Don't worry about the actual date and number. Just say happy birthday and enjoy the cake.
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| Buttercup made the cake without supervision. We did not feed it to the actual pigs. However, the name does kinda fit the kids who ate almost the entire cake in one sitting. |
If you go to Lizzi's blog (She's the one who had the idea, started the whole hop, and does all the work to make it happen each week.) you can see the cakes of all the co-hosts as well as the lists we made of the reasons for which we are grateful for the TToT.
Let's get to my Happy Birthday Ten Things of Thankful list, shall we?
1. I spent 3 weeks on crutches. At week 2, I couldn't imagine that I'd ever walk again. There was just so much pain every time I tried to straighten, bend, or put weight on my leg. I didn't know if the pain was bad pain (as in Stop! You're making the injury worse!) or good pain (as in I know it hurts, but this will help you heal.). One hour with a physical therapist has changed everything. Physical therapy is the bomb! In only two days time, I have been able to get my leg to almost fully extended. I am walking, with absolutely no need of crutches. When I went back for my second appointment, the therapists were all floored by the progress I had made in only 36 hours. It's all in the motivation. As I suffer through the pain, trying to stretch my leg, I just keep chanting, "I will walk in England. I will have fun in England."
2. On Tuesday, Turken had his follow-up x-ray and received the all clear. His collar bone was healed and he could go back to playing baseball. Five hours later, he slipped on the stairs and bumped down about 5 of them. Somewhere during the fall, he hit his arm. He cried and cried that his shoulder hurt. Even that night, in his sleep, he cried. The next day, he refused to use his arm. Back into the sling he went, with an appointment to get another x-ray on Thursday. I sent out a Facebook request for prayers for the poor kid. On Thursday morning, he woke up, came downstairs, and said, "Look! I can raise my hands! It doesn't hurt anymore!" He was suddenly cured, just like that.
3. The local fire station had a sign out front that said, "Aerial Dedication Saturday. Everyone welcome." At first we all thought "Will there be planes involved?" and decided to go. No planes, but lots of things I had never seen before. The fire station had just purchased a new aerial fire truck, and it needed blessed, dedicated, and celebrated. With cake.
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| They got to dress up as firemen and climb in the firetruck. |
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| The new aerial truck. |
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| Home Depot brought some kits for the kids to put together. Turken is making a helicopter. |
At one point, they gathered everyone for the blessing and dedication. Then...
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| they used another truck to spray the new one down. |
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| They passed towels out to everyone, and we all got to dry it off and shine it up. |
4. I don't exactly see eye to eye with Star's coach, and I haven't hidden that fact. In truth, I behaved poorly. Star likes playing for this team, despite the things that have happened, and I should have kept my mouth shut. When I finally came to my senses, I apologized to Star and promised not to say another word. He accepted it without a bit of attitude. Actually, after I apologized, we stood there looking at each other for a minute before he said, "This is awkward."
5. The Indy500 is always on Memorial Day weekend, and several years ago Bryan started a tradition to go with it. He's fun like that. The night before the race, we each take turns picking the names of the drivers out of a hat. While we listen to the race on Sunday (because we can't watch it live in Indy), prizes are given away. Cuckoo chose silly string for his prize. The following photos show that the big kids will do just about anything for that adorable little boy.
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| They simply lined up... |
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| and took their turns at being sprayed at a ridiculously close range. |
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| If Cuckoo had trouble with the sprayer, the sprayee even helped him work it. |
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| I just like looking at their laughing faces. |
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| Buttercup remembered that all of the kids received silly string in their stockings, so she grabbed hers and let Turken use it. |
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| His "Phooey, I'm out of string" look. |
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| His "Oh no! Someone else has string!" look. |
7. When my three (full) siblings and I were growing up, "I'm going to find a church parking lot," was not a phrase we wanted to hear. It meant our shenanigans/arguments in the moving vehicle had pushed my mom or stepdad over the edge and some discipline was going to be dealt out. Why church parking lots, I don't know. Perhaps they thought a bit of Godliness would rub off, or perhaps it reminded them not to kill us. (Mom? Want to shed some light?) Now that I have kids, I don't specify church parking lots when they act up in the van. Any partially empty lot will do. While I still do tell the kids we'll be going to the church parking lot, it's for a very different reason.
8. We rarely go to the movie theater. It's just too expensive, and we don't usually have 3 hours to kill at the right time for the right movie. Fortunately, last weekend we had some time and the dollar theater had the Lego Movie showing. (Cuckoo went with Bryan to pay for the tickets. Afterwards, Cuckoo apparently knows the high prices of taking 8 people anywhere, because he yelled to me, "It was only 8 dollars! For all of us!) I always wondered how they would make a movie about Legos. It was better than I thought it would be.
