A lot of pain, not so much gain.............

This week has been a lot about pain, not so much about gain.  Just after I posted last week about how far I was on my sweater, I crocheted both front panels then went to start on the back and oh no, it was wrong.  I had missed one leaf increase several rows down on the back that threw the whole thing off.  I had to rip out everything, back, back and back.  It was a mess but now I am near the finish line.  I am not going to boast or sure enough the crochet gods will be laughing at me again.  I have literally made this sweater twice and it isn't even done yet.

Not that you want to see a photo of my very un-manicured feet, but this is about pain and so here it is.  Fire Ant bites numbers 13, 14 and 15 for the summer are now on my left foot.  I got 10 bites on my right foot and leg from stepping in my mulch and landing on an ant pile that was hidden.  Number 11 was from the middle of my grass, and 12 was from an ant that crawled on my sandal while I was vacuuming out my car and proceeded to bite me while I was driving.  These new bites occurred while also stepping on the edge of my grass trying to get Little Buddy into my car.  Again, no visible ant mound, they were hidden in the grass.  I had no time to treat them as we were on the way to an appointment.  I scratched all the way there. Now my foot is swollen all the way to my ankle, lots of pain and for no gain if you ask me.  Pardon my feet, there is no way I am going to get a pedicure any time soon with Coronavirus still so rampant in Florida.  But just so you know our commander in chief was about 15 miles from my house this weekend and he thinks Florida is doing GREAT!  Over 480,000 positive cases, over 7,021 deaths, (remember we don't count those deaths in prison or if you actually died of pneumonia due to Covid-19) with over 437 deaths in my county alone.  Yup, we are doing GREAT!

These two hibiscus trees were outside the screened in area around my pool.  They are new and after I had planted them had been eaten by deer almost to the top so I raised the pots on unused pavers and that was that.  Yesterday I was admiring the new and beautiful foliage while one little boy was in the pool.  Just a few hours after that I saw two gorgeous bucks roaming my backyard, proudly displaying their wonderful antlers.  After I admired them and watched them walk into the woods I looked at my trees and saw this!  Now the trees have been moved inside where they will remain and hopefully recuperate quickly.  Lots of pain for these trees but not so much for the deer, they had a delicious treat.

This freckle boy had his Botox shots on Friday.  Lets just say it was a real pain for both of us.  I had had a really bad headache all week, and a boy who is coming off strong medication he needs for the shots is not a joy to be around.  I completely understand what is happening to him but a two hour tantrum about a special toy I bought him does not make motherhood easy.  My head was throbbing, especially after having to carry him into the house, he weighs a LOT!   Two more major tantrums during the day and mom was exhausted.  The shots are necessary, and they are painful thus the need for a lot of medication to make them more tolerable.  He gets 11 shots in his hip adductors and right hamstring to help reduces the spastic muscle tone in these areas.  Without the shots it is much more likely the increased tone will eventually pull his right hip out of socket so he would then need surgery.  So while these are a real pain, they actually are for great gain in the long run.  When the Botox is working full strength in a few weeks Little Buddy will have a much better gait pattern with his right leg. 

After just a few little incidents yesterday we are back on track today.  I am pain free except for that darned foot.  Little Buddy is back smiling and happy.  I might be called a, "mean girl" again today but that is okay because I just might be a mean girl sometimes.  This mom only has so much patience. 

We are on track to start school the 24th.  I am still very upset with the options available but at least I know Little Buddy will be watched closely.  My babysitter of 6 1/2 years told me she is very uncomfortable with him starting school and the potential exposure he will have. She only has one kidney so she has to be super cautious.  I had a big discussion with her about how I need to work, so my only option is to send him.  I am not sure why she won't just wear a mask in my house if she is concerned but that apparently was not an option.  So for a few minutes after she left I was sort of in a daze wondering what I was going to do, but then Ms. L, Mr. 23's girlfriend walked in and said she would take care of Little Buddy.  She would drive up from St Pete, pick him up at school and bring him home, working with him on homework, putting him in the pool, whatever he needed.  I told her he can be a real pistol and she shrugged her shoulders.  I told her I might be really late every night, she shrugged them again.  I told her school might be canceled just a few weeks in and she would have long days, she did not seem to care.  So as of August 24th she will now be helping out and I could not be happier.  I can pay her, which she needs.  She can do classwork online while he is home playing or watching a movie.  If he is home due to school closures she can help him with online learning a lot easier than I can.  And she can build elevators in Minecraft which of course I have no idea how to do.  I can't even tell you what Minecraft is besides a guy walking around and there are sheep that look like they are made out of squares.  So a brief amount of pain but loads and loads of gain.

Have a safe week my friends with very little pain and all the gain you need.