Kintropy In Action

Kind of Wordless Wednesday, but with, ah, words....  Here is a quick where-we've-been for the month of January in pictures & captions:

 

Posted by Dad at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's been a long, long couple of weeks here at the Bach house.  Work, events, illness, and other responsibilities all seem to be conspiring to distract us from our family rhythms.  Generally, this makes me a less-than-pleasant person to be around.  Hannah is jones-ing for songs; Gabriel is exploring my shortened tolerance for arguments and such.

So I say all of that to introduce a big thank you to our readers and commenters.  I came to the computer tonight ready to kill the many spam comments we receive nightly and found a very sweet comment from The Bernard Bunch in France.  Seems like Abigail and Hannah could be quick friends (and that Gabriel would love to network with Nathan and his Nintendo DS!).

Janette and I appreciate everyone's comments and interest in reading our blog.  So thanks Abigail & team for tonight's pick-me-up, and we'll keep on writing!

-- Dad 

Posted by Dad at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hmm I’m not sure what to talk about. The past couple of months I’ve been gearing up for the procedure I had done yesterday. It wasn’t so much about the procedure but about who will take care of Hannah as I recover. No heavy lifting for at least 3-5 days.

I had an Endometrial ablation. I’ve had an increase problem over the years with extreme monthly cycles where I could bleed through more then one feminine hygiene product in 20 minutes. The cramps would double me over and I would become anemic. Dealing with this once a month is very difficult with the demands of our family so I consulted a doctor. They suggested this procedure. They pretty much cauterized my uterus. So, hopefully, the monthly inconvenience will be little more then a small one from now on.

I haven’t talked about this before, because I find most people are not comfortable about these types of conversations.

Some things leading up to the procedure were funny though.

Part of the decision process is deciding not to have more children. It is a removal of the nutrient layer of the uterus. As soon as I made the decision to go through it, my uterus had to voice it’s opinion with ghost kicks like I was pregnant. I would smile pat my abdomen and say internally "Ah I remember that, but I also remember the 24 hour throwing up, agonizing back pain, and the insulin shots. You are not going to win this, uterus."

My heart then got jealous that it wasn’t getting enough attention, so it raised my blood pressure to alarm everyone around me. I had to chart blood pressure for a week and be put on two blood pressure meds. Once I recover, I need to readdress these with the doctor because it takes a half –hour for my hands to wake up in the morning and that doesn’t work well when I need to operate a suction catheter for Hannah. (Hannah had pneumonia this weekend)

The day of the surgery there were ice alerts on the road, and my surgeon was late because she had to shovel her driveway.

Luckily, I find these things amusing. I always find it amazing when a plan comes together.

--Mom

>  Extra clarity/punctuation edits from Dad on 1/30/08

Posted by parents at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I am sitting in Janette's post-op recovery room, writing in a notebook:  an alien in a Foreign Land.

Pause.  Janette is okay.  Outpatient surgery we had planned.  She can share the details if she so desires. 

Back to our story...

Janette's procedure was at the Other Hospital:  the one where she gave birth to Hannah, not the Children's Hospital where Hannah sometimes holds Court.  The differences are considerable; I feel like a spy.

Here, people are tactfully polite to us.  They explain procedures generically - assume nothing of our knowledge or background.  They remind me gently that the pager doesn't work off-campus, not sure if I'm one of Those Guys, phoning in my I-care-about-you-honey performance.  And when they explain the intimate details of no physical exertion for four weeks to us, a happily married couple with two kids, they don't know how to react when we laugh ourselves to tears.

"Home" at Hannah's hospital, it's kind of like "Cheers."  Everyone knows us by face and connects us back to Hannah.  We're Hannah's parents (often, her servants).  Janette checks in on everyone's personal life, picking up from the last visit even if it's been awhile.  I sing to Hannah and run regularly to the 24-hour espresso bar.

And by the way, at the "adult" hosptial, coffee isn't available until 6am.  And closes for the night sometime before midnight.  We arrived there this morning at 4:30am and headed in for the procedure prep at 5:30am.  No coffee for Daddy until 8:00am.  Makes Daddy sleepy & grumpy.  If I ever need to go in, it'd better be at Hannah's place.

-- Dad 

P.S.  Adding notes and a tweak on the ending from my notebook tonight around 9pm.  Janette is resting comfortably.  Lots of sleep without the Vicodin - pretty wiped out & working on recovery.

