Surprise

We had a nice albeit quiet anniversary. I spent much of the day working while Scott relaxed and watched movies with the boys. In the evening we all got dressed up and headed out for a nice dinner. It was nice to return to our favorite restaurant, even if we were nervous about the amount of people. 

Today the boys and I are packing up and heading to Pennsylvania for a week. We haven't spent a lot of time at my Mom's this summer. I am looking forward to hanging out and hearing the giggles of the Cousins when they are reunited.

Truth be told, I have exciting plans with the Cousin Crew. They have no idea, but my adventure has been in the works for about six months. I'm proud of myself for keeping a secret for this long! I can't wait until Monday afternoon when the secret is revealed.

Stay tuned...

Anniversary

I think I may have overdone it during our bed construction project. My leg has been achy and my back is reminding me that I am no longer in my twenties. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm closer to fifty than I am to forty. I can no longer exert myself without ripples of discomfort being felt throughout my body.

Thankfully, I was able to relax and play in the pool. Everything feels better in water, even when the depth is only four feet. When I was done playing and splashing with Hamlet, my body was tired but no longer sore. I'll take fatigue over pain every time!

I'm glad to be feeling better because today is not just another day of summertime fun. Today Scott and I are celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary. We don't have grand plans, but I suspect we will be going out for dinner. 

Happy Anniversary Scott!

Some Assembly Required

Robby's new bed arrived yesterday. I was optimistic about assembly when the truck dropped off two (albeit large) boxes. I was hoping that fewer boxes meant that it would not require much assembly. When we opened the first box, I knew that my theory was wrong.

The manufacturer managed to fit a lot of pieces into a single box! Scott and Robby unpacked and organized the pieces while I set up Timmy with a bag of Doritos and the SpongeBob Movie. When everything was ready, we started to work. 

Working methodically through the directions, we were making astonishing progress. Robby even boasted that the assembly was much smoother than he anticipated. It was in that moment that I realized that he had jinxed us. We managed to assemble a piece on backwards, forcing us to disassemble 3/4 of everything we had just done.

After reassembling the pieces in the correct orientation, we continued trudging through the project. Three hours later, Robby had a fully assembled teen loft with futon. In reality, it probably should have taken us about 90 minutes but we hit a few "snags."

Even though it took us longer than it should have and involved a few more curse words than I care to admit, the bed assembling project was a success. Now we are just waiting for the futon mattress (sold separately of course) to arrive. In the meantime, we put a twin mattress on the platform so that we could get a feel for the look.  Robby is delighted!

Assembly Agreement

Between work, bedroom prep and quality pool time, yesterday was both busy and productive. Per my summer schedule, I woke up early to knock out a few hours before anybody else awoke. I am not a morning person per say, but I am finding value and enjoyment in the solitude of those early hours. Who knows, maybe I am slowly becoming a morning person?

While Robby and Scott finished up his room, Timmy and I spent a few hours playing in the pool. It was hot and muggy but we were cool and comfortable in the water. Timmy has become a strong swimmer this summer. He spends hours swimming to the bottom and performing handstands under water.

Robby's room is emptied and ready for the bed delivery. Today we will work on loft assembly. I am worried that this project may be bigger than we anticipate. I have visions of the bed arriving in multiple small boxes, necessitating detailed directions and dozens of steps. Fingers crossed that the boxes are large and the parts are few!

We are competent with furniture assembly, but it rarely occurs without fighting (and sometimes tears).  After 20 years together, I can guarantee some level of discord during our project. Many years ago Scott and I struck a mutual agreement concerning assembly and home repair projects.  Anything that might be muttered during a project will not be held against the individual, nor will any insults be taken personally. It might sound unromantic, but it works for us.

Room Re-Do

When we were in Florida Robby mentioned that he didn't like his bedroom. It had never occurred to me that he had outgrown his wooden bunk bed and sea turtle decals. But he is 15, and he is definitely not the same little 7 year old who excitedly decorated the last time we worked on his room. I was glad that he finally told us.

After a lot of online shopping, he settled on a new bed frame. His new full size loft has an industrial feel and features a futon on the bottom. He plans on hanging out, working on school and watching TV from his futon and sleeping in the loft. With his new bed scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday, we had to kick into high gear to get ready for the change.

Saturday Robby and I worked in his room, sorting items and clearing the trash. We purged his shelves of outgrown and broken toys and emptied his dresser and closet of his small and worn clothes. After several hours and eight contractor trash bags, his room was cleared and ready for the change. Part of me felt sad seeing his childhood being packed away and cleared, but he is growing into such a cool young man that it is impossible to not feel excited and happy.

On Sunday Robby designed (and I ordered) custom curtains and a rug. Then the boys worked on dismantling the bunk bed while I prepped his closet doors for the transformation into dry erase boards. In the evening, while Timmy was playing in the pool, Robby and Scott headed to Target to pick up new sheets, a mattress pad and a few other accessories. (He is waiting for his new bed to arrive and to be assembled before choosing a comforter.) 

After a long weekend of working together, his room is finally ready for his teen transformation. Tomorrow his bed arrives and, at this point, we are nearly as excited as Robby. My little Koopa is growing up and he will finally have a room to mirror his age and interests.

Baking

 I am so thankful that my phantom pain faded through the night and stayed away. Usually my bouts of phantom pain only last for a day, but I'm always nervous that it is going to be along haul situation. Some of my friends suffer terribly with phantom pain and I honestly don't know how they deal with it so gracefully. Even though I experience episodes every few months I am very fortunate!

The absence of pain made me feel both elated and nervous. It was wonderful to not hurt anymore, but I was anxious that the smallest moment would make it return. Experience tells me that it will take a few days before my nerves normalize and I feel completely comfortable again.

The temperatures were cool yesterday, so we spent the day inside. Timmy and I worked in the kitchen prepping a huge tray of fruit salad and s'mores cookies. I love baking with my kids! Even when I'm tired or have other things vying for my attention, I try to take full advantage of every opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with my boys. 

The temperatures are supposed to rise over the weekend, so we will probably spend a lot of time in the pool. I'm looking forward to a few days in the sunshine, playing and just relaxing. The first week back from vacation has been exhausting, and I need a break.

Phantom Pain (again)

I'm not sure of the cause, but yesterday my phantom pain was constant. I wasn't in enough pain to curl into the fetal position and cry, but I was uncomfortable throughout the day. The pain vacillated between sharp shocking jolts and dull twisting throbbing. I tried every trick in my book, but nothing made it go away.

I hate bad leg days! My entire mood is impacted when my limb hurts. Phantom pain is an unwelcome reminder of my vulnerability. Prosthetic issues, weather or a myriad of other situations can quickly render me both in pain and immobile . 

As much as I tried to remain upbeat and happy, I know that my sour mood was on full display. By the middle of the afternoon I stopped feigning contentment. I surrendered to my "bad mood" and tried to stay alone as much as possible. Sometimes being alone is the only real solution.

Late in the evening the pain started to wane. Thankfully I slept through the night and my limb is feeling better today. Hopefully I won't have another flare up for awhile.