Washington Auto Show

I took a bunch of pictures at the Auto Show today and will put them up on Flickr later today. We got there a little later than we wanted to this morning because Momma was a little "worn out" from our dinner with Charlie's parents, Scott and Suzanna at DC Coast last night. We had a good time and Dora, our new neighborhood baby sitter was great. The boys like her and it appears they have all get along really well. The Auto Show is one freaky place with all sorts of wierd distractions including the Redskinettes, unfortuneatly, I didn't get a picture with them. Dylan really wanted one, good boy...

Another Sponge Bob

Another Sponge Bob
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

Another cold night and more sponge bob. The boys have been doing well in school and have mostly been behaving for Blanca. We are going to the car show in dc on sunday and they are pretty excited about that. Mostly because of the cars but also because sponge bob will be there. Kumie has to be jealous.

Karate Island

I bought the Sponge Bob King of Karate episode off itunes a few months ago and the boys cannot get enough of it. Today, Sam told me a couple of his toy cars hadn't seen the episode and we needed to show it to them. This is Uton, the guy who lures Sponge Bob to Karate Island in scheme to get him to buy a timeshare. It's actually Condo Island.

Not much else going on around here. Sam's still in his boot and seems to be doing well. No real pain and we can't tell if he's limping at all, because he has the boot on. We go back to the Orthopedic Oncologist next week for another look and hopefully, that's the end of it. It's down right cold around these parts right now but great sleeping weather. This is the time of year to kind of recharge the batteries and get ready for Spring. Lots of fires, long winter naps and Sponge Bob. What's better than that?

Sittin Up in a Tree


We've been making a lot of paper airplanes the last couple days with a paper airplane book the boys got over the holidays. The boys love flying them around the yard and figured out that they go farther if they climb a tree and throw them. It's been down right cold here this weekend and we haven't done a whole heck of a lot. I wrestled with my broken xbox 360 last night and have to send it back to get fixed. I replaced a dead bolt on the front door because the old one broke. Watching football now and Nicole is making a Guinness Stew of some sort. Just the sort of thing you need on these chilly night. That and the fire I have burning.

Digital 45

Adam released a couple songs for free on the Counting Crows web site a couple days ago in preparation for the March release of the new album. Hey, the tracks are free so check them out. Then go buy the album in March.

Disclaimer: I am related to and do have an interest in Adam selling more music so this is totally a plug for the new album which I do think is very good and I wanted to do my part in promoting it.

Where did that hair go?

Here's a picture my mom was nice enough to send of my last visit to Disneyworld. I'm around 12 or 13, maybe 14 at this point but I'm oohhh so stylish with my brown cords and tiger sneakers. Jeff and I look way too cool to be having our picture taken at of all places, Disneyworld. I'm pretty sure we enjoyed ourselves when we weren't being photographed.

Dylan and Papa

Dylan and Papa
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

The two of us went car shopping today and are now at Oerwood for lunch and some football. Sam and momma had a birthday party to go to. It was a kid from sams class so we split up for some child-parental bonding. Just heard from nicole, the birthday party was cancelled. Oh well.

King of Karate

Dylan was showing me some karate moves by the fireplace this evening. He could kick Sponge Bob's behind. Everything is good here after a full week of work. We are taking the boys to a sports bar tomorrow to watch the Packers game. Dylan has become quite the Green Bay fan for some reason. Should be fun.

Give Him the Boot

So another visit to the Orthopedic Oncologist today and Sam was fitted for a stabilization boot. At least it's removable and he can basically walk on it. The Doctor decided that they may have taken the cast off too soon and this would help him heal. Sam wasn't thrilled about the concept but he's learning to live with it. He's a trooper.

We're Going to Disney World

Not after I win the Super Bowl but in a couple months for the first time with the boys.  Grandma and Grandpa are going to be in Orlando for a conference so we decided to head down for a little Florida vacation in March.  We are also going to fit in a visit to the Kennedy Space Center, a Washington Nationals game, some beach time around Melbourne and one or two of the other parks in the area.  6 days of jam packed Florida fun.  

Now, I'm not a huge Florida fan (except I love Key West) but this trip makes me feel like a kid just planning it.  I've been to Orlando on business many time in the past 15 years but I haven't been to the magic kingdon since I was about 12.  The boys are going to love it and I have a feeling Nicole and I will love watching them love it.  

btw, Sam is going back to the Dr. tomorrow to see what's up with his continuing limp.  We hope the cast doesn't have to be put back on but we'll see.  The pain that's making him limp seems to be in the knee joint now which seems a little strange.  I'll have an update tomorrow. 

