We are in Katy, Texas. We took all back roads and made a drive that is typically 90 mins in 120 mins. Yeah!
We will make a decision tonight if we move further west to San Antonio. If we do we will head out early tomorrow am
For tonight we are enjoying Salmon, potatoes and broccoli! I think we chose our evacution spot well.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
We're off
The house is boarded up. The storm is coming. We are hitting the road within the hour. Tonight we are going to Kim's Aunt Kitty's house west of Houston. Tonight and tomorrow we will determine if the track of the storm supports moving on to San Antonio. We will be available by cell phone if you need us, although obviously things will be a bit hectic for the next couple of days. Everyone is doing great, and we will be safe. No worries necessary, but prayers would be appreciated. :)
Monday, September 08, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Is that anything?
David Letterman does a bit in which he and Paul watch an act for a few moments and then determine if it is "anything" or not.
Well, that's what it feels like we're doing with Hurricane Gustav. We watched it careen drunkenly around the Caribbean for awhile, and now we wait while it creeps toward the coast. Will it hit near us? No way to know. But we have a place to go and are getting things in order while hoping for the best.
Does anyone remember when I started this blog while on the run from Rita?
Team Mast certainly does.
Well, that's what it feels like we're doing with Hurricane Gustav. We watched it careen drunkenly around the Caribbean for awhile, and now we wait while it creeps toward the coast. Will it hit near us? No way to know. But we have a place to go and are getting things in order while hoping for the best.
Does anyone remember when I started this blog while on the run from Rita?
Team Mast certainly does.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Daycare
Today was Benjamin's first day of daycare-or "school" as he calls it.
Mom and dad have been crushed by this decision, but he was actually excited.
We were up early and dressed. I told him he would be eating breakfast at school- automatic tears. "no, i am supposed to eat here". So we did.
We arrive at school and take him to see his room and then to the cafeteria where he announces, "i am not eating or drinking, I already ate"
A quick goodbye- no tears and his day starts.
We pick him up and he is playing with some other kids. He did great, only crying when he didn't have his own blanket for nap.
His recap:
1. I made 3 new friends and I told them your name mommy
2. I ate at school
3. I played blocks
4. Can i go to school tomorrow?
Some pics below
Today was Benjamin's first day of daycare-or "school" as he calls it.
Mom and dad have been crushed by this decision, but he was actually excited.
We were up early and dressed. I told him he would be eating breakfast at school- automatic tears. "no, i am supposed to eat here". So we did.
We arrive at school and take him to see his room and then to the cafeteria where he announces, "i am not eating or drinking, I already ate"
A quick goodbye- no tears and his day starts.
We pick him up and he is playing with some other kids. He did great, only crying when he didn't have his own blanket for nap.
His recap:
1. I made 3 new friends and I told them your name mommy
2. I ate at school
3. I played blocks
4. Can i go to school tomorrow?
Some pics below
 |
| benjamins first day |
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The Casts
July 9th, 2008
Our first visit with the local ortho doc was today. We learned several things.
1. The bones have separated a smidge (technical term). Still doing ok though
2. He will be re-casted weekly to check his pins
3. His shoulder now needs to be immobilized to minimize movement until the bones heal
Cast color #1- Deep blue
July 18th, 2008
Cast #2
Today turned out to be a bit of a challenge for Samuel. Cast off, pins inspected, covered and off to xray. Joe (our tech) was quick and thoughtful regarding Samuel's pain. In fact he stayed with Samuel while I stood behind the shield and took the xrays. His films look good with evidence of new bone formation.
So next we pick our cast color- blue again (after 5 mins of discussion). Samuel gets his arm in position and Evelyn puts his stocking on, then the cotton wrap and suddenly Samuel keeps mentioning he is thirsty. Not a great time to get a drink but sweet Evelyn goes and gets him a cup of water. As she is getting the water I notice Samuel getting rather pale and I'm thinking he is going to throw up. Well, quickly he gets ghost white, sweaty, and then mentions he can't see anymore- yup- the boy was seconds from passing out cold!!!! We get him on his back, a cold cloth on his forehead and some sugar in his body and he recovers. They cast him while he is on his back and off we go!
