Randy's hospital stay....

Wow, it has been a month since I have blogged. Granted I have sat down a million times since then, planning on blogging, but never actually put words down. A lot has happened…a lot of funny stuff….some troubling things….life changing moments…and just down right “can’t believe that happened”…things….so here is everything about Randy in a LARGE nutshell:

January 8, Randy had passed out again in the livingroom. The boys ran downstairs and woke me up.  Took me almost 2 hours to get him awake and dressed, and feed the boys spaghetti (they were already cooking it, so I had them eat while I was getting things together). I had told them it was a scavenger hunt and wrote down a list of everything we needed to bring (see previous blog if you are confused).

By the time we left, we had a backpack on wheels and a large duffel bag with us.  Why you ask….I will tell you. Remember my list….well this is what was packed for a trip to the ER (which I figured would take a few hours) :

Ø  A bottle of water for each boy and me (5 total)

Ø  2 DS machines, with chargers

Ø  Case of DS games (at least 30)

Ø  Game boy with charger

Ø  3 cell phones (with internet access and chargers)

Ø  4 books

Ø  Gallon size Ziploc bag of animal crackers

Ø  6 packs of Pokemon cards including 30 dice and chips

Ø  Notebook and 6 pens

Ø  $7.85 in CHANGE

Now you might think that is a lot, and I know the valet thought I was crazy and moving in, but if you have kids, you know how long they will sit still….about 10 nano seconds!

So anyway, we camped out and took up one whole corner of the waiting room at Bellin Hospital (we went there instead of St. Mary’s). Randy was checked in and I started rearranging the furniture. Thankfully on a Saturday night at 7pm, it wasn’t too busy and we were the only ones there.

The boys were VERY well behaved, I was amazed! Even the security guard had come down and said how good they were being (I thought he was going to yell at me, because I kept leaving them alone to go to the ER room and check on Randy).

They were finally able to get an IV into Randy around 10:30pm (yes that is 3 ½ hours AFTER we showed up…and 30 pokes later….all over his arms/hands/legs/feet). The doctor had come in and talked to Randy about the test they were going to be taking. His blood pressure was 53/43, his temp was 103.2, all since he had come in and they believe for at least 8 hours.

Around midnight, the doctors had come back and said they thought he had mono….I told the doctor…”no, he can’t have mono…find something else”. The whole time I was thinking that if he had mono, then I had mono, then the boys would all have mono, then they would bring it to their father’s house and give it to their 1 week old baby brother…and that wouldn’t be fair.  About 20 minutes later the doctor came back and said, “You were right, it is not mono….it is kidney failure, and we need to get  him up to ICU right away!”.

 I took one look at the doctor and said, “um, can we get mono back please? We will take that one.” The doctor looked at me funny and said, “you can’t really choose what you get. You can’t switch one for the other.”

Then I explained to him that I wanted what was behind door #3….he said nope. I looked at Randy and said, “damn, I forgot to say No Wammy!” I was stunned….I didn’t know what to think. Here I am looking at my 32 year old husband hooked up to IV’s and now being told his kidneys are failing….this wasn’t fair….this isn’t why I brought him to the hospital…I wanted some new meds and be able to take him home….I was not expecting him to have to be admitted…and to the ICU…no less.

               I went back to the lobby, stood by the doors and watched my boys playing Pokemon, video games, and sleeping across 2 chairs. Oblivious to the seriousness of what was going on…they were just enjoying staying up late, and teaching the security guard and valet how to play Pokemon.

                I called up Jehrad (my xhusband) and asked if he could take the boys for the night. I explained that we were only a few blocks away and what was going on….and he told me it was ok. Granted my boys didn’t want to go, they wanted to sleep at the hospital…but I knew they needed to get some sleep, and in a real bed.

                I dropped them off and headed up to the ICU floor to get settled. As soon as I realized how nice and HUGE the waiting room was, I was thinking it would have been really easy to keep the boys with me. I made a few phone calls to keep everyone updated, and checked on Randy.

