Dear Journal~

A very tired Louie Sandusky writing.  Hope this finds y'all well; I am trying to get some writing-down time in while the kids play outside.  Their happy shrieks and raucous, childish laughter is like music to my ears; it's good to see them being so happy and carefree.

Bill is at work:  he doesn't come home from Wal*Mart until six, which is in a little under four hours from now.  It will probably be closer to seven; he will probably stop in and grab some to-go food to feed us.  (There goes a good chunk of his paycheck!)  He will probably also gas up the van; there is another pretty chunk of change!  *sighhhh*

Seems our paychecks just don't go far these days in these times of economic uncertainty and ever-rising costs of just about everything!!

The day before yesterday, at the hospital where I work, we had a bad one come in.  A lady was struck by lightning while sitting in her car.  Apparently, the woman was sitting in her car, waiting for the rain to let up (so she could go into her house).  The windows were getting fogged up, so she cracked the driver's side window open to let some fresh air in.  Lightning immediately hit the tree that was beside her; the lightning sideflashed from the tree, through the open window, and struck her, right in the left shoulder.  The current traveled through her chest and exited from her right foot.

A neighbor saw it happen.  She frantically called 911 for the paramedics; thankfully there was a unit around the corner from where the lady lives, so they got to her pretty quickly.  CPR was initiated and continued when she arrived at the ER.  They eventually revived her, but for the first 48 hours, the woman's survival was highly in doubt.  She remained unconscious for that period of time.

Well, yesterday, she woke up in the ICU, with her faculties seemingly intact, which was a huge relief on all our minds.  She was complaining of confusion and severe pain, but was able to move her legs upon command, and her right arm as well.  (The left arm remains paralyzed.)  She knew her name, how old she was, and where she lived/worked; she just didn't know how she ended up in the hospital; she's still trying to figure that one out.

"I was sitting in my car one minute, and the next:  BAM!  I'm here!  I'm in the hospital!" she was quoted as saying. 

The woman continues to improve.  She was moved out of the ICU this morning; she's now in a regular ward.  She will probably be released from the hospital sometime in the coming week, where she will probably continue her recovery (plus she will need ongoing therapy).  It is only by a miracle that she wasn't killed or left severely brain damaged as a result of the direct lightning strike.

As for my own family, no crises or hospital stays for none of the kids (or my parents or hubby), thank the Lord!  I pray this continues; I love it when I am not worrying about whether they will pull through yet another crisis or illness and not having to while my off time away at the hospital after I'd already worked there all day!  At times it seems like I live at the hospital rather than in my own home!!

The weather here is hot, hot, hot!  Therefore, the family pool is doing a booming business, which means I will have a ton of towels and wet or dirty bathing suits, swimming trunks, or oversized tee-shirts to wash later on!  *Sigghh*  Or the kids are going through the sprinkler or squirting each other with those toy water cannons, which hold an awful lot of water.  All I have to say is this:  if they spray me one more time and get me soaked like they did the last time, I'm confiscating their weaponry--permanently!!

I will be glad when fall comes and the kids are in school, out of my hair!  The only ones I will have to keep tabs on are Ian, Isaiah, and Emir!  The others will be in their respective schools, where they will (hopefully) be learning new things!

I can handle three little boys as opposed to the whole crew of 63:  when that happens, I need the big guns--extra reinforcements, in the guise of my parents, Bill (when he's not working), or the older kids still left at home!  Anything to give this poor, tired, overworked mama a well deserved break!

Yesterday, I took the children to get their required shots for school.  They were not amused, especially the littler ones or the more disabled ones, who really don't understand the implications or the reasons why they need the shots, except that big, mean people are out to get them or cause pain!  I felt so sorry for them!!  They cried and cried; I felt like the world's worst mother, for having to subject them to this "torture"!

Now the shots are forgotten as they splash about the pool, try to dodge the flying jets of water from the water cannons, or run through the sprinkler, anything to cool off from the blazing hot southern sun.  It is wonderful to see them being so happy, so full of life, so energized!  (Wish I had some of that myself!  I sure could use it!)

On Monday, before I go to work (I work in the eveningtime, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. Tuesday), I will have to go to the store, stock up on the required school supplies.  This is when I wish they'd sell these items in bulk; with my family, it gets downright expensive to get their paper, pens, crayons, markers, rulers, et. al, even if they were dirt cheap!  At least they will have their things before school starts up; nothing worse than a kid not having their items once school begins, only to be humiliated for forgetting!

Well, gang, I hate to put this to bed, but the little ones (Ian and Isaiah, as well as Emir) are getting grumpy; I think they need a nap.  And Roberto is stimming again, while Jodie just did a large one in her diapers; I could see her face turning bright red and hear her grunting like a piggie.  NICE.  (I sure hope she's proud of herself for that one!)  Seems that a mother's work is never done, especially on her day off!  I will write in here again another day; until then, this is Louie signing off!  Take care, and may God bless you mightily!  Love y'all!

~As always, your friend, Louie.  :)