Sick Day

 Yesterday was such a good day!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous at an unseasonably warm 70 degrees with bright blue skies. Friend and I spent hours running (him not  me) and strolling through the neighborhood to take full advantage of our sneak peek at Spring. Thankfully my leg felt fantastic so I was able to do everything I wanted without hesitation.

Because Timmy has had a rough few days I decided to surprise him with a picnic lunch. While he was in school I sneaked to Chick-fil-a and stocked up on nuggets and fries. By the time he was logging off for lunch the picnic table was set up, ready to host our first picnic of the year. There is nothing quite like an impromptu picnic to lift your spirits. 

Yesterday was a good day.

Today is already shaping up to be the opposite. The sky is grey and heavy with rain so we won't be playing outside. Actually, we won't be playing at all. Timmy woke up early with a high fever. My little Hamlet is down for the count. 

It looks like today is a sick day.

Happy Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day!

In full disclosure, Valentine's Day  is not my favorite holiday. I used to love it, but living with all boys has squashed my desire to strew pink hearts down the hallway. Holidays aren't fun to celebrate in isolation, so I have learned to just let go of Cupid. Well, I haven't completely abandoned the holiday. I will be making everybody's favorite desserts today for a fun surprise. 

Instead of celebrating with pink hearts and red roses, I'll be spending the afternoon in the sunshine playing with Friend and Timmy. After a rainy Sunday and a cloudy Monday, I am looking forward to the fresh air. My leg feels phenomenal and right now a long walk where I can zone out to my audio book feels like the best gift I can give myself. 

I am little nervous to write that my leg feels great out of the fear of jinxing myself. I have had so many leg issues over the past few months, the absence of pain feels invigorating! Fingers crossed the good luck continues!

Uniform

 Friday evening I took Robby to the auction that he has been planning for over the past several weeks. He had the singular goal of obtaining something from his beloved teacher's collection. In his wildest dreams, he wanted the impeccable WWII Officer's uniform. After investigating the value of the objects being auctioned, Scott and I tried to temper his expectations. We were going to do our best to get him something from the collection, but we couldn't guarantee success and we had no control over the prices. 

The fact that it was a local in-person auction instead of being hosted online definitely worked to our advantage. We arrived at the auction site about an hour before the gavel struck, allowing us time to thoroughly evaluate the items and get settled. The auctioneer encouraged us to get our seats early because he was expecting a crowd.

The crowd never arrived. In total, there were about 25 bidders present. Not only did the low numbers play into our favor, but the bidders were all "regulars" without specific knowledge about WWII relics. As soon as the first item was sold I knew that the winds were blowing in Rob's favor.

By the time the uniform was on the block Rob was shaking with excitement and nerves. It only took seconds, but before I knew it he was walking to the front to retrieve his new uniform. He was so excited he couldn't stop smiling! As we were leaving he was approached by several bidders, congratulating him on his purchase and remarking that he had a wonderful mother for taking him to such a unique event. (I plan on remind him of my awesomeness whenever he becomes snarky in the coming weeks.)

He spent the weekend going over his new uniform, evaluating every seam and medal. He is truly on Cloud 9 with his new prized item! While Rob was in full-research mode, Timmy spent his time on art because the weather was yucky. The skies are supposed to clear today so hopefully we will be able to have some fun in the sunshine.

What a Week!

 Rob has been having a quite of a week. Earlier he learned of his acceptance into the Leadership Academy and yesterday he was featured on his music school's Facebook page. He spent the day strutting around the house, acting like a minor celebrity.

Today he and I are heading to Maryland for a military relic auction. Although the items being sold would be enough draw, Robby is particularly excited by the source of the artifacts. Originally listed as the collection from a "local historian," I did some calling and it turns out the items being sold belonged to his favorite history teacher.

Robby was fortunately enough to have Mr. G for a course during the throws of the pandemic and it is safe to say that Mr. G changed Robby's life. He opened up a passion for history and relic collecting that was previously untapped. Robby and Scott ended up in Europe last year because he was taught about Sainte Mere Eglise in Mr. G's history class. Robby still returns to his lecture notes when he wants to verify information or when he is ready to explore another wormhole in military history. We were all sad when we learned about Mr. G's passing, but Robby felt his loss profoundly. Adding something that was one treasured by his beloved teacher to his growing collecting is the goal of today's auction. 

