A Fun Start

Each school day morning Robby and I have hosted a visitor. Rowan, the little girl from down the street, has been dropped each morning when her Dad left for work. The two friends would sit on the couch and watch cartoons until it was time for me to walk her to the bus stop.

Typically lethargic and quasi-grumpy in the mornings, she was animated and chipper when she arrived at my door yesterday. I didn't need to look at the calendar because she has been counting down for the past six weeks. Yesterday was the last day of school! Since it was a special day, I agreed to pick her up at the bus stop after school. She was having a half-day and if I hadn't agreed, she would have spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting in a karate school program that she dislikes. Wanting her to be happy and completely revel in the freedom of summer vacation, Robby and I decided to help her celebrate by going to Chuck E. Cheese!

Before going to pick her up for our arcade and carbohydrate adventure, I decided to prepare for another surprise. Hot temperatures always translate into one preferred activity for the twosome. Unbeknownst to them, I filled (and hid) all of the water guns. 100 water balloons were filled and parceled into buckets around the yard. I was fully armed to ambush the friends after Chuck E. Cheese.

Robby and Rowan had a blast playing the games and gulping down pizza. I did my best to avoid playing the games, but the compulsion got the best of me. I'm taking some solace in the fact that I was able to limit my personal losses to $40 this time opposed to the obscene amount I wasted trying to win tickets last time. After 3 hours they had spent all of the tokens that they were allocated and after much debate had settled on the small plastic trinkets they would purchase with their tickets (talk about high finance). We piled into the car and I drove the happy, but tired, friends back to my house. They were both satisfied with a fun day, but I knew that the celebration was far from over.

As soon as they stepped out of the car and closed the door, I grabbed a soaker gun and began the assault. It didn't take long for their energy to regenerate. The battle was on!

We played outside for nearly an hour, running through the yard armed with our Super Soakers. Peels of laughter and shouts of water taunts probably echoed through the neighborhood as we played. I just love to hear them laugh and giggle!

When we were all thoroughly drenched, Scott surprised us by delivering dinner. We called a truce in order to enjoy our treat. After we were done eating, Robby suggested we go and play in the sprinkler. The fact that it was raining was not a deterrent. Because it was a special day and they were already wet, I agreed and set up the Buzz Lightyear sprinkler for the two friends.

By the time Rowan's parents picked her up she had changed into dry clothes (I provided some insider information about my plan and we made arrangements for another change of clothes) and enthralled watching Ghostbusters 2. I have to admit that I found watching their reactions far more entertaining than the movie! Both friends were gleefully exhausted by the time she went home. I can't think of a better way to begin summer vacation!

Sandal Fiasco

Last week I ended up splashing in the stream with Robby. I hadn't planned on getting wet but the heat was oppressive and since I was not wearing my Proprio foot, I figured there would be no harm. I jumped in and spent a few hours looking for tadpoles, catching crawdads and just having fun in the cool (albeit filthy) water.

Although I was wearing the correct prosthesis to play in the stream, it has become glaringly obvious that I was not wearing the correct footwear. No matter what I do, I cannot remove the funky stream smell from my shoes. I've watched them two times, dried them in the sun, and invested in two bottles of foot odor spray to no avail. The repugnant smell has become overwhelming, following me as I walk. 

Tired of battling with the smell and waiving the white flag of odor removal, I went to the shoe store to buy a pair of utilitarian summer sandals. I wanted something comfortable and easy to don both on my prosthesis and my foot. On this shopping trip, the most important characteristic was the ability to repel odor.  I was embarrassed removing my smelly shoe in the aisle of the store because I feared that the odor would being to waft as soon as I slipped it off. I tried to remove the distinct odor, but the lady standing next to me looking at the red sandals made a distinct sniffing sound before turning and walking to the sneaker section.

I was drawn to a pair of Croc sandals not because they were stylist but because they are constructed of plastic. I reasoned that they would be easy to rinse off and would repel odor. The absence of a toe-thong, coupled with the presence of a strap along the back, sealed the deal. I grabbed my new sandals, slipped into my smelly shoe and walked to the counter.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized that the sandal has a distinctively higher heel height. I've been spoiled with my Proprio which has an automatic heel height adjustment. My activity foot does not have that feature so I went searching through my underwear drawer to retrieve my Allen wrench. After struggling to find a comfortable alignment, I begrudgingly went online to schedule an appointment with my prosthetist.

