Fair/Fairgrounds - There is a Difference!

The Sheriff and I went and saw the Zac Brown Band back in October, we had such a good time and we have wanted to go back ever since.  I was thinking about it this morning and googled their next concert in California and as of right now the soonest they are playing is on July 16th in Paso Robles.  I called the Sheriff, talked him into going, bought our tickets, reserved a hotel room and then realized it is at the California Mid State Fair, not just the California Mid State Fairgrounds (oopsie), so it appears that we are going to the fair too, Mr. Pie will be soooo happy.  Anywho, we are going, it will be a nice little get away and we will have a lot of fun, so in the next few weeks, we will need to finalize all of our plans and possibly rearrange a few things to fit everything in that we want to do this summer!  It is only January and our summer is already shaping up to be awesome and I was worried we would never top last summer. 

Today!

Today……

 - Super Dad is headed home from Le Hospital around 5:30pm today we think, he probably will end up  leaving around 8pm because nothing at Hoag runs very fast unless you are code blue and then they move quickly.

 - I went to paddling practice again today, again I discovered it is not very good to go once a week, but whatever, I went and I feel lean and mean.

Our course today.

 - After practice, a 3 mile walk with the dog, lunch, a trip to the market, a Target run and a shower, I have declared the rest of today recovery day, it is currently 3:30pm and I have my pj's on.

 - Laundry is part of recovery day (that should not be allowed) and I really don't have full loads/need to do laundry but I am doing it anyway so I am caught up on one of life's thorns in my side, so to all my tree hugger, I know we are in a drought friends out there, I am sorry, I won't do half loads again for a very long time, I pinky promise.

 - Paddling season is starting soon so I am getting good quality time on my couch because we all know once it starts, I won't see my couch from mid-February to mid-September and it is a nice couch.

 - I decided today would be a good day to get ready for said paddling season, I hit Target and stocked up on life's necessities aka toilet paper, face wash, cleaning supplies, etc.  It sure feels good to have that done, I will now go back next weekend to pick up all of the things I forgot to buy, perhaps a list would of served me well, oh well maybe next time.

 - One of my coworkers asked me if I read much, I laughed inside, DUDE, when does she think I have time to read???  I have a full time job, a dog that needs to be walked, a boyfriend, housework to be done, I paddle (well right now I pretend to paddle, I only go once maybe twice a week) and a million other things to do and I am barely home but a few waking hours.  Ummm, no I do not read.   Then I started feeling like I should become a better reader, so I picked up a good quality read at the Target check out line, why, yes I do read.  Lol.

 - Besides, flossing my teeth everyday, I have now added another item to my New Year's resolution list, when putting my clothes away after washing them, they are to be right side out, deep I know!

 - I think I have covered all of my thoughts for today, perhaps it is time to take a cue from my dog and take a nap.  Yay for the weekend!

Super Dad - Not Getting Out Tomorrow :(

I cannot believe today is Thursday, this week has flown by at lightening speed.   Yesterday marked two weeks of Super Dad being in the hospital, it is time to get him out.  We are all hoping that he will be out by Friday but his drains are still draining and the pic line is still in, so he needs to stop draining and that pesky pic line needs to come out most likely before he is released, so who knows today could be a big day for him to get all of that stuff out.  So anywho, yesterday I went down to the hospital and hung out with him, we watched Jeopardy and then Ryan, Shannon & Caroline stopped in and we all hung out for awhile.  Super Dad was in great spirits and is ready to bust a move out of 6W26 as soon as he gets the word.  

Watching Jeopardy together, lol.

Update:  I had written this post early this morning but I forgot to publish it (oh and my days are all mixed up because Monday was a holiday, so if this does not make sense just roll with it and read it the way it makes sense for you) and now pretty much all of it does not apply to how today really went down.  So what happened today was the Doctor came in, Super Dad is still draining, it looks like cooked meat fat (you can thank me for that nasty description), so he is off to have CT scan tomorrow to see what his insides look like, he was given real food today, no more liquid diet and by dinner time he felt really sick and was not happy when I called to check in on him, so all in all, I think he had a mentally tough day.  I have suggested distracting the nurses and have Super Mom waiting in the car and we will get him out of there kinda like the Ikea commercial, but somehow I don't think that will bode well for any of us, so in the meantime you can watch on YouTube what our plan looks like.