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum

The four of us and Grandma hit the road to Baltimore at 10am to spend the morning at the B&O Railroad Museum. We visited a couple years ago but the boys love the real and model trains all over the grounds. The weather is warming up and we checked out all the indoor and outdoor displays. Sam is still limping quite a bit but we figured the excitement of all those trains would make him forget he had a cast on a couple days ago.

The Christmas tree came down tonight and I think I'm hitting the hay early to prepare for the first full week of work in over a month. I hope I remember what I'm suppose to be doing there. Here's a link to the pictures Nicole and I took today. http://www.flickr.com/photos/homerclees/sets/72157603655708695/

btw, yes, Nicole is now taking some of the pictures since I got a new Canon SD 750 and gave her my old SD 400. I need to break out the D70 pretty soon. Maybe on a hike when Sam can get past his limp.

Occult Fracture

This is the offending limb on Sam and we are still working on the theory that his issue is an occult fracture. We had another long day at the Orthopedic Oncologists office yesterday and based on new x-rays, CAT scan and blood work, he is convinced that the problem is actually a fracture and the mass showing up on the mri and bone scan is from inflammation connected with new bone growth. When we asked him why two radiologists and a pediatric orthopedist thought is was a tumor or infection, he simply answered "they were wrong". I guess he sees this fairly often and Sam's little problem is hard to diagnose. I guess in the long run, the medical system worked and we were funneled to a specialist that sees many things like this and he was able to tell the difference between a problem and a really big problem. Not to say he is absolutely right on the diagnosis but it seems to make sense at this point.

We obviously like the diagnosis and are hoping it's right on but will be watching Sam pretty closely over the new few weeks before we go back to the OO in a few weeks and take some more pictures. Sam is still limping, we think because of the stiffness from two weeks of a cast but he claims the spot on his shin doesn't hurt anymore. He is also acting like a normal little monster that he is so we have every reason to think he's healing up, just like he should be.

Thanks to everyone for all the good thoughts thrown his way, it seems to be paying off and we appreciate all the crossed fingers and positive vibes. Please let us know if we can ever reciprocate.

Now back to the typical meaningless blather you are accustomed to.

Sawing the Cast

Sawing the Cast
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

Sams getting his cast for more pictures today. Don't know if he'll need a new one before we leave. He's being brave about it.

Toasting a New Year

Grandma came in on the red eye last night and we all had brunch with proper toasting. The boys got up early today and Nicole and I wanted to sleep late. We had Mike and Kelly over last night and didn't get to bed until 2ish. It was all good. Lots of wine, champagne and food. The diet starts tomorrow.

Happy New Year

US Botanical Garden

We took an early quick trip down to the Capitol this morning to see the trains at the Botanical Garden. We did this last year as well and it was just as thrilling this time around. They added a 25 foot suspension bridge to the outside display this year and a new biomass of train tunnels and road. Basically, the whole outdoor train display is made of natural stuff. Twigs, sticks, evergreens, etc. Hard to explain so take a look for yourself here, very cool. We also played with the boys new remote control cars on the Capitol lawn. Thank you Aunt Rachel.

Not much going on this weekend but we are trying to get the boys out as much as possible. Sam wants to run around but is pretty limited with what he can do right now. He did fall down the steps yesterday as he tried to hop downstairs instead of sliding on his butt like we told him to. He has a shiner but it could have been much worse.

Here's a link to the pictures from our trip to Minnesota.

Take a Ride

Another sledding video. This time it's me and Dylan heading down the hill. Turn up the volume, the giggling isn't me.

Safety First

Safety First
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

We made it to the plane in time this morning in spite of more snow. It never stops here. The boys are reading up on the proper safety proedures before takeoff.

Sleding Accident

Since we got another couple inches of snow today we went sleding down at a small park down the street. It was a much smaller hill than yesterdays outing at Orono Golf Course but made it much more manageable to bring Sam back up to the top. The video is of Sam coming down the hill and finding a piece of playground equipment. Everyone is ok and they totally enjoyed themselves.

You can also check out some video of the boys and their cousins sitting by the fire last night on my sister's blog. http://carpcake.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-2007.html It's kid madness.

