The Martino Family

3 Years Ago....

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Three years ago, Quentin was diagnosed with Leukemia. It's funny how you think you will never forget things like that, and we won't of course, but the details are getting fuzzier and fuzzier every year. Ryan thought it was yesterday, or today, and I asked him if he thought THE anniversary was the day we went to the hospital (and didn't come out for 6 months) or the day they actually told us and confirmed that our baby had cancer (November 11, 2006). Then he didn't remember that Quentin still had a central line in his chest when we moved to Texas, and it has only been out a year. It doesn't really matter, I think this year there are several things to point out and the exact date isn't one of them:

1. Quentin is a survivor (so far), and among the physically healthiest kids I know.
2. When Quentin went into remission a few weeks after his chemo started, he stayed there.
3. Quentin's amazing spirit gave us the strength to get through it. Trust me, it wasn't the other way around.
4. We have met some amazing people along the way, some have lost so much more than I can imagine.
5. There are some really dedicated people to the families of children with cancer and blood disorders. They are living angels.
6. We will never know what "normal" is, but I've concluded that normal is for the self-involved. Our life is way more interesting and blessed because of what we've learned through this experience.
7. Life is a precious gift, and like all gifts, I hope we can be grateful to the giver of that gift, express that gratitude regularly, do not take it for granted, and when possible share it with others.

I love Quentin so much, and I am overwhelmed with my life sometimes, but he is completely worth it and I hope and pray for his continued recovery, remission, healing and developmental progress. He has already exceeded my greatest expectations, and I have a feeling he will continue that for the rest of his life.

Thank you to all of you who keep up with our family, who ask about how Quentin is doing, and who attempt to recognize in your own way the unique life we have. We have enjoyed the love and support from so many people near and far, and once again, after another year has passed, we thank you.

An Unexpectedly Busy Month!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:36:00 +0000

I suppose my life will stay pretty busy for a number of years ahead of me, but I guess I was a little thrown off by how busy everything is this fall! I think with the hurricane last year we didn't have a normal fall, many events were cancelled and only some rescheduled, and we knew that there was a good number of things that were not typical.

This year I thought by October we would have adjusted to the routine with school and would be "coasting" by now, you know, without a natural disaster to plague the whole season.

It turns out that EVERYTHING happens in Houston in October (on a good year) because the weather is so nice! It doesn't get into the 90's anymore, everything is still plenty green, and even though we've had quite a bit of rain, it is just enjoyable. I guess people who know the climate here wait until the summer is over to schedule their events and then everything seems to happen all at the same time!

I added to the madness by having a Pampered Chef party for the first time. I did it for a couple of reasons - mostly, I was forcing myself to do something social where I had people over to my home for something other than playgroup, which I've only done that once in the last 5 months anyway! As it turns out many of the people I invited already had one or two other things going on that night to choose from....however I still had enough people show up to call it a success, and it was fun and I enjoyed the company!

Since I work in the primary at church with the children teaching music at a group level, I am busy all day on Sundays and rarely get time to talk to anyone one-on-one, children or adults! I am always running in and out of work, and chasing after Quentin in other places like school and other public places that it was just SO nice to have adult conversation for a few hours!

I also participated in a musical cantata that was being organized and directed by a couple of the young women in our church, and I offered my help and past experience on the same performance, so I ended up heavily involved for several months with rehearsals, music arranging and that just wrapped up on Sunday night too. It was beautiful and very rewarding to have been involved with.

We also had parent teacher conferences for Quentin, several birthday parties, and 3 Halloween events and Halloween isn't even until tomorrow! I had family pictures taken, taught a 2 day training class, and managed to squeeze in several doctors appointments, dentist appointments and hospital/clinic visits between all of us. Of course we had regular school and therapy schedules to keep, but I have to confess a few of them slipped my mind as Quentin had a few off-routine days because of the school conferences.

The first half of the month I was still on my yeast elimination diet, and then I went off of it as I knew my schedule was getting stressful and the parties were coming up making it hard to stay on track. I thought almost 2 months would've been enough time on the diet to be "done" with it. I felt great doing it, I lost 10-13 pounds, and then it became obvious when I started eating grains, dairy and sugar again that either I wasn't "done" eliminating digestive yeast from my body, or I may need to permanently eliminate or reduce my wheat and dairy intake. I don't feel well eating what we call "normal" in this country, and I am transitioning back to the healthier eating plan. I don't think stress and convenience are worth the misery I've been experiencing in compared to how I feel eating mostly vegetables, meats, fruits and nuts/good oils.

I am going all digital with my appointment planning, so I am really becoming an iPhone junkie, as if that wasn't already the case. I have an application that will sync my various Google Calendars (one for myself, one for Quentin, etc.) that are color coded and layered so that I have an online backup in case something happens to my phone, which would be a real tragedy. My friend showed me a website called The iPhone Mom that may become one of my favorite random Internet sites to check...if it's a blog, I guess I'll just subscribe to it. It is both Quentin's and my favorite technology, well, and Ryan's too. Quentin doesn't have his own, but he sure knows his way around mine!

Unfortunately I do not have the pleasure of recuperating this weekend with fewer demands on me yet, just different. I need to work to catch up on a few things, so I guess by even posting this I am just stalling. I don't work at home much anymore at all, let alone on the weekends, but this time it is a must.

Amazingly Quentin, Ryan and I have hardly been sick at all this whole year. Perhaps it is the vitamins and supplements, the nasal washing, the quality food, or all of the above, but I hope it holds out for the rest of this horrible flu season. So far only Ryan has gotten the regular flu shot, but statistically, February is the month with the highest number of new flu cases, so we have a long way to go to get through it this year.

I hope everyone is also trying to stay healthy and had a great October! Sorry for those of you buried in several feet of snow right now...even though I love our weather more and more here in Texas, I am looking forward to a visit to Colorado (Quentin too) and Kansas (with Ryan) around Thanksgiving! That was not originally in our holiday plans but now we are really looking forward to it.

October Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:20:00 +0000

I am not a fan of Halloween, but Quentin has too many events to go to in costume, so I think I may have it decided (and purchased). It's weird that he is old enough to have an opinion though, he changes his mind every 1/2 a day....I do NOT like this holiday enough to shop for a costume anymore...I think we will try it on for Ryan to get approval (he was actually the one who vetoed the first costume) and put it away until it is needed, so hopefully he will forget and not be reminded that there is still time to change his mind. I will take pictures and post them of course! Although I have been so behind in photo posting, I need to spend a whole day getting caught up.

I do like fall though, so I think if I weren't so busy doing fall planting, I may have decorated for fall a little bit - you know, hay bales and scarecrows or something. I don't mind pumpkins and fall colors, leaves and the berry/twig thing.

Work is getting a bit busy and I need to kick it into gear pretty soon and keep up. I worked from home a bit today but I usually go into the office. I am glad tomorrow is Friday because I have had a long week. I think the absence of a weekend at home to get caught up is catching up to me...but I wouldn't trade in the trip to Colorado for anything. My sister Jamie just got cast in a significant role in another play at the end of November....so I am hoping I can go to Denver again to see that play too.

October is filling up with activities and events....I just hope I can keep up with everything.

