It's been three years since I seriously worked on a play or script.
It's time. I am going to write a tv pilot. I have an idea, finally an idea.
Since I'm a research freak, it will be a while before anything is actually on paper, besides a treatment, and tons of notes. But this feels good.
Sadly, my blogging will suffer. But I'll be sure to post pics and sometimes writing is the best distraction from writing. So I'm sure I'll need to procrastinate my scriptwriting with blogger writing.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Drum Session
Friday, June 27, 2008
Happy Birthday Sissysnuggiekins!
Sissysnugs Mama, her son "Z", Sissysnugs, Froggy, FD and FM
Sissysnugs and her Mama
FD and Froggy in the pool
Froggy swimming with a noodle, and Dadda
It's hard to believe that Sissysnuggiekins is 16! We surprised her today at her aunt Betsy's with a birthday party. Froggy was, as always smitten to see her big Sis. And she met (for the first time) her sister's little brother. Got that?
Sissysnug's mom has a son (Sissy's half brother). So Sissysnug's half-sister Froggy met her half brother. So I suppose Froggy and "Z" are half-half-half brother and sister? Anyway, we had a great day. Sissy was very surprised and Froggy was thrilled to see her Sissy.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
How is this for a first day?
On Froggydadda's first day as a student Respiratory Therapist...
He did CPR on a woman for 50 minutes.
His first patient had severe Cerebral Palsy and could only communicate by screaming, while FD took his oxygen levels.
FD was offered a job on the weekends to clean respiratory machines. We're still debating whether or not he should take it.
During a break, FD called me and said how amazing it felt to be doing something important, to sit by the hospital beds, watch golf (and he hates golf) with an elderly patient, and to do something well. His RT instructor was super impressed and of course all the nurses were smitten. Back off girls.
The next eight weeks will be incredibly difficult for our family. FD has 12-14 hour days all week (with Fridays off) and may work on the weekends. The question is, how am I to work 25-30hours a week while being the primary caretaker of the world's busiest toddler, without help. Yikes. I'm tired just thinking about it, but incredibly proud of my husband and all he has accomplished.
He did CPR on a woman for 50 minutes.
His first patient had severe Cerebral Palsy and could only communicate by screaming, while FD took his oxygen levels.
FD was offered a job on the weekends to clean respiratory machines. We're still debating whether or not he should take it.
During a break, FD called me and said how amazing it felt to be doing something important, to sit by the hospital beds, watch golf (and he hates golf) with an elderly patient, and to do something well. His RT instructor was super impressed and of course all the nurses were smitten. Back off girls.
The next eight weeks will be incredibly difficult for our family. FD has 12-14 hour days all week (with Fridays off) and may work on the weekends. The question is, how am I to work 25-30hours a week while being the primary caretaker of the world's busiest toddler, without help. Yikes. I'm tired just thinking about it, but incredibly proud of my husband and all he has accomplished.
Froggydadda
As most of you know, Froggydadda is in school to become a Respiratory Therapist so he can take excellent and professional care of our little Froggy.
Today he starts working in the hospital! He was up at 5am for his first 12-hour shift. He will be working under and observing other RT's, and will graduate next June.
And not that I'm biased or anything, but he was looking pretty cute in scrubs.
Today he starts working in the hospital! He was up at 5am for his first 12-hour shift. He will be working under and observing other RT's, and will graduate next June.
And not that I'm biased or anything, but he was looking pretty cute in scrubs.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
We're HOME!!!
We didn't need to be admitted. And the mountain of poo has moved on through. Woo hoo!
Thank you everyone for the dookee dances and poo prayers.
Thank you everyone for the dookee dances and poo prayers.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tomorrow
Tomorrow we have our doc appointment at Children's Hospital. We'll do x-rays and see if the kiddo has any blockage. If we get the all-clear, we'll be able to sleep in our own bed tomorrow night.
If Froggy hasn't moved Mount Vesuvious, we'll be admitted.
I won't have access to the internet in the hospital, unless I can Bogart one of the nurse's computers for a minute. So if I haven't posted by tomorrow evening, you'll know where we are. And we'd love visitors. Call FD if you want to stop by, and he'll tell you our room number.
But hopefully...you won't need to.
If Froggy hasn't moved Mount Vesuvious, we'll be admitted.
I won't have access to the internet in the hospital, unless I can Bogart one of the nurse's computers for a minute. So if I haven't posted by tomorrow evening, you'll know where we are. And we'd love visitors. Call FD if you want to stop by, and he'll tell you our room number.
