I’m a week late in posting the first week of November, but you’ll see why at the end!
Day 302, Friday, October 29th, 2021
Dental Checkup for Anna
It was time for Anna’s 6-month dental checkup at Treetop Pediatric Dentistry. Ms. Nicole became Anna’s favorite person of the day when at the beginning of the appointment she pulled out her phone to show Anna photos of her standing beside Dak Prescott… yes, she actually got to meet him! Anna was all smiles and chatter for the rest of the appointment. Dr. Brandon came in later and declared her clear of cavities and we discussed orthodontics should Anna ever get teeth pulled for any reason. All four of her wisdom teeth are in and not causing any issues except some lower jaw crowding but we don’t want to put her through surgery if functionally she’s doing well.
Day 303, Saturday, October 30th, 2021
Ready for Thundercat
One of Dominic’s birthday gifts was Thundercat tickets for him and two of his friends to see in Austin on October 30th at Stubb’s. Cole and Gavin joined Dominic for their evening out. Since Dominic had never been to a concert and wasn’t comfortable driving on the highway, Curtis and I chauffeured the boys and got a room in the same hotel. After getting checked in, they grabbed some dinner then went to the concert. Thundercat came on nearly 2 hours late but they said it was a great show. The guys were tired of standing so they went back to the hotel afterward.
House of Torment
Curtis and I said goodbye to the boys and went to the House of Torment haunted house. There were three big buildings to go through and lots of fun decorations outside too. We splurged for the Fast Pass and skipped waiting in line. The mazes were fun, lots of good jump scares, and twice I was caught off guard… once when the floor was moved under some fog and again when the ceiling dropped unexpectedly. Afterward we had dinner at Iron Cactus on 6th Street, did a little bar hopping, and gawked at folks in their Halloween costumes. We had a great night out!
Day 304, Sunday, October 31st, 2021
Voodoo Doughnuts
The next morning, we were all up and checked out before 10, so we hopped in the car and drove over to 6th Street to get some Voodoo Doughnuts to take home to the girls. OMG. These doughnuts are amazing. They have some unique combinations and designs. I think my favorite was the Marshall Mathers doughnut… yep, you guessed it! It was smothered in M&Ms.
Day 305, Monday, November 1st, 2021
Sliver of Nana
Rosa and her ladies came to do a deep clean on Monday the 1st. Mom is uncomfortable staying in her house while the ladies are cleaning because it isn’t that big of a space and with 3-5 women cleaning at once, there isn’t a good place to roost. So mom usually comes over to our house or sits outside. I had just gotten home from WW and spied her sitting outside by the pool. She looked so peaceful with her stack of books, just a sliver of her visible between the pillars, that I snapped a photo without her knowing.
Day 306, Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021
No photos today.
Day 307, Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021
Keeping Me Company
Wednesday the 3rd was a long day. Dominic had to be in San Antonio for an early appointment at the gastroenterologist’s office for a breath test so we left at 6:30 am, especially since we had to wait there for three hours in between tests. It was an early release day so I let him skip the whole day of school. Since I wasn’t going to be home, I told Anna she could skip too. Curtis texted me about 7:30 am saying that Anna really wanted to go to Life Bridges and had gotten herself dressed. So I contacted transportation and they said they could still pick her up. I was so proud of her. After she got home that afternoon, I invited her to come with me while I got a pedicure. Unfortunately they couldn’t work her in too but she was great company!
Day 308, Thursday, November 4th, 2021
ER Visit
I was just out of the shower when I got a horrifying text message from my mom, it said “Hard Fall SOS” with details and a GPS pin. (This was actually an automated text from her Apple Watch, more on that later.) Then I got a phone call from Margi, mom’s friend with whom she was having lunch. My stomach sank. Margi said, “Your mom’s had a bad fall, she’s hit the back of her head and is bleeding a lot. EMS is on their way.” I stayed on the phone until EMS arrived and I could hear mom in the background chattering way, “I’m fine, I’m fine.” Margi said, “Holly, she is NOT fine.” Curtis and I were out the door and on our way within a few minutes. EMS took her to Resolute which is literally across the block from where they were. At the ER, they would only let 1 person back, so Curtis went on home. Poor momma. She had been talking with her 3 friends and had turned backward to continue chatting after they left a restaurant for lunch. She tripped backward over a concrete stop and had fallen back, with her head striking the pavement of the parking lot. She never lost consciousness but there was a lot of blood. They had her in CT when I arrived but she was back before too long. She kept apologizing. Luckily, she had no broken bones and no brain trauma. Whew. She ended up with a 3” laceration on the back of her head and got 1 stitch and 5 staples. She was feeling a little woozy so she agreed to use a cane or walker while at home to stay steady. This was her third fall this year but each one was circumstantial and isn’t a cause for concern yet. Staples come out Monday the 15th.
If you have someone in your family who is older or is at risk for a fall, I HIGHLY recommend the Apple Watch. The fall detection really works and the watch called 911. The watch has to be paired with an iPhone so Android users would have to switch. But this is a life-saving feature. It can also monitor for AFib. If you are lucky enough to still have your mom in your life, call her right now and tell her how much you love and appreciate her. I mean it, life can change so quickly. <3
I hope to get this week’s photos edited and posted within the next few days. Thanks for looking!
