Translation:

Dear Mrs. G____
I was watching TV on Sunday. The channel I was watching was Animal Planet and I was watching a show called River Monsters and on a episode I learned that there is a kind of fish on earth that is called a alligator gar. A alligator gar has sharp teeth. I also learned about a killer cat fish and I learned about a bull shark. I like the show River Monsters. My dad told me that one time his mom
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went fishing and she catched a catfish but it accidentally hit daddy on the head and on the ending of the episode with the alligator gar at the ending they said that the alligator gar could be nice because the regular gar is nice. On a show called Planet’s Funniest Animals I saw a cougar swimming in a pool and I also saw a cat under a table on its back holding on the chair legs moving around under the table.
Love, Ursula

Also, I discovered this on the chalkboard behind her desk:

Looks pretty accurate:

Preserving that guy’s identity made him look a bit creepier than intended. Oops.

My procedure on Thursday went *very* well. It was fast, it was pain free, and my stone is GONE. I felt great after the procedure and probably overdid it a bit, so I was wiped out on Friday. I haven’t had any pain meds (except for a couple Tylenol) since Thursday night.

However, I do have to have a stent for 15 days. It runs between my kidney and bladder. It was very irritating Friday and Saturday, but I mostly don’t feel it now (totally normal). It is a weird sensation – it causes some kidney reflux. But it’s better than a kidney stone!

I go back the end of next week (2w 1d after procedure). They’ll give me the path report on the stone as well as any dietary changes. I do not EVER want another kidney stone. EVER.

After an IM consult with Lisa, we decided to go to the ER. Dan took Ursula over there, I got ready (read “lined a trash can with bags for puke”). We got to the hospital just after midnight. Thankfully, no car or waiting room vomitting. The hospital did my check in and triage very fast (there was puking in triage). Then I had to wait in this waiting room – being in a waiting room with other people when you are a 9 on the pain scale and puking is not fun. Especially when it’s 1am and there are two groups who are at odds with each other and security has to come it. Thankfully, I was probably only there for 20-30 minutes.

Once in my room, they checked my urine and were pretty sure it was a kidney stone. They gave me pain and anti-nausea meds (yay!), then a CT scan. I have a lovely 5mm x 6mm stone on my right side. It seems to be stuck near the entrance to my bladder.

Since then, I have been on non-stop pain meds, plus anti nausea meds, antibiotics and even prostate meds (Flomax is supposed to relax things and help pass the stone). I saw a urologist Monday – they gave me a 30-40% chance of passing the stone and scheduled a procedure for Thursday morning if I hadn’t passed it by then. That’s 10 hours from now, so it looks like I’ll be having a cystoscopy in the morning. I am not a big fan of being anesthetized, but I will be SO happy to have this over with. I am tired, bored and cranky!

Meeting her teachers on Monday:

She and I both have summer colds, so these pics are not great. They barely look like Ursula…

First day of school!

Backpack

Stuffy and sleepy at traditional IHOP breakfast

Dan is also feeling awake

Posing at school – we went straight from IHOP to school and got there early. Which meant – photos!

She rode the bus for the first time (ever) today. She is wearing clean clothes – she has two of those dresses.

Waiting with Trixie.

Bus!!!!

The bus was 15min. late today (which is apparently typical for the first week), but she was unable to tell me if the bus got to school before or after the tardy bell. It was definitely before OR after – we just don’t know which.

I can’t remember if I have blogged about this, but I have changed Trixie’s diet twice this year, plus added some raw. I guess I wasn’t very careful about switching formulas – I kept amounts the same by volume without really thinking about calories. Plus adding in the raw. For a bigger dog, that probably wouldn’t be an issue. But, she’s not big so here we are…

Anyway, while we were waiting (forever) for our food (because it is a crappy McDonald’s), we noticed a news van setting up filming in the parking lot. The giant antenna was up, so it was definitely a live update, not some taped fluff piece (also, what taped fluff would be at gas station McDonald’s?). As we were leaving, we passed a competing news van headed that way so something was definitely up.

This morning, I saw an article in the paper – apparently, the neighboring Wendy’s had been burglarized very early Friday morning. He was apprehended and the neighborhood is safe.

M: I found out why we saw those news people – Wendy’s was robbed. But they caught the bad guy, so it is safe.
U: Why didn’t he rob McDonald’s too?
M: Because they caught him and McDonald’s harder to rob because it has the gas station attached, so there are more people around.
U: But there is more money because it is a gas station AND McDonald’s!

So, yes, a mouse. Affectionately known as House Mouse. Maybe 6 weeks ago, I saw *something* scurry out of the corner of my eye. Came out – ran back. This happened a few times, always late at night. I told Dan who said he thought it was a bug. Some sort of mystery giant bug that would see me and flee. Um – okay? But I looked around and didn’t see any evidence of a rodent, so I sort of forgot about it.

Then, Dan was away the whole week before Ursula’s birthday and I saw House Mouse for the first time. Once I saw House Mouse once, I saw him all.the.time – even during the day. U had a camp that week and with Dan away I guess it was just a very quiet week so House Mouse felt okay with coming out. (Note – Trixie is *completely* oblivious to all of this).

