Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

The old "Far Side" cartoon was a favorite of mine, and the "Bummer of a Birthmark, Hal" one is particularly apt in our family at the moment because Ethan has been diagnosed with various allergies. We live in the high desert of Idaho surrounded by sagebrush. Allergic to sagebrush? Check. The Boise River flows through our city along with canals all of which are bordered by lush Cottonwood trees. Allergic to Cottonwood Trees? Check. Every visit to Grandpa and Grandma's house in Twin Falls includes the obligatory photo op in the Birch tree in the front yard. Allergic to Birch trees? Check. Russian Thistle is a common weed in our area. Allergic to Russian Thistle? Check. Our buddy Tom recently got two kittens. Allergic to cats? Check. After our upcoming trip to Disney World, we intended to get a Dachshund for Ethan. Allergic to dogs? Check. Today, Ethan endured allergy tests illustrated by the photo of him during the test in this blog. It appears we are ...

Ethan was patiently waiting to chat with his mom who was on the phone. "Patiently waiting" for Ethan means he was almost bouncing around the room because life is one big exciting adventure for him. He has a LOT to say. Somehow, he hit his head on the arm of the sofa. When Heather got off the phone, Ethan was whimpering a bit and rubbing his head. Heather asked, "Did you hurt your head?" He replied, "No I hurt my brain." She said something about wanting to give him medicine, and he got his incredulous look and noted, "I hurt my brain. You can't put medicine on that." Later the same day, I called the house to chat with Heather and Ethan because I'm out of town. He answered and immediately launched into a detailed description of the Hot Wheels course he and Mom were building. Heather subsequently said, "We need you. This is SUCH a boy thing." In the meantime, Ethan described the curves and cars on the course. He also stressed that ...

There are a few things in life that I find infuriating. I try to show patience; however, the following scenarios are the most consistent irritants in my life: 1. Women in check-out lines at grocery stores: Is it really unreasonable to expect these troglodytes to think about others in line behind them? How tough, really, is it to be prepared when the checker has completed scanning items? For example, I am fully prepared to swipe my debit card or pay cash well in advance of the checker completing their part of the process. I have my wallet ready, card or cash in hand, and I have already entered any requisite preferred shopper number. If forced, I will make the obligatory small talk about the weather, and I always cover my son's photo in my wallet when I have it open on the off chance the checker wishes to comment on his cuteness or -- God forbid -- start to discuss their own cute grandchild. I don't care. I want my stuff, and I want out of there. But not most women. Most women ...

"Attitude" is something that seems to come naturally to our son Ethan. He's a great little boy, and his sense of humor is often surprising though it sometimes has a hint of "attitude." For example: One night when Dad was ill and slept in another room, Ethan joined his mom in bed. She piled up some pillows/blankets to block him from rolling off the bed because he flails all over when he sleeps. Despite her best efforts, he fell off the bed. In response to his mom's comments that she tried to block him falling, he said, "Well, it didn't work did it?" Another example: Ethan was enjoying his "normal" Blimpie sandwich and Cheetos in the Jeep when his mom took a corner fast enough to cause his Cheetos to spill over onto the seat. When they stopped and she cleaned up the errant snacks, Ethan looked at her with consternation, and asked "Aren't we missing something something here?" Heather said "What?" He responded, ...