Makeshift Story: Hodge Podge

Double Rainbow!

This week, I don't have much of a narrative to offer. We dropped Clark off at the airport yesterday morning for a week in Toronto (for the annual CMOS conference), and therefore my inclination is to bemoan the trials and tribulations of - you guessed it - solo parenting. But.... I'm sure you're all just about as eager to read these lamentations as I am to write them.

So instead, a hodgepodge.

1. Juniper and her eyes

At the IWK Children's hospital, waiting for the ophthalmologist

The fate of Juniper and her eyes has been a confusing one for us. We have, you see, moved around so much that we've ended up consulting many different specialists, all of whom have slightly different opinions and recommendations on what to do. Without going into technical specifics, the problem as it stands right now seems to be that, even though Juniper's eyes are currently both working, they are working independently of each other. This means that she has very little (basically no) depth perception. So - the question is whether or not to get surgery in the semi-near future. The potential problem with this (other than just general surgery concerns) is that it could mean she ends up seeing double (which would, of course, suck - more than no depth perception, I'd say). Anyway, at this latest appointment, the ophthalmologist tweaked her prescription ever so slightly to give it another three months to see if it helps correct things. The upshot: ANOTHER new pair of glasses, which she'll be sporting as early as this week.

Post-appointment

Also, on a related note, the morning of the appointment, Juniper woke up completely hunky-dory. We put in the eye drops they had prescribed (for dilation purposes), and then headed over to the appointment. She started yawning and acting kind of short and surly as the appointment went on, then instead of going out for a treat as we had planned when it was done, she said she wanted to go straight home, and didn't even feel she could walk to the car. As the afternoon progressed, she was dizzy, nauseous, exhausted (she napped six times), and threw up twice. Now, either that was one incredibly short, coincidentally-timed flu that no one else got, or else she had a rare reaction the drops. I really hope I can convince them to prescribe something else next time, just in case.

The lady slippers are out!!

2. Linden

Linden, my enigmatic little guy, continues to confound and delight. He is currently in a phase where he likes to - I don't know - assert control, perhaps - by refusing to do things like pee before we leave the house, or wash his hands properly. This is, of course, extremely frustrating - especially since he is generally a filthy human being, and also likes to put his hands in his mouth (thereby contracting any number of different bugs and diseases on a regular basis). Also, depending on factors such as how much sleep he's gotten (or just generally how mischievous he's feeling), it can be IMPOSSIBLE to reason with him or get him to concentrate or follow simple instructions. Also very frustrating, as you might image.

I told Linden that talking to plants helps them grow strong. He was delighted, and ate his snack by his carrots so that he could carry on a one-sided conversation.

But, he can also be one of the sweetest, most considerate people I've ever met. For instance, I just got a new wallet (my old one had bit the dust), and the evening it arrived in the mail, I proceeded to transfer everything over, and left my old one on the couch. When Linden got up the next morning, he found my old wallet, completely empty, and immediately went to his piggy bank to get some change to put in it. He had just assumed that an empty wallet meant I had no money, and didn't want me to be sad. How sweet is that?

He's also typically very quick to help with chores, and very grateful when you offer to help him. For instance, when I said "OK, Linden - time to clean your room. Do you want some help?", he replied with: "Oh, yes please, mama! Thank you for offering! I love you!" I try to remember this when he's screaming in his room over some perceived injustice, or has just done the thing you asked him not to do 10 times in a row.

Diligently vacuuming

3. Double rainbow!

Finally, we had what is perhaps the most spectacular double rainbow I've ever seen the other night. A complete double arc, just outside the window. It was awe-inspiring enough that we even got Juniper out of bed to see it (as she had not quite fallen asleep yet).