One Month and going!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Very quick update - I have been on my yeast cleansing diet (yeast free eating to reduce/eliminate yeast overgrowth in the digestive tract) for a month now. I have been very good with very few exceptions made (and I've noticed them in a bad way when I did) - the hardest part is sauces and dressings (most use the wrong kinds of oils, have sugar in them, or use vinegar). I feel great and I do not have any sugar or grain or dairy cravings. I am so sure this is going to improve my health in the long term, so I am going to do this for another month, at least that is the plan. It is recommended to do it for at least a month, 1-2 months is better, but 3-4 months have been needed for severe cases. I don't know if I am severe, but I have lost 10 lbs. as a side perk so far, and I think I am finally ready to give up all soda, diet and non-diet, not that it was a big indulgence before.

I think my focus in month 2 will be to eat a more balanced diet instead of just a compliant diet. The right proportions of protiens, vegetables, good oils and fruit is not something I have been watching very carefully. I'll try to do better between now and October 24 - Wish me luck!

My Second Career

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:25:00 +0000

My formal education is in Petroleum Engineering (a bachelor's degree I've had for 10 years now, and there is no doubt that makes me feel a little old), and I use it, or at least my background in it, 4-5 days a week. I consult for an energy software company and have put my degree to use in the fullest I can and still be a mom to a 3 year old with special needs. I have had almost no interruption to my contribution to the professional world - 6 weeks or so when I had Quentin, then I resumed work from home. I took of about 1-2 months when Quentin was first diagnosed with Leukemia, and then I worked from the hospital. I currently work 13-19 hours a week while Quentin is in preschool.

Now granted, I haven't worked "full time" in a long time, not consistently anyway, but I am sure I could stay right where I am for a while. That is the plan.

However, I always have it in the back of my mind that I could do something different when time and opportunity permit. I haven't quite decided what it would actually be, I just know I have pondered many of the possibilities.

I always thought I could teach, and that would be convenient in terms of having the same days off as my child(ren). That seems less likely now than it used to be, simple because my one child has needed special education and now I am not sure what is in his future in terms of schools. Still, this was my first idea of a second career, the oldest of the possibilities, and who knows?

I love photography, and I would completely enjoy taking pictures for a living, but I do not think I would enjoy running my own business. I think to do it right (legally, insured, etc.) it would take all the fun out of doing something I just love to do without getting paid.

I love cooking, but I hate cleanup. This one is out pretty quick.

I am a bit crafty, but not really artistic. I like to sew but I would rather just do a project here and there as needed, but I have thought of clothing design since I get frustrated with women's fashions....not just modesty and price, but also the fact that they make literally DOZENS of bra sizes to accommodate differently proportioned upper bodies, but we are generally supposed to buy tops in one of 4 sizes, S, M, L or XL.....does that make sense at all? I always thought I would enjoy making a clothing line that was designed to "fit" like a bra does for tops, and more like the way they size men's pants for bottoms, where you select the size for waist and then your length. Anyway, not going to happen, I just think like that.

When Quentin was sick and in the hospital, we had a pediatric oncology nurse assigned to us 24/7. Those were the most amazing women (sorry, never really had a man). There will always be a special place in my heart for people who can serve at the side of children who may be dying, or even die on their shift. They also help survivors, and I am sure that is why they can go to work every day. For 6 months they were the faces I saw, the adults I talked to, and the only outlet I had to keep afloat mentally. I think my hospital experience changed my tolerance of vomit, stool, blood and procedures with needles, feeding tubes, etc. I am fascinated with the body, and I think I would've enjoyed something medical like nursing (but only for kids), but I don't see obtaining the education necessary to do nursing in my future either.

I am also finding that therapists, particular speech and language pathologists, play a particularly important role in the lives of children who might have an extra hurdle (or two) to jump before they can really start their education in mainstream schools. Catching these issues and starting intervention young is critical to the long term learning success of these children. I would love a master's degree in speech and language pathology so that I can help children learn to communicate, which is so key to their social and learning skills for life. It is not just about pronunciation. Quentin's school is a wonderful institution I can't say enough good things about, and every teacher there (for speech) is required to have a master's degree and certification from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association. They take proper training and identification of the issues causing barriers to normal development very seriously, and so do I.

I have also had a health and nutrition awakening, and I think I would love to be a dietitian/nutritionist as well. It is amazing how easy it is to find out information about what is best for our health, bodies and children but how difficult it is to implement any of it thanks to our food industry, culture and stubbornness. I would say self-control is an individual issue, but actually there are physiological explanations why we crave certain foods and also solutions to address the underlying problem that causes us to want to eat all the things that are bad for us. If I never end up with a second career in this field, at least I know my family is "covered" in terms of awareness and doing the best we can to take care of our bodies. After all, two of my lifetime goals is to stay healthy and die of "old age" peacefully and without pain, and to have all of my own teeth in my mouth (hence my overdue dentist appointment I finally got on my schedule this week!).

I also love music, but I am far too intimidated by the talents of those who study music and have more of an secondary education in it than me to pursue it professionally. I think I could do simple piano lessons, or flute lessons, and I would love to write down some of my own music and arrangements always going through my head, but this will probably always remain a hobby, not a career.

I was very active in New Jersey advocating for childhood cancer awareness, blood donation, and I would consider working in the non-profit sector to pursue further involvement with organizations who support children with cancer and their families. I am afraid though that the more time that passes since the peak of our crisis, the less it is on my mind, much like the events of September 11th. Those kind of events change our hearts and our minds then, but eventually we revert back to what we were doing before that "life altering"event, and then it really doesn't meet the criteria of being life altering for everyone, does it? Still, as soon as I hear stories like ours, like the one I was invited to share at many events (about Quentin's ~40 blood product transfusions over a 6 month period of time), I will remember that I can help inspire people to give so that the lives of those in need can literally be saved, like Quentin's was.

I may want to write a book one day, but I am actually the opposite of an English major, so I kind of think I would be laughed out of any publisher's office. Still, I think the stories and the ideas that I could put into a book are there, and I may attempt this in the quieter years of my life.

For being the busiest person I know, I am really surprised I would even think about this right now. I guess the suppression of dealing with a child who has been sick since he was 11.5 months old must be lifting, and maybe if it isn't too late, my life can resume to a path that may at least on the surface appear to be something along the lines of what it might've been had it not all happened to Quentin. But one thing I'll always know (and now you will too), the experiences and the knowledge I have gained as a result of Quentin having Leukemia and a pervasive developmental disorder has certainly altered the course of my life, making me see the possibilities I have of using my knowledge and experience in helping the lives of other people and children who are burdened with medical and neurological issues.

I guess it will be a while before I can really surface from the day-to-day of what I do to be able to realistically consider what life COULD be like if I did something different. I guess I just wanted to make a list for myself as reference and a reminder for the future to always consider the possibilities of what I can do besides my own status quo.

I guess I'll keep going

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:34:00 +0000

So I always seem to have a lot on my mind, and tonight I am in a daze between going to bed (which I should do because we have early church and I have been complaining about being tired for the last few days) and getting a second wind (which would be great, but I'd regret it tomorrow). I don't get nearly enough of those second winds.

