Friday, March 23, 2012

Those Dreaded Words

"I don't like you no more!"

Yup, I heard those dreaded words yesterday. I wondered how I would deal with Denis actually saying this or 'I hate you'. I never thought I'd break out into laughter.

Last night at bed time Denis was playing with my brother and not at all happy with me making him go to bed. As I carried him to bed he shout, "I don't like you no more!" and as I said I started laughing, and I began to tickle him saying "You don't like me, huh". He quickly started laughing with me. Crisis averted.

It wasn't the first time he's actually said something like in that variety. The day before Denis told me that my brother was his best friend (a favourite phrase of his these days). I asked Denis who I was, and he started laughing saying I was 'bad Mommy'. The kid is such a funny guy.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

OMG! I Dreamt I Did It Again!

I had the most vivid, totally detailed dream about adopting again. I actually had a child in my arms in my dream. I was holding him and talking with the social worker about what the child's needs were and discussing with my brother how we would make it work.

It was so strange because in all the years waiting for Denis I never saw a child in my dreams. The closest I came was a dream where I was handed what I was told was my baby, all swaddled up, but instead of a blanket the child seemed to be in paper. And when I brought the top of the roll of paper up to look, it was just a bouquet of flowers.

Now, on sane and rational moments I know that Denis is my one and only son. BUT... there are those times when I seriously think about adopting a second child.

I total blame Lori and Dart. They are in China now finally bringing home their much loved and anticipated 6th child, Mia. I was forever checking the internet this weekend for those pictures of Lori finally getting to hold Mia in her arms. And then from Lori's blog I've read so many other blogs of families having their Forever Family days and also links to the waiting children.

I just need to win the lottery and find the time machine to make me just a wee bit younger and I'd do it again. Actually, if the process was just a little easier and not so expensive I would do it again. But hey, I can't actually do anything until I've been home with Denis for 18 months, which would be August then ... nah, just stop it there.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Happy Nauryz

The first day of spring here in Toronto feels much more like a summer day, it was definitely WARM today. I hope the temperatures return to normal, trying to teach in a hot school in MARCH is not my idea of fun. Don't get me wrong, it isn't fun in May or June either, but you sort of expect it then, just not in March.

Denis' day care is celebrating Nauryz, not that they spell it the way I do. I brought my wooden bowl and spoon that I bought in Almaty to share with the class. The bowl has the image of the horse race that is associated with Nauryz. It shows a man and woman riding with the woman using a wipe, I gather she won the race.

For dinner we had Pelmeni. I buy them frozen at a Russian grocery store not far from my sister's group home. It was so delicious. I will make it again for our Can-a-Kaz group Nauryz party on Saturday.

I'd love to post some photos but I broke my camera, keep meaning to get it fixed, probably cost me a mint.

Oh, on the table in the day care dedicated to Nauryz there is a fish bowl with 2 goldfish. When we came home Denis was telling his Uncle about the fish. Then he told us that when the fish die you have to put them in the toilet and flush them down. LOL. It is amazing the things the little one learns at day care!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Late Winter ????

The calendar says March, but the weather lately has been very spring-like. And we are not ones not to ignore such wonderful weather.

So far we have been to the local pioneer village for a couple of hours on Wednesday, to the park after day care on both Tuesday and today, and outside in the garden to play in the sand on Sunday.

It helps that this is my March Break from work and I've been able to spend more with Denis. I have been sending Denis to day care as I need him to keep in the routine, and it gave me time to spend with my sister, but also the day care has had 3 special outings this week.
  • On Tuesday he went out to see a play of the stories of Robert Munsch.
  • Today there was a drummer at the day care doing a special presentation.
  • And tomorrow he is going to a large indoor playground for an hour.

Tomorrow I'm going to spoil myself and do nothing (oh, maybe a little of housework) as it is the last day of my holiday. The weather is suppose to be sunny and warm, so I might be out in the garden for some of the day, I can't wait.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Aunt Kathryn's Slow Recovery

My sister is very slowly getting better. A cough seems to be the only thing left from the pneumonia, unfortunately she developed thrush from being on the antibiotics. Her poor mouth is very sore. There is a very effective treatment, but you have to take it for it to work and Kathryn is in so much pain that she didn't want to have anything in her mouth. The poor staff at the group home were quite beside themselves looking after her.

In the past month Kathryn has been to the hospital 3 times, the family doctor twice and had a doctor into the group home. They have been so worried about her refusal to eat or take her medicine. The hospital and the doctor say she is fine, even though she has lost over 20 lbs since the beginning of January. All her blood work came back normal, and she is drinking lots of juice and water so she isn't dehydrated.

I've had her home for the weekend, and she is beginning to eat quite well. But as the doctor said to me, I use common sense when caring for her. She's in pain, so I give her Tylenol. At the group home they only give her what is prescribed for her, they can't experiment or give her something unusual. Also, they give her everything that is prescribed (vitamins, minerals etc) when they could be held until she is quite on the mend. Her mouth is very sensitive and I think she can feel or taste the different crushed medicines.

What gets me is there is some one on the group home staff who is not using any common sense. They take her to the hospital because she is not eating or taking her medicine, and they want the hospital to admit her. The hospital doesn't admit her as she is not in need of acute care, so the next day the staff send Kathryn to her day program, even though the hospital visit was from 6 pm to 12:30 am and she missed 5 hours of her usual sleep (isn't sleep total vital when you are trying to recover from an illness????).

In my mind you can't have it both ways. Either she is too sick to be out of bed, or she is well enough to attend the day program. I honestly think it is all about money and the attempt not to have to pay staff to care for my sister during the day, she had already been home for 3 weeks.

I gather from the conversation with the doctor that they also wanted to know how to force my sister to have her medication and to eat. My sister is the most stubborn person in the world, and she is not going to take anything if she doesn't want it. And really, a lack of her medication is not going to kill her. And though she has lost some weight, she is well hydrated and her body is not under too much stress. She just needs time to heal. For some reason the staff or person doesn't believe this even when they hear it from 2 or 3 different doctors. I think they were trying to find a new doctor who will agree with them. Luckily the family doctor put in writing that she is never to be forced to take food or medicine and that they are to give her another week to see how she is doing. I know one of the ladies is very opinionated, and she seems to believe in miracle cures of medicine. If you are not completely well, the medicine isn't working and must be changed according to her, I can see this lady not being pleased with my sister's slow recovery.

But I have never really been too worried about my sister as she has never looked as bad as last year when Denis and I arrived home. My sister's eyes tell the truth and her eyes have told me she is just under the weather. Hopefully, with the coming of spring she will finally shake all of this and get back to good health.