Another Email

 I have come to the conclusion that our family must look odd from an outside view. Robby's room is littered with WWII military artifacts while my basement has been converted to a small warehouse to store the items for his traveling holocaust museum. While it has become normal for us to discuss both historical and contemporary military tactics over the dinner table, I recognize that this is not fodder for normal family conversations.  

Timmy, heavily influenced the adoration for his big brother, has become a sponge for the WWII knowledge and trivia that Robby offers up on a regular basis. Because of this, Timmy has a unique insight and perspective that is not held by most 9 year olds. Unfortunately, he has to learn that what is comfortable conversation at home may not be appropriate for school.

Yesterday I received (another) email from Timmy's teacher reprimanding him for discussing "war" in school. He had been reprimanded earlier in the week for hosting an epic battle between his "geometry city" and two of his classmates cities. The boys had a great time playing their game until it was shut down by their teachers. We told Timmy that he wasn't allowed to play war in school and I thought the issue was closed.

The email yesterday took me off guard because Timmy's teacher accused him of referencing war again during a class discussion. It turns out that the class was learning about evaluating sources on the internet to determine if they are authentic or propaganda. Timmy was asked to explain propaganda. He replied, "Well, anything that was written by Joseph Goebbels was propaganda for sure. He tried to scare everybody with his hate."

His teacher was offended. Timmy was removed from the classroom and put into a private "break out room," which is the equivalent of detention, for talking about war. My issue with this is that he didn't talk about war. He referenced a historical example of extreme propaganda.  I disagree with his punishment, but I'm not sure if I should just let it go or push back.

Happy Birthday Scott

 Today is special in our family because it is Scott's birthday!  

Our family loves birthdays and any reason to celebrate. Even though Scott isn't delighted with adding a digit to his year, he is looking forward to our family party. A favorite dinner, a few presents, a lot of doting and a red velvet cake will top off the celebration tonight. His birthday marks the beginning of our family busy season.

The spring and early summer have always been heavy with birthdays, anniversaries and various reasons to celebrate. This year the parties will be magnified because we are adding graduations and retirements to the mix. I feel like I've been treading water to stay afloat in a stressful 2024. Everything is about to get considerably more complicated as we try to navigate retiring, college and moving within the next few months.

I suppose I'll worry about packing, moving and living with a retired husband later. Today is all about celebrating Scott. The boys are so lucky to have him as their dad. I am so lucky to have found him! 

Happy Birthday Scott!

Battle Ready

 It feels odd in the house this morning. Scott is home because schools are closed for election day. It feels strange having him home, not being ill, on a random Tuesday. I suppose this is a peek at what our future may be with him being retired. 

It's always a little harder to get everybody on their schedule when Scott is home from work. The boys tend to want to mirror their father and lounge. Unfortunately for them, they do have school today. Sigh. I know that I am going to have to be the bad guy (again) and insist upon logging in. I suppose I am worried that these one-off battles will become an everyday occurrence when Scott is retired and home each day.

I guess I can worry about that next year.  In the meantime, I'll fortify myself with some more coffee and prepare for battle.

MerMagic Con Wrap-Up

 We had an amazing- I mean 'mer-mazing' weekend! Although we were busy and we aren't starting the week feeling refreshed or ready, the past few days have been fantastic. Robby's FlexyFriends were very well received at both the craft fair and the MerMagic Con. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many people and making new connections. It is fun to watch FlexyFriends grow and expand into new areas.

On Saturday Robby and Scott were in Leesburg at the Spring Bling Craft Fair while my sister and I were in Silver Spring at MerMagic Con. This was my first con event and it was spectacular. I've never before been around so many accepting, loving and completely body inclusive individuals. I wish I had the confidence to strut in shells and a tail!

Saturday evening the boys packed up in Leesburg and drove to the event hotel. Excited to embrace new experiences, we went out for Korean BBQ for dinner. Unfortunately it wasn't our favorite but we were thrilled to walk by a Burger Fi on the way back to the hotel so that dinner #2 could be secured. (Although we didn't enjoy the food, the experience was fun. Watching Scott try kimchi was worth the price of the meal!)

