Kevin's ER adventure of 2010

My title is really misleading, as it seems to imply Kevin has a lot of ER adventures, but really it has been over 5 years since the last time he was in the ER (that adventure was no fun for me either).

As most of you know, Kevin was in the Hospital for most of this week, recovering from surgery, for those that didn't know, here is how it went down...

Sunday: (1/17), Kevin complained of some stomach pain, but he said it felt more like muscle pain than an upset stomach. Both of us kind of blew it off, considering he had worked his side job all weekend. Both of us just thought maybe he moved wrong or pulled something.

Monday: I had off work for MLK Day, but Kevin had to work. He got home and said he was still a little achy, but mostly just didn't feel right. I went to LLL after dinner and by the time I got home, he was laying on the couch, complaining he just was in pain. I suggested Advil (that went over well, I might add), but ended up just letting him relax on the couch.

Tuesday: He ended up getting up around 4:00AM and finally took some Advil and said he felt MUCH better (again we were thinking it was muscle strain). I got home from the buying club to find Kevin looking quite pale and still complaining of pain. We picked up the kids from daycare and took them to Jan's. We then went straight to the ER to see what was going on, this was around 6:00PM. We sat 2 hours in the ER waiting room, as they were THAT busy! We felt very blessed to not have Kevin sitting there in a lot of pain, as there was a little girl, no bigger than Rachel that came in with a bloody head and a little baby that was very sick. At one point a guy came in that was SO drunk that he had the smell of alcohol perfuming the waiting room! He got a room before any of us (he began asking an African American guy if he was a rapper!)

Once we got settled into Triage (The drunk guy was next door banging around and cussing the two Sheriff's Deputies), a Physician's Assistant came in and thought maybe Kevin had an appendicitis (we thought the same thing, but Kevin didn't have some of the symptoms). They did a CT scan and hadn't even completed the other tests before assessing he needed an appendectomy. We called his parents and left a message with mine...and just waited for the on call surgeon.

Dr. Ihnat was the on call surgeon, he came in and talked about the surgery and I do not remember how the conversation got on Northwest Indiana, but come to find out, Dr. Ihnat is the Uncle of a guy Kevin went to High School with and I guess, were good friends (Sorry, don't remember the guys name, but was on the football team with Kevin?). It was almost 12:30AM before Kevin got into surgery and was almost 2:00AM before he got out.  The surgery was ONLY suppose to be an hour...so needless to say I was a wreck, luckily Cathy came up to the Hospital and waited with me.  (THANKS Cathy!) Kevin came through okay, what we thought was an intact appendix, ended up being slightly ruptured, so more time was needed to make sure all was cleaned up internally. It was 3:00AM before I got to see him in his room and after 4:30AM once we were able to finally call it a day!

Wednesday and Thursday: I spent my time with Kevin at the hospital and luckily for us we have some great friends, Jan and Russell who kept the kids Tuesday and Wednesday night so I could be with Kevin. Jan even took them to daycare for me! (THANKS JAN!!) We got released late Thursday night (after 8PM).

It was a few crazy, sleepless days for me, but I am just SO glad he is alright!!!!!! It's Sunday again (1/24) and he seems to be doing well. He has been released to go back to work tomorrow and as long as he is no longer taking the pain medication, he can drive. I keep telling him to take it slower, but he is already trying to wean himself off of the medication and seeing how well Tylenol helps him.

I hope this fills in the gaps of our frantic and sometimes cryptic Facebook status messages, but we appreciate all the thoughts, prayers and well wishes! Please continue to keep him in your prayers, as it will probably be a little bit before he is 100%.


-Ally

Homemade cleaners and such...

Some people have asked for the recipes I use for cleaners. I do admit these are not my original creations by far, but here are the ones I use:

SOFT SCRUB:
-2c. Baking soda
-1/2c. Liquid soap (We use Peppermint Dr. Bronner's)
-2/3c. Water
-2 tbsp. Vinegar

This stuff is GREAT!  The BEST thing about it is you wipe it on and walk away.  Resist the temptation to rinse it right away and take care of it the next time you take a shower by wiping it off then.  You will find the next day that it has formed a crusty film over everything.  Wipe that off and you're done...No scrubbing...just wiping it off.  This is a staple in my cleaner cabinet!





