Prized Possessions.

Yesterday I woke up early and knocked out a few hours of work before logging off and driving home. While we were all sad to leave Nana's house, it was time to return home. Robby had a make-up guitar lesson in the afternoon and both boys have a small pile of schoolwork they need to tackle. As much as they complained about waking and leaving early, everybody was happy to be home by lunch.

Not only did we need to return to our obligations, but we also needed to get home to prepare for Timmy's 8th Birthday Celebration part 2. (Because Scott did not get to see Timmy on his official birthday we opted to simply extend the celebrations.)  Between meetings and driving Robby to his lesson, I was able to wrap Timmy's presents and prepare his favorite dinner. By the time Scott came home from work, the house was decorated and we were already in party mode.

Timmy was over-the-moon with his party and presents. He was thrilled with his copy of Starry Night (his request) and his new Nerf Gun. Even though he liked our gifts, Robby left his brother speechless.  He gave Timmy a YouTube Play Button that he had purchased on Amazon. Timmy spent the evening laying on his bed, looking at his Play Button on one wall and his Starry Night print on the other. Every 30-40 minutes he would run into Robby's room, give him a huge hug and thank him again. 

I don't really understand his fascination with both the print and the Play Button, but there is no doubt that both gifts are now prized possessions.

Birthday Celebrations to Remember

 What a wonderful celebratory weekend!  

On Saturday we headed to my Mom's big 75th birthday party. We held her party in an old-fashioned railroad card that was converted into a restaurant. The venue was a lot of fun, which was one of her party requests. Even though it was busy and, at times frustrating to play, the party was a rousing success.

Saturday was the first time that our extended family has been together since Covid. I am so grateful that everybody was willing to make the drive to spend the afternoon celebrating my Mom. I know that she felt both loved and special, which was the purpose of her party. 

Saturday was spent celebrating my Mom, but Sunday was all about Timmy. It is hard to believe that my little Hamlet is now 8 years old! After several low-key Covid birthdays, I was determined that this year would be special. 

Robby and his cousins spent Saturday night completely decorating my Mom's house for Timmy's birthday. They hung numerous streamers, banners and balloons throughout the house. When Timmy awoke on Sunday, he was utterly gobsmacked by the festive transformation. He was completely overwhelmed by the effort.

In the late morning the Cousin Crew, my mom and my sister all piled into cars and drove to Medieval Times. The big cousins knew the destination, but Timmy was completely in the dark. He just knew that he was going on a Birthday Cousin Crew Adventure. 

My little guy had the time of his life at the show. He was knighted and his name was announced to the crowd. When the battles start, he was on the edge of his seat the entire time. He cheered so loudly with his cousins that his voice was hoarse for the rest of the day! 

At one point, in an effort to shake things up a bit, I thought it would be fun to start a chant of "Kill the Queen" during the joust. The kids, and some of the crowd behind me, quickly joined the fun. My sister was absolutely mortified, which simply added to the cousins' enjoyment of the chant.  

We finished the day with a spaghetti and meatball dinner, ice cream cake for dessert. Today we are headed back home where we will celebrate Timmy's birthday part 2. (Scott went home after my Mom's party on Saturday so he did not see Timmy.)

What a fantastic and wonderful weekend!

 

Party Prep

This weekend is going to be busy. Today, after Robby's classes are finished, we are driving to Pennsylvania. All of the cousins will be there for the weekend, because tomorrow we are celebrating my Mom's birthday with a family party. I'm so excited to see everybody that I haven't seen in more than two years!

Even though her party isn't until tomorrow, I know that this afternoon I will be running around taking care of the final preparations. Scott will be coming up after work, but he probably won't arrive at my Mom's house until early evening. Most of the final running around will land on me so hopefully my leg fits correctly throughout the day. (I've still been having issues with suspension failure.)

Tomorrow is my Mom's party, and then Sunday is all about Timmy. It is hard to believe that we will be celebrating my little baby's 8th birthday!  When did that happen?

He is going to be ecstatic to be able to spend his birthday with the Cousin Crew. I have an amazing birthday adventure planned, but I cannot detail it now because I don't want the surprise to be known yet. Stay tuned!

