Sara Update 4

Sara may finally be stabilizing. Her blood pressure is normal. Other levels suggest her bleeding has stopped but we won't know for certain until an exploratory surgery late morning.

When Sara's nurse, Nikki, found out Sara is a music teacher, she offered to play one of the music channels for her. Sara is now listening to the Groove, r+b of the '70s.

Thanks for all you continued prayers and words of encouragement.
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Sara Update 3

Sara is still sedated. Doctors are using medications to keep her vital signs stable while they seek to determine the source of the bleeding. It seems she may have turned a corner, but we won't know until tomorrow.

Back in Grinnell, Graeme is doing well.

The outpouring of prayers, thoughts, and offers to assist us is humbling. I'm so grateful we have so many thoughtful, caring people in our lives. Once Sara is stable and conscious, I will have a better sense of what our needs will be.

Keep Sara, Graeme, and their caregivers in your prayers. Hug a nurse and tell them thanks. The efforts of Sara's doctors, nurses, and techs have saved her life. I hope and pray their work in the coming hours helps Sara back onto the road to recovery.

Sara update 2

Sara is now at a hospital in Des Moines. She is sedated. Her blood pressure is stable. Her doctors are working to stabilize her and determine if the bleeding can be treated with surgery or with medicine.

While in Grinnell, she received 12 units of blood and 15 units of clotting agents. Some of the blood was brought to Grinnell by state trooper.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

Graeme and Sara update 1

First, the good news: Sara gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Graeme Seeger, at 8:10 this morning. He was 9 lbs. and 10 oz., 21 inches long. He is eating and sleeping well.

Sara had complications following the delivery by cesarean section. Her medical team was not able to control her bleeding, which led to an emergency hysterectomy. Unfortunately, that surgery did not control the bleeding, either. As I type, she is in a third operation to determine the source of the bleeding. Her doctors and I have agreed to transfer her by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines to give her added care.

Sara and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I will post on this blog again when there is news to share.

How to explain roadkill to a three year old

Alligator Snapping Turtle (photo by Caldeira & Co)


Part of our post-church Sunday routine is a leisurely drive to Rock Creek State Park. The drive is usually serene and gets everyone (except the driver) to napland. As we crossed the bridge over the northern inlet, we came upon what we thought was a piece of driftwood. As we got, closer, I realized it was a large turtle on its back.

I stopped the van to move the turtle off of the road. As I looked for a stick in a ditch to move the turtle, the turtle moved. "Uh-oh," I thought. We called the park ranger. I hadn't tried to move it, but had positioned the van so that the turtle would not get hit a second time.

As we waited for the ranger to arrive, Slane worried about the turtle. "Will it be okay?" she asked.

Will it be okay? "No," I thought. Turtle shells are no match for truck tires. Blood was coming from its mouth. The best we could do is give it comfort in its last moments on earth.

Instead, I turned it into an object lesson about why we need to be careful crossing the street, which scared her a little.

"Will the turtle make it?" Slane asked.

"I don't think so," I answered.

The ranger arrived. He scooped the turtle, an alligator snapping turtle about the size of a medium-sized watermelon, into a box. There was a puddle of blood on the pavement. The turtle had a large crack in his shell near his right shoulder.

"He's not going to make it, is he?" I asked.

"No," the ranger answered.

"Thanks for coming to rescue him anyway," I said.

We got home and took our Sunday afternoon naps. When Slane woke up, she was unsettled.

"Are you sad about the turtle?" I asked.

"Yeah," Slane said with a sniffle and and a quiver in her voice.

An object lesson would not work this time. Instead I called on a higher power: Fancy Nancy.

"Slane, Fancy Nancy's mom talks about how big and generous Nancy's heart is, right?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"Mommy and I love how you show empathy and compassion for the people and animals in your life. You are the most compassionate, empathetic person I know. Empathy is a fancy word for caring for others.

"It's like Jonah. He needed to show compassion and mercy. Maybe Jonah could learn something from you."

Slane smiled. 

My monster cookie has Christmas colored M and M's

I just noticed the colors. Until Q's last post about ice, it had been a while. I guess we've been adjusting. Q left his job and started a new business right before Hanna was born. My uncle died. Hanna was born. I went back to work. Hanna started half time daycare. We struggle just to keep on top of the dishes and laundry, let alone picking up the clutter we sometimes just walk over, or blogging. Extras, though ideal, just don't win over finding clean spoons in the drawer or rinsing a onesie that has just been poopsploded on or feeding Hanna. So, we are behind. It took me two months to get around to making the muffins I had been craving for a couple of weeks before Hanna came. I've been wanting to iron my blue corduroy shirt for almost that long. Right now I manage to wrap about one gift a night.