Laundry Soap:
1 bar of soap (grated)
2c. Baking soda
1 1/2c. Borax
2-3 gallons of Hot or Boiling water

Melt the grated soap in a sauce pan with enough boiling water to cover the soap, so about 5c.  Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the soap has melted.  In a large bucket, pour in 2-3 gallons of hot water, add the melted soap and stir well.  Lastly, add the baking soda and Borax.  Keep stirring until everything is dissolved.

***I got this recipe from my friend Susan and she has had a TON of luck with it.  I on the other hand, just couldn't seem to get this to work out for us...I have no idea what kind of stains Rachel gets herself into, but this soap couldn't get them out.  Susan is still using this mix and has had no problems getting the stains out her little boy causes...so again...it probably was user error on my part.***




Window Cleaner (32oz bottle):
-3/4c. Vinegar
-Fill the rest of the bottle with water



Drain Cleaner:
-1c. Baking soda (make sure most if not all actually makes it into the drain)
-2c. Vinegar (add this slowly)

About 20 mins or so after you have poured the vinegar down the drain, add a kettle of boiling water.  This has worked in several drains in our house.  I have also heard pouring a can of Coke or Mountain Dew have the same effect when followed by the boiling water, but we tend not to have soda around the house.



Now, as you can tell this is only a few cleaners...I am slowly trying to integrate more natural, homemade cleaners into our cabinet, but I haven't gotten completely to homemade, so here are the ones we buy otherwise:
-Ecover Dishwashing tabs  http://www.ecover.com/us/en/Products/Dishes/Dishwasher+Tablets.htm
-Earth Friendly Products Laundry soap and Linen water  http://www.ecos.com/laundry.html
-Life Tree Bathroom cleaner and dish soap  http://www.lifetreeproducts.com/lt_Homecare.html -the Bathroom cleaner can be used most everywhere in the house...
-Seventh Generation dryer sheets, fabric softener (winter months), toilet cleaner, bathroom cleaner and all-purpose spray (though we are replacing the bathroom cleaner and the all-purpose with the Life Tree)               http://www.seventhgeneration.com/products
-Biokleen Bac-out stain and odor eliminator (laundry and carpet) http://biokleenhome.com/products/household/general

Now we have tried lots of products and have taken a lot of suggestions.  We belong to a couple different groups that give GREAT suggestions on homemade cleaners and ones that can be purchased, so I'm just passing them along.  You may also notice I don't mention a rinse aide for the dishwasher, as we just use Vinegar as a rinse aide and I also mention using a fabric softener in the Winter months, we actually use Vinegar all the time in the rinse, but add the additional softener to help with the static in the Winter.

Happy Green living to you,
-Ally

50 things that can be repurposed...not my ideas, but good none the less

These are not mine...I saw this in an article on Yahoo the other day, but couldn't figure out how to repost it here without a link. Here they are and the ones with the * are ones that I have done in the past or will plan to use in the future...

1. *Repurpose old frames by adding decorative paper and making it a vanity tray.

2. *Use old card board coasters as gift tags for Birthdays

3. Empty toilet paper roll to organize hair ties (your little ones could even color them for a project

4. Use an old TWISTER mat as a Birthday table cloth.

5. *Use an old toothbrush to remove the silk from fresh corn.

6. *Put ice in a colander, which is sitting on top of a bowl, as the ice melts, the water drains into the bowl and only the solid pieces of ice remain.

7. *Old ketchup bottles can be filled with pancake batter for precise measuring.

8. Keep a piece of chalk with your silver to keep the silver from tarnishing, or at least slow the process down.

9. After cleaning your leather shoes, a little vegetable oil applied with a cotton ball can add shine

10. Match boxes can turn into mini sewing kits...just add the needles, pin and thread

11. *Use the cardboard six pack box to hold condiments for BBQs and picnics

12. Old cassette cases can become a holder for your IPOD ear phones

13. A life saver from a roll pack can be used as a candle holder on a Birthday cake

14. *Empty tissue boxes can become a holder for all your plastic shopping bags

15. *Shower caps can be wrapped around shoes to keep the rest of your clothes clean in your suitcase while traveling.

16. *All those free address labels can be put to good use, labeling all your belongings

17. *For something new, use gel clings to mark glasses at your parties and get togethers

18. To keep your camera from being damaged in your carry on, put it in a hard soap container

19. *Use your mittens all year long by storing your sunglasses in them during the summer

20. Keep paint brushes moist in between uses by tightly wrapping a plastic bag around it and wrapping it with a rubber band to keep it secure

21. *To keep delicate things on hangers, wrap each hanger end with a rubber band.

