1) When we were at the Pittsburg Zoo we didn't leave until it was closing. Trying to hurry the kids along I said, "Guys we need to walk fast or we might have to sleep with the bears tonight." Erik and Lainey ignored me. Carson stopped dead in his tracks and with wide eyes said, "But Mom I don't like the bears!" Poor guy!
2) A couple days ago, shortly after getting up for the day Carson came up to me with a big grin on his face. Very excitedly he told me, "Mom, I say that Lainey is an idiot!" Surprised, as I've never heard anyone say that word before (wonder if I've mumbled it under my breath?) I asked him what he was upset about and reminded him to use nicer words.
Later that morning, I was playing with him at the playground. He was zipping his cars down the slide and I was catching them. While we were there a friend saw me and I went to say hi. A few minutes later, I heard him shouting something everytime he sent a car flying down the slide. Yep, you guessed it! "Idiot, iiiiiidiot, idiot." Oh my sweet, sassy boy! I looked at him, with an eyebrow raised, and reminded him to use kinder wonders. I told him if I heard that word out of his mouth again, I'd have to take away his cars for the rest of the day. Haven't heard it since!
3) When Victor was putting Carson to bed last night he said, "Daddy, I want you to stop getting white hairs." Hahaha!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Kyle - 8 Months
Sweet baby Kyle is 8 months old!
Life has been so crazy since Kyle was born.
I'm thankful we have Kyle as part of our family. He provides us with extra smiles and cuddle time. Watching a sweet newborn grow into a child is the greatest gift. I'm so glad I've been able to do that 4 times! (I hope I remember at least a little bit of Kyle's first 8 months since it's been filled with a lot of stress, travel, injury/illness!)
What's Kyle like at 8 months??
Sleep:
Kyle still doesn't sleep through the night.
On his best nights he gets up once, between 7pm and 6AM.
He often gets up twice though.
He's not felt well the past few weeks due to a cold.
The past few days he's had a pretty bad cough, runny nose, low-grade fever, and a red ear.
His sleep has more disturbed than normal.
Poor guy!
Eating:
Most of his nutrition is from nursing still.
We have introduced a few solids to him including oatmeal,
applesauce, pears, carrots, avocado, and bananas.
He sometimes eats food really well, other times he isn't interested.
We offer him food 2x a day.
He has no teeth yet.
Physical Development:
Kyle sits well.
He goes from laying down to sitting up.
He has recently figured out how to army crawl short distances.
He likes to spin himself in a circle when he sitting up, in order to reach things.
He desperately wants to be able to pull himself to a stand but can't quite do it yet.
Personality:
Kyle likes to be on the go!
Even when he is being held he is always twisting and turning around.
He doesn't want to miss anything!
Kyle can be demanding.
If he wants something he screams for it! Haha!
He is fairly quiet and serious.
He likes to play peek-a-boo but makes you work for a laugh/smile.
He has some mild seperation anxiety.
He does great with our sitter but screams bloody murder anytime I
try to leave him at the gym daycare.
Kyle likes his siblings and watches everything they do.
Language:
He's a pretty quiet guy.
No real babbling with consonents yet, although I
think I've heard him say "mamamama" once or twice.
Sibling Love:
Kyle is a lucky guy!
All three of his siblings simply adore him.
Carson almost always refers to him as "my best friend Kyle."
They are all happy to play with him, watch to make sure he isn't eating anything he shouldn't be,
"help" him get to any toy that is 1/2 an inch out of his reach!
(If Kyle never walks, it will be because his siblings are constantly helping him!)
Kyle is a nice little baby, with the craziest hair I've ever seen!
We adore him and are so glad he's ours!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Carson the Comedian
Sweet little Carson is always making us laugh. He is a jokester and also very emotional, both which tend to be hilarious. Earlier today he actually told me, "Mom, I really like to be funny."
Here are a few things he's said or done recently that have made us laugh.
Right after getting up on Saturday, I was sitting on the couch with Lainey. Victor had gotten up a little it before me so I asked, "Did you get breakfast out for the kids yet? " He said, "No." Hearing our exchange must have reminded Carson that he was hungry (he always wakes up ready to eat!). A few seconds later I saw him get up and march to the corner of the room. Facing the wall, with his arms crossed and lip out, he sadly moaned, "Nobody ever feeds me around here!"
