Back-to-School Teacher Tired

 Yesterday was busy, exhausting and amazing. I was so happy to be reunited with the students that I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Per my plan, I traversed the county to provide a touch-point connection for as many of my students as possible. Today I will finish the list, and next Monday we will start the schedule proper.

I came home yesterday utterly exhausted. By the time I pulled into the driveway, my watch recorded over 17,000 steps and a whopping 26 flights of stairs. I could walk all day, but stairs tucker me out. Because I have to match the speed of my students, I was either running up the stairs or crawling like a snail, depending upon their comfort. Neither speed option is advantageous for me and I was struggling by the end of the day.  

 By the time I came home I was looking forward to going out to eat with the boys, taking a long bath and relaxing for the night. I was met with a broken A/C system which turned my husband into an unflattering version of Oscar the Grouch. Dinner was summarily cancelled (it is no fun going out to eat with somebody so miserable) and I found myself whipping together dinner while I felt ready to collapse myself.

I'm not too proud to admit that exhaustion overwhelmed me and I found myself crying over the grill as I was turning the chicken. All I wanted to do was sit down and relax. Too hot and tired for a relaxing bath, it wasn't until 9 that I was finally able to take off my leg and crawl into bed. 

Today while I am at work Robby is supposed to be gathering his items and packing for college. He returns to the dorm tomorrow, and has a sum total of nothing packed and ready. I am dreading him leaving and the prospect of moving his things back into the dorm feels utterly overwhelming, but I also know that he will be happy to be back on campus.  He is ready to return to the collegiate life, and I know he will have a great year. 

We just have to get him there and settled.   

First Day!

 It's the first day with students!!  

The past few days have been interminable. While I appreciate that planning and coordination are required to effectively open a new school year, the days long meetings are not advantageous. I struggled to catch up with classroom teachers because they were forced into meetings and away from their classrooms. Regardless of their location, it seems that every teacher I know, sans the presenters, are frustrated with back-to-school professional development.

Today the meetings are finally over and I am reunited with my students. I know I'm going to be dog tired tonight, so wish me luck!  

Failing

 Yesterday was spent in meetings and trainings and I came home exhausted. I'm looking forward to my students returning on Thursday, when I can spend my time walking and exploring. I hate sitting in meetings all day! I came home tired and, apparently, grumpy. 

I'm frustrated with back-to-school issues and I'm trying to keep the anxiety out of my home life. I really want to be able to create a stronger disconnect between my work and home life. I care so much about my students that it is difficult for me to not worry and think about them after hours, but I need to forge a stronger balance for my own career longevity. 

Any suggestions or tips for how that goal may be achieved?  Because thus far, I'm failing miserably. 

 

 

Prepping

 Three more days until my students return! From now until Wednesday I am busy with meetings and back-to-school prep. I know that life will still be chaotic when classes resume, but I would rather be busy with students than with a notebook. I'm excited to start working with all of them again.

I spent the weekend focusing on making our home as 'work ready' as possible by I prepping meals and ingredients in the hope of easing the frustrations of making dinner after a long day. The weekend wasn't exactly relaxing and I went to bed last night exhausted. However, my freezers are full so hopefully my busy weekend will be time well spent. 

This is Robby's last week at home before returning to school. It is hard to believe that his summer break is coming to a close. I absolutely adored having him home. While I know he will be happy to be back to his college lifestyle, I will miss him. I'm not the only one who is going to miss him. Timmy has thoroughly enjoyed having Robby home during the day and playing video games at night.  

The next few days are going to be busy. Wish me luck! 

Meetings

Traditionally, the professional development and the back-to-school festivities that confront teachers when returning to the new school term are necessary but mind-numbingly boring. I was pleasantly surprised that yesterday's convocation was both brief and informative. I can appreciate a quick two-hour informative meeting, especially when I know that an 8-hour version exists.

After the meetings I went to connect with some schools and sent emails to my students and families. Reaching out to my families was, without a doubt, the best part of my day. Each replied enthusiastically with promises of sharing adventures from the summer. At this point, I wish I could fast forward the clock and have the students return today. Sadly, I will need to wait until next Thursday.

Today will be spent connecting with schools and trying to locate my student's teachers. After work Scott has an appointment with his cardiologist. While medical appointments always cause him a lot of anxiety, I am looking forward to it. I suspect a change in cholesterol medication will be prescribed, which will hopefully help lower his numbers even more.

 

Have a great weekend! 

Work?

 Yesterday was the first official day back at work for school personnel, myself included. Before heading to my base school I sent an email, asking for a status of my contract. I did not hear anything, so I went to work. I either have a job, or I'm working for free and nobody is noticing. (Hopefully the situation has been settled and informing me is of little consequence and was forgotten.)

My first day back was uneventful. Because I cannot really build my schedule until the kids are settled, I spent my time helping a new teacher understand the students on her caseload.  As I was helping her understand the files as was as her new role with the students, I was left with one overwhelming feeling. I am so very glad I am no longer a teacher. 

While I still work within the schools, the responsibilities of teachers are vastly different than mine. I attend meetings, I do not have to organize and run the event. In my humble opinion, I have the best job in the county. I get the perks of working with amazing students while avoiding a majority of the pitfalls associated with education.

Unfortunately I cannot miss all the icky parts. Today my schedule is packed with 'back to school' meetings. Wish me luck! 

Sunny Sunroom

 Summer vacation, at least for Scott and me, has come to an end. Tomorrow we both report to work and the pre-year chaos will begin. Robby and Timmy have another few weeks of vacation time, so both are gloating rather than emitting any great empathy for us. Of course, I have yet to hear anything official about my position, so I am planning on showing up and seeing what happens.

