Emma Turns the Corner, Little K Preps for Grandparents

Good news! Emma gets to go home from the hospital. We are all thrilled and thankful for your prayers. Please continue to pray for her as radiation treatments will begin to prevent the tumor from returning again.

Little K has been preparing for Grandparents Day, which is celebrated on Nov. 20 at our school. Apparently, she'll carry up the gifts at the 8:15 am mass and later sing a song with her classmates. Then, we get to play hookie by going to eat with Little K's two grandmothers and two grandfathers. How lucky we are! It's too bad her great-grandparents couldn't join us but they'll be in our thoughts.

Any suggestions on special gifts for the Grandparents? I'd like to give them a small token in remembrance of the day.

Until the next nap time...

Happy Thoughts at Bed Time

What a day. As I bathed Little K tonight, I yawned and told her how tired I was. It's just been a long day with heavy thoughts, yet hopeful thoughts. Our last report on our friend Emma was: "7pm update: Emma is recovering nicely in the PICU. She is amazing! Clapping in a rythym and singing "Hungry, Hungry Hippos.""

At Little K's bed time, I couldn't help but to think of how blessed I am to have a healthy child and a community that can raise up a family through thoughts and prayers. Everyone should have this.

After Little K went to bed and Trent returned home from a meeting, I finished reading the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Here's one of my favorites from the book:

"In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generousity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices."

Until the next nap time...

Eyes Wide Open

Here's the latest on our friend Emma from her mom's FaceBook page:

"3:30 update: Emma made it through with flying colors! Doc got all of the tumor on the brainstem. She looks fantastic, can open her eyes and talk. Next 24 hours-still need to pray!"

Come on friends. Keep those prayers coming!

Until the next nap time...

Pray for Emma... A Mother's Wish

This morning, I write with a heavy heart. Little K's friend Emma, who battled a brain tumor 1.5 years ago, is fighting again. They discovered on Saturday that her brain tumor had grown quite a bit since the last scan in September. The tumor is now blocking the fluid in her brain. Today, they are rushing her into surgery in hopes of removing the tumor. Radiation will follow for weeks.

In the midst of it all, Emma's mommy is due with their third child -- a boy -- next week so we're also praying that the little boy does not come early. As Jayne said, she needs to be with Emma first. The surgery today is quite nerve-wracking but absolutely required, not to mention the tough, yet precious, road that lies before this family.

Her mother is asking that we all keep Emma & their family in our thoughts & prayers today. A Mother's Wish... I think today this will be many mothers' wishes.

"Let us see your kindness, Lord, and grant us your salvation." - Psalm 85:8.

Until the next nap time...

100+ Activities for Houston Kids Reviewed on Chronicle Blog

A fellow blogger has written a review of my book 100+ Activities For Houston Kids on the Houston Chronicle blog site. Check it out and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for your comments and reviews!

http://blogs.chron.com/westsidestory/2009/10/kids_activities_abound_in_west_1.html

Breakfast Time Laughs

So this morning, I was telling Little K how important it was for her to drink her OJ in hopes of her kicking the cough she has. Then, I told my husband the same thing. Yes, I'm bossy.

Trent poured his big glass of OJ and it looked so good that I decided to pour myself a small glass. I filled two small cups with crushed ice and then started pouring in the OJ for me and my daughter. Suddenly, I realized that my OJ looked much thicker than the juice in my husband's cup. Hmm... that's weird, I thought. I continued pouring.

"Oh my gosh!" I shouted. "Look at what I did. I'm pouring Egg Beaters into our juice glasses."

We all laughed as my husband & I tried to get the Egg Beaters out of the cups and into the omelette pan for breakfast.

"At least you didn't try to cook the orange juice," my husband laughed.

Clearly, I had not had my caffeine yet. Until the next nap time...

How Embarassing! I'm Not Old

So my daughter had a play date with another 4-year-old yesterday in our neighborhood. When I picked up Little K to head home, her mother told me the most interesting thing.

