Going Home/Kotiin!

So.... This was a week ago. We ended up staying in the hospital for one night, only (Cleft Palate Surgery blog post here). It actually wasn't too bad, our night nurse was so quiet we did get some sleep, too. But there is no place like home, so we were happy to hear we were being discharged.




The view from our hospital room...



The Captain and Little Miss brought Mei Mei a Minnie Mouse balloon, which she loved! It was the first balloon we had given her, and she always likes to point to them at the grocery store.



She wanted her shoes on, even those her IV site was a little sore on her foot.



Starting to feel a lot better, and a lot happier! The balloon was such a great idea!!



Despite being told in the morning we'd be discharged, it took a half a day to be able to leave the hospital. I guess that is the way it goes. We had another stop to make (next blog post, hopefully), and a long drive home, but we did make it.

It was so good to have this part behind us!

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Olimme sairaalassa vain yhden yön (enemmän leikkauksesta täällä), ja vaikka aamulla meille luvattiin, että päästään kotiin, kesti puoli päivää, ennen kuin pääsimme lähtemään. Seuraavassa blogipostauksessa kerron missä vielä pysähdyimme, sitten ajoimme pitkän matkan kotiin.

Lähtöpäivänä Kapteenin ja Pikkuneidin tuoma ilmapallo toi paljon iloa ja onnea Mei Meille! Hän on aina ihaillut ilmapalloja ruokakauppojen kassalla, mutta ensimmäistä kertaa (meillä ainakin) sai leikkiä ilmapallolla:)

Cleft Palate Surgery/Kitalakihalkioleikkaus

Early in the morning yesterday we arrived at the hospital for Mei Mei's cleft palate surgery. We had tried to explain to Mei Mei what was happening, but we don't know how much she understood. She knew something different was happening, and wasn't so sure about the nurses and doctors checking her out. I kept praying for God to grant her the peace that passes all understanding.



The surgery went well. She first had tubes put in her ears, as we had had a checkup on Wednesday with our ENT doctor, and had found out she still had fluid in her ears. Next was the palate repair. It lasted two or three hours. Plus time in recovery room before we could see her.

It turns out her palate was wider than anticipated, so there may be another surgery down the road, but we don't need to worry about that right now. The surgery went well, and there was minimal bleeding.

She was uncomfortable most of yesterday, and wanted mama to hold her. Daddy was a great second, too, and we got our first smiles last night when Mr A and Little Miss stopped by.

In the evening Mei Mei started to calm down, I was able to put her on the bed, and she even signed and attempted to speak some. It was difficult as she had no-nos (arm restraints) on and her tongue had a stitch on to keep it from rolling back.

She wanted to drink water and apple juice and even had clear broth last night. The hospital had soft tender-care feeders with a small tube going into her mouth, so nothing would hurt the palate or the stitches in her mouth.



This morning Mei Mei is doing great! She has been calm, and sleeping in the crib. She woke up regularly at night, the nurse and I would give her meds (she doesn't care for it), and she would sleep again. I had a sofa bed in the room, but needed to stay by her side all night. Fortunately there was a comfortable recliner that was brought in for me last night, so I got some sleep, too.

I am waiting for the doctors to make their rounds, but one of her surgeons came by, and was pleased how well she is doing. He clipped the stitch off her tongue, and that immediately made Mei Mei feel more comfortable.

She needs to be seen by a few more people, but it looks like we can go home today!

Thank you all so much for all your prayers. God is so good. We have been comforted by so many people lifting her up to our Heavenly Father in their prayers around the world, and have loved all the notes on Facebook and here on the blog. Thanks also for all the emails and texts!

We will keep posting on Facebook and here when we can on her progress.

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Mei Mein leikkaus meni hyvin. Se alkoi eilen aamulla ennen klo 8, ensin laitettiin putket korviin, sitten oli kitalakihalkioleikkauksen vuoro. Kaiken kaikkiaan meni noin kolme tuntia. Mei Mei oli aika itkuinen eilen, halusi maman syliin (daddy oli hyvä kakkonen), ja olo oli selvästi surkea. Iltaanpäin hän alkoi rauhoittumaan, joi vettä, omenamehua ja kanalientä. Kun Kapteeni toi Mr A:n ja Pikkuneidin vierailemaan, Mei Mei virkistyi ja saimme jopa ekat hymyt.

