Superwoman Pose

Good morning from Times Square NY! While I love the energy of the city, I know that I would be miserable living here. I am definitely a person who needs space and quiet, neither of which are readily available in this bustling and brightly lit corner of the world. I do enjoy visiting, and I always go home with more appreciation for the tranquility of only hearing my kiddos running around the house.

Everything went well yesterday. True to form, I was utterly terrified before starting. I read online that I should strike a "Superwoman" pose to ready because the feigned confidence would trickle down into reality. Thinking that it made sense, I ducked into the bathroom, quietly began to sing my theme song (I Will Survive) and struck my fiercest Superwoman pose before starting. In retrospect I should have completed the exercise on the other side of a locked stall door. The group of women who entered and witnessed my Superwoman impersonation while singing "I Will Survive" (off key but enthusiastically) were certainly taken off guard.

Despite my Superwoman embarrassment, I think it all went well. My mind is still reeling from the experience, and I know that it will take me a few days to decompress. Since I signed a confidentiality agreement, I am not going to be able to share the details until directed, but know that I did my best and had a blast!

Yesterday was an amazing experience, but I'm going to be happy to reunited with my Timmy. I know that he has been having fun with my Mom, but I'm looking forward to watching him dance and to taking him sledding tomorrow. With the forecast of up to 3 feet of snow at home, it may be a few days before I make my way back to Virginia to be with my other boys.

I've been assured that they are fine, stocked up on cheese in a can and hot dogs.  Robby and his friend Jack have plans to build a tunnel between their houses so that they can play, and seem quite excited about the overwhelming snowfall.  While I'm worried about them, I am trying to remind myself that they will be fine.  I'm sure that they will have an "epic" father and son snow adventure weekend.

NYC Bound!

The sun has not yet risen, yet I'm already feeling overwhelmed by the day ahead. Today I'm heading to NYC to pursue an amazing opportunity. I'm not at liberty to reveal any details, but know that I'm both excited and terrified. I am eager to reveal the details so that everybody can understand why I am so nervous!

Yesterday I left Scott and Robby in Virginia so that they could finish the school week and fend off the blizzard. I feel horrible leaving them alone in the storm, but when Robby called me last night from the grocery store I knew that they would be okay. He was giddy to learn that they have four types of cheese in a can.  I was assured that I shouldn't worry if they lose electricity because they will just spray it directly in their mouths. At the very least, this "historical and epic" winter storm will become a wonderful father/son bonding memory.

Timmy is tucked into his crib at my Mom's house. I packed his sled, winter garb, an extra container of formula and lots of Goldfish crackers. He'll be set if we are housebound for a day or two. 

Of course, the storm isn't supposed to roll in until tomorrow night. Hopefully all will go as planned and I will catch my train out of NYC in the early afternoon tomorrow, allowing me to avoid snow travel.  Wish me luck, it's a big day and I don't want to mess up!

Full Circle

One of my family's favorite childhood stories to share involves my falling asleep on a box of cream filled donuts. As the story goes, I was young (perhaps three) when we all piled into the station wagon for a special night at the drive-in movie theater. Somewhere in the middle of the movie I fell soundly asleep, with the goo filled donuts as my pillow. My Mom found me at the conclusion of the movie with sugary, fat-filled cream caked through my hair, in my ears and all over my face. 

Fast forward nearly forty years, and this morning it felt like history was repeating itself. I turned on the light in Timmy's room and immediately knew that something was amiss. My smiling little Hamlet looked like a grubby ragamuffin. His hair was caked (literally) with cupcake icing and crumbs. It wasn't until I peeled the cupcake wrapper off his neck that I realized what he had done.

Timmy has a propensity for hiding food. I find remnants of cookies, french fries, chicken nuggets and fruit hidden in his toys, behind the curtains and under his crib. If he finds something particularly enjoyable, he will hide the last bite.

Robby shared his cupcakes with him last night, and apparently Timmy decided to stash his to eat later. Sometime after I found and removed the Little Debbie snack cakes from under his pillow to when I put him to bed for the night, he managed to stash his treats in his crib. He snacked and rolled over them all night.  He was a sticky, cakey mess when I found him this morning!  Today, my Mom's wish of my having a child just like me became a reality.

Wild Weather

Last week Robby was running around the yard wearing only a light jacket. Today his school is operating on a delayed opening due to the severe cold. I have a feeling that this winter is going to go from weird to absolutely crazy. While Robby seems delighted with the turn in temperatures, my body has had a completely different response.

My leg has definitely felt the wrath of Mother Nature. Last night my limb felt as if it were constantly being shocked, causing it to kick and shake erratically. This tends to happen whenever wild fluctuations in the weather occur, although knowing that it is going to happen doesn't make it any easier.  Compression, massage, and warmth  is all I can really do on those jitterbug leg nights. After all of my comfort remedies were exhausted, I consigned myself to a long and uncomfortable night. 

As if the electric shocks weren't uncomfortable enough to endure, this morning I was further abused when I had to don my ice cold liner. Trust me, nothing wakes me up more quickly than having to roll an icy cold liner onto my leg. Normally I grab the liner and warm it up with me under the covers before putting it on, but Timmy's demands to be released from his crib were growing, and I didn't want to risk waking everybody else in the house. (Donning an ice cold liner so that the  family can sleep is the very definition of maternal love!)

Today will be spent huddling by the fire, trying to stay warm. It's too cold for Timmy to play outside, so I might take him and Robby to the bounce house after school. If I don't provide them with an outlet for their energy, I know that I will feel the brunt of it tonight at bedtime.  Hopefully my leg has adjusted to the change in temperatures, and I won't be shocked all night again.

Trampolining!

After some mild pleading from Robby and his friends, I finally broke down and agreed to take them to the trampoline park on Friday night. I figured it would be an easy way for me to make the kiddos happy while enjoying the bonus of wearing them out. At this point, I will do just about anything to ensure that Timmy sleeps through the night!

I was hesitant about hopping on the trampolines myself, but Timmy's eagerness to join his big brother outweighed my concerns. After seeing Robby and his friends bouncing and laughing, all contentment with the pint sized toddler jumpers evaporated. I strapped on his safety helmet (required for jumpers under the age of five) and accompanied him onto the massive trampolines.

I have become quite adept at jumping on inflatables, and was hoping that a trampolining would be a natural progression. I expected it to be springier, but worried that the buoyancy might tweak my stump or knee. Despite my concerns, the jumping looked fun and I wanted to give it a try. Worst case scenario, I was prepared to pay Robby and his friend to entertain Timmy.

Little Hamlet started jumping as soon as he laid eyes on his brother. It was adorable,  especially considering that he was still standing on the platform and not the trampolines. He cautiously stepped onto the squishy mass, took one small hop and proceeded to break down into giggles.

Timmy and I  ran, jumped and laughed for two hours. We played dodge ball against Robby and his friend (I won) and had a bunny hop race across the trampolines (Robby won). I was surprised by the lack of pain and discomfort I felt while jumping. Other than my own worries and self-imposed precautions, my prosthetic was irrelevant on the trampolines. 

I have a feeling that the trampoline park will be added to the family fun rotation from now on!