22. *A binder clip serves as a key chain/money clip for a walk or run around the neighborhood. Just clip it to your waistband.

23. Update an old lamp shade by gluing ribbon around the top and bottom of the shade

24. *Use NON-plastic coated mouse pads as trivets for hot dishes.

25. Protect door knobs during painting by covering with Aluminum foil

26. Use your flat iron to press the hard to reach spots in between the buttons of your shirt

27. Tying plastic bags to your knees will keep them clean while in the garden

28. when traveling, use a contact case for all your non-prescription medications

29. *Use an old towel rack to hold your spray cleaners for quick use

30. *Clear plastic bands keep flowers neatly together in wide mouthed vases

31. *Rubber bands around glasses, give little ones a better grip on cold drinks

32. Popcorn can be used in place of packing peanuts, just wrap your item in a plastic bag for protection against the oil in the popcorn.

33. Extra or unused glasses case can become a travel beauty case

34. *Toilet paper roll can keep extension cords from tangling

35. *Wine bottle cases can become a pretty shoe holder with a little decorative paper

36. *leftover lemons can be rubbed on plastic or light wood cutting boards to remove tough stains (let the lemon juice sit at least 20 mins and then rinse)

37. Keep your cookbook clean by wrapping all but the page(s) you need with a plastic bag

38. Use Bobbi pins to hold hems and pleats in place while you iron

39. Use playdough, container and all to protect little fingers and hands when using sparklers on the 4th of July. Place the sparkler in the playdough and then light, the container blocks the sparks.

40. *Change dirty flower water with a turkey baster

41. *Keep cabinet doors from slamming by slicing cork into discs and gluing them to the corner of your cabinets.

42. Reuse the plastic eggs used at Easter time for small crackers and snacks in your child's lunch

43. To save on the amount of potting soil used in seasonal flower pots, crumple plastic bags in the bottom of the pot first, just be careful and don't cover the drain hole, if you have one.

44. *Old napkin holders find a new use in holding the bills that need to be paid or the mail that needs to go out.

45. *Use paint chip cards as place settings. Cut card into 2 blocks long pieces and fold in half

46. Use straws to lengthen flowers in deep vases

47. *Old shower curtain hooks can also hold purses or other heavy things in your closet.

48. *Using cooking spray on plastic or metal shovels prior to beginning your job, keeps the ice from building up while you finish your task.

49. Attach a magnet to the inside of your metal medicine cabinet to keep tweezers or nail clippers in easy access.

50. *Use lollipops in mixed drinks for fun stirrers

I hope you find these to be just as interesting and useful as I did...we have already used the empty tissue boxes to take care of some of the extra plastic bags in the house and it worked like a charm!

Happy Green living!

-Ally

New Year, new motivations?

I cannot believe I have been SO bad about doing our Blog....maybe I've been so neglectful, as I was feeling like I didn't want to share our struggles. Kevin was out of work for about 8 months, as most people know now, but didn't want to bum people out at the time. Overall, we made it through and were even able to do a few nice things with the kids (I love freecycle!!).

So with that said...I would like to do a better job this year of writing about our triumphs as well as sorrows, so that our loved one can truly read the life and times of the Hammonds' family.

--Ally

Getting a team ready for the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk 2009

We are trying to get a team to walk with us this year. If you are interested please let us know. We would love to have the company! Here is some of the basic information...

DATE: Saturday, October 17, 2009

LOCATION: Indianapolis, White River State Park

TIME: 8:00AM- ??? (However long it takes us to walk/visit/take pictures/eat snacks)

COST: FREE, other than collecting donations, but please remember when signing up to mark that you are not giving a donation at the time. (You can make any donation amount later.)

TEAM: TEAM HAMMONDS (Really for lack of a better name at the time)

After others join the team, we can come up with some kind of slogan for our shirts. Shirts will be $12.00 each and if we have at least 12 members ordering shirts, Making Strides will print our slogan for free. We have a wonderful time walking and the kids enjoy the music and food available when we finish. I have posted past years pictures on this blog if you are interested in checking it out.

To join TEAM HAMMONDS please go to:
https://secure3.convio.net/tacs/site/TRR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY10GreatLakes/1712832026?pg=ptype&fr_id=19846

If you try the link and it doesn't work or if you have any other questions on joining our team, please email me! We think it would be WONDERFUL to have at least 10 other people walking with us this year!

