UPDATES

We have a couple of updates on some of our friends:

First, Our local guy, Ashton.  They just transferred him from Peoria, IL to Milwaukee, WI BY AMBULANCE tonight.  I can't believe they went that far in an ambulance.  I am sure it was an exciting ride.  It took two ambulances and an entire team of doctors, nurses, & EMT's went with.  He and his entourage arrived safely at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (Yes - this is our stomping grounds).  Docs there are evaluating him tonight and may be doing another surgery on him tomorrow. 

A couple of weeks ago, his heart stopped while he was in the gym at school.  Luckily the nurse was there, did CPR, and the school had an automatic defibrilator available.  It took 3 shocks and 14 mintues to get his heart going again.  They flew him to Peoria where he has had 4 open heart surgeries in the last few weeks.  He was on ECHMO, and they have been able to discontinue that.  However, his left ventricle is not responding as it should.  Our wonderful docs in Peoria knew they were at their limits and arranged to transfer him to Herma Heart Center, CHW, Milwaukee.  Please keep Ashton, his family, and the docs/nurses in Milwaukee in your prayers.

Next up, our little guy, Malachi.  He was officially diagnosed with Moyamoya syndrome.  He will need brain surgery.  Unfortunately, he also has that nasty metapneumo virus - a cousin to RSV.  None of the Neurosurgeons will sedate him to do the Angios and other tests needed before surgery until that virus is gone.  Please keep Malachi, Erin, Josh, & Elijah in your prayers too.

As for us, pretty quiet here.  Trying to clean up still and get rid of stuff.  We have been able to do a lot of "school" this week.  I realized I am going to have to re-do all of my lesson plans.  Lil Man has blown everything out of the water. Yeah!  I think we are going to try for a more structured school day.  Right now, we just have fun.  He doesn't realize that stacking blocks, or using a pegboard, reading books, or watching a video is all "school".

I am going to adapt Sue Patrick's Workbox System into our homeschool.  There are lots of versions out there - almost as many as there are people using it.  If I can take away a toy from Lil Man and put it up one day, and he remembers where I put it and points it out the next, he is ready to move up to "real" school.  :)  I have noticed that he is starting to anticipate his favorite parts of shows that he watches often - like Sesame Street skits, & Kipper the Dog. 

Thanks for stopping by.  We wil keep you all updated on how things go. :)

Hugs!

Steph