Little B's big day...........

Little B had a big day yesterday.  He had his moving up ceremony, he is headed to Kindergarten next Fall.  While I do think they make a bit much with all the hoopla it was a fun event.  Little B sang all the songs, made lots of the hand movements, and even had a speaking part introducing a song all by himself.  He walked in with his walker because a friend had his, and did the rest of the ceremony with his crutches.  I have to admit that I did cry a few tears.  That is after I laughed and laughed at him singing and trying to keep that hat in place.  My eldest son could not believe I was crying a bit, it was not because of the day it was because of how far he has come.  Truly this boy was born dead, at just 27 weeks gestation, and had every complication you can imagine.  So yes, I did get a bit emotional because he is so amazing.  He is so darling and I just love him to pieces.  All the teachers and therapists at school also got a bit misty eyed, they know how far he has come.  This extra year in preschool has been a miracle for him, he is reading, doing simple math, writing his name and his letters, focusing a bit better, socializing more, and getting around on his crutches except for walking  long distances which he does with his walker.  He is ready now.  Watch out Kindergarten, here he comes!

By the way thank you for the warm welcome back.  I have enjoyed getting caught up with all of you.  Hope you have a great day.

Ready or not I am back................

Hi Friends!  I am back whether you are ready or not.  Eight weeks of the Mindfulness course really took any spare moment I had.  I have to admit that being mindful takes a lot of time but now I feel I can get back to normal, whatever that is.

Yesterday Little Buddy and I made a trip to the local splash park.  We have not been since last summer and it was so much fun.  He is growing isn't he?  Of course he was the most delighted with the shower because he could pull the chain and make the water go on.  It was a wonderful morning and I now plan to go back with him as much as my summer schedule allows.

In the eight weeks that have just passed I had three new very involved patients come onto my caseload and one very sick baby that I tried to visit several times in the hospital.  The new patients are great as I was down a bit on my caseload but also a lot of work.  I am really enjoying them, a severely autistic 10 year old,  a four year old who I used to work with as a baby who is now showing signs of the drug exposure he was subjected to in utero, and a wee little baby with a cone shaped head that I am going to fix.  They are all very fun children and I am so happy to have the opportunity to work with them.

In one week we had Little B's air conditioner go out, he has a separate wall unit and it was 15 years old so it was time for something new before it gets too hot.  Two days later we had a power surge that incapacitated our fridge and knocked out our dishwasher.  The fridge was fixable but the dishwasher has now gone to appliance heaven.  Did I mention we had guests at the time?  Not fun to have no fridge or dishwasher for a few days with people visiting.  Oh and then a day later my garage door opener went caput.  Hopefully we should be over appliance fixing for now.  But  now I have two boys who have some issues with their cars that need to be fixed.  There goes any vacation plans for us.........  See I think I am being tested to try to remain calm and balanced during appliance and car issue He**. 

Mr. 23 is home and getting ready to start his new job June 5.  He is bored most of the time and eager to get moving on with his life.  Mr. 20 had a birthday and has his girlfriend from Indiana visiting for two weeks.  They have been all over having fun and that includes swimming with Little Buddy.

Little Buddy is now able to swim across our pool while holding his breath.  It is amazing to see.  He has actually taken a breath on his own now three times, but that is still very hard for him to do.  I would rather he be able to take a breath than to swim a great distance while holding his breath.  We will get there.

As far as the potty department Little B is finally making progress.  He does better when he only has shorts on with no dipaer or underwear.  Most of the time he is able to get into the bathroom and take care of business all by himself, including washing his hands.  He can get his shorts up and down better when there is nothing else under them.  We call this hanging loose at our house.  Now he still needs loads of reminders to go, and won't go on his own unless prompted but still we are moving in the right direction.  This will make you laugh, Wednesday evening I came home late from work to find Little Buddy crying in my husbands arms.  My husband handed him to me and I realized he was wet.  He was crying and saying, "Mom, I am not so good at hanging loose."  It made me laugh out loud.