Little K apparently had given the friend's mom a big hug. In response, the mom said: "Thank you. That was so nice of you to give me a hug."

Little K responded: "I love to give old people hugs."

Yes, really, she said that. When I left with my head hanging in shame, I told my fellow mom, "I think you look so young." Her husband looked oddly at both of us. He knew he shouldn't ask.

Until the next nap time...

Pumpkin Time Again in Houston

Pumpkin picking and carving is a big deal in my family. I have the fondest memories of picking out pumpkins with my family. We always tried to pick the biggest pumpkin, knowing that my mother would complain that she simply could not bake that many pies. She'd try every time. If we had 5 pumpkin pies, no one minded. Mom always played along.

And those pies! Yummy! I won't embarrass myself by admitting how many pumpkin pies I ate one time. My mother wanted to crawl under a rock. That's what happens when you have a baby who's born the day after Thanksgiving!

My sister & I always picked the biggest pumpkins. If we couldn't actually pick it up, even better. The tradition continues in the Salch family. On Saturday we went to a local pumpkin spot and Little K picked out the biggest one. Trent & I laughed. It must be in our DNA.

My dear friend Kelley called us early in October to find out when we'd be roasting pumpkin seeds. How about this Tuesday night? She'll likely be here because she says ours taste better. Sounds like a mini mid-week pumpkin carving party to me.

Until the next nap time...

Party Like a Rock Star

On Friday night, Little K attended a "Party Like a Rock Star" birthday party at Double Dave's pizza. Our whole family had fun dressing up. I'm not sure our hosts expected the adults to dress like a rock star, but Trent & I couldn't resist. Trent pulled from the bottom of his shirt drawer a Van Halen concert T-shirt circa 1992 and a Metallica concert T-shirt from around the same period. I had tried to throw out these things years ago because they really are horrendous. My husband refused. I actually remember roller skating to Van Halen so I'll give a little there. Metallica is just too hard rock for me.

Thus, my husband smiled in delight when I sported his old Metallica shirt (above) to a five-year-olds birthday party. All in the name of fun, right?

Little K wore her "Daddy's Rockstar" shirt with a pink hair extension and, of course, her Hannah Montannah guitar. (I can't believe I just wrote Metallica and Hannah Montannah in the same blog.)

The party hosts went all out. I was surprised to learn that the Double Dave's on 34th Street and Ella Boulevard has a sizeable patio in the back. The party was complete with a DJ, strobe light, inflatable guitars, temporary tattoos, temporary hair dye/spray and bubbles. We laughed when the DJ tried to get the 4 & 5-year-olds to sing "Who Let the Dogs Out?" because they clearly had never heard that song. That didn't stop them from dancing and doing the hoola-hoop for all to see. After eating pizza, the hosts distributed sugar cookies shaped into colorful music notes, tying nicely into the "Rock Star" theme. But they didn't forget the cake and brownies, too.

Toward the end of the party, one little girl held the microphone and sang her little heart out. It was hillarious. She even thanked her adult audience after each song.

I have to say, it was really a clever and enjoyable party. When both parents & kids are smiling, you know you've done well and this family really did a super job.

Another favorite aspect is that the birthday girl's parents asked that in lieu of b-day gifts, we purchase a book to be donated to the girl's school library in her honor. They even provided a "Rock Star"-themed sticker to place inside your book saying the book was being donated in honor of the birthday girl. They really thought of every angle, including the giving back to others.

Houston Zoo in the Autumn

Over the last month, we've gone to the Houston Zoo twice and really enjoyed it. Finally this week, I decided to buy a Zoo membership. A friend said that even on rainy days, her family will go to the Zoo because there are so many indoor exhibits. It sounds like a plan.