Many thanks to Zadie for taking care of Gabriel today, J., Hannah's nurse last night, for staying on later than expected to help with an icy morning shift transition, and Uncle K. for preparing a welcome home lasagna meal (pasta is where the heart is). 

Posted by Dad at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Coolness

A few weeks  ago when Hannah was buckled up and ready to go home from preschool the nurse looked at her and said "Hannah, do you want you pacifier?"

Hannah who had been babbling joyfully paused and in a clear high voice said "Cool!"

I looked at the nurse "Did you hear her say cool to?"

She smiled "Yes, Hannah said cool, I guess that means yes."

I was ecstatic as I related the story to Robert when we picked him up for lunch.

--Mom

Posted by parents at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I need to celebrate that I have home chore appliances daily. My washer broke down a week and a half ago. There are four people in our house.

Besides the regular laundry load of most houses we also have Hannah. Hannah breaks out from her own secretion. We change her bedding daily. She is breaks out from most soaps and most paper wipe products. We use 7th generation diapers and washcloths. The carpet on the floor will also cause a rash. We have a large number of blankets we keep on the floor to create a barrier between the floor and Hannah. The other great laundry generator is her G-Tube she is still working on mobility so on a daily basis we end up with a tube disconnect that results in spilled partially digested formula on blankets and Hannah's clothes.

So we generate a great deal of laundry.

I can't just go to a laundry mat Hannah lacks the patience.

We have commandeered some of our family’s machines.

The other night on a night shift I decided to hand wash in our bathtub. I'm lucky all I had to do is turn on the water and add soap. But, just the scrubbing and friction creation took a great deal of work. My great admiration for our forebears was strengthened more.

So while I was agitating the clothes in the tub Gabriel was getting ready for bed.

Swish, scrub, swish! Gabriel was brushing his teeth with his mouth for of suds he asks me.

"Whatcha doing Mom?"

I wipe my brow "Our washing machine is broke."

He sighs "I know" he keeps brushing his teeth but the expression on his face was of someone still trying to understand.

"I'm washing our clothes in the tub like people in the old days did before washing machines.

"He swished the toothpaste suds in his mouth and spit them into the sink. "You are sure smart   Mom."

--Mom

Posted by parents at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We kind of took an accidental and unannounced blog vacation.  Never intended it to be one, but got caught up in those other life activities:  work, sleep, eat.  You know the drill.

Since we've been writing and reading less, our family's world has continued to spin. Gabriel and I experienced Walking With Dinosaurs, the stage version, over the weekend.  Janette and the kids made the Ikea pilgrimage today.  Hannah got fitted for a new wheelchair (cross your fingers - maybe we'll see it in just a few months this time).  And Hannah has been talking up a storm, too.

Tomorrow, I'm off to work-work and committee work in Salem, too, so the week's quickly spinning back into high speed.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy my coffee, a little tv, and some sleep.  Will write more soon!

-- Dad

Posted by Dad at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two down, two to go for sleep.  Hannah and I are still awake, but Janette turned in early, and Gabriel somehow managed a pre-10-o'clock snooze. 

Just a quick mention of the latest Disability Blog Carnival at Blog [with tv], and then I am also off to bed.  The subject is Disability in the Media:  a subject we've written about from time to time.  Particularly around the holidays, it seemed there was a story a night on the news, and some of them were about people who experience disabilities; others, about "disabled people" (not my term).  Particularly if you don't know the difference or aren't familiar with people first language, check out the blog when you get the chance (and sorry for my belated pointer in that direction :-).

-- Dad 

Posted by Dad at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Gabriel was standing in his doorway, his face rigid in a strange combination of sleep and fear.  He didn't reply.  A teddy bear dangled from his left hand.  He looked like a classic little-boy-lost, maybe Wendy's younger brother, except that his teddy bear was dressed to the nines in Spiderman gear.

"Did you have a bad dream, Gabriel."

He didn't answer.  He just stood there, looking ahead, seeming sad. 

Ah, the sleepwalk/sleepterror thing, I thought.  My younger brother K sleptwalk as a kid.  I had fond memories of the more comical sleepwalks:  the crying at his own reflection (what brother wouldn't love that teasing fodder), the yelling at parents to clean up the table.  In my own son, though, not so funny.

I picked Gabriel up:  not as easy a task as it used to be.  He snuggled into my shoulder.  Kicking his now discarded teddy bear ahead of us, I walked him back into his room.