Friend Benefits

 One of the unanticipated benefits of having Friend has been the extra walking. Before we brought him into our home, I was worried about the time investment required to care for a dog. I knew that the pup would need to be walked regularly, and I doubted that I could easily fit those breaks into my already busy schedule. It turns out my worries were for naught. 

While I am taking more frequent breaks to walk Friend, I have learned to use that time to relax and to recenter. Instead of being a burden, it turns out that I enjoy the solitude of our walks. As Friend and I stroll through the neighborhood, I'm able to listen to audio books while clearing my mind of other stresses. I have listened to more than 30 books since we adopted him! 

All of those walks have caused my weight loss to accelerate. I've dropped two sizes since bringing Friend home, all without the normal worry and obsession that typically accompanies my "diets." Talk about motivating! It turns out I didn't need a diet, I just needed a dog.

Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. While I'm happy that I've lost weight, my leg no longer fits. I'm not stopping every few minutes to adjust my prosthesis because the suction is no longer holding. Sigh. It looks like I have to start the fitting process all over again. 

I know that it is a good thing, but it is also frustrating!

A Strong Team

 Slowly but surely we are starting to settle back into our routine. After a busy Spring Break away, both boys fell a tad behind on their schoolwork. Before the emails start flying my way, my boys are enrolled in a cyber school. The due dates are flexible. When I mention that they are behind I am referring to my timeline for their work. 

Today will be busy with schoolwork and work through the morning and early afternoon. In the late afternoon Robby has band and guitar practice. While he is busy with his musical endeavors, Timmy and I will take Friend to the local park to run and play.

Timmy loves taking Friend to the park. Our little pup is a people magnet. Everybody remarks about how cute he is, and Timmy beams with pride as he accepts every single compliment. Even though Friend has only been in our family for a few months, the bond between him and Timmy is strong. There is no doubt that Friend and Timmy are a team.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate with our park plans!

Happy Birthday Mom

 Happy Birthday to the most amazing woman I have ever known- my Mom. My Mom is my role model of strength and determination. Her love is steadfast and her devotion to her family is unbreakable. My Mom taught me to push through the tears and to try to find a reason to smile in the middle of the darkest storms. I am lucky to have her as my Mom and my kids are so fortunate to have her as a Nana.

It is safe to say that she has elevated the role of Nana to new levels. All of her grandchildren adore her because she has taken the time to understand all of their interests and hobbies. She always listens, always supports and always has their favorite snacks when they visit.  Whenever Robby and Timmy have exciting news, they can't wait to pick up the phone to share it with Nana. They know that she will always mirror their excitement.

Today my Mom is celebrating a milestone birthday. I wish I could be there to give her a hug and to bake her a cake. Unfortunately, her birthday landed in the middle of an extremely busy week, so today we will have to stick with the phone and video chatting.

Even though I can't be there today, this weekend our family will gather to properly celebrate her. Her house will be full with all of the cousins. I know that the giggling will be loud and sleep will be reduced, but everybody's heart will feel full. She loves it when the house is filled with laughter.

In addition to having the cousins reunited for the weekend, we have planned a family party on Saturday. The extended family will all get together for the event. This will be the first time we have all gathered since the pandemic began and I can't think of a better occasion! 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Easter

 We had a nice, albeit laid back, Easter weekend. The weather cooperated and provided us with bright blue skies and warm (but not hot) temperatures. Because we had just returned from Ohio we opted to stay home and just relax over the weekend. Although I missed visiting with my family, I know that we made the right decision. There might have been a mutiny if I tried to pile everybody into the car again.

Ever since Robby outgrew the Easter Bunny we have included him in creating the magic for his little brother. He takes his role as Magic Maker very seriously. Rob woke up early on Easter Sunday to hide all of the plastic candy-filled eggs outside. He was careful to make sure that the eggs were strewn throughout the front yard, in both easy to locate and more difficult hiding spots.

Timmy was delighted to discover the yard littered with plastic eggs. He had a fantastic time running through the yard, hunting all of his treasures. After all of the Bunny festivities were over everybody scattered for most of the day. I spent a lot of time outside with Friend before coming in to make dinner.

Today we are back to reality. Scott's Spring Break is over, which means that everybody has to hit the books this morning to get caught up. Wish me luck!