But hopefully...you won't need to.
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Business of Magic
Driving home tonight
I caught a glimpse of you in the rear view
sleeping
your tiara still attached to chlorine curls
a wand hanging from pruned fingers
tired of turning cats into horses
and the heavy business of magic
peeking out of street light shadows
the triangular fleeting shapes of your face made brow
and chin
and lips into a Dahli painting
where strangely everything made sense
in the fragments
I see the reason for it all
you
breathing the salty air of the pacific coast highway
where movies about lives like ours are filmed.
In the rear view you are perfect.
and I am just a driver
taking you wherever it is
you wish to go.
I caught a glimpse of you in the rear view
sleeping
your tiara still attached to chlorine curls
a wand hanging from pruned fingers
tired of turning cats into horses
and the heavy business of magic
peeking out of street light shadows
the triangular fleeting shapes of your face made brow
and chin
and lips into a Dahli painting
where strangely everything made sense
in the fragments
I see the reason for it all
you
breathing the salty air of the pacific coast highway
where movies about lives like ours are filmed.
In the rear view you are perfect.
and I am just a driver
taking you wherever it is
you wish to go.
The scoop on the poop
After Froggy's x-ray, we learned she's backed up big time and impacted in her upper GI.
We did blood work to check electrolytes. If they were in any way abnormal, we would be admitted for at least two days. After being admitted, they would basically give her an IV laxative. It's through the nose, and lasts for four hours at a time. And they were pretty sure we'd need to do it a couple times....
Fortunately, her electrolytes were normal! She dropped a little in weight, but that's understandable. So they sent us home to really work on some big poos!
For now, we're pushing liquids, and giving her an all-white diet. White bread, white pasta, and no milk, no multi-grain anything. Tons of pedialyte, gatorade and nasty supplements. It will be a tough weekend.
Tuesday we have another appointment at Children's Hospital for more blood work and x-rays. If she's not cleared out by then, we'll be admitted.
So think POOP! Really concentrate on LOTS AND LOTS OF POOOOOOOO! Instead of a rain dance, we'll do a dookee dance, screaming "Goooooo Lax-a-tives!"
We did blood work to check electrolytes. If they were in any way abnormal, we would be admitted for at least two days. After being admitted, they would basically give her an IV laxative. It's through the nose, and lasts for four hours at a time. And they were pretty sure we'd need to do it a couple times....
Fortunately, her electrolytes were normal! She dropped a little in weight, but that's understandable. So they sent us home to really work on some big poos!
For now, we're pushing liquids, and giving her an all-white diet. White bread, white pasta, and no milk, no multi-grain anything. Tons of pedialyte, gatorade and nasty supplements. It will be a tough weekend.
Tuesday we have another appointment at Children's Hospital for more blood work and x-rays. If she's not cleared out by then, we'll be admitted.
So think POOP! Really concentrate on LOTS AND LOTS OF POOOOOOOO! Instead of a rain dance, we'll do a dookee dance, screaming "Goooooo Lax-a-tives!"
Thursday, June 19, 2008
We're Going to the Doc...again
Tomorrow morning (Friday) we have an early appointment at Children's Hospital.
Froggy has not been feeling well, digestively speaking since we returned from Iowa. So the doc wants to x-ray her belly to check if she's impacted. I'm sure we'll get blood work and other fun stuff, so keep us in your thoughts tomorrow.
It will be a long day. The hospital is about an hour away (with traffic) and we have to be there at 8:20am. Yuck. You all know how I feel about mornings...especially considering we have three respiratory treatments and breakfast to take care of before we leave.
I stopped at Target tonight and bought Froggy a new Barbie doll to open at the doc's. Hopefully that will be an even trade for x-rays, needles and hours of waiting. Yeah, right. Maybe we'll stop for ice cream too.
Froggy has not been feeling well, digestively speaking since we returned from Iowa. So the doc wants to x-ray her belly to check if she's impacted. I'm sure we'll get blood work and other fun stuff, so keep us in your thoughts tomorrow.
It will be a long day. The hospital is about an hour away (with traffic) and we have to be there at 8:20am. Yuck. You all know how I feel about mornings...especially considering we have three respiratory treatments and breakfast to take care of before we leave.