I can just picture Super Dad cheering as we bust him out of there!

And if you are really confused after you read this, don't worry I am too, perhaps tomorrow will bring clearer thoughts.

Whatta Weekend!

The end of my four day weekend is quickly approaching and it was a fast one!  I was off Friday and the Sheriff was supposed to be at some HAZMAT training thingy so I was planning on a day of housework and laundry but instead I got an awesome text message late Thursday night saying he was off on Friday.  So we met up, took the pups to the park, hopped into the car drove to Marina del Rey to pick something up, stopped in Newport to see Super Dad at Hoag on our way home, went back to my house, I jumped back into my car to go get my hair cut, got my hair cut, ran into my friend Carrie, drove back to the sheriff's house, we ran to Home Depot, grabbed some dinner and crashed on his couch.  

Saturday, I went to paddling practice, note to self, NEVER take a couple months off, you develop middle jiggle and your arms are just not ready for two hours of paddling.  After practice I met up with my friends Chara and Lisa at Bella Terra for lunch, I stopped off to see Super Dad and made dinner for the Sheriff and Mr. Pie.  

Sunday, I was soooo incredibly sore (again, do not ever take months off from paddling), had a park date with the Sheriff, Mr. Pie and the pups and then we headed to HB for a bike ride.  The weather has been in the 80's all week and the beach was just beautiful, so what better way to spend the day but at the beach on bikes.  We rode around for a couple hours stopped off for ice cream and then headed home to another tasty crock pot meal, I am seriously loving the Sheriff's crock pot and it makes it so nice to open up the pot at 6pm and dinner is ready.  We enjoyed, beef brisket, mashed potatoes and baked broccoli (I need to share the broccoli recipe, it is so good and easy to make).  The Sheriff crashed  on the couch and I enjoyed an evening of House Hunters.  

And now here we are today, Monday night the last of my four days off, it was a busy day, I got up early to go visit Super Dad, had breakfast with the Sheriff and Mr. Pie, it was touch and go for a few minutes, I was starving when I got to their house and I was not a happy camper.  After we survived breakfast it was time to tackle all of their laundry; there were clothes to be folded and a lot more to be washed.  I declared today the day that Mr. Pie learned how to sort clothes, load and run the washing machine, he put a up a little resistance in the beginning but with a lot of encouragement and praise, he was running the washer and dryer just like a pro.  The Sheriff taught him how to fold his clothes as I went through his drawers getting rid of all of the stuff that was too small and bagging it for its new home.  It was truly a team effort to get chores done around the house and do the grocery shopping, BTW, I think things between the Sheriff and I are getting serious, we went to Costco today and we split a thing of paper towels and some fruits and veggies, lol.  After the splitting of paper goods, we went to Barnes & Noble for some more AR books for Mr. Pie (please shoot me NOW), it was not pretty but with some tough love, almost tears and a work and reward system put into place Mr. Pie actually eagerly started reading a book the Sheriff picked out, I call that a win actually scratch that it is more like a MAJOR VICTORY, yay for US and after a random dinner at Whole Paycheck Foods we went home finished the rest of the laundry and called it a night.  Dang, I am tired, I need a few days to recover, good thing I am going to work in the morning.  

Hope you all had a good weekend as well, Super Dad continues to do great, he was able to add Jello, coffee and some other items to his diet tonight but still no word when he will be coming home.  :(

Super Dad & his Selfie

Hi Everyone,

Well it has been a few days since I posted an update on Super Dad and mainly because he is doing so well there is not a whole lot to update.  In my last update I mentioned the lovely tube coming out of his nose and that it seemed to be staying longer than any of us hoped it would, well no sooner than I typed that the tube was removed a few hours later and Super Dad was thrilled, seriously who wouldn't be, the thing was coming out of his nose, the tube ran down his throat into his stomach and it drained green stuff like it was fresh out of the sewer, ummm, gross.  After the tube was removed and the narcotics were gone Super Dad was a happy camper and back to his normal self, woohoo.  Then he had a set back, there was puss coming out of one of his drains, so off the CT Scanner he went and they determined he had a leak in his gut, but after close monitoring it appears to be a good leak if leaks could be good and will heal by itself.  So as of right now Super Dad has a pic line, IV and two drains still attached to him, but he is feeling great.  Super Dad has been allowed to eat chicken broth and will soon graduate to jello, lucky dog.  So for now, we are all so happy that he is back to his normal self, his mind is able to rest and there is no more threats of being held hostage in a third world country again.  He is feeling so well that he took his first selfie the other day and sent it to his brother and some of his clients, perhaps it is time to take the iPad away.