Carson is our most affectionate little guy. He always greets us with a huge smile and a hug. He likes to sit on our lap and snuggle. He does not like to give us kisses though! Being a comedian this has become a bit of a game. On night recently, he was up after the other 3 were asleep. He asked me if he could have a snack before going to bed. I told him he could have one if he gave me a kiss. He stopped was he was doing, turned around and walked quickly towards the stairs saying, " I'm really feeling tired Mom!" He happily went to bed without a snack, or a kiss!
Today, after returning from a bike ride/walk Carson asked me to help him take his helmet off. I told him I'd help him after he gave me a kiss. Seeing no way out of this one he responded, "Fine. But I'm not opening my mouth!"
Carson has told me repeatedly that he is expecting a baby girl. She is going to be named Elsa. Today, every hour or so I'd find him with his shirt off. When I asked him what he was doing he responded, "Just looking at my nipples for baby Elsa's milk."
Here are a few things he's said or done recently that have made us laugh.
Right after getting up on Saturday, I was sitting on the couch with Lainey. Victor had gotten up a little it before me so I asked, "Did you get breakfast out for the kids yet? " He said, "No." Hearing our exchange must have reminded Carson that he was hungry (he always wakes up ready to eat!). A few seconds later I saw him get up and march to the corner of the room. Facing the wall, with his arms crossed and lip out, he sadly moaned, "Nobody ever feeds me around here!"
Carson is our most affectionate little guy. He always greets us with a huge smile and a hug. He likes to sit on our lap and snuggle. He does not like to give us kisses though! Being a comedian this has become a bit of a game. On night recently, he was up after the other 3 were asleep. He asked me if he could have a snack before going to bed. I told him he could have one if he gave me a kiss. He stopped was he was doing, turned around and walked quickly towards the stairs saying, " I'm really feeling tired Mom!" He happily went to bed without a snack, or a kiss!
Today, after returning from a bike ride/walk Carson asked me to help him take his helmet off. I told him I'd help him after he gave me a kiss. Seeing no way out of this one he responded, "Fine. But I'm not opening my mouth!"
Carson has told me repeatedly that he is expecting a baby girl. She is going to be named Elsa. Today, every hour or so I'd find him with his shirt off. When I asked him what he was doing he responded, "Just looking at my nipples for baby Elsa's milk."
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Southwest, Part 2!
As I mentioned in my previous post, my 7 month old was not allowed to board a southwest flight, as a lap child, because I didn't bring his birth certificate with him. Southwest Airlines requires "proof of age document" to verify that your lap child is under 2. (My "lap child" is a non-mobile 7 month old.) As a result, my family of 6 had to drive 1810 miles to get to my brother's funeral.
To read more about Southwest airlines "lap child" policy go HERE.
So, they clearly state online that you will need a birth certificate for a lap child, proving that they are under the age of 2. I was unaware of this policy until I tried to check my 7 month old in last week.
I do understand their viewpoint. I'm certain plenty of people have tried to fly for free with their 25 month old kids, and they are trying to prevent that. That's not a terrible idea but as I'd said in my previous post, I have probably checked a lap child into a flight close to 40 times in the past 6.5 years and have never been asked for ID!
I highly doubt I'm the only person to get to a Southwest ticket counter without a birth certificate for my lap child. I think it would be reasonable for Southwest Airlines to have a back up plan that meets the needs of both the costumer and the airline.
My ideas on how Southwest Airlines could be more family friendly are below.
If a family gets to the ticket counter with a lap child and fails to bring proper ID for the child you could....
1) Give them a one time warning and document it on their record
2) Fine them $100, but still allow them to board with the baby
3) Give them 48 hours to fax a copy of their birth certificate/shot records and if they don't, then fine them
4) If the lap child is clearly less than 2, allow the gate agent to use common sense!
Since ID is only required for children who fly domestically, by one airline in one situation (lap child) it seems like there should be a little bit more flexibility for families who get to the ticket counter unprepared.
To read more about Southwest airlines "lap child" policy go HERE.
So, they clearly state online that you will need a birth certificate for a lap child, proving that they are under the age of 2. I was unaware of this policy until I tried to check my 7 month old in last week.
I do understand their viewpoint. I'm certain plenty of people have tried to fly for free with their 25 month old kids, and they are trying to prevent that. That's not a terrible idea but as I'd said in my previous post, I have probably checked a lap child into a flight close to 40 times in the past 6.5 years and have never been asked for ID!
I highly doubt I'm the only person to get to a Southwest ticket counter without a birth certificate for my lap child. I think it would be reasonable for Southwest Airlines to have a back up plan that meets the needs of both the costumer and the airline.
My ideas on how Southwest Airlines could be more family friendly are below.