I stopped at Target tonight and bought Froggy a new Barbie doll to open at the doc's. Hopefully that will be an even trade for x-rays, needles and hours of waiting. Yeah, right. Maybe we'll stop for ice cream too.
Monday, June 16, 2008
I pick out my own clothes
Froggy must dress herself these days. I so don't care. It's one less battle. And I like her style. I tried not to laugh when she picked out the belt. She is one funny kid. The Tye Dye Sisters
Chocolate kisses.
Our colorful girls.
Everyone looking a little possessed, but still cute.
Riding the train with "Hal" the conductor. He only has one tooth, but he sure was friendly.
Climbing up in the old trains.
Looking bored together.Sunday, we all celebrated Father's Day at a little place in Griffith Park called "Travel Town," which houses old trains from the turn of the century. It's a great laidback place where kids can run around and climb trains. Froggy is really into Thomas the Tank Engine, so she had a great time. And the sisters were able to spend time together, in their tie dye outfits and tie dye hair.
I really miss Griffith Park. When FD and I lived in Hollywood, I'd hike up to the observatory a few times a week. In fact, Griffith Park was really the only thing I liked about living in Hollywood.
I really miss Griffith Park. When FD and I lived in Hollywood, I'd hike up to the observatory a few times a week. In fact, Griffith Park was really the only thing I liked about living in Hollywood.
Woo Hooooooo Froggydadda!!!
Froggydadda got a B this semester!
And his GPA for the program is 3.08!!!
Go FD!!! We're so proud!!! Could I use more exclamations!!!?!!?
And his GPA for the program is 3.08!!!
Go FD!!! We're so proud!!! Could I use more exclamations!!!?!!?
Gimme Gimme Gimme, I need, I need...
I know every mother feels at one time or another that she is losing her mind...Well I'm there.
Since we returned from Iowa, Froggy has had a constant cold virus. I think she actually started recovering from one, when she picked up another. Then came pinkeye. And in the midst of the major mucus, she's been constipated, gassy, and spends sometimes four hours a day "trying" to poop. She can't leave my side, so I sit there for four hours holding her hand while she says, "my tummy hurts." The second she has a bowel movement, she's her cheerful, happy self. I've talked to our nutritionist several times, and we've increased her laxative, but somedays are still miserable.
And we have definitely hit the terrible-two's. Everything is a battle. For instance...
"Noooo, I don't like that shirt. Not THAT one, NOOOOOO!," screaming like her shirt is made of fire, rather than cotton.
"No vest Mommy! Nooooo! I don't LIKE vest. No treatment. No."
Froggymama: Are you hungry?
Froggy: No.
Froggymama: How about a Cheerio. One Cheerio. Just one.
Froggy: I don't like Cheerios. No. No. No.
From giving meds, to brushing teeth, putting on clothes, getting in the bath, getting out of the bath, reading a story, going for a walk, every detail of our life has become a battle. And I'm losing big time. I dread every moment and want to crawl into a cave and hibernate until she's four.
Last night we skipped her respiratory treatment because of her stomach pain. It was a tough call, but by the end of the day, we just couldn't "do" one more thing to her. So this morning it was extremely important that we complete her vest, albuterol and pulmozyme. But noooooo... she made her body stiff as a board, screamed, tore at her mask, and I could not physically hold her. Toddlers have an amazing ability to squirm out of any situation. It's like when evolving, they developed this ability to escape the grasp of a boa constrictor, or vulcan grip. Now, it's to escape amoxicilin, or eyedrops.
While trying to hold Froggy down for treatment, I lost it and really yelled at her. It was a major low point in Froggymama history. It was an angry, loud and frustrated yell, with a big expletive... and I feel terrible. I walked away, we didn't finish pulmozyme, and she completed her vest while I stood in the kitchen trying to catch my breath and calm down. Afterwards, I put her in bed with a milk, and she was so incredibly sweet and loving and of course that added to my mean-mommy-guilt.
And this stress is affecting FD and I and how we communicate and co-exist. He's frustrated and worried about school and I'm frustrated about getting my work done, and keeping Froggy healthy. So we take it all out on eachother.
I'm having a difficult time digesting our lives, if that makes sense. On one hand I'm appreciative of what we have, our wonderful family, friends. We don't live in a war zone, we're not starving, we have access (although it's frustratingly hard to actually get it) to amazing healthcare, we have a bright, kind, adorable child... we are so incredibly lucky. And on the other hand, I'm jealous of people who have healthy kids and don't have a daily financial strain. I miss my family. I'm exhausted and stressed out, overworked, and lately...just sad.