With our vacation days dwindling away, I managed to achieve one of my summertime goals just under the wire. Yesterday the boys allowed me to play Designing Women by completely rearranging my sunroom. It was a lot of work (more for them than for me) but I am delighted with the flow and the look. As a bonus, all of my little plants have direct access to a lot of sunlight and will surely thrive.

I'm not sure what is on tap for today, but I suspect it will be cut short because of the storms. Yesterday some wild ones blew through our area in the afternoon. Thankfully we didn't lose any trees this time, but I always worry when that wind starts to blow.

Have a great day! 

Idiots

 For the first time in nearly 15 years, I am now cooking on a fully functioning cooktop. In our previous house, the back burner never worked correctly. When we moved into this home, I quickly learned that the front burner only worked on what we quickly dubbed 'burn your face off mode.' I'm used to adapting, so purchasing a new cooktop was never a top priority.

Last weekend our stovetop stopped working entirely, prompting a new purchase. Despite issues and confusion over our electricity, the appliance was installed on Saturday. My goodness it looks pretty in my kitchen, and having four fully-functioning burners feels like an exciting novelty.  To our delight, the 'power boil' feature does actually boil water nearly 3 minutes faster than its counterpart. (We spent Saturday night boiling water with timers.)

Yesterday morning Scott and I were awoken to the sound of Timmy vomiting. Initially worried that he was ill, we quickly realized that he had eaten too many Spicy Nacho Doritos before going to bed, and they did not sit well. Unfortunately he did not make it to the bathroom, and deposited bright orange nacho cheese vomit in the center of his large floor rug.

After getting Timmy settled, Scott and I moved the furniture off of the rug and lugged it outside to rinse it down with the hose. It was as we were schlepping the heavy, dripping wet area rug to lay it out to dry in the sun, I realized that we are complete idiots.  

We could have just used the carpet cleaner.  Neither Scott nor I thought of it. Instead, we created a lot of work for ourselves.

For those who are asking, I still haven't heard about the license issue.  Fingers crossed. 

 

Frustrated

 My new employee orientation is now complete. Let me tell you, it has been a long time since I attended seminars and lectures for three solid days. I'm exhausted from sitting and listening, and I'm frustrated and nervous about the unsettled contract issues. At this point, I feel like I have provided everything needed and it is out of my hands. I am planning on returning to work full-time next week Wednesday when the rest of the school staff report- I hope my badge works. 

Yesterday we were supposed to have our new flat top stove installed. Unfortunately, the breaker that we currently have is 60 amp and the cook top requires 40. I was able to find an electrician to come on Saturday to do the breaker work, but I will admit that the delay is frustrating. It's always something I suppose.

Today is going to be hot, which means I'll be inside. I have a lengthy to-do list I want to tackle before the school year starts. Time is dwindling, I need to get on it!

Have a great weekend. 

 

No News

 As the day wore on my anxiety started to lessen. Each ping of my email sent up a mild panic alarm, but I as the hours began to tick away I came to realize that I was not going to receive an answer quickly. While I hope that this professional opportunity works out, I am comfortable with the decisions I have made. Because I haven't heard otherwise, I plan on going to new employee orientation today. If I am turned away I will have my answer, but I suspect (and hope) that a compromise will be made.

Today will be spent in new employee meetings. Am I looking forward to it? No. But this is also the first step towards returning to the students, so I am going to embrace the opportunity. 

Fingers crossed, and have a great day! 

 

Anxiety

 Quelling my anxiety has proven untenable. Because of a combination of reasons, I have been a bundle of anxiety and nerves since Thursday. Thankfully I talked through the biggest issue through yesterday with Scott, identifying the pros and cons of each move. We aren't sure if we are making the best decision, but I feel comfortable that it is the best decision for us at this time in our life.  Today I will communicate the decision and accept the consequences.

Yikes! Just typing that sentenced caused my anxiety to leap. Being an adult is so hard!

When I haven't been trying to escape from my own angst, I spent the weekend dehydrating tomatoes and freezing broccoli. Scott and I went to our favorite farm market on Saturday and scored a freezer worth of food for $95.  Unfortunately, in the middle of blanching my broccoli my flat top stove popped and then died. Ugh!

As luck would have it, I remembered seeing the perfect replacement in the 'scratch and dent' bin at the appliance store when we were shopping for our refrigerator a few weeks ago. We hopped into the car and it was still there and it's the perfect fit. We are going to have our new cook top installed on Thursday. At the rate our appliances are all breaking, I'll have a brand new kitchen by Labor Day.

 Wish me luck today. I am feeling very nervous and scared.  Thanks! 

Penny Slots

 Yesterday Scott and I did something completely out of our norm- we went to the casino! In our 26 years together (22 married), we have never been to a casino just to have fun and play the slots. When he suggested the activity, inspired by game play with Timmy at Dave and Buster's arcade, I was delighted because it was outside of our norm. 

Because we don't frequent casinos, we were definitely out of our element. After walking around for about 30 minutes, we finally broke down and solicited help from the casino cashier. She filled us in on how the machines worked, and pointed us in the direction of the penny slots. 

We budgeted $100 for the evening because we wanted to make sure that we didn't go overboard. We ended up coming back home four hours later with $39.79.  $60 for four hours of fun and free sodas was definitely a fun anniversary gift to ourselves. 

 

Anniversary

 Happy Anniversary Scott!

