Pool Delivery

I am loving this Spring weather. Unplugging for a few hours every afternoon to go play outside has been good for Timmy and my soul. He adores playing in the woods, throwing his parachute soldiers off the deck and fighting pirates invaders from his tree house. I find his imagination inspiring.

Yesterday we made an exciting discovery when we headed outside to play. The UPS driver had delivered our new pool. Timmy squealed and began to jump with excitement when he discovered the large box in our driveway. I wish I had taken a video of him when he found the box. His reaction was so pure with delight.  

"Look Momom. Nana bought me a big pool. It is my dream come true. This is the bestest day of my whole life. I told Nana through my heart that I wanted a pool and she heard me."  Just to be clear, I was the one who researched and purchased the pool, but my Mom got credit. I am fine letting her play the role of hero though.

Now we just need to wait for the warmer weather to set it up. Like Timmy, I can't wait!

Comfort

I am entering the third week of my new prosthetic set-up, and I'm delighted to report that I am still comfortable. After struggling for years with an inadequate liner and a painful socket, the newly reclaimed comfort is liberating. I am kicking myself for not making the change earlier, but I am also working towards extending myself some grace. At this point, the only thing I can do is appreciate where I am and learn from where I have been. 

Even the boys have noticed a change in my gait and demeanor. I am no longer struggling with stairs (out of fear that the leg would fall off) and I am able to run with Timmy in the yard. While I'm still cautious because of divots, I am not nearly as worried when I am outside. Dare I say, I am starting to rediscover my normal.

Today is supposed to be beautiful, so I'm hoping to give my new set-up another workout. Hopefully I'll be able to take it for a walk down to the stream. The temperatures are going to be warm enough for Hamlet to splash and look for tadpoles. I don't think I'll have to invite him twice!

Catching Up

Yesterday was the first day back to school after our getaway and, as anticipated, it was stressful. I think we all felt some pressure to get on track and to get the work done. Somehow, we all managed to buckle down and together we tackled the to-do list. We are back on track and ready to cruise through the rest of the year. Getting away and unplugging is always wonderful, but I hate the price that is paid when we return!

Unfortunately, the amount of work we needed to do made going outside to play impossible. Thankfully the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny today, so hopefully we will be able to spend some time in the fresh air playing and relaxing. The boys did such a great job focusing and trudging through their work yesterday, I would love to be able to reward them with a long bike ride through the neighborhood.  

Hopefully tomorrow I will have something more exciting to write. I'm afraid that catching up on work is a boring necessity.

Normalcy

After a great spring break at my Mom's, yesterday we packed up and returned home. I'm always sad to leave, but this goodbye was even more difficult. After such a fun few days, we were all sad to have our vacation come to an end.

I am hoping that Covid will continue to retreat and that we will be able to increase the frequency of our trips. I have really missed hanging out with my Mom, and I know that the boys have missed their cousins. With the number of vaccines increasing, I am starting to feel a sense of optimism about a return to normal. Or, at the very least, a modified version of normal that feels more natural.

Today we are back to our school/ work schedule. The boys have to hit the books (figuratively because they are all on computer) to get back on track. I know that it will only take a few days to get into the flow of our school day routine, but it always feels overwhelming after a break.  

Fingers crossed the transition to reality is smooth!

Bestest Days

The weekend passed by in a flash. Laughter, adventures and late-night games filled the hours and my Mom's house. It has been wonderful watching the Cousin Crew reunion. Although they have been separated for months, they resumed their antics without missing a beat. 

While continuing to follow all pandemic protocols, we managed to squeeze in some amazing adventures. On Friday Scott arrived and we piled everybody into the car to go drive some go-carts. Timmy was beyond excited to drive his own little car.  Despite this being his first experience, we were gobsmacked by the confidence and the skills that he demonstrated behind the wheel. My little daredevil is a natural! Timmy quickly declared it to be the "bestest day of my whole life."

On Saturday we headed to a Rage Room. Because Timmy was too young to participate, he was able to go into the paint splatter room. Although he initially complained about leaving the big kids, he was delighted to splash and spray paint all over the walls, floor and the ceiling. To everybody's delight, he actually got some paint onto his canvas as well! Again, the day was declared the "bestest" of his whole life.

With Timmy busy in the paint room, the big kids geared up, chose their weapons of destruction and entered the rage room. They were able to smash and destroy assorted items for 15 minutes. They had an absolute blast!

After recovering from the Rage Room, we headed back out to Rock 'n Bowl. This was the first time Scott came bowling with us. With the live band and the dance lights dancing on the lanes and the walls, it felt like we were at a party. (We were still sequestered into our own divided lane and did not come close to other patrons.) The kids bowled, danced and laughed the night away.

Yesterday Timmy woke up to discover that the Easter Bunny left toys, lollipops (which sprouted from planted jelly beans of course) and 100 candy filled eggs littering his Nana's yard. True to form, it was the " bestest day" of his whole life.

I hope that he continues to live the best days ever!