A great week

(Remember to click on the photos to see them larger.)

Last week was so great that I don't want to miss blogging about it. B is finally getting some of his energy back after finishing chemo a few weeks ago, and is jumping right back into life.

Sunday we went to Mixville Park for some fishing and other fun. Luna got her first slide experience, and everyone (except the sane one - me) actually dipped their feet in the water (OK, B kept his boots on).

Monday was errands day, but on Tuesday afternoon, after my bowling league, we headed to Coco Key Water Resort to take advantage of free admission for the 3rd time. We invited our friend R again, and had a great time. He didn't even seem to mind when he got a giant rip in his bathing suit; he just threw his underwear on underneath and was good to go. Good lesson for my boys.

Wednesday E had his guitar lesson, and afterward we let Luna play with his guitar teacher's dog, who is a boxer the same exact age. Both of the puppies had an awesome time playing, but our guitar teacher is a pretty overprotective parent, and we only had 15 minutes or so. Luna had so much fun! This week I'll have to take pictures, since she was invited back again.

Thursday the boys decided to join B and I for our trip into Manhattan. B had good news from his oncologist: his Mediport will be removed on December 11th!

After his appointment we headed over to the Intrepid which has reopened after renovations. We actually took a cab to get there across town, which the boys thought was lots of fun.

First we looked at the Growler, which is the submarine they have there. I think that was all of our favorite. It was super cramped in there, but luckily B never hit his head once!

The Intrepid itself was pretty cool, but not as much to see as I really expected. Considering that the thing held 3,000 men, we didn't really see very much. I would've like to see the mess hall that holds all those men, but my feeling is that they ripped it out for the museum area. It was cool to see the kitchen (galley) though, and some of the bunks, which were really close together, and certainly the anchor room with the giant chains. The planes on top were cool too. I do have to say though, that their short film about the history of the ship was not worth building that whole theater for. We wished we hadn't wasted time on that.

Even the train ride home was lots of fun. We got some food in Grand Central and got on a train that wasn't the next to leave, so that we'd be sure to get seats together, and ate our dinner on the train. The boys thought that was really cool. And they decided that next time they'd get Chicken Tikka Masala too.

We are so blessed that my dad was able to watch Luna for the day, and we stopped by on our way home from the train station to pick her up. Boy was she happy to see us!

Friday was the last day of Great Hollow classes. I got to see where the boys have been spending their Fridays the last couple of months, and was glad to have the opportunity to hear what they've been doing all that time, since when I'd ask them I'd get mostly "we played deer and coyote". Something I was not thrilled to hear since I couldn't see spending a small fortune for them to play tag in the woods.

I learned that they transplanted some endangered plants, and that they can identify several plants in the woods now. They both really want to return to the classes in the spring, but I really have to think about whether it's worth that much money. And the hour drive each way.

Well the week just kept getting better, as Saturday found us at the Lego Kidfest at the CT Convention Center. It truly was awesome to see all the giant statues made with Legos. But I have to admit the place was packed. I'm so glad we had gotten our tickets in advance (a fellow homeschooler got a group discount) so that we didn't have to wait on those enormous lines.

We saw a presentation given by two of the giant statue designers/builders. We got to see the software they use to determine how to make the statues (which, by the way, are all hollow). We also saw adult Lego clubs’ huge displays of cities and other amazing things of their own designs. R was pretty inspired and is thinking he might need a new set now. E mostly enjoyed seeing all the giant statues.

I am really glad we went. It was very inspiring. I don't think they anticipated the turnout though (by 12:30 pm they called it “sold out” and turned away hundreds of people on line). And all the aisles were really filled with commercial vendors having nothing to do with Legos. So although we will unlikely return if they do it again, we are really glad we went.