While Robby and I are at the auction, Scott will be spending the evening with Timmy. Hamlet is particularly excited about getting fries at McDonald's. (He is still a cheap date.) Fingers crossed the fries are hot and the bids are low!

 

Explorers

 Yesterday was spent on Cloud 9 as Robby basked in his acceptance to the Leadership Academy. He grinned from ear-to-ear all day and spent all of his free time reviewing the materials and planning his adventure. There isn't much for us to do right now except to wait, but the lack of details never stopped our planning before and I don't see it impeding us now. Lists are already being drafted (with the full understanding that they will be amended and edited as more information becomes available.) 

Robby has been fretting and worrying over his acceptance to the Academy. He is anxious about his future and has pinned so much on this experience. It was hard waiting for a response, knowing that I could do absolutely nothing to help him. He earned this on his own, and he deserves to enjoy his moment. Last night we went out for Hibachi to celebrate. Hibachi has become one of our go-to family celebrations and the experience did not disappoint. 

Today we are supposed to be greeted with Spring like temperatures, which will delight both Timmy and Friend. I imagine that we will be spending a lot of time in the woods and exploring this afternoon. Thankfully the sore on my leg has completely healed and I'll be able to keep up with my explorers.

Robby's BIG News!

Several months ago Robby applied to the Student Leadership Academy at the WWII Museum in New Orleans. The application process was rather involved, requiring an essay and a detailed resume, but he tackled the project as soon as it was open. He successfully submitted his application in October and has been anxiously waiting for news.  Last night Robby opened an email to receive a shocking update.

Robby has been invited to attend the academy, and has been provided with a full scholarship! He was gobsmacked and left speechless. I dissolved into a pile of tears, overwhelmed with pride. Scott paced with excitement and immediately began to Google family activities in New Orleans. Timmy jumped up and down cheering, not certain the reason but happy to participate in the celebration.

Over the past year Robby has been putting more thought into his future plans. He has a strong draw towards military history and curation. When he learned about this Leadership Academy, he set his sights on going because it offers diverse experiences with a variety of careers within his interest niche. It is almost as if this Academy was designed for him!

My heart is so happy this morning. He has worked so hard and he deserves this honor. I can't wait to watch him grow through this amazing experience.

Weekend Wrap-Up

 This past weekend the boys and I (minus Scott) headed to PA to spend a few days with my Mom. While waiting for a necessary knee surgery she had a little mishap and hurt her sound side ankle. Hobbling around and in a lot of pain I was eager to give her a hug and see what I could to do to help out. Living several hours away makes these situations difficult, especially when I am more tethered at home due to Timmy's school obligations.

We were happy to be able to spend time with my nephew Jared over the weekend. Typically my sister's kids have at their dad's over all weekends, but a school dance provided an opportunity to stay. Robby and Jared had a great time hanging out and helping their Nana around the house. It was fun watching them taking down and installing doors and trying to hone their organizational skills by purging a closet.

We did take a break from working to have some fun. My mom would be furious if we did nothing but work and clean during our visit. Saturday afternoon Robby, Timmy, my sister and I went rollerskating. Timmy was ecstatic to have his big brother skating with him. Robby, who has never been rollerskating, was such a good sport. We thought that his ice skating skills would translate to rollerskating. On some level we were correct, but he was not nearly as comfortable as I had imagined. 

Saturday night I was able to take Jared to his school dance. I had a lot of fun watching him get dressed up and delivering him to his waiting date. While Jared was at the dance Robby and I launched a plan for his upcoming auction and Timmy worked on his art projects.

After finishing a few loose ends in the morning we packed up and headed home on Sunday afternoon. I am always sad leaving, but this departure was hard because it is difficult seeing my Mom in pain. I hate leaving her while she is still hurting, although I know that I can't really do anything to help. Hopefully a few days off her foot and ankle will provide enough rest for healing to begin.