It's been roughly a week since I last posted, and I mean 'roughly a week' in every sense of the phrase. Immediately upon posting last Friday's Bloggers Challenge, I succumbed to whatever nasty bug had been devouring every other member of my family. The big difference between my 'bout with the aches, chills, hacking cough, and fatigue? No mama around to care for the Mama. I'm sure most of you are too familiar with that particular phenomenon. So sickness completely killed last weekend.
I awoke early on Monday, determined to make good use of the day. Which meant rising and shining to showering, cleaning up a bit, etc. I told myself that getting a good start on what needed to be done around the homestead and delaying my stamping gratification until after I'd completed a few necessary chores would not only be prudent, but give me an enhanced feeling of self-worth which could only do wonders for my art. I would be able to stamp without that nagging voice in the back of my head saying, "You really should do a load of laundry..." So stamping was put on hold until the afternoon, when I would finish up (or start) a couple of projects to share with the gals at Monday evening's Paper Pretties new release party. Sounds good, right?
Wrong. Long story short, I ended up needing to take my mother to the emergency room that afternoon. After not being able to get a hold of her by phone or knocking on her door, I found the key to her house and entered to discover her somewhat disoriented and just not... right. Eventually that evening, she was admitted, with her doctor guessing that she must have had a stroke. It was terribly sad, and though we've had a few ER trips and hospital stays over the last months and years, for the first time I truly felt as if there wasn't a whole lot left of the woman who raised me in the shell of the person who lay in that hospital bed.
With my mom under observation and Sean able to handle whatever might come up, Carter and I left at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning for Kansas City to an appointment with his pediatric orthopaedist. While there, Dr. Gupta determined he could get Carter in for Botox treatments* the following afternoon if we could stick around. Well, the timing was horrible with Mom in the hospital, but there wasn't much I'd personally be able to do for her, and this would save Carter and I another 8-ish hour round trip, plus get Carter the treatment that he needed sooner than later. So, we bought a few toiletries, toys, and clothes at Target, got hit with a weird little snowstorm, stopped by the very awesome Stamper's Ink, and hung out until his 2:15 appointment on Wednesday. Right after Carter went under the anesthesia, I realized I had not brought in a fresh diaper for him. Then I realized I had locked my keys in my car. I kid you not. Thank the good Lord for AAA... We finally made it home Wednesday evening right as the American Idol theme music began.
Yesterday morning, I went to see my mom and was so relieved to find her more or less back to normal. She's a little weak, but very lucid. As I said, I really didn't expect to ever see 'the real her' again. It's no secret that my mom drives me batsh*t crazy, but she's my mom and I love her, you know? I'm very, very grateful to have her back. She'll be discharged later today. We're in a rotten cycle that is inching it's way towards Mom not being able to live independently, but for now at least it's not as bad as it could be.
Now, having lost an entire week -- and you know what a procrastinator I am to begin with! -- I've got a TON of commitments to get caught up with before I can leave next Friday for CHA. I'll show you what I can, when I can, but some will have to wait until next Wedsnesday's MFT new release party. (Which, by the way, I have been waiting impatiently for since I joined the Design Team in November; seriously -- the new mini-set that is to be released is my very favorite MFT set so far. I LOVE it with the white hot passion of 1,000 suns!) Others... will just have to wait. You'll see later this month. *wink-wink*
In the meantime, here's something I made for the Paper Pretties party I wasn't able to attend.
Aren't they fun?! They're names are Luke and Lexi (as opposed to Luke and Laura; clearly this Luke doesn't have the curly-permy 'do of a younger Anthony Geary -- how SAD is it that I knew that name off the top of my head and didn't have to Google it, but I can't remember either of my children's social security numbers?), and they star in Paper Pretties' new 'Sealed With a Kiss' set, which is super-versatile. You can use it for Valentine's Day, of course, but also for anniversaries, engagements, or anytime you want to give a little somethin' to your sweetie. I colored them this time to resemble my hubby and I, though I don't think Sean would ever wear spats...
Luke and Lexi were colored with Copic Sketch Markers, then cut out and popped up with Dimensionals. Their backdrop is a layer of Cuttlebugged Regal Rose on top of faux-stitched Kraft. Around the layer of patterned paper is a border of scallops doodled with a white-pen. And that lovely, shimmery bow is from one of my dear buddy Jody's fantastic ribbon shares. (I think she's having a Prima flower share going on right now; if you've never done one of Jody's shares I'm not sure you can really consider yourself a papercrafter. They're kind of a right of passage, you know).
Supplies used -- Stamps: Sealed with a Kiss by Paper Pretties; Paper: Kraft, Regal Rose, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, patterned paper by unknown source; Ink: ? (the images were actually stamped off for me by Prettie Girl Joanne Basile because I haven't received my set yet; thanks, Joanne!); Accessories: Copic Sketch Markers, Cuttlebug and heart embossing folder, flower punch, ribbon, oval punches, paper piercer, white pen.
*Carter receives Botox injections into various muscle groups every so often to help manage his high muscle tone (also referred to as 'spasticity'). Botox temporarily paralyzes a muscle with high tone so that muscle will relax and can be stretched and lengthened while the Botox is in effect. Also during that time, we work on strengthening the muscle that opposes the tight muscle so that when the Botox wears off, there is additional strength to 'overcome' the tone, so to speak. Carter goes under general anesthetic during this procedure, thank goodness, since he gets about 10 shots at one time with a great big needle; most docs don't do it that way and it's extremely traumatic for both child & parent. (Our pediatric orthopaedist -- Dr. Ganesh Gupta, of Overland Park, Kansas, is fabulous and I recommend him without reservation to anyone, anywhere. He's the best, and I don't say that lightly.) And no, there isn't any Botox leftover after the procedure or I'd definitely have Dr. Gupta shoot the massive crevice between my eyebrows...