Plan:
1. Continue in cast with shoulder immobilization
2. Follow-up in 1 week- more films (yes he is shielded)
3. The rest is up in the air-
4. Questions I asked that you may be interested in
-- Total casting time- ? 4-6+ weeks, distal humerus can be slow to heal
-- Pin time- Again? need evidence of good supportive new bone formation
--PT after casting- depends on elbow mobility
-- NO elective procedures- I learned this includes teeth cleaning :)
-- Fall baseball- sign up and see what happens
Do you see the trend? Time will tell us- patience (this I lack) uncertainty- (not good with this either)
July 25th
Cast #3
Back to the doctor today. Cast off, more xrays, cast back on. Blue again :)
What we learned.
1. The pins continue to look great
2. New bone formation is slow
3. Stay the course
August 1st, 2008
Cast #4
We saw the doc again today.
Samuel did great. His bone is not "healed" but continues to make new bone. The doc decided it was time to remove the pins- there was mild redness around the pins, nothing concerning, just don't want to push it. Samuel did very very well while the 3 pins were pulled out. He is such a tough kid.
Then time to recast again. Once again samuel nearly passed out. They casted him quickly- and off we went. Back again next week -more xrays. Cast will likely stay on 2 more weeks- but who knows.
Samuel is mentally struggling today. We had made tentative plans to go to a resort in san antonio after the cast was off in 2 weeks, but a big no by the doc for the pool- he is adjusting to life without pins- fear of making his bones worse, he is sore today and not used to hurting- that worries him.
Tonight he just sat in my lap and cried- "i don't know why mommy, i just felt i needed to cry".
Our first visit with the local ortho doc was today. We learned several things.
1. The bones have separated a smidge (technical term). Still doing ok though
2. He will be re-casted weekly to check his pins
3. His shoulder now needs to be immobilized to minimize movement until the bones heal
Cast color #1- Deep blue
 |
| cast #1 |
July 18th, 2008
Cast #2
Today turned out to be a bit of a challenge for Samuel. Cast off, pins inspected, covered and off to xray. Joe (our tech) was quick and thoughtful regarding Samuel's pain. In fact he stayed with Samuel while I stood behind the shield and took the xrays. His films look good with evidence of new bone formation.
So next we pick our cast color- blue again (after 5 mins of discussion). Samuel gets his arm in position and Evelyn puts his stocking on, then the cotton wrap and suddenly Samuel keeps mentioning he is thirsty. Not a great time to get a drink but sweet Evelyn goes and gets him a cup of water. As she is getting the water I notice Samuel getting rather pale and I'm thinking he is going to throw up. Well, quickly he gets ghost white, sweaty, and then mentions he can't see anymore- yup- the boy was seconds from passing out cold!!!! We get him on his back, a cold cloth on his forehead and some sugar in his body and he recovers. They cast him while he is on his back and off we go!
Plan:
1. Continue in cast with shoulder immobilization
2. Follow-up in 1 week- more films (yes he is shielded)
3. The rest is up in the air-
4. Questions I asked that you may be interested in
-- Total casting time- ? 4-6+ weeks, distal humerus can be slow to heal
-- Pin time- Again? need evidence of good supportive new bone formation
--PT after casting- depends on elbow mobility
-- NO elective procedures- I learned this includes teeth cleaning :)
-- Fall baseball- sign up and see what happens
Do you see the trend? Time will tell us- patience (this I lack) uncertainty- (not good with this either)
July 25th
Cast #3
Back to the doctor today. Cast off, more xrays, cast back on. Blue again :)
What we learned.
1. The pins continue to look great
2. New bone formation is slow
3. Stay the course
 |
| cast #3 |
August 1st, 2008
Cast #4
We saw the doc again today.
Samuel did great. His bone is not "healed" but continues to make new bone. The doc decided it was time to remove the pins- there was mild redness around the pins, nothing concerning, just don't want to push it. Samuel did very very well while the 3 pins were pulled out. He is such a tough kid.