I have had a fatigue problem for a long, long time. Probably 1995 to be exact, but it was "diagnosed" in 1996. It has been treated several times with what I call band-aids, and I am still working on it. I have good days and bad days, but the good days exist because we found out what the real problem is, at least part of it. I have adrenal fatigue, which is when stress wipes out your adrenal glands from producing cortisol, the stress hormone. I am a textbook case, and I have taken the actual medical tests and had the results prove it.

I am getting treatment, but it is a long and slow process. It is not life threatening unless you stop producing cortisol altogether, which is called Addison's Disease. JFK actually had that....

I can't explain all the ways this affects my life without confessing many things which may make me appear to be lazy, unmotivated and procrastinating at the same time. Sometimes I can only just sit and the computer happens to be a low-demand activity, physically. On the other hand, I was running a few miles a day last week without problems like I had only been a little out of practice since my track and cross country days of high school and college. Confused? Me too.

I tried to go running yesterday and I literally could not do it. I could walk, but that was it. I did not have nearly the energy/momentum needed to run the 20 minutes or so I had before I had to pick up Quentin from his speech therapy at the local elementary school. I thought it would be a good way to use those 30 minutes, and avoid the 3pm after-school traffic as well. It was embarrassing.....especially when I could not explain what was going on even to myself.

I hope to get this kind of thing under control. I am not sick often in the sense that I have a cold, allergies, sinus problems, sore throats, coughs, stomach bugs, etc. In fact, despite Quentin's recovering immune system, our family is quite a bit healthier than most of the people I know. If anyone wants to peek in my pantry and vitamin cabinet to see how this is achieved, do let me know. Quentin is not the only member of our family who is making a concerted effort to live and eat healthy.

A quick follow up to my last blog, I went to a local cemetery to take photos for my camera club's monthly competition - the theme for the assignment category was tombstones and cemeteries. I took many pictures, but this one was my favorite. It was such a beautiful cemetery, it was not creepy or depressing at all. I think it was a beautiful tribute to the lives of those buried there.

I "won" the creative category for the month for digital photos with my interpretation of a creatively altered version of downtown Houston. I was just being silly, it was the obvious deviation from reality that put it in the creative category, got the attention of the judges, and therefore scored well. I don't know if I have it in me to always be this flashy, but it was fun.

I have lost 7 pounds over the first almost 2 weeks of my yeast cleanse diet. This is a diet targeted to cleanse the digestive tract of a yeast overgrowth situation, which I only suspect based on likely causes and symptoms rather than an actual test. It doesn't hurt to eat healthy and restrict certain foods while replacing them with foods much better for you anyway, right? Weight loss is a perk, but the real purpose is to get yeast under control. It is not the same as a "yeast infection" if anyone is thinking "eww!", think of it as the reason people eat yogurt.

It isn't hard to Google "yeast overgrowth" and "yeast cleanse diets" or something like that if you want more information, but I really feel good when I am on it, and so far I have the self control to stick with it. No bread or grains, no dairy, no refined sugars, no starches, no bad oils, no vinegar, etc. I can eat most vegetables, quality meats, eggs, nuts, and drink lots of water. I can have fruit starting on Monday too....but whatever, it is nice to eat tasty dishes with the "allowed" ingredients. I am taking a probiotic blend and some yeast cleanse products that help to kill yeast. At first when yeast starts to die off because you are killing it or just not feeding it anymore with all the sugar, you can get residual toxicity symptoms, and I did have a few like a headache and itching. It wasn't too severe and didn't last long, but overall I can tell a positive difference already, not to mention the weight loss. I am looking forward to staying on this plan for a month or two.

I took my sister's senior pictures this year, and had so much fun! She called me earlier this week to get the one for the yearbook ready to turn in. This is the one she selected...it is in front of a tree on our property (the house she and I both grew up in, different generations of course) so it will always have meaning to her. She is in the play Jane Eyre the Musical in a few weeks and I am going to Colorado to see her in it...twice. I am so proud of her, and she is having such a blast as a senior in high school, I am so glad, because it was not that way for her older sisters, me included (because I didn't have a senior year! I graduated early...).

I have other siblings too that aren't mentioned as much, I know, but this was "recent" news. Sorry to my other siblings if you see it this way, you are always in my heart and on my mind too! I bet she is the only one who reads this blog anyway....;)

As football season gets underway (ugh) and the school year starts settling into a routine, I hope I will level out eventually. It seems so busy all the time right now and I just can't sustain myself at this pace or I will have to get a nanny....I'm serious! I know I only have one child, but anyone who really knows what we have gone through knows that it is not normal or ideal, but I love him and I am working hard to give him the best possible outcome despite his physical challenges. I have not reached a place where I can just hang out and "coast from here", so it is something I have to keep up with. I have several new things going on with him right now (details would not be effective right here) so I have been on the phone with doctors, nurses, pharmacies, on the internet, etc. researching and learning everything I can...in my spare time (ha, ha).

I am enjoying the blogs of my friends and the Facebook entries of my friends and family! I glance through as much as I can when I can....like I said, computer is a physically low demand activity. Sometimes I need that. However, sometimes I am out running and enjoying the short term boost of energy or at least normal levels of energy that are becoming more frequent. I think I better get to bed so tomorrow may be one of those days!

Speaking of...

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:31:00 +0000

I was actually reading my Google Reader tonight, which I have neglected for a long, long time, realized that not only was I almost 300 posts behind on the blogs I care enough about to subscribe to in Google Reader, I did not have one new post of my own in that time. I don't read every word or even look at every picture of each blog post, but I love scanning through my friend's family blogs and seeing pictures of their families and reading great stories about their families, usually humorous stories about their children.

I thought I would try something new....I would blog about myself, and not Quentin. Don't let me mention him...I'm serious. This is a test to see if I can do it.

I am working again now that school has started, but actually the only time this summer I wasn't working was when I was traveling out of state. I was in Ryan's sister's wedding in Kansas in June, and spent almost 3 weeks touring the grandparents houses in Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas in July. During a full week of school and work (no doctor's appointments or school functions), I can get in almost 20 hours of work in a week. And, since I am going into the office 5 days a week now, I justified a couple new additions to my Houston appropriate wardrobe and they gave me a permanent desk at the office. It has been a long time since I needed to be dressed in business casual every day before 8:15am when I leave the house. I haven't had an office since I worked in Austin, and I left in the summer of 2003. This train of thought is just going to start making me feel old, so I am going to change the subject.

Confession: I just started a sentence with "Qu.." and I had to stop myself. It is a disease!

About 6 months ago I started treatment for a variety of conditions for myself, likely caused by the stress of my life over the past few years. I had multiple hormone imbalances and deficiencies, and I have been undergoing a replacement regimen. I won't bore you with all the details, but my condition is now manageable (mostly fatigue) and I have seen some positive improvements to my health. With all the health and nutrition exposure I've had anyway, I am now practically obsessed with health, nutrition, diet and exercise. I am not fabulously in shape - yet - but I am working on getting much closer than I have been since high school. It is necessary to have the right balance before moving on with any ideas we have about family planning, if you know what I mean. Not only does my head and heart get in the way of imagining how I could survive with another child as I scrape myself out of bed each day as it is, as it turns out I don't think my body was ready for it either. Better safe and healthy than sorry and affecting the health of another innocent life.

