American Idol

So we're all back home again and slowly but surely feeling better. Sunday morning we made a return trip to Children's Hospital where Alondra was diagnosed with RSV. The theory is she picked that up at the hospital when she was in for the croup. She was on O2 to help her breathe through Tuesday, and they suctioned her airway when needed. I guess RSV is like a cold and there's no medication you can take to help you get better. It sometimes hits the little ones really hard. We were able to come home Wednesday and Alondra has been feeling better every day. Today you'd just think she has a little cold.

Of course I came down with the sniffles mid-week (probably the RSV from Alondra). I hit it hard with Vitamin C and Zicam which did the trick. I'm over it today. Good thing too. After me spending the night on the couch (away from Alondra) the past 2 nights, looks like tonight is Deanna's turn. She's got a minor flu of some sort.

Well, enough of General Hospital. Here's a satire of American Idol, written, produced, and performed by a couple middle schoolers I know pretty well and their friends. I helped with the editing. Though Lauren tells me there's a lot more footage (of what I'm afraid to ask) and she wants to do the editing next time. If you have a headache I wouldn't recommend watching.




I think they nailed it.

Home Again

We were able to come home yesterday afternoon. It's really nice having everyone under one roof again. It was only 2 nights in the hospital but it seemed like a lot longer.

Alondra is feeling better, though the throat is a little rough in the morning and she still tires easily. Sitting in the steamy bathroom helps the throat feel better. And naps take care of being tired. The hard part is she wants to go full steam and then within a few hours she crashes. It's not fun calming her down once she crashes, but it's not easy trying to slow her down so she doesn't crash either.

Now for something completely different, Ranger Paul tagged me the other day. Seems he forgot we've been there done that. Then he did the iPod meme. I like that one better - so here's mine.

1. Waiting for the Weekend - The Vapors
2. American Idiot - Green Day
3. No Ordinary Love - Sade
4. Lucky - Hoobastank
5. She Is My Everything - John Prine
6. What Do You Do For Money Honey - AC/DC
7. Let Go - BarlowGirl
8. I Am - Train
9. Twist And Shout - The Beetles
10. Fell In Love With A Boy - Joss Stone
11. Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
12. Perfect Situation - Weezer
13. Spiderwebs - No Doubt
14. World Go 'Round - No Doubt
15. SOS - Rihanna
16. Undecided - Louis Armstrong
17. For Crying Out Loud - Meat Loaf
18. Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
19. Just Like a Woman - Bob Dylan
20. Rock And a Hard Place - The Rolling Stones

The scary bit is that my list share's an artist with Ranger Paul's. I thought about trying again, but that would be cheating. At least Amanda agree's that artist is one of the few on Ranger Paul's list worth listening to. Everyone know's Amanda has impeccable taste.

Back to South Minneapolis

We've spent far more time in south Minneapolis over the past couple days than we had planned. It started Wednesday night when Alondra was having trouble sleeping. We thought we detected strider but weren't sure. She hadn't had any problems other than the typical toddler cold since the airway reconstruction. Turns out it was stridor, she has croup. They gave her steroids for the swelling so she hasn't had any serious breathing issues, but they admitted her to Children's Hospital so they could keep an eye on her.

At times she's clearly feeling fairly well. After school yesterday all 3 of the kids played beautifully together on the hospital bed. But there have been a few traumatic crying spells as well. We're not sure when we'll be able to bring Alondra home. I'm still holding out hope for today, but Deanna is doubtful. We'll see what the doctors say.

Christmas Concert

Both Lauren and Matt chose to perform in a small ensemble with their friends this year. I was always very nervous when participating in such an intimate public performance. But it doesn't seem to bother either of them. First up are Lauren on flute and Kay on clarinet, followed by Matt on trumpet, Andy on clarinet, and Troy on sax. I think you'll recognize the tunes.



Sorry about the poor view. All the first year band parents get there real early and snatch up the good seats. If you stick it out to the end you get to hear Alondra sing along.