Unknown

 My brother is scheduled for his amputation this morning at 9 AM. The level of amputation, along with so much else in this horrific situation, remains unknown. My emotions are jumbled this morning and I am not sure how to process all of this information. Everything happened so quickly!

Please keep my brother in your thoughts today. My mom is flying down tomorrow morning to be with him for the week. She has the benefit of having experienced nursing a child through an amputation, so I know that he will be in capable hands. 

I'll update when I know more.

Struggling

 Sigh. 

While yesterday was better than Tuesday, the strides were not as great as we had hoped. We sailed through the morning with rocky waves, but our boat nearly tipped over in the afternoon. Timmy became confused at the beginning of a lesson and was in tears by the time he was supposed to work on his project. 

After calming him down he was able to contact his teacher privately for help. Within a few minutes he was on the right path and was working independently. Hopefully Timmy will learn to request assistance before he gets to tears, saving us both frustration and heartache. 

In addition to helping Timmy navigate his new school expectations, my heart continues to break for my brother. He is scheduled for an amputation tomorrow. Just writing that sentence has rocked my foundation. I have helped hundreds of individuals as they transitioned to an amputee, but this is the first time I am in this role as a family member.

It feels surreal. 

As of this morning my brother remains non compliant. He is refusing to sign the consent for the surgery which is a fatal mistake. While I'm eternally hopeful that he will change his mind, the uncertainty of this horrible situation is difficult to manage. Today I'm going to stay busy with the boys even though my heart is in Texas.

The Second Day has to be Better.

 I'm not going to lie, yesterday was rough. Timmy's excitement for his first day at his new school quickly waned as his frustrations grew and the hours ticked by. We had worked over the weekend, preparing everything that he would need for school. He woke up early, enjoyed a big breakfast and readied himself for his new academic adventure.

Unfortunately, we were not able to log into the academic platform until yesterday morning. If we had been able to learn the programs I think a lot of our frustration could have been minimized. Instead, we were thrown into the deep end as we tried to manage the various computer tabs. By 11:30 he was in tears.

I spent his lunch break crying in the bathroom. 

After we took a break, walked Friend and regrouped, we were able to finish the afternoon strong. I had a conference with his teachers after class and was assured that he will learn the technology quickly. I was promised that he would adjust to the schedule and the flow within a week. 

I hope that she is correct because I don't want another day like yesterday. It was horrible! Second grade did not start strong, but hopefully it can only improve over yesterday.

 

School Day 1

 This is a big morning in our house. Timmy embarks on the academic adventure of second grade. This year he is enrolled in a hybrid Montessori program. Attending a combination of both in-person and virtual courses, I know that Timmy will thrive. 

While Timmy is excited about his new school, I am battling anxiety and nerves over his schedule. Although I am delighted with his new placement, the flow is unknown. I am not sure how much support he will need during his virtual days, and I am worried about being able to juggle yet another ball. I know that it will take a few weeks for us to gain our footing with our new schedule, at least that is what I keep reminding myself. 

Day one starts in a few hours.  Wish us luck!