Author: spaleksic

It only took 6 years…

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We live 5,000 kilometers from all of our family which makes some things a little tricky logistically. When our first son was born we investigated getting him baptized. We had decided that we would try and baptize the kids into my husband’s religion which proved to be very difficult. I say investigated because we live on an island where there isn’t a church of my husbands religion. There were also some pretty strict rules about who could be the children’s godparents. The best option that we had available would prove to be very expensive, involve ferry travel and included strangers as godparent’s. Not exactly the ideal situation. So for years we didn’t do anything because we felt that we hit a road block. The solution that we finally chose was to baptize the children in a church that was neither mine or my husbands. That might seem extreme, but it was actually the best option for all of us. We found a church which would baptize the children and welcome us all. The minister was lovely and organized a ceremony on a very short timeline. The minister removed all of the barriers which we had previously run up against, which in my mind is the way that religion should be anyway. We met with him on a Friday and baptized the children on Sunday while we were visiting family. This also allowed our family to be present and be involved in the ceremony. My mom arranged a little party last minute and the whole day came together without any issues.

In my regular style the event included cupcakes!

When life gives you lemons….

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When life gives you lemons you can make lemonade but you better hope that life is also giving you a pound of sugar.

Other options to try if life has given you lemons

  1. When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in people’s eyes. (that just seems wrong)
  2. When life gives you lemons grab tequila and salt (unless you have a brain tumor and alcohol can increase your risk of seizures, not my best option right now)
  3. When life gives you lemons stick them in your bra and work it (I love this one, but I could hide a few lemons in my bra and you wouldn’t even know they were there. ;))
  4. and my ultimate favourite…..When life gives you lemons, you paint that shit GOLD!

Damn skippy I will. When life gives you lemons (or a brain tumor as luck would have it), you paint that shit gold. This saying has become my new motto. It has also inspired the painting below. I haven’t painted since I was a student at the Ontario College of Art and Design in the mid 90’s (OMG I sound so old). So don’t be too judgy. I did however signup for a painting/drawing class in Italy 8 years ago and not once did I paint. I ended up giving away all of my art supplies to make room in my suitcase for shoes and purses. While my classmates were painting I took thousands of photos. Some were of lemons. I used one of the photos taken on that trip as the basis of this painting.

I am going to proudly hang these lemons in my house because once I survive this brain tumor I am not going to forget the big basket of lemons that I was given. I realize that these aren’t exactly gold but I believe that the saying is more about making the best of a bad situation. Everyone has their lemons, I am going to paint mine gold.

Rocking Out

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Forgive me mother nature for I have been embellishing your creations.  Sasha is studying his letters, and learning to spell so I made these alphabet rocks to help him on his journey.  Using acrylic craft paint, I painted a letter and some dots (just for fun) on each rock, and when they were dry I sprayed them with a gloss paint so the rocks will stand up to touching and outdoor life.  To complement the rocks I spray painted the top surface of a IKEA coffee table with chalkboard paint.  The idea is to use the rocks and the table together to copy the letters and spell out words.  I will post some more info about the chalkboard table in the future.  But for now keep rocking out.

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The results are in, drum roll please.

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The results are in, drum roll please. The bad news is that I still have a brain tumor, surprisingly he hasn`t disappeared as I secretly hoped he would. The good news is that he seems to be behaving himself. My neurosurgeon has scheduled my next appointment for the middle of June, which I also take to be a very good sign. Had he wanted to see me right away it would have been bad news. But I am not an overly patient, patient. So I went to see my GP for a Cole’s notes version of the MRI results. To be honest I was afraid that the MRI would discover that Timmy was part of a larger family of brain tumors, but that does not appear to be the case, at least no one has said hey looks like you are growing a tumor family in your brain. I take that to be a good sign. Timmy the tumor is however still there hanging onto my skull behind my left ear using my meninges as a blanket. He is described as an avidly enhancing extra-axial mass. Imagine for a second what Charlie Brown’s mother sounds like, wha, wha, wha, wha cause that`s how I feel when I read these reports. Which surprisingly my doctor’s keep giving me for my tumor scrap book. I really wish the reports came with pictures. I need a map that says ‘tumor is here’ with a big red dot. Timmy is measuring a little larger than in the CT scan, but I also know that Timmy was a little camera shy in his CT image. If the surgeon thinks that he will behave himself until the middle of June, I am fine with that.