I have to say that the Houston Zoo is a lot different from when I was a kid. New things include the water fountain for kids to play in (great for hot months when Mommy remembers exta clothes), the carousel, and the frozen Icees. Still, I love the fact that the Zoo does have the bat exhibit (which I used to be fascinated with. Note "used to be") and the traditional zoo animals. It's a good mix of tradition and new.

I found the Zoo Boo to be very crowded but cute. I liked seeing the animals play and eat pumpkins that the zoo keepers had added to their cages. Plus, seeing so many kids in their Halloween costumes was adorable. I just wish we had gone earlier in the day (not 4 pm) so that the trick-or-treat booths were still running.

These photos are from our Zoo trip last weekend for Zoo Boo as well as our trip on a no-school day with our St. Rose School friends. We're already looking forward to our next trip to the Zoo. Note to self: wear comfortable shoes & pack snacks.

Until the next nap time...

Wonderwild is Coming to Houston

Here is a great new venture for local families with kids. We are so intrigued and can't wait to check it out.

Wonderwild is the brainchild of local Houston moms who were tired of the heat, humidity and bugs. An art gallery, education center, and indoor playground, Wonderwild focuses on up-and-coming local, national and international artists--creating an artful environment where families can learn and play. Our 4300+ sq. ft. play area and equipment encourages children to physically and mentally challenge themselves in order to build strong muscles, creativity, and confidence. Our extensive array of play equipment includes:

- One of the city's only kid-powered trains with an indoor track--kids exert their own energy to make their cars move
- A giant 28-ft. wide indoor inflatatable "Jumpoline"--it's like jumping on the biggest bed ever, safe even for toddlers
- Soft play structures designed by product designers and child development experts, allowing kids of all ages to create their own dynamic area of play that never gets old
- 15 ft. inflatable slide* A special place just for infants to roam free and discover the world around them
- A three-story playscape that kids can wear themselves out by crawling, running, climbing and sliding - COMING SOON NOV 2009!

They are holding grand opening parties in late October to celebrate Halloween on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31. We can't wait. Check 'em out at http://www.gowonderwild.com/

Until the next nap time...

Our Trip to the Land of Oz

This morning we went to the Children's Houston Symphony to see & hear "The Wizard of Oz". Little K loves music. It was great. I loved the fact that they kept it to one hour, just right for my 4.5 year old. The performance included actors that spoke and sang a bit about the story. Then, the conductor Mr. Franz did a great job of leading the Houston Symphony through a lively performance. I also appreciated how they wove in educational aspects. For instance, Little K has decided that she doesn't like percussion. "It's too loud and mean," she said. Perhaps she's inherited my dislike for loud noises. Does that mean we've eliminated screaming matches? Hmmm....

Looking forward to another performance in the future. Thanks to the Majeres Family for giving us their tickets. It was awesome.

Until the next nap time...

Students Sing at St. Rose of Lima Church

On Saturday evening, Little K and her classmates sang "This Little Light of Mine" at our church service. You can see Little K over the heads of the congregation. My husband promised he would be discrete with the video camera but I'm not sure that really happened. Still, this is so cute that it brought tears to my eyes. So precious. I was also so excited to see so many families turn out for this, considering the kids only sang one song after Communion. People who weren't even Catholic came to see their children sing. How wonderful to see that. Go St. Rose of Lima School!
Please add your comments to my blog. Until the next nap time...

Count Your Bessings

This week has been a doozy but rounded out nicely. One of my marketing clients keeps flip-flopping on what they want. Another client wants more work done but doesn't want to pay for more hours. Well, I wish I could get more done in the same time, too. Go figure.

Then, Thursday morning my husband Trent was shaving, shook his head and muscles in his neck and back began to spasm. Soon, he couldn't move his neck at all and he was carrying his arm as if it was in a sling. His general practitioner saw Trent at 11:30 am, gave him muscle relaxant and anti-inflamatory pills, and sent him on his way. Trent stayed as still as a statue in the bed for the rest of the day but the meds were not helping.