9. A friend called yesterday saying she had some egg cartons for me and needed to talk with me about something. We have three games on Saturday, but all in the afternoon, so I was able to meet her for breakfast this morning. I'm so glad I could be there for her.
10. One week of summer break is behind us. I love late spring/summer. The kids get to sleep in (until 9. I can't handle people in my house sleeping all day.) we get to play games and go to fun places, and work gets done. We all worked for about an hour and a half one day to get the garden in tip top shape. Oh, and with late spring comes late spring harvest. The strawberries are here!
Now, it is your turn. If you link up every week or have never linked up before, this weekend is a great day to join in. Not only do we have a sparkly new button for the occasion, Lizzi has a contest going with a prize to go along. Jump in. You won't regret it!
Have a lovely day!
Your hosts
A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall, Amycake and the Dude, Considerings, Finding Ninee, Getting Literal, I Want Backsies, Mother of Imperfection, Rewritten, Thankful Me, The Wakefield Doctrine
♪♪Happy Birthday to you,♪♪
ReplyDelete♪♪Happy Birthday to you,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday Dear Christine,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday to you.♪♪
The cake was awesome.
I too am a big supporter of physical therapy. If you do the work it's amazing the results. You're going to talk all over England.
Your kids are awesome. I know you're proud and you should be.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. :)
Thank you! Buttercup did a great job with the cake. It tasted good, too!
DeleteI've heard from many people to make sure I do all of the therapy. It must be from personal experiences of not doing the therapy, as the therapists were astounded that I'd actually done the exercises at home.
I am pleased with the way the kids are turning out so far. :)
Happy Birthday TToT :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that, although not pain-free, you're now walking without crutches. The thought of the England trip has spurred you on!
The kids look like they're having a ball with the silly string, it's great that the older ones look after the younger ones so well.
And those piggies are adorable :) :)
Thank you!
DeleteI doubt I would be this good about the exercises if I didn't have this trip planned. I would do them, but not nearly so rigorously.
Fun is always had when silly string is involved. I am so grateful for those two little boys. Without them, I wouldn't have gotten to see my big kids be such caretakers.
They were the last time I saw them. I haven't been to the pig pen since I hurt myself. Who knows what they look like now.
Your post is proof that great fun can be had by keeping it simple. You're a woman after my own heart.
ReplyDeleteThe pigs are cute and the kids are cuter!
Glad you are healing well! Have a great week!
We're a simple people, really. :)
DeleteThanks!
No cake for the pigs? The four legged pigs? No fair!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you're healing well.
The silly string looks like so much fun!!
yeah, well, they don't seem to be doing so well these days. I'm worried for them, and cake wouldn't help. And plus, I love cake. I'm not feeding it to animals who would be just as happy with a rotten apple.
DeleteSilly string was a great invention.
Aw, those sweet kiddos! I love their smiling faces too. So cute.
ReplyDeleteWOW. I'm so glad you leg is better so quickly! That's amazing. Now that you're well, you better get to Alaska cuz the Brown family needs your help. Stay away from Matt. And don't climb a tree with Bear.
I'm not at 100% by any means (maybe 60%) but I am so happy to finally be able to do some things again.
DeleteI wouldn't go within a tree-the-height-Bear-can-climb foot radius of that Brown family. No way no how. I'd love to see you visit them, though! :)
As a PT I can attest it is a rarity to have someone actually do the exercises faithfully... but it sooooo pays off... I wish I could get that through to folks. Now I just have to convince them to think differently...so glad I chose a much easier profession.. HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...cough, cough.... YOu have amazing kids! and I have to say your cake pic was my favorite... love them little piggies!
ReplyDeleteHold up, you went from physical therapy to psychological therapy? Wow. You just got tired of the hard days watching other people exercise and making them scream in pain?
DeleteThe only reason you liked my cake best is because you couldn't really say you liked your own best. Those Skip cupcakes were award-worthy.
I love the cake, and the staging of it with the pigs. Hurray for walking, sudden cures, and dollar theaters! I hope you have a wonderful time in England.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI can't imagine we won't have a wonderful time. Bryan and I always do.
Love that physical therapy has made a huge difference in such a short time already and a bit jealous that you are already in summer/school vacation as we have another 2 weeks before school is officially out here. Happy 50th to the TToT again and all great things on your list this week :)
ReplyDeleteI am shocked at how quickly I've improved.
DeleteDon't be too jealous. We go back to school August 7 or so, while you are still enjoying the pool during the hottest part of the summer.
Normally, we would have had strawberries a little while ago. When you think of the Indy500, think strawberries. They are always the same time.
ReplyDeleteYou cut your yard with hand-shears??? Good heavens.
We will have a great time regardless of my knee situation. Only 18 days!
I am seriously looking forward to the famous cake.
Co-congratulations on the milestoning… (I read some of the very early considering posts… you are a good friend for Lizzi)
ReplyDeleteI really liked your observation of good pain versus bad pain… I actually can identify with your being satisfied with either one or another…but not finding the uncertainty tolerable.