Medical-Cartoon-071Now that I have had both a CT and a MRI I really prefer the MRI. Or perhaps I preferred the MRI tech because sometimes people make all the difference, either way it is NOT scary. When I was called in for the MRI the tech went through a list of questions, including do I have shrapnel, or bullets lodged in my body, or metal shards in my eyes. I’m sure that those are very important questions but I couldn’t help laughing as she proceeded down the list. Thankfully I don’t have bullets, shrapnel and a brain tumor because that sounds like a very bad combo.

Thump, thump, thump, thump was all I could hear  as I stood there getting my instructions from the tech and I couldn’t help but ask whose heartbeat I could hear. I wasn’t hooked up to the machine yet, so it wasn’t me. She was like, heartbeat? I haven’t heard that one before. That’s the pump for MRI machine.

I hoped up on the table preparing to enter the giant womb with a heartbeat and all and I ask the tech about the contrast dye. For the CT scan I needed an IV so that they could insert contrast dye which makes you feel like you pee your pants when they inject it (not pleasant). She informed me that she would pull me out of the machine part way through and inject the dye with a needle, so no IV, that in itself was a win. I hate IV’s, they make me feel like a sick person, plus they make me itchy. As an added bonus her contrast dye doesn’t make you feel like you peed yourself, double win.

After a nice warm blanket and pillows for my knees I am ready to be strapped into the helmet. This is as close as I am ever going to get to wearing a sports helmet or any kind. The helmet is necessary so that I can’t move my head. I am literally strapped to a board. She puts in ear plugs for me and asks what kind of music I might like, seriously 5 star service. I opted for something light so that I wasn’t tempted to sing, or dance while I am supposed to be perfectly still. The helmet has a mirror so that I can see out of the MRI machine, it’s all a very cool technical experience. The inner science geek in me is totally enthralled by all of the technology.

She warns me that the MRI machine will be loud, and the bed will vibrate. I asked if it would be louder or rougher than riding inside a float plane, and no she assures me that it will not. So no big deal. She hands me a panic button which bears a striking resemblance to a nasal aspirator, gross. And into the heart-beating machine I go.

As I lie there I think of the last time that I have been told that I can do nothing except lie still for 45 minutes. No kids, no responsibilities, just lie there listen to music and do nothing. I think that it has been at least 6 years, and perhaps a lot longer than that. So I took a little 45 minute break from life as magnets pulled images from my brain.

When the magnets started working I could feel some pain in my tooth, the one with the crown. Once I realized what was happening I rationally told myself that she would have warned me about crowns (like the bullets and shrapnel) if they were a problem. When she pulled me out to inject the dye I mentioned it, and she said some people feel dental pain because of nerve sensitivity and other’s feel nothing. Maybe I should have mentioned that the dentist left part of the drill bit in my tooth, but that wasn’t on her list of questions. Anyway that was three root canals ago, so I’m sure it was just the post for my crown. After the whole thing was over my crown is still in place and I promised the tech I would be back for another spin on the MRI machine in the future.

If only a craniotomy could be as painless as getting a MRI. Now I patiently wait until the middle of June for the next step in this brain tumor adventure.

All I want for Christmas…

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I know that it’s nowhere near Christmas I’m just getting caught up on a few items on my to do list. This is a project that we (my husband and I) have been working on for a long time. Starting with the day that I first saw our current house 4 years ago. When I first saw what would be Logan’s room before Logan was even an idea I knew that the space would be perfect for a built-in bunk bed. But first we needed to get the house, get pregnant, and have the baby. When Logan was born we put the crib in the “nook” and I patiently waited until he was old enough to make the transition into a big bed which happened this fall. I wanted to build this about as much as a five-year old boy would want it. In September we went to Great Wolf Lodge and the boys spent their first night in a bunk bed.

That sparked Sasha to ask for a bunk bed for Christmas. After explaining that Santa doesn’t have room in his sleigh for a bunk bed, Stanko and I decided that it was time to build one in the “nook” in Logan’s room. We finished building it right before Christmas and Sasha promptly moved into Logan’s room. It took me the last 4 months to get it painted, hang the pictures, hem the drapes, and make more pillows.

I love that we have enough space so that the kids can be sleep together, apart, in the same room or in different rooms. If one of them is sick we can separate them into their own rooms, yet most of the time they opt to sleep together in Logan’s double bed. Sasha’s room goes unoccupied almost all of the time so it’s fair game for visitors.