Little B has one more week of school before Summer vacation.  He is moving up to Kindergarten next Fall.

 

Yup, another shawl is off my hook.  I just can't seem to stop making this pattern.  I try and all my brain wants to do is make something easy that I don't have to pay attention to.  

The latest South Bay Shawlette, made with Queensland Collection Sunshine Coast yarn in the colorway Old Rainworth.  I bought this a few weeks ago while indulging in a little yarn shopping with friends.  Made with two skeins totalling 570 yards and a size H hook.

There are no immediate plans for this shawl but I do have an idea.  It is not for me.  I am a shawl making addict I fully admit to that.  Now if I could just be a shawl wearing addict I would be completely happy.

It will take me a bit to catch up with all of you, I can't wait to see what you have been up to. 

 Have a great day.

Happy Mother's Day..............

Happy Mother's Day to all celebrating today and all others who just need a positive thought or wish.  Remember you don't have to be a Mother to celebrate because if you are a woman you are mothering someone, loving them and trying to help, that is what mothering is all about.

If you are missing your Mother today, or watching your ill mother succumb to another stage of her life, well I am sending you love because I have been in your shoes and it is hard.

If you never had a loving and caring Mother, I am sending you love.  Hopefully you had a wonderful Aunt, MIL, Sister or friend to take up the slack.

If you love and care for animals and give them the best life possible, I am sending you love and thanks for taking care of those in need.

If you volunteer, teach, or simply connect with the little people next door you are making a difference in someones life. You should be applauded.

To all of you Aunts out there that give their nieces and nephews unconditional love, I am sending you love, too.  You never know how much that impacts a child's life.  I am looking at you Claudia.  Aunt Claudie talks to Little Buddy almost every night on the phone as I stretch out his arms, legs and back.  She is the best distraction of all. 

And as far as friends, well we all take care of each other, mothering each other in our own way.  I am wishing all of you a wonderful day and thanking you each for the important part you play in my life.

Happy Mother's Day!

A little catch up and a LOT of disgust.......

Hi everybody!  How are all of you?  We are hanging in there with lots of things going on.  First of all someone is really enjoying the pool.  He is able to do all the things in the pool he was able to accomplish last summer already!  Our goal this year is to swim across the pool taking a breath, wouldn't that be something?  And we have the perfect teacher to help, Mr. 23 has returned home for good.  He will be starting a new job in Tampa next month.  He arrived late Thursday evening after driving straight through from Columbus.  Little Buddy keeps asking when his oldest brother is leaving, because in the past he has always returned to Ohio.  Mr. 23, an ex-swimmer, was also a swim teacher, he is the perfect person for the job of teaching Little Buddy how to breathe during his swimming.

Not to be outdone, Mr. 19 has returned home for six weeks, until he starts summer semester in Orlando.  We are all in the same house for the next six weeks, it will be fun and crazy but really lovely to all be together.  Little Buddy has never had both brothers living at home.  This is a special bonding time for him.  And might I add for the big brothers too, they love this little boy so much.

More Mr. 19 news, he will become Mr. 20 tomorrow.  How did that happen?  How did he grow up so fast?  I remember him in little bumble bee soccer when he was up on his toes, with two fingers out pretending he was a T-Rex on the soccer field.  Now he will be starting his junior year in college soon.  

Another South Bay Shawlette is off the hook.  This one is for Mr. 23's girlfriends mother.  Did you follow that?  They are having a surprise 60th birthday for her in June, and although we were invited we can't go so I am sending this instead.

Here are the particulars, made with Malabrigo Silky Merino in the colorway #157 Amoroso.  I used 4 skeins of yarn, from my stash, a total of 600 yards, and a size H hook.  It blocked out beautifully.  I sure hope it is well received.  