Sunday morning we headed back to MerMagic Con for day #2. Robby and Scott were able to experience Mer culture and met so many wonderful people. They were even able to pose with some mermaids! 

*A hint in case you ever meet a mermaid. Never ask a mermaid how much the silicone tail weighs. Apparently it was offensive. Every time I walked past that pod of mermaids they screeched at me because that is what angry Mers do. It was so funny and done in great fun, but it was certainly enough to embarrass my teen.

 

Big Weekend

 This weekend has been circled in red on our calendar since it was hung up on New Years Day. Our printers have been running nearly nonstop in preparation for our busy Flexy weekend. Thanks to a full family effort, we are able to set up in two separate locations for the weekend.

On Saturday Scott and Robby are going to the Spring Fling Craft Fair in Leesburg. We attended the winter event and were warmly received. Despite bringing what we thought was ample stock, we ended up selling out before he end of the weekend. Unlike the December show, this event is only on Saturday but we are hopeful for a crowd.

While the boys are in Leesburg selling at the craft fair, my sister is joining me for the day at the MerMagicCon in Silver Spring Maryland. This event, which was featured on Netflix, is the largest mermaid convention in the world. We are thrilled to have been invited to participate and are grateful to my sister for lending a hand. 

My sister is going to help me sell at the Mermaid show on Saturday. On Sunday, Robby and Scott will join me at the show to finish out the event. We have no idea what to expect but we are really excited for the event. It looks like so much fun!

Wish us luck with our FlexyFriends sales! 

ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY

 Like most of everything else in the medical community, prosthetics and access to those devices are determined by the insurance industry. Specific to prosthetics, CMS sets the standard for coverage and availability. For an amputee, their assigned K-level will ultimately lead the determination for what technology a patient will receive. 

The K-Level is a functional level assigned to each amputee by their physician. Ironically, most doctors aren't familiar with K-levels and rely heavily upon the prosthetists' recommendation. The higher the k-level, the more active the patient. 

Currently, microprocessor knees are covered by insurance for individuals who are labeled k-3. K-3 are higher activity individuals- a simplified version is a mild weekend athlete. Someone who is busy throughout the day, walks on several surfaces without an issue and can traverse stairs and ramps. K-2 individuals have been limited to mechanical knees in lieu of the technology.

Numerous studies have proven that microprocessor knees, especially with their stumble recovery, are life changing for the k-2 population. The computer technology has shown vast improvement in both the mobility and the quality of life for above-knee amputees for more than a decade. Finally, CMS is considering changing the classification for microprocessor knees to allow access to the k-2 population.

A draft LCD has been proposed to allow access to microprocessor technology for this community. You can read the proposal here.  I hope you consider writing an email of support for this draft LCD. This technology is changing lives!  

Ungrateful Cat

 In the wee hours of Monday morning, while the world was still awake, our house was in chaos courtesy of our tripod cat. Kitty-Kitty, our three-legged cat whom I rescued from Louisiana after she was shot, decided to urinate all over Timmy's new futon mattress. It was thoroughly soaked, forcing us to move it out of his room so that he could sleep. 

I spent the afternoon cleaning the mattress. After washing, steaming and dousing it with enzyme cleaners, the odor has finally been removed. The large mattress is currently folded over our banister drying and waiting for the waterproof cover that is going to be delivered within the next few days. Throughout the entire ordeal I quietly cursed the cat. This cat, who was not easy or cheap to rescue, has vacillated between indifference and hatred. She does not make it easy to adore her.

Kitty-Kitty must have sensed that she went over the line by peeing all of the futon because this morning she attempted to redeem herself. Yet again we were woken in the wee hours of the morning with cat commotion. This time she was flinging a small mouse against my bedroom wall. Friend, eager to play, was cheerfully barking and trying to get a turn at the vermin.  

Thankfully Scott was home so removing the mouse was easy. (I stayed under the covers and hid my head while he scooped it into a bucket and took it outside.) Kitty-Kitty may hate us, but apparently she hates mice more.