This is his selfie that he sent, gross!

Now, lets just get him home and life will be great, hopefully that will happen by Wednesday or Thursday, his doctor is not in a huge hurry to send him home though.

Knott's Berry Farm 2014

Well it has taken me almost a week to post our Knott's Berry Farm trip, between being super tired and hanging with Super Dad there has been no time to get this done.  Last Saturday, the Sheriff and I took Mr. Pie and the Littles to Knott’s Berry Farm, the month of January is Law Enforcement and Firefighter appreciation month and the Sheriff being the Sheriff we got two free tickets and the other 3 tickets for $20 each, so it was a pretty smokin deal and we could not pass it up.   We all had a blast but I am not going to lie I was TIRED at the end of the day and that tiredness carried over to Sunday and I totally could of used a recovery day, but whatever!  Anywho, we met up with my sister at a random Starbucks on Beach Blvd. by Knott’s and she passed the torch on to me aka the kids and we headed off to Knott’s.  The Sheriff and Mr. Pie were hungry so we stopped for breakfast burrito’s, we had been there maybe 15 mins and BAM a very full glass of water was knocked over, here is to dining with kids.   We walk into Knott’s and the first question out of Miss Mari’s mouth was why is it spelled Kin-otts, arg the girl is smarter than me, she wanted to know why there was a “K” in Knott’s, all I could come up with is the “K” is silent. Meanwhile Mr. Pie and Cole are about explode with excitement, they are bouncing off the walls and could not wait to get on the rides, it was pretty cute watching them walk around the park with their maps.  We hit a few rides, Mari was not really into them, so we walked around the Ghost Town, did rides that she did not thing were rides and did a bunch of non-ride activities. 

Cole getting the lay of the land!

Mari and I on the spinning hats.

Mr. Pie & Cole.

Mari met some new friends, not sure they set the best example for a little girl, but she likes them, Cole was a bit nervous being around them.

Another selfie of us!

Lol, don't we look like the cute little family.  Fast forward picture of what the future may hold, lol.

The Sheriff and the boys wanted to go on Big Foot Rapids, errr you may get wet.

All Aboard.

You can tell by this picture, the girls had enough sense not to go on it.

Auntie Erin is the BEST, can you say pure sugar, mmmm mmmm.

The sugar wore off and they were tired of waiting and ready for dinner!

All I wanted was a nice photo in front of the sign, come on kids.

After we left, we dropped the Sheriff off at his house and I took the three kids back to mine for a sleepover.  It was late, so it was pretty much pi's, brush teeth and bed, but we still had a good time and the kids were so well behaved, I cannot wait to take them again next year.

snug as a bug in a rug.

One Week Ago!

It has been one week since Super Dad went under the knife and boy howdy what a week it has been.  We are so thankful that he made it through surgery just fine, we could not of asked for any better news then we get everyday and we are even more grateful that Super Dad is no longer on those crazy whacked out pain meds.  Today, Super Dad had a PIC line put in so he could start getting better nutrition (at least that is why I think they put it in) and started him on his first bagged meal and dang it better be the most amazing bagged meal ever since it was a whopping $1000.  Super Dad is still pretty pissed off about the tube in his nose and as of right now it does not sound like it is coming out anytime soon, errrr I don't want to be around when his doctor confirms that.  Well, it is late and I cannot format anymore thoughts, so I am going to leave you with this small one and fingers crossed for continued healing.

1000 bucks of food.

Day 6 - The last 24 hours have been ROUGH!