"Ah, if the pills aren't working by Friday, I'll call the doctor for another prescription," Trent said with a strain in his voice.

Occasionally, his entire body would jerk in pain. Trent said the muscle spasms were going up his spine into this scalp. I asked if it was also hurting his feet because his legs would shake so much. "No, that's just me bracing myself," he said. Comforting, I thought sarcastically.

Trent finally fell asleep Thursday evening and watched my weekly TV shows, and then went to bed. Suddenly, at 2:30 am Friday, I woke to Trent trying to stand up beside the bed but he was in extreme pain. It looked as if the muscles were spasming and shaking his whole body violently. I called my sister Colyn so she could stay with our sleeping daughter. We rushed to the hospital, where we stayed until 5:30 am. Trent was given two Vicodins, a shot of another muscle relaxant and a shot of an anti-inflammatory.

We returned home to discover my sister had taken our daughter to her house so she could get ready for work while her husband headed to work himself. Trent headed to bed while I went to pick up my daughter.

"Is Juji (nickname for my sister) going to pick me up again tomorrow?" my daughter asked. "That was fun!" It was not even 5:45 am. It, in fact, was not fun.

Trent slept all day on Friday but is recovering nicely. He took Little K to the park today to meet some school friends. He looked a bit like Frankenstein, not moving his head much, but his sunny disposition is back and he's feeling much better. One friend even took this photo of Little K and her classmate at the top of the climbing tower. So glad Little K could get down on her own. Trent wouldn't have been much help even today. Many thanks for the thoughts & prayers for his quick recovery.

This morning, I went to a funeral of a 38-year-old father of two kids. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack, leaving his wife and kids. I wish them great strength and hope the community will continue to be there for them. It reminded me that, despite the stresses we've experienced this week, all is well on this home front. If only all were so lucky. Hug your families and count your blessings.

Until another nap time...

Free Theater Performances in Houston

I had to pass along this exciting opportunity to watch theater performances in Houston at no charge. There are matinee performances for kids and evening performances for adults. Check it out. Thanks to Elena for sharing this tip.

http://haatx.com/free-night-of-theater-schedule-of-performances/

Until the next nap time...

In Three Minutes or Less.. This Could Happen to You

So last night, Little K & I took our baths and then I helped her get dressed into her PJs. When I was getting her PJs out of the drawer, I found some baby lotion that I used to put on Little K as a baby because it smelled so good. Of course, as soon as I explained this to her, Little K wanted to put some on. Fine. "After we put your PJs on, you can put some lotion on your legs and hands," I told her. I even dabbed a bit of lotion into her hands and then put the bottle back in her top drawer.

I quickly ventured to my room to trade a bath towel for my own PJs. I hung up my bath towel in the bathroom and met Little K at the top of the stairs. We headed down stairs for dinner. In three minutes or less, we had dressed and were on our way to a peaceful dinner.

Dinner ran long so at 8:15 pm, our 3 family members headed back upstairs to put Little K to bed. I noticed a slimey handprint on her antique dresser but figured she had too much lotion and accidentally put her hand there. I returned from the bathroom with a damp washcloth to clean it off. As I wiped this solution off the dresser, I realized it was not lotion. In fact, I was smelling a very strong scent of Desitin or something close. Slowly, the confessions began.

I'm told that Little K didn't think she had enough lotion so she opened her top drawer, found some A+D ointment (for diaper rash) and began applying the ointment... everywhere. She not only put it on her hands and dresser, Trent & I discovered globs, big globs, on two of her little chairs and blobbing on the foot of her antique bed. Blah. I was so angry that I couldn't even be groced out. It seriously looked like something from the movie "Gremlins".

Trent & I used numerous (no kidding) wash cloths to wipe the ointment off, noting just how well that ointment repels water. I told Little K that she would not have any TV on Monday and she couldn't go to her friend's house on Tuesday. (Yes, I've already given in.) Then, I told her she "was on red -- big time" like her teacher tells the students when they're not behaving in the class room. I never yelled but I really could not believe my eyes, or nose. Little K hid under her bedroom covers.