                They had convinced him they needed to get an IV into his neck, since the ones in his arms weren’t going to hold for long (they had to get an ultra sound machine on his arm just to find veins to poke). He wasn’t too thrilled, but he ended up HAVING to let them put the neck IV in.

                To make a long story short, he spent 3 days in the ICU, before they realized that his Pitutary gland had stopped working. The pituitary glad produces cortisone which helps keep your blood pressure up. Because it wasn’t working, his blood pressure started dropping (and with the high blood pressure pills and water pills he was taking…it dropped dangerously low). With very low blood pressure your kidneys will stop working and begin to fail.

                After a hundred or so different tests, and specialist, he was finally given the right meds to control his low blood pressure and fever and his kidneys started to work again. Thankfully he didn’t need to have dialysis and they do not believe he developed permanent damage.

                He was moved to a “normal” room on Tuesday afternoon, and was released by Thursday afternoon. At least the doctor was able to get him home before my birthday….that made me happy…that and knowing that my husband would be getting better!

How to make hospital FUN...trust me...this can work!

After visiting the local ER twice in one week...I have finally figured out how to make hospital visits FUN.
1-Leave ALL children at home
----this includes husbands that think it is funny to make glove balloons.
2.-Convince the nurses to add Vodka to your drip line as an additional pain killer.
3.-Do not allow the front desk to "list you" as being a patient, so no one can call and bother you.

Doing these 3 things will make your trip like a mini vacation.....ok so having 4 boys...for me this would be a MAJOR vacation.  BUT this will only work if YOU are in the hospital.  Hell some days I am tempted to trip myself down the stairs just for a visit...LOL.

But if you are one of the (un)fortunate ones to NOT end up in the ER, but you are the caretaker (spouse) of the one that is...here are a few tips:
1-Do not bring any kids with you (Hire a babysitter at all costs, being cooped up in a tiny room with kids will make you more likely to run across the street and play chicken with the cars).
2-Make sure your spouse is half dead. Now you laugh, but i am serious....if they are even semi conscious they will still try to make glove balloons or argue about what you have on the TV.
3-Bring something to drink/eat/snack on...because the vending machines SUCK!
4-Bring LOTS of change. 
5-Don't bring kids with you...especially on a school night.

I know the rules...but do I ever follow them? Nope, not a one. I know better....I do, but sometimes...life  happens....and really screws with your plans. For example, Thursday night.

Thursday night my husband (who has been really sick for 3 weeks with bronchitis and a high fever) decided that he was going to try to take a shower, and ended up blacking out on the living room floor. Granted that probably wasn't his plan, but still it messed with my plans....why you ask...because I was sleeping. This is how I was woken up:
Me: (Sleeping for 4 hours...middle of a great sleep...it was around 6pm)
Orion: BANG BANG BANG...MOM..MOM....are you awake?
Me: No, I'm sleeping, what do you want?
Orion: Mom, it is an emergency....dad needs you.
Me: Why me? Can't you help him? Get him something to drink. Let me sleep.
Orion: No mom, it is a REAL emergency, you need to come right upstairs...it is real. I'm not lying.
Me: Ok, ok, give me a few minutes to get dressed and try to remember where I am at.
Orion: Well hurry up, it is important.

So I get dressed and head upstairs, where I find Orion playing on the computer. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me to look in the living room....and he went back to his shooting game.

I went in the living room and there is my husband...laying half on the ottoman and half on the floor...covered in only a towel.  Ummm okay....why is he sleeping like that.  Then I realized he wasn't moving/snoring/nothing...and he was cold.  So I start freaking out, trying to find his pulse on his neck and knocking him all the way off the ottoman onto the floor.

He woke up enough to tell me to take him to the hospital, but not to call an ambulance. So here I am, trying to get my husband dressed and out the door (which is no small feat since he is a big guy), and I realize that Orion is still playing his computer game.

