All quiet on the home front.

With Hockey Boy in Ireland and Dots in North Carolina, our house is entirely too quiet.  I think Vivian has enjoyed the extra attention, but she's also confused about where everyone is.  At one point I asked her where Will was and she replied, "At the vet."  This is not a good thing because in Vivian's mind our dog, Sam, and cats, Jack and Tigger, each of whom died four to five years ago, are all "at the vet."

The other night I was lying down with Vivian after saying her prayers and tucking her in, when she said, "I am not happy."  I asked her why, and her reply was, "I am angry."  My queries of "What's wrong?" were all answered with "I am sad, I am ___" (fill in the negative emotion) until finally she told me, "I miss Will."

Vivian's seizures have been much improved since we added Keppra to her medication cocktail a few weeks ago.  She has been very agitated and aggressive, though, and is sleeping entirely too much (up to 18 hours a day).  She also has been having some issues with her balance being off-kilter, and her face is breaking out something terrible.  We saw her neurologist this week, and he said these were all normal side effects while Vivian's body adjusts to the medication.  He added 200 mg. twice a day of Vitamin B-6 to help offset the behavioral effects of the Keppra. That seems to be helping as Vivian's been much sweeter and less oppositional the past few days.

Last night Vivian, Robert and I ate at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  Vivian insisted on taking her life-size stuffed dalmatian with her.  I wish I had brought my camera!  The "four" of us sat in a booth in the bar area, which was great because we were in view of a TV that was showing the Olympics.  We watched Michael Phelps compete in the 400-meter individual medley, and when he finished with the gold and a new world record, the whole restaurant erupted in cheers.  It was quite a fun experience.

Hockey Boy returns home tonight, and I pick Dots up from camp on Wednesday.  I'm looking forward to enjoying the last few weeks of summer with everyone home.  Now if we could just do something about this Texas heat...

Dots at camp (upper left)


Will & his troop contingent with the US Ambassador to Ireland, Tom Foley (Hockey Boy is third from the right)