I am finding myself overflowing with ideas and thoughts about nutrition and diet, but I can't seem to shut myself up around other people. Not everyone wants to hear that I wouldn't dream of eating half the food they eat or feed their children on a regular basis anymore, even if I used to do it too. I am not paranoid, I have real knowledge in the area at this point, but I am working on NOT making it something I have to share with everyone. Sorry to all of you who have suffered along with me, just know I am working on being better. Most of you can eat and drink whatever you want and will probably be fine, I need to remember that.

I am thinking of running a 5K in October - it doesn't require much training for me, but I am slow at this point. I think I can do it and I think it will feel good to do it. I guess since I haven't officially registered, I am still having commitment issues, which has been common in my life for....quite a while. Can't imagine why!

Ryan has been talking about going on a trip next spring with me, just me, to Europe. We had planned on doing this a long while ago, and I think it is just hanging over our heads because we were going to go and then couldn't. Now I don't know if it will happen anyway. Not because of time or money really (we have been saving up frequent flyer miles since our trip to Italy, so we were not going to be paying for airfare anyway), just Ryan's lack of confidence that we can choose the right itinerary, secure the childcare for Quentin for little over a week when we have no family in Texas, and not have booking regret because we have had issues planning too far into the future for some time. Oh, well. I doubt France, Italy and/or the UK are going anywhere since I was last there. We haven't vacationed for a long, long, long time. Family visits are great, but they aren't vacations. We are so in the mode that we just don't get them, that I think I could go a few more years and not notice.

The level of chaos and busy-ness doesn't really seem to be letting up, but I am slowly putting things in place to get myself caught up in a few things. For example, I am finalizing my home office organization, and once I get my filing set up and caught up, I hope to maintain my new "system" better. I have an excessive amount of paperwork that most people don't have to deal with. I have not had a proper way of handling the medical and therapy records since the whole thing started. Am I still NOT talking about Quentin?

I am doing a yeast cleanse diet for the next 1-2 months, so the limited food I can eat will help facilitate easier meal making decisions. Everyone in my house who does not or can not make their own food will just have to benefit from the temporary restrictions too or continue to make do with a sandwich or leftovers they make themselves.

I have a zillion projects I want to do, and being able to blog more frequently with all the hundreds of pictures I take is one of them. I also wanted to expand a blog I started just about nutrition, so that in case anyone I talk to really is interested, they can get the cliff notes version of what I've learned over the past year and a half.

I am in a photography club and I hope to more actively compete in the monthly photo competitions. I was just too busy, plain and simple, to compete more than a third of the opportunities I had last year. I hope to do a little better this year in turning in submissions. I didn't score too badly when I did compete, that isn't it, I just need time....time....time. It doesn't even take that much time....I just....I don't know.

My hair is getting long and it is not really bothering me, but I can't decide if I want to cut it.

I have been teaching music to the children at church for over a year now and our annual program is coming up in a few weeks. I am not sure how much work I have put off as of now, but since I don't feel the anticipation of having it done and overwith, it must not be stressing me out too bad.

I think there is more, but maybe I am more complex than one blog post to get everyone up to date on just me...so stay tuned. I may finish sometime soon.

Some things in life aren't optional, and somethings are. For example, right now I could be getting things ready for tomorrow to make my morning easier, cleaning up one of the many areas of my house that really needs it, watching a TV show or something with Ryan, or sleeping, but instead, tonight, I am writing in case anyone out there wanted to see if I could finish an entire blog post about me...instead of the usual not-so-inaccurate representation in my blog entries that nearly my whole life is about...you know who (wink!).

Jamie's Senior Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:37:00 +0000

I got to take senior pictures for my sister going into her senior year this fall...I can't believe how time has flown! I was her age when she was born...wow. Anyway, she picked a few favorites and I snagged them off Facebook until I could get home, but these were 44 of her favorites out of about 500! The are low resolution and not edited, but they turned out okay! It was the most fun I've ever had taking pictures!

Enjoy....

Jamie Senior Pictures

Summer "Vacation": First Stop, Colorado!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Quentin and I are back in Colorado! We have actually been here almost a week and we leave on Wednesday for Nebraska to see my Dad (and family). Trips to Colorado are always busy for us because I have pretty much all my family except my Dad in the state of Colorado. I have lots of brothers and sisters and extended family from both of my parents' sides of the family.

Quentin has been pretty good and typical for a 3 year old at the same time on this trip. I have seen all his colors brought out by the lack of routine, exciting activities, fun cousins to play with, and hopefully not regress completely in the potty training department. I am hoping this is all just a continuation of what is really good for Quentin socially overall. I know it is good for me to be around my family!

My sisters and I have been the theme of this trip. My one older brother is crazy busy with church and work (although I did get to see him on Sunday!) and my younger teenage brother has been in drum and band camp during the days, so I have seen less of them. However, I have taken about 350 pictures of my teenage sister for her senior pictures and that has been a blast! I love taking pictures and she is the perfect subject! It has gone really, really well and we are doing one more location/outfit before I leave.

My other sisters and sister in law have been around to help with the pictures (hair, positioning, sun blocking) and helping go through the typical drama of what to wear and getting a driver's license that goes along with any 16 year old girl.

I am trying to get in time with my mother and step dad and we have been catching late night conversations or first thing in the morning before we start going in and out of the house all day. We have always had to do this, but my mom has gotten a lot of time with Quentin (while I am on the town with my sisters) and that is great! He loves her and he loves playing with my 6 year old brother as well. We have been swimming a few times and he has put in some time on the trampoline as well. At least we can get him inside this trip once in a while! Last time we came he was pretty difficult to bring in from the great outdoors!

I have been able to see my both of my grandmother's on this trip, and my one aunt on my dad's side. I am struggling to have a trip to Denver where I am not constantly running around, thinking if I stayed longer it wouldn't be so rushed, yet it always is anyway. I am not sure if anything short of moving back would really solve the problem of there never being enough time!

I am looking forward to the next two parts of our summer trip: we go to Nebraska for a few days, then Quentin is going on (without me) to Kansas City to be with Ryan's parents for almost a week. He will have his cousin (who is 3 months older) to socialize with and go to church activities all week with Ryan's mother. I am going to stay behind in Nebraska to help my dad with a few projects without Quentin under foot. We don't go back to Texas until August 1st!

This whole time Ryan is home alone in Texas....but we are staying in touch. It isn't too hard in this day in age and thanks to blogs, texts, cell phones and emails to get a play by play!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

The Potty Training Chronicles Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:39:00 +0000

On Monday we had our sprinklers repaired (from years of neglect from the prior owners) so we can water in this horribly dry season we've been having so far. It seems a bit unusual for Houston to be this dry so early in the warm season.

Anyway, I was outside with the sprinkler guy for a while and had neglected to encourage Quentin to use the bathroom so we didn't have any accidents. He ususally goes within an hour or two of getting home from school and I was trying to wrap up with the repairman. He is not really telling me often that he needs to go, I just take him frequently "enough" and we seem to do okay.

I was outside and Quentin comes running out chanting "I went, I went!!" with no pants on (and I mean NOTHING on except a t-shirt)! I run over to get him back inside and see his dry shorts and underpants on the floor outside the bathroom and the quiet trickle of water running in a recently flushed toilet.

Although I didn't see it with my own two eyes, this was all the evidence I needed. Woohoo Quentin! You took yourself potty for the first time without any help or encouragement!

