Graydon's Basketball Game

We've been to three of Graydon's basketball games lately. They've been surprisingly exciting to attend and Graydon's a passionate and hard working athlete. This Saturday we had Connor practice driving the family to Graydon's game and we all were present to cheer him on. Graydon scored a few points and I managed to get one on video.

Adulting With Connor

Connor is 16 now, will be 17 in a matter of weeks. We've been working hard to teach him life skills and to be independent, which can be difficult because he is the kind of guy that is happy to be waited on. He's a pretty competent kid, especially for his age, and especially because we have to drag him kicking and screaming in to adulthood. 

Millie Mae's 2024 Routine

Millie's off to a good start this year. She had a haircut recently and we were able to leave it a little bit longer this time since I'd brushed out most of the mats. 

We try not to give her a bath for a few days after she's groomed because she's so fluffy and cute, but I ended up giving her a bath in the morning this past week after we went to the beach.

When we first got Millie Mae, we decided to only feed her dog food and dog treats, but we've recently been terrible about sticking to it. Millie knows that pretty much any time I'm eating, she'll get a few bites as long as it's a dog-safe item. Her favorite right now is when I give her crackers dipped in Chick-Fil-A's chicken noodle soup.

Tucking in Paige

Paige gets up early for middle school and as a result is currently the earliest to bed in our house. Andrea and I always try to check on her and tuck her in at bedtime and Millie Mae will run straight up to her room if we tell her that it's time to tuck in "Sissy". Andrea and I will often go up separately so we have some alone time with Paige, but sometimes we'll be up together. Last week, Connor stopped by and joined us and we all had a little unexpected family time. I snapped a few pics while Paige was snuggling with Millie.

Etiquette Class

 

While on our Peru trip, we spent a lot of time with the kids and noticed a few things during meals that need some work. We've tried over the years, but it's not sticking, so we decided to bring in a professional. Andrea found a lady that does etiquette classes and we set up some time and decided that both kids should do the class. Graydon happened to be over for the first class, and we encouraged him to participate as well.

The first class was around introductions, small talk, and basic etiquette. On Saturday, the kids had their second class and this one dealt with table manners. Food was optional, but we wanted the kids to really experience everything so we got them some steaks from Longhorn and they were thrilled.

Give Hope a Home Pizza Night

 

Andrea and Connor went to the Mayo Clinic to help out with Pizza Night for the "Give Hope a Home" charity. They picked up pizzas and helped to feed the people staying at the hospital's Hope Lodge. 

Shawn's Shiga Toxin Producing E. Coli

On the way home from Peru I got a terrible headache and in the days after we were back in Florida, my symptoms continued to get worse. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me some Cipro antibiotic, which should have solved most common infections from food poisoning. On Saturday evening, my stomach cramped up terribly and I felt like I was going to die. We had Griffin and Graydon over, so I had Paige come with me to the ER, so Andrea could come back home to watch the boys. On the way to the ER, the pain was excruciating and I could barely tolerate even the slightest acceleration from the car. 

I begged Andrea to stay, and both my girls came in to the ER with me. The pain was radiating all throughout my torso, so they ran some EKG tests, blood tests, and a CT scan. The ER was full, so I was stuck in a bed between two restroom doors in the hallway. It was not the most comfortable spot, but I felt much better after they finally gave me some morphine for the pain and some medication for the cramping in my guts. 

Amanda eventually came to pick up Paige, but Andrea stayed with me for the 5-6 hours in the ER. The culture results came back showing that I had a Shiga producing E. Coli infection and the antibiotics I had been taking were probably exacerbating the issue. The pain eventually abated and Andrea took me home. It was a terrible night, and it was the most pain I've been in, for a prolonged period. I have probably had worse pain for a few minutes at a time, but this was something brand new and it lasted for hours. I could barely get a breath in at some points and had to concentrate just to keep breathing.

Things are mostly back to normal now, but what a way to start 2024. Yikes.

Paige's Haircut with Frankie

 Andrea took Paige for a haircut and Paige enjoyed sitting with Frankie the French Bulldog.

Paige's Hearing Test

 

Andrea, as a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist, was worried about Paige's hearing recently and took her for a hearing test. It seems like Paige has had trouble hearing things at times, and Andrea wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong, especially after Paige's cousin Allison recently had some issues with her hearing. 

Paige's hearing test shows that she hears just fine, and is probably just ignoring us. Scientific proof that Paige is just not paying attention to her wonderful parents.