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, April 17, 2020

Friend

Scott and I have been debating whether or not to bring another furry family member into our family. We already have two cats, whom have bonded strongly with Robby.  Timmy is definitely a dog kid and has been asking for a dog for the past few months.  

 A few days ago Timmy was playing on my phone and somehow ended up on my Chewy app. About an hour later I received an email confirming my order for 40 lbs of dog food, a dog bed, a variety of pull toys and bones and an outside doggy hammock with tent. Since we don't have a dog (yet) I immediately cancelled the order. When I asked Timmy about the purchase, he simply smiled coyly and said that "Friend" (yes, he has already named his dog) needed food, toys and beds when he came home.

With Timmy's birthday approaching and the family's extended time at home, it feels like this may be the ideal time to adopt a dog. Not a puppy, but young enough to still enjoy playing and running with Timmy. Timmy is at the perfect age to meet his childhood furry companion. I have such a clear vision of him running, playing and cuddling with "Friend" that at this point, it feels like the decision has already been made. 


Thursday, April 16, 2020

Sunshine

The sun was shining and the temperatures were perfect for playing outside.  Timmy and I were able to spend a lot of time running, swinging and playing, which definitely helped the hours pass quickly.  Being outside and breathing in the fresh air lifted my mood and helped to recenter my perspective. 

The past few days have been a struggle.  Being inside, unable to really get out of the house because of the weather, caused my mood to sour and my fuse to shorten. I knew that I was on edge, but sometimes recognizing a situation doesn't undo the feelings. I was probably as grateful as Timmy for the beautiful weather.

It is easy to become frustrated with having to stay at home, but on days like yesterday, there was no where else I would rather be.It is amazing what the sunshine can do for my soul!




Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Ice Cream

Yesterday was extremely uneventful. My day was filled with work and meetings, which kept me busy and allowed the hours to pass quickly. Timmy wasn't feeling fantastic so he was content to watch cartoons and quietly play with his toys for most of the day. I hate when he doesn't feel like his typical energetic self. I'm hoping that he feels better today because, after spending all day yesterday in front of a keyboard, I could use some fresh air. 

Being on lock down is becoming more difficult. In addition to the frustrations of not being able to see people and the disruptions to our schedules, we are running into some very real implications of staying at home. Our grocery supply is dwindling and, much to the chagrin of all the boys, we are officially out of ice cream. (The horror!)  I've tried to schedule grocery delivery numerous times, but the slots are constantly filled. I have tried at different times throughout the day and night but I still have not found the magic time to submit the order. 

Looking at the positive, I assume that all of the delivery slots are taken because the majority of people are following the guidelines and staying home.  Hopefully this will soon all be a memory and life will return to normal. In the meantime, I'm going to pull the ice cream machine out of storage and start chilling the bowl. We refuse to allow a pandemic to keep us from our nightly ice cream treats!

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Vacation

With so many schools closing early because of the pandemic, it is worth mentioning that Robby has had little interruption to his academic program. Because he goes to a cyber school his classes have been proceeding as normal. With the exception of a few science experiments that he couldn't complete because we could not get to the store for the materials, the pandemic has had no impact on his academics. 

I am incredibly proud of how hard Robby has been working on his classwork. With Scott being home full-time, the house is full of distractions and opportunities to procrastinate. Instead of slacking, Robby has double downed on his classwork, working at an accelerated pace to finish 8th grade early. I am quite certain that I would not have been as dedicated at his age.

Robby is already done with History, completing the course with a 99.76% for the year. He should be finished with Science by the middle of next week, and he is on pace to knock English off the list about a week later. He only has a test and final in Algebra before that course is completed for the year. It will be nice when he is done with school so that he can join his Daddy on "summer vacation" early.

Although the first few weeks were anxiety riddled, Scott is easing into his newfound hiatus from work. He continues to check in with his students on a regular basis, but since academics are "optional," so far no students have volunteered. I suspect he may have a handful of students who take advantage of the opportunity, but I highly doubt that he will be overrun with requests.

It is hard to believe that the boys are essentially on summer vacation in April!

Monday, April 13, 2020

Different Kind of Holiday

Like everybody else, our Easter was different this year. I didn't get to go visit my Mom, and the boys missed their annual Easter Bunny visit and egg hunts. Despite our efforts to keep the holiday light and fun, at times I felt overwhelmed by isolation. Knowing that there was camaraderie in our collective experiences definitely helped push me through my narrow little world.

Even though our Easter was different and the boys definitely missed their Nana, we ended up having a nice holiday. We opted to create a completely different Easter experience this year because we knew that we couldn't emulate tradition. Thankfully the weather cooperated, allowing us some beautiful temperatures and sunny skies throughout the weekend.

On Saturday night Robby helped me stage a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt for Timmy. Our little egg hunt was delighted! He grabbed his basket, put on his shoes and took off running through the yard to collect each colorful glowing egg. Seeing his enthusiasm for this novel twist on a familiar activity was the perfect beginning for our holiday celebrations.

The Easter Bunny came on Saturday night, surprising both boys with some new summer toys. (Our Bunny has always provided summer toys in lieu of candy for Easter.) Timmy received a new whistle (I don't know what the Bunny was thinking) and a cool new skateboard swing. He spent the majority of his day swinging and blowing his whistle.

Robby received a new glow-in-the-dark battle game, which he can't wait to use this summer with his cousins. He also received a new sling shot game which was a lot of fun. He spent most of his day riding his bike and playing with his new sling shot game.

We spent the majority of the day outside, playing and riding bikes through the neighborhood. Easter Dinner filled me with sadness because I was missing my extended family. As long as I was busy I was okay, which is why I was happy to spend the day playing outside.  Sometimes avoidance is a beautiful thing!