If a family gets to the ticket counter with a lap child and fails to bring proper ID for the child you could....
1) Give them a one time warning and document it on their record
2) Fine them $100, but still allow them to board with the baby
3) Give them 48 hours to fax a copy of their birth certificate/shot records and if they don't, then fine them
4) If the lap child is clearly less than 2, allow the gate agent to use common sense!
Since ID is only required for children who fly domestically, by one airline in one situation (lap child) it seems like there should be a little bit more flexibility for families who get to the ticket counter unprepared.
Shame on you, Southwest! Part 1
I fly a lot! Most of our family lives 900+ miles away so we fly to see them. I've also been to California 7 times in the past 2 years to see Daron.
Since becoming a parent 6.5 years ago, I have flown at least 2-3 times a year. So each of my four kids has flown as a "lap child" close to 5 times during the first 2 years of their life. 4 kids x 5 round trip tickets x 2 check-in per flight = 40 check-ins with one of my kids as a lap child!
What is a "lap child?"
A lap child is any child under the age of 2 that is flying for free. They are not assigned a seat, instead they travel on your lap.
I believe I have checked in with a lap child close to 40 times in 6.5 years. Never, have I ever had any issues with this.
Well, last week Friday we were traveling on Southwest/Airtran. Victor had checked in all of our luggage and the three kids. He went to park the car, then I went to check Kyle and myself in, before going through security (all 4 kids were with me).
When I printed my ticket, I realized that the infant wasn't marked on my ticket. So, I went to the nearest gate agent and asked if they would add him to my ticket.
Normally, I would have done that on my own, but you can't do this online when booking through Southwest (at least I couldn't figure it out) and with the chaos of my brother dying and traveling to Kansas a few days earlier to visit my Grandma who had a stroke, I had forgotten to call and add him to my seat.
Anyway, I get to the counter and the gate agent refused to add him to my ticket because I didn't have his birth certificate.
I fly with my kids, a lot! This was the first time (unless we were traveling internationally) that I had ever been asked for any kind of ID for my kids.
When I asked why she needed that she said it was Southwest's policy for all lap infants. The reason for the policy is to verify that the lap infant is indeed under two! I looked at her, and then looked at the 7 month old, non-crawling baby, in my arms and asked if there was anyway she could make an exception.
She said no, and calmly said, " You just need to run home and get the birth certificate."
I explained that I live 90 minutes from the airport and can not possibly "run home and get his birth certificate" and make it back for my flight that was leaving in 70 minutes.
She shrugged and said, "Well, you could buy him a seat without any ID but this flight is oversold, so you'll just have to go home and get his birth certificate."
I again explained that wasn't possible as I live a long way from the airport. I then told her, that while I understand the policy, I was still hoping she'd make an exception, as it is very obvious my non-mobile 7 month old is under two. I also explained to her that I was not taking a vacation, I needed to get home for my 31 year old brother's funeral.
She stared back at me and again suggested I go home and get his birth certificate.
A little exasperated I stepped away and tried to think of an alternate plan. I thought of a few options that might work...
1) Take all four kids through security and hope the security agent doesn't stop me without the infant tag on my ticket
2) Call southwest and have them add Kyle to my ticket over the phone, which is done without ID, and then print my boarding pass out again. (I could do this since I didn't check luggage.)
3) Since this is only a Southwest policy and I was actually flying on an Airtran plane (although booked through Southwest), I asked them to reissue my ticket through Airtan. They refused.
I was really short of time and hopeful I could still convince the ticket agent to make an exception so I didn't try the security option. I did call southwest but accidentally hung up before getting on the "call-back" list.
Out of ideas, I asked to talk to the manager. They called her and then I waited and waited and waited. After 5-10 minutes of quiet, but anxious waiting, my ticket agent who had stepped away from the counter came over to me and held a paper up in my face. She explained, "Here's a copy of Southwest's policy regarding "lap infants." I was so irritated when she did that, I shouted at her saying, "I understand the policy, I am asking you to make an exception to it!"
That's when the "helpful" supervisor showed up. She had apparently told the gate agent to show me a copy of their policy. She had no intention of helping us get on the flight and was even less helpful after I got frustrated when the gate agent help up a copy of the policy in front of my face.
I did immediately apologize for getting frustrated and explained the situation to her. She would not budge. In fact, when I pulled up a copy of my brother's obituary online (in case she thought I was making up the story), she put her hand on top of my phone and said, "I'm not interested in your story."
