Happy Birthday to me

The pack meeting this week was a riot. There was a pie in the face event.

The boys got to pie the leader of their choice in reward for fundraising.

They also played 'carnival games' hosted by the Bear Cubs.

Excitingly it was also the beginning of the pinewood derby season.

The Pinewood Derby is one of the major Cub Scout events.

I looked on YouTube and found this great video.

Kiernan had such a good time he asked to stay after the pack meeting and I was very pleased indeed with how happy he was and how attentive he had been the whole time.

Tuesday was a good day for him.

Wednesday on the other hand was a wretched day for him. In the morning he discovered that Megan had gotten into his advent calendar and eaten all his chocolates.

He had an upset stomach, something that had been reoccurring since last Sunday.

In school he said he felt nauseous all day and had stomach pains. Then I got a call from the health office. Kiernan peed in his pants during gym class. He was taken to the health room to change and to check his health generally. While there he did it again. The nurse asked him what he did that for (I am not particularly pleased with how she handled any of this but 'what did you do that for' is a particularly unhelpful question). He said he didn't know. She called me and let me know about his problem and suggested that he might have a UTI. She also suggested to me that though she didn't know him and couldn't say for sure, Kiernan didn't seem normal to her. She felt that he should have known how to use the paper towel dispenser (with a motion censor on it that he hasn't seen before), that he didn't know how to use a phone (it was a desk phone and he has only ever used an iphone as we have no landline at home) and that he wasn't communicating clearly to her that he stared at her blankly and didn't respond to her questions (almost as if he were deeply embarrassed and sick and didn't want to discuss he pee accident with a complete stranger).

Mom went over and picked him up and the nurse made known to her that Kiernan didn't seem very bright.

Mom was so mad she almost whipped out her I am a nursing supervisor and I think you are being unprofessional inappropriate and shouldn't be working with children rant...I almost wish she had, but she decided not to have that conversation in front of Kiernan (all of this happened right in front of him to my distress) who just wanted to go.  Good call mom.

I wasn't sure what to think so I talked to him and he seemed OK but embarrassed. I was swamped at work so David had to leave his job early to take Kiernan to the Dr. to check for biological explanations.

There was an explanation though an unexpected one.

Kiernan for the first time in his life was constipated. He had a blockage pressing on his bladder and with a bit of Mirilax and a few days the problem was solved...although we now have the worlds most flatulent 6 year old. haha 

The school nurse called the next morning to check on Kiernan and I am not sure if that is a result of the emails i sent to Kiernan's teacher or if maybe she was just having a bad day/bad match.

Thursday night brought the den meeting. I don't love it when the pack and den meetings are in the same week. At his best Kiernan is cranky and over sensitive by the end of the week. Den meetings run right into bed time and being at the end of the week as they are they tend to be at the end of his tolerance anyway.  By this meeting the Miralax hadn't kicked in yet so he was particularly uncomfortable and tired. He asked me if he could on do half the meeting and I said maybe so depending on how things went. Then he asked if it could be a 4th instead and quickly thereafter asked what half of a 4th was. lol

This meeting was actually a really fun one. We had a field trip to see the inner workings of the grocery store. We got a tour of all the areas usually hidden from view. The boys particularly like the huge box crusher and the walk in freezer full of ice cream.

He was more than done after and hour out though.

But

He made it the whole meeting through and finished his activities and requirements and was polite to the tour lady if too clingy to me so I am satisfied.

On Thursday at my work we did secret Santa. It was my first ever secret Santa and I felt happy to be taking part with my new group. My new job starts at the beginning of the year and I still feel like they are going to be fun to work with. I got some spiffy Godiva hot chocolate and a few candies.

On Friday I took Megan to Ikea. While there we got to met up with her 2nd cousin and great uncle and then almost immediately after with my dad.

She loves Ikea and so do I. They didn't have any of the stuff I went there for. I quite wanted some glogg and a blanket like one we got last year and couldn't find either.

I picked up some easy to spot arrows at Walmart and took Kiernan out for a little shooting. My small bow is still a little hard for him to pull so I am now thinking about getting him a small longbow.

On Saturday morning I got a surprise birthday party. We had lots of guests and lots and lots of brunch food. I had no anxiety attacks and was amazed by that as much as anything else.

After the party we went to the gym to swim in the pool. Then that evening David took me out to fancy fancy food.

We went to Volt and I had a long slow meal that was the equivalent of eating giant pop rocks. Lots of tastes I have never had before.

Like SO from their website:

BEETS are wrapped in a salt dough and roasted until tender, then sliced thin. persimmon is cooked in a gastrique of cider vinegar and spices, then pureed. green papaya and mango are accented with shallots and thai chilies

PARSNIPS are roasted with alliums and stewed with broth made from their trimmings then pureed to a veloute. spelt berries are cooked, dehydrated, then puffed. a fragrant oil is made from sage with banyuls vinegar and pink peppercorn to dress the grains

CAULIFLOWER flavors a rich, warm custard made with hen egg. an emlusion of uni is enriched with notes of lemongrass, ginger, and green apples are seasoned with vinegar made from cider.

CHITARRA egg pasta is handcut on a traditional chitarra. heirloom cherry tomatoes are gently cooked with shallots and garlic until they release their juices. rock shrimp are poached in the sauce. finished with shiso and fines herbs.

ROYAL TRUMPET MUSHROOMS are roasted with garlic and thyme. arugula is blanched and pureed smooth. heirloom carrot and purple top turnips and braised and then pickled. chanterelle mushrooms are roasted with brown butter

COCONUT sorbet is made from coconut milk and jasmine. asian pear compressed with kaffir lime syrup. fresh finger lime cells are separated and used raw.

I was assured the rock shrimp were not present in my spaghetti but I do wonder about the uni.

It was too expensive but so much fun.

We started eating at 8:30 and finished at 11:30 at which time (party animals that we are) we were falling asleep in our fresh finger lime cells.

We finished out tree decorating and indoor decoration dispersal.

I am now 42 and the meaning of life.

We spent Sunday sleepy and domestic.