this regimen for five years, or until they reach 18 years of age (whichever comes first). Other practitioners prefer to continue treating those patients who will be regularly exposed to streptococcal bacteria (teachers, medical workers), as well as those patients with known RF heart disease.

Arthritis quickly improves when the patient is given a preparation containing aspirin, or some other anti-inflammatory agent (ibuprofen). Mild carditis will also improve with such anti-inflammatory agents, although more severe cases of carditis will require steroid medications. A number of medications are available to treat the involuntary movements of chorea, including diazepam for mild cases, and haloperidol for more severe cases.

- Prognosis

The long-term prognosis of an RF patient depends primarily on whether he or she develops carditis. This is the only manifestation of RF which can have permanent effects. Those patients with no or mild carditis have an excellent prognosis. Those with more severe carditis have a risk of heart failure, as well as a risk of future heart problems, which may lead to the need for valve replacement surgery.

- Prevention

Prevention of the development of RF involves proper diagnosis of initial strep throat infections, and adequate treatment within 10 days with an appropriate antibiotic. Prevention of RF recurrence requires continued antibiotic treatment, perhaps for life. Prevention of complications of already-existing RF heart disease requires that the patient always take a special course of antibiotics when he or she undergoes any kind of procedure (even dental cleanings) that might allow bacteria to gain access to the bloodstream.

Get YOUR BABY FIX HERE!!!


Look at this sweet face!!! How cute is she?


After we got home in the late afternoon from our doc appt I got to babysit little Kendall. Okay so techinally I posed her and made her take photos while her mom took Wolfie and Chase out to the motorcycle park to ride. Well Chase rode and I'm not sure what Wolfie did. I'm pretty sure he tried to find some reptiles to bring home.



Okay I thought my baby guurl was a pretty easy baby....Ken is a breeze. It's funny cause it instantly brought me back to when you have a 3 1/2 month old and the house is falling down around you. Being a type AAA it's hard to sit and just take in the moment...but being with Kendall Steffi Grace it's not hard at all.


Thursday, May 25, 2006

Do you need even more?

Okay then....you can go here:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/momtowolf/


and get even more of a fix....you baby addict!!!!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

My Little Nadia Comanche

We had our girl scout meeting this week at the local Gym place. Lexi loved it and was asking to come back every day!!! So of course I will sign her up and committ her to some weekly exercise!!! All the girls did really good and were really cute!!!




Check out Lexi's hand in this picture!!! She's got her ROCK HANDS going on!!!

My Claim to Fame!!

When I was about 14 or 15 I went to Palm Springs with my Mom and Dad. My Dad was building a house down there and my mom and I just tagged along for fun. It was sooooo hot some days and over 110 degrees most days. It was almost to hot to even be in the pool. One day a guy approached me saying that he was a photographer and how would I like to be in a car ad? I know that your thinking YEAH RIGHT....but it was for real. It was me and these people that worked in the snack bar that got asked to be in the car ad.

We got dressed up in casual clothes and did our own hair and makeup. We met at this Mexican restaurant that's still there to this day. It took several hours and I got a check in the mail for a few hundred dollars for doing it. It was pretty fun. My parents had this cardboard ad in their garage and the last time I was over there pilfering things in the garage my dad told me to take it home. So anyway it's my claim to fame and I think it was the National Volkswagon Jetta ad for 1985. I took the photos in the summer of 1984.



P.S. Yeah I know that the Bean does not really like Jettas....but don't hate me!!! LOL

End of year picnic!!!

It's a good thing I'm not working right now because there are soooo many different places I have to be. There are a ton of things that happen at the end of the school year. Picnic's, Sugar Highs, Field Day, K Grad ceramony and a bunch more. Not to mention winding down and doing a newsletter for the PTO at school.....this is why I really need a laptop...Don't you think so also? I could be taking Lexi to gym classes and take my laptop and blog......It could also help me maximize my time spent by the pool.....okay well maybe that's pushing it too far......but seriously....I WANT A LAPTOP!!! Wahhhhh I'm a big baby!!!

Lexi being a total goofball at the school picnic


Wolfie and his buddies...not sure what Jordan is doing!! LOL
Justin looks pretty serious though!!!

The Wolfman, Jake and Sean. If you look close in the far left corner....you can see a girl
in a blue shirt....that's Wolfie's friend Gab!!!

Yeah I ROCK!!!! Someone asked me today If I bought that for myself for moms day......LOL Lexi loves to ROCK And so do I....thought it was fitting....You can get your own daughter one at Target......Or your son if he's into hot pink!!! LOL

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

A boy & a fish....


Rob took Wolfie fishing last night. Wolfie caught this little beauty!!! They had a great time . Wolfie can't wait for more summer fishing with his dad!!

American Idol....

WOW!!! Taylor did a great job on all three songs that he sang last night!!! I think he's got a very good chance of getting to the end!!! What an entertainer!!

Elliott did good but I think this will be his last week. He's so sweet and you know that he won't let fame go to his head. He's got total soul and a very distinct voice. I know he's going to get picked up by a label ASAP!!

Kat....WOW!!! Somewhere over the rainbow gave me chills when she sang it!! I had to rewind it and watch it several more times. When she just sings....she's amazing. Plus being totally beautiful doesn't hurt either. I don't know why the judges are so hard on her. I personally think she can sing the pants of Kelly Clarkston but the judges have been really hard on her the last few weeks. I thought that her last song was very cute and she looked like she was having fun.

Okay so what's your take on all this?

I

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Wolfie....

Okay I have been meaning to do a health update.....he's got a doc appt on Wed and I will update you all once I get back from that. All in all he's getting better......still having lingering issues but the time between the episodes are getting longer and longer....thanks for everyone's who's been praying for us/him!!!

