two weeks

two weeks to go with the neon pink cast.
i must admit that i won't be too disappointed to see it go.
thankfully it has gone much smoother than i had anticipated.
the pain hasn't been as bad as i thought;
in fact, the pain is gone now.
however, i've finally hit a wall of being tired of a cast,
not being able to walk across the room,
carry a load of laundry downstairs,
walk while holding my kids,
go back to doing hair,
take a shower without a plastic bag on my leg,
or just to be able to scratch what itches.
however, the electric carts in the store haven't been bad at all,
even with the boys riding on each of my legs.
don't worry, i haven't lost the perspective
or the overwhelming gratitude that i could even have this done
and that all of my corrective work has been done by top of the line doctors.
i was recently at home depot.
the cashier helping me was asking about my foot.
he was a man about my age who mentioned he also has had corrective foot surgeries,
the most recent being 2 years ago.
he was born with 2 club feet.
he had corrective work as a child at a hospital that came no where near specializing in the level of orthopedic care he needed.
it didn't help then,
and he needed more surgery recently.
he just went to a random doctor who obviously didn't have the necessary skills either.
his defect was made worse after this surgery, too.
he was optimistic though.
he was grateful that he could still walk,
and he was smiling the whole time talking about it,
never complaining.
i pretty much wanted to cry
and definitely not tell him that my dr. was top of the line and he gave a 100% guarantee that my condition would be better.
i stopped gloating around about it.
instead my gratitude turned more private,
knowing that there are many out there who haven't been as fortunate.
so, while i am looking forward to no cast,
i can definitely wait,
and you won't hear a single complaint out of me about this,
not ever.

through my child's lens

every time i load pictures onto the computer there are always random pictures that i didn't take.
the boys are turning into quite the photographers.
some times their pictures capture what i want but try too hard to get.
other times they are pictures of the garbage can with their finger half over the lens.
regardless of what the pic is, i just love seeing what they are seeing,
what is important enough to them to capture.
so, welcome to a new series...
through my child's lens.
unedited.

friday book review: picture books everyone should know

i'm always searching for the list of children's books that my children shouldn't miss.
alas! i have found the list!
in sam's kindergarden packet there was a list of 100 picture books everyone should know.
this list was selected by the new york public library.
many of the books we are already familiar with,
but there are many i look forward to reading.
our summer reading goal this year has been to read every book on this list.
i will review the books that we LOVE,
and in the meantime i will share parts of the list if you are interested in some children must reads.
enjoy!

1. ABUELA, Arthur Dorros
2. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, Judith Viorst
3. ANANSI AND THE MOSS COVERED ROCK, Eric A. Kimmell
4. ANDY AND THE LION, James Daugherty
5. BARK, GEORGE, Jules Feiffer
6. THE BOSSY GALLITO: A TRADITIONAL CUBAN FOLK TALE,
7. BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES, Russell Hoban
8. BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE, Bill MARTIN
9. BRUNA MUNARI'S ABC, Bruno Muranri
10. BUZ, Richard Egielski
11. CAPS FOR SALE: A TALE OF A PEDDLER, SOME MONKEYS AND THEIR MONKEY BUSINESS, Esphyr Slobodkina
12. THE CARROT SEED, Ruth Krauss
13. A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER, Vera B. Williams
14. CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM, Lois Ehlert
15. CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE, Doreen Cronin

swollen

will's birthday came and went.
the party was a big, overstimulating success.
as i spent the day watching him play,
jumping,
and running with friends,
looking with his big brown eyes,
with his hair that is always so straight it never looks combed,
and seeing his happy countenance alone talking to himself in his own constructed world,
i felt my heart swelling to a new level,
and i'm just pretty sure my heart will always be swollen.
he will always be my son.
(even if his free spirit takes him far from home the first chance he gets; right now that's our prediction)
i will always be his mother,
and that is one of my greatest privileges.
he makes my days light
and puts a happiness in my heart that was never there before.

will has never been a child concerned with things or gifts.
however, he was overly delighted with his new booster seat,
and he was certainly shocked when a real rainbow cast itself over our sky at the end of his day
(just for his birthday gift we told him).
but the greatest gift that boy has is not one that we or anyone else gave him,
it was a gift he came to this earth with.
it is the gift of happiness,
always happy,
always optimistic,
and this is the gift we hope he still has every birthday long past the 4th.


