I did it!!!!!!!

http://mysilpada.ca/joanne.ilaqua

The Black Hole.

I hate to admit this, but I'm pretty sure that teenaged son of mine has a bunch of air where his brain is supposed to be. That is the only explanation for what he did today.

I finished school early this afternoon and went straight to the high school to make sure Brandon was ok to walk the 1.5 miles to work. It was his first day and I was excited for him, but to be TOTALLY honest I wanted to make sure he remembered that he was supposed to work. I saw him walking up the sidewalk in a t-shirt (it was -7 degrees C. with the windchill), his arm in his sling and carrying a bag over his good shoulder. So, I yelled and he came over with a huge grin on his face. I asked him how his day was. "Horrible", he said. I asked him why it was so bad and he said, "I rolled over on my shoulder in the night and it hurt so bad so I took some codeine. Emma didn't wake me up for school this morning and I slept 'till 10 o'clock! So, I had to use my longboard to get to school." Hmmmm.... his longboard? With a separated shoulder? So he continues, "I wiped out on my longboard and now my shoulder kills."

**sigh**

I just don't even know what to say. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. But I guess that's just what teenagers are, right? Anyhow, yesterday I only saw physiotherapy in my future. Today, I see physio AND surgery. Gawd!!!

I am having a hard time keeping up posts on my blog!! I've been so busy that I haven't had time to think, never mind write!

Anyhow, we've got everyone home from their March Break activities. Emma got home last night and she looks amazing! She got just enough sun to bring out the freckles across her face and give her some tan lines. She had a wonderful time and she was full of stories about the people she met on the ship. I'm sure she'll have a bunch of new Facebook friends now!

Brandon came home on Friday around 4:30. His "dad" dropped him off in the driveway and took off without a word to me or Eric who was standing in the driveway when he pulled in. Brandon came in and I took one look at him and knew he wasn't right. He looked sun-tanned from 4 days of spring skiing, but he also looked like he was in a lot of pain. And he was. I didn't take it too seriously at first- I scolded him for doing tricks and jumps on his skiis and posting it on Facebook. The thing is, though, that when I saw the video on Facebook he seemed to be quite in control of himself and he was wearing a helmet so I wasn't too worried about him getting hurt. I mean, it's Brandon we're talking about here....he is famous for doing stupid things and walking away unharmed, right? Apparently not this time. By 6 o'clock, Eric and I had a good look at his shoulder and Eric decided that HE was taking him to the hospital. I was struggling with my anger at F**ko for bringing him home in that shape and doing absolutely nothing to help. I mean, he didn't even come into the house to tell us how hurt BJ was! So, my wonderful husband took BJ to emergency at the hospital and had it x-rayed. Turns out, his shoulder is separated from his rotator cuff. Ouch!! He's going to have to wear a sling for a few weeks and he's been taking codeine fairly regularily for the pain. His shoulder is so swollen that when he stands up and faces you, it looks like he's leaning to the right. I'm thinking that physiotherapy is in our future. I'm also thinking that going to Steve's house during ski season is out of Brandon's future. According to Brandon, Steve lets them (he was up there with a friend) loose on the hill and comes back 12 hours later to pick them up. They eat at the lodge and then get right back out there. There has been a few too many skiing accidents this winter for me to take a risk with Brandon's life. I don't think I'm unreasonable either. I'm just a mom.

So, with Emma home and Brandon in a sling, Sam decided to grab some attention of his own last night. That's right, he started to complain about his tongue. He played outside all day and his lips got all chapped and lumps were forming under his bottom lip. Then the tip of his tongue started to bother him and his face was getting red. Eric and I had to pick up our hearts off the ground. We just looked at each other and we wanted to cry. It's 4 weeks since the last outbreak and the symptoms were all there. But today he hasn't said a word!! We have been keeping his lips covered with ointment so they don't get chapped and he hasn't cried about his tongue at all- so we are hoping, hoping that it's not going to happen.

And now, I'm going to go study while I have the chance. Big test tomorrow!!