Yö meni rauhallisesti, lääkettä annoimme hoitajan kanssa säännöllisesti (siihen tarvittiin kaksi), ja olo selvästi alkoi olla parempi. Minä nukuin vieressä mukavassa tuolissa, jonka sai nukkuma-asentoon.

Lääkäri käväisi jo aamulla, ja oli tyytyväinen kuinka hyvin Mei Mei voi. Hänen mukaansa voimme lähteä kotiin tänään, mutta odottelemme vielä muita lääkäreitä ja terapeutteja.

Kiitos teille kaikille esirukouksistanne! Taivaan Isä on niin hyvä meitä kohtaan. On ollut ihana saada viestejä ympäri maailmaa, kovasti lämmittänyt mieltä.

Laitan päivityksiä Facebookiin ja tänne kun mahis.

Upcoming Cleft Palate Surgery/Tuleva halkioleikkaus

A big week ahead of us... Mei Mei's cleft palate surgery is scheduled for Thursday. We had her pre-op appointment this week, and also (after unsuccessfully visiting two local dentists) had an x-ray of her mouth done at the cleft team dentist's office.



Mei Mei is missing a tooth in the cleft gum line, and the x-ray showed nothing hiding in there, making the repair simpler, so that was good news. Apparently down the road she may get an implant where she is missing a tooth, or one of her teeth will be 'shaped' to look like the one that is supposed to be there.



Our pre-op appointment went well. We really like our surgeon. I think I remembered to ask all the questions I thought of after we left the cleft clinic last month.



We do have some specific prayer requests as we are getting closer to the surgery date. In addition to surgery being successful, and recovery as painless and quick as possible without complications...

- Mei Mei needs labwork done, praying to get that done tomorrow successfully

- Mei Mei (and us all!) would stay well. Mr T has been sick, but he is starting to feel better, and Mei Mei so far seems fine. We have been shielding her from germs as much as possible for about a week already

- Especially for two weeks after surgery it is very important Mei Mei doesn't suck her fingers. She finds much comfort in sucking, and we will need a miracle here. We will be given arm restraints (no-nos) for her, but our surgeon thinks she is old enough to figure out how to get out of them. Any tips would be appreciated, if you have gone the road ahead of us...

- Supernatural understanding for Mei Mei as she goes through this painful and confusing experience.


- For all the many details that need to be taken care of before, during and after.. Poor Mei Mei - her first Thanksgiving will be all pureed foods! (Good thing she loves my mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry jello:)



God is good... All the time!



Not sure how much we can post here, but if I have wifi at the hospital we will be posting updates on the Mothership FB page. Make sure to like and follow our updates, and most importantly... pray. Thank you!!!

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Ensi viikolla on Mei Mein halkioleikkaus. Tällä viikolla kävimme kirurgin vastaanotolla valmistautumassa leikkaukseen, ja käväisimme myös halkiotiimin hammaslääkärin luona, jossa vihdoin onnistui suun röntgen (kolmas kerta toden sanoo). Ienhalkiosta ei löytynyt hammasta, mikä yksinkertaistaa ensi viikon leikkausta. Kirurgilla oli aikaa meidän kanssa jutella ja vastailla kysymyksiin - kaikkiin niihin, jotka tuli mieleen halkiotiimin viime kuisen vierailun jälkeen.

Rukouspyyntöiksi jättäisin, että leikkaus onnistuu, toipuminen sujuu hyvin ja mahdollisimman nopeasti ja kivuttomasti, ilman mitään komplikaatioita. Että kaikki yksityiskohdat ja järjestelyt onnistuisi, niin ennen, leikkauksen aikana kuin jälkeenkin. Mr T on ollut kipeä, onneksi alkaa vointi parantua, mutta rukoillaan, ettei Mei Mei sairastuisi, tai kukaan muukaan. Huomenna pitäisi saada labrakokeet otettua onnistuneesti.