My kids are my inspiration for most of my projects. The following items can be found in Logan’s room.

Here is the before…

before

During…

After…

If you are looking for me I will be napping in the bottom bunk with the drapes closed.

Pom Pom Pillows

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I saw an idea for a pom pom rug on Pinterest and I thought that it looked interesting. But it also looked like a bit of work to make all of the pom poms and then attach them all to a backing. So I decided to do a trial run in the form of a pillow to test the process. It is a lot of work, and I will not be making a rug. Especially since the morning after I finished sewing all of the pom pom’s onto the pillow Logan (my 2 year old) came to me with piles of yarn in his hands that used to be pom pom snowballs). He had sat quietly and pulled apart about 10 white pom poms, now I can’t really blame him, he’s 2 and I am sure it was fun. It was days before Easter when the snowball massacre occurred, and the yarn became the “Easter grass” for the kids new Easter baskets. But this pillow was far too much work to be destroyed by his little hands in a matter of minutes. So until he is over his destruction phase (hopefully before his 18th birthday) this pillow will stay on the top shelf 😦

Seeing Stars

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Star 1For those that know I have a brain tumor, don’t worry the stars are completely unrelated to my medical state. But I do have a tiny obsession with stars. There is something about the odd number of points and graphic nature that draws me to them. Plus real stars are so shiny, and who doesn’t love a little bling.

Often I get started on one project that morphs into one or more others. This one started with a bunk bed and turned into tea towels and pillows. How does that even happen? All I can say is that my mind is a complicated place.

Printing fabric is super easy if you haven’t ever attempted it.

For this project I used:

  • Canvas drop cloth for the pillows – left over from another project purchased at a big box store
  • Flour sack tea towels – left over from the watermelon tea towel project
  • A rubber stamp – Michael’s
  • Acrylic paint – Craft Smart from Michael’s in Blue Jean, Navy Blue, Shamrock and Lush Foliage
  • Fabric Medium – Craft Smart brand from Michael’s
  • Paint brush
  • Yogurt container lid
  • A six-year-old helper (optional)

star 6

Instructions:

For the tea towels or canvas yardage (pillows) the instructions are exactly the same. I like to involve the kids when I make things especially when what I am making is for them. My six-year-old helper decided where the next star was to go by putting his finger on the fabric and then I would stamp the next star in his desired location.

  1. Iron the fabric (optional)
  2. Mix the paint with the fabric medium as per the bottle (the fabric medium waters down the paint which allows it to be absorbed by the fabric a little better and doesn’t make it crusty when it dries)
  3. Paint the mixture directly onto the stamp, and stamp the fabric
  4. Once you have completed stamping the fabric let it dry
  5. Iron to set the colours on the appropriate heat setting for the type of fabric you used

Standing in the rain

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cute-cloud-rain-cartoon3I stood in the rain the other day and didn’t even acknowledge it. At one point I did realize that water was dripping down my face, but I didn’t move.  I was just starring, and waiting. I remember thinking this isn’t so bad, why I have I never stood in the rain intentionally. I looked around and everyone around me had hoods and umbrella’s, and I just stood there a little longer feeling the rain on my face just because I can.

If you happen to see me and I am smiling more than normal, or I am more chatty than you remember, or I am standing in the rain there is a reason. I am happy to be alive. I am ecstatic that I wake up everyday. If I seem like I am no longer in a rush, it’s because I am not, I am not in a hurry to get anywhere, and I am not too busy. My brain tumor is making me a much nicer person. I have not however turned into a morning person so if you have the inkling to call before 9:00 am be warned. Should I start singing or dancing in the rain call the doctor because something is seriously wrong.

But don’t worry I haven’t gone too soft yet because that person that could be excruciatingly aggressive is lucking just below the surface ready to fight my brain invader with everything I have. On Thursday April 16th I go for a MRI to see how Timmy the tumor is doing. It would be wonderful if he is just shrunk away and they can’t find him, unfortunately I can often feel him pulsing letting me know that he is still there, but a girl can dream.

Brain Surgery, I got a guy for that!