happy birthday, scooter.

not how i thought it would be

tomorrow is will's birthday.
i have been frantically thinking & planning for the last month about his party,
reserving bounce houses, making bday banners, and felt dr. seuss hats, cake planning, etc.
somewhere along the line i got it in my head that you were supposed to throw big parties for your children on their birthday.
well, i'm not doing it anymore.
as i'm frantically running around all day,
hopping on one leg,
trying to get the last few printables,
the cake,
and a cleaner house,
i have been smacked with the reminder that i have forgotten it all.
i have forgotten my middle boy,
who will just be 3 for one more day.
i have forgotten his daddy who started this new journey with me of another life almost 4 years ago.
i haven't thought much about will's arrival into this earth,
how it was 6 weeks early,
and how difficult it was to not be able to hold him after his birth,
and how tender it was when days later i held him and for the first time his stats were where they needed to be while he was in my arms,
and how every time on my way to or from the hospital i would hear the song "i'll stand by you" on the radio and how i would cry with conviction and hope that i would stand by him always,
no matter what.
well, tonight i don't feel by him.
he is not even here.
to be honest, i feel so lost in dr. seuss party preparations i don't even know how he wants his special day to go.
so, for those of you who might be attending the party tomorrow and there are no table cloths on the tables or perfect decorations, and my house isn't clean,
please just know i stopped those preparations tonight so i could be with my little boy who is growing up way too fast.
and then,
when next year rolls around,
we will be intimately celebrating his life,
with celebrations that have to do with nothing but him.
a day doing exactly the things he chooses.

friday book review: alexander, who used to be rich last sunday

alexander, who used to be rich last sunday

by judith viorst

suggested reading level: 4-9

Anthony has two dollars and three quarters and one dime and seven nickels and eighteen pennies. nicholas has one dollar and two quarters and five dimes and five nickels and thirteen pennies. and alexander has bus tokens. grandma betty and grandpa louie gave alexander a dollar, which he was going to save for a walkie talkie. but saving money is hard especially for a kid tempted by bubble gum, a snake rental, a garage sale, and all kinds of other things to spend money on.

quickly alexander finds himself with nothing more than just bus tokens. 

the lesson of money management is made clear to young readers by watching alexander go from being rich to being poor. as alexander comes to realize, if you are absolutely positively going to save your money then you have to get money to save.

this was an instant hit at our house with sam.

sam loves money,

and he loves spending money.

any savings go out the window when the buying impulse strikes.

sam loves collecting stuffed animals. 

he can't go to a yard sale without aching for one.

i've tried every reasonable way to teach him about moderation, saving, and savoring what he already has.

lesson lost pretty much every time.

this book drove the lesson home.

he related to alexander at the yard sale when he was buying the stuffed bear.

sam saw himself,

and as soon as the book was over sam said "i'm going to save my money."

point made.

for now.

he requests this book over and over,

so maybe the lesson will stick.

it is certainly not an easy one to learn,

even as a grown up.

happy

there are many reasons to be happy around here...

• my splint came off yesterday and was replaced with a hot pink cast.
• i saw my "new" foot and it felt much different in a good way. it was more stable, and i could no longer bend my foot up to my shin.
• the stitches are out & healing well.
• i have the top of the line, genius doctor working on my foot, and i am incredibly grateful for my access to him no matter how long i have to wait in his office.
• the doctor reassured me that there is 100% chance that my foot will be an improvement
• my life has slowed down to a point where i feel like i am a part of my life and not just watching it rush by. i have enjoyed reading, watching a little tv, keeping up with news, doing a few sewing projects, and connecting & playing with my children more.
• we have been enjoying delicious food (thanks,stacy, and many others.)
• i got to finally spend a chunk of time with one of my sisters just chatting and having fun. i feel  positive & recharged after being with her, especially after our fun activities today.
• i have a husband who has taken over the management of our family seamlessly. on any given night he can be found cleaning house. can't wait until i can help you again! :)
• i have been contacted by many friends & clients who have been concerned about me. i am fortunate to be apart of their lives.
• oh, and i still have 4 more weeks to finish up some desired projects. :)

happy indeed.