Pumpkin

 A few days ago Scott came into the kitchen giggling like a school year. After his laughing calmed, he finally revealed that he bought us matching shirts for Halloween. I was surprised but delighted. I love themed family outfits. I was thrilled because this was the first time that Scott has located and purchased matching shirts for us.

Yesterday the shirts arrived. He tore into the bags with the voracity of a child on Christmas morning. He pulled the shirts out, handed me the orange one and insisted that I put it on. He went into the back room to change into his. He emerged, wearing his shirt and beaming with pride. 

When I read his shirt, I immediately realized why Scott found the shirts so funny. Needless to say, we won't be wearing these for any family photos. From now on, I think I'll stick with my role as family shopper.

Dancing Queen

Yesterday was better than Tuesday, so I am calling it a victory.  The day was busy but uneventful. At this point, the lack of drama is a blessing that I will happily celebrate. 

Our weather was icky, so Timmy and I resumed our kitchen dance party. My leg was definitely feeling the impact last night. I know that he loves dancing, but until I get a new leg I think I am going to pay the price. The pain is fleeting, but the memories we are making will last forever. At least, that is what I was reminding myself last night as I tried to get my leg to settle down.

Today I have the doctor appointment to secure a prescription for a new leg. The process is officially beginning, and I'm elated. I can't wait to get a new leg!

Frustrated

Well, Monday wasn't my best day but I made up for it yesterday. Despite being tired because of my battle with leg pain, I managed to remain upbeat and energetic throughout the day. Timmy, probably taking a cue from my positive demeanor, was happy and funny all day. We managed to roll through schoolwork without issues and with no tears. By all accounts, it was a great day.

I am inching closer to a new socket, so I can see an end to my painful evenings. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my doctor to obtain a prescription for a new leg. Once I have the prescription in hand I can schedule my appointment to begin the casting process.

The fact that I have to go to the doctor to verify that I am still an amputee is mind boggling.  I'm frustrated that the system is so broken. Talk about a huge waste of time and money! Alas, that is a battle that continues to be fought. In the meantime, I'll go get my prescription so that I can finally receive a comfortable leg.

Turning Around

It is a good thing that we had such a wonderful weekend, because yesterday was certainly not my best. I felt frazzled and irritable all day. I didn't sleep well (again) because of pain. I am so frustrated with having an achy leg!

My socket is no longer fitting correctly.  I'm sure that the pain I feel at night is the result of my limb banging around all day against the carbon fiber. I am in the process of getting a new leg which I hope will help alleviate the pain I have been feeling each night. In the meantime, I am going to have to make the best of a somewhat painful situation. 

Today I am going to make an effort to reset and to restart. We did not have a stellar start to the work week. Here's hoping that we can turn things around today!

Awesome Autumn Adventures

We had a great weekend, full of family adventures and giggles. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, allowing us to take full opportunity of the season. Our "awesome autumn weekend" began on Friday with a trip to a local farm festival.

Last year we missed all of the fall festivals because of Covid. While the pandemic still looms, this year the farm was able to develop safety protocols which added a layer of protection. Admission numbers were reduced to 25% and masks were required for all guests. Friday afternoon we masked up, grabbed a fresh bottle of sanitizer and headed out to play.

We had a fantastic time sliding, climbing and playing. My goodness I have missed these activities over the past 18 months. Even though we were wearing masks and constantly sanitizing, it felt wonderful to feel somewhat normal again. 

Saturday morning we woke up early, enjoyed a pancake breakfast and headed out to the Christmas tree farm. We spent about 90 minutes strolling around the farm in search of our perfect tree. We finally found it, in the very last row in the far corner of the farm. We tagged a beautiful 10 foot white pine with full boughs. It is going to look gorgeous when it is covered with lights and ornaments in our living room. 

Sunday was more laid back. Scott spent much of the day watching football while I alternated between working and playing outside with Timmy. After a weekend of fun, it is hard to return to normal this morning.

 

October!

Happy October!

I hate September, but I absolutely love October. The crisp weather, the fall festivals and the colorful leaves make my heart happy. For me, October is the unofficial beginning of the holiday season. From now until January, my home will slowly be transformed into a seasonal wonderland.

Last weekend we decorated the yard for Halloween. Today we are bringing out the indoor decorations to completely spookify our home. I'm especially excited about the addition of a lighted Halloween tree, which I ordered on a whim off of Amazon.

Tomorrow we are heading to the tree farm to find and to tag our tree for Christmas. We tagged our tree last year and it was worth the effort. The fields weren't busy, the weather wasn't freezing and the selection of trees was amazing. It was fun packing a picnic and spending the day trying to find the perfect Christmas tree. I can't wait to do it again!

I'm looking forward to sharing pictures on Monday!

Not Disney Bound

Yesterday was chaotic. I felt like I was spinning from the moment I rolled out of bed until I finally waved the white flag for the night. I really thought that we would have fallen into a comfortable groove with the new school year by now. I feel as frazzled as I did when we started in August. I keep hoping that everything will settle, but as we get ready to turn the page of the calendar, my hope is dwindling.

Even though I feel as if I'm swimming in chaos, Timmy has fallen into the routine of school. He enjoys Circle Time, Reading Circle and Craft Class each week. He is increasingly independent in all of them, which frees me up to work on other things. Even though he is able to participate in the classes without my assistance, I try to stay in the same room (but off camera) in case technical issues arise.

Being in the same room during his classes does offer the benefit of my being able to overhear his interactions. I must say, my little guy doesn't shy away from speaking his mind. Yesterday the teacher was talking about going to Disneyland and meeting Mickey Mouse.  

All of the students happily proclaimed their love and adoration for the Magic Kingdom. When the teacher asked Timmy if he has visited Disney, he didn't hesitate to offer his real opinion. "I have not been to Disneyland. I don't like that big mouse. If I saw that big mouse (Mickey) I would feed him to a snake."

Hmmm... I guess I'll cross a trip to Disney off our family bucket list.