22 years ago.  I think this is where I am supposed to write that it feels like yesterday. In reality, when I look at our photos it feels like I barely recognize that energetic and optimistic young lady wearing the wedding dress. So much has changed in our lives. We have both changed so much and, while I don't really recognize that version of myself anymore, I'm so glad that she made that decision 22 year ago. Happy Anniversary Scott!

Yesterday was long as it was spent in new employee orientation. I came home feeling overwhelmed with the various information I need to secure from the recesses of my life. When I confirmed with the organizer that I would need to track down an employer from 1997, the young whippersnapper next to me felt compel to add the fun fact that he had not yet been born 'way back before the internet'. 

I sent a mental 'bite me' his way while smiling my sweet old lady grin.  

Spa Day

 The weather over the past few days has been gorgeous. With a break from the heat and the humidity, we've been able to ride bikes, fly drones and light up the fire pit almost nightly. While we have all enjoyed the outdoor activities, Timmy has truly hit his stride.

He is loving flying his drone. Although he received it over a year ago, I think it was forgotten when Scott had his heart attack. Somehow, mastering flight slipped to the back burner until I rediscovered his drone while cleaning.It did not take much encouragement for Timmy to start flying!

After a few YouTube videos, Timmy has been refining his skills. Unfortunately he did lose control on Saturday evening. While trying to land on my hand, the drone ended up tangled in my hair. Timmy was trying to control it with the remote, but the device was either not responding or I was the victim of a panicked pilot. 

Despite everyone's best efforts, a drone cannot simply be detangled from one's hair. The hair was chopped as it was consumed by the drone. Thankfully only one quadrant made contact with my hair and I 'only' lost about a 1 inch section down to the scalp.  It was definitely not the spa day I was dreaming of!

 

 

 

Fire Pit Party!

 I am delighted that my Mom's injection was successful and provided nearly instant relief. While she is not pain free (and is quick to point out that fact), the debilitating layer has been numbed. While I wish that there was a pill, injection or procedure to remove all of her pain, I am grateful for this degree of reduction. Last night she was already planning what she was going to do in her yard while the shot was active.  (The injection will last approximately 3 months, so these procedures are going to become part of her lifestyle.)

After taking her for her injection I returned home in time for a family bike ride through the neighborhood. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity. We continued the fun into the night with a huge firepit. 

In full disclosure, I meant to construct a small fire that would burn in about an hour. I drastically underestimated the density of the 'apparently not small' log I built the fire around. That sucker burned until nearly midnight! Thankfully it was a beautiful evening and I was happy to sit and relax while the fire dwindled down.  

 

Driving

 This morning I'm heading to PA to take my Mom to a doctor's appointment. My day won't be terribly exciting, but hopefully it will be beneficial for my Mom. She is receiving an injection in her back to help with pain- which is becoming debilitating for her. The last time she received an injection her pain lessened considerably, allowing her to move with more ease. I was delighted when she called and asked me to take her because I remember how profound the improvement was after the previous injection. I would do anything to get my Mom her shot today- including spending the day driving.

Honestly, at this point in my life driving anywhere by myself feels like a vacation getaway. I plan on immersing myself in an audiobook during the drive. It will be wonderful to be able to listen to the book without interruption!

Have a wonderful day! 

Growing Pains

 It has been wonderful having Robby home.  Well, wonderful for Scott and me. Timmy is on the fence about his brother returning home and ruining his summer vibe. Robby, however, takes just about every opportunity to remind us that he would rather be in France than to be at home with his parents.

Guess what?  Me too! But we are stuck in WV, so let's not be so snarky.  (That last part is not said aloud, but its inclusion is understood.) I love him, but my goodness it is deflating to constantly hear how he doesn't want to be home. Of course, I'm trying to remember that he experienced a life-changing adventure. I am sure it is hard to return back to a normal routine after experiencing so many amazing things, experiences and foods.  

Hopefully my European Traveler gets his attitude in check and we can enjoy the rest of our summer. 

Arrival!

 After an amazing two weeks away, Robby's adventure of a lifetime has come to a close. True to form, it ended in a dramatic fashion with flight delays, cancellations and last minute airport changes. To his credit, and despite having been awake for more than 30 hours consecutively, he handled all of the flight changes like a seasoned pro. 

Scott and I spent Friday afternoon watching both the FlightTracker app and the clock, eagerly waiting for the time to pick him up. What was supposed to happen at 4 PM closely got kicked back. Finally, at 10:30 he had boarded the plane and we headed to the airport to pick him up. About 20 minutes into the drive I checked the app and realized that he was still sitting on the runway in Atlanta. 

After a discussion, we decided to head back home and wait for his plane to actually take off. It turns out that we made a prudent decision, because almost as soon as we walked back into the house we received a call from Robby, explaining that his plane now had mechanical issues and that he had to be rebooked.

Robby was eventually booked onto a late night flight into Reagan Airport, which has to be our most despised to travel to and from because we aren't terribly comfortable with the route. When we finally left to pick up our little traveler, it was 1 AM and raining. Talk about a miserable drive!

Thankfully we retrieved him (without his luggage, but it was delivered the next day) and tucked him into his bed around 4:30 AM. He was utterly exhausted- as were Scott and I. It's been a really long time since Scott and I pulled an all-nighter. It's a little harder after 50!

 

Refrigerator

 Robby is continuing to live his best life in France. I know that he will be sad when the trip comes to a close, but I will be happy to give him a hug. I cannot wait to hear about everything, but in the meantime I'm glad that he is continuing to have fun and learn with his new friends. Today they leave Bayeux and head to Paris for a few days. Oh what an experience!