Love is in the Air

I am the guy who used to send roses to his sweetie on Valentine's day, and the others in my wife's office I'm sure would tell their hubbies how sweet it was and why didnt they get any...well, i had neglected my duty the past couple years. This year, thanks to my recent absence of anything to do doing the day coupled with a good deal at Kroger, I hand delivered some flowers to Ally at her work. Altogether now...1...2...3...Awwwww.

In other traditions, the kids had new V-day gear, and we had heart shaped pizzas. Last year we had some ghastly heart pizzas from Papa Johns which were so bad that I complained and got some free pizzas! Again, with my newfound free time, I made our own heart shaped pies...

When Irish eyes are smiling

The kids were donned in their greens. No green beer though, but I made gorgonzola stuffed pork medallions wrapped in bacon...

Aidan's first Birthday!

As most of you know, we don't usually get a lot of snow in the Indianapolis area, but somehow this year has been the exception. For a bit we thought we were going to have to postpone Aidan's birthday party, as we got so much snow that week!
But this was the worst of it and though some people traveling still didn't make it due to weather or having to work, we had a wonderful turn out! Let me tell you this though....finding Blue's Clues items to accent Aidan's birthday decorations was a task in itself, but I think I did ok.
He was so funny eating his cake....

Aidan received lots of wonderful things! I think everyone had a wonderful time!

Belated Christmas Visiting/New Year's Day

Due to the weather, we were not able to get up north to visit with the Grandparents, so we decided to go up New Year's Day....what an adventure!

We picked up my car from the body shop New Year's Eve (long story...) and planned on taking it for our travels, as usual. Well, that didn't happen. We got to Kokomo, In. (North of Indy on the way to Elkhart) and the Explorer started lunging and jerking and Kevin and I were thinking we weren't even going to make it home, let alone make it to all the family up North. So we made a quick decision to take the truck back to Indy and drop it off at the service shop (Thanks for all your help and suggestions Dad!) and take Kevin's car for our weekend travels.

So eventually we made it to Elkhart, several hours after initially planned. It was nice to visit with my parents and my GP (Grandpa Martin) and Aunt came over to see the kids too. Here are some cute shots of everyone....

Late New Year's Day we made it to Peggy's house (Hobart, IN). Kevin and I were exhausted, but the kids were wired and stayed up LATE! The next morning we had breakfast and visited.

After nap time we made our way to Lin and Ideen's house (Valpo)....

We had planned on meeting Barb (and Earl too), but were surprised to be able to see Jenny a bit too! Unfortunately, Jenny had to eat and run back to work (We didn't even remember to get pictures of her and the kids), but it was nice to visit and catch up. After eating, the rest of us talked for awhile and let the kids work out some energy before the drive home. Hopefully the kids didn't tire Barb out too much, the kids were all over her!

All the running around and playing must have worked (Thanks Barb), or maybe it was just all the traveling in general, but the kids slept the whole way home.

We want to thank everyone who traveled to meet us on our "rounds" to all the Grandparents' homes. Hopefully we will make it around to see everyone soon!

New Year's Eve 2008

We usually stay home on New Year's Eve and invite our friends over that have kids to have a nice quite evening of eating a visiting. Usually, its just the Mortemores who come by, but this year the Dorans decided to join us too!

Believe it or not, we everyone but one (poor Gavin was so tired) made it till midnight.

I think all had a great time!

January Catch up

WOW am I behind!! January was a busy month for us. We did some traveling a celebrated a birthday so I'm going to break them down in separate posts to do them both some well deserved justice...

Aidan's first Christmas...

Even with some of the bad luck we had this holiday season, we feel very blessed and had a wonderful Christmas season thus far. We still need to visit our loved ones up north, but hopefully we'll make it up there this weekend. Here are some pictures we took before Christmas, I think they turned out adorable!

Christmas morning was nice, Rachel came down the stairs and her eyes lit up with "Santa really came". It was so cute! She managed to wait patiently until Mom and Dad were able to get a cup of coffee and she was ready to pass out gifts...

Rachel did well at letting Aidan "try" to open his gifts, but after opening his stocking he had no interest in opening any more...so Rachel got to open his too!

After everything was opened we got a kick out of watching Rachel play with Aidan's presents and Aidan playing with Rachel's...

There was no snow for us on Christmas, instead it was a beautiful, brisk winter day that allowed Kevin and I to get the fireplace going and relax a bit. Kevin made a wonderful dinner and between the cookie exchange and what I had already made, we had plenty of sweets to last us...