The week ended on an unusual note. Both boys went to the Yale Pediatric Sleep Disorder Center to be tested. E did great and fell asleep despite all the wires, but poor R was miserable and got only one REM session the whole night. I don't think that was enough for them to tell me if his deep sleeping is the concern I think it is (since he could not fall into one). I actually hope they call us back to do it again, but I'm not confident that's how it will work out. We'll have the results of that in a couple of weeks. And in the meantime, B has finally made an appointment for himself to be tested.

On the way home from the hospital we stopped at McDonald's for some milk shakes, which have become our after-hospital tradition (yeah, we've been there for stitches). Milk shakes at 7 am. That made their day.

So that was our awesome week. Definitely one I wanted to get down, so I remember it.

Great Hollow

The boys are taking nature classes at Great Hollow through a YMCA. It's an all-day thing every Friday (from 9 till 3). Here's a photo of the group heading out this morning.

The Great Hollow Homeschool coordinator writes a blog, so I'm just going to copy what it says our class has been doing:

"In plant class we are working on a very practical level, with our focus on conservation. Components of this endeavor are three-fold: Conservation of land integrity and biodiversity, Bioregional and traditional alternatives for herbal medicines which replace overuse of endangered plants, and Place-based knowledge. The latter being the founding root of the former two components.

Our classes thus far have reflected this. The first day we studied and planted Goldenseal roots. The second day we studied Elder and made wise Elderberry Elixir to keep everyone healthy this season. The third day we took root cuttings to help propagate our existing Bloodroot, and the students scouted the proper habitat for their transplant. Very well done. The fourth day we assimilated what we have learned about these plants and their accompanying lessons by creating our own folklore stories. This was an especially challenging and rewarding class – all the stories were fantastic, and if read to a sibling or younger friend, would indeed pass along the intended wisdom in clever and enchanting ways."

The boys really love this class, but I haven't decided whether we'll continue in the spring or not. It's super expensive and an hour away, which is really taking its toll on me.

Till now I've been dropping them off and returning home, since I can't leave Luna in her crate for eight hours. So altogether it's four hours of driving every week for me, not to mention all that gas.

This is one of those examples of how Luna is really cramping my style. Ordinarily I'd have absolutely no problem enjoying six hours alone in the Danbury area of the state, but with a dog? Well this time I didn't care, and brought her along and left her in the car. I spent a wonderful morning in Target, had lunch at a favorite diner (clam chowder, salad, stuffed cabbage, pickled beets and a baked potato - yum!), and then spent some time at a nearby state park.



Luna joined me on a walk through the park, but is so testing my alpha position that it was not very enjoyable. I did manage to take some photos though. Once we got to the beach area, I was distracted taking some macro photos and she slipped out from her choke collar and was off. Argh. To say she went berserk on that beach would be an understatement. I didn't yell and scream, or engage in her attempt to play, but just stood there dispassionately till she ran it out. Eventually I made my way to a picnic table and sat down to wait.

Luckily she is still a fraidy cat about some things and when a motor boat went by she came and sat right next to me. She was a lot less resistant to follow instead of lead on the leash once she had used up some of that energy, so it worked out. And she was finally willing to eat some of the food I had brought for her since she had worked up an appetite. She didn't eat anything all day till about 2:00!

Anyhow, I put her back in the car and had 15 minutes to take some photos without her. I always enjoy taking photos, but am pretty unhappy with my camera. It's a pocket thing, that's easy to carry, and it takes great macro shots when I can get it to focus where I want, but for action shots my four year old Sony blew it away. What good is a super long zoom if the shot is always fuzzy?

I enjoyed taking all those shots though, and wish I had gotten there before all the leaves were gone.

The drive to Great Hollow is a long one, but it's beautiful, and now that the leaves are all fallen, I can see the homes, and today noticed this (click to enlarge it):

What a lovely thing to come across.

So as usual, the boys had an awesome time in their nature class, and for once, I spent the afternoon the way I wanted to.

This evening R is sleeping at a friend's house, and once E is tucked into bed, I'll be settling into my own with my husband and a movie.