Ja yksi iso rukouspyyntö: ettei Mei Mei imisi sormiaan leikkauksen jälkeen. Hän niin saa lohdutusta imemisestä, mutta pariin viikkoon ei saa, ettei leikkauskohta aukenisi. Käsivarsiin laitetaan hihat (no-not), jotka estävät käsivarsien taivuttamisen, mutta kirurgin mukaan Mei Mei varmasti keksii, kuinka ne saa pois käsistä. Tähän tarvitsemme ihmettä.. Onko neuvoja?


Keskellä Mei Mein toipumusta on Kiitospäivä - Mei Mein ensimmäinen. Onneksi hän tykkää perunamuusista ja karpalohillosta:)

Jo ennen kuin me saimme Mei Mein syliimme, Taivaan Isän on hänestä pitänyt hyvää huolta. Niin luotamme Hänen täydelliseen suunnitelmaansa ja rakkauteensa Mei Meitä kohtaan tulevienkin päivien ja viikkojen suhteen. Jumala on hyvä. Aina.

Jos päivityksiä ei ilmesti blogiin, toivottavasti niitä löytyy facebook-sivuilta. Kiitos rukouksistanne!

4 Ways To Choose The Best Math Curriculum - Guest Post by Mr. D

4 Ways To Choose The Best Math Curriculum
By Dennis DiNoia, M.A.Ed

I always have parents telling me that they have tried it all…and they feel resigned and a little hopeless.  I hate when that happens.

If math curriculums have been a sore spot in your homeschooling experience, here is the “Mr. D” List for choosing the right math curriculum for your family.

1.  Stick with it

I have travelled across North America, stationed myself in Hawaii and questioned select educators in Europe to research a broad range of math programs.  I wanted to learn how they are constructed, how inclusive they are and how the concepts are delivered.  What I have discovered however, is there really aren’t major differences between curriculums content, only in how they’re structured. What I did learn, is that the schools with the highest performance percentages remained consistent with their curriculum.  The school system used the same textbook series middle school to high school to create consistency and promote higher comprehension.  When students first begin a new program, it can be difficult to adjust. But if they tough it out long enough, something wonderful happens. Our brains begin to adjust to the new learning style, making it easier to comprehend. So if you feel like your textbook isn’t working for you, ask yourself “have I given it enough time?”  You’d be surprised how much you grow and develop in the course of a school year.

2. Compare your high school textbooks against entry-level college textbooks

It is critical to have a solid mathematical foundation before entering college.  College professors spend little time reviewing concepts with the hopes that you already have a strong grasp on what was covered in high school.  When choosing a high school curriculum, it might be helpful to browse through the table of contents of your current math book and compare the topics to an entry-level college textbook.  If there are some concepts missing, it might be best to invest in a different textbook.

3. Don’t make a decision based on the price

When finding the right curriculum, money should not be the main consideration. Obviously it plays a role, but if you are either looking to get a bargain or spend as much as possible for the “top of the line” curriculum, you might be disappointed in the results. Always keep in mind that price does not entirely reflect quality.  Be sure to collect your research and don’t make the mistake of letting price be the deciding factor.

4. Decide what your end goal is for your education

Whether you plan to attend college, vocational school or complete high school and go right to work, it’s important to align your education with your future goals. If you are still unsure, then assume you’ll attend college and study with that mindset. By choosing the highest and broadest level of math, it will leave your options open and help you cultivate a deeper understanding for the concepts you’re learning.  Knowing what you want to do is key to deciding what curriculum to use.  That may also mean completing a little homework on the vocation you’re eying to learn what kind of math skills or education levels are required.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with changing your mind, but it’s important to actively look towards the future and plan accordingly.  In my own life, I would have never thought I would become a math curriculum creator.  I did however want to be in business for myself and play music. But when the time came, I had to decide what would be my profession and what would be my hobby.

Finally, if you make a curriculum switch, be sure you didn’t miss anything.

