Monday, October 19, 2015

Whirlwind Graduation

Storm #2 hit hard on the heels of Storm #1.  As we celebrated Emma
 Lettering in track- With her hurdle coach
and Max
Last game and awards ceremony for soccer
and Sam
Soccer with an award for keeping all A's throughout the season.
and their various accomplishments and got ready for Prom and graduation, we took a slam to the mid section- or at least Rob did as he gave birth to grains of sand in a German hospital.
Rob getting ready to come home.
German hospitals are unique in that they don't believe you need to eat or have pain meds while in their abode and that carbonated water is great for the sick.
I awoke one morning to Robert pacing like an animal around our room.  He told me that something was wrong and then described his symptoms.  He then went to take a shower so I could take him into the hospital.  I got up and dressed.  He got out of the shower, fell to the floor in pain and said, "I might have a kidney stone."  I said, "no duh, Sherlock, let's go."  (He holds that against me to this day.  "There I was writhing in pain and she said, 'get up!'")  He was absolutely amazed that I had deduced this before him.  I don't think he yet realizes what I do for a living!  Either that or the stereotype of the the nurse that just does what the doctor says and never thinks on her own might be alive and well in our home- thoughts for a different discussion.  I used my broken German with the help of Google translate to translate testicles- that's not a word I have learned in German yet- to get me through a road block (they didn't need to hear about testicles, only that we were on the way to the hospital.  Rob obliged and threw up at this point, so it helped our argument), and into the Emergency department.  They at first thought I was talking about spinal type pain.  They informed me that I should have said flank instead.  I use flank in my charting, but I don't use it in general conversations with patients.  Obviously in Germany patients are a little more knowledgeable of their own anatomy.  They understood however after I mentioned pain in the testicles.  Google translate saves the day!  We learned that throwing up gets you immediate attention in a German Emergency room.  Pain- not so much.  They were all about treating Rob's nausea, but since his nausea was due to his pain, it didn't help.  I kept trying to get them to give him something stronger for pain, but never could get them to listen.  They had protocols after all that they had to follow.  They wanted to remind me that things were different in Germany than in the United States.  I said, "I know.  In the United States we don't like people to be in pain."  They were offend by that and said that they didn't either.  I said, "really?" and then motioned to Robert.  It was all to no avail.  He got to be in pain until he passed his stones close to 2 days later.  We never saw anything definite to say that he had passed them, but the pain stopped.

We had no time to dwell on that first gut punch, we had to get back in the ring and deal with Prom and Graduation. I had unwisely and totally by accident said that I would host the party for all those who graduated from High school this year.  It started out as a party for Emma.  The kind they do in Ohio.  I invited two of her friends whose family were moving the very next day and therefore would have no way of throwing a party for their graduate to be part of our party.  One of them must have said something, because I got an email from one more graduate's mother asking to tag along on this party as she wasn't a great party planner.  By this time, I  had over half of the graduates and so I thought I better invite the other half to join.  Some of them graciously accept and said they would bring things.  One did and with quite the flourish!  Everyone adored her cupcakes!

The other sent their daughter over to drop off one thing I didn't need and none of what I did the day of the party.  Another was none too gracious.  In the end we had plenty of food and lots of fun thanks in part to the family we had in town.
Cake (Red velvet on bottom- Emma's favorite!) made by my friend Crystal 
Cute little graduation hats made by my good friend Christa 
Graduation scroll made by me
It was a good day!
I was also stupid enough to say that I would host the dinner for Prom.

Luckily, that same family was pressed into working for us again, and a friend was induced to make me a boutonniere as a trade for a wrist corsage band.  





The very next day was Max's birthday

where we introduced Rob's Mom and Step-dad, Sister and brother-in-law to our tradition of eating no bake cookies straight out of the pan.

The next day started graduation activities from the BBQ where I worked as a nurse for the red cross (no injuries occurred on my watch),

 to the rehearsals, the scholarship awards ceremony

 and the actual Graduation day!

Emma and friend Calin 

Emma's Young Women's President Maryann Tingey 
Emma, Calin and Taylor Lenhart who was a junior 
Christa Lenhart- Part of the Young Women's leadership and friend
Congratulations to Emma!  
Somewhere in there we also added in some strawberry picking

and planting of our garden.

I haven't the foggiest when we had time, though!  You would think with all that over we could finally relax.  Well you would be wrong.  Storm #3 was just about to hit our shores!

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