In the meantime, we have been trudging through stateside. When we returned from Hershey Park on Sunday evening we discovered that our refrigerator/freezer had completely died. Everything was rotten and wet. 

We headed out on Monday after I was finished with work and secured an open box appliance at Best Buy. Thankfully they were able to install it yesterday. This morning, we have a brand new (functional) refrigerator. 

While we did not plan on buying a new appliance, I am very grateful to have it. It is probably the nicest refrigerator we have ever owned, and it is both quiet and cold. (Upon reflection, our old appliance was loud and provided unreliable cooling and freezing.) 

Today will be hot (again.)  Stay cool! 

Hershey Park

 With Robby living his dream in Normandy, Scott and I decided to take advantage of the alone time with Timmy. We turned our weekend into a mini getaway vacation and went to Hershey PA for the weekend. Thank you to my Mom for agreeing, as we predicted, to dog sit for us so that we could sneak out to a hotel for the night. I know that Friend has a great time with his puppy cousins, so it was a vacation for him too!

Saturday morning we drove to PA, dropped Friend off at my Mom's and headed to check into our hotel. After checking in we immediately went to the arcade where Timmy played until he won enough tickets for the prized helicopter. Then we went to Red Robin (his favorite) for dinner before returning to lounge and play in the hotel pool until bedtime.

On Sunday morning we had breakfast and then I dropped the pair off at the amusement park. While they were busy riding and whipping around the park, I was able to just hang out with my Mom for the afternoon. Around dinnertime I received the call to come pick them up. 

They were pink, tired and very happy when they crawled into the car for the ride back home. Timmy loves Hershey Park and thoroughly enjoyed his 'bro day'. 

Hershey isn't as grand as Normandy, but I think Timmy had a blast on his centric weekend.

 

Useful

 I received a call earlier this week inviting me to work during summer school. Although I was initially hesitant to give up some of my vacation time, I quickly agreed because the sessions are only in the morning and would be done before most are even awake in my house.  Yesterday was my first day at summer school and it exceeded my expectations. 

It was fantastic being back with my students. I cannot believe how much I missed seeing them and being part of their lives.  While I'm not delighted with the heat, I'm glad that I agreed to work. It will make the next few weeks move quicker and allow me to feel more useful. 

While I have been prepping for summer school, my Koopa is living his best life in Normandy. I haven't spoken with him much, but he has been good about providing a regular stream of photos and selfies. I can tell from his smile that he is where he wants to be, and I couldn't be happier for him.

 

Happiness

 While I was sad to say goodbye to Robby, seeing the smile on his photos from New Orleans is all the confirmation I need to know that he is where he needs to be. He spent yesterday making new friends and exploring the museum. Today he flies to Paris to begin his big Normandy adventure. I think I'm probably as excited as him!

Much to my mother's delight, her electric was restored earlier than anticipated. My sister called her around lunchtime to convey the good news. I thought that my mom might want to hang around for another day or so to allow the swamp air to clear out of her home, but she was up and packing almost as soon as I hung up the phone. I know that she enjoyed the visit, but ultimately her desire to reunite with her dog and her cat made the decision to return home easy.

I know my mom was happy to return to her own bed and her animals, but I did enjoy having her visit. She doesn't like to travel and stay away from her own bed, so overnight visits are extremely rare. I hope that she will come more often because we all enjoyed her visiting. Alas, I fear her puppy will always win that battle. :)

 

 

He's Off!

 As soon as he landed in New Orleans Robby's excitement surpassed his anxiety. He checked in with the program organizers before heading to his favorite pizza place near the museum. In the evening he was already hanging out with his roommate and a few new friends, exploring Bourbon Street and having an amazing time. 

I don't think I need to worry about Robby feeling lonely on this trip. Although not naturally an extrovert, when he makes a decision to be sociable he is charming and gravitating. He sent me a text before his plane took-off, vowing to be 'sociable Robert' and he is living up to his promise.

While Robby was en route to Louisiana, Scott and I were heading to PA to pick up my Mom. She lost power on July 4th. Although she was a trooper in the dark, humid heat, having her wait for an anticipated repair date of July 8 at 11 PM felt nonsensical. We have air conditioning, lots of room and a kiddo delighted with a Nana sleepover. It took more coaxing than I care to admit to convince her to come down, but I'm delighted that she is here.

 

Departing!

 It is a momentous day in our home. This morning Robby is embarking on his incredible adventure with Normandy Academy through the National WWII Museum. Attending Normandy Academy became a goal when he learned about the program four years ago. Since that time he has applied annually for the opportunity. After a lot of hard work, this is his year and today he heads to New Orleans.

The past weekend was spent helping Robby get packed and organized for his adventure. (This is his first time traveling internationally without a parent and he is a tad nervous.) Finally, after multiple trips to the store for 'final' items, the suitcase was zipped up yesterday afternoon around 4.  I hugged Scott and Robby goodbye and the pair headed to DC for the night in anticipation of an early morning departure.

I was more excited than sad when I was hugging Robby goodbye. I am so incredibly excited for the experiences that he is going to have that my missing him is completely inconsequential. I cannot wait for him to come home and relay everything he did, but I am looking forward to text messages and photos throughout the trip. 

While Robby is away, I'm going to be able to focus exclusively on Timmy. After hugging Robby and his Dad goodbye, he and I headed to Red Robin for a fun dinner. When we returned home he rode his bike in the rain and through mud puddles, delighting that his 'dirt time' is finally living up to its name. 