Life is good.

April

It's so hard to believe that April is over. It was a busy and memorable month for us. I've been taking lots of photos.

E had a good time with the surgeon "costume" I brought home from the hospital for him. Couldn't find his stethoscope in the mess of his costume drawer though:
The week of B's surgery was one of the most challenging of my life. We were thrilled that the dot which had been placed on him to indicate to the surgeon where his stoma should go, got to go unused:No ileostomy...yay!

My garden kept my spirits up during that week of three hours into Manhattan, six or seven holding B's hand, and three hours back home:
My mom took the boys to all of our activities during that week: Green School on Wednesday, Zoo classes on Thursday, and soccer on Saturday. Then after soccer on Saturday (the day after the surgery) she whisked them away to Maine to keep them entertained during my week of commuting. It was the second toughest week of my life. I took a photo of her for her new business cards:
B's brother E's hospital was right across the street from B's, so I could actually look out our window at it. They released E while B was still recovering from surgery. I looked out the window one day and saw that his fire station was at the hospital. I was surprised that they could all get down there from the Bronx for his release day, but then I saw this:Apparently some Easter Bunnies had to pay a visit to the children's floor of the hospital, and only the ladder truck that E drives would be good enough. Coincidence?

Very strange, I must say, to have a week that focuses on me rather than the kids, but nevertheless...

I had an amazing commute the night of B's surgery. I got to watch a woman being serenaded in the 68th Street subway station:
Then I stepped onto that train and saw a guy giving Free Bouncy Rides:I was taking photos of him when another passenger offered to take a picture of me enjoying a ride: I have to say the energy in that subway car was one you don't get to experience in Manhattan very often; at least two dozen people all smiling together...it was an incredible feeling which I hope I can continue to call back on for a long time. It put me in such a great mood that I actually thought to take photos of Grand Central. I've walked through that station hundreds of times in my life, but it's never more beautiful than at night:I also thought to look up:I can't believe I had never looked up before...for six years I worked in a building right above Grand Central and walked through it every day!

B really enjoyed utilizing the Patient Recreation Center at the hospital. It was nice that it was right on the floor he was on. We participated in a drum circle together, and afterwards hung out and made these: He actually stopped in by himself one day when the boys had arrived back home and I needed some time to be with them. He made some watercolor paintings, and was glad for the opportunity to commiserate with other patients.

It was nice to have had our Easter Egg Hunt with the boys' friends planned for the day after B came home. The kids all had a great time again this year: Easter gave B something to concentrate on rather than his recovery:E's, R's, B's, and mine. And Easter before and after the Easter Bunny, who is still alive and well in this household: I'm thankful that we haven't had school to ruin the fantasy for us.

After B came home, life got somewhat back to normal, although I have to admit I got a lot less done with him home since every day felt like a weekend. We were invited to some playgroup friends' home to build a geodesic dome. First we made them with gum drops and toothpicks, which has always been a favorite activity of ours:Then we made some with rolled up newspaper:One of the moms used to live in a geodesic dome home for part of her childhood and started talking about how some of the levels were pentagons instead of triangles. This led to a conversation about how much time would be saved if we did some of those instead...But then we got a good lesson in how triangles are more stable, especially when working with newspaper, which is not:We ended up having to put a 2x4 in the middle to hold it up.The older kids had lots of fun while the younger kids ended up in the sandbox. No one seemed overly frustrated by the necessity of the 2x4 but R did say he'd like to make one "right" by ourselves at home. We did have a very fun day with all our friends:And several kids finished it off with crowns:Other random April stuff: We spent some time getting back to the books. Both boys wanted to do some "school work" to earn TV time:The boys have had lots of fun playing at playgroup:where I no longer have fun since one of my "friends" let slip about B and now all these acquaintances keep asking me how he is. So much for my one place of normalcy.