Excellent work. Look forward to the photos of your trip. Here's to another bunch of TToT Posts
Back atcha with the congrats! Thanks to this comment, I went back to read some of her earlier posts. Didn't see how I was good for her, but I was surprised to see how early on in her blogging I met her. I had forgotten. For a while there, it was just me, her, and her best friend. Now look at her! She does good things, that Lizzi.
DeleteThe first time I tried to teach my kids about good vs. bad pain, they looked at me like I was nuts. As they get older and see more (like me crying on the floor like a baby doing my exercises) they are beginning to see what I mean. It's always the not knowing that annoys me more than anything.
Thanks! Here's to many, many more!
What good news to hear about your physical therapy making such a difference in your leg. You WILL walk in England, I have no doubt! I love the many pictures of your kids. What a great bunch!! You are truly blessed. I'm also glad to hear that Turken didn't re-injure his arm. My son broke his arm when he was six and had his cast off for two weeks when he broke it again. It was horrible. I held my breath while I read that one....
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your summer! It sounds like you're off to a good start!
I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!!
DeleteI am blessed, and I thank God every day for those beautiful kids.
Oh, your poor kid! That's a long time to be in a cast! At least with a collar bone, there is just a sling to be taken off whenever you need to.
Summer is awesome. As I typed that, the song from Lego Movie is in my head. I don't think I'll ever shake it for my entire life.
Happy Birthday to you; hope you had a wonderful celebration
ReplyDeletemy son turned 13 last week and I swear his face changed from one day....
awesome news about the therapy and your sons collar bone.
we love silly string have always picked up a bunch of them at the dollar store through out the years; to bring along at picnics or use at parties.
movies are so expensive the best we can do is on Tuesdays the movies are $4.00 a ticket but rarely use them and if it is use it's usually the kids and my husband - i can't sit in a movie theater for that long time ( nothing is wrong, i get fidgety) I like watching movies at home.
have a great week and keep up the good work.
Marisa
Thanks! It's been grand.
DeleteStar is about to turn 13, and I just noticed in the last few weeks that he is looking so much older.
Silly string is so much fun. Outside. I must always say the outside part. :)
Ack. Tuesdays are not exactly convenient for going to a movie. Probably why they are only $4 those nights.
Thank you!
you are such an amazing person. I love knowing about you and your dear children. I cried a lot through this but #4 made me laugh a lot
ReplyDeletexox jean
You are too sweet. I was laughing when he said it, too. :)
DeleteThere is so much in here I don't know what to focus on. Physio is the bomb - agreed! The fire truck event looks amazing - I can't see any kid not LOVING that. My husband is a big race fan and has my girls watch with him some Sundays so this made me smile....Looks like a great week!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my brain. I can't focus on anything! :)
DeleteI had never heard of a fire truck dedication, but apparently it's a tradition at all fire stations. At least around here. (I was talking to someone who was a fireman in a nearby city.)
You get to actually watch the race. I've always found it annoyingly ironic that it is happening a mere miles from our house, but our city is the only one who can't watch it live. I know it's common in sports, but honestly. They can't sell out a gigantic race track!
It has been a wonderful week.
Oh FUN at the fire station! That is the coolest thing to a kid! My father was a volunteer "paid on call" firefighter when we were little and the COOLEST benefit was hanging out at the station, and they would have Christmas parties that included a tour, getting to sit on the trucks, we thought it was our best day ever! So fun. Glad Turken's arm was miracle-healed by the Church of Facebook! Praise be to Zuckerburg! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a "church parking lot" it's where I taught my son (mostly) to ride a bike, and then a decade later he first DROVE a car in that same parking lot! I talked and talked about that, getting all emotional,while he rolled his eyes and was all "Okay, MOM, stop!" hahaha
I have always wanted to see what the part of the station behind the garage looks like. Do you know?!? Giant had debated going with the little kids and me, but he was very glad he chose to go. It was a fun event.
DeleteOh my word. I would do the same thing if my kids learned to ride a bike and drive a car at the same place. Our church parking lots aren't nearly big enough for our oldest to practice driving. We have to go to the gigantic high school nearby.
No need to clean, unless it's gross like that pan you had on your stove. Then, please, I beg you, clean your little heart out. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest...No clue what you're talking about. ;)
It sounds like a great week! The fire station, the movie...such a great sounding time. Our "summer" hasn't officially started yet, as school here doesn't let out until the end of June. It has been so nice to "meet" everyone!!
ReplyDeleteThe end of June? Oh my. When does it start in the fall?
DeleteIt was a great week. It isn't often we get three days in a row to do fun things.