Merry Christmas

It's snowing again here in Minnesota. We expecting another couple inches of white stuff by the end of the day. It's nice to just be sitting around doing a lot of nothing before our travel day tomorrow. Maybe some more sleding will be in store in a while, tugging Sam up the hill is a good workout

Waiting on Santa

He may be too tired to show up. Long day of taking Sam back to the clinic for a sinus infection, seeing Sweeney Todd with my brother and Dan, sleding at the Orono Golf Course (hauling Sam up a really long and steep hill) then dinner and presents. Time for bed. I'm sure Santa will be able to deposit presents in stockings and under the tree before we pass out.

Santa Clause is Comin to Town

We had Santa all to our selfselves at Main Street Grill in Hopkins last night. We all went out to a kid friendly restaurant and it was empty due to the 4 inches of snow and 30 mph winds making it nearly a blizzard. I ended up watching the Vikings make fools or themselves with Dan Abts later at another bar. It was good to catch up with him but it was not a fun game to watch. We have a good foot or so of snow on the ground here in Minnesota and a very white christmas in store.

Blue Toe

Blue Toe
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

So I'm in an urgent care center with Nicole getting her baby toe x-rayed. I didn't go into the x-ray room this time, figure I've had enough radiation for a while with all of Sams pictures. Nicole fell down the stairs holding Sam yesterday morning. My parents house, it was dark, didn't turn the lights on, we've all done it. She's basically ok but she seems to have broken her baby toe. That smarts. Our insurance company is going to love us this month. I'm going to be sure to look both ways before crossing the street.

Big Bad Wolf

We took in a production of Little Red Riding Hood today at the old log theater in Deephaven. Nice little joint I used to go to when I was a kid. The show was alright and the boys loved it. Plenty of snow around here which is just what the doctor ordered for this Christmas. Sam has a little wheel chair that Grandma and Grandpa picked up for him to use and he is getting pretty good with it. He can wheel around he house all by himself and is able to get up into it from the floor. He has also mastered hopping around on one foot to get from place to place. He's looking good and in good spirits which has to be a good sign.

White Christmas Afterall

Nicole, Sam and I spent 7 hours at Washington Hospital Center and the Cancer Institute. It was a long day but we were bouyed (sp?, hey I'm writing this on a blackberry) by the orthopedic oncologists theory that Sams problem may be a broken bone after all. I think the additional image (CAT scan), blood work and cast will help us figure out what this is without surgery and a biopsy. We don't want to cut him open if we don't need to.

Because we got all the tests in yesterday we were able to make our plane to MN at 6:40 this morning. The boys were really looking forward to making the trip, seeing the cousins and getting some snow time. Its going to be tough hauling Sam up the sleding hills with his cast on but worth it. He's been a real trooper through all this and seems to understand its necessary to get him better.

Nicole and I really appreciate all the thoughtful comments on the blog as well as the emails and phone calls. I think all your positive vibes are making a difference. We are hoping our latest opinion is on the money but are having all the information double and triple checked with prominent physicians across the country thanks to Linda and Gil.

We probably won't get any new information until after Christmas so this blog will revert back to my typical nonsence posts at least for the next 5 or 6 days.

Btw, Dylan is doing well and very concerned about his brother. He was very upset last night when we were gone for so long, as was blanca. Today he broke down a little because Sam had to be patted down in the TSA because of his wheel chair and cast. Sam was deemed harmless and we are on the plane preparing to land.

Cat Scan

Cat Scan
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

We are on our way to a non sleepy cat scan. Since is leg is in a cast we are just going to try straping him down and getting the pictures. The lab closes at 6 and we are going to try to get the blood drawn today too. If it all works out, we can head to minnesota for christmas.

Casting Call

Casting Call
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

Some more good news and a different theory from the orthopedic oncologist. They took more flat xrays today and think sam may have an occult fractrue or a non visible break. Basically, the lesion they are seeing may be new bone. It means he will need more blood work (sam doesn't like needles) to look for specific tumor markers and a CT scan that may mean more anthesia but the whole thing is moving in a better direction now.

He doesn't seem to mind the cast but its not quite dry yet. Not out of the woods yet but not but a better option than some of the previous opinions.

I Have Something to Tell You

That's what Sam said yesterday right before he fell asleep from the anaesthetic being administered before his hour and a half MRI. He woke up pretty groggy but was back to himself in a couple hours.