Math is important and colleges need to know you’re on par with the nation’s average.  Their only uniform measure of knowing you didn’t fall asleep during most your high school math classes is how well you perform on the SAT and ACT.  As of March 2016, the SAT is changing to include a higher level of math expectancy.  If a student has a solid comprehension of Algebra I and Geometry, they could score well on the old SAT.  But the new SAT requires students to be proficient in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.  By moving to a new curriculum, there’s a chance important concepts could be overlooked if the new curriculum assumes the content was already covered in a previous course.  For example, in my Algebra II course we cover logarithms and matrices.  If a student comes to my Pre-Calculus course without covering these concepts, it can serve as a challenge for the student.  While this isn’t a deal breaker, the start of the semester can be a little rocky.  Fortunately, I provide plenty of review videos and extra practice for anyone in need of a refresher crash course.


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Thank you so much for your helpful article, Mr. D! You can learn more about Mr. D Math here. It is the math curriculum we use and highly recommend!

Florida Fall/Syksyä Floridassa

While fall might not be as spectacular in Florida as it is in New England, we so have enjoyed the cooler temperatures, and different fall festivities. We visited a pumpkin patch one morning with other homeschool families.




Some of us attended a Trunk or Treat festival at a local church this week. We had a fun time with friends and dressing up. Mei Mei always loves going out, and celebrates with enthusiasm. She loves to wave 'hi' to people, and she loves music and dancing.



The Captain took a quick trip to Maine, and returned with the Mothership - we hope to go on some smaller adventures soon. As soon the Captain arrived, Mr T and Mr D did go on a new adventure, the two of them flew to Kentucky for few a days!

For a family that usually goes where the wind blows, it sure has been an adjustment to live by the calendar....!! It's only for a season, right???




School fills up a big part of our days. The little girls love going to the library, and big kids often do, too, especially Mr D.

 

What would be fall without pies? We have made apple and pumpkin pies so far (Mr A took the picture above, and I just love having one of the boys half way into the freezer in it, haha!)

So far Mei Mei has not been a big fan of the pies, but she sure loves the ice cream that often gets served along the pie.




Even princesses make sure to take good care of their teeth! Earlier in October Little Miss got braces, and this week Missy had to have oral surgery to expose a stubborn tooth that wouldn't come down on its' own.

Mei Mei goes in for her palate repair surgery later this month, too, and Mr T needs wisdom teeth surgery, but he is going to wait a bit, since he isn't in pain at the moment.




While our foliage here in Florida may not be as brilliant as up north, going to the beach in October and November is pretty awesome:) No complaints!!!

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Kaikenlaista syystouhua on ollut ilmassa täällä Floridassa. Ruska ei tietenkään ole niin upea täällä, mutta onneksi ilmat alkavat viilentyä jonkin verran, ja ulkona on ollut kiva olla. Yksi iso paikallinen kirkko järjesti monenlaista syystapahtumaa lapsille: kävimme 'kurpitsapellolla' muiden kotikoululaisten kanssa, ja naamiaistapahtumassa myös.

Koulua käymme ahkerasti, ja lempipaikkoja vierailla viikottain ovat kirjasto ja merenranta - tätä ihanaa Floridan syksy-ja talvielämistä, kun saa mennä rannalle koska vain!

Tämä syksy on ollut oikea hampaiden syksy meille. Pikkuneiti sai raudat lokakuussa, ja perjantaina Missylle tehtiin operaatiota, kun yksi rautahampaista ei suostunut laskeutumaan itsekseen. Nyt marraskuussa on tulossa Mei Mein leikkaus myös, ja vielä Mr T:kin tarvitsisi viisaudenhampaiden poistoa, mutta sen jätämme vähän myöhemmälle.

Kapteeni kävi hakemassa Mothership-asuntoauton Mainestä, ja kun hän tuli kotiin, Mr T ja Mr D suuntasivat Kentuckyyn, tarkasti pitää elää kalenterin kanssa täällä, mutta eiköhän meidän villi ja vapaa arkemme joku päivä tule takaisin taas... :-)