 

 

Hot Hot Hot- But I'm not Weak

 Per tradition, it seems that our annual pilgrimage to Ohio always occurs during an intense heatwave. This year was no exception. With temperatures in the triple digits, we were all melting. It was a delightful visit, but I certainly wish we would visit when it was cooler. 

As an amputee, the heat is difficult for me to tolerate. Contrary to popular opinion, this is not because I am of a weaker disposition or because I am prone to complaining more. When a limb is amputated, the ability for the body to regulate temperature is disrupted. My body does not cool as efficiently.

Research has proven that below-knee amputees expend an average of 20% more effort to simply walk than our biped peers. So yes, my body is actually working harder to move around the house even if I make it look easy. In these temperatures, every movement is impactful.

My leg is swaddled in silicone and confined inside a black, carbon fiber socket. Airflow is nonexistent. If I were to lay out with my prosthesis on, my leg would experience burns without seeing the light of day. 

Heatwaves are miserable, but they are worse when you have a disability. If you are struggling, be kind to yourself and rest. Intolerance to this heat is not a sign of weakness, but is rather a result of battles forged. We are stronger than people realize, even if we do melt in the heat.

 Don't forget to drink water! 

Hot

 Greetings from a sweltering Ohio. 

It's hot.  I'm surviving.  We will be home in a few hours. 

Harry

 We had an exciting morning in our household yesterday. Scott was outside and spotted 'Harry,' the 5 foot blacksnake that lives under my concrete porch, slithering outside his hole. We have been desperately trying to catch and relocate Harry since we discovered him earlier this Spring. I didn't want to kill or harm him, but we have been trying to serve his eviction notice for weeks.

For the past few weeks, Harry retreated back into his hole whenever we noticed each other. Yesterday he was basking in the sun and we were finally able to catch him off guard. Despite the snake's size, Scott and Robby wrangled him into a bag without incident. They popped him into a pillow case and took off to relocate Harry to his new mountainous home, about 5 miles away from here.

With Harry evicted, we set about sealing up the holes. I'm a tad concerned that there may be more than one snake under the patio, but my concerns about sealing them into the house was quickly dismissed. Hopefully they are right! 

Schoolroom!

 Timmy's school room has undergone a three-day transformation. During the process I lugged out a total of three contractor sized bags of trash and debris. More importantly and just as surprising, I uncovered household items I have long attributed to being gone. Apparently, Timmy's classroom had become the abyss housing all of our lost items. 

I'm frustrated with him, with Scott and with myself for allowing his room to go into such a state of disrepair. I recognize all of the factors that led to the situation, but in the end they are all excuses. Timmy should have been more responsible with his space, and Scott and I should not have trusted him when he came down with a half a bag of trash and a few dishes before pronouncing it clean. 

This kid has no idea the levels of micromanaging that are in store for him next year!

Once I put my ire to the side, I set to work cleaning and organizing the classroom. The trash was easy to remove because I adopted a modified shovel technique. The task took longer because Robby and I became distracted setting up the display desk to hold his prized artifacts. Somehow, the classroom is now doubling as a museum, but both boys feel that is appropriate so I am going to go with it. During our little side quest, we managed to empty another 7 boxes that were stowed under his bed and in the garage. (It is nice to be almost completely unpacked.) 

I am too ashamed to share the before photo, but I am happy to unveil the newly modified Museum Schoolroom (with the curtains still to be changed).

 

Chickens

 I had planned to spend yesterday cleaning Timmy's school room, but when I discovered a deal on whole chickens at a store near my Mom, we made the decision to pivot. Unfortunately, Scott and I were not the only one lured by the prospect of cheap chicken because they store announced that they were sold out 5 minutes before we arrived. We drove two hours only to miss out by 5 minutes. Talk about frustrating!

We missed out on poultry, but we were able to stop by and have a quick lunch with my Mom so the day was not a complete wash. I wish we would have been able to stay to visit longer but the threat of storms was looming and we wanted to race them home. We pulled into our driveway as the first few raindrops began to fall so our timing was impeccable.

Alas, today it is raining again and there are no chicken sales to distract me from my task at hand. Ready or not, Timmy's school room will be transformed by the end of the day.  Wish me luck! 

Father's Day Wrap-Up

 What a gorgeous Father's Day weekend! While we did not do anything grand to celebrate, we spent oodles of hours outside riding bikes and working (playing) in our little garden. While we avoided presents and activities around other people, both of which were requested by Scott, I did make one of his favorite dinners and baked a Swiss Roll cake for dessert. All in, Scott thoroughly enjoyed his special weekend and everybody is happy.

I'm grateful that we spent so much time outside over the weekend, because storms are rolling through our area this afternoon which will force us inside for several days. I'm going to use the time to finish cleaning Timmy's school room, which looks a tornado landing zone. Once his room is clean, our summertime reset will be complete and the house would have been completely deep cleaned for the season. (Because the room is in the corner, I opted to just close the door until the weather cooperated again.)

I am repulsed by the condition of his school room, and I feel ashamed that Scott and I let it get this bad. I should have been checking in on the room condition on a regular basis. Only after I saw the room did I realize how much I actively avoided the stairs at home after working all day. After walking 15,000+ steps every day at work, I often came home with barely enough energy to make dinner. I certainly didn't have the motivation to climb yet another flight of stairs to survey condition. Obviously we should have been monitoring more closely and will come up with a better plan for next year.  

In the meantime, I'm off to clean! 

Have a great day! 

