Sad Situation

A few nights ago we watched the State of the Union address. Instead of the doom and gloom, the sky is falling type reports we are accustomed to hearing, this time the news was encouraging. According to the experts, the economy is rebounding. We looked at each other and knew that no words needed to be exchanged. It is ironic that the economic forecast is so positive when Scott and I were just discussing the dire straits that many of his students are experiencing.

In 21 years of teaching, Scott has never had so many students who are truly hungry. I'm not talking "I'm a teenager and can eat a lot" hungry. I'm talking about the type of hunger where they can't concentrate on their school work because of a need to eat. Too many of his students are reliant upon their free lunch voucher for their only source of nutrition. On weekends, holidays or snow days when school is closed, we've learned that many of these kids simply don't eat. It is absolutely heartbreaking!

For the first few weeks of school I was unaware of his student's hunger problem. He brought home a list of his student's birthdays at the beginning of the school year and asked if I would be willing to make cupcakes to celebrate each one. While I was happy to oblige, I was surprised by his request. He casually remarked that he doesn't think some of these kids will have anything other than our cupcakes to celebrate their birthday, and instead of selecting the few in need he thought it was best to just do it for everybody.  I put the names and dates on my calendar and have not yet missed a birthday. 

While I thought the cupcake request was odd, I began to suspect that the issue was more pervasive. I began to notice that our leftovers were disappearing. Knowing that Scott couldn't eat half of a lasagna for lunch, I finally asked him what he was doing with all of our food. It was then that he explained that some of his students this year are truly hungry. 

I wish we could feed all of them, but I know that is impossible. Instead, we are desperately trying to put a band-aid on the situation. I have come to expect that any left over meals will be taken and distributed to his class. We buy ramen noodles by the case so that we know these kids have something to eat over the weekend and holidays.  Every Thursday morning he drives by Costco to pick up their expired baked goods. It saddened me to learn of the excitement of his students when they eagerly pick up stale bread and rolls to take home to their families. 

The experts are touting economic success, but I doubt that his students would agree. I look at Robby and Timmy and it breaks my heart to envision them eagerly accepting their teacher's left over meals and old bread. I am reminded of how lucky we are to not be in that situation. I know that our stopgap measures will not fix the situation, but that doesn't mean that we won't try.

Flu

I woke up yesterday morning fully anticipating a return to normalcy. Seeing Robby stagger out of his bedroom and plop onto the couch, I knew that he was going to be staying home from school.  My little Koopa was sick, only this time he complained of his head hurting instead of his ears.

I called the pediatrician and scheduled an appointment for later that morning. Robby sat quietly on the couch, filling the time with an endless stream of Spongebob while we waited to go tot he doctor. He didn't have a fever, so I was perplexed about what was dragging down my little guy. I was glad that he was squeezed into the schedule so quickly because I didn't want whatever was brewing to get out of hand.

The doctor's exam yielded few answers. He didn't have a fever, his ears were clear, and his glands were not swollen. Although he wasn't terribly congested he did have the sniffles, so a diagnosis of a cold virus was bestowed. He was also deemed dehydrated, which was the probable source for his headache. We left the office with orders to drink, take Tylenol for the pain and to rest. I have to admit that I felt like a maternal failure when he was diagnosed with dehydration!

Robby assumed his position on the couch while I prepared a large glass of ice water for him to sip. As Scooby Doo played in the background, I watched my little guy completely disintegrate throughout the afternoon. He quickly went from complaining of a headache to experiencing full body aches and fatigue. He said that he felt "like an old man without a cane trying to cross the street." By mid-afternoon he had begun to spike a fever, prompting another call to the pediatrician.

Flu. I really did not want to hear that diagnosis! I know that he will be better in a few days, but the constant news stories touting the nightmares of the virus have terrified me. I spent the night by his bed, waking up at his slightest movement.  Today will again be spent on the couch. Hopefully the steady stream of Tylenol, Ibuprofen and Tamiflu will provide comfort.  I feel so helpless when he is sick.

Crawling School

Yesterday everybody was home (again) because of the holiday. While I do enjoy my family, I am beginning to think that there is, indeed, something behind the idea of too much togetherness. I don't think it would be as frustrating if I could lounge with them, but I am still working and having the extra bodies home only serve to vie for my attention. 

The weather was chilly and Robby was still recovering from his ear infections, so he opted to stay inside for the majority of the day. The fact that he wasn't begging for me to set up the moon bounce was the only confirmation I needed that he wasn't quite feeling up to snuff. I feel so badly for him when he is sick.

When Robby wasn't playing with his toys, he took an uncanny interest in his brother. He woke up determined to teach Timmy how to crawl. At breakfast he announced that his baby brother "has been living on earth for a lot of months and so far he hasn't learned to do anything. Today I am going to teach him how to crawl so he can move by himself."

Robby was true to his word and spent a considerable amount of time trying to teach Timmy to crawl. He tried a variety of approaches including but not limited to physical manipulation, providing an example, and bribery. Despite a valiant effort by his big brother, we still have a baby content to roll and sit in lieu of crawling. 

While I was delighted that Robby wanted to spend time with Hamlet, I wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of having a baby on the move.  I know that he is on the verge of mobility, but as far as I'm concerned, the longer I can keep him still, the better. I just don't know if I'm ready to chase after a little one!

Do Nothing Weekend

Friday morning was spent getting my leg adjusted. As I predicted, it took longer for me to drive to the office than it did for the adjustments to be made. Within minutes Elliot had slightly shortened my leg, creating the perfect walking length for me. I was strutting and walking through the office as if I were a bi-ped.

