Hot Hot Hot

 Yesterday was spent playing chauffeur to the boys. Between Ninja Tumbling and Guitar/Band, I was driving non-stop short distance trips all day and into the evening. They both adore their activities so, while the constant driving becomes weary over time, seeing their smiles and hearing them chatting about their experiences makes it worthwhile. 

When I wasn't driving I was inside. My ill-fitting socket combined with the excessive heat makes wearing my prosthesis for long periods of time impossible. After I am outside for more than an hour I start to piston out of my socket because of the lubrication provided by the sweat. I've tried every remedy from my arsenal and I even included a few new ones but, so far, nothing has solved the issue. The only way I can continue to walk comfortably and safely right now is under the comfort of our air conditioning. 

Considering that we don't have a pool and it is absolutely miserable outside, I am not devastated that I have a solid excuse for staying cool.

Tour

Yesterday was busy for our little family. I kept my morning routine of rising early to work with the modification of waking up two hours earlier than normal. I knew I was going to have to log off for the entire afternoon because Robby and I were heading to another college tour. While we were busy touring, Scott took Timmy to Ninja Warrior camp.  Summer days where everybody has something on their calendar are rare.

It was hot -borderline obscene to be specific- and I struggled on the tour. The guide and our little group moved quickly across the campus and I had a difficult time keeping up with them. The heat compromised my suspension system and I kept walking out of my leg. I know that Robby was feeling a combination of frustration and embarrassment that I was lagging behind and fidgeting with my prosthesis. I felt horrible about the situation but there was nothing that I could do. It was 100 degrees and my leg was literally sliding off!

I know that Robby was embarrassed by my prosthetic issues, something that he has rarely indicated throughout his childhood. I recognized that he was nervous and wanted to simply blend in with everybody else. Having your mom waddling behind the group and constantly tugging at her liner and socket most certainly did not lend itself to blending into the crowd. I became so frustrated I wanted to cry but that probably would have drawn even more attention away from the tour. 

Despite the heat, Robby thoroughly enjoyed his college tour. The campus is reminiscent of where I did my undergrad and I knew that Robby was noting the similarities. Although he liked the school we visited in April, it was immediately clear that this school was a better fit for him. During this tour he kept whispering how he could see himself going there. Personally, I think it is where he will declare but I am doing my best to have him come to his own decision. 

I wasn't surprised that Timmy had a great time at Ninja Warrior camp. He met me at the top of the stairs when we came home to tell me all about his first day at camp. It seems that it was a difficult day for me but a great one for everybody else. I'll take it.

College tour

 Thank goodness for our little splash pad. Between the obscene temperature and the high humidity, the misery index has been high for much of the past week. Timmy has been delighted to play with his new splash pad while everybody else seeks the cool solace of our air conditioning. 

Today we will all venture beyond our cooled doors back into society. Timmy is attending another week of summer camp and is looking forward to running and climbing with new friends. While he is busy playing on the trampolines, Robby and I are heading to our second college tour.

This afternoon he is touring Shepherd University, which is about 80-90 minutes from our home. Despite being so close, we did not know of the school's existence until recently. But with Robby entering his Senior year (gulp!) our family has been learning a lot about universities, majors, financial aid and scholarships. On paper this university seems to be a perfect match for Robby, but he will have a better idea when he sees the campus. The thought of him leaving in a mere 12 months is overwhelming but the excitement that he feels for his future is contagious. Hopefully it will be enough to carry me through the next emotional year!

Splash!

 We may not have ready access to a pool this summer, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun in the water. Thanks to Nana (my Mom) a ginormous splash pad arrived at our front door. It did not take much convincing for me to set it up as soon as it was unpacked. With the humidity in the 80% and temperatures in the high 90s, the splash pad felt like an oasis in this sweltering desert.

Timmy and I spent over an hour playing in the new splash pad. It was perfect! Somehow, my Mom still knows exactly what we all need.

Today will be another hot one, which means we will be quartered off to keep cooling costs down. I'm sure that the splash pad will be turned on and used throughout the day. It isn't a pool, but it is definitely the next best thing.  When I'm not in the splash pad with Timmy I'll be in the back bedroom, trying to stay cool. My leg does not stay on in this heat!