Never Ossur, Never ForMotion

 I feel like I made a lot of progress towards unwinding and dissolving the end of the school year anxieties that have been impeding my ability to completely relax. Yesterday, because of the rain and cooler temperatures, we stayed home and watched movies most of the afternoon. I know that I have made strides because I didn't even feel guilty for being unproductive! 

Next week I need to start the process to secure a new prosthesis, but that is a hill I can begin to climb in a few days. While I know that it won't be physically painful, I am already frustrated with the process because I don't have a starting point. For the first time since I became an amputee, I don't have a prosthetist. 

I hate the fact that I cannot return to my former prosthetic facility but I refuse to financially support ForMotion, owned by Ossur. After years of dedicated service, the company leadership did not do right by me and the transgressions were unforgivable. My eyes were opened to the corporate greed and the total lack of concerns for the true betterment of patients. I'm hoping to find a facility that it is not overtly profits over patients.

Do you have any leads for a good facility?  Hit me up! 

Plants

 The past few days have been laid back, relaxed and fun. I spent Tuesday afternoon planting the rest of our vegetable garden (yes, I realize we are late but it has been chilly) and re-potting my houseplants. While I don't typically love gardening, I do like working the soil once or twice a year (provided I am wearing gloves). I thoroughly enjoy tending to my houseplants, I just feel an aversion when it comes to messing with dirt. 

Yesterday we decided to switch things up and we went to a local pedestrian mall to stroll and grab lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It was fun to just be outside doing something different, and the pedestrian mall is one of the boys' favorite spots. Although it wasn't anything fancy, it was a fun way to spend a few hours.

I'm glad we went outside when we could, because today it is raining and cool. I suspect our summer is going to be riddled with wonky weather. I'm not sure what we will do this afternoon, but I'm sure I'll think of something.

 

Glasses

 After an obscenely hot few days, the temperatures have finally fallen. Yesterday was gorgeous, and today is supposed to be more of the same. It amazes me how my comfort exponentially increases when the temperature goes down. I am definitely not a hot weather girl! 

Yesterday Timmy had his second tumbling class, which is still receiving mixed reviews. While he doesn't love going, he did talk with other kids and was smiling and laughing on the mats. He has a few more sessions before the end of the series, but I suspect that we will not be renewing our tumbling passes. At this point, Hamlet has his eyes on Drone Command Class, which I agree is more to his interests. The drone class doesn't start until August, so he may have been provided with a stay to avoid more classes in July. 

After tumbling class, Scott ran Robby down to the optometrist office to retrieve his new glasses. At the end of the semester he began to complain about some vision straining, so we immediately took him to get evaluated for glasses. As we suspected, he has joined his mother and his father into the community of eye glass wearers. While he is not thrilled with his new eyewear, I think that his improved vision will be a trade off he will learn to embrace.

I plan on working on our little bucket gardens and our yard while the weather is agreeable. Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a good day! 

Hot Friday

 Mother Nature is menopausal. The temperature fluctuations have been wild over the past few days. On Monday we were wearing sweatpants and turned on the fireplace to get rid of the chill in the room. Yesterday the temperatures were over 100 with swamp-like humidity. Today we are in for more heat which makes me grateful that our air conditioner was repaired.

While the humidity and heat has me miserable, they combined impact has forced me to relax without guilt. I've been struggling to unwind, constantly needing to be productive. In these temperatures, the dog doesn't even want to move so why should I? Yesterday I stayed on the couch for the majority of the day and streamed a series.

Today I'll be ditching the boys and heading to visit my mom for the night. It has been awhile since I've been able to visit her and I'm looking forward to the getaway. Stay cool and have a great weekend! 

Cleaning

 The past few days have been rainy and humid, forcing us inside for most of the daytime hours. There have been breaks in the humidity during the evening, when Timmy lathers on the bug spray and takes off on his dirt bike. He has been tooling and zipping through the yard every night from about 7-9:30, just having a blast. 

When he hasn't been on his dirt bike, he has been inside helping us clean and reorganize the house. With one more room to go, the house has undergone a deep clean and full purge. We have been living here for 18 months and we now have a handle of how we want the house to flow. The past few days have been spent undergoing complete room reorganizations. It's been a lot of work, but I'm so happy with the results. Today we have one more room to tackle: the school room. Wish me luck, because this task is feeling enormous. I know that once I get started it won't be as formidable as it feels, but my goodness I have lost my motivation.  

When I wasn't actively involved in the room cleaning, I was working on getting the 3d printers up and running again. This has been a task that I have been dreading because I knew that we were dealing with hardware issues before the move. I had to swap out parts and make diagnostic fixes, but the boys are delighted to share that they are now operational and that FlexyFriends is again producing.  Of course, I need to find a place because the kitchen counters is not suitable for Flexy production.   

Tumbling

 Yesterday was the first official day of our summer vacation. Much to Hamlet's chagrin, we started our vacation by having him participate in his first tumbling class. With the school routine on hiatus, Scott and I both recognized the need to get Timmy out of the house and around other people. We presented him with a list of options, and he chose tumbling. 

While he loved his tumbling camps from a few summers ago, too much time had passed and he had forgotten his positive experiences. As the time for his class ticked closer, Timmy became increasingly anxious about going to the class. I get it. Going to new places with people whom you don't know is hard. Because of his anxiety, we all went to his class to cheer him on. 

After he took to the mats, it took about 2 minutes before I saw the glimpse of a smile. While I wouldn't say that he emerged with the same enthusiasm that we witnessed with the camp, he had a good time. Hopefully it won't be a struggle to get him to return next week. 

With the tumbling class out of the way, today we have a summer day with nothing on the schedule. I know that I should find this comforting, but I can already feel my anxiety starting to rise. I have to figure out a project soon!