"I'm going to put you back to bed and rub your back," I promised.  Gabriel's head dug further into my shoulder.

I carefully-as-I-could heaved him back into his bunk bed.  He pulled the covers back over himself, still semi-asleep, and closed his eyes.  I helped Spider-Bear back into bed beside him, rubbed Gabriel's back for a minute, and then left him to dream better dreams.

-- Dad  

Posted by Dad at 03:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lion and Magic Boy's entry Words I'm Sure I Use Too Often reminded me of the ongoing discussion we have with Gabriel about, "Just kidding!"

Gabriel, until recently, used this often.  It was, in his mind, his get-out-of-jail-free card.  If he meant to do something, got caught (or the activity just went south-of-intent), he could say, "Just kidding" and magically erase time.

Funny enough, my younger brother, K, used to also say, "Just kidding!" in the same context.  He was a bit older than Gabriel is now, but his use of the expression was pervasive.  He seemed to say it all the time.

My parents corrected this, in the name of taking responsibility for your actions, by charging K a quarter each time he said, "Just kidding!"  His behavior adjusted (rather quickly) accordingly.

Now Uncle K, K introduced this idea to Gabriel while all of us were out grabbing coffee (well, Gabriel and Cousin J weren't getting coffee).  

"Just kidding!" Gabriel announced.

"That'll be a quarter," Uncle K replied.  Uncle K explained the system to Gabriel.  We all laughed.  Gabriel tried it again.  Uncle K kept track in quarters.  I said, "Just kidding" once and owed Gabriel some money.  It turned into a good verbal awareness and math game.

Interestingly, without any money changing hands, this exercise yielded the same benefit.  Gabriel has abandoned, "Just kidding."  He treats the expression as a swear word.  He will allude to it, but refuse to say it for fear of losing something:  maybe money, maybe pride.

Of course, in his lawyerness, Gabriel has come up with substitute expressions that technically aren't the same:  "Kidding" (no "Just"), "Just joking!"

Oh well.  I'm sure our quarter jar, when initiated, won't be starved for money.

-- Dad

Posted by Dad at 07:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ah, to be a nearly-four-year-old again!  Hannah's logic is simple (transliterated in "adult speak" by me):

Dad, it's Sunday:  your's and my hang-out-and-watch-football day.   While I regularly demand, "Out! Out!", I was surpised to see us heading out at 9:30am this morning to walk ten minutes to the Max train.  The air was brisk (but you thought to layer my clothes - good, Daddy); I enjoyed the change in scenary.

But then we got on the train.  The first twenty minutes of motion was fine.  The lady across the way talking to you and to me was nice (but why do they always want to ask what's wrong with me?).  After that, to be frank, the ride got to be same-same.

Didn't you realize I would need my morning nap by now?

So you'd better just sing.  Sing those couple of songs you know, and do that "Peas, Porridge Hot" thing that Mom does with me.  C'mon, the ride's not getting any more interesting. 

How much farther?  Fifty minutes!

Okay, sing.  Sing or I'll scream.

--  Dad

Posted by Dad at 03:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Today I cleaned out Gabriel’s backpack out after school. I found his empty lunchbox and a drawing. The drawing was unique in that Gabriel rarely does artistic things. He seems to think he has more important things to do. The picture looked clear. It had two figures and a swirl between them. I knew immediately that it wasn’t his normal family picture, so I asked him.

"Hey Gabriel, this is cool. What is it."

He looked up from his gameboy. (Yes, he can whip it out that fast) "Oh that is a picture of God creating good and bad."

I felt the blood rush to my head in pride. My boy is getting Jewish concepts in a secular Christian culture. I immediately went to my bedroom and called Robert, interrupted him at work. I had to share this with him. I could hear his face smile and a thoughtful expression fill his face as he said "Interesting."

--Mom

Posted by parents at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I confess.  I am a political junkie.  Polls, pundits jabbering, primary election results, the 24/7 he said/she said:  sign me up.  Give me your tired, your poor....  while you're at it, your data, and, most importantly, the methodology behind your data, too.

After Iowa, Barack was annoited the winner; Huckabee was the surprise spoiler.  Tonight, after New Hampshire, Clinton is declared the "surprise" winner (really?  a surprise after pre-Iowa caucus polls?); McCain, the Comeback Kid.

Some perspective, news outlets.  Please?