Sorry no picture of the half naked declaration.

Wow, is it June Already?

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:28:00 +0000

Clearly I am having trouble transitioning to this blog insteady of Quentin's blog that was created originally because of the Leukemia. I know because I didn't post HERE in the entire month of May. It isn't because of format, convience, or anything that makes one easier than the other, it's just that I guess Quentin is still a central part of our life and by my basic definition of which updates go to which blog, the other one gets used more. I guess that is representative of how busy the uniqueness of Quentin's situation is still a dominant and driving energy in our lives. Almost every day of the week for me revolves around his schedule. That is probably not that different from most families with children, but I guess I am using our unique situation as a reason why this HAS to be different from everyone else, right?

Except for the other kids at Quentin's school of course, I don't know anyone else who takes their child 17 miles one way to a private school they started at the age of 2 to get specialized therapy.....except for other parents of children with cancer or other serious medical issues, I don't know anyone else who can say they average 3 doctors or hospital visits a month.......I also don't know anyone else who in addition to all that ALSO has 10 nutritional supplements to give their child on a daily basis, if possible.....and then I don't know anyone else who does quite as much cooking-without-convenience as I do for a toddler, which simply means I think (although I could be wrong) that I do more from-scratch cooking for child than I even do for myself and very very few processed, instant, pre-packaged foods that could make meal time much eaiser, simpler, shorter, etc. No one I know has voluntarily taken all this on to make the quality of life better for for a child burdened with cancer at a very young age and everything else that followed. That's because I don't really know many other families with children who had cancer this young, who survived anyway. Oh well.....

It probably still sounds like I am complaining about something again and general busy-ness, but I think I need to remind myself daily about what the explanation is for why I hardly have time to shower, clean my house, or even put away clothes. Literally, this isn't an exaggeration. The 30 minutes to an hour I would need every day to keep up with just that short list doesn't regularly exist.

Let me put it another way by giving an example - Quentin started doing a lot of climbing in the house, a stage every child hits but on average I think a bit younger. He will drag chairs around and get into very high to reach areas of the kitchen, for example. It was stressful, dangerous, interruptive, and very frustrating. I resolved a big part of that issue by putting all the chairs and stools from the main floor into our bedroom. We didn't move the couch and a built in window seat in our kitchen, but that is it.

As it turns out, about a week went by and I hardly noticed I did this or saw it as an inconvenience - to not have a single chair to sit on for meals, to rest, to organize something, to read, to watch TV, even work from home lately, or anything like that. Why is this unusual? BECAUSE APPARENTLY I NEVER SIT DOWN!! I appear to have gone about my normal schedule without sitting down except on our couch to dress Quentin for a minute or two or something like that. I had 5 kitchen chairs (in the main living spaces), 2 barstools, and 3 step stools that I could completely live without and barely even noticed their absence because apparently when I am home I just run around, and sleep in my bed. That is it.

I do believe that all this elective special care, diet and therapy is part of what is an investment into Quentin's future. There is so much power in early intervention. I hear things all the time about how a child's dispostion and behavior patterns are largely determined by the age of 5 because of the rate of brain development in early childhood, or that the power of early intervention can literally change a child's developmental diagnosis or thier projected potential when it comes to life and future independence. I just hope that I am spending both my time, money and energy well on Quentin, and of course, I believe I am. I read an interesting article that supports my beliefs on early childhood care in terms of academics and behavior, but medically speaking, the physical development of the child's brain before kindergarten age is still extremely important to consider.

This quote that came from research compiled by www.nccp.org summed up the basic idea:

"The quality of life for a child and the contributions the child makes to society as an adult can be traced to the first few years of life, with 85 percent of a child’s brain being formed by the age of five. During the first six years of life a child undergoes tremendous growth and change. If this period of life includes support for language, motor skills, social skills and social-emotional functioning, the child is more likely to succeed in school and later contribute to society."

No pressure or anything, but I am just hoping and praying that all my hard work on Quentin will pay off in the end just like the quote said - so he can succeed in school and later contribute to society. I guess I can live with a few clothes on the floor, less than sparkling bathrooms and kitchen, and a slightly muskier smell (on myself) for a few years while I wait it out until life slows down a bit. It will slow down, won't it?

The Potty Training Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:53:00 +0000

I think someone should've convinced me that language skills, both speaking and listening, weren't required for potty training. They are, to some extent, but I wish I had tried sooner when I KNEW Quentin wasn't ready in terms of communication skills but wasn't as smart as he is today. I waited until I saw all the signs - and once I did, it was too late. He is too smart and knows EVERYTHING he needs to know and just simply WON'T do it.

We have never seen him go, even once, in the potty. He hasn't gone when we weren't looking either. He will hold it and go literally right after we have him sitting on the potty. However, he doesn't appear to be controlling the situation out of spite, I think he has some kind of fear or disinterest in it. The fear could come from the fact that many other things in his routine when it comes to his body are unpleasant, no matter how well he tolerates them. Taking medicine, shots, creams and sprays, squeezing water in his nose to clean it out from allergens, even cleaning his bottom area when his diapers are dirty, etc. He is probably afraid it will become some kind of "for-your-own-good" torture like everything else in his life. Poor kid.

Never the less, we are insisting that he puts his peepee in the potty. A bit ago he went in his training pants, took them off, and started "shaking" them above the toliet to see if the pee would just jump in itself, I guess. I thought it was rather creative, actually. I definitely never shook pee out of underpants into the toilet in front of him (or not in front of him, eww)! I guess he is trying to get closer to doing what we asked of him because he can see that we aren't going to let up - it will and has to happen eventually. The funny thing is, this kid LOVES to be right, and answer questions, and just KNOW things. If I knew how to challenge him to do this because NOT doing it implies that he is just not learning it correctly, that would drive him crazy because of his personality. He likes to be right, and make sure everyone knows it. I think he takes after his mom. I am sorry to all you who already knew that about me - I am just now coming out of that closet and admitting it.

Reasons my 3 year old is different than most 3 year olds

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:57:00 +0000

As I sit here at the mall play area watching Quentin run around, I can't help but contemplate all the ways he is not your typical kid. This is not a complaint or a brag list, just a compilation of observations that may be interesting for some of our friends and family who are nor part of our day-to-day lives. No matter how well he appears to "blend in" at this all-American activity of playing on children's indoor play equipment in a public setting, his life is very different than many kids.

