Robby's first band practice was a resounding success. Although he was nervous all day, and was shaking during the drive to the music school, he calmed down as soon as he arrived. His bandmates seem nice and Robby was welcomed with open arms. I feel an enormous sense of relief that practice went well for him. Now he can concentrate on learning the songs and just having fun with new friends.
Today Robby is busy at his school for enrichment classes. He adores Fridays and looks forward to these classes all week. Three solid hours of WWII role playing games is right up his alley!
While Robby is busy at school, Timmy and I have an appointment with his immunologist. We are going to be doing another gammagobulin transfusion, which is never a fun way to spend an afternoon. It is too early to know if the transfusions are working, but we are hopeful that his little immune system will be redirected to work properly through this protocol.
Much of our weekend will be spent helping Timmy recover from his treatment. Although he doesn't become sick, he feels worn out and icky afterwards. Hopefully that will not be the case, but I am trying to prepare for a few yucky feeling days.
Thankfully it will be over the weekend so Scott will be home to help. Like his brother when he was younger, Timmy wants to cuddle with his Daddy whenever he feels sick. I suspect that he will be curled up watching football, baseball and hockey for the next few days.
Today is a big day for my not-so-little Koopa. He has his first rock band practice tonight, and he is filled with both excitement and nervous energy. Robby has been working diligently since his guitar lessons began and his music teacher feels that his skills are up for the challenge. I know that he will have a wonderful time, but I can't help but feel nervous for him.
More than making music, I hope that Robby has a lot of fun and forges friendships with his new bandmates. It is always difficult walking into a new situation, but I know that Robby will do a great job. Even though he has only been playing for a little over one month, I have to believe that his music teacher would not have graduated him to performance band prematurely. It is hard for me to release my worry, but I need to trust that his skills are up to the necessary level.
Wish my Koopa luck tonight! Hopefully he will be grinning from ear-to-ear when I pick him up after practice. I'll report back tomorrow!
Yesterday my little Ghostbuster and I were stuck inside because of the weather. The temperatures were high and the air was muggy and bug laden. Today we are supposed to top near 100, which for October in Northern Virginia is unseasonably high. I'm ready to put my shorts and sundresses away, but it seems that I have to sweat out another few days before autumn really arrives.
While Timmy and I were busy catching ghosts, Robby worked for nearly six hours on his Algebra assignments. Algebra is not easy for him, and I am so proud of how hard he is trudging through the lessons. We finally found a tutor and her instruction has become a godsend for all of us!
Last year was one of adjusting and trial and error. Robby and I were both experimenting and figuring out the best approach towards his cyberschool curriculum. Although the work is still challenging, this year has been considerably easier for both of us. I feel like we found our groove, and watching him take more responsibility for his classwork and assigments is empowering.
I don't often reference Robby's cyberschool status, primarily because I am not interested in hearing the uninformed and uninvited opinions that always follow whenever I bring it up. I realize that cyberschool is not for everybody, but it is definitely working for Robby. He is highly social through his extensive extracurriculars and is thriving academically. Since he started his cyberschool program I have witnessed him grow academically while his confidence has soared.
There is so much turmoil in this world. I really wish that we would spend more time working and supporting each other instead of casting judgment.
I am so happy that September is finally behind us. Nothing dramatic happened during the month, I have just always found September to be stressful and exhausting. Between Scott and Robby starting back to school and the return of extracurricular activities into our calendar, I spent the majority of the month chasing my tail. Things are finally starting to settle down and normalize, just in time for Halloween.
Timmy is all in with Halloween this year. He spends hours each day crafting decorations for the house. We have spooky skeletons, happy pumpkins and scary skeletons hanging from every wall and doorway. He is determined to transform our home into "Spooky Town," and his dedication to his vision is only growing.
I am constantly walking into spider webs, spiders and skeletons, but I know that Timmy comes by his love for Halloween naturally. Robby loves the holiday as well, although his decorating efforts have certainly waned as he has edged towards being a teenager. Even though Robby is no longer enthusiastic about hanging pumpkins and ghosts, he loves scaring me whenever possible and Halloween is the perfect opportunity.
In fact, all of the males in my home (Scott included) have developed an affinity for scaring me. The boys love nothing more than throwing a plastic snake or spider onto me when I am relaxing, causing me to shriek. Occasionally they have frightened me to the point of incontinence. Apparently it is hillarious watching Momom pee her pants.
The next month will be filled with autumnal adventures, spooky outings and lots of Halloween crafts. Since I don't see the boys stopping their spooky antics anytime soon, I will probably be doing a lot of laundry this month.
While Robby was in class on Friday, Timmy and I headed to a local Fall Festival. The temperatures were beautiful and the sun was bright in the crisp blue sky, which made it the perfect day to spend outside playing. As a bonus, Friday was considered a "value day," so admission was considerably discounted.
Usually packed with hoards of people, the farm was sparcely populated. Timmy and I were able to enjoy every slide and activity without waiting in line, allowing us to play on every structure and adventure. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time.
Fall Festivals are often difficult for me to transverse, and Friday was no exception. Typically built on a farm, little to no thought is given to accessibility. Slides are often plotted at the top of steep dirt hills without the benefit of handrails or steps. Obviously, corn mazes are not not always clear of obstacles, and the haunted paths through the woods are often riddled with branches, holes and other possible hazards.
While not impossible to enjoy, I do find myself hyper aware of my the position of my prosthesis as I played at the Fall Festival. I'm grateful that I was able to still walk and enjoy the event. I saw several people sitting sullenly at the bottom of the hill in wheelchairs or with crutches. Going to this event without the ability to maneuver safely would stink!
Even though I had to remain vigilant to prevent falls, Timmy and I had a wonderful time playing at the festival. It was the perfect day to play and to just have fun, and we definitely succeeded with both objectives.