Lets just say Super Dad had a BBBBBAAAAAAADDDDDD night last night, he roamed the halls, called my mom 6 times during the night and was completely out of his mind.  It was torturous for him.  Super Mom arrived to the hospital bright and early and my sister followed shortly after and Super Dad was a hot mess most of the day for them.  Now that they have stopped pumping him with pain medication he is much happier and no longer thinks he is being held hostage in a third world country.   He is about to get his central line taken out and I will stay and make sure he lays flat for 30 minutes and then hopefully he will head off to dreamland for a few hours, he soooooo needs it.   

Please send more good thoughts and prayers his way!!

Day 5 - Super Dad Update

Super Dad continues to do very well post-op, he is up walking around several times a day, he is able to sit in a chair for extended periods of time and he is still enjoying his diet of ice chips.  However, the one thing that is not working in his favor is his pain medication, thankfully he does not seem to be in much pain, but he is having a bad reaction to the pain meds mentally.  At times he is very confused, his mind seems to be racing all of the time, making it hard to rest, and today my mom caught him trying to rip off the bandage that is holding the IV in place in his neck because he was dreaming there was a post it note stuck on there (I know, it is hard not to laugh).  His anesthesiologist comes by everyday to check on his epidural and to make sure he is feeling good and after my mom talked to him about everything that was going on they were able to remove the narcotics from the pain medication and hopefully he will be able to get some rest and not be so confused.  

Today I dropped the Littles off with my sister at the hospital after a fun day at Knott's Berry Farm and sleepover at Auntie Erin's (more on that tomorrow) and I could tell Super Dad was totally out of it, he tried hard to pull it together but it was too much with the Littles, Mr. Pie, my Mom, sister and I in the room. We stayed only stayed for a few minutes because the kids were getting antsy and it was just time to go.  

Tomorrow Super Dad's epidural will be removed, fingers crossed that his pain will be manageable and normal Dad will come back.  I will heading to the hospital tomorrow night after work, so I will update you all again then.  Thanks again for your continued support.

erin

Update - Day 3

I had to go back to work today, so I don't have a lot of details on Super Dad, but after a quick chat with Super Mom everything seems to be going really well.  Super Dad's doctor came by early this morning to check in on him and she said everything is going very well.  The physical therapists had him up and walking this morning along with sitting in a chair, apparently all of that action wore him out so he is currently napping which is great because he needs his rest.  He is still on an ice chip only diet and the anesthesia drugs seem to be leaving his body so his mouth is not as dry.  Again, thank you for all your kind comments, thoughts and prayers, I hope to sneak in another update late tonight and maybe a picture of his progress!  Tomorrow the Sheriff, Mr. Pie, the Littles and I are off to Knott's Berry Farm, so there probably will not be another update until Sunday evening. 

~erin

Day 2 - Evening Update

Around 6:00pm tonight Super Dad was finally moved out of the ICU and up to the 6th floor, this was awesome because it meant he was doing really well but on the flip side it was a bummer because he was getting great care in ICU and he only had to share his nurse with one other person.  The 6th floor is full of so many unknowns for us and is so much larger and so much busier than the ICU and I was not digging it when we left, but it was also right at shift change and right as he was transferred so he had one nurse for about 10 minutes before the new one started for the night and that left a very uneasy feeling for me even though that happened last night.   Leaving tonight was a lot harder than leaving last night and I cried pretty much the entire drive home, I was worried that he would be in pain or that something would go wrong and no one be there to help him, I mean shoot he had trouble getting ice into is mouth most of today due to the tube coming out of his nose and the only thing I kept telling myself was that he has the heart monitors on him, so if something goes wrong they will sound an alarm and help will come.  The good news is that I posted on Facebook that he moved to the 6th floor and one of my friends (Thank You Kristin) said she works that floor (she is on maternity leave, boo) and she reassured me that everything will be fine and they keep a closer eye on the new transfers and that it is most likely a 3-1 patient to nurse ratio, so I felt better.  So, fingers crossed for a quiet night for Super Dad and I cannot wait to get back there tomorrow night.

Ready for the big move!

Buzzing by, the transporter was moving a tad bit too fast for my liking. 

