Too busy to blog!

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here. Let me see what highlights I can remember.

Breanna and Cassidy have both had some minor health concerns. Breanna had a stomach virus last week and was quite miserable. This week she feels like she's fighting off a cold. But she was able to complete the first course in her Medical Assistant training and begin the second one. In about 3 months, she'll be done and will qualify for job placement.

Cassidy has been trying different formulas to see which one agrees with her best. She seems to have a sensitive tummy and some reflux symptoms. She had a horrible case of diaper rash, the worst I'd ever seen, for about ten days. Finally, a doctor at the clinic gave Bree two ointments to use together and they seem to be helping. Now that she's feeling better, she is back to being content almost all the time. She's smiling a lot now, and her toothless grin is priceless. Tuesday nights Dave and I babysit while Breanna goes to school, and we look forward to it. Last week we also had Breanna and Cassidy overnight, with Dave and I sharing night feeding duty so Breanna could catch up on rest. Dave has a knack for putting her to sleep. She loves her grandpa. Here's a cute picture of them:

There is finally news about Nick: he was discharged by the Marine Corps toward the end of March and held by the county jail for a couple days after that--but then released on probation. Bree didn't hear anything about this until about three weeks later. The good news is that she hasn't been contacted anymore by him. He seems to finally understand what a restraining order is! We don't know where he is, or if there's any way to find that out. Bree doesn't seem too fearful about him coming around now. I will always be afraid, but am comforted to some degree by the fact that he's quit contacting her. Please keep this situation in prayer.

Next, the Brenden report: He's still under our roof, but we've put together a plan so that he'll be independent again--living elsewhere--within 3-6 months. He didn't get the Costco job, but did get a p/t position at a little cafe' called "Bubble Tea." They serve tea and smoothies with boba (tapioca) in 'em. I haven't been there for a taste test yet, but plan to go. Bren will keep looking for a full time job, or another part time one, so as to save money for moving out.

Brenden got his wisdom teeth removed last week. Everything went fine. However, he got a little too excited over having a prescription for Vicodin--and apparently it wasn't his first time having some (though he's never had a legitimate Rx for it). It's clear to me Brenden still has a weakness for substances, but Dave says it's an "opportunistic" thing. Usually he doesn't have access to anything (or any money to get anything), so more often than not, he's clean. But when he can get his hands on something somehow, he'll go for it. I've talked with a drug counselor about whether or not we should force the issue of some sort of treatment while Brenden's still legally under our control (he turns 18 in less than 3 weeks). He said that unless Brenden believes he has a problem and needs help, it will most likely be worthless. So the most we can do is enforce a zero tolerance policy in our house, and if we find evidence of his drinking or doing any sort of drugs, he's out. I believe Brenden will try to abide by these rules. He really seems to be grateful to be back home, with a comfortable bed to sleep in and plenty of food to eat! He now knows how tough it is to make it on your own in the "real world," so he has a new level of appreciation for what we provide for him here.

Anyway, we have a written "deal" with Brenden outlining a plan for the next 3-6 months to get him back out on his own. He'll have his high school diploma next month (hooray!). He has started the courses that will get him certified in phlebotomy. But he's also thinking that he might want to become an English teacher so he can travel around Asia as he's always wished, teaching English for a living. That's actually not a bad idea, in my mind. He's going to talk to a counselor at the community college tomorrow and see if the Associates degree program there would get him on the right track.

So that's the kid update. As for Dave and me... Dave is away on a golf and poker vacation for a few days, followed by taking care of business in Vegas for a couple more days. I am busy with all the bookkeeping tasks for our Cinema Advertising Agency business. Plus I've taken on a handful of authors for a short-term publicity campaign in conjunction with the summer booksellers convention I always go to. This time it's in Atlanta, July 8-12. (That ought to be toasty!)

If you've been following my sprained ankle saga, the latest is that I had an MRI last week and a consultation with an orthopedist today. There is some ligament damage that will never totally heal, but that's not what's causing the ongoing pain. That's more likely some scar tissue, which can be helped with physical therapy and possibly a cortisone shot. Another issue is that there's a loose fragment of bone, about 2-3 mm in size, in the ankle area from the injury, which may ultimately need to come out via arthroscopic surgery. I think I'll try physical therapy first, then maybe the shot, and as a last resort, the surgery. I can keep exercising on it, though I'm not supposed to walk for very long at one time. The doctor suggested cycling instead. That's OK by me because I can read while cycling at the gym, and I have LOTS of books in my reading pile!

Now that it's May, it's birthday season here. This weekend, my sisters and I are celebrating mom's b-day (which was this past Monday) by going together to a "Celtic Woman" concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it! Lori's coming down from San Francisco for the weekend and staying with Julie. Mom and I are staying in a hotel in Santa Monica Saturday night because we'll be out pretty late. The next birthday will be Brenden's (5/22), then Dad's (5/23), then Breanna's (5/30), and finally mine (6/4). If you're in the area, I'm planning on having a casual birthday party for myself on Sunday, June 3! It's not so much about ME, but more about introducing Cassidy to our friends who haven't seen her yet. I'm thinking about serving a bunch of Rubio's Mexican food to make it easy. Please consider yourself invited if you read this in time... just give me an RSVP. :-)

It's late and I should turn in. But I wanted to compose this blog update because I've been bad about staying in contact with important people. There just seems to be too much to do these days. Thanks for understanding when I'm out of touch. And thanks for the continued prayers and love.

~Kim