I then asked her if she would be able to sleep okay that night when she knew what terrible distress she was adding to an already terrible situation. She looked me in the eye and said, " I sleep just fine." Haha!
At that point, it was clear we were not going to get on that flight. There were no flights, with 5 seats available, anytime in the next 24 hours. The next flight with one seat open wouldn't leave for another 24 hours.
So, with no other option available, we canceled our flights. Of course, all of our luggage and 4 car seats were on the plane already. Helpful supervisor said we wouldn't get them back until the next day. I looked her straight in the eye and said, "Well, then we won't be able to leave the airport until tomorrow so I suggest you let us on the flight or hurry up and get our luggage." She got the car seats and luggage off the plane.
We reloaded 4 carseats, 3 bags, 4 kids and 2 adults and drove a total of 1810 miles round trip. We missed a nice, private family dinner that had been arranged for Friday night, but did get there in time for the funeral.
I am now aware of Southwest's policy but disagree with parts of it and am hoping, maybe, somehow I can get them to change their policy so no other family is forced to drive close to 2000 miles or miss an important event because they weren't aware of the policy.
Part 2 click HERE...
Since becoming a parent 6.5 years ago, I have flown at least 2-3 times a year. So each of my four kids has flown as a "lap child" close to 5 times during the first 2 years of their life. 4 kids x 5 round trip tickets x 2 check-in per flight = 40 check-ins with one of my kids as a lap child!
What is a "lap child?"
A lap child is any child under the age of 2 that is flying for free. They are not assigned a seat, instead they travel on your lap.
I believe I have checked in with a lap child close to 40 times in 6.5 years. Never, have I ever had any issues with this.
Well, last week Friday we were traveling on Southwest/Airtran. Victor had checked in all of our luggage and the three kids. He went to park the car, then I went to check Kyle and myself in, before going through security (all 4 kids were with me).
When I printed my ticket, I realized that the infant wasn't marked on my ticket. So, I went to the nearest gate agent and asked if they would add him to my ticket.
Normally, I would have done that on my own, but you can't do this online when booking through Southwest (at least I couldn't figure it out) and with the chaos of my brother dying and traveling to Kansas a few days earlier to visit my Grandma who had a stroke, I had forgotten to call and add him to my seat.
Anyway, I get to the counter and the gate agent refused to add him to my ticket because I didn't have his birth certificate.
I fly with my kids, a lot! This was the first time (unless we were traveling internationally) that I had ever been asked for any kind of ID for my kids.
When I asked why she needed that she said it was Southwest's policy for all lap infants. The reason for the policy is to verify that the lap infant is indeed under two! I looked at her, and then looked at the 7 month old, non-crawling baby, in my arms and asked if there was anyway she could make an exception.
She said no, and calmly said, " You just need to run home and get the birth certificate."
I explained that I live 90 minutes from the airport and can not possibly "run home and get his birth certificate" and make it back for my flight that was leaving in 70 minutes.
She shrugged and said, "Well, you could buy him a seat without any ID but this flight is oversold, so you'll just have to go home and get his birth certificate."
I again explained that wasn't possible as I live a long way from the airport. I then told her, that while I understand the policy, I was still hoping she'd make an exception, as it is very obvious my non-mobile 7 month old is under two. I also explained to her that I was not taking a vacation, I needed to get home for my 31 year old brother's funeral.
She stared back at me and again suggested I go home and get his birth certificate.
A little exasperated I stepped away and tried to think of an alternate plan. I thought of a few options that might work...
1) Take all four kids through security and hope the security agent doesn't stop me without the infant tag on my ticket
2) Call southwest and have them add Kyle to my ticket over the phone, which is done without ID, and then print my boarding pass out again. (I could do this since I didn't check luggage.)
3) Since this is only a Southwest policy and I was actually flying on an Airtran plane (although booked through Southwest), I asked them to reissue my ticket through Airtan. They refused.
I was really short of time and hopeful I could still convince the ticket agent to make an exception so I didn't try the security option. I did call southwest but accidentally hung up before getting on the "call-back" list.
Out of ideas, I asked to talk to the manager. They called her and then I waited and waited and waited. After 5-10 minutes of quiet, but anxious waiting, my ticket agent who had stepped away from the counter came over to me and held a paper up in my face. She explained, "Here's a copy of Southwest's policy regarding "lap infants." I was so irritated when she did that, I shouted at her saying, "I understand the policy, I am asking you to make an exception to it!"
That's when the "helpful" supervisor showed up. She had apparently told the gate agent to show me a copy of their policy. She had no intention of helping us get on the flight and was even less helpful after I got frustrated when the gate agent help up a copy of the policy in front of my face.