Yesterday morning I packed up Robby and drove 40 minutes to visit my Prosthetist. My "simple" heel adjustment turned into a 70 minute exercise in frustration. Apparently the "perfect" sandal had a heel height that was over the maximum designed for my activity foot. I was going to require some McGyver-type adjustments to make these shoes work.

Thankfully Elliot does not give up quickly, and he worked diligently to adjust for the height. After maxing out the adjustment parameters on my foot, he turned his attention to the sandal. The fact that the shoes are constructed of plastic enabled him to manually grind out a pocket within the foot bed. My foot shell sinks a little deeper into the sandal, but it is not noticeable. We applied Velcro to the foot shell and the foot bed of the sandal in order to help secure everything in place. (Of course, the distinctive ripping sound of the Velcro separating between the foot shell and the sandal is difficult to ignore. I'm hoping it quiets soon!)

I drove for almost an hour, and spent over an hour to adjust my prosthesis for a pair of sandals. This is precisely why I usually wear flats! I hope that the sandals hold up over the summer because after this fiasco, I have no plans on changing the shoe anytime soon!

New School Picnic

Friday morning Robby and I visited his classroom for the final time so that I could retrieve all of the items I had loaned the teacher throughout the year. Our "quick trip" turned into a morning project. I lent more than I realized throughout the course of the school year; it took me four trips to take everything home!

In the afternoon we went to visit his school for next year because the Principal sent us an invitation to the end of the year picnic celebration. I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to begin to acclimate Robby to the new school and hopefully introduce him to many of his classmates for next year. I was optimistic that seeing the new school and meeting his teacher would go a long way to squelch the anxieties which I am sure will manifest as September approaches.

Robby and I were both nervous as we prepared to go to the picnic. He was worried that his new teacher wouldn't be nice, and I was apprehensive about mingling with the parents. Although I realize it is absurd and that I shouldn't care what people think, I was concerned about being ostracized because of my prosthesis. Together, Robby and I gathered our courage, put on clean clothes and headed to the new school picnic.

Although we were nervous during the drive, we quickly became comfortable. Robby's teacher met us in the parking lot, took him by the hand and showed him the school. I could see Scared Robby morph into my typical little boy as he spent more time with his teacher.  It was comforting seeing their interactions, and I had a sense of peace that I had made a good choice for Robby. I loved watching him smile broadly when his new teacher revealed that she also likes cats and turtles.

As Robby was being introduced to many of his new classmates, I spotted a little girl with a limb loss. Imagine the irony! Last year I was asked to disguise my disability, and now he is going to be enrolled in a school with an amputee child. Robby was delighted to see her prosthesis and, although they didn't have a chance to connect because of the commotion, he was excited to see her and has been chatting nonstop about meeting her.

We both left the school excited about the placement for next year. Robby is looking forward to spending time in the cool classroom (which happens to be painted his favorite color of yellow), and I was thrilled to witness the laid back and comfortable exchanges between the parents and the staff. Everybody whom I met reaffirmed that this was a great school and that Robby would thrive. I don't want to rush through the summer, but I know that when September comes, Robby and I will both be ready to tackle the new school. And if we aren't I'll just refer to this blog to remind me that it is a good change!

He dances like his Momom!

Award Ceremony

Seeing Robby dressed up yesterday took my breath away. He was the perfect mixture between the adorable little boy that he is with hints of the young man he is becoming. I thought that he would whine and lament about having to wear his "fancy" clothes, instead he surprised me by fully embracing the opportunity to dress up. He strutted into his school for the Awards Ceremony exuding confidence and happiness. I dutifully followed, schlepping the cake, camera and an overflowing bag full of assorted paper products. 

Although I was fully prepared for an emotional morning, I surprised myself by not crying. I think I was at the point where I was emotionally disengaged from the school, the parents and the administration. To be honest, I was also nervous (although I never let it show) about seeing the father who confronted me about my prosthesis being visible.The prospect of another confrontation has been nagging in the back of my mind, and I simply wanted to get through this event without an incident. Although I dreaded another heated and hurtful exchange, I never cowered to his demands, and yesterday I wore a beautiful new dress that fell softly against my bedazzled carbon fiber socket.

