What a Week!!!!

It's Friday, right?
We're sitting here, all together and watching "The Sound of Music".  It's one of the musicals where nobody gets points off if they sing along.

What a week.
After my last post, lots has happened.  Seems like we can hardly catch our breath here, sometimes.
And, in Walkersville fashion, people have come out of the woodwork to help.  We continue to hold the umbrella and help when we can.  We're learning to take help, too.

Sunday night we had a small snow storm.  There was no school Monday.   Homework finished, Science Fair projects started, Catechism homework completed, building a Snowman Alien and a snowball fight of EPIC proportions with the McNiesh Family made the day complete.
Tuesday was a pretty regular day.  Pops flew in a day early to make sure he was here in time for the Tonsil Festivities to start.  Our furnace was fixed.  Everyone did their homework.  My aweseome Weather Guy said to be concerned about an ice storm, but I wasn't.  I survived Rochester in 91.  Ice doesn't scare me.
We woke up Wednesday morning to our world covered in 1/2" of ice.
It was beautiful and terrible all at once.
We lost power early Weds morning.  By Thursday it was 48 degrees in the house.  Ben was wheezing pretty good - we couldn't neb him because his neb doesn't have a battery option.  We were getting nervous.  Pops was here to help us with Nate's upcoming surgery (remind you of a certain Worcester Storm in 08?) and was a huge help.  Thankfully, we got power back Thursday afternoon.  We lost some trees, had to use yet another snow day and there are some roads still closed and friends without power, but we made it through relatively unscathed.
I think Pops will sleep for a week when he gets home, though.
Courtesy of Pops:

Jim and I left with Nate at 6 Thursday morning to head into DC for his surgery.  The nurse had a chuckle after stating Nate was a "T &A with tubes" and I asked her if she had ever seen "A Chorus Line." 
Nate was a handful when we got in the hospital.  He didn't want to get into a gown.  He didn't want his vitals taken.  He didn't want to talk to anyone.  Thankfully a clown blowing bubbles showed up at the exact right time and got us through till his happy juice kicked in.
Nate got through surgery well.  Per the surgeon, his tonsils were "ginormous" and almost completely blocked his airway.  Nate also had a significant amount of fluid in his ears.  The doctor thinks his sleeping and hearing should be much improved in a few weeks.
I hope.
Coming out of anesthesia was an adventure.  The bugger managed to pull out his IV twice and it took three of us to keep him from tearing off his leads.  It took him a while, but he calmed down.
Unfortunately, that's when he realized he was spending the night and began screaming that he wanted to go home.  He kept that up, interspersed with coughing fits for the next few hours.  He wanted to go home until he realized that he was the *only* patient in the PACU and then began conspiring with the night nurses to ingest the entire ice cream supply of Washington DC.
He got pretty close.
We got about 4 hours of sleep and were cleared to come home early this morning.
The biggest challenge will be keeping Nate chill.  The surgeon suggested tying him to a tree for the next couple of weeks.  He wouldn't go as far to suggest Ny-Quil popsicles, but I *know* he would have, if he could.  I think the words that have come out of our mouths the most today have been, "Don't run, Nate!"  It will be an oft repeated phrase, I'm sure.
We are overwhelmed with the help we have received.  Pops was here, missing a major storm in Rochester (thanks, Nina). Grammy and Grampy sent Nate a great new game that he loves AND keeps him calm.   People have shown up with cards for Nate, dinner and books.  We appreciate it so much.   It takes a whole village to get Nate's tonsils out.
We're looking forward to laying low this weekend.

Rest is a beautiful thing.

The last 2 Red Wings to wear #5 were Cal Ripken, Jr and Uncle Matt!  What a great thrift store find!!!

Watching "The Sound of Music" with Pops.  I think he'll sleep well tonight.