When the temperatures go above 90, my ability to maintain suction within my socket becomes severely compromised. Coupled with the fact that the socket is too big and it isn't a fantastic fit in the best circumstances, walking in this heat has been practically impossible. I walk Friend early in the morning before the temperature rises, but once it heats up my walking is compromised. Robby calls it "clown foot syndrome" which is a cute way of explaining that I am literally walking out of my leg, causing a farting sound. 

I'm definitely not made for this type of heat!

Rocket Launch

 Yesterday Robby woke up with a cough and a fever (again), forcing us to reschedule his guitar lesson and band rehearsal. I'm not sure why this summer cold won't seem to go away, but the kiddo has been dealing with it on and off for over a month. He recovers enough to have fun and resume a normal life for a few days before it returns. I know he is becoming as frustrated as me.

With Robby feeling icky and the temperatures high with miserable humidity, we stayed inside for most of the day. We did venture out during the afternoon for the much anticipated rocket launch. Timmy and Scott have been working on their rocket throughout the summer and yesterday the winds were still enough for the inaugural launch. To everybody's delight, it was a success!

The weather this summer has been miserable with few days of sun and heat. Today is one of those days I wish I had a pool! Instead, I'll probably pull out the water guns and balloons for a good old-fashioned wet throw-down with the boys.

Glitter Bomb

I decided it was time to finally put away my Christmas dishes. I realize that we are only a few months away from my pulling them out again, but I was feeling inspired to clean. Thankfully Robby is tall and can easily reach my top cabinet, making the swap easy. After moving some mailing tubes that I had stowed, he quickly pulled down my summer dishes and replaced my Christmas dishes on the top shelf. 

I told  Robby to put the mailing tubes on the counter with the intention of storing them somewhere else. (I knew that they were not benign mailing tubes, but I was certainly not telling him!) I had every intention of hiding the tubes- but I became busy and completely forgot. 

In the middle of the night I felt a tapping on my shoulder and I heard Timmy talking. "Momom, don't be a grumpy momom but I may have made a wee tiny teeny little mess." I opened my eyes and they focused on my glitter covered sparkling little cherub. 

The 'mailing tube' that Robby discovered was actually a glitter bomb. (I bought it on sale a few years ago as a gag gift and I never sent it.)  But it wasn't just a regular glitter bomb.  That would be too boring. I had purchased the adult themed glitter bomb, and I had it supersized with more glitter. In the middle of the night, my curious little kid opened up a mailing tube only to have 1/4 pound of penis and sperm shaped glitter blow in his face and all through my kitchen.

Timmy began to explain that he opened a tube and that it exploded with glitter, but the fact that he looked like a glittery x-rated ghost left little doubt. I began to fumble to put on my leg while pleading with Timmy to stop moving. With every step and every arm movement he threw plumes of colorful sperm and penises into the air. My bedroom was quickly transforming into the scene from a strip club with plumes flying through the air. With as little movement as possible we retraced his colorful trail to the bathroom where I stripped him down and put him into the shower. 

This was an all-hands on deck situation, so Robby was roused from bed to help with cat control. Scott and I tried to clean the glitter from the kitchen, although I know that it will persist long after we move, while Robby kept the cats and the dog away from the rainbow sperm that were settling on every surface.  

Do you know how much 1/4 pound of glitter can cover in a kitchen?  Everything. It covers absolutely everything. I am certain that I will find glittery sperm and penises until we move. 

If you find a glitter bomb on sale, make sure you always keep it away from your kids!

Camping!

 Another Aunt Peggy Adventure is in the books!  

To the surprise and delight of all of the kids, we went on a quick camping trip. The campground wasn't far away, we only went about 30 minutes from my Mom's house, but the new setting made it feel like we were somewhere exotic. The kids loved the cabin and quickly claimed their bunks before we headed to the pools. After an afternoon of splashing and swimming we headed back to our little cabin in the woods for a bonfire and a night of s'mores and games. 

Everybody, especially Timmy, had a fantastic time. This was the first year that Timmy has been old enough to play the games with the Cousin Crew. He delighted in his own participation and was nearly giddy when he won a round. The older boys enjoyed creating and maintaining our fire throughout the night and it turns out that everybody loves hotdogs over a campfire. We ended up going through 3.5 packs of hotdogs in one night!

Friday morning we woke up and hung out before checking out of the cabin. We were able to spend a few hours swimming before heading to lunch and then back to my Mom's house. It was the first adventure of the summer and it was a good one!