Robby smiled from ear to ear throughout the various presentations.  I was beaming when his name was called to receive the "Student Citizen of the Year" award. Hearing the staff praise Robby's interactions with various students throughout the year was wonderful affirmation that he is a compassionate and strong child. I couldn't be prouder of him!

Not only did he receive the award for citizenship, but he was also bestowed with the "Future Builder of Great Things" award. Many of his projects from the year were featured in the slideshow presentation. Although Robby likes the citizenship award, he is perhaps more excited about the distinction he earned by building and creating.

After the ceremony, the students and their guests all dispersed to their respective classrooms for a party. At this point I saw the offended father on the other side of the room. The looks of repulsion and disdain that he exuded let me know that he was not happy, nor had he gotten over the fact that my prosthesis is still visible. I decided to smile, and proceeded to spend the rest of the party ignoring the entire family.

I did happen to overhear their little girl lament to the teacher that she didn't receive an award. She proclaimed that she deserved the "Best Dressed Student" award (which is non-existent).  I couldn't help but think that this child is already demonstrating the shallow tendencies of her father!

Thankfully the event unfolded without the confrontations and drama that I feared. Robby loved the well-earned recognition and accolades. We both left the school, skipping and singing, although I'm fairly certain our reasons were different. 


 

Meanie Moms

The drive to school yesterday morning was dramatically different than the drive we took on his first day. In September we both cried for much of the drive. Yesterday Robby was so happy that he couldn't contain his smile. He giggled and sang songs the entire trip.

Today we will go back to the school for the final time. The school is having an award ceremony and Robby is being honored. He has been chosen to receive the "Student Citizen" Award for the year. I could not be more proud of this distinction!

Robby has no qualms standing up for himself and for others. He doesn't tolerate bullying and instinctively speaks up and intervenes when he recognizes it. His teachers have told me stories about my little crusader protecting his classmates, returning snatched items and his making sure that everybody is included in the chosen activity. The "Cool Kid Koopa Club," which Robby started as an alternative to excluding classmates, remained strong throughout the school year. 

It is hard standing up to a bully and I know that I don't possess Robby's confidence and gumption. Yesterday I listened to a group of parents revel in the tales of making the classroom teacher uncomfortable. Standing in the parking lot, I was left speechless listening to the name calling, judgmental and hurtful comments that were spewed about the teacher whom Robby loves. The Meanie Moms laughed and actually exchanged high fives when one proudly proclaimed that she made the teacher cry!

Instead of speaking up, I remained silent. These Moms were proud of their bullying the teacher and instead of defending her, I made an excuse to leave the conversation. The fact that Robby is receiving an award for doing the exact opposite is an irony that has not been lost on me. This will never happen again.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon yesterday kicking myself for not speaking up. I felt bad for the teacher who has been dedicated and loving all year. Robby is so lucky to have been placed in her classroom. Knowing that she was nursing hurt feelings from the Meanie Moms, I sat down and wrote a long letter to accompany the end of the year gift. I know that I cannot undo the pain that has been caused by the other parents, but I needed to let her know that she is valued, appreciated and admired. 

Last Day!!

Robby is in for a treat when he wakes up this morning. In lieu of the expected Cinnamon Toast Waffle and cup of milk, I have made cinnamon rolls and bacon. After all, today is a special day: it is the last day of school!

It is hard to believe that the school year is ending. It feels like just yesterday I was fretting and crying over his being away for an entire school day. Although it was a difficult transition, admittedly more for me than him, there is no doubt that he has flourished.

This school year I have watched Robby's confidence both waiver and blossom. He struggled, especially after the Dengue Fever, but rallied and finished the school year academically strong. It was heartbreaking watching his skills slip away when he was so ill. We were prepared to expect the Dengue Dementia to last through the summer. Thankfully, the experts were wrong and he quickly regained his footing.

I don't have the words to express how proud I am of my little boy. He is growing into a confident, self-assured and caring individual. Today we celebrate not only the last school day, but the last day in his school. Next year will bring a new building, new teachers, new friends and new adventures. In the meantime, I think I'll just enjoy our summer vacation together!