What Emily's Been Watching, May! Edition

Well, This has been a long time coming, but as my readers probably know- I have been majorly distracted lately. Because of my busyness, I really only watched two things too. So this will be short but sweet.

Conviction (2010) [R] Drama. Rob and I rented this one night and really enjoyed it. It is about a guy that is accused of murder, convicted and sent to prison for life. His sister believes he didn't do it. She actually goes to law school to become a lawyer to help him (and by law school, I mean college too). It takes her many years (I forget how many ok? It's been a while- but it really is a lot). I don't think it's a spoiler to say that her efforts pay off and he is eventually released and cleared of all charges (or much of one since any idiot would know that if she doesn't, this would make a REALLY crappy movie). But not until she has hit every road block in the book including: embarrassed prosecutors that don't want to look wrong, crooked cops and destroyed evidence boxes to name a few. It makes the whole idea of wrongful accused prisoners that were put in jail and given the death penalty, only to be found innocent when DNA testing is invented, hit you a little. "The Innocence Project" has helped free over 250 wrongfully accused prisoners. That's amazing and disturbing. A man was just released in Texas a few months ago that spent 30 years in prison for a rape he didn't do! CRAZY! This whole concept is a disturbing one indeed. Anyway, the movie- it's a true story and it really is touching seeing the lengths that the sister goes to, in the name of her brother. Emily recommends this movie to anyone. Especially if you like yourself a good court room drama and a warm story about sibling devotion and the human spirit and other such things. Oh, and great acting.



Freaks and Geeks (Season 1 (and only) [1999-2000]. Comedy/drama. I have been watching this series for a couple months, but when it is a tv season I'm watching, I usually wait to report until I have finished it. Well, I finished it. I watched this show a bit while it was on the air and really liked it, but hadn't seen it since and didn't catch every episode either including the finale (this was back in the day before DVR's and when I worked a lot of nights). Anyway, it was really fun revisiting it and seeing all the episodes (and many commentaries). This was a well done show, well written and acted and funny. It also was a spring board for quite a few actors including James Franco, Jason Segel and Seth Rogan (whom I have issues with, but as long as I don't have to hear him talk in real life, he is fine (I also CANNOT under any circumstances stand his laugh)), it also features the girl that played Nurse Sam on ER. James Franco is really excellent and man Jason Segel is SO funny as a love sick, verging-heavily-on-creepy, teenager. Also the main geek "Sam" is an absolute doll. I love him. Anyway, the series as you may have guessed isn't about the popular, beautiful high school kids like most shows, it's about the freaks and the geeks- oh and it is set in 1980. It had a pretty big following (now has an even larger one) and it was cancelled after only 18 episodes. Kind of a shame, just a casualty of a network not giving a well done show a chance before it could really take off. Too bad, but happens all too often. Emily recommends this show if it sounds good to you.





I will try not be as late getting June's out (especially since I have watched only one thing so far), but there are no guarantees.

If I had my life to live over...

By Erma Bombeck

If I Had My Life to Live Over...

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the good living room and worried less about dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken time to listen to my grandfather ramble on about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased or sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed - less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never had said, "later. Now go wash up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love yous"... more "I'm sorrys"... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it... live it.... and never give it back.

This has been hanging on the side of my fridge for probably about a year following a relief society lesson. I liked it so much I hung it up, then it got covered over time by coupons, pictures Scout drew of aliens, and dentist magnets. I just removed everything from my fridge to clean and saw and read it again and loved it again.

Thought I would share.

ps, I have a leg up on Erma-- I do eat popcorn in the good living room. Well, I don't have a "good" living room, just the one.

A wee bit overwhelmed

Things are tough.

My family is at what might be described at a crossroads in our lives, although if you ask me, it feels more like we are standing at a cliff with high winds trying it's best to push us over the edge. Either way, we are at a time where things are changing and we will find our selves standing on the other side. I know we will be standing on that other side triumphant. The journey however, seems sometimes as if we will never make it.