I did immediately apologize for getting frustrated and explained the situation to her. She would not budge. In fact, when I pulled up a copy of my brother's obituary online (in case she thought I was making up the story), she put her hand on top of my phone and said, "I'm not interested in your story."
I then asked her if she would be able to sleep okay that night when she knew what terrible distress she was adding to an already terrible situation. She looked me in the eye and said, " I sleep just fine." Haha!
At that point, it was clear we were not going to get on that flight. There were no flights, with 5 seats available, anytime in the next 24 hours. The next flight with one seat open wouldn't leave for another 24 hours.
So, with no other option available, we canceled our flights. Of course, all of our luggage and 4 car seats were on the plane already. Helpful supervisor said we wouldn't get them back until the next day. I looked her straight in the eye and said, "Well, then we won't be able to leave the airport until tomorrow so I suggest you let us on the flight or hurry up and get our luggage." She got the car seats and luggage off the plane.
We reloaded 4 carseats, 3 bags, 4 kids and 2 adults and drove a total of 1810 miles round trip. We missed a nice, private family dinner that had been arranged for Friday night, but did get there in time for the funeral.
I am now aware of Southwest's policy but disagree with parts of it and am hoping, maybe, somehow I can get them to change their policy so no other family is forced to drive close to 2000 miles or miss an important event because they weren't aware of the policy.
Part 2 click HERE...
Fun Visitors - Scherers!
As a girl, I loved to babysit! In fact, I babysat so much I was able to save $10,000 for college before graduating from high school. That's a lot of babysitting as I was paid $2/hour for most of it!
My favorite family had three girls - Allison, Hannah, and Cailin. Their Mom is a veterinarian and worked at my Dad's clinic. When she first went back to work after having Allison, she was working 3 out of 5 Saturdays. I was not-quite 11 but she trusted me to watch her precious newborn! (Not my first baby - I'd taken care of a preemie for a year or two before that!)
It all worked out and for the next 7 years I watched the Scherer girls 3-4 times a month! I just love the Scherer family and am so thankful Pat was willing to trust me with her baby girl!
Allison is now a college graduate and working for Quad Graphics. She is part of the corporate trainee program and has a 4 month rotation in Alexandria, VA! She just moved out here this week and we got to spend the day with her and her mom, Pat!
We put Allison right to work! She helped the kids dye Easter eggs!
Pat hung out with baby Kyle!
After that we went out for sushi (well, two of us like sushi!). I took Allison and Pat on a hike. Victor stayed home with the kids while Carson and Kyle napped.
After naptime we all met at a local sculpture garden. The kids did crafts and we took a short hike looking for fairy houses that were on display.
Before Pat and Allison headed back to Alexandria, we stopped for ice cream!
My favorite family had three girls - Allison, Hannah, and Cailin. Their Mom is a veterinarian and worked at my Dad's clinic. When she first went back to work after having Allison, she was working 3 out of 5 Saturdays. I was not-quite 11 but she trusted me to watch her precious newborn! (Not my first baby - I'd taken care of a preemie for a year or two before that!)
It all worked out and for the next 7 years I watched the Scherer girls 3-4 times a month! I just love the Scherer family and am so thankful Pat was willing to trust me with her baby girl!
Allison is now a college graduate and working for Quad Graphics. She is part of the corporate trainee program and has a 4 month rotation in Alexandria, VA! She just moved out here this week and we got to spend the day with her and her mom, Pat!
We put Allison right to work! She helped the kids dye Easter eggs!
Pat hung out with baby Kyle!
After that we went out for sushi (well, two of us like sushi!). I took Allison and Pat on a hike. Victor stayed home with the kids while Carson and Kyle napped.
After naptime we all met at a local sculpture garden. The kids did crafts and we took a short hike looking for fairy houses that were on display.
Erik made a jellyfish.
I also attempted to get a cute photo of the four-some.
So difficult!
Erik, loves to pose for photos, but always gives the the smile above!
Lainey purposefully looks annoyed for photos.
Oh well!
A fairy house!
Before Pat and Allison headed back to Alexandria, we stopped for ice cream!
It was such a fun day!
I'm so excited to have Allison close by and look forward to seeing her frequently!
Ode to Daron :)
Below is a long version of the speech I gave at Daron's funeral. I want to share it with you. He was a wonderful brother! I'm so thankful for him.