Now at this time,  I could A: leave him there because he wouldn't know we were gone until Friday afternoon when he had to get up to go pee and whine about having no food in the house....or....B: Take him with and break rule #1 AND rule #5 (because it is a Thursday night).

So after him throwing a fit about having to leave, we finally got to the hospital and checked in. After an hour wait (which is a long time, considering our hospital has a very quick wait) and one PSP dying, we were finally given an ER room. At this time Orion and I are getting thirsty, because we forgot rule #3.  I find my debt card and we take a walk to find the ATM.

By the time we found an ATM and pay the extra $100 to take $20 out...and walk ALL THE WAY BACK to the vending machines...we find out that nothing takes $20. So we talk to the security guard that is able to break our $20, but only have $17 on him (which is fine, because I have been there two hours and need a Pepsi). We walk back into the vending area to find out that now the machines are telling you that they will only take EXACT change!

Sorry, with this being the age of plastic, I don't carry around $15 dollars of multiple denominations of change in my pockets. I turn to the "wheel of death" for some luck. You know the machine...the one that spins around and around with odd looking food in it. I could have sworn the day before it said Tuna Sandwich, but now a label is on it saying, Tuna and Spinach Sandwich....can't fool me....it is the same sandwich that has been in there since Good Friday!  I'm on to you Wheel of Death Machine. They are in EVERY hospital to make the healthy get sick...I'm on to them!

Anyway, since it is the only one that will take my $5 I have Orion pick something out. Hey he is a strong boy with a healthy immune system...he will be fine...plus he doesn't like Tuna! He chose some Cookie dough brownie thing, but I didn't care. It didn't have anything green or white growing on it and it gave me change for my Pepsi. I was so excited that I damn near skipped to the soda machine, entered my EXACT $1.80 change and pushed the Pepsi button....and....nothing....I pushed again....still nothing! I hit it about 3 more times, then Orion told me that the machine was saying, "OUT". All that was left was some cheap Root Beer or Orange soda...I choose Root Bear...and... I cried.

I didn't cry because my husband was in the hospital. I didn't cry because Orion was eating something covered in chocolate (I hope). I didn't cry because I was lacking sleep....I cried because after everything...I ended up paying $4.80 for a soda that had no caffeine and I didn't like! I cried because this wasn't the way things were suppose to be. This wasn't in the plans I had for today.

Then Orion said, "Hey mom...both my DS and my PSP are dead...we should have brought our Pokemon cards...then we could have battled," and he gave me a hug.  I just smiled, and wiped my tears and said "Yes Orion, that would have been fun"

5 hours later we were on our way home. We had no idea what was going on with Randy. All we knew was that he didn't have a heart attack. He didn't have a blood clot in his lungs. He didn't have anything wrong with his head (still I would like to look at that CT scan, because I KNOW there is something wrong up there...lol). All we knew was that he still had bronchitis...and was on his 3rd different kind of antibiotic for it.

But now to add to the list.....To make a hospital fun....even if you can't meet the above rules...bring Pokemon cards....at least you can win at something!

Morning pancakes and toothbrush shopping....

Anyway, enough about the Packers, I have to go to Walmart and buy my 5 year old a new toothbrush.  We all have those nice...push a button and the whole toothbrush does backflips, sings songs, scrubs your teeth, and does your chores...hey..a woman can dream can't she???

Well this morning I was woken up at 6:45 AM....remember I am NOT a morning person. 4 days a week you will find me awake at 6:45 behind a desk typing....and that is because I am STILL AT WORK!  Randy (darling, darling husband) knows if anyone wakes me up before 7, there is hell to pay. So what does he do...he sends Reilly down begging me to wake up and make pancakes with him.  Ahhh how cute huh...few problems:
1-Randy makes the pancakes in the house.
2-We have no chocolate to put in the pancakes.
3-We have no eggs to make pancakes.
4-I'm not even sure we have syrup to go with the pancakes.
5-I don't eat plain pancakes.