Day 2 - Mid Afternoon Update

Super Dad has had a great day so far, this morning when we arrived he was wide awake and feeling great and his Doctor came by around 11am and told him that he was doing well enough to leave the ICU (they are still looking for a bed for him) and that he could have ice chips, he was stoked about the ice chips and I think he could care less where he sleeps.  Around noon Super Mom and I left to go get lunch and to let him rest, he has been napping on and off ever since, I think this mornings activities have worn him out (eating ice chips, super mom and I, the noise and the nurses coming in and out).  It is pretty loud in here and he is in the room closest to the main doors to the unit so they are opening and closing every 5 seconds and lots of noise comes with it.  All things considered he looks great and there are no areas for concern at the moment, fingers crossed things remain same and he continues to get better.  Thanks again for all of the emails and texts, it is kind of hard to get back to everyone with all of the interruptions, but I have received them and forwarded them on to Super Mom and we thank you for them.  

xoxo, erin

PS - the Doctor took his bandages off and the incision is HUGE, holy cow at least 8 inches long with a ton of staples and it looks great.  Super Dad wanted a photo taken and it posted on the blog, but I have decided to spare you all, you can thank me now.  

Update & a Huge Thank You!

Hi Everyone!!!

First off I want to thank everyone for all of their kind words, thoughts and prayers, you have no idea how much that means to us, it was a long day so every comment, "Like" and text message helped us get through the day, you all are AWESOME!  Our day started at 7am and from the get go everyone at the hospital has been wonderful and they have taken great care of Super Dad.  The surgery lasted approx. 6 hours and he was one of the last patients to be wheeled into ICU around 5pm, so there was a lot of waiting and wondering how everything was going.  We got hourly updates up until the end then we did not get one for two and half hours and then there was a lot more waiting while he was in the recovery room and then we were finally able to see him.  I had mentally prepared myself for him to look horrible, be covered in wires and tubes and be in a lot of pain, but I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in and he was awake, kind of loopy and slightly yellow, however, he did tells us probably 25 times how dry his mouth was (from the anesthesia) and that his stomach hurt (well Dude, you just had major surgery on your gut, so your stomach should hurt).  At one point he was trying to figure out how they could get my mom's stew or pizza into his feeding tube, ahhhh the poor nurse who has to listen to that all night long.  After everyone had a chance to visit with him, we said our goodbye's and let the nurses do their jobs since they were getting ready for a shift change.  I'm starting to worry about him and after convincing my Mom to go home and rest, I think we need to go back and be with him, however, there is really no where for us to sit in his room, so perhaps a phone call to check in on him is in order.  I am sure he is fine though.  Thanks again for everything, I will now leave you with a post surgery picture, he seriously insisted that I take one and put it on my blog, not sure what he was thinking, lol. 

Thumbs up and all!  

I did change the filter on the photo to make his less yellow.

Fingers crossed for good sleep and very little pain for Super Dad tonight.

Update #1

Super Dad got all prepped this morning and everything went really, he kept asking when lunch was going be served, ha he won't be eating for a long time.  

First report from the operating room is that everything is going great, all iv's are in, tubes have been placed and they have made the first incision!  

Prayers & Good Thoughts are Needed for Super DAD!

Super Dad is having major surgery tomorrow morning on his pancreas along with the removal of his gallbladder and duodenum and we are all very nervous, anxious and happy to get this done.  Over the Summer he went to ER for extreme back pain and after a CT scan was diagnosed with a couple tumors on his pancreas.  After a couple of weeks of waiting on some test results we were told they were noncancerous and it was probably the best day of our family's life.  I posted this back in July and yes it was very vague but I kept it that way to celebrate but keep Super Dad's health issues private.  Well now he is headed into surgery and well he/we need all of your good thoughts and prayers.  So if praying, lighting candles, chanting, fingers crossed or sending good thoughts is your thing then please send them his way, this is a delicate/complicated procedure and he will need all he can get to make this a successful procedure and we will be forever grateful for your support.  Super Dad will be in ICU for 2-3 days and in the hospital for at least 10 days.  As of right now he will not be allowed to have any visitors for the first few days besides immediate family and after that it will just depend on him, the Doctors and how he is feeling.  If you would like to visit please call, text or email us before you come and please do not be offended if we tell you "no".  It is very important that Super Dad does not get sick, so if you have any type of sniffle or ailment please stay home and we will be happy to tell him you are thinking of him and wish him well.  I will be posting updates as often as I can, this seems the easiest way to keep family and friends updated, but feel free to send a text or an email and I will get back to you as soon as I can.  My email is recgirlem@gmail.com and if you need my number just ask and I will get it to you.  As of right now it would probably be best to contact me as Super Mom is a nervous wreck and I think it might be to overwhelming for her to have to respond to everyone.  Our family thanks you for all of your love and support and we are confident that Super Dad will make it through just fine!  

xoxo, erin

Making Memories in a Jar!