I was not really up for mouse removal, then it was Ursula’s birthday, then I stopped seeing the mouse. So I *thought* he went to find a new home. (Yes, laugh!). Then 2 nights ago – House Mouse was BACK.

So – yesterday we went and bought a trap. A no-kill, traps mice so you can free them trap. Which so far, is not at all appealing to House Mouse… I guess I need better bait?

On the plus side, I haven’t seen House Mouse since the trap has been out – maybe he decided to leave on his own.

So, the official 7 year starts:

49 3/4″ tall (79%)
56 3/4lbs (75%)

She is SO big. Like gigantic. What I notice the most (besides her super short clothes – her uniforms are all 2 sizes bigger than last year’s!) is how big her hands are. Her hand used to totally fit in my palm. And now it doesn’t. Whenever we walk across a parking lot I am taken aback by how *big* she is.

Dan got home very very early Saturday morning (2am) – his flight was delayed 2+ hours. Thankfully, he was taking a taxi, so it did not affect Ursula and I (much).

Ursula had a pool party this year – very similar to last year’s party. On party-morning, I picked up her cake from our baker friend who has done her previous two cakes. It was *awesome*!!!! Came home, got some more things ready, picked up U and headed over to the Anderson’s. Unloaded LOTS of stuff, then went and picked up balloons at PartyCity. Got back to party locale and set things up, hung out, etc. It’s better to waste time at the party locale than to be a wreck at home. And I was a wreck about this party, even though it was super organized and drama free. I know my stress was not *really* about the party, but I needed something to fixate on.

Anyway – the party was a HUGE success. We had 10 guests (plus lots of adult family). The difference between this year and last year was huge. The kids were *way* more independent in the pool. Aside from goggle adjusting (lots because they kept trading) it was very hands off. There was a lifeguard (like last year), but last year it was a lot more encouraging kids to get off the stairs, worrying about splashing, etc. This year, they were all swimming in the deep end like pros. And we got to sit and chat with guests. That has *never* happened – seven is seeming much better already.

They swam as long as possible, then had cake and ice cream. For favors, I made them all personalized stainless water bottles. Well, I bought the bottles, but I did the personalizing. (I am IN LOVE with craft vinyl!) I think they were a big hit – I am super happy with how they turned out.

After the friends left, the family stayed for a cookout, which was really nice. We always either have adults bored at a kid party, or two separate parties, or some other less than ideal set up. This was perfect – the childless people could just come to the latter part, we had time to spend with everyone – it was so nice. We don’t open friend gifts at parties (usually) – it’s just too rushed. So, this gave us a chance to open her family gifts (which they really like).

Today (actual birthday), Ursula got up her usual time. She didn’t wake us, but she did seem to watch TV much louder than usual. We got up around 7:15 and did gifts. We met Lucy and Lisa at IHOP for a late breakfast (free birthday dessert count = 2 – she had one at American Girl last week) and gifts. Then Lucy came over for a spectacular playdate. Dan and I were wiped so it was very nice for her to have something super fun to do. They played school, watched a movie, did makeovers – an excellent day.

Then tonight, the three of us went out for pizza (free birthday dessert count = 3). With a busy 4th of July weekend, our trip to Atlanta and Dan having a business trip last week it’s probably the third meal we’ve had together (just us) since the beginning of the month. It was a great ending to our weekend!

Dinosaur sculptures at entrance.

If you get to the museum 45 minutes before it opens, you get LOTS of pics. Note the Molly-style braids.

Once the museum (finally) opened, we saw an IMAX movie, “Bugs”. Which had a dramatic ending that I don’t agree with. SPOILER: one of the bug stars (praying mantis) *eats* the other. WHO IS A BUTTERFLY. Seriously? Seriously?!?!?! The butterfly can’t FLY AWAY when the PM strikes? I feel cheated – I pulled for the preying mantis and was SO happy when his mate didn’t eat his head. Then he *eats the butterfly!*. There was a dramatic shot with the butterfly’s wings drifting down a river (I swear!). On the plus side, U thought it was an intact butterfly that just had died. On the minus side, I didn’t realize she thought that, so I was like “No. The butterfly is dead. The praying mantis ate it.” Of course, Ursula being Ursula, this was all well received.

The museum’s traveling exhibit was Geckos. Lots and lots of geckos. Much discussion of Geico. But the geckos were very cool!

Look at how long her arms are – my mind is blown.

Some shadowy/light machine.

Lightning ball thing (is this Tesla related? Apparently yes)

Bubbles are fun! Unless they touch you.

After the museum, we had a lovely lunch at Livingston, the restaurant at The Georgian Terrace. It was delicious. Tip: If you would like your child to sleep in the car, do NOT let her order a dessert with espresso ice cream. She’s also quite a fan of panna cotta. Who knew?

The Georgian Terrace is gorgeous – it was built in 1911. This staircase is inside the restaurant, which was the original hotel lobby (or part of it).

With a bellman, who sang Happy Birthday to her.

On the rooftop pool deck. Ursula is determined to swim in this pool when we stay there in November.