Berry Picking

I had a nice birthday. I met my Mom for lunch and, contrary to all precedent, Timmy was delightful in the restaurant. He was charming and playful throughout the lunch, allowing me to actually enjoy my meal.

Robby "surprised" me with cupcakes after school. (Considering that I had to drive him to the bakery, I had a strong suspicion about the gift. But I played along because he was excited and I didn't want to diminish his thoughtful gesture.) Scott gave me a beautiful photo charm of the boys so that I can always wear them close to my heart.  I finished off the day with yoga, which was enjoyable yet confusing at the same time.

Today we are planning on taking full advantage of the sunshine and warm temperatures. Robby has a half day of school so Timmy and I will pick him up at lunchtime and head to the farm. I read that their strawberry fields are overflowing with ripe yummy berries, and I can't wait to start picking.  I hope to pick enough to make jam and syrup tomorrow, when we are experiencing our predicted two inches of rain. 

Robby is an excellent strawberry harvester, but his little brother definitely needs some work. We went to a small field last weekend, and Timmy only managed to pick two berries. He clutched one in each hand, squeezing them with pride until he was a juicy mess.  Hopefully we will be able to convince him to part with a few in the bucket this time, but I'm not overly confident. 

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy Birthday to me!

I'm not terribly thrilled about being 42, but I suppose it beats the alternative. I keep reminding myself to embrace the age, but that is easier said than done. I've decided to channel denial by avoiding thinking about the number. After all, the only way to stop aging is to die and that certainly is not an option!

Today I'm going to spend the morning playing outside with Timmy (the rain has finally stopped) before meeting my Mom for lunch. In the afternoon I'm planning an extra long bike ride with Robby, followed by a nice dinner (which I don't have to cook). In the evening I am going to yoga, finishing the day with cake.  I'm going to spend the day with my favorite people, which is the perfect way to celebrate.  

No Known Reasons

Between my leg jitterbug kicking all night and Timmy constantly waking up, last night was low on sleep. I have no reason to explain either factor although that hasn't stopped me from trying to figure it out. In the middle of the night while rocking an upset Timmy, my sleep deprived mind was churning.

I haven't changed sockets and I don't have any open sores on my leg so the typical jitterbug culprits aren't present. It is rainy, which sometimes impacts my leg nerves, but the weather has been wet for almost three weeks. My leg hasn't been impacted but perhaps a different weather front is at play.  In reality, I think it was just one of those weird amputee issues that pops up from out of nowhere to remind me that I shouldn't take the absence of pain for granted. 

As for Timmy's insomnia, I have even fewer theories. He didn't seem to be in pain, nor was he sick. His room wasn't too hot or cold, and he wasn't hungry or wet. The only way I could calm him back to sleep was to hold and rock him, so perhaps he was experiencing nightmares.

Whatever the reasons, it was a long night. We're in for yet another day of dreary weather which does not do anything to help my tired mood. Hopefully all of the stars will align, and we can both take a nap today.

Goats!

After more than two weeks, the rain and dreary weather has temporarily subsided. Sunday we were ecstatic to see blue skies and sunshine after seeing nothing but grey and rain. It was windy and cool, but we were all so happy to see the sun that we bundled up and ventured to the animal park. (Scott stayed home to bask in the quiet while watching a car race.)

Robby and his friend Jack ran around and played, only finding me when they needed a snack or more animal food. Although I know that it is normal for him to outgrow a Mommy companion, I have to admit that part of me was sad. I miss my little buddy.  Thankfully I have Timmy, who was my little companion as he went about happily exploring the zoo and play structures. He was so delighted to be playing outside that he didn't seem bothered that his brother wasn't around.

After flirting with the idea of feeding the animals, Timmy finally garnered the courage to approach the baby goats. (It helped that he was encouraged by Robby, who happened to stop by to pick up a bottle of water.) Seeing his brother feed the goats and wanting to be part of the action, Timmy took a small piece of food and carefully offered it to the animal.

He began to squeal with delight when the goat licked the food out of his hand. Despite his trepidation approaching the animals he spent the next 30 minutes meticulously feeding the baby goats, one piece of feed at a time, until our bucket was empty. It looks like history is repeating itself and that I will be spending countless hours standing in front of the goat stalls in the coming years.

Confession from a Young Biker

In preparation for Robby's big biking challenge, we have started to take nightly rides through the neighborhood.  Many times his friends tag along as we meander through the development. I'm sure that we are quite a sight as we ride by, a group of mismatched kids happily pedaling after a one-legged middle aged lady.

Robby has only been riding for a year but is handling the bike like a champion.  My heart still jumps when I see him taking curves quickly or going downhill fast. I know that he loves the feeling of speed, but I think I'll always worry about him falling.  I'm a Mom: worrying is what I do.

A few nights ago, while we were out on one of our nightly jaunts, Robby kept stopping along the road. He didn't dismount entirely but he kept stopping and standing as he straddled the bike. After the third time, I felt compelled to ask him if he was okay.

"Oh I'm good Momom. Sorry about that, I had to toot. I am worried that the velocity of my toots might propel me off of my bicycle seat. I don't want to take any chances, so I just take a toot break and then keep riding."

So there I was, on the side of the road trying to explain to my 9 year old son that he can toot and ride at the same time. That was certainly a conversation I never expected to have! Who would have known that our cycling challenge would be so enlightening?