As for being disgusted after this weeks vote on healthcare I am sure you know where I stand.  If this horrible bill goes through, which I am praying it does not, I think all those who voted in favor of it should be held responsible for all of the people it is going to hurt.  Just like those who get in a fight are responsible for the injuries they cause in a barroom brawl, because there will be casualties to this law.  And a big casualty will be Little Buddy and what he needs to survive and to become an independent young man.  All of the children I work with would meet their maximum Medicaid lifetime payout within months of just being born.  Of course I will be a casualty too as I have a pre-existing condition, cancer.  How many of us don't?  And with larger companies not having to provide health insurance at the rate they do now many of us will have our insurance lapse causing us to not meet the requirement of continued care. Here is a simple solution, we all get the same care that our government representatives get at the same cost.  Notice none of them are willing to change their excellent, reasonably priced healthcare for the bill they submitted and supported. Take what we have and fix it for the better.  Don't endanger people.  You knew I would have something to say about it and frankly if you voted in favor of those representative and our current president that just makes me so, so sad.  We are better than that.  As the Bible says, "Do onto others as you would have them do to you."  Help people to get the care they need, when they need it.  Enough said.

Missing all of you, a shawl and a Little B story........

I just have to say I am missing all of you.  I feel like I have left for an isolated vacation, (one I probably really need in real life) and I am missing our chats over the backyard fence or over a cup of tea.  How are you?  How is your family?  Any news?

I thought I would pop in for a quick hello.  Finding time to do my mindfulness course remains an issue.  I know, then why are you on your blog Meredith?  I can pop out a quick post while Little Buddy is up and about and must save the course for naptime.   I am on week four so hopefully I can take what I can use and store away the rest of the information for when I have a quieter time in my life.  As for this week I had a special appointment with Little B on Monday, a new baby to evaluate on Wednesday, writing up that evaluation and then a bout with the flu/ norovirus/ food poisoning or something like that.  My poor husband had to attend a meeting at school for Little B instead of me as I was flat on my back in bed Friday.  I told him to smile and nod at all the teachers and therapists, they know what they are doing, and have our little ones best interest at heart.

As for Little B, this is almost direct quote from his report.  When asked a question he does not want to answer ( Little Buddy ) will say, "my voice box is not working" and then place his hand over his mouth.  Made you smile didn't I?

My latest shawl is finished.  Do you remember when I recently purchased the yarn above?  Well it made a beautiful shawl.  I had the sudden urge to crochet another South Bay Shawlette with this yarn.  I had already started when I found out a dear friend has breast cancer.  I knew then that this was for her.  She is struggling as we all would be but there is great hope that it can be contained with another surgery and radiation treatments.  I have been through those so I know this is not and easy road.  I hope to be there for her as much as I can and wrap her in my love with this shawl.

Made with Queensland Collection, Sunshine Coast yarn, two skeins totaling 580 yards, and a size I hook.  I plan to give it to her very soon, I hope it helps.

Okay I am out of here.  As for Earth Day Yesterday, I hope you all at least thought about the Earth and what a precarious position it is in these days.  If you want to read the damage that has been done to our Earth and the environment already by our current president this article by the Huffington Post says it all much better than I could.  We are on a dangerous path in so many ways my friends. 

Take Care.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter for all who are celebrating.  Little Buddy and I wish you the very best day.

Popping in for a quick hello......

 

Saturday we went to a wildlife safari at the nature preserve close by.  It was a nice walk, one Little Buddy did very well. Two years ago when we had this very same adventure he cried the whole time.   This time he only got tired when the path was too sandy.  We took the Aunts with us which made it loads of fun.  We saw turtles, different kinds of birds and feathers, snakes, bats and wee little baby raccoons that have not even opened their eyes yet.  The last photo is just to show you that Little B can have quite the attitude!

I am on week two of my mindfulness course and am finding that making the time or actually finding the time to be mindfull is my biggest obstacle right now.  I hope to get better at recognizing that I can just do it whenever I can.  The meditation portions are the hardest for me to find the time to do but I am working on it.

Wishing you all a wonderful week, see you soon.