Your kids are so cute! Those pictures! Awwww. They look like they truly had a blast. I'm glad you are getting better and enjoying physical therapy and that Turken is better for sure now. Thanks so much for being apart of this wonderful hop for this long! I truly have loved getting to know you ladies. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you are enjoying the hop. I have such fun going around looking at all the posts and getting to know you all.
DeleteI love your pigs! They are so cute that I want one now!
ReplyDeleteI think your use of the church parking lot is so cool, and great that it's not the same as your parents' use of it. (But I guess they were just doing their best then.)
So great that you are so much better after physio. And kudos to you for aplogising re the coach.
You are welcome to come and feed them! :)
DeleteThe parking lot was really more of a threat. There were very rare times that they actually pulled over, and when they did, no beatings were involved. We actually say it as a joke now, when I'm in the car with my mom and brother.
It is wonderful. Thanks. I wish I would have acted properly from the beginning, but I am glad I eventually came to my senses.
"Dollar theater"? Now that sounds cool!
ReplyDeleteMost excellent news on your recovery! I have never been on crutches (although once in college I should have been) so I can only imagine the sheer joy of not having to use them to walk!
Such good news about Turken but have you perhaps thought of bubble wrap clothing for him? LOL He sounds quite the little trooper:)
Lovely post this weekend Christine.
You've never had a dollar theater near a place you've lived?? They are fantastic. Granted, we have to wait until everyone else has seen the movie at the regular theater, but we still get to have the theater experience.
DeleteOh, it is amazing how free I feel without them. And to have 2 hands!
He is just a tad bit on the ridiculously clutzy side. Don't think I haven't thought of bubble wrap before. :)
Thank you!
Happy Birthday to TToT! I love the pigs behind your cake. Brilliant and adorable. Also wow - 36 hours of physical therapy and you're not using crutches? That's seriously awesome. I'm so happy that Turken healed himself and I adore all of the photos of your kids laughing and playing with silly string.
ReplyDeleteThe Lego movie is already at the $1 theater? Wow. We took Tucker to see it fairly recently and I agree that it was much better than I thought it was going to be. I really liked the message at the end, too.
I could have used the news about my knee and Turken's collar as all 10 thankfuls. That's how happy I am about them.
DeleteDon't you hate that when you see a movie, and the very next week it's at the dollar one? We've done that before. No more! I was quite surprised by the ending.
That Lego movie was pretty terrific.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are all recovering.
That fire truck is so cool.
And I hear you about enduring coaches you question. Good job keeping your thoughts inside. That is tougher than it sounds--I know!
It was good. I was completely surprised by the ending.
DeleteMe, too. :)
It was gigantic. The kids were a bit disappointed that they weren't allowed to go up the ladder.
It is so, so hard. Especially when people ask me about him, as he has a reputation. Ugh.
I get to see her firrrrrst!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd you don't have to clean, since I won't be at your house. :)
ReplyDelete1. You will walk in Kansas City, you will walk in Kansas City, you will walk in Kansas City.... :)
ReplyDelete2. Yahoo! The whole thing probably really scared him, having just come out of the sling where he was finally free.
3. Spontaneous, FREE fun! With cake!
4. Emma's club ball vb coach was a jerk. However, she despised him more than I did, so we just commiserated. I love his "this is awkward" moment!
5. I love the way your family makes fun! Leave it to Buttercup to have squirreled away her silly string from Christmas for just such an occasion!
7. That is hysterical! Takes "Do I have to pull this car over?!" to a new level, doesn't it?
8. We don't have a $1 theater any more, which is sad, because it was nicer than the regular priced theater we still have.
10. Strawberries - yum!
1. I will! I will!
Delete2. I'm sure that was most of it. I'm sure it hurt at first, but just a little pain probably made him nervous.
3. Free and with cake are the best kinds of activities.
4. How long did she las with that coach. I think Star realizes he is, but he likes being part of a really good team, and the coach just comes with it.
5. Me, too!
7. It really does. :)
8. Bummer. Tornado take it away?
10. Nothing like freshly picked strawberries.
4. The entire club volleyball season. From December through April. It was horrid.
Delete8. Not this time. I don't even know why it closed. It was always busy. Crappy, but busy.
Wow! I love the pictures! Looks like you all had so much fun! You're from Indiana? That's awesome, I go to school in Indiana (Purdue NC.) I'm glad I came across your blog, It's awesome.
ReplyDeleteThanks! We try to have fun at all times.
DeleteI see from your Google+ that you are going to Purdue but are not a native Hoosier. So are we! How are you enjoying the state?
I'm glad you did, too. :) Thanks!
I'm so glad to hear you're able to walk again. I spent a week on crutches last year and those things are only fun for about five minutes, and after that they're just hard work. I can't imagine using them for three weeks! I hope your leg is much better now.
ReplyDeleteA dollar theatre? That is such a good idea! I've never heard of those before. I wonder whether we have them in Australia?