Daron and I spent a LOT of time together as kids. We lived in a house without a TV in rural Wisconsin with no neighbors or relatives close by. I have so many fond memories of my first best friend. We spent a lot of time playing outside.
Climbing trees (only one arm ever got broken!)
Sledding over ramps and off cliffs in the gravel pit. (There was a gravel pit at the top of our driveway that provided excellent sledding opportunities before my parents planted 10,000 Evergreen trees in that field.)
Wandering through the woods and fields behind our house. My mom, who tends to be a bit cautious, seemed to have no qualms about us wandering far and wide by ourselves. I remember one summer we brought home tons of little crawfish we'd caught in Benn Nut Creek that runs back in the woods about a mile from our house.
We did get to come back inside occasionally. Although, we didn't have a TV we did get to play the Oregon Trail game on our computer. Kept dying of dystenary though!
We also seemed to spend a lot of time on the bus. Daron was a quiet, tender boy. He was most definitely not excited about the bus during his first year of school. I can still recall him crying so hard he had purple spots on his forehead. He did adjust of course but I know he sat next to me for a long time and then eventually he would sit in the seat behind me. How do I remember this?! I distinctly remember him sitting behind me because he always breathed peanut butter breathe on me. So gross! I still can't stand the smell of peanut butter.
We used to have some fun on the school bus. One time I remember making signs saying, "Help! Help! Being held hostage!" and putting them on the windows trying to attract attention.
The most fun bus event involved large syringes Dad used to bring home from the vet clinic. These made the BEST squirt guns! One time Daron and I (mainly I) decided to bring them onto the bus. We armed our friends with large volume syringes and situated ourselves in the first and last seats of the bus. We then had great fun on our 45 minute bus ride. The fun ended shortly after arriving to school. It must have been winter time because I remember walking to the principals office in my socks (presumably because I'd taken off my boots but didn't have time to get my shoes on). Getting called down to the prinicipals office over the schools loudspeaker was most likely the worst moment in my life for many years! For some reason, Daron got excused from the office much quicker than I did!
For a couple of years, Daron and I shared a bedroom. As a parent of 4 kids now, one memory that makes me chuckle the most is when Daron and I caused a great ruckus in the middle of the night. We were probably 7 and 9. I had woken up to go to the bathroom and in the pitch dark could not find my way to the door knob or light switch. So, I woke up Daron. Together, we decided we were stuck and panicked which led to very, very loud screaming and crying. At 2 AM. You can imagine how happy my parents were about that, especially given the fact they had a 3 and 1 year old who were likely woken by our chaos. That was not one of my favorite memories as a kid but now it brings a smile to my face every time because I can picture my kids doing exactly the same thing.
Daron and I were always very different so our extra curricular activities were quite different. He loved sports and played basketball throughout high school. My basketball career ended in 6th grade after I scored my only points of the season, for the wrong team!! We both loved music though. We were three years apart in school but we did get to play in Jazz band together for a year which was fun. We also spent a few years taking piano lessons together.
After high school, he followed me to La Crosse for college. I'm so glad he did! We spent a lot of time together during his Freshman year there. I was in PA school and busy but saw him at least once a week. We had many of the same professors since we both took pre-med courses. I am so glad I got to experience part of college with him and get to know some of the people that meant the most to him during that time. Did you know my smart, quiet brother was nominated as top Biology student from UW-L the year he graduated? This was based on both academics and character. I didn't even know such an award existed!
The last 10 years have been busy ones. I've gotten married, worked at 3 different clinics, had 4 kids, and moved multiple times! Daron was equally busy. He went to medical school, residency, got married, and of course fought leukemia. Even during the busiest of times we managed to spend time together. In 2004, Daron and I drove from Atlanta to Wisconsin together which is a great memory. We'd both just met our future spouses so we had quite a bit to talk about. We spent a few days hiking in Gatlinburg, TN. It was a lot of fun!
After Victor and I moved to the DC area in 2007, Daron came out to see us at least twice. He was one of Erik's first babysitters! He made it three hours before calling and telling us to come rescue him from a crying baby!
The past 2.5 years have been really difficult. It's not fair that Daron's life had to end so early. But despite the heartache, leukemia has managed to bring our family even closer. I have been out to California 7 times in the past two years. One of my trips out there was 12 days long (I had a 4, 2, and 1 years old at the time)! I'll always be thankful for the time I was able to spend with him. For a number of years our conversations mainly focused on practicing medicine. When he had to stop working, I was worried I wouldn't know what to talk to him about. I shouldn't have worried! Daron kept reading and studying throughout his illness. He was always telling me about new studies he'd read. He also made many, many book recommendations. I read, or tried to read, most of his favorites.