Spring is springing!!!

I can't believe it's almost spring!! We are in the middle of March Break right now and the weather has been better than fantastic.....the kids were wearing t-shirts outside yesterday. Today, they are jumping on the trampoline and having a great time.....

I am relaxing after a couple of stressful days of education. I can now use electric cautery, I can load and unload a scalpel and I can correct an intraoperative contamination. I am getting a little nervous about going into the OR but apparently that's quite normal....you know, it's tough being the new kid on the block no matter how old you are! I'm getting right back into running as a way of dealing with my stress and it's working. It just feels so great to run a couple of miles and feel as though you have accomplished something. I haven't had many chances to get on the Wii Fit because Kristen and Sam play Wii as often as I'll let them. And if I try to get on it while they are around, they just sit and watch me work out and that's really annoying.

Emma is having fun on her cruise and Brandon and his friend have gone to F**ko's for a few days of skiing/snowboarding.

Well, I must move on with my day. The kids have moved away from the trampoline and now Krissy is brushing Cindy's hair and Sam is throwing sticks. This is creating anguish for Cindy, anger for Kristen and amusement for Sam. Well, at least it's all happening outside and not in the house where I can hear it. I love spring!!

Funny Face.

"Mom! Look at my funny face!!"

Happy Friday the 13th!

It must be Friday the 13th. That could be the only explanation for what I did today. I kept the kids home today for the P.A. Day.....the school called around 10am to find out where they were, cause it's NOT a P.A. Day!! I had it marked on the calendar AND in my Blackberry. I was stunned when the school secretary told me that it was, in fact, a school day. Duh.......who's getting the Mother of the Year Award this year???

So the kids stayed home anyhow and I took them skating. For $5 we had the entire rink to ourselves because it wasn't a P.A. Day!! It was awesome!

Emma left a couple of hours ago to begin her March Break journey, cruising through the Caribbean.... St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua.....sigh......makes me wish I were 17 again.

I, on the other hand, am about to begin my own March Break journey- juggling college, kids and homework.....yay.

Open Door Policy.

Sometimes teenagers make love seem impossible. Somewhere, deep down inside, you know you love them.....but you kinda hate them at the same time. I feel this several times a week so I know what I'm talking about. And yesterday I felt it in a big way.

Yesterday, Eric took Brandon to band early and I put Kristen on the bus and took Sam skating. That meant that Emma was home alone for a few minutes before her bus came. Sam and I had a great time skating, then we went for coffee/hot chocolate, then we grocery shopped....we got home about 3 hrs after Emma had caught her bus.

I backed the van into the driveway and unbuckled Sam. When we got to the front door I couldn't believe my eyes. The front door to our house was WIDE open. Not just unlocked. WIDE open. The furnace was blaring, there were lights on.....for a moment I was afraid that we had been "broken into". Apparently not. Apparently I just have the laziest f**king teenager on the face of the planet. Thank God the porch door was closed because if it hadn't been, both of the dogs would have been gone. I. Was. Livid.

So she gets home from school and she's "tired". Of course she's tired- she's trying to juggle a job and school and a new boyfriend on no sleep. I'm convinced she's awake texting all night! Anyhow, I said to her- "Emma, I got home this morning to find the front door wide open. I am so angry that you didn't lock it so you can imagine how pissed I am that you didn't even bother to close it." And she said, "Really? I swear I closed it! I swear! Sorry! Sorry!"......so I asked her if she would like a lesson on how to properly close and lock the front door and she said,

"I know how, mom. I was late for the bus. Would you rather I had missed the bus?" So, I guess she was sooooo late for the bus that she couldn't close the door behind her? That makes me soooo mad. She clearly does not give a shit about our home or anything in it. And that's what makes me the angriest.

So, I have decided that the next time I come across a situation where she shows no respect for our stuff, I'm going to through all her stuff on the front lawn. Then maybe, just maybe, she'll get my point. And she'll be so angry at me it may feel like hatred....but deep down she'll still love me.