One of my favorite movies is "What About Bob," with Bill Murray. There's one point when he's trying to convince his therapist who is on vacation to see him anyway. He has the most pathetic look on his face and says, "Gimme, gimme, gimme, I need, I need..." It just says it all, because he never really says what it is he needs. It's just something, and without that something, it feels like madness.
Since we returned from Iowa, Froggy has had a constant cold virus. I think she actually started recovering from one, when she picked up another. Then came pinkeye. And in the midst of the major mucus, she's been constipated, gassy, and spends sometimes four hours a day "trying" to poop. She can't leave my side, so I sit there for four hours holding her hand while she says, "my tummy hurts." The second she has a bowel movement, she's her cheerful, happy self. I've talked to our nutritionist several times, and we've increased her laxative, but somedays are still miserable.
And we have definitely hit the terrible-two's. Everything is a battle. For instance...
"Noooo, I don't like that shirt. Not THAT one, NOOOOOO!," screaming like her shirt is made of fire, rather than cotton.
"No vest Mommy! Nooooo! I don't LIKE vest. No treatment. No."
Froggymama: Are you hungry?
Froggy: No.
Froggymama: How about a Cheerio. One Cheerio. Just one.
Froggy: I don't like Cheerios. No. No. No.
From giving meds, to brushing teeth, putting on clothes, getting in the bath, getting out of the bath, reading a story, going for a walk, every detail of our life has become a battle. And I'm losing big time. I dread every moment and want to crawl into a cave and hibernate until she's four.
Last night we skipped her respiratory treatment because of her stomach pain. It was a tough call, but by the end of the day, we just couldn't "do" one more thing to her. So this morning it was extremely important that we complete her vest, albuterol and pulmozyme. But noooooo... she made her body stiff as a board, screamed, tore at her mask, and I could not physically hold her. Toddlers have an amazing ability to squirm out of any situation. It's like when evolving, they developed this ability to escape the grasp of a boa constrictor, or vulcan grip. Now, it's to escape amoxicilin, or eyedrops.
While trying to hold Froggy down for treatment, I lost it and really yelled at her. It was a major low point in Froggymama history. It was an angry, loud and frustrated yell, with a big expletive... and I feel terrible. I walked away, we didn't finish pulmozyme, and she completed her vest while I stood in the kitchen trying to catch my breath and calm down. Afterwards, I put her in bed with a milk, and she was so incredibly sweet and loving and of course that added to my mean-mommy-guilt.
And this stress is affecting FD and I and how we communicate and co-exist. He's frustrated and worried about school and I'm frustrated about getting my work done, and keeping Froggy healthy. So we take it all out on eachother.
I'm having a difficult time digesting our lives, if that makes sense. On one hand I'm appreciative of what we have, our wonderful family, friends. We don't live in a war zone, we're not starving, we have access (although it's frustratingly hard to actually get it) to amazing healthcare, we have a bright, kind, adorable child... we are so incredibly lucky. And on the other hand, I'm jealous of people who have healthy kids and don't have a daily financial strain. I miss my family. I'm exhausted and stressed out, overworked, and lately...just sad.
One of my favorite movies is "What About Bob," with Bill Murray. There's one point when he's trying to convince his therapist who is on vacation to see him anyway. He has the most pathetic look on his face and says, "Gimme, gimme, gimme, I need, I need..." It just says it all, because he never really says what it is he needs. It's just something, and without that something, it feels like madness.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Muddy Waters
This is Iowa sadly reverting to it's pre-cambrian days.Fortunately no one I know has had to swim out of their house yet.
Thank you everyone who called or emailed to ask if my family was affected. And thank you for not confusing Iowa with Idaho, or Ohio, or Indiana, or Illinois.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
An oldie, but a goody!
A Drinking Song
Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
By William Butler Yeats
(Public domain baby)
I went through a Yeats stage. Okay, I'm still not out of it, where I read everything he wrote. Not much of a playwright (yikes) but quite the poet.
Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
By William Butler Yeats
(Public domain baby)
I went through a Yeats stage. Okay, I'm still not out of it, where I read everything he wrote. Not much of a playwright (yikes) but quite the poet.
Giving pink eye the stink eye!
I think the Frog and I have pinkeye.
We're off to the doctor. Good times.
We're off to the doctor. Good times.
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