Learning we have a child with special needs was easier then I would have thought. The news brought with it a different life then I had pictured, yet not an unpleasing one. It also brought with it 4 therapists twice a month, all giving us important exercises to do with Elles. It brought with it appointments to the hospital, scary things my baby has to go through I don't want her to go through. It hasn't brought easy answers either. We got her blood test back rather quick and it was negative for Angelman's. This doesn't mean she doesn't have it, it means she now needs a more comprehensive test that is expensive and harder to get approved. It also could mean we may never know what is wrong with her exactly.

The economy has hit my family pretty thoroughly. Real Estate agents didn't exactly come out great with the housing market crashing and burning. Ok. My husband is scrappy. He learned a new skill and started working with cabinets. He eventually hooked up with a cabinet refinishing company and became their main guy. They were quickly discovered to be idiots, but it was work and although it frustrated Rob to no end, it was work. When they started to show unethical practices, including not paying my husband for the jobs he did, Rob abruptly cut ties with them. They weren't keeping promises and it was apparent this was a road we did not want to be on. They owe him a lot of money that he earned and are refusing to pay. Rob is suing them for that money and they are stalling and getting a lawyer (For a kind of a simple suit that NO ONE gets lawyers for). They are simply horrible people that don't have the money to pay Rob, so they are doing this instead. Rob had the insight that he is not doing what he wants to do, he knows what he is supposed to do, and that is go back to school.

So this fall, he is going back to school to be a nurse. He is going to get his masters and go into administration. Going to school feels so right to us, we know it is the path we need to take. How we are going to accomplish it exactly is not entirely known to us. He had a job land in his lap, he didn't search for it, it was just kind of offered. It promised a salary, medical benefits, internet, home computer and phones all paid for. We didn't see how it would quite be handled with school, but we figured it would all work out. Rob and I fasted that it would work out and he could do full time work and school and all would be grand. Monday came and the job inexplicably was not his. We took that as an answer. It wouldn't have worked. But it was sure a blow. Our dreams of a salary and benefits were so close and so sweet. Well, we know school is what we are supposed to be doing, so we still know that things will work out.

One way to make it work is we are moving in with Rob's dad. This will have it's challenges, but it feels like exactly where we need to be. Actual moving has been a huge challenge. There is a "roommate" at the house we are to move to that is not proving easy to remove. Half of my house is packed the other half is not. I am stymied until the issue gets resolved and that is not my favorite situation.

All these things have been happening about the last week and a half. Rob and I went to the temple. We've fasted. I've prayed that things will ease up a little. I've prayed a lot that things will get easier and resolve a little and paths and doors will open up. I've informed my Heavenly Father that I am not sure how much more stress and pressure I can handle. As an answer, my dear, sweet, wonderful dad had a heart attack on Saturday. He is in the hospital in Wyoming, and on Sunday we were informed that he is going to need 9 bypasses. NINE? I had no idea that was even possible. He is having open heart surgery today. So I guess my answer is that, yes, I can take more stress and pressure (or at least someone up there thinks I can).

I truly have a testimony that the Lord is mindful of me and my family. I also know that we are on the path we need to be on. What I don't know is when I will feel like I can breathe again. I know all too well that my time frame is not His time frame. I do know my sweet little Scout is having a birthday this week and I need to make it special, no matter what else may be going on around us. She also has her first ballet recital tomorrow.

There, now the blog is up to speed.

With love,
Emily

Progression

1. We finally got the call letting us know that Elles was approved by our insurance to have the blood test. We hopped in the car that day as soon as Scout was out of school and headed to Primary Children's Medical Center and got the blood drawn. Poor little little. That is a tiny little arm housing a teeny little vein and it was painful and slow drawing one vial. Mommy did not cry though. The test should take 2-3 weeks.

