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Showing posts from October, 2014

preparing for surgery: the pre-op appointment

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Elie when we first met Dr. Friend at the pre-op visit with our amazing doctor.  she is in great hands! "I just can't believe I am doing this surgery on this little girl in front of me.  I mean,  look at her, she is active and jumping and just amazing."   I have heard this line from our orthopedic surgeon multiple times over the past two years.  He never ceases to be amazed at the contrast between our daughter's xrays and her physical presentation.  The surgery she is having is common for children with cerebral palsy but not for children who can run and jump.  As he continually explains to me, most children with CP who need this type of surgery  have spent their lives in a wheelchair. His words come again and I try to keep the pieces of my heart together.  I see it in his eyes and I know from the private conversations we have had.... the first five years of her life made a lasting impact on her bone structure.  She was carried too much and pushed too littl

made to be outside

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There is something about having my feet in the sand with the sound of the ocean in my ears that speaks life to me.  When I find myself blessed to be sitting at the ocean's edge it is hard for me to leave.  It is not just the ocean that has this effect on my soul.  I find I am a better version of myself anytime I am in nature... playing in a lake, hiking on a trail, running through the woods.  I know I am a better mom when I am outside. The reality is, though, so much of my life is inside.  Running a household for seven people does require me to actually be in that household.  My to-do list can often be a driving force keeping me indoors. Add to that during this season of life, the big kids do not need me to participate in all their outdoor play and the baby is at a stage where outdoor play can sometimes be frustrating. However, spending some time recently at the ocean reminded me that I need regular outdoor adventures.  We do not live where I can be on the beach every day.  

preparing for surgery: a surprise vacation

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I LOVE surprises.  Kevin and I often joke that surprises are my love language.  Being the receiver of a surprise is almost as fun as planning one for someone else.  And this is why, a few weeks ago, I found myself wide awake the night before our big adventure. We did not tell anyone we were leaving.  In this world of social media, it really felt like we were sneaking away. There was and is so much to be done before Elie's surgery.  The November 3 date on the calender seems to be rushing at us with lightening speed.  If we went by to do lists we knew we needed to stay home and "get stuff done".   But something else was stirring in Kevin and I.  We needed to get away.  We needed to build a memory for our family that we could think back upon in the coming months.  We needed to spend time together away from the chaos of life. Thursday night we planned it out.  Friday, while the kids were away at school, I packed our family up for our adventure, turned off my phone

trading tea for elephants

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"Pete was a perfectly predictable pig.  He was also a perfectly practical pig.  And a perfectly uncomplicated pig."  I have read this line and all the ones that follow more times than I could ever count.  These words belong to one of our family's favorite stories, "Pete and Pickles" by Berkeley Breathed.  A story of a practical pig named Pete whose life intersects with an extravagant elephant named Pickles.  Although Pete continuously exclaims that the steps he is taking to change his life are "ridiculous", he finds himself rescuing Pickles from a circus cage.  It goes against all things rational and comfortable and causes his predictable life to be challenged.  Pickles causes Pete's life to be more exciting, more interesting.  He finds himself trying things he never would have imagined doing previously.  But it also makes his life more chaotic.  His choice to add Pickles to his life almost results in the end for both of them.  However, instead