Well I walk upstairs and the boys already know not to look at me directly, because I might turn them into stone...something about my hair...reminds them of Medusa maybe...or that evil look that I make when my eyes are still glued shut.  Either way, Randy greeted me with a "Good Morning Honey" that I swear turned me into a diabetic because it was LOADED with sugary sweetness!  Which of course I growled and gave him the look that said, "you know it is before 7am. You know how tired I am. You know I am going to kill you slowly and enjoy every second of it. Just wait until the boys are on the school bus...then watch out!".  Yeah you know that look.

Well we found the pancake mix (which wasn't too hard, since our cupboards are pretty empty right now), and realized that we didn't need eggs for them...great #3 is done.  We found some chocolate covered raisins to put in the pancakes, since Easton and Orion wouldn't eat them because....eww..they are raisins...and raisins are healthy!  Great #2 is done.  I remember I had a bottle of syrup in the cupboard, but it said LIGHT on it...I don't remember 2lbs every feeling LIGHT before.  But hey, that covered #4.

While making the pancakes Randy made sure to stay VERY far away in the livingroom because he knew I would not be awake for another 4 hours...and that was a safe distance. The boys thought they were good, except for the raisin part (which I made them eat), and the syrup part (that they say tasted funny and asked for some extra sugar on theirs...I said no). They didn't turn out bad....I had a small one, then a piece of last nights pizza :D

After pancakes they went to brush their teeth (wow, my boys do remember that sometimes), and that is when I heard the following:
Randy: Honey, can you come out here and have a talk with your YOUNGEST.
Me: (oh boy, that doesn't sound good when Randy refers to Noah as MY youngest) What happened (directed toward Randy), What did you do (directed towards Noah).
Randy: He was cleaning the toilet.
Me: (really confused, thinking what a great kid I have to be cleaning the toilet before school) Um, ok so what is the problem.
Randy: Ask him what he was using to clean the toilet?
Me: Noah want did you use? (looking at his hands and wondering what else he has touched with them).
Noah: My toothbrush.
Me: Wait, what? Did you say your toothbrush (still wondering if he knew what tooth brush was his and if he put it back with the other ones in the tooth brush holder when he was done....stomache is turning at this point).
Noah: (smiling) Yep.
Me: What tooth brush is yours?
Noah: (looking very confused)  Ummm...The blue Deigo one.
Me: (still worried where it was now)..Oh ok, thank you for cleaning the toilet, next time please don't your your toothbrush that is gross....(walking away thinking that this is the reason why I don't wake up until after 7am).

Randy explained to me later that Noah was spitting his toothpaste into the toilet (because he is still little, it is easier for him to do that), and got it on the seat.  So instead of using toilet paper, he used his toothbrush to clean it up.....so where am I going today....Walmart to get a new toothbrush....wonderful....

How much do you want to bet, by the time I leave walmart, I would have spent at LEAST $50 and still come home without the toothbrush, but with at least one Pokemon container?  Huh...any takers....nope I didn't think so...

The Packers are in the Playoffs.....

First of all....WAY TO GO PACKERS! The good thing about this, is that I am a Packer Fan. I live in Green Bay, so it is a requirement. We do allow Bear, and Viking fans in....but only a limited amount.  The cool thing about yesterdays game....Reilly got to go see it with his father and his father's brothers. This was his first game and he was so excited!  Easton went to his first game the day after Christmas and LOVED it...he is a HUGE fan. 