R went to a birthday party and brought home some fake snot: I've been enjoying my cutting garden. It's got good stuff this time of year:


April may have started out as one of the most difficult times of my life, but I do always try to find joy in the small things.

Came across a great quote, which is my new mantra: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Through the weekend

This week E learned how to make egg salad. He always liked using the egg slicer, but can now also peel the eggs, mash them, and mix it all up. Yum!

We've been worrying about one of the squirrels we feed. He broke his right leg and his left eye is all cloudy. (Remember, you can click the photos to see them larger.) He seems to be getting a little more energetic every day, but it probably won't last too much longer. E and I had some interesting conversations while we watched him as another squirrel jumped on his back. First we thought it was attacking. Then we thought it was trying to mate. But we decided that it must be some sort of other relationship. Either mom/child or mate. The other squirrel seemed to be pushing him along. E named him Survivor. We also had a conversation about euthanasia, but that did not sit at all well with E. This week we'll be getting a book about squirrels at the library. We know surprisingly little about them other than what we've observed, and are looking forward to finding out what kind of social circles they run in.

Friday evening from 7pm till 9:30pm R went to this thing called Twylight Zone, which is an event for tweens at the YMCA. They open the pool and gym and game room to tweens. It's free for members and was only 6 bucks for guests. With all of R's friends there were a total of seven of them, and they had a great time. He refused to bring his camera and take pictures for me. He is wanting to be his own person now and have time with friends that he doesn't have to share with me. *sigh*

E had me take a photo of the biggest pot he ever won (R is so damn good at poker, although E is lucky as hell at everything else). Poor thing smashed his finger while he was running to tell me to take his picture. He held it together long enough for the photo and then needed some ice and a Spongebob bandaid.

Saturday we went down to to New York to celebrate B's nephews' birthdays. Aunt R decided to do the boys together since Uncle E normally handles all the Joe Housewife stuff and he is in the hospital rehabilitating. It was so strange to be in his house with him not there. It was mighty good to be in New York for something happy though.

The boys had a great time playing with the Playstation upstairs and the Wii downstairs. They always have a great time there, but we always end up having to have the no gaming systems conversation on the way home. Yes, I'm already regretting the Nintendo DS we bought R for Christmas. Argh.

I was so happy to get a great shot of all the B kids together. And Uncle M stood behind me to get them to all smile. Well done, Uncle M!

This morning (Sunday) I walked on my treadmill for 20 minutes and rode my Lifecylce for 10 minutes. Standing ovation please.

Today E was invited to a neighborhood friend's birthday party at a gymnastics center. He wasn't thrilled with the circuit aspect of the party, preferring the free time they had to play on whatever they wanted. He loves having playmates in our cul-de-sac. He loves being the oldest. He is eight and the next after him is six. And it goes down to two and a half. See him towering above the other kids (along with older cousins who had also been invited), I love that all the neighborhood parents love him. They tell me he is "pleasant" and "kind". I'm so glad that he has the opportunity to be with younger kids and nurture that side of him.

R invited some friends over for the afternoon. They played basketball and who knows what else while E and I were at the birthday party. E was so pleased that they included him when he returned and wanted to play with them. What a great group of kids. All of them have little brothers and are understanding.

I loved watching them walk out of the woods with all their wooden rifles, Nerf guns, and blow horns. They must've had a fun day. I'm so thrilled that R is starting to take care of his own social life and that I really can stop worrying about that aspect of his life.

The last few Sundays have been tough for B. He realizes that he needs to continue to do the things he can while he can. At first he was so immobilized, but he is learning to live day by day and appreciate the moment. Today he cleaned the gutters. There's no way he will be able to do them in April when he usually does, and he refuses to pay someone else. So he is carrying on.

But by about 3:00 he starts looking like he's ready to cry. He showers and puts on his pajamas and climbs into bed to watch something on TV to get lost in. He is counting down his weekends, and now he has only one left until his life is changed so drastically for several months.

Nine days until his surgery.