SummerTime Sounds

Yesterday evening I packed up some clothes and supplies, lured Timmy to the car picked up Robby early from band. When everybody was packed and settled, we headed to my Mom's house for a few days. By the time we arrived all of the cousins were anxiously waiting for us to pull into the driveway. Before I even unpacked the kids were running around the yard, laughing and squealing. I love when the Cousin Crew is together in the summer.

While I was getting a little work done at night I heard the kids playing outside. This year Timmy was able to both play the glow games and keep up with the big kids as they sprinted through the yard. The kids playing and laughing in the dark has to be one of the best sounds of summer. 

This morning I am heading to my alma mater to hang out with my friend for a few hours. When I come back I'm packing up the kids for the first Cousin Crew Adventure of the summer. I don't mean to brag, but this is a good one!

Unfortunately, now they all know how to read and are versed online. I have no doubt that they are all logging in this morning to look for clues. Sorry kids, you won't find any!  

Stay tuned!

FlexyFriends

 My Ampuversary was rough. It was actually harder than I anticipated and I knew it would be difficult! The best thing about the day was when I went to bed because it was over. I knew that the clicking of time was to my benefit and I needed to do was to stay busy and hang on. I was correct and yesterday morning I woke up feeling normal and ready to tackle the world. 

Our 4th of July was quiet. We watched the Tour de France in the morning and the hotdog eating contest in the afternoon.  We had ice cream for lunch and ate watermelon with our hands. When it became dark we lit up our sky with our own little fireworks show. Although it was calm, the holiday was nice because of the solitude. 

In between the ice cream and the watermelon, Robby and I worked on his website. Unfortunately, he had to officially change the name of his very unofficial business. The FlexiFriends came with a price tag of nearky $6,000 while FlexyFriends cost a mere $2.99.  The decision to rebrand was simple.

We would like to introduce you to www.FlexyFriends.com  All monies earned through his store will be used to fund the 2024 Leadership Trip to Normandy. Check it out!

20 years

20 years ago today I was in an operating room in Baltimore Maryland, undergoing my amputation. Most years I am able to pass my ampuversary with an acknowledgement of another year and a celebratory cupcake. This year is different. I have felt haunted by the memories of my life 20 years ago.

When my mind starts to drift back and mourn, I know I am going into a dark place. The memories, while powerful, are heartbreaking and exhausting to relive. I want to celebrate everything positive in my life, everything that I would not have had I not made that decision twenty years ago. I can't make my thoughts obey and I keep floating back in time. 

I suspect that today is going to be rough, so I am going to try to stay as busy as possible. At this point, I consider myself fully in the middle of the ampuversary abyss. I need to tread water and keep moving until it is over. I don't want to break down today but I fear that it is building. 

I guess some years are tougher than others.

Tumbling

Timmy has had an amazing week playing and tumbling at camp. Today is his last session in this series and I know that he is going to be sad to have the weekend come to an end. He has loved it so much that we are already looking at adding another week or two of camp to his summer adventure list. Since the weather is too miserable for playing in a pool, I suppose rolling and tumbling is the next best thing. 

While Timmy has been having an awesome week, Robby has not been well. He continues to fight a fever and a nasty cough has settled into his chest. He has been miserable since he came home from New Orleans. I wish he wasn't sick, but I'm glad that he is ill this week instead of last week. He is miserable being sick at home, but being ill at the Leadership Academy would have been horrible. 

Today we are dealing with more poor air quality and icky weather. Tomorrow we are packing up early and heading to a new flea market to push Flexi-Friends. We have heard that this demographic might be more interested in his little toys.  Wish us luck, and stay safe if you are celebrating with fireworks this weekend!

 

Ninja Tumbling Continued

 Ninja Tumbling Camp has been a huge hit with Hamlet. Each afternoon he eagerly waits to go and he is all red cheeks and smiles when we pick him up. I love getting there a little early and watching him run and play on the mats. Timmy loves tumbling camp so much that we ended up signing him up for continuing classes throughout the school year. 

While Timmy is busy at tumbling camp, Robby has been convalescing and finishing up his coursework. He became sick on Monday, waking up with a sore throat and a fever. He has spent the past few days sleeping and managing his fever. Yesterday evening he finally presented without a fever and was hungry for the first time since he came home. Hopefully he will wake up this morning feeling even better.

The weather has been so lousy this summer. I really miss the sunshine!

Ninja Tumbling

In an attempt to provide a distraction from our dreary weather and our inability to play in the sun, I signed Timmy up for "Ninja Tumbling" camp. Yesterday was his first session and he was both excited and scared. He loves tumbling and rolling, so he was eager to practice and to learn new skills. But he was also nervous about walking into a gym where he knew nobody. Thankfully his excitement was stronger than his fear and he walked into the gym like a boss.

Well, not really like a boss. He was scared and looked like a little deer shocked into place.  I watched him stand still, frozen with fear and uncertain about what to do. It took a lot of self-control for me to stay on the other side of the glass. Every part of me wanted to walk into the gym to involve him in the introductions. While I wanted to rescue him, I also recognized that he needed to work it out for himself. After several angst filled moments, a camp counselor finally noticed and approached him. By the time I left he was running in circles and jumping onto cushions.

Despite the tenuous beginning, he had a fantastic time at camp. I picked him up three hours later and he was red faced, sweaty and grinning from ear-to-ear. He chatted all about the games and his new friends throughout the evening. Hopefully he will continue to enjoy camp because he will go again today!

Home

After an amazing week away we finally picked up Robby at the airport on Saturday. I missed him but knowing that he was having a fantastic adventure certainly made the absence easier. I could tell on each photos that he was having the time of his life and that he was not holed up in his room missing home. While I might have appreciated a few more phones calls than I received, I am delighted that he did not have trouble separating from us. 

I feel an odd mixture of happiness, sadness, pride and excitement when I think about Robby getting ready to move out and start an adult life. Next year he will be a senior and will begin his last full year under our roof. Seeing how he adapted and had a wonderful time in New Orleans, I know that he is going to be ready for the next stage. Of course, him being ready and me being ready are two entirely different things!

It has been wonderful having Robby back home. Saturday night and yesterday he regaled us with his adventures at the Leadership Academy. The individuals at the National World War II Museum put together a stellar program for high school students from around the country. Robby is so fortunate to have been able to participate. Looking through his notebook and his photos from the various activities left me in awe of everything that he saw and accomplished during his week away. 

I am not sure what Robby is going to do in the future, but I know it will be amazing.