Christmas is upon us. I hadn't been feeling my usual anticipation yet, until maybe yesterday. The kids at school are in hyper mode, and that helps. I haven't really been shopping (did 98% of it online), and we're not traveling this year (first time in 14 years for me). We only baked one batch of cookies (though I'm planning an eggnog cheesecake for Christmas day). We're adjusting. We get to start our own tradition this year (no idea what it will be). And there is my anticipation feeling. Unknown territory. But for now I will just eat my monster cookie. And attempt to keep on. And love on my girls. And maybe even pick up a second coffee on my way home from school.

Building a backyard rink (when you have two children)

We built a backyard rink again this year. Sort of. As I type, a December thaw (?) has rendered most of our ice slushy. More worrisome, the rain that the thaw brought has lowered the level of water in the rink, not raised it. I hope we don't have a leak in the liner.

We have had a few friends ask how to build one themselves. Here's what we did. Note: there are many great resources for building rinks, so don't take our method as gospel. Experiment, improvise, and find a way that works for you. Any time spent building a rink is better than time spent grousing about the cold of winter.

Steps to building your own backyard rink:

• Find a flat, level footprint for your rink. This could be your yard, this could be a basketball court. Flat does not equal level, and vice versa. If you're feeling fancy, you might use some string and a level to get the stakes at the right height, but this year we just laid the boards flat on the ground. Our 32'x30' rink is flatish and (sort of) level, with unexpected and unexplained rises and depressions. The SW corner of the rink fills first, taking 3-4" water (higher than my boot) before the NE corner floods. 
• Buy materials (prices)

• Plywood - for holding the water for your rink. we used untreated 1/2", 4'x8', cut lengthwise into thirds (8' x 1 1/3'). Five sheets will give you enough. Our rink was 24'x32' last year and 30'x32' this year. You could use 2"x8" boards for this, we just went with a taller board to be safe. (5 boards, $15/board = $75)

• Rebar - as stakes to support the boards and the water. We used 1/2" diameter, cut in 2' lengths, 2 per board. (28 stakes, ~$2/stake = $56)

• Zip ties - to bind the boards to the rebar. We use 4 per board (2 per stake). 

• Plastic sheeting - to hold the water, like a bathtub or crockpot liner. We use 6 mil thick, clear sheeting. We bought a 40'x100' roll last year which gave us enough for this year. ($200 for two years)

• Hose - to fill your rink. Get a hose long enough to reach the back of the rink and durable enough to handle the cold. We have a 100', 500psi-rated hose that has survived single-digit temps so far without cracking. ($65)

• Sprinkler - to distribute the water evenly. An oscillating lawn sprinkler will suffice. ($10)

•  Staple gun and staples - to attach the liner to the boards. ($25)

• Drill your holes for the zip ties. Eight holes per board, in pairs, two pairs about 12-18" from each end. One set 3" from the edge, the other in the middle. The two holes should be 1-2" apart. If you have clamps and a sawhorse, you can drill multiple holes at once. Make sure the holes are large enough (1/4" for us) to thread the zip ties.  
• Start building the rink. 
• Pound stakes to a depth of 1', half the stake. If the ground is frozen, use a hammer or sledge. We laid the stakes while the ground was soft, so they went in by hand.
• Bind the boards to the stakes, leaving the zip tie tails on the outside of the rink.
• Line the rink and be sure to avoid snagging or tearing the plastic. Leave enough to drape excess over the sides.
• Start filling. We prefer to use a sprinkler to even the distribution. Getting droplets air cooled also helps to freeze faster and may help to avoid air pockets.
• How deep? Backyard-hockey.com has a great rink calculator. Ours takes about 3,000 gallons of water to fill to an even depth of 2".
• Stay off the ice until the ice is at least 2" thick. You do not want to gouge your liner with a skate blade.
• To keep the boards from herniating the liner, put some fabric scraps (old socks, t-shirts, etc.) between the ends of each board.

That's what we do. Slane and I were on the frozen half of the rink last week in boots. If we can sustain a cold spell this week, maybe I'll be able to lace up the skates and enjoy the first skate of the season!