A little tidbit.....his new doc had him go in for bloodwork last week. One of the test's that came back positive was: HLA B27

Here's a little info about it......

When is it ordered?
An HLA-B27 test may be ordered when a patient has acute or chronic pain and inflammation in his spine, neck, chest, eyes, and/or joints, and the doctor suspects an autoimmune disorder that is associated with the presence of HLA-B27. Sometimes doctors must rely on their clinical findings and the HLA-B27 test result when diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis (and other HLA-B27 related disorders) because the characteristic changes to the bones may not be detectible for several years. Under these circumstances HLA-B27 is not diagnostic but adds additional information, increasing or decreasing the likelihood that the patient has ankylosing spondylitis.

All his other bloodwork is getting back to normal and we are very happy about that!!! We will still have to see a ped rheum doc but this is a nice new start. Will update when I get more info.

Ramblings.....

Okay does anyone watch The Office? I finally got to sit down and watch my TIVO last episode. WOW!!! He kissed her!!! AND told her that he was in love with her!!! I love the relationship that Jim and Pam have.....friends and lots of humor....romance to follow!!! Michael Scott is almost too hard to watch lately. Goodness he's something else isn't he? It's always good to have something to look forward to and this show's first episode back in the fall will be it for me!!

Okay Survivor....Aras won.....okay that's cool. I really really wanted Terry to win. He was amazing in all the immunity challenges and was just a nice guy. I thought it was really classy that Terry still voted for Aras.....his main compatition. I still need to catch up on the One Hour Reunion Show and see what happened. Any good drama?


American Idol? Elliott, Taylor and Kat? I LOVE Kat's voice. It's truly amazing!!! Elliott is precious and has a super voice!!! Taylor.....well let's just say that guy would be FUN to hang out with!!! Amazing stage personality and when he sing's the right song....wow!!! I wasn't too sad that Chris got voted off. His songs all sort of sounded the same. I know he will do great and has already gotten a offer to sing with a big band. I think the final two will be Kat and Taylor....who do you think it will be?

Sunday, May 14, 2006

A Family of Dynamites!!!



First I would like to introduce you to Lexi Dynamite. She's 6 and loves Llamas!
She drinks whole milk and is not afraid to admit it!



Secondly we have Bob Dynamite. He loves disco music and a used to be able to
throw a pigskin a mile away. He's always up for a game of tetherball. No ropesies!

Last but not least is Max Dynamite. Max's favorite things to do are chase the Llama's (especially Tina the fat one) and make cakes for all his girlfriends. He's got Pedro's back! He also loves his tots and will just stand there, staring at you and drool till you share them with him.



P.S. If you got any of the above referenced items.....you are one sick fan !!!
I bet you all can't wait for a family of Nacho Libres!!

Summer Fishing!!!



Lexi can't wait for her daddy to take her fishing. The Easter Bunny brought her this
fishing pole and she's been practicing her casting in the pool.

What would you do?


If your son and his friends scooped poop at the local parade? LOL It was so funny and I had to swipe this photo of the guys from Trina's (Mom to 3 Boys) flickr account. She's got some great photos of the fair and me going insane on the wack-a-mole game. The guys got 3rd place (CAN YOU SAY ROBBED) and got into the fair for free and got ride tickets. Wolfie, TJ and Justin ROCK!!!!

Happy Mothers Day!!


My sister, niece and Mom!!!

I had a very nice Moms Day on Sunday!!! We went to church to hear Rob's praise band play. Rob just started a second praise band at church and has been practicing really hard. They did a GREAT job!! I wanted to take a photo of them but Rob said I could not use a flash in church .....maybe next time they play!!!

We went right from church to a new fav restaurant...BJ's! We met my sisters family and my parents. We got right in and had a wonderful meal!! I got the Pot Roast sandwich and WOW!!! So good!! They give HUGE portions there so next time Rob and I are going to share. We could hardly move once we left the resraurant.

We got home and Rob let me take a nice long nap while he ran a gift over to his moms house and then went swimming with Lexi. He finally woke me up and I came out and swam with them. Rob got me a really cool lounge chair for next to the pool. I had really wanted one so was very happy!! The kids made me cards at school and at church that morning and I will treasure them forever!!! Thanks FAM for a nice Moms Day!!! Let's go get our feet done soon SIS!!!



Sister, Daughter, Nephew and Son
Did Wolfie see a ghost?

My sister and her hubby.....
Me and my hubby!!!

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Open House!!!



Lexi and her teacher. Such a sweet teacher and a friend of ours!!! Lexi's going to miss her!!!




The Oregon State Report finally got done and turned in!!!




Daddy and Lexi looking at her school work. She wore her Kings Jersey to show support for our team even though they are out of the playoffs!!!



Here's the collage that Wolfie made at school.


One of the most fun nights for the kids at school is open house!!! They love to take the parents around and show their art work, class animals and all their friends!!!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Fun @ The May Fair


It's that time again folks!!! Fair time in our wonderful little town!!! It's all about the rolled tacos baby!! It's the big day of the whole year. Don't even think about coming to the fair without a new outfit for you and the kiddos. Seriously you will be shunned by everyone except the carnies. They don't care what you have on as long as your pocketbook is open!!!


Here's part of the CREW!!!! What a cool bunch of dudes!!!

How nice of the brother to take the sister on the swing ride!!! He does love her!!!

Okay so I won this for Lexi. I'm not all that competitive (except for basketball)(well and maybe the left, center, right dice game) but once these little moles popped their little ugly heads out of the holes....I went insane.....I had to win....even if it meant the end of a friendship.........Sorry Joe......I could not let my girl down!!!