Then time to recast again. Once again samuel nearly passed out. They casted him quickly- and off we went. Back again next week -more xrays. Cast will likely stay on 2 more weeks- but who knows.
Samuel is mentally struggling today. We had made tentative plans to go to a resort in san antonio after the cast was off in 2 weeks, but a big no by the doc for the pool- he is adjusting to life without pins- fear of making his bones worse, he is sore today and not used to hurting- that worries him.
Tonight he just sat in my lap and cried- "i don't know why mommy, i just felt i needed to cry".
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
A tale of a broken arm
Wednesday- July 2nd
The day it all began. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the kids were playing, we were having FUN! Then the moment that will be burned into our minds forever. A little red go-kart sideways, smoke, tiny screams. Time slows from here, but we knew instantly that his left arm, trapped under the roll bar, was broken. With the help of my brother, we got him out and up front while we waited for the ambulance. He was so brave. After being splinted by EMS, placed in a c-collar and put on a back board we headed to the local hospital. A little morphine and our boy was happy as a clam in the ambulance. "Daddy, this is really comfortable." X-rays confirmed a fractured humerus that would require surgery. This meant one more ambulance ride to Rainbow Babies and Children's hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. This would be a high-tech ride for Samuel. Comfortably sedated and splinted he watched a Scooby Doo DVD on daddy's
I-Pod.
Once at Rainbow Babies- he was greeted by Chris's 2 brothers and Pop Pop Mast. A welcome distraction. More X-rays, a new splint, more Morphine and finally, exhausted, he is allowed to sleep around 1am.
Thursday, July 3rd
This would prove to be a long day for all. The day was spent waiting for surgery to occur. He did not want to move a single inch of his body. However, we had a very nice set up in our room that included TV,VCR, DVD player, mini-fridge, bathroom with shower and decent guest sleeping area. Samuel spent the day soaking in the cartoon network! After a billion hours of cartoons he tired of TV and we played some Sorry and Connect four and started a game of Battleship. Child care specialists walked him through the surgery and a wonderful nurse bought him a doggy that had broken his paw too. He was lovingly named, "Sammy". The worse part was the waiting, never knowing when he would be called to surgery and the fact that Samuel had not had a single bite of food since 2 pm the day before. At 5pm the residents came charging in stating an OR had opened up and off we went. Samuel really had no fear, he was such a trooper. Just prior to surgery they informed us he had a small fracture of his right wrist also. One hour, 2 splints and 3 pins later he was out of surgery. We stayed the night to get his pain under control and make sure he could tolerate the oral pain meds and some food. Chris did some laundry in the free washer and dryer on our floor and we all fell asleep to the Discovery channel's, "how is that made?"
Friday, July 4th
Time to go home!! Chris and I were more than ready. Samuel was nervous to leave the safety and comfort of the hospital and none too pleased to get on his wobbly legs after being on his back for so long. He got dressed, ate some french toast and went for his first walk. Then off to the Mast's for the remainder of our trip. My mom and dad brought Benjamin to us while his Shirley cousins enjoyed a brief visit. That evening was filled with more wonderful company as several more Mast relatives made the trip to visit with all of us. The distractions were good, but the night would prove difficult. Pain was an issue this first day with a long and restless night that included a 2am showing of Scooby Doo on the ipod to calm him down until meds kicked in.
The road to recovery...
Since that first day home, he enjoyed a day outside playing in sand, watching us play on wave runners, and taking breaks to rest. The plane trip home was uneventful. The car trip was no problem and finally the sleepless nights and stress of the previous days caught up with him as he fell asleep exhausted on our couch at home. The next days would have our Samuel emerging into the kid we know and love. The pain is gone, the smile is back and his activity level is back to normal. He smiles as he tells people what happened and debates what color cast he will pick out when he is finally casted on Wednesday the 9th.
Benjamin!
This story would not be complete without a few words about Benjamin. He rubbed his brother's head as we waited for the ambulance, he cried as we headed for the hospital, he colored pictures to hang in his brother's room and he behaved better than any mother could ever ask of a 3 year old that didn't fully understand what was happening.