 

Memories

 We are all officially on summer vacation!

On Friday Timmy celebrated his final day of school with a virtual party and an in-person smorgasbord of all of his favorite treats. At 3:30 promptly Scott and I fired up the Bluetooth speakers and gleefully serenaded Timmy with a rousing rendition of "Schools Out for Summer."  Unfortunately, we later learned that he had not yet logged off, so it turns out that his class listened to our rendition before closing the term. 

Saturday morning Scott and I put on our funeral clothes and headed back to Northern Virginia for a Celebration of Life. A co-worker's son passed away. Because Scott and I have both worked with her and have remained connected via Facebook, we wanted to go to extend our support. I suppose the scant attendance at my brother's funeral continues to sway my decisions. If I am able to attend, we are going to go.

It was weird being back in our old stomping grounds. While we were so excited to leave for our next adventure, the area holds so many memories for our family. I lived in Virginia for 25 years, longer than I have lived anywhere else. Virginia is where I met Scott and where we became a family. Driving to the funeral, I was flooded with memories of both the extraordinary and the mundane events of our lives. Each store, stop light and park seemed to flick open another memory portal to our past. By the time we arrived at the funeral I was feeling both overwhelmed and horribly depressed.  

We just don't have those connections in our new home. I know that these types of memories are formed through time, and that we need to be patient. After 18 months, we still feel like strangers in the area. I am still struggling to find friends, and we are so lonely. We miss Virginia, but we also know that we cannot go back. 

 

Last Day

 Happy Last Day of School to Timmy!! 

I honestly do not know who will be more excited to put this school year on a shelf- Hamlet or me. He has been eagerly counting down for the past month, excited about sleeping in and enjoying extended play dates with his friends. I am simply looking forward to the absence of the pressure that becomes part of your life when school is in session. 

This school year has been one of change and growth for Timmy. Because his former school closed, his teachers were forced to pivot and develop their own private venture. I am eternally grateful for the dedication and the hard work that they have invested into their school and students. While the platforms were different and took some adjustment, this year there were no tears as we learned to navigate the programs.

As soon as Timmy became settled into his school year I began working full-time outside the home. This put Timmy in a position of navigating instructional and lunch time by himself. He stepped into his new independence like a champion and has grown exponentially through the experience. I am so very proud of him. 

As of 3:30 this afternoon, the Chenoweth's will be on vacation! 

 

Summer Blues

 I've been frustrated by my inability to unwind and relax. My mind is still in 'school' mode. When I do find myself on the couch relaxing, I feel wafts of anxiety hinting that I should be productive. I don't remember unwinding into summer break being this difficult! Of course, Timmy is still in school so that may be a factor in my relaxation difficulties.

The weather is certainly not bringing any summer vibes. It has been cool (highs at 75) and breezy every day. Today is the first day we are going to break into the 80s. While I have been grateful for the cooler temps because my body and leg are considerably more comfortable, it has been difficult to feel summery when wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts. Hopefully the warmer temperatures will blast the summer blues away, because I am longing to feel carefree with sun kissed cheeks. 

Today is 'camp out' day at Timmy's school. To surprise him, we are going to light to fire pit and roast hot dogs and s'mores for lunch. I think he will be delighted that we are staying on theme, and I'm looking forward to doing something summery. 

 

Lounging

 Yesterday was my first day of summer vacation. While I had high expectations for productivity when I awoke, my motivation quickly waned through the day. I found myself settling into the lounger and grabbing for the remote after I poured my second cup of coffee and, although I moved to prepare meals and help the boys, I didn't really do anything of consequence. I certainly did not tackle my highly organized Summer To-Do 2026 list.

After the chaos of the past few years, I am giving myself permission to relax and lounge this week. Timmy is still in school so his needs are relatively few. I have the luxury of lounging, and it would be a travesty to squander it.  My list will be put on hold, because this week is going to be reserved for sleeping, watching movies and reading my books.

What are you doing today? 

Happy Birthday Koopa!!

 Happy Summer!!

Friday morning I attended my final meeting before I headed to turn in my badge and supplies. It has been an amazing year of growth, not only for my students but for me as well. Timmy, whom I thought would dislike navigating lunchtime by himself, has matured so much that he now loves the autonomy and independence that my working outside the home affords him.  Talk about change!

Alas, all good things much come to an end, and the contract position is now over. I'm optimistic that it will be renewed for next year, but at this time nothing definitive has been offered or decided. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, I'm going to do my very best to enjoy summer vacation with my family.

While Friday Scott and I celebrated the end of the school year, Saturday was all about Robby because my sweet little Koopa turned 20! I can't believe that I have been lucky enough to be his Momom for two decades. Thinking about the passage of time made me feel overwhelmed, so I opted to just stay in the moment. We went to Waffle House for breakfast before heading to the Apple Store (an hour away). We picked up his favorite chicken for lunch before heading to Olive Garden for a celebratory dinner.  Basically, he ate his way through his big day.   

   

Sparkly

 All year I have worn pants. My wardrobe choice was carefully selected because my job is physical (I am literally walking all day) and because I wanted to keep my prosthesis concealed. Anybody who has known me for a nanosecond knows that I am not ashamed of my prosthesis. While I am not ashamed, I am very aware of the disability bias that surrounds amputees and their abilities.

In my experiences, especially in professional environments not geared for individuals with limb loss, being 'out' too soon with a disability is detrimental. Co-workers often start their own little informal evaluations on their new disabled peer, "just to make sure that everything stays okay."  I was not interested in having to work while continuing to prove my worth after I was hired, so I chose to simply wear long pants and do a stellar job all year with my students. 