Both of these games were last minute, getting a phone call at 1pm for a 3pm game asking if they could go, kind of thing. Odd considering:
A-The price of the tickets are around $120 a piece...usually
B-The Packers have a waiting list for season tickets that I believe is around 80+ years. I believe Easton is #12,572 and we signed him up the day after he was born....10 years ago. And normal tickets are hard to find.
C-It is December/January in WISCONSIN...Jack Frost is NOT nipping at your nose....he brought all 253 of his family members to do some serious damage on any part of your body that isn't covered in at LEAST 8 layers.  (Granted for some reason, both of these games were very warm out.  Easton I believe the temp there was around 30, and Reilly had around 30 degrees too. Remember, we live in WISCONSIN, this time of the year we are praying we reach single digits...in the negatives...and that is warm for us!)
D-We didn't have to pay for either of them. My brother had an extra ticket to the game and took Easton.  My xhusband (Jehrad) had an extra ticket yesterday and took Reilly...YEAH for them.

The only bad thing about the Packers winning, is that next Sunday...is another game. That means my facebook page is going to be COVERED in every little update that Packers do...Boo: did you see that...Rodgers blinked...he must be tired...pull him now before he falls asleep out there!  Gary: hey #32 just kicked the ground...that isn't fair...he is wrecking the field, where is the penalty flag! Leah: I wonder what kind of laundry soap they use to clean their uniforms...because that guy has more grass than dirt stains....  Yeah this is the stuff that pops up...and I did change the names to protect the accused!

Now I just have to remember to unlink my cellphone and facebook on game day. Getting an annoying beep and text message every 3.29 seconds really sucks!

Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate. ~Author Unknown

This is the time of year when we sit down and think of all the things we want to change about our lives for next year. The time when we write down our top 10 ideas that if we changed our life would be better. If I were to make a list like that, it would look something like this:

10-Have the electricty company forget I exist and stop asking me to pay them (but keep my electricity on).
9-Have my landlord convinced I bought the place and don't owe him any more money.
8-Strike a deal with AT&T that my cell phone bill should be free as long as I promise to promote them to all my friends (doesn't matter if they sign up or not).
7-Convince the cable company that giving me free cable and internet would look good for their company.
6-Have a talk with ANY car company about driving around their newest vehicle (no need to worry about gas....see #4) to make the other people so jealous, that they want to buy the same one.
5-Talking to Pepsi about changing all their labels to say that their REGULAR Pepsi is calorie free, so I won't feel so guilty drinking a 2 liter bottle every day.
4-Become sponsered by any gas station with a promise to put a sign on my vehicle that helps promote them....in return for free unlimited gas.
3-Become a food taster, and have access to any restaurant at any time to try their new dishes.
2-Talk to Donald Trump about giving me a credit card with a $1000 a month limit for life. Enough to buy the little things I need, but not so much to make it look like I am needy!
1-Move to Hershey, PA and work for the chocolate factory. It would be a GREAT idea for them, since they wouldn't have to pay me in money, they could just pay me in Chocolate due to reasons 2-10).

But of COURSE, those won't be able to happen for at least a few more years (if I play my cards right....granted my cards are Pokemon cards...not sure if that helps speed things up or not). So instead, I made a more realistic list for the new year. Plus this list will be easier to cross off, after I lost the motivation to keep going on it...lol...Hey I know me....I remember the past years....hell, I remember the past few weeks :D

These ones will NOT be in any order, but I might just order them once I cross them off....LOL

*Walk at least 4000 steps every day the first week of January, then 5000 every day, for the second week, 6000 the third week, etc...etc...etc...until the week of Valentines day....I should be up to 10,000 steps a day, which will be the goal every day for the year. Granted this doesn't sound hard...but I can see this one being the first to fail. I do have a step counter....actually 3 of them...plus we have two Pokemon step counters that I could use....I guess the more steps you walk, the more Pokemon you collect? Not sure, but it gets Orion and Easton out running up and down the road!

*Cut back on the caffiene. Notice I say cut back, not eliminate. I don't drink coffee, but I LOVE my Pepsi. I will limit myself to 4 cans a week (one for each night I work). And I did say CANS not LITERS....is it too late to go back and change that?

*Work on the Wii Fit 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week. This shouldn't be too hard....but life seems to get in the way...ok, not so much life...but the other wonderful Wii games we have that don't involve sticking your foot behind your head or running after some "trainer" that you aren't allowed to catch up to.