1. Quentin is a cancer survivor (at least he is surviving to date). Why this makes him rare is bit obvious. He completed almost 2 years of chemotherapy treatments before he was even 3 years old.
2. Quentin has developmental delays and differences, like speech and language, and age appropriate social interactions. He has undergone INTENSE speech therapy intervention to get him chattering away like he does today, but the words and phrases he uses did not evolve in a natural way and therefore his vocabulary consists of phrases and sentences most 3 year olds don't use.
3. Quentin does not eat wheat or dairy products, because eliminating them greatly improved his developmental progress. We voluntarily tried this special diet and it has worked out really, really well, even though wheat and dairy products are in SO MANY FOODS!! He also has very little sugar in his diet and eats virtually no candy, cake, ice cream, pudding, jello, pie, brownies, etc. even if they are wheat or dairy free. I let him eat a few special cookies, but he doesn't want them often.
4. Quentin only drinks water. Really. He'll have a few sips of juice once or twice A MONTH. He won't go near soda or lemonade, even if we are offering it to him.
5. Quentin is not allergic to nuts, but he actually eats nuts daily because they are nutritious and many children who have no allergies to nuts still don't eat them regularly.
6. Quentin eats pretty much all forms of protein - every kind of meat we've offered him. He can be convinced to eat any kind of vegetable, but loves potatoes and sweet potatoes we cook in healthy oils. He always has an appetite, but NOT for any of the typical toddler foods like mac and cheese, grilled cheese, spaghetti, hot dogs or corn dogs and pizza. He can be very picky about textures and feeding had been a long time struggle until relatively recently.
7. Quentin takes supplements every day like probiotics, calcium, magnesium, zinc, glutathione, fish oil, a multivitamin, and others for immune, liver and respiratory support.
8. Every day we wash Quentin's nose with a salt water solution to keep him from having a chronic runny nose from seasonal allergies.
9. Although he has had to take at some time or another every kind of medication under the moon that has ever been given to children because of the Leukemia, he is on NO prescription or over the counter drugs right now and our goal is to keep it that way.
10. Quentin has a phenomenal memory. He will learn entire songs after hearing them only once or twice, he'll ask to watch a television show or play with a toy he hasn't seen or heard mentioned in literally months, and learns everyone's name that he meets and can identify that person by name anytime later.
11. Quentin reads. He doesn't just read "cat", "go" and other very short and common words. He is reading at what I am guessing is a 1st or 2nd grade level at this point with very, very little help. We discovered he was reading just after his 2nd birthday. This is not something we've taught him, so I guess he must have a photographic memory or something. It's really amazing to watch him be so good at something we DIDN'T teach him, when he has had to be taught so many other developmental things in baby steps.
12. Quentin knows sign language, in fact he knows ALOT of sign language, and stores it right in that magic memory of his. Signing is how we first got Quentin to speak words, and later is how we found out he could read too. He has picked up random words in Japanese as well (no exaggeration).
13. Quentin has not slept in a crib for over a year, but still lays in bed until someone comes into his room to "get him up". He has no rails or restraints on his bed, he just lays there talking and waiting to get permission to get up for the day.
14. Quentin has always been a very good sleeper - always.
15. Quentin knows everything about what is expected of him to potty train, has all the skills and awareness, but refuses and knowingly won't do it.
16. He is a tall kid - he is proof that bones and the body can grow without milk. I think he's grown close to 2 inches and several pounds since the beginning of the year. He is 39 inches tall and over 40 pounds! That is a big 3 year old!
17. Quentin doesn't cry (for more than a second or so) during medical procedures that involve needles, and never has, not to say he never will.
18. Quentin started school at the age of 2. He is pretty much committed to going to school full time now because he needs the structure and routine. Granted, full time for him is only 4 days a week for 3 hours right now, but that will slowly increase. His school is a specialized pre-school program for kids with speech, language delays and kids with learning differences. His teachers has a masters in speech and language pathology.

I just thought I'd throw those out there. Each of these items is a gift, a blessing or a challenge, which is what our life has been with Quentin from day one.

Make-a-Wish!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:11:00 +0000

As a cancer patient, Quentin was eligible to get a "Make-a-Wish" wish granted. Even though they are technically not eligible until the age of 2.5 years, and Quentin was under 1 year old when he was diagnosed, some Make-a-Wish volunteers in New Jersey suggested that we apply on Quentin's behalf as soon as we could, while he was in treatment, and get him approved and then just wait until he got older to grant his wish. As Quentin has gotten older, more communicative, and now that he has teachers who get to know him in a way that gives them a chance to speak on his behalf as well as us, his parents, we all agreed that he would be granted an outdoor play structure from Kid Structures, Inc. We selected a day, cleaned up the back yard and made it as safe as possible for Quentin, and they came and installed the new deluxe swingset on Thursday! We had a small "reveal" for Quentin when he got home from school, and then we had a bunch of friends over later in the day after regular schools got out and kids were up from naps. The Make-a-Wish volunteer brought us gingerbread cookies (because Quentin loves ginger) and lemonade and we had kids literally everywhere! It was great!
Quentin will really, really, really love having this in our backyard. He and Ryan have put in quite a bit of time on it already. It is especially nice during these beautiful weather months in Houston. Thank you Make-a-Wish! See the pictures the Make-a-Wish volunteer and her husband took here at Smilebox.

It's Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:44:00 +0000

I am so pathetically behind in blogging....I am not sure why, exactly. Oh, yes, I remember now: I have no (free) time. However, I do kind of keep up with Quentin's medical blog, so check out some new pictures and things there if you want to read more recent news on him.

I have spring fever - I seem to want to do yard work and I am finding anything that stands in my way of that is just becoming more and more annoying! I know I have you all confused because I said I didn't like yard work before, but I am kind of getting into it now that Quentin wants to spend all his time at home outside, and I can get some Vitamin D (I am very, very deficient as it turns out), a little color on my skin (I am very, very pasty white) and good cleansing sweat in the great Houston humidity while working out my aging muscles. It is win-win-win-win!

I think I was first partially inspired by flowers and shrubs I didn't know we had until they started blooming, or rather I didn't know what they were until they bloomed. I took these pictures a few weeks ago. Azaleas, Jasmine, and some Wedding/Bridal Veil plant, and some other unnamed ones (I am sure they are named, but I don't know the names!).

I was also inspired to get the fence that was blown over by the hurricane last September fixed, because it was really weighing down on flowers and our sprinklers in the back yard. I got a quote and arranged for new fences and lattice. It just got finished today (but I got home after dark, so I will take pictures later)! I also had our trees trimmed so the dead branches in the trees (also from the hurricane) wouldn't fall on anyone, and to let a little more sun shine through to our grass, which really needs sun to do better. Ryan repaired our wooden deck so it was more safe, and we got a truckload of leaves and branches hauled off. Finally, we decided that the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Texas Gulf Coast Region could donate a swing set/play center for Quentin, so we needed to make everything ready for it since it will be installed a week from today.

All of this work is so we can let Quentin do what he really wants to do more than anything lately - play outside. I have been wanting to start a garden, if not just for a few vegetables and herbs, and all of this is making me a little obsessed with the outdoors. So much for my already poor housekeeping skills inside! I bet my wallpaper removal/painting project in the master bathroom won't get done for a while....Oh well, there is always the dead heat of August for indoor projects, right?

Just checking....

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:46:00 +0000

We had used the "Who's in the Big 12?" question to entertain around the holidays, but it has been a while since we asked him. Sometimes he would "offer" to rattle them off, and we just let it die off....or so we thought. To get a second take, we asked him tonight and threw in a bonus question....take a peek!

Happy Birthday Serenade!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Quentin has sung many rounds of Happy Birthday this year already, with many family birthdays early in 2009....this was one I caught on video this morning (he still has a morning "frog" in his throat)! Happy Birthday Mimi!

On Top of Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Quentin's latest "favorite" book is "On Top of Spaghetti", which you can hear him sing along to in the short video clips below. He has been known to spontaneously sing this and other songs remarkably in tune and on key!