He would not allow my mother to sleep with him that first night, stating that Samuel would be home and need lots of room because he would have a big thing on his arm. And thanks to my parents he really enjoyed the time we were gone. I would call to check in and he would inform me that he was busy playing.
The best part was the reunion of 2 brothers so happy to see one another.
The day it all began. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the kids were playing, we were having FUN! Then the moment that will be burned into our minds forever. A little red go-kart sideways, smoke, tiny screams. Time slows from here, but we knew instantly that his left arm, trapped under the roll bar, was broken. With the help of my brother, we got him out and up front while we waited for the ambulance. He was so brave. After being splinted by EMS, placed in a c-collar and put on a back board we headed to the local hospital. A little morphine and our boy was happy as a clam in the ambulance. "Daddy, this is really comfortable." X-rays confirmed a fractured humerus that would require surgery. This meant one more ambulance ride to Rainbow Babies and Children's hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. This would be a high-tech ride for Samuel. Comfortably sedated and splinted he watched a Scooby Doo DVD on daddy's
I-Pod.
Once at Rainbow Babies- he was greeted by Chris's 2 brothers and Pop Pop Mast. A welcome distraction. More X-rays, a new splint, more Morphine and finally, exhausted, he is allowed to sleep around 1am.
 |
| july 2nd |
Thursday, July 3rd
This would prove to be a long day for all. The day was spent waiting for surgery to occur. He did not want to move a single inch of his body. However, we had a very nice set up in our room that included TV,VCR, DVD player, mini-fridge, bathroom with shower and decent guest sleeping area. Samuel spent the day soaking in the cartoon network! After a billion hours of cartoons he tired of TV and we played some Sorry and Connect four and started a game of Battleship. Child care specialists walked him through the surgery and a wonderful nurse bought him a doggy that had broken his paw too. He was lovingly named, "Sammy". The worse part was the waiting, never knowing when he would be called to surgery and the fact that Samuel had not had a single bite of food since 2 pm the day before. At 5pm the residents came charging in stating an OR had opened up and off we went. Samuel really had no fear, he was such a trooper. Just prior to surgery they informed us he had a small fracture of his right wrist also. One hour, 2 splints and 3 pins later he was out of surgery. We stayed the night to get his pain under control and make sure he could tolerate the oral pain meds and some food. Chris did some laundry in the free washer and dryer on our floor and we all fell asleep to the Discovery channel's, "how is that made?"
 |
| July 3rd |
Friday, July 4th
Time to go home!! Chris and I were more than ready. Samuel was nervous to leave the safety and comfort of the hospital and none too pleased to get on his wobbly legs after being on his back for so long. He got dressed, ate some french toast and went for his first walk. Then off to the Mast's for the remainder of our trip. My mom and dad brought Benjamin to us while his Shirley cousins enjoyed a brief visit. That evening was filled with more wonderful company as several more Mast relatives made the trip to visit with all of us. The distractions were good, but the night would prove difficult. Pain was an issue this first day with a long and restless night that included a 2am showing of Scooby Doo on the ipod to calm him down until meds kicked in.
 |
| July 4th |
The road to recovery...
Since that first day home, he enjoyed a day outside playing in sand, watching us play on wave runners, and taking breaks to rest. The plane trip home was uneventful. The car trip was no problem and finally the sleepless nights and stress of the previous days caught up with him as he fell asleep exhausted on our couch at home. The next days would have our Samuel emerging into the kid we know and love. The pain is gone, the smile is back and his activity level is back to normal. He smiles as he tells people what happened and debates what color cast he will pick out when he is finally casted on Wednesday the 9th.
 |
| Road to recovery |
Benjamin!
This story would not be complete without a few words about Benjamin. He rubbed his brother's head as we waited for the ambulance, he cried as we headed for the hospital, he colored pictures to hang in his brother's room and he behaved better than any mother could ever ask of a 3 year old that didn't fully understand what was happening.
