The Boss'

I haven’t posted any updates on the diabetes front in quite a while, so that is the task that I’ve assigned myself for today.

Managing Ben’s diabetes continues to be tricky. Partly this is a function of him just being a kid. He’s growing, so his insulin/carbohydrate ratio is always going to be in flux. And occasionally he will misbehave and have a snack without telling us, and without covering the carbs himself. Still, we are stumped by what seem to be bizarre stretches of very high BG levels. At his last checkup, his A1C was running around 9.5…higher than what we want it, but lower that the previous appointment. Currently, his 14 day BG average is around 200 mg/dl. That would equate to a A1C of roughly 8.5. We’d be thrilled if he were below 9 at his July appointment.

On a related note, Grace’s favorite thing to do lately is to pretend to check her BG. She carries an empty container of Ben’s test strips around, and is popping the container open every few minutes and squeezing an imaginary drop of blood onto an invisible test strip, which has been carefully inserted into her invisible meter. She will then happily announce a result. For some reason, she usually picks a number in the 300’s. 369, 358, 338, etc. I’m not sure what her fascination is with these particular numbers, but that’s what she chooses. We’ll say to her, "Gracie, that’s pretty high honey, are you sure you aren’t in the 100’s?" "No, I’m 358." She will sometimes announce that she feels "shaky", and that she needs to check herself. She breaks open the empty tube of test strips and begins the process all over again. At first I would tell her that she shouldn’t pretend to have diabetes…that it’s no fun…that it’s not something to joke about. I’ve given up on that though. I figure it gives her a connection to her brother’s diabetes, and helps her relate to what he goes through on a daily basis. Better than having a kid who doesn’t care at all about what is going on around her.

Common Sense isn’t really all that common anymore, is it? Here’s a perfect example. I posted a link to this the other day in my ‘Shared Items’ panel on the right. It’s the story of a dad who took his son to a Detroit Tigers game and bought him a Mikes Hard Lemonade, by mistake. Dad had never heard of hard lemonade, and the sign simply said, "Mikes Lemonade – $7". Instead of this being a simple case of, "Oops, my bad. Didn’t know there was such a thing as hard lemonade", the boy is taken from his father and put in protective custody. The commentary in the video below is definitely worth watching.

Netawanda is the name of the place that I went last week. It’s a cabin, an island, and so much more. Check out the pics.

Even looking at the pictures, it’s hard to appreciate the remoteness of this location. Little Deer Lake, where the island is located, is about three miles long, and half a mile wide, at its widest point. There are no other inhabited structures on or around the lake. Once you’re on the island, you’re truly on your own. I’ll write more about this experience in the future, I’m sure, but for now, enjoy the pictures.

You may have noticed that I’ve been incommunicado the last several days. Well, I have a great excuse. I tagged along with a friend of mine to help him open his family’s cabin in Canada. No phones, no electricity, no running water. Nothing. It was great! Photos and a complete update will be coming soon.

It’s Tulip Time! Time to break out the Dutch costumes and embarrass the kids. 

 

The kittens continue to grow. I’ve (reluctantly) agreed to keep one of them, but the other three are getting the boot soon. I think we’ve already lined up homes for all of them, so we feel good about that. Emma has taken great care of them, and they all look really good. We’ll get them in to see the vet soon, for first shots and stuff.

I’m the proud new owner of a 1989 Ford F-150 4×4. I’d like to add a plow before winter, and clear my yard myself. I spent almost $600 on snowplowing in 07/08, so I think it will be a worthwhile investment. In addition, it will make running to town and getting plywood and 2×4’s a much easier task. I see lots more remodeling in my future, so it will certainly be handy to have around.