Evidence that Potty Training Isn't Going Well

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:14:00 +0000

"Whatever mom, I'll sit on the potty, as long as I can eat...."

"If you think this helps mom, I'm game....."

"I like the underpants better on my head. Don't you?"

Does it get better than this?

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Quentin's teacher sent this picture to us by email today, and it couldn't be more appropriate to use, especially with Quentin's fabulous pose for it! The Houston Chevron Marathon is this weekend and the parents of one of Quentin's classmates are running it and helped make it possible that the school will be one of the charities to benefit from the race.

I spent the day (and actually the day isn't over yet) at Quentin's school, The Parish School. Quentin's classroom has one way windows (looks like a mirror on one side) for observations by parents or therapists. In addition to observing our own children in their own classrooms, parents are encouraged to observe classes our children may be moving up to in the following year so we are prepared to ask questions and get the most out of our parent/teacher/other therapists conferences. We had conferences back in October, and now we are getting ready for February conferences where we talk about Quentin's progress, projected cirriculum achievement, and what class or school he should go to next year or this summer.

Also, throughout the year, we are required to go to a certain number of parent education opportunities like morning coffee chats, evening parent seminars, attend other school functions, or chair a committee of some kind. The education at these meetings is absolutely priceless to me in understanding Quentin, his education, and his future. I attended a coffee chat this morning about center based classrooms (which is the model at the Parish School preschool) and this evening is a parent seminar Ryan and I will attend about explaining your child's learning differences to family and friends (maybe I should've waited to post this blog until after that meeting!).

The other discussions/seminars I have attended have been SOO helpful, and while observing several other classrooms other than Quentin's today, I can see the magic of getting children the appropriate education for "special" children at work and I was nearly in tears about how grateful I am that we have this school for Quentin. Everytime I go there I learn more about what I can do with Quentin at home, and I get more involved with what kind of education he has now, will need in the future, and I would want for him in general. It is exciting and scary that if we hadn't moved to Texas this wouldn't have come about. I am so grateful to Quentin's school, the teachers, and the scholarship committee for helping offset the direct cost of the tuition to our family. Even if this is the only year Quentin goes to the Parish School, what I've learned will be utilized to make every developmental and academic decision for Quentin for the rest of his dependent life. Yes, the knowledge really is that powerful

On another subject, the school's biggest fundraiser is this month, a huge Gala at the Houston Galleria J.W. Marriott Hotel on Saturday January 24th. Late last week they sent home ten $5 raffle tickets to win a $1000 ,$500 or $250 VISA gift cards, and today I got four $50 raffle tickets that would win Quentin his summer camp tuition paid (a value that could exceed $2,000). If anyone is interested in buying these raffle tickets to win the gift cards (you do NOT have to be present to win) or want to donate $50 for a ticket to possibly win tuition for Quentin's summer camp, please let me know in the next week or so and I will buy the tickets on your behalf and we can work out the details later, especially if the tickets win (like getting you the winning gift card or sending you some kind of enormous long-distance hug)!

I will just reiterate that this school fabulous, and any time of year or for any event, donations can be made here. I really don't like soliciting money or donations, but we have been recipients for the last several years of the monetary kindness of others, some from people we knew and some from people we do not even know, but we are so sincerely and eternally grateful. If you are so inclined, please find a great cause like this one and become a person who really makes a difference in the lives of others, especially children. You won't be sorry.

Who's in the Big 12?

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Go Sooners!

The Holiday Parties

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:22:00 +0000

We had several Christmas Parties this year.....Ryan and I went to a formal Holiday party hosted by his company, our church had a family Christmas party, Quentin had a Holiday party at school, and then Ryan's company also had a holiday party for families. I did not take pictures at the formal party or the church Christmas party, mostly because Quentin wasn't at either one of them. I did take a few pictures of Quentin at his school party and our family at Ryan's company party. In general they were nice parties, and should've been more fun, but parties with a three year old are not really that great. I think another year or two and we'll all enjoy them more!

First, his teacher explained a gingerbread man craft they would do at their tables.

Then the kids did their craft, dressing and decorating their gingerbread man cutouts.

Then, everyone went back to circle and sang songs - "Jingle Bells" (Quentin proudly demonstrates) and a family and classroom favorite, "Must Be Santa". Quentin's got the "Santa" card for "Must Be Santa" because of his timing, rhythm and enthusiasm for the song!

Then the children had lunch and cookies with frosting to dip in, and as usual, Quentin was so slow he didn't have time to eat everything!

Finally, they ended with circle again and said goodbye to each of their friends. First they pick their name off the board....
And then they put their name in the bucket and sing the good-bye song!

The family party for Ryan's company was at George Ranch Historical Park, a beautiful ranch still in operation who hosts parties and weddings on the weekends.

There was a dance hall for the meal and entertainment (a magician/cowboy),

gifts for the children,

a buffet dinner with barbeque ribs and brisket, and hot cobbler ala mode!

We roasted marshmellows for smore's, one of Quentin's favorites,

and watched a pack of armadillos. Quentin was very entertained by them!

We also branded a piece of wood with the name of Ryan's company, which he wanted to take home and put on the mantle in our study. The most surprising though, was that Ryan finally put on the cowboy hats they were issuing...and I have proof!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:53:00 +0000

So, apparently it doesn't snow in Houston often...a couple times every decade at the most. Well, it was a week or so ago I observed that I was having a hard time getting into the holiday season, probably because with 70-80 degree weather, it wasn't feeling very Christmas-y. I have lived in either Colorado or New Jersey almost my entire life, and it got cold and snowed every winter.

Today was freezing cold, and I was chilled to my core. It was in the mid-30's, and it wasn't getting warmer as the day went on. It didn't help that when I went to the mall to work as I often do during Quentin's school, the WiFi area is right next to the ice rink.

There was some cold rain this morning, but this afternoon between 4 and 5 it started snowing!! I had planned to go do a little Christmas shopping, so I was driving around Houston with snowflakes actively falling, having to REMIND myself that this weather is not typical around here. It didn't just snow for a couple minutes, but throughout the evening as I drove around central and west/southwest Houston.

Being bundled up in a hat, scarf, coat and gloves is EXACTLY how I am used to Christmas shopping. It is more comfortable when you are prepared as I knew how to be - I am wearing 3 layers, a coat on top of that, etc. I just thought I would share the rarity with all of you, many of you living in parts of the country with very cold temperatures as well this past week as well - lower than the 30's. It really feels like the holiday season now!

By the way, Ryan and I love the overall climate in Houston and we are happy that it isn't like this often. We have really enjoyed living here, but we'll see what happens when April comes back around and we've been here for a full calendar year and the bugs are coming back....

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:32:00 +0000

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week with 10 people under our roof for the holiday! Ryan's entire family came - his parents, his brother with his family from Topeka (that includes his wife and two kids), his sister who is engaged but without her fiancee, and then us! We had a really, really great visit. Our house was able to accommodate everyone comfortably. Unfortunately, our little 6 month old nephew (Quentin's cousin Keaton) didn't sleep quite as well as ultimately desired (but I think it was his parents that took the brunt of that, it didn't seem to bother anyone else tremendously), but it wasn't going to be perfect, right? I just feel bad for the little guy...I wonder if I had made his bed a little more comfortable if that would've made a difference.....