On my way home I received a call from Robby's school telling me that he was complaining of his ears hurting and a headache. I drove straight to his school, and after I took one look at my pale little Koopa, I knew that he was sick. I packed him up and we headed to the doctor.  My fears were confirmed when she diagnosed him with a double ear infection.

The weekend was relatively low-key and quiet. Robby was recuperating and had minimal energy, so he was content staying in his pajamas and playing video games uninterrupted. Knowing that he still had a fever and needed to rest, I didn't push him to run errands or play outside. Timmy was happy scooting around the floor, trying to put everything into his mouth and playing with his toys. While he hasn't yet mastered traditional crawling, he is certainly quick when he puts his mind to commando crawling!

While I hate that my little buddy was sick, I did enjoy the forced relaxation. I can't remember the last time I just sat by the fire and watched movies. I think that everybody is feeling better after our quiet, do-nothing weekend.

Adjustments

It's finally Friday! This week hasn't been especially busy, but it has been incredibly stressful. I'm looking forward to a weekend of relaxing and binge watching Breaking Bad. Of course, I'm sure that my boys have other plans, and I'll be lucky if I can squeeze in half an episode while rocking Timmy. I keep telling myself that someday I will regain my weekends, but during this stage in my life, the days are monopolized by my kids. 

Today I was hoping to put Timmy in school for a few hours so that I finally could see the newest Hunger Games movie which I swore I was going to see the day it was released in November. Things kept popping up, and seeing the movie never made it back to the top of my list. Obviously the stars are not aligning because it is again being bumped down on my priority list.  Instead of relaxing with a tub of popcorn, I'll be driving to get another prosthetic adjustment. 

I probably could wait for the adjustment until Monday, but I am not willing to be uncomfortable through the weekend. I'm just a tinge too tall on my prosthetic side, which is starting to impact my back and hips. I know all too well that those little twinges can quickly become debilitating. I'm not willing to take the risk, so I'm going to head into rush hour traffic this morning to get shortened.  I have no doubt that it will take me longer to drive to the appointment than it will for my leg to be adjusted. 

Driving to the prosthetist, dealing with ingrown hairs and not being able to go on my toes when Timmy and I are Sweating to the Oldies are all amputee annoyances which are beginning to wear me down. Hopefully this will be the last adjustment I need for a long time. I miss the days where I would just step into my leg and not think about it for the rest of the day.

Baking Buddy

Yesterday Robby had yet another snow day. Since there was not a speck of snow or ice on the ground, I was a tad surprised that school had been cancelled. Apparently the powers that be are hyper-cautious this year. I suppose it is better to be cautious when buses travel during inclement weather, but a day off for no precipitation seemed a bit drastic. Regardless, he was home and utterly delighted.

It has been a long time since Robby has been home with me without his Daddy. Although Scott was sad that his school was not granted the same cancellation, part of me was excited to be home alone with Robby and Timmy. With Hamlet strapped to my chest, my cooking Koopa and I spent the day in the kitchen, whipping up a variety of cookies and cakes. 

I have been baking with Robby since he was born. He used to beg to help me bake cookies to the point where we were parceling out our goodies to whomever would take them.  During the past few years as his interests have expanded, his eagerness to help me bake has waned.  Every once in awhile he asks to bake, and I have learned to jump on those opportunities. 

We began the day by whipping up a honey cake for him to take to school. In all fairness, I have no idea how it is going to taste. Robby is learning about Ancient Rome in school and discovered that the Romans used to devour honey cakes. A quick Google search and we were baking like the Romans, only with the addition of a Kitchenaid stand mixer and oven in lieu of slave labor and fire. I'm not sure how it will taste, yet I'm fairly certain it is not going to be good by today's standards. Regardless, he had a great time whipping up an Ancient Roman treat for his friends and is excited to share his creation today.

When we pulled the honey cake out of the oven, I assumed Robby's interest in baking with me would vanish. I was delighted to be wrong. He asked to make cookies for his Daddy and for Mr. Bill. My little Koopa and I ended up spending the entire afternoon in the kitchen, baking and talking. I found our time together comfortably reminiscent of our days when he was younger. 

I wasn't expecting a school cancellation, but I sure did need the special time with Robby. He is growing up too quickly, and I've come to cherish any time that he wants to spend with me. 

Misplaced Aggression

Yesterday during the pre-dawn hours, I mustered the courage to go downstairs to check the status of our freezer. Rationally I knew that it was still going to be broken. While I would have been eternally grateful if a team of little repair elves had sneaked into my house to fix the appliance, I suspected that they had passed over my house again. Still though, I held a glimmer of hope that I would be met with the comforting humming from the compressor when I opened the garage door.

Instead, I heard the deafening silence of a defunct appliance. I responded in the most logical manner. I proceeded to kick the side of the freezer, hard, hoping to somehow jump start the motor.  (This is where there lies a true benefit to being a prosthetic user. I can kick things repeatedly and never feel a thing!)

Even during the midst of my kickboxing bout with the now useless metal box, I knew that my emotions were misplaced. Since I can't physically attack other people and situations, the freezer became the unwitting recipient of my penned up aggression. Although it did nothing to bring life back into the freezer, kicking it repeatedly made me feel better.  Perhaps it is time to investigate purchasing a punching bag on Craigslist?

After I finished the appliance smack-down, I ventured back upstairs and began to regroup. Drinking a cup of coffee I quietly researched freezers. I hated that we had to buy another one, but when I considered that ours was 15 years old, I could no longer complain. There is never a good time to buy an appliance, but our old one had served us well for a long time. I actually started to feel remorse for my going kick crazy.

By the end of the day a new freezer had taken residence in the basement.  Our old one, now slightly dented from my mini-meltdown, is ready to be taken to the dump. My anger may have been misplaced, but releasing it sure felt liberating!