2. We had the appointment with the Neurologist this week. Seemed a bit pointless. He said an MRI would probably be helpful, but not really if she has Angelman's, so we didn't schedule one. He did a pretty comprehensive neurological exam, but didn't share any findings really. He did concur with Dr. Carey, telling us that things look good seizure wise if she hasn't had any yet. He seemed less sure that she had Angelman's then Dr. Carey, but only one of those doctors is one of the world's leading geneticists (as Dr. Filloux referred to him as). He gave us some useful information on the types of seizures we should be looking for, so I can recognize one if I saw it. I have felt reassured that I have definitely not seen anything like he showed us (he mimed them for us), he also witnessed the one behavior that I thought could possibly be a seizure and he said it wasn't (what I am referring to is her tendency to tilt her head back and roll her eyes), which she does over and over sometimes. He says it is just one of her little mannerisms like what she does with her fingers. This was a relief to hear that from someone that really would know. So, all in all, it did seem pretty pointless, but we did learn a few things and we also realized how glad we are that our genetic appointment was moved up. We were supposed to meet with neurology first and the genetic appointment was a few weeks later, but I got a call telling me that they had a space open up a few months early and I nabbed it. If we would have seen the neurologist first, we would be really discouraged right now and have an MRI scheduled that would most likely give us no answers.

3. Scout is falling in love with Primary Children's excellent waiting rooms that take "kid friendly" to new heights.

4. Rob and I went to the temple for the first time since all the Elle stuff went down. I honestly feel like Elle is my ticket to really getting closer to God. Elle is everything good, calm, and spiritual. To look into that precious face, is to know peace and love and what eternal life is. What an unbelievable blessing it is to have her beautiful spirit dwelling in our home.

5. Elinor has made some pretty amazing break throughs the last few weeks. A) while in 4 point (crawling position) and in front of her PT, we put a bunny cracker by one of her hands and waited. After assessing her options, she clutched the cracker and put it to her mouth. This was major cause she wasn't being touched at all, so she did it without any support. This move is crucial, because it demonstrated that she accomplished "weight shift", that is an important thing for her to learn for many reasons, one being she is an important step closer to crawling. Mommy wonders why it took her so long to figure out that food is the ultimate motivator. B) I have really seen great progress on her rolling. Yes, simple rolling that 3 month olds start doing is a milestone for Elles. She CAN do it, she doesn't want to do it. I have been able to accomplish some good rolling by motivating her with back scratches (if I start scratching her back, she will roll so there is more back exposed for mommy to scratch). Again: know your baby's motivators mom! Sheesh, it's about time you used that noggin. The scratching usually only gets little half rolls, but a couple days ago during tummy time she was PISSED to be on her belly and finally had enough and flipped herself over onto her back quite handily. I rewarded her by letting her stay there (and shouts of jubilation and many kisses).

6.I attended my first support group yesterday for moms with children with special needs. It was good. I think I will like it and I learned some things. One thing I learned is that there is always someone that has it worse then you. In fact, I think I have it pretty darn good.

7. I have started working on making Elle her own blog. I think I will copy and paste all her "Elle on the Move" posts and then update her progress there instead of on the family blog. My blog is getting busier and I figure that there are people out there that may be only interested in Elle progress reports and if she does have Angelmans I think it could attract people only interested in Angelman stuff and they might find my other posts tedious. It just is making more sense, so watch for that in the near future...... Life in a Glass House will still have plenty of Elinor shenanigans and the like of course, so no fear. Sorry if this is inconvenient to anyone.

Elle REALLY on the move (sort of.........and with the help of a giant contraption)

Elles got a walker this week from her physical therapist. The fit didn't end up being good (she is unhappy about how her armpits are positioned), but we are keeping and practicing with this one until she finds something better.

So far, Elle is less then fond of it. She starts crying within about 5 minutes of being in it.

Maybe it's the pressure of being able to move now.
Maybe it's the pressure on her armpits.
Maybe actually moving is a bit frightening.
Maybe it is the chest cold accompanied by two ear infections.

At any rate, we are practicing for a few minutes a day.

Scout thinks it is fantastic. Could it be the running horse?




I know the horse plays a part, but I think it is mostly because when Elle isn't in it, it is a great car for foxy.




Best I could do in ways of a smile.
(It's kind of unsure and verging on freak out, but she is trying anyways.)






Go, Elles go!!!!