He would not allow my mother to sleep with him that first night, stating that Samuel would be home and need lots of room because he would have a big thing on his arm. And thanks to my parents he really enjoyed the time we were gone. I would call to check in and he would inform me that he was busy playing.
The best part was the reunion of 2 brothers so happy to see one another.
 |
| benjamin- Ohio 2008 |
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day weekend 2008
Kim here. Thought this would be an easy way to update you all on our wonderful weekend.
We went to San Marcos, Texas this weekend. We stayed at Pecan Park RV park.
Our first non-state park campout since we arrived in Texas.
Friday- did not arrive until around 9:30pm. Set up in the dark, off to bed!
Saturday- breakfast- cinnamon rolls in my new Dutch oven. Sooo good!
We rented a canoe for the day. They were at first hesitant to let us do a trip until they found out were used to be whitewater kayakers. The river is not rough, but winding and has 2 class I rapids on it. Lots of down trees. Just need to be able to read water and you are good to go. As we were waiting for them to bring the canoe down to the water we see friends of ours floating down towards us on tubes. We had no idea we were camping so close to them. A fun surprise. We canoed for about 2+ hours. Ran a couple of rapids- the kids loved them!!. We saw cows, turtles, snakes, wild turkeys and ducks and only about 8 other people. Both boys spent time paddling and both took mini-naps inside the canoe.
Once back at the campground we swam for about 2 hours and then cooked chicken and rice in the Dutch oven. Again- so good. Seeing a theme to our cooking yet? We headed over to the Jones' (our friends we saw on the river) and spent about an hour visiting at their campfire, then home and off to bed.
Sunday: Breakfast- homemade biscuits- a bit dry, but still good.
Tubing time- we found a place that will provide an inexpensive shuttle. We climbed into our 4 tubes and spent about an hour floating the river (San Marcos). It is spring fed and around 72 degrees year round. The boys loved having their own tubes and the freedom to jump around in them. They had recommended we take out before the "waterfall". Well they don't know our boys. Team Mast spent the next 2 hours shooting "tube chutes". I wish we had a picture. It is a 3 drop waterfall, the first part the biggest with a chute into about 3 standing waves then down 2 more drops. Benjamin always went down on one of our laps, Samuel did run it by himself. So proud! We ate lunch by the river and then decided to float it one more time. Samuel wanted to sleep in his tube going down river. We ran the chute one more time and finally made it back to the campground at dinner time. Dinner was beef stroganoff in the Dutch oven. Yummy. The 4 of us walked down to the river for one last view, then hit the showers and fell into bed exhausted.
Monday: That's right- cinnamon rolls in the Dutch oven. Check out was at noon so we packed up, let the kids play on the playground and headed home. Only about a 3 hour trip home.
A fantastic family weekend. We had wondered how the boys would do with just us parents as playmates and no other camping buddies. Well- it was grand.
Samuel's favorite thing: "floating down the river"
Benjamin's favorite thing: "my favorite part was going camping"
Pictures below- there are very few
We went to San Marcos, Texas this weekend. We stayed at Pecan Park RV park.
Our first non-state park campout since we arrived in Texas.
Friday- did not arrive until around 9:30pm. Set up in the dark, off to bed!
Saturday- breakfast- cinnamon rolls in my new Dutch oven. Sooo good!
We rented a canoe for the day. They were at first hesitant to let us do a trip until they found out were used to be whitewater kayakers. The river is not rough, but winding and has 2 class I rapids on it. Lots of down trees. Just need to be able to read water and you are good to go. As we were waiting for them to bring the canoe down to the water we see friends of ours floating down towards us on tubes. We had no idea we were camping so close to them. A fun surprise. We canoed for about 2+ hours. Ran a couple of rapids- the kids loved them!!. We saw cows, turtles, snakes, wild turkeys and ducks and only about 8 other people. Both boys spent time paddling and both took mini-naps inside the canoe.
Once back at the campground we swam for about 2 hours and then cooked chicken and rice in the Dutch oven. Again- so good. Seeing a theme to our cooking yet? We headed over to the Jones' (our friends we saw on the river) and spent about an hour visiting at their campfire, then home and off to bed.