Anyway, we had BBQ/ribs on Wednesday night, Thanksgiving was a little non-traditional with pork tenderloin and stuffing instead of a turkey (and no mashed potatoes!), and we even made it out to a restaurant last night for cheeseburgers, and snacked on croissants with eggs and cheese (complimented with a real Honey Baked Ham) and breakfast tacos in the mornings. I was pleased that we had enough food that seemed to be good tasting and easy enough, we kept each other's company well, the kids got along great, and most of the adults got to go to a movie Thursday night. It was so busy for me leading up to their arrival, and now I am just relaxing into the rest of the weekend because I won't have to cook for a week! We have leftovers for 10 and only 2 of us to eat them!

I have to say, leftovers is a relief to me in many ways. I have had a really hard time adjusting to the kitchen after Quentin's 6 months in the hospital and our restricted life over the past year and a half. I know it sounds like plenty of time to get readjusted, but I went 6 months without planning meals, doing dishes and grocery shopping of any significance. Then, when we were back from the hospital, I would limit the trips out of the house with Quentin for months following as he was still compromised, and then our schedule just got crazy with therapy and clinic visits. I just have never gotten my rhythm back, not that I was ever that good at it.

So, when people come to visit me and ask what they can do, and the dishes are silently piling up, they just do them and I just thank them fervently because that is all I really want: someone to do my dishes. My company was stellar at this, and I say, anyone else who wants to come stay at my home, just do my dishes and you can stay as long as you want! I need to clarify that Ryan has been excellent at filling in where I am lacking in this area. He has been pretty understanding of my shortcomings in the kitchen, and it is literally a blessing that his current job provides them a good meal in the office daily, so I don't feel as bad about not being up to par in meal planning.

Quentin eats as well as he is willing to, and he did remarkably well with our company this weekend. He slept in our room and gave his room to his cousin, which worked out fantastic for everyone. He ate his food and even expanded his tolerance slightly after observing his same-age cousin eating a better variety of foods. Don't get me wrong, all 3 year olds will protest the ideal diet, but it could've been worse.

After several trips to the playground and park, walks with grandma and grandpa, reading books, lots of playing in Quentin's game room, and the overall mental stimulation of having playmates, Quentin took a very long recovery nap this afternoon. The house is kind of quiet, and Quentin went back to some old habits that had temporarily been put aside during the excitement of our company, that is, eating everything in sight. I am rolling my eyes remembering this pattern of his, hoping that with a little creativity, I can expand these eating binges to include more of the newer foods I'd like to introduce to Quentin instead of his same old, same old selection. However, I have carefully limited the foods he eats anyway, so he isn't exactly filling up on junk. It is just the same things and he really needs to broaden his acquired tastes. Of course this requires preparation and organization on my part, so here I am, working my tail off in the kitchen again. Sigh.

We will have a less chaotic December - I hope. I guess we will get into it and see what happens. My guess is 2008 will still end with a bang, not with a gentle breeze. Stay tuned to find out.....

Mahalo, Waikiki!

noreply@blogger.com (Martino Family) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:14:00 +0000

Hawaii is a beautiful place, full of a variety of people from all over the world. I admit, there were mostly couples, which made me pretty sad to be there without Ryan, but we have many other places on our list to visit before we will go to Hawaii together sometime in the future.

The competition was great and I was thoroughly entertained by the women singing up on that stage. Skyline, the Denver chapter of Sweet Adelines, made it into the top 10 and therefore competed in the finals on Saturday. They placed 4th and let me tell you, it was very tough competition. I was so proud of them and their entertaining and energetic performance.

There is a quartet competition that alternates days with the chorus competition, so on Friday during the quartet finals, I spent the day with a friend we knew from our church when we lived in Austin, TX. Her husband was in Hawaii for work related to the election, so he is wrapping up and they are heading back to Texas next month. I thought I would visit her while I was there if I could, so we had a great time on Friday.

So, my friend picked me up and we drove up the coast to the North Shore and Laie, where Brigham Young University - Hawaii campus is, the Hawaii temple, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. These are all church run sites, but they are at least an hour's drive away from Waikiki so I am especially grateful that she took me up there.

The beaches and scenery along the north shore were breathtaking and truly the most beautiful places on the island. We took a highway back through the center of the island and stopped at the Dole Plantation. That is where I had the most yummy dessert, Dole Whip. It is a pineapple flavored soft serve treat that is very delicious. Before I got here I was already completely addicted to pineapple, fresh or "Just Pineapple" (dried without perservatives, not like standard dried pineapple). Yum-mee!

We went back to her neighborhood and picked up lunch from Teddy's Bigger Burgers. I love cheeseburgers and this was a great local treat! We ate it at her place, a condo they have been renting, and she has 4 kids, two were with us all day (1yr and 3yrs) and two were at school (5yrs and 7yrs) and when they all got home, we went to the beach (Baby Makapuu). Because of the season, the waves are much too strong for young kids, so we hung out in tidepools and they had a great time. I took lots of pictures of her kids, it was so much fun!

After the beach, the chill on her youngest made the hot tub sound like a good idea, so we had her husband meet us there with Chinese food and we used up the rest of the daylight and into the evening in the hot tub at her complex. She took me back to the hotel in Waikiki and it was a fabulous day.

Sunday, after the finals, we got up and took the city bus to Pearl Harbor and saw the U.S. Arizona Memorial. It was a wonderful memorial and educational experience, not to mention a great view of another part of this amazing island. We took the bus back to Ala Moana, a HUGE shoppping center/mall. We found the most interesting little store called the Crack Seed Center that sells all kinds of dried and seasoned fruits, and we picked up a few things and found out I can order more later from the internet. It was bulk food style, so sold by the pound, or in pre-filled sample bags. It was really unique and a great treat!

We took the bus one more time back to our hotel, and I put my suit on and jumped in the ocean. The water is a little cold at first, but certainly tolerable and it was nice. I swam all the way until the sun went down. We changed clothes and I took my roomates back to Teddy's Bigger Burgers and had another cheeseburger. I actually split one with my grandmother and had garlic fries.

We turned in for our last night in Hawaii and got up the last morning to pack. We splurged on one buffet meal for lunch and picked up the last of our souvineirs and macadamia nuts! I found out early that morning that my grandfather passed away and I felt helpless and far away, not just because I was in Hawaii, but because when I get home, I am still hundreds of miles away from my family who is grieving. I am planning on going to Denver shortly after I get back. Ryan and I both lost a grandfather in the past month. I think with this past week of extra time to contemplate my life and the people I love and miss, it reminds me of how fragile and valueable our lives are and the chance we have to be on this wonderful planet to live.

After we had our big buffet, we slowly walked around and enjoyed Waikiki in "slow motion", to really take it all in. We went to the Pacific Beach Hotel and saw the giant aquarium, took picture of surfers and waterfalls along Waikiki and Kuhio Beach , enjoyed some Macadamia Nut/Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream from Haagen Dazs, waved hello to Ryan from a live webcam at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue,and watched a fairly well known Hawaiian Band and dancer (hula?) from the deck on the back patio of our hotel, saw my grandmother get up and dance with the hula dancer and a small group "on stage", and watched the sunset for the last time before we left.

So, Mahalo (thank you) Waikiki! It was a great visit!