February 12, 2011

Some Days are Just Like That






A little too sick (from a household of flu victims), a little too tired (from caring for aforementioned), a little too cold for a little too long (rain, snow, wind, repeat), a little too sad (my sweet grandmother passed away yesterday), a little too worn out (from hauling a 35 pound wriggly billy goat every where - including another 100 hours of doctors visits this month), a little too hurting (from torn tendon in arm from cute little billy goat). . . too many "little too's".


But I think that is why God made memories.  On days like that my mind goes to my recent happy places of the past couple weeks. . .

Thank you, insurance, for our new tandem bike. . . er, uh, I mean, our "therapeutic mobility device."
There is not much that our family can do together.  But we have discovered that we can bike.  You have probably seen previous posts of the crazy cycle train that our troop makes which causes many a head turns as we bike down the W&OD trail.  Wait 'til those other bikers get a load of our bike train with this coming down the path!  We are so lucky to have received this custom built tandem bike.  I can take off the platform and Bridger can pedal (which he does) and when his little legs tire out I can flip on the fly as I am pedaling to make his pedals stationary.  Rear steering for me and Bridger just holds on for the ride and rings his bell.  Now I just have to find a way to attach a car seat to the rear rack for Eliza and we are in business!

Next recent happy memory. . .
Thank you, Disney, for a week of fun for everyone.

We had a fun-filled week in Florida to escape the winter blues at home.  Lots of needed laughter, lots of needed smiles and lots of very loud crying (only from Bridger though:)  After every ride Bridger would scream and cry and sign "more". After 7 days of this did he ever catch on that after every fun ride, another fun ride was going to follow?  Nope.  Just screaming, crying and signing after every. . . single. . . one.  I actually thought it was cute because it showed how much he was loving it.  A big "thank you" to our Guest Assistance card too.  We fully loved walking past all of the families waiting an hour+ to ride the Dumbo ride and thinking for a small moment that day, my life was a little easier than theirs.  The kids know all too well of the many inconveniences and limitations we have in our life because of Bridger's challenges.  It was fun to explain to them that Bridger has some fringe benefits too.  To quote Lance, "Bridger is SO FUN at Disney!"  The one time we waited in line with everyone Bridger was screaming so loud that the attendant came and got us out of the line and escorted us to the front.  I love Disney's tlc to families like ours!  It was a delightful respite that eventually had to come to an end.  We flew home to a snow storm -- or I should say, we almost flew home to a snow storm.  Our pilot circled the runway many times then decided he couldn't land.  So he flew us to Raleigh for an unexpected overnight stay.  That is a fun way to end a vacation.  The kids were actually really go-with-the-flow for that one.










Then came. . .

Thank you, sweet friend, for the fun tickets to the Kennedy Center for the National Symphony Orchestra performing Disney pops.
With a budding violinist and cellist in the works and fresh off the plane from our Disney trip, this was a perfect mother/daughter date.  I let them chose whatever dress they wanted to wear and Sadie was obviously feeling the Disney theme of the concert and felt the need to dress as Snow White.  She received the smiles and adoration of all the audience around us and it made me love her fun personality that much more.  She didn't feel conspicuous or out of place.  In her mind, she was at a Disney concert, so, of course, she should dress accordingly. 

Lastly. . .
Thank you, fun friends, for an awesome mother daughter getaway weekend.
Don't worry, I am remembering that I have a couple sons and a husband too.  But I LOVE my mother/daughter time and a couple friends and I took our daughters for a roller skating cabin getaway.  It was fun to have my girls see me a little more carefree and show them that I can be just as fun as dad (well, almost, they still had to brush their teeth:)

So, hopefully this brief summary makes up a little for the fact that I haven't posted in almost 2 months.

Sometimes it weighs heavy on me to be the mother I need to be when I have, what I have calculated to be, 43% less time to do it all in.  We have logged another 20+ hours in medical appointments this week including two full days DC.  I'm so grateful for all of those happy memories that I have that will get me through the next 20+.  Cheers to wonderful memories and a wonderful family to make those memories with.