Daron was also a good listener. He always wanted to know what was going on in my life and would give thoughtful advice when asked. When I was struggling with whether or not to go back to work after having kids he pushed me more than anyone to give it a try. I've been back at work part-time for 18 months now and love it! Daron was happy to claim responsibility for helping me make that decision. :)
One of the things that Daron did better than almost anyone was to "love people well." No matter the flaws, he found a way to look past them and see the good in everyone. I told him, the last time I saw him in person, that I would do my best to work on decreasing my list of pet peeves and try to just love people for who they are, flaws and all.
Daron remained a vibrant, interesting, and kind person throughout his entire illness. I never heard him say, "Why me!" He wasted no time being angry and made the most of everyday until the very end. He was a true hero. I will always, always be thankful I got to have him as my brother.
Daron and I spent a LOT of time together as kids. We lived in a house without a TV in rural Wisconsin with no neighbors or relatives close by. I have so many fond memories of my first best friend. We spent a lot of time playing outside.
Climbing trees (only one arm ever got broken!)
Sledding over ramps and off cliffs in the gravel pit. (There was a gravel pit at the top of our driveway that provided excellent sledding opportunities before my parents planted 10,000 Evergreen trees in that field.)
Wandering through the woods and fields behind our house. My mom, who tends to be a bit cautious, seemed to have no qualms about us wandering far and wide by ourselves. I remember one summer we brought home tons of little crawfish we'd caught in Benn Nut Creek that runs back in the woods about a mile from our house.
We did get to come back inside occasionally. Although, we didn't have a TV we did get to play the Oregon Trail game on our computer. Kept dying of dystenary though!
We also seemed to spend a lot of time on the bus. Daron was a quiet, tender boy. He was most definitely not excited about the bus during his first year of school. I can still recall him crying so hard he had purple spots on his forehead. He did adjust of course but I know he sat next to me for a long time and then eventually he would sit in the seat behind me. How do I remember this?! I distinctly remember him sitting behind me because he always breathed peanut butter breathe on me. So gross! I still can't stand the smell of peanut butter.
We used to have some fun on the school bus. One time I remember making signs saying, "Help! Help! Being held hostage!" and putting them on the windows trying to attract attention.
The most fun bus event involved large syringes Dad used to bring home from the vet clinic. These made the BEST squirt guns! One time Daron and I (mainly I) decided to bring them onto the bus. We armed our friends with large volume syringes and situated ourselves in the first and last seats of the bus. We then had great fun on our 45 minute bus ride. The fun ended shortly after arriving to school. It must have been winter time because I remember walking to the principals office in my socks (presumably because I'd taken off my boots but didn't have time to get my shoes on). Getting called down to the prinicipals office over the schools loudspeaker was most likely the worst moment in my life for many years! For some reason, Daron got excused from the office much quicker than I did!
For a couple of years, Daron and I shared a bedroom. As a parent of 4 kids now, one memory that makes me chuckle the most is when Daron and I caused a great ruckus in the middle of the night. We were probably 7 and 9. I had woken up to go to the bathroom and in the pitch dark could not find my way to the door knob or light switch. So, I woke up Daron. Together, we decided we were stuck and panicked which led to very, very loud screaming and crying. At 2 AM. You can imagine how happy my parents were about that, especially given the fact they had a 3 and 1 year old who were likely woken by our chaos. That was not one of my favorite memories as a kid but now it brings a smile to my face every time because I can picture my kids doing exactly the same thing.
Daron and I were always very different so our extra curricular activities were quite different. He loved sports and played basketball throughout high school. My basketball career ended in 6th grade after I scored my only points of the season, for the wrong team!! We both loved music though. We were three years apart in school but we did get to play in Jazz band together for a year which was fun. We also spent a few years taking piano lessons together.
After high school, he followed me to La Crosse for college. I'm so glad he did! We spent a lot of time together during his Freshman year there. I was in PA school and busy but saw him at least once a week. We had many of the same professors since we both took pre-med courses. I am so glad I got to experience part of college with him and get to know some of the people that meant the most to him during that time. Did you know my smart, quiet brother was nominated as top Biology student from UW-L the year he graduated? This was based on both academics and character. I didn't even know such an award existed!
