About Me

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I am a below knee amputee. More importantly, I am also Mommy to two boys, a very active 10 year old (Robby) and an mischievous toddler (Timmy). I have learned that being a parent with a disability can create some unusual and sometimes humorous situations. This blogger is available for hire! Let's talk and learn how a blog can expand your business.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Baking Fun

We have had a handful of hurricane-related school closings over the years, but I can't remember ever having a snow day before Thanksgiving. Yesterday we had nearly 3 inches of snow, topped off with about 1/4 inch of ice, which prompted the first official snow day of the year. If our recent weather is any indication, we are in for a wild winter!

Robby and Scott were delighted to be off of school, and Timmy was nearly as giddy at having his brother and Daddy home for the day. Both boys desperately wanted to play in the snow, but much to their chagrin we kept them inside. We weren't anticipating a snowfall and hadn't yet secured new winter garb. I felt like a mom-fail not preparing earlier for winter, but I hopped onto Amazon and their new warm-weather gear will arrive by Monday.  

Instead of playing in the snow the boys and I spent the day playing and baking. It turns out that stamping out sugar cookies is nearly as much fun as throwing snowballs, and all disappointment melted away. With the snow covering the front yard and Christmas cookies piled on my kitchen counters, it is looking more and more like the holiday season.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Snow Day

The boys went to bed last night happy in the knowledge that they didn't have to wake up at a designated time. Our first winter storm was forecast and schools closed in advance. I know other parents feel differently, but I always appreciate when schools make the decision before everybody goes to bed. The 4 AM phone call always jolts me from my slumber and I find it difficult to get back to sleep.

Although many of my friends felt that canceling early was an overreaction, I had no doubt that we were going to experience a strong weather event. My limb has become the best predictor of winter storms. Yesterday my limb was achy and sore throughout the day, and the pain only intensified as night encroached.  

Trying to sleep was difficult because the discomfort turned into phantom pain, which made for a miserable night. The long-range forecast predicts a heavy snow season, which also means that I am sure to experience a painful winter. It's a good thing that Scott is home today because I didn't sleep well last night and this momom is going to need a nap!

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Timmy the Terrible.

I don't know what got into Hamlet yesterday, but he was a handful from the moment he woke up until he finally went to sleep. After spending several days outside with us, I think he was frustrated with being housebound. With a constant cold rain falling and my to-do list piling up, we stayed inside all day. Regardless of his motivation, he had a severe case of the naughties.

Timmy the Terrible started the morning by drawing on my wall with a blue crayon. I thought that being directed to remove the markings with a Magic Eraser would be a just punishment for his action. I was wrong. Apparently using a Magic Eraser when you are four is a lot of fun.  At least the crayon and a large portion of my hallway wall were thoroughly cleaned below 40 inches, even if he did enjoy his punishment. 

I spent the lion share of my afternoon stopping my tornado of destruction while desperately trying to work on my computer. He was not content to watch cartoons, nor was he happy playing on the iPad. Instead of playing quietly by himself, he opted to become the preschooler of mass destruction.

At one point I put my work aside and played trains with him for nearly an hour out of the hopes that he would continue independently. No such luck. As soon as I stopped playing the track was destroyed by an irate little boy who decided to use his trucks as bowling balls.

Throughout the day Timmy the Terrible continued his destruction.  I found him standing on my counter trying to reach the Halloween candy.  He was lifted off the counter only to begin scaling the shelves of the fridge as if he were a versed mountain climber.  He grabbed the eggs and ran through the house, thoroughly enjoying the chase.  He tried to give the cat a bath and attempted to swing like a monkey on our chandelier over the pool table. 

On a day when I really needed him to be good, he seemed to accept the challenge to make things as difficult for me as possible.

Hopefully today will be a better day!

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Wheelbarrow

With Scott off work, our yard work extravaganza continued yesterday. We were able to get rid of the leaves in the yard and in our flowerbeds, which is no small feat considering that we live in the woods. While Scott was mowing the leaves the boys and I prepared for winter by swapping the outdoor summer toys for our winter sleds.

With our wheelbarrow filled with 100 pounds of potatoes covered in straw, I walked over and asked Mr. Bill if his was available to borrow. He choked up and I saw his eyes start to tear as he said, "Yes Buddy. This is how we started, do you remember?"  

Mr. Bill and I became friends when he brought me his wheelbarrow to use so many years ago. He was watching a toddler Robby and I fill a snow sled with mulch. He gathered up his wheelbarrow and pitchfork and came into our yard.  He took the pitchfork and picked up mulch, putting it into the wheelbarrow before looking at me and saying, "Work smarter, not harder."  

At the time I wasn't sure what to make of the elderly man, but I was grateful for his offer to lend his tools. Robby and I finished the mulch, cleaned out the wheelbarrow and returned it with a plate of cookies. Robby immediately took to the grumpy man, escaping into his yard to help whenever possible. 

As I was walking over to borrow the same wheelbarrow, only this time with Timmy in tow, I also remembered how he came into our lives. I was surprised at Mr. Bill's reaction to my request, I didn't think he remembered the day he came into our lives.  It is going to be hard to see him move away next month. I know that the neighborhood, and our family, will never be the same.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Stacking Wood

Yesterday I celebrated my 15th Walking Day. It is hard to believe that so much time has passed since that exciting day. In some ways, it feels like it could have happened last week, while at the same time it feels like a lifetime ago. When I think about the years I become overwhelmed, so I have decided to respect and honor the past by living my life to the fullest every day.

We celebrated my Walking Day by splitting and stacking an insane amount of wood. We worked most of the day, but we managed to split just about every tree segment that had been lining our driveway and those that were piled in our flowerbeds. It was hard work, but it was also fun having everybody help and participate.  Even Timmy got into the action by proudly carrying and handing me cut pieces of wood to be stacked.  

I'm incredibly sore this morning, but I am relieved that the log segments are gone and that we have ample firewood for the winter. There is no way I would have been able to help split the logs if I had not had my amputation. Perhaps there was no better way to honor my Walking Day than by doing an activity that would have been unattainable if I had not opted for an amputation so many years ago.