*Paint at least one new picture a week. I get in my moods that I will paint 3 new pictures in a week, then not touch a brush for 3 months.  I would like to start building up my paintings, so that by Christmas next year I don't have to rush and try to get them done. Also it would give me a chance to do more "made to order" pictures.

*Do ONE load of laundry a day. With a family of 6, we need to do it at LEAST that much, but we have a LOT of "back" laundry to get caught up on. Notice how I didn't say fold and put away the laundry...just wash and dry at our house. Then in goes into a large pile on the "folding table", where the boys sort through it and put away their own clothes....half of which end up on the floor and being rewashed without ever being worn.  Ok not half....maybe 80%.

*Read for 30 minutes EVERY day. I would love to just sit back and read a book...problem is, when I start a new book, I will read it until it is done....sometimes I will go to sleep, sometimes not...I loose track of time and forget all about everything else I need to do.

This last one....I hope I am able to stick with. Even if I fail for a few days/weeks, I am hopeful that I can get back on track:
*Sit down with each boy for at least 10 minutes a day to talk or do what they want. I know that doesn't sound like a lot. I would love to sit down for an hour with each kid EVERY day, but that isn't possible. Some days I know will be longer, some days will be shorter. But I want to be able to remind all 4 of them that I love them, and I will always be there for them, and if they want to spend more quality time they know I will be downstairs doing laundry. If they want to talk, they can help me fold :D!  HEY, now I know where I can get my 30 minutes of reading time in...they will never bother me in the basement if they think I am doing laundry! Score one for the mom!

Now to get started on the walking....where is that Pokemon walker...wonder if i can walk and try to battle at the same time...

2010 Year in Review: I did not fail....I give myself a passing grade :D

Well lets see.....2010 was indeed a difficult year....good mixed with bad....some smooth times...some rough...ahhh life!

At least I can say that I did not FAIL in being a mother this year....that is good....right?  All of my boys are a year older and for the most part smarter.  Granted some will disagree with me...lol.

Orion made it to 11 and 5th grade...hasn't been kicked out/expelled....yet...so that is good!
Easton is the big 1-0 now and still allowed to ride the bus...granted, one more "incident" and he is going to be off for awhile.
Reilly is 8 and has seem to have grown up a lot in the past year (as long as you over look his temper issues and whining like a 2 year old).
Noah is 5 and finally made it to kindergarten!  However, he is the instigator in the group and seems to get everyone else in trouble because he is still "too cute" to get yelled at.

For the most part, I think I have been allowed to keep the "Mom" title. BUT next year is a whole new year, so you never know!

What kind of Mother am I....and the Pokemon Invasion

What kind of Mother am I?  I'm not sure...I can be crazy and caring, stressed and satisfied, emotional and energetic, restless and relaxed, belittled and blessed.....so I guess you can call that Normal (if it exists).

However, I wouldn't call myself a "typical" mom, our family isn't typical.  Wait, maybe it is with todays standards. I have a blended family.  I am married for the 2nd time.  I brought with me 3 boys from my first marriage (Easton, Reilly, and Noah), and my husband brought his son (Orion) from his first marriage. Yes I know you are thinking, "Brady Brunch". I WISH...but nope, no girls, all boys...all dark hair boys...no blondes. No maid/cook/housekeeper...that is the part I wish for :D.

I have 50/50 placement with my x husband. Him and his wife live about 10 miles away and just recently (Dec 26, 2010) had their first child together (Logan). They have been together since Noah was 6 months old, and I consider Stefani (my x's wife) their Co-Mother, since she is with them so much!  Noah doesn't call her his Stepmom, he calls her his Stef-mom...lol.