Sunday: Breakfast- homemade biscuits- a bit dry, but still good.
Tubing time- we found a place that will provide an inexpensive shuttle. We climbed into our 4 tubes and spent about an hour floating the river (San Marcos). It is spring fed and around 72 degrees year round. The boys loved having their own tubes and the freedom to jump around in them. They had recommended we take out before the "waterfall". Well they don't know our boys. Team Mast spent the next 2 hours shooting "tube chutes". I wish we had a picture. It is a 3 drop waterfall, the first part the biggest with a chute into about 3 standing waves then down 2 more drops. Benjamin always went down on one of our laps, Samuel did run it by himself. So proud! We ate lunch by the river and then decided to float it one more time. Samuel wanted to sleep in his tube going down river. We ran the chute one more time and finally made it back to the campground at dinner time. Dinner was beef stroganoff in the Dutch oven. Yummy. The 4 of us walked down to the river for one last view, then hit the showers and fell into bed exhausted.
Monday: That's right- cinnamon rolls in the Dutch oven. Check out was at noon so we packed up, let the kids play on the playground and headed home. Only about a 3 hour trip home.
A fantastic family weekend. We had wondered how the boys would do with just us parents as playmates and no other camping buddies. Well- it was grand.
Samuel's favorite thing: "floating down the river"
Benjamin's favorite thing: "my favorite part was going camping"
Pictures below- there are very few
 |
| Memorial Day weekend |
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Samuel's 7th birthday party
Today was his birthday party. What fun.
We had 8 boys here. Here is how it went...
Arrived- put on their trainer necklaces (cut out cardboard circles)- goal earn 8 badges.
Badge #1: Draw their own pokemon on shrinky dink paper- Samuel was the only one who had ever done shrinky dinks before. Then they made Perler bead pokeballs. (Slight panic on my part- this took much longer than expected!)
Badge #2: pin the fire tail on chimchar- blindfolded climb through a tunnel then Chris would spin them at the end-
Badge #3: Catch the pokeball- think hot potato
Badge #4: Rock smash- break balloons- find the 8 with a message hidden inside. (didn't quite get the balloons full enough- tough time breaking them)
Badge #5: Egg hunt- 58 eggs hidden- find the 8 camoflage eggs with the hidden message inside
Badge #6: Attack the pokemon characters hanging on the fence with silly string- a tradition at his parties.
Badges 7 & 8: An obstacle course set up by Chris- a huge hit. The best part was one of those balls with a handle that you sit on and bounce. The kids kept falling off and laughing!
Now- hot and tired we went inside for pizza-cupcakes and presents.
All are gone now. He got some nice presents and had a great time. We are tired and glad to have it behind us. A very nice group of boys. Pictures below.
We had 8 boys here. Here is how it went...
Arrived- put on their trainer necklaces (cut out cardboard circles)- goal earn 8 badges.
Badge #1: Draw their own pokemon on shrinky dink paper- Samuel was the only one who had ever done shrinky dinks before. Then they made Perler bead pokeballs. (Slight panic on my part- this took much longer than expected!)
Badge #2: pin the fire tail on chimchar- blindfolded climb through a tunnel then Chris would spin them at the end-
Badge #3: Catch the pokeball- think hot potato
Badge #4: Rock smash- break balloons- find the 8 with a message hidden inside. (didn't quite get the balloons full enough- tough time breaking them)
Badge #5: Egg hunt- 58 eggs hidden- find the 8 camoflage eggs with the hidden message inside
Badge #6: Attack the pokemon characters hanging on the fence with silly string- a tradition at his parties.
Badges 7 & 8: An obstacle course set up by Chris- a huge hit. The best part was one of those balls with a handle that you sit on and bounce. The kids kept falling off and laughing!
Now- hot and tired we went inside for pizza-cupcakes and presents.
All are gone now. He got some nice presents and had a great time. We are tired and glad to have it behind us. A very nice group of boys. Pictures below.
 |
| Samuel's 7th birthday party |
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