The school year is over. I looked back on the progress made by all of my students and I feel nothing but pride. Each one of my kiddos made amazing strides towards independent travel. I worked the entire year without encountering any issues because of my amputation and prosthesis. I no longer feel the need to hide because I'm damn proud of what this amputee mommy accomplished over the past 9 months. 

Today, as I go into my final days of work, I'm feeling sparkly.

 

Orientation and Mobility Job

 Memorial Day has come and gone. The constant cold rain did nothing to herald the summer season. I cannot remember another Memorial Day weekend where we huddled in front of the fire and made a pot roast instead of burgers on the grill. We didn't do anything celebratory, but all local activities were cancelled due to the rain so I suppose we didn't really miss out. 

Today is back to work for the final week. I don't know what I will be doing next year, which feels unsettling. It also leaves me feeling frustrated, because I feel like I am fighting for professionalism-again.  Unanswered emails and the total lack of information has forced me to expand my job search beyond my current county. My contract ends on Thursday and I would love to have something established for the next school year.

While I hate to admit it, I'm back on the prowl for a new job. 

After Springsteen

 While Sheri and I had a fabulous time at the concert, the evening ended on a somber note. Because we were had floor seats, it was extremely easy for us to exit the venue. We were among the first wave of concert goers to exit into the fresh air. My sister was about two people ahead of me in the crowd when I saw a woman get bumped and tumbled into a light pillar. She screamed in pain, which prompted me to immediately stop. 

I turned around and I saw her trying to get off the ground. I asked if she was okay, expecting the obligatory "No, I'm fine, thanks" before continuing the walk back to the hotel. Instead, she looked me with panicked eyes and said, "Yes. Please call 911. He is hurting me."

 Sh*t.  I hate confrontation, but I quickly realized that our night was going to get interesting. I screamed to my sister, "Sheri, this woman is hurt and needs help." She immediately came back, which was a blessing because this tall, bald, large drunk man was screaming at the bloodied woman and grabbing at her keys. 

She told him to leave. He wouldn't. I told him to leave. He wouldn't. Sheri told him to leave. The situation was quickly escalating. Despite the blood and the screaming, thousands of people streamed by us without offering to help. I think Sheri and I simultaneously realized we needed to figure this out together. 

With communication that comes from being sisters for life, I left to find the police while she led the lady to safety. The drunk man followed my sister and the lady back into the venue, screaming and demanding that she come back and that everything was fine. 

I'll be honest, it took me longer to locate security than it should have. And when I did find help, it took longer for me to convince them that they were needed than it should have. Regardless, when it was finally understood that they had a violent man stalking a woman outside of their bathroom, the cops converged.  

It turns out that the drunk dude was on probation, so he was quickly led away in cuffs (screaming obscenities.)  The woman was treated by medical and helped by the police. Sheri and I provided our contact information and our accounts of the incident before heading back towards our hotel.  

By the time everything was over, the venue had emptied and we had a relatively quiet walk back to the hotel.   While I'm glad that we were there to help, I'm dismayed that nobody else stepped up.  It makes me very sad.

Springsteen

 The Bruce Springsteen concert is one that I will never forget. 

My sister prefers to arrive at event venues with at least an hour to spare. Because I am an easy traveler, I was fine leaving the hotel early so that we could arrive at the concert with "enough time" for her to be able to get a t-shirt. The show started at 7:30 and we had purchased drinks, her t-shirts and found our seats by 6:05. 

We were up in the rafters, taking pictures from our vantage point of the stage and the arena. Needless to say we were excited! As we were getting comfortable for our 90 minute wait for the show, my sister was approached by a lovely young lady. She introduced herself as being with the tour, and offered to move our seats to the floor. 

Are you kidding me? Floor seats for Springsteen? Talk about an amazing opportunity. We gathered our items from our rafter seats and headed to our new floor seats. Wow. Just wow.

 

Celebration

 Happy Birthday to Me!  

This year's celebration, much like everything else, will be different. Usually I don't have anything planned other than preparing a nicer dinner than normal and baking a strawberry shortcake for dessert. This year I actually have fun plans for my birthday! After work I'm heading to Pittsburgh to connect with my sister at the Bruce Springsteen concert. I'm so excited!

I can't remember the last time I had true plans on my birthday. I suspect it was back when I was in college and we would collectively go to the bars to celebrate at each opportunity. Since I graduated into adulthood, my birthday celebrations have been held at home (sometimes at a local restaurant with only family) followed by cake at home. I know that I have not spent my birthday in a 'party' type atmosphere in nearly 3 decades, a trend that is both pathetic and in desperate need of being broken.  

I'm really looking forward to unwinding tonight! 

Summer Soon

 The school year is heading into the final countdown. By the end of this week, we will be into the single digits when counting down until summer vacation. I've never been one to countdown days in front of students because not every kiddo is excited about the weeks without school and the structure that it brings. While I keep the countdown private, I am so excited about summer vacation!

Are we doing anything spectacular? Hopefully, although nothing is planned. I would love to take Timmy to the beach for a few days in July, but we are unsure where because the cost of flying is simply too high. So we are looking at Virginia Beach for a few days but that is still tentative. Too much can change, and planning isn't fun with this many variables.

While summer vacation is on the horizon, it is not yet here. Today we are back to work and back to school. It is going to be hot, which means that my day is going to be a lot harder. Hopefully the heat will stay away until I'm done with my final student.