April 13, 2014

Get On With It

Today was the last round of IV steroids. Man alive, these meds are kicking my trash. The steroids BURN going in, and it's like they set my insides on fire. They also make me dizzy and nauseated. Overall, it's not a pleasant experience. However, my balance is back, and my gait has improved considerably. Plus, I'm not shaking like a newborn colt anymore.

I think that I'll only do steroid treatments when an exacerbation is screwing with my mobility and vision. I can deal with just about anything else, but I really like to see out of both eyes and walk.

Meanwhile, I did go to church today. I still had the IV catheter in my arm, because my next scheduled dose wasn't happening until AFTER services. And because I serve in primary with a lot of curious children, they instantly noticed the big white sock on my elbow and asked me what it was all about. I told them that I had been sick, and that my doctors were giving my special medicine into my arm. Of course, they wanted to see how, so I showed them a little bit of the IV tube. But then, they didn't understand how the tube could give me medicine, and when I said that they attached the tube to the inside of my body, they wanted to see HOW. So I pulled the sock all the way down, and they say the catheter going into my arm, and collectively screamed "EEEWWW! GROSS!" and covered their eyes with their fingers. Then they asked to see again.

Also: there is now a particular four year old who thinks I am part robot.

At any rate, I got to do singing time with the kids today! They had put a gal in as the singing time leader, and that was great, but I really missed doing it each week. Primary Music Leader is HANDS DOWN my favorite calling of all time, EVER. So I was bummed when we got an official leader. (Because I've never been officially called, but since I'm in the Primary Presidency, and I love music, I volunteered to fill in.) Anyways, they released her and put her in Young Women's, so now I get to do music again! Well, until they call someone else anyways, which could take months in my branch... There's just not many options available.

Yesterday, we went to the King William Fine Arts Festival. Taylor and Thaddeus both had drawings shown at the exhibit. Taylor's was a collaborative collage. She had colored circles with her class, then cut the circles in half, then they traded with each other, and glued the new circles in rows on black paper. Thaddeus' drawing was oil pastels on black paper. He got a lot of depth. It's neat to see how THEY see art. I need to do more drawings with the kids. They really enjoy the whole process, and get excited to work on the big, nice paper. I let them color on newsprint all the time, but then I have my fancy, expensive paper, and THOSE are for art projects.

I was talking to a friend the other day about art projects, because her kids have a tendency to want to save all their drawings. But, she said, the problem is that if they draw for an hour, they'll have a hundred pictures, and they'll want to save every one!

I told her I do not have this problem, because I don't save those. If they want me to save a special piece, then they need to take the time to make it special. I'm not saying that kids don't need to sketch and draw hundreds of pictures. I just don't need to save them all. Basically, if they have worked on something for more than an hour or two, I'll save it. But this nonsense of thinking that something is special because YOU did it, well, that's just crazy talk. If ME doing something was so special and magical, then I should be translated to heaven, because I do laundry... every day! It doesn't mean that it's special. It just means that you did something. I acknowledge that. Now get on with it.