Monday, November 30, 2009

Braeden as Smiling Slade

I actually didn't take my own photos of this show, but I got a couple from the former photography teacher and the current one, so I thought I would post. We didn't really realize that Braeden was in a lead role in this play, bowing last and by himself, but he was amazing. It is so much fun to see him, and a lot of the other kids, as they grow up on stage.

Some of the kids are really fabulous, especially for being so young and in front of an audience. There was one girl that really knocked my socks off, not that I ever actually wear socks, because she has just grown so much on stage and her voice was wonderful. Another of the older girls just always looks like she is having so much fun, you can't help but smile whenever she is on stage. Anyway, Westward Whoa! was wonderful and here are some pictures of Braeden, age 11, as Smiling Slade Claggett.




Sunday, November 29, 2009

Swine Flu

Poor Thane was the unlucky family member who got H1N1 . . . he was diagnosed 10 days ago. I remember that specifically because I am just about to take my final dose of Tamiflu.

None of us are vaccinated against it. I was going to get it because I have lung issues and asthma, but apparently I am not high risk enough yet. I am still supposed to get it whenever it becomes available to folks like me around here – which is probably in the next week or so.

It was pretty miserable for little Thaney. He ran a fever of 102-104 even with medication to bring it down. He didn’t eat or drink much for days – we really had to push him to get any fluid in. He didn’t nap much the first few days, but he did next to nothing. He watched a lot of television. Then Monday and Tuesday it must have caught up with him more as he napped for 5 hours on Monday and 3-4 on Tuesday, and he has taken naps most days since. I think he can go back to school tomorrow, but I am concerned that a full day may be too much. He also still has quite a cough.

Mostly I have been worried about secondary infection. Between his celiac and his immune deficiency, it is always a little extra scary when he gets sick. I thought he might have pneumonia on Wednesday, but then on Thanksgiving he was more himself and has been showing steady improvement.

Now Braeden is a bit feverish, so I am not sure where that will lead. I hope that if he was going to have swine flu it would have started by now. I guess Dave and I are in one of the age groups that is less likely to be impacted, but the doctor said I really needed to take the Tamiflu. I have to say it is miserable stuff and I don’t really recommend it. At least I have taken my last pill!

Halloween 2009

I have been meaning to post these photographs for about a month. I am partial to the first one and the last one! The extra child is a good friend of Braeden's who spend part of Halloween with us and is a frequent visitor at our house.

The only disappointment on Halloween was that the Waldoboro Fire Department went all out and decorated the old middle school as a haunted house . . . but we never got in because the lines were too long. Thane really thought he wanted to go, but it was probably just as well.

This year Thane really understood Halloween much better, kept his costume on (he was a witch, while Braeden was a necormancer), and visited quite a few houses. It was even easy to switch candy with him so he only got items that were gluten free and egg free. I have to say it was considerably more successful all the way around than it has been in several years.