Broken Fridge

Timmy is not handling his Daddy's return to work gracefully. Each morning he is in tears, wrapping his little arms and legs around Scott and holding on as tightly as possible. After we pry him off and Scott makes his departure, Hamlet breaks down crying. It doesn't take long for his cries to morph into a full blown tantrum, which I am forced to endure until it passes.

I am hoping that his reaction softens as this routine becomes our new normal. I hate seeing my little guy so distraught. While I know that his tantrum is not fun for me, I am confident that he is miserable as well.  

I would love to pack up Timmy and Robby to escape to the pool to enjoy our final days of summer. The sky full of rain clouds and a broken refrigerator thwarted that plan. So instead of playing in the sun I am going to be waiting for the appliance repairman.  

Sigh. I really don't want to be an adult anymore.

Sprained Phantom Ankle

Last night the skies opened up and the rain showered down for hours. Our yard is again a sloppy, wet mess. At this point I have completely given up hope for the rest of the summer. Instead I am hoping that the Fall is full of beautiful leaves and bright sun shine against blue skies. 

In addition to our yard and our roof, my leg has also been feeling the wrath of the rain storms. It seems that the pain becomes more intense and more frequent with each storm. Last night my ankle (phantom) was aching so much I was almost on the verge of tears. It is incredibly painful and frustrating to feel that your missing ankle is somehow sprained. 

Moving around buckets to catch the drops coming into our house, I was struggling to walk. It was painful each time I fully loaded my prosthesis. I removed my leg and liner numerous times, hoping to find a magical sweet spot to allow me to walk without pain. (I knew that my attempts were futile, but I felt like I needed to at least try.) 

Eventually I took some Tylenol, grabbed the heating pad and went to bed for the night. Thankfully the sensation that my ankle is sprained has vanished. Now my limb just feels sore and tight, but completely manageable. 

I am walking without my limp, but I plan on taking it easy today. I feel like my body is trying to tell me to relax and take it easy. An injury right now would be catastrophic, so perhaps it is time I actually start listening to my body and following the cues. 

Turtle Video

With Scott back to work, I am slowly moving towards resuming the school schedule. Having the boys home everyday has been both wonderful and frustrating. I love having the commotion, the noise and the utter chaos that comes from having a full house. On the other hand, I have had my fill of the commotion, the noise and the utter chaos that comes from having a full house. There is something to be said for quieter days with only Timmy to manage.

It is hard to believe that another school year is beginning. It feels like it has only been a few days since we celebrated the last day of school. Between travel, day adventures and lots of cousin time, the weeks have flown by. This summer has been especially memorable for Robby. I know that he will look back on these two months for decades to come. 

Over the weekend he finalized a video from his Internship. He filmed everything with his night vision scope (thanks to Nana for the wonderful Christmas present). After sifting through hours of raw footage, he compiled a video to commemorate his experience.  Enjoy!

Potato Dig

We decided to delay the potato dig until Sunday in hopes that the fields would dry out a bit. We realized that we miscalculated when another huge thunderstorm rolled through the area on Saturday night. Undeterred, we put on old shoes and grabbed our bags to embark on our annual potato hunt.  With all of the rain we have been receiving lately, I suspected that the fields were going to be muddy.  My muck expectations were exceeded. Whereas Timmy had a blast splashing in the mud, the rest of the family spent their field time artfully dodging the puddles (as much as possible).

Finding the potatoes was easy, but getting to them was a different story. I'm not afraid of dirt, but mud fills me with anxiety because it is easy to slip and fall. I was hyper cognizant of every step, carefully calculating my options and the preparing to slip with each movement. Thankfully I didn't end up on my bum, but I did slide around quite a few times. 

The slick mud definitely complicated a fun tradition. While we still had a good time, the event was not as carefree as it has been in the past. I was worried about falling, Scott and Robby were concerned about becoming too muddy and Timmy's loyalties were torn between puddle jumping and finding potatoes.  

Despite our efforts, we were muddy from the knees down. (With the exception of Timmy, who was thoroughly coated and gleeful in his filth.) Thankfully we had the foresight to bring extra shoes with us. Unfortunately there wasn't anything I could do about my muck covered foot shell. There weren't enough wet wipes in the diaper bag to get that thing clean!

Weekend Plans

Happy Friday! We have a busy weekend scheduled but we will all be home so I'm not going to complain. As long as my time in the car is minimal and I wake up in my own bed, I will consider the weekend successful.

On Saturday we are headed to our farm for the Potato Dig. The event has become a family tradition and both boys are looking forward to attending again this year. I suspect that this year Timmy will fully grasp the event and will up his potato digging skills.  With two boys who love digging in the dirt, I should be set for the winter cooking!

Sunday afternoon we have tickets to Cirque Italia. I don't have any expectations, but hopefully everybody will enjoy the show. Robby was utterly mesmerized when we took him to the traveling Cirque Du Soleil show earlier this year. Hopefully he will be just as impressed by the knock-off one we are seeing on Sunday. 

More than anything else, I am looking forward to just relaxing at home. I need to catch up on laundry and hang out with the kitties. My September calendar is beginning to fill up so I am trying to enjoy my downtime while I have it.

Fair

This morning I am home (finally). 

Last night we fulfilled one of our final summer traditions by going to our county fair. Although it was hot, we thoroughly enjoyed the absence of rain. It feels as if it has rained nonstop since May. Everyday without precipitation feels like a gift!

We all had fun, but Timmy definitely enjoyed the fair the most. He stuffed his toy Yoshi into his front pocket and had a blast riding the small amusements with his toy. He giggled, squealed and laughed throughout the night, soaking in every moment.  Robby had fun, but his struggle with motion sickness sidelined his enjoyment of the rides. 

This morning Scott returns to work, officially ending his summer vacation. Robby is still home for another week before he embarks on his new educational adventure. Not that I'm counting down, but I can see the light at the end of the chaos filled summer!

Travel Ban

After 8 hours on a train and over an hour in a taxicab, I am tired of traveling. I arrived back at my Mom's last night wiped out from sitting on moving vehicles all day. Although I wasn't physically active, I can consider the time well spent because of what I accomplished during the trip. I took full advantage of the Amtrak Wi-Fi and worked nonstop on my computer. 

My appointment went well and was relatively quick. I was able to catch an earlier train home, for which I was grateful. I wasn't looking forward to killing three hours at Penn Station. Sometimes I would relish the chance to browse and walk around the city for a few hours.  Yesterday was not one of those days. 

This morning I am packing up my boys and heading home. After I arrive, I officially declaring a boycott on all travel for the foreseeable future. Robby and Scott need some quiet time before the hustle and bustle of the school year resumes. I need time to decompress and prepare for the impending chaos. And Timmy has been needing some quality time with his trains.