My husband (Randy) has full custody of his son, and has since he was 2. Orion JUST recently met his "birthmom" this past summer. He doesn't call her mom, just Beth. She texts him sometimes, but for the most part he just wants to hang out with his older half brother (Austin), than Beth.  I don't think he has met his other siblings yet (he has 5 younger ones), but I can't be sure.  Before this year he hasn't seen his birth mother since he was 2.

Randy and I have been together for 3 years, married for almost 2. I can't say it has been an easy marriage, but we try to make it work the best that we can.

With that being said, I am not the perfect wife (which Randy will agree to), and I am not the perfect mother (if the laundry could talk it would agree as well). I have been known to run to McD's for dollar menu deals rather than making dinner at home....and I have allowed the kids to have cereal for dinner, if I had no other ideas. Ideally we try to keep dinner around 6pm, but that doesn't always happen...why?  Well, first off I don't work M-F 8-5.  I work 3rd shift. Wednesday-Saturday nights anywhere from 9pm-8am, depending on the day.

My boys are with us from Sundays around 11am until Wednesday mornings. After school on Wednesdays they go to their fathers house. That works with my schedule because the days I work I don't have my kids, and the days I am off, the boys are around. However, that makes it harder for Randy and Orion. Wed-Sat, they usually fend for themselves for dinner since I am sleeping. Sundays when I come home sometimes I try to take a nap (if I don't, I get kinda crabby), then I stay awake until Sunday night.

Monday night is Family Game Night. It used to be on Tuesdays, but for the past 2 months I have been  going into work at 2am on Wednesday mornings until 7am to help out, so Tuesdays I try to go to bed a little earlier.  Anyway, on Monday nights, we play a board game, or card game, or dice game, or pokemon cards (I will go into detail on that later). Even if it is a crazy night and everyone is tired, we still play a game....even if it is only one hand of Uno or a quick game of LCR (cute dice and chip game).

We also just started giving the boys allowances on Sundays. If they help out for 15 minutes a day (solid 15 minutes, of whatever we need...mostly dishes and picking up the house) they get $1. That means that Orion can earn $7 a week, and my boys could earn $4 a week...most of the time they all get about $3 a week...but we give in and give them more.

Sundays have also started being a busier day for us because of Pokemon.  If you haven't heard of it yet, I can guarentee that either A: You are NOT a parent; B: You are NOT a parent of a child over the age of 5; C: Living in an Amish community with no access to any form of radio/tv/internet ads; D: Homeschool your children and never leave your house.

Pokemon are everywhere! I have known about them for years....and have done all I could to avoid bringing them into my house....it didn't work...the invasion has started, and I don't see a stopping point. Anyway, ALL the boys (including Randy) are hooked on Pokemon...I will admit, I can play a mean game and understand how to create my own deck....but shhhh...don't spread it around!  Randy found a place called Gnome Games that has Tournaments for these games EVERY Sunday from 2-4pm...and guess what...it is FREE, plus the boys get a free pokemon card for every 8 games they play.  Granted we have only done this once, because of the holidays falling on the weekends, but it is enough to get them hooked! We have told them they can each have an additional $1 (I'm generous I know) to buy Pokemon cards there (they can get 12 for $1, depending on the value...don't ask...trust me...this stuff is more complicated than the Stock Market.  Okay, maybe not more complicated, but it comes close!).

And because we have a family of 6....even number....I HAVE to play Pokemon cards, so a child/husband isn't left out.  Granted I understand the rules, but not into details like they do. You can ask Noah (my 5 year old) about a Pokemon and he can tell you all the "evolutions" that Pokemon makes/the HP for the Pokemon/etc....but yet he struggles tying his shoes...go figure?

Either way, Pokemon is a huge deal at our house....we have binders upon binders filled of Pokemon cards (that is Orion alone...he has at least 2 filled of EXTRA Pokemon)...and I am not talking the 1/2 inch binders....I'm talking the 4" ones that have the double clasp and weigh 10 lbs each!

So if you consider this a typical family, then sure...we are a typical family....but I am still considered the Pokemon Mom!