The last 10 years have been busy ones. I've gotten married, worked at 3 different clinics, had 4 kids, and moved multiple times! Daron was equally busy. He went to medical school, residency, got married, and of course fought leukemia. Even during the busiest of times we managed to spend time together. In 2004, Daron and I drove from Atlanta to Wisconsin together which is a great memory. We'd both just met our future spouses so we had quite a bit to talk about. We spent a few days hiking in Gatlinburg, TN. It was a lot of fun!
After Victor and I moved to the DC area in 2007, Daron came out to see us at least twice. He was one of Erik's first babysitters! He made it three hours before calling and telling us to come rescue him from a crying baby!
The past 2.5 years have been really difficult. It's not fair that Daron's life had to end so early. But despite the heartache, leukemia has managed to bring our family even closer. I have been out to California 7 times in the past two years. One of my trips out there was 12 days long (I had a 4, 2, and 1 years old at the time)! I'll always be thankful for the time I was able to spend with him. For a number of years our conversations mainly focused on practicing medicine. When he had to stop working, I was worried I wouldn't know what to talk to him about. I shouldn't have worried! Daron kept reading and studying throughout his illness. He was always telling me about new studies he'd read. He also made many, many book recommendations. I read, or tried to read, most of his favorites.
Daron was also a good listener. He always wanted to know what was going on in my life and would give thoughtful advice when asked. When I was struggling with whether or not to go back to work after having kids he pushed me more than anyone to give it a try. I've been back at work part-time for 18 months now and love it! Daron was happy to claim responsibility for helping me make that decision. :)
One of the things that Daron did better than almost anyone was to "love people well." No matter the flaws, he found a way to look past them and see the good in everyone. I told him, the last time I saw him in person, that I would do my best to work on decreasing my list of pet peeves and try to just love people for who they are, flaws and all.
Daron remained a vibrant, interesting, and kind person throughout his entire illness. I never heard him say, "Why me!" He wasted no time being angry and made the most of everyday until the very end. He was a true hero. I will always, always be thankful I got to have him as my brother.
I'm Back!
2014 has been a very, very difficult year so far. In the past 3.5 months, I have done the following....
1- Trip to WI with all 6 of us
2- Trip to Cali with Kyle
3- Victor gone on a work trip
4- Carson in the hospital with RSV/Kyle and Lainey also had RSV
5-Victor gone on a work trip
6 -Find out Daron relapsed again
7- Trip to PA with all six of us
8- Daron crashes suddenly - emergency trip to CA
9- Home for 3 days and Erik hurts his leg - find out later he broke his tibia
10- Another trip to CA - see Daron awake, in person, for the last time (he was still intubated but responsive)
11- Grandma, who has been one of my closest friends, has a massive stroke
12- Daron makes it out of the ICU, then relapses again, passes away
13- Trip to Kansas to see my Grandma (Kyle comes with me)
14 - Parents/Family dog diagnosed with cancer and dies
15- Victor gone on a work trip
16 - Trip to WI for Daron's funeral - supposed to fly, but forced to drive 1810 miles due to a dumb Southwest randomly enforced policy
And that takes me up to about 3 days ago.
I'm so incredibly tired. My feet actually feel like they are so heavy that running has been difficult. I think it is really just due to having a heavy heart. It's been a long winter. I am praying for an even longer spring!
I'm hoping to start blogging again regularly - recently blogging about my day to day events seemed inappropriate - but I miss it and hope you do too! :)
1- Trip to WI with all 6 of us
2- Trip to Cali with Kyle
3- Victor gone on a work trip
4- Carson in the hospital with RSV/Kyle and Lainey also had RSV
5-Victor gone on a work trip
6 -Find out Daron relapsed again
7- Trip to PA with all six of us
8- Daron crashes suddenly - emergency trip to CA
9- Home for 3 days and Erik hurts his leg - find out later he broke his tibia
10- Another trip to CA - see Daron awake, in person, for the last time (he was still intubated but responsive)
11- Grandma, who has been one of my closest friends, has a massive stroke
12- Daron makes it out of the ICU, then relapses again, passes away
13- Trip to Kansas to see my Grandma (Kyle comes with me)
14 - Parents/Family dog diagnosed with cancer and dies
15- Victor gone on a work trip
16 - Trip to WI for Daron's funeral - supposed to fly, but forced to drive 1810 miles due to a dumb Southwest randomly enforced policy
And that takes me up to about 3 days ago.
I'm so incredibly tired. My feet actually feel like they are so heavy that running has been difficult. I think it is really just due to having a heavy heart. It's been a long winter. I am praying for an even longer spring!
I'm hoping to start blogging again regularly - recently blogging about my day to day events seemed inappropriate - but I miss it and hope you do too! :)
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