Today, the scent of A+D ointment is much weaker but her ceiling fan continues to circulate the air. I threw out the A+D ointment and put the lotion in the bathroom on an out-of-reach shelf. Finally, at lunch today, I explained to my friend Shelly the torture that Little K had put me through and laughed the entire way through the episode. Too bad I didn't take photos of the goop. You know the saying: "One day, we'll look back on this and laugh"? That day is today.

Until the next nap time...

PreK Posse Takes on Houston's Food Allergy Walk 2009

So this Saturday, our family and some wonderful friends participated in the 2.5-mile Food Allergy Walk. The purpose was to raise awareness of food allergies and help fund research to find cures.

OR as one little friend told me: "We're walking so we can get money to give the doctors to help (Little K) not be allergic to peanuts any more." That was enough to motivate me to walk the 2.5 miles, even with Little K on my back for a sizeable portion of it.

I caught myself tearing up when I saw on the backs of our (big & small) friends: "I am walking for Little K.". Ten children and many parents headed down Allen Parkway that gray morning but it seemed like fun for most of us. I even had a small competition with two of the boys. They just wouldn't let me win.

After completing the walk, the kids pulled together enough energy for several Moonwalks, snowcones and muddy feet (thanks to the light rains on Friday and the Saturday activities in a nearby field). I visited a few small tents that had tons of information and products for families with food allergies. I picked up peanut-free snack bars, restaurant guides and more. It was quite helpful but also opened my eyes to those with worse food allergies than my daughter. (One mom told me her son is allergic to protein. He can only eat 5 grams of protein a day or his body goes into anaphylactic shock! No way!)

By noon, we were all exhausted. I looked around at these families, who got up early on a dreary Saturday morning, dragging kids into downtown Houston. They got nothing out of this but a bit of exercise that day. I'm wrong. They've won friends for life.

Until the next nap time...

2 Cowgirls

This weekend we stopped by the John Deere store in Navasota since my dad needed something or other there. The girls (Little K and her cousin) decided that they would spend their time sitting on this saddle (see left). Too cute.

Until the next nap time...

Food Allergy Walk in Houston: Sept. 12

As many of you know, my daughter "Little K" has a severe peanut allergy. When it came time for classmates to bring snacks to school for her class, we all learned a whole lot about food allergies. Perhaps one of the most touching experiences was when one mother organized a group at our school to participate in the upcoming Food Allergy Walk... with my daughter in mind. These families willingness to study food labels and walk beside us in this venture has brought tears to my eyes... now three times. I have really been moved by their support and encouragement. So here's what our group is doing and how you can help:

Our Family will be participating in the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network's Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure. The 2.5 mile walk will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 2009, at Sam Houston Park and is designed to raise funds to find a cure for food allergies. Please support our fundraising efforts with a donation, prayer or good wish.

Tax-deductible donations will make a difference in the lives of many! Any amount, large or small, helps us continue Moving Toward A Cure! We greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Click here to visit our personal page.

OR you can join us by Clicking here to view the team page for St. Rose PreK Posse.

Thank you for your support!!! Until the next nap time...

2 Free Movie Passes

If you haven't yet been to Studio Movie Grill, here's your chance.

No Cash Value. Get your coupon for 2 admissions to the same movie with the same showtime. 3D Service Charge Applies. This coupon (at left) has a unique barcode that can only be used once. Any copies presented after the barcode has been scanned will not be accepted. Secure your coupon by visiting http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/ReferAFriend/referafriend.html.

Studio Restrictions May Apply. One coupon per household.

Valid from Sept. 8th - Sept 30th. Do you have a friend who would also like a Free Movie Pass?Click Here!. For showtimes, please visit http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/

Until the next nap time...