Let's look at the Election Map, folks.   Iowa has 7 electoral votes; New Hampshire, 4.  There are 538 votes from the College available, and it takes 270 to win the general election.  In the Primary Season, it makes more sense to see what percentage of total votes available have been claimed.  That percentage would be (drum roll, please):  2%.

Based on that 2%, I predict.... nothing.  Yes, there is a school of thought that these early primaries can predict national trends, but all I keep hearing on the news are "surprise," "comeback," "wow, who would have pictured that?"  It seems the tv news outlets are more interested in influencing events via the "story" than dispassionately reporting the news, real news, as it develops. 

So, yeah, I'll keep watching, but with an eye on the real data and vote count.  I'll continue to particpate myself in politics, committees, and advocacy for issues I care about.  And I'll wait patiently to cast my vote here in Oregon for the candidate of my choice.

-- Dad

P.S.  I'm sure someone will point out the difference between delegates to the Parties' conventions verses votes in a general election, but I think the Electoral College helps greatly in keeping things simple and in relative scale.

For those interested in a different scale, though, according to the DNC site, there will be ~ 5,000 delegates for the Democratic Convention in Denver.  Total delegates from Iowa + New Hampshire is 57 + 30 = 87.  Out of ~ 5,000 total delegates, that amounts to ~ 2% also.  Interestingly, some of the delegates are not assigned to caucus or primary winner:

"Most (around four-fifths) of the delegates will be 'pledged' to candidates based on their state's voting in the primary, so the nominee could be known in advance. However, there are complicating factors, such as delegates that have not pledged their allegiance to a candidate, as well as rules governing how delegate votes are allocated when candidates drop out of the race. Once a candidate locks up a majority of the delegates, he or she can receive the party nomination." - DNC website

Makes the winner harder to call, particularly if the race remains close through Super Tuesday and the poorly named "Super Duper Tuesday."

-- Dad (again) 

Posted by Dad at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Before I had my children I was a certifiable nerd I had a Magic the Gathering Tournament ID card for playing in Magic tournaments. During the Winter Holiday I got to play in a Magic Tournament. It has been over six years and the cards have changed and I have found that I have become more ruthless in the game. It’s still as fun and exciting as ever. The paradigm shifts, which are the part of the game I love, are as strong as ever.

Today, I started Gabriel on the road to fantasy role-playing games. We took out the card Game of TMNT a pretty fun game within it’s self and tweaked it. Gabriel wanted the none transparent cards to battle each other. So here is what I did.

I shuffled the cards and put them in a communal stack between us. I dealt each one of us one card. Then I had each of us roll one 10 sided dice to determine each characters life points. We then took a stack of white poker chips for that number and put it on our respective characters. We then rolled a 4-sided dice to determine how many points a character could attack for. We put red poker chips on the character to let us know how many points the creature could attack for.

So then we started the game play I had the person whose turn it is roll a six-sided dice. That determined how many times that creature could attack that turn. So if a player rolled a four they could attack four times. When a character was attacked we removed the white poker chips in the increments of the attacking cards red chips.

It is a start and Gabriel got a good visual on the concepts of attack and defense as used in role/card fantasy games. (It is a sneaky way to do represent math concepts too.)

--Mom

Posted by parents at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

 I got to get out during Robert’s vacation to see a movie that I’ve wanted to see: Juno. The movie is about a pregnant teenager dealing with all that entails. Juno is not preachy, but comical and heart-warming. I know the subject is nothing to laugh about, but the dialog and relationships feel real. If you get a chance to see it, I think you would be delightfully surprised.

One of the other aspects of the movie that I loved besides the dialog and acting was the soundtrack. Robert found me trying to find the soundtrack online. I loved the song "Anyone Else But You" by Moldy Peaches. It had this folk quality with a modern turn. It summed up one of the main sentiments of the movie and captured its quiet sparkle. The song haunted me.

Robert, the ex-DJ, music retailer, and collector of all-things-music, hunted it down for me. He bought me my first MP3 player and loaded it up.

I really can’t imagine loving anyone else but him.

--Mom

P.S. Robert saw Juno on my recommadation too.  He enjoyed it.  We quote lines from the movie back and forth now.

Posted by parents at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Hope you all had a fantastic New Year's.  Here are a couple of highlights from our holiday vacation here in Hillsboro (and Portland), Oregon.  We'll be back, telling our stories and commenting on yours, shortly.  Best wishes to everyone!

  

  

  

  

  

Posted by Dad at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)