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'Brain surgery? I have an app for that!'In my family if you need a “guy for that” you ask my brother-in-law Phil. He has a guy for everything, and his network stretches far beyond home repairs and renovations. Need your cappuccino maker fixed, he’s got a guy for that, beer tap installed in a fridge, he’s got a guy for that too. So I casually asked him if he happens to have a neurosurgeon. He said do you think my drywaller can do it? Hmmm, well it does involve patching, but no I don’t think that your dry waller can do brain surgery. And no I did not find the neurosurgeon on Kijiji.

I went to see the neurosurgeon last week, and I was very nervous going in to see him.  I had no idea what to expect.  Even though I had gotten some information from my sister-in-law about my brain tumor, I was still nervous.  As is the case in almost all medical situations there were forms to fill in.  But these were a little bit different.  After ticking the tumor box, and filling in the tumor type with brain tumor (which seemed to make it just a little more real) I flipped the page.  Do I have a penile implant, hmmm let me think about that one for a second, I don’t have a penis, so chances are I don’t have a penile implant.  Next question, do you have shards of metal in your eyes, God I hope not.  I couldn’t help questioning if I am I in the right office?  Then a little further down the page I put it all together, when I got to the “are you claustrophobic” question.  I feel for the guy that has to answer yes to tumor, penile implant, eyes filled with metal, and claustrophobia, that MRI machine might kill you.

mri-cartoonThe Neurosurgeon confirmed all that I had been told previously, which was a relief, and explained the next steps.  So the next step is an MRI which gives the doctor a 3D view of the tumor, providing a more exact location, an idea how quickly Timmy the tumor is growing and a better idea of how nicely he is playing with the surrounding nerves. I was also told that my tumor is camera-shy, his last photo session confirmed his existence but that’s about it.  A MRI will tell a much better story.

The neurosurgeon explained that he thought the best course of action is to remove Timmy.  He explained that he would cut a toonie sized hole in my skull, remove the tumor through the hole, and patch my skull with an acrylic plug.  An acrylic plug you say, is this going to require a trip to Home Depot?  I can’t say that I am looking forward to brain surgery, but a trip to Home Depot might be nice.  I was hoping for a metal plate so I could avoid the metal detector at the airport, and claim to be part robot but I guess an acrylic plug is the best solution if I need to go for another ride in the MRI machine.

So now I wait a little longer for the MRI. In the mean time hopefully my tumor doesn’t get the urge to have a growth spurt. And now of course I am worried that there are metal shards in my eyes that will be magnetically yanked out by the MRI machine.

Felt Easter Baskets

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A couple of weekends ago I was supposed to have my crafty moms over to make Easter baskets but I had just received some rather shocking news. But I was pretty determined to make the Easter baskets anyway. So here they are just in time for Easter. These are my take on a masculine Easter basket for my little boys. I used yarn scraps for the filling because my littlest love tore apart all of the snowball pom poms that I made earlier in the week, and it seemed like a pretty good use of his mess.

Instructions and pattern for the baskets are below. Click here for the bunny pattern.

We also decorated the eggs this morning which is a tradition carried on my by husband from his childhood. We were down one egg because Logan stole it from the table and bit into it shell and all.

Materials:

  • Three/four sheets of felt 9″x 12″ – cut one sheet in half for the inside, cut one sheet in half for the outside, cut a circle for inside, cut a circle for bottom, cut
  • One larger sheet of felt 23″ long or longer (paisley) – optional if you only want one seam on the outside
  • 2″ wide Ribbon or felt at least 14″ long
  • 3 plastic canvas sheets 10.5″ x 13.5″ – to give the basket structure
  • two skeins embroidery floss
  • needle
  • basket filler (yarn scraps)

Instructions:

  1. Cut all of the materials as per below images – note 2 felt circles are required but not shown. Ribbon is cut and folded in half to cover mesh handle.
  2. Sew the two mesh sides together, then sew on the bottom with embroidery floss. Safety pins work well to hold the bottom and sides together while sewing.

3. Sew the handle cover sides together with either felt or ribbon using a blanket stitch. Attach the handle to the basket with a straight stitch.

4. Sew the 2 pieces of inner lining together, and then sew the bottom on.

inner lining

5. Sew the outer lining together, and then sew the bottom on.

outer lining

6. With the inner lining inside the basket and the outer lining outside the mesh basket, sew the inner felt lining to the outer felt with a blanket stitch (around the handle I used XXXXX’s).  Fill the basket with yarn scraps, or easter basket grass.

Happy Easter.