The bad news is that the MRI confirmed the Bone Scan results showing some sort of a lesion on or in his left tibia. Needless to say, it's not suppose to be there and we are on the path to getting it looked at and biopsied by an Orthopedic Oncologist. This all started with a simple limp and a complaint of pain by Sam. We were hoping that it was growing pains or even a fracture since he does play rough with his brother but after the x-ray, bone scan and MRI it appears to be something more complicated.

Whether it's an infection, or a tumor of some sort he's in for a bunch more time in hospitals and around doctors. Nicole and I are fairly freaked out about the whole thing and Sam and Dylan know that something is not quite right. We are all doing fine and have great support from friends and family.

I wasn't sure I could write about this and it has been kind of hard. We don't know everything yet but we are hoping for the best and have people looking for solutions on both coasts. I guess I will try to keep this blog updated with what we know when I have the energy to write. Maybe writing about this experience will be thereputic for me and provide interested readers with some useful information. That might be good.

Keep you fingers crossed for Sammy.

Jewish Stocking

Yes, we finally got Nicole a stocking to hang with the rest of the socks over the fireplace for Santa to stash some booty. It took a few years but Sam, Nicole and I went shopping between tests at the hospital on Friday and Sam picked this "super hot" stocking out for Nicole. In case your confused, it's the one on the upper right that's all red and shiny, just like Nicole. We mostly burned a lot of firewood this weekend between holiday parties and work events for me. This week should be interesting and hopefully good. More soon....

AIA Inaugural

AIA Inaugural
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

Here at the annual black tie event to celebrate our next president, Marshall Purnell. We are in the brand new courtyard of the National Portrait Museum. Beautiful space with a very modern glass roof on a 175 year old building.

Hospitals

Hospitals
Originally uploaded by homerclees.

I really don't like the cafeterias because they remind me of many stressful meals when the boys were in the nicu and when my brother was in a coma. We started our day at the hospital with some breakfast in the fairfax inova hospital before sam got his bone scan to help us figure out this mysterious leg pain. He got a nuclear isotope injection, which he said, "this isn't good" and they scanned him for a while then we had to leave for two hours and we are back now for the bigger scan. I think we will all be happy to get out of here.

The Eight Night

With presents for every one of them. I'm not sure they will survive the couple weeks till Christmas and more presents. I'm sure they'll manage one way or the other.

More Lights

I added some lights to the side door this weekend to appease the commenter in the last post. It's not a lot but gives the door a festive feel. Nicole and I went to a co-workers party last night and had a nice time. Our new baby sitter worked out really well and we are hoping she'll be back to sit again. More skating lessons today and a lot of laying around because it was kind of blah outside. More and colorful lights help take the blah away.

First Snow

We got our first snow today with about three slushy inches falling over most of the day. Nothing too serious but enough to mess up traffic a bit and send people scambling to the stores for toilet paper. It doesn't take much around here to get people to buy toilet paper. Anyway, the boys opened another hanukkah gift tonight and we built a fire to keep warm. They have both been rather sick the last few days and Sam missed school today because of it. I went out into the yard and took this picture of my lit up holly bush with the Christmas tree in the background. I'm thinking of adding some additional outdoor lights this weekend. The dark nights with the silence of snow falling is getting me in the mood to decorate. It may pass.....

Happy Hanukkah

The beginning of eight crazy nights. The boys do like lighting their home made menorahs. They also got to open Grandma's and Grandpa's special New York Subway car presents. They liked those.

Christmas Tree

It's a little blurry but you get the picture. We put up a Christmas Tree on Sunday before skating lessons and Ben's birthday party. The boys got into the whole hanging of ornaments thing this year. In fact, too into it and we had to stop them because we buy a mid-size tree to begin with. Hanukkah starts tomorrow, the holidays keep on rolling in.

Alexandria Parade of Lights

We missed the Scottish Walk this year because of a birthday party but we made it into old town for the annual parade of lights. We went down before sunset and had dinner at Overwood then walked back and watch a bunch of the boats sailing by with all sorts of lights attached. This is us trying to do a family shot pre-dinner. The boys weren't being all that cooperative. They were pretty good at dinner and they enjoyed the boats all lit up. More skating tomorrow then another birthday party. December goes so fast, I know it's only the 1st but we have things going on every day this month and it will be February before I know it.