Yesterday as we were driving to Big Bear the Sheriff and I sat and chit chatted all the way there about life and as we did we were reflecting upon the last year of (which we kind of do often) and just marveled at all of the things we have done and all of the fun memories we have made and wondered how we have had time for everything.  In the Sheriff's words "I have not had a free weekend since I met you" to which I laughed cause it is true, we have been on the go every weekend or doing some kind of house project.  I replied back "well it is better than sitting at home on the couch watching tv" even though one or two of those types of weekends might be nice, cause I am exhausted!  Anyways, the other day I saw something on Facebook that caught my eye and I thought it might be fun for us to do with Mr. Pie.  All it was was a mason jar and small pieces of paper and the idea behind it was for one year every time you did something fun, accomplished a goal, did well at school, experienced something that made you laugh out loud or was something that you just wanted to remember you write it down on a small piece of paper, fold it up and put it in the jar and on December 31, 2014 open the jar up and read all of the pieces of paper together and reflect upon what a great year 2014 was.  I told the Sheriff about this and he thought it was a good idea (since we have trouble remembering all of the fun stuff we did this past summer), so I headed off to Michael's today and picked up a few supplies and made a jar for the three of us to put our memories into, I hope it is not too girly.    

I love the fact that we already have three things to put in there and it is only January 5th!  I am so excited to see what 2014 holds for us.

Big Bear 2014 - Tubing

What a fantastic day!  The Sheriff, Mr. Pie, my sister Kathy and two of my favorite kiddo's Cole and Mari and I hit the slopes for some tubing action.  I have wanted to do this for years and today I was finally able to check it off my (mental) list (perhaps, I should actually make a list so I can check things off).  We headed up to Big Bear bright and early this morning with enough jackets and gloves to clothe a small army and met up with three of the Ferguson Four, the weather was perfect and the slopes were empty for a short period of time.  We tubed for about 2.5 hours and then called it quits, there were so many people it was hard to move around and the snow was getting really sticky and making the tubes move much slower, thankfully the lines moved quickly and there was not a lot of waiting around.  The kids had a blast, Cole and Mr. Pie have become fast friends and they were so happy to be together (so awesome) and I am so glad we were all able to be together.  After tubing we tailgated in the parking lot with sandwiches hoping that it would buy us time for someone to find Mr. Pie's gloves in the tube I was using (doh, I forgot they were in there and they were brand new) and turn them into the lost and found, no such luck.  

The Sheriff and Mr. Pie

Looks like they are having fun.

Just one week ago we were standing on the beaches in Kauai.

After we left tubing we went to Bear Mountain to check out snowboard school for Mr. Pie, we are already planning our next trip up the mountain. 

We then headed to Big Bear Village we got a late afternoon snack/second lunch at this really good hole in the wall pizza place, Saucy Mama's.

YUM YUM

I had to take a photo of this cause I have a slight love for bungee cords and I thought this was funny.

2014 is already off to a great start I can't wait to see what else we will get to do in the near future.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!  I know I am a few days late on this post but we have been enjoying the new year so far and have been away from the computer for the last few days!  The Sheriff and I both had to work late New Year's Eve so there was no partying for us, however we did get to ring in the new year with a kiss at midnight and then we proceeded to pass out on his couch from pure exhaustion, yep we are an exciting couple, lol.  New Year's Day was spent at baby beach with all of our paddling friends, we did not do the annual NYD paddle, I have been battling a cold and the Sheriff is still letting his shoulder recover from the season, so we decided to sit it out.  It was sunny and warm out and there is nothing better than sun, a good beach chair and mimosa's with all of your pals to celebrate the new year and all of the fun things to come.

  Such a great group of people that I am lucky to call my friends!

This is what instagram thinks were the highlights of 2013…….

This is what I plan on doing in 2014…….

The Sheriff and I wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!