Breathing Between Retractions

This has truly been the most frustrating week during our wait for our next wild child. Some agencies are reporting that referrals will be sent out, but no travel will be arranged, others are saying no referrals or travel arrangements will be sent out, and some are saying it is business as usual. This has dumped the March 06 families into a big black hole of confusion and upset...so much so that we opened a special cussing thread so that we could exchange new vulgarities and unique perspectives on our situation in the privacy of our own chat room. It relieved a little pressure and I learned some new words.

I sense that the whole swine flu is a virus spread primarily by the media. The Canadian approach seems to be we'll just stock up on a little extra kleenex and vitamin D and ok, we could wash our hands now and then. Across the river, they're closing schools, Hong Kong is isolating hotels full of people, while our kid is getting immunized naturally by kissing all her friends and Bella at regular intervals. Given that my sister Anne(ER nurse) her husband Scott (coroner) and Tony and I are travelling to China together, we're probably prepared for just about anything. And if we're not, well we've got a coroner!

The boy and I got into some hot and heavy work over the weekend. To burn a few calories and distract ourselves, we built some new raised beds for a bigger vegetable garden complete with concrete bases and any other heavy thing we could find at Home Depot. Last night while I was dreaming, a message came through loud and clear from beyond...STOP DOING THAT OR YOU WILL HURT YOURSELF. Ok Mom, but it was a necessity given that last summer, while gardening in the dark, I stepped on a deck nail sticking out of a plank and skewered through my right foot. It took a few minutes to decide if I should try to pull my foot off the plank or just amputate below the knee, but given the cellulitis that followed, I wished I had opted for amputation. So now, we have a nail free vegetable garden, but given my reputation of being a total clutzoid, I am sure I will find some other trouble to get into.

Lil is hooked on cardiology this week and this is a relief given her previous infatuation with gastroenterology. Any time either of us exert ourselves, she reminds us that it is good for our hearts. She has the hang of the stethescope now and is keenly interested in taking my pulse and listening to my hilarious dysrythmias. I haven't let her check my cholesterol or she might take my ice cream away. After dinner each night she shows off her gymnastics skills and cartwheels...Can you do that Momma? she asks. Of course dear, but I would rather watch you... maybe ask your Dad.

Tony is still hoping she stays within a surgical specialty and is training her with the help of our new board game OPERATION. He is still the champion but I suspect not for long. I just have a feeling we'd better start adding to her education fund or accept that we'll still be working at 85. But then if we're not at work making babies, we'll just get into some other kind of trouble...