Sunday, August 31, 2014

Good Grief, It's Sunday Already! TToT Week 63

If I had to cause major trauma to my knee, it couldn't have happened at a better time.  I was able to go on the trips we had planned, the kids were home for the summer and could take care of the laundry and food prep and all else that needed done, and I'd be all healed up by the time they went back to school.

Which they have.  Three weeks ago.

My knee is almost back to full range of motion.  If I can get rid of the swelling, I'll be back to normal.

Mostly.

It feels good to be back.

Although it has meant much less blogging.  I just don't have the time to sit and write.  Shoot, I haven't even told you about Cuckoo's birthday dinner, which was eventful and funny as I look back on it.  I'll get to it someday...

1. I can finally do the things that need done.  I canned tomatoes.  I helped a friend turn 150 pounds of cabbage into sauerkraut.  I started mowing the yard.  I've taken care of baby chicks.  I've done laundry.  I've cooked dinner.  Lots and lots of things.

2.  Bryan and Cuckoo have done all of the mowing since May.  Let's just say they aren't as particular as I am when it comes to either mowing or mower maintenance.  I've discovered that my poor Dixie Chopper has aged 5 years in this one summer.  The things they have run over!  The corners they've (not) cut!  The pieces of mower they've lost!  The thankful here is that I actually did do the mowing this week.  When I checked the oil, it was almost completely dry.  They were this close to completely killing my mower.  But, thankfully, the mower will live to see another day.

3.  Blog friends are awesome.  Really.  I get gifts.  I get laughs.  I get fun photos.  I get sweet cards.  I love that people think of me first when ridiculous things happen, even if I'm in the middle of a very public place when I receive the photo and cause a scene with my loud laughter.  This week, I'm especially grateful to Phoebe for offering some Indy 11(our new pro soccer team) tickets.  She has season tickets but can't go Saturday.  I've never met this person in real life, even though she lives about an hour from me, yet she was kind enough to think of us and email the tickets.  I'll be taking Star with me, and I'll be posting a photo or two on Instagram.  (That's where I keep in touch with Phoebe, since she doesn't blog so much anymore.)  

4.  On Tuesday night at soccer practice, Buttercup was tripped and hit her head on the turf.  Hard.  She had a horrible headache that night and was acting a bit weird.  She was still extra groggy in the morning, so I called the athletic trainer and told her to check Buttercup before she steps foot on the field again.  I'm so glad I did.  She has a concussion.

Concussions are taken seriously nowadays.  Not only is she excused from all homework and tests until she has healed, she gets to have a nap time during the school day to relax her brain for a bit.  She has spent a whole lot of time sleeping and simply staring at the ceiling of her bedroom for the past three days.  Finally, finally, at dinner on Friday she was beginning to act like her old self.  With the three-day weekend upon us, she will have plenty of time to do absolutely nothing.  We're praying it is enough to heal her right up.

5.  Bryan and I are similar in most ways, but in one, we couldn't be more different.  The man has no patience.  None.  Thankfully, I do.  When he encounters a problematic situation, he panics and can't think straight in order to find a solution.  I am the one to stay calm and figure things out.  It's why he can't get a car out of a snowbank.  When I got home last Sunday, he had the Dixie Chopper's wheels stuck in a deep rut and the blades stuck on a fallen tree limb.  I took a look at what he was doing and asked, "Why don't you dig out the front?"  Within 2 minutes the mower was out.  Thankfully it doesn't bother him that I can do these things.  He's just grateful that one of us can.

6.  (It's now Sunday morning, and I'm finally finishing the list.)  Star and I had a great time at the Indy 11 game.  He is the first of our kids to acquire the full-blown attitude of a 13 year old when he turned 13.  He and I needed some time alone to just have some fun.  It was perfect. Oh, and it didn't rain.  Made the night even better.

7.  Giant had a soccer tournament yesterday, and I was the one who took him.  The games were very exciting (ending in 4-3 and 3-1 wins).  When they were over, we tried to find an ice cream place in the town where we were.  Couldn't find one, so we just went to the grocery store to buy some individual containers and some spoon.  When we saw that the individual containers were $5 each, but the "half gallon" were only $4, we just bought a half gallon.  We sat in the back seat of the car and wolfed down more than half of it, right out of the container.  I love that little things like that make me a cool mom in the eyes of an almost 12 year old.

8.  Bryan's mom is here for a visit.  I've only seen her for about an hour since she got here Friday night, but she's having a great time watching soccer games and playing board games with the kids.

9. My mom and my brother and his family will be visiting tomorrow.  They have a farm and kids who like to play on one, so we always have fun when they are in town.

10.  I love a three-day weekend.  We actually get a day off with no soccer, no school, and Bryan gets to be home with us.

So what has gotten a smile out of you this week?

Have a lovely day!





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39 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Aw, Dad. SO close! Glad you're jumping in! :)

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  2. heeheheheheeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.... boom!!!!! no I dont gloat why would you ask?
    I was looking for you Christine! Glad you got it in... this is a long extensive list for a sunday squeeze in... nicely done! Poor buttercup... hope she is feeling better today! concussions are scary... I remember when we were kids no one really thought much of it but now that we know more its a bit scary... so glad she is well...I think perhaps all that saurkraut is scarier actually!

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    1. Lol.....the saurkraut thing

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    2. Wow, Zoe, pretty harsh thing to do to someone's dad... :)
      Glad I got in, too. It was a busy Saturday. "long extensive list" = long-winded boredom? :)
      I have only seen her awake for a few minutes today. I've checked on her a couple times, and she was sleeping both times. Hopefully she's healing...
      I, too, remember the "shake it off" days. So scary.
      Ha! Nothing scary about this stage of sauerkraut making. No stinky smell for a couple more weeks.

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  3. A Three day weekend is the best; enjoy your time with your family ....glad to hear Buttercup is on the mend - Ice Cream taste the best right out of the container. :)

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    1. It is the best. Hope you have a wonderful one!

      Ice cream tastes good no matter what it's in, but out of the container certainly is the most fun way!

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  4. Oh, whew! So glad Buttercup is recovering! That must have been scary! And same about the mower. Glad you got your hands and attention back on it. Hey, I was one of those people who thought of you this week and messaged! I wasn't funny, but I'm glad I did.

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    1. It was and still is scary. She's still not up to speed, and the longer it goes the more worried I get.
      I'm so, so glad I managed to get on the mower. It's not that I love mowing, but it feels good to do something and prevent disaster. :)

      I am happy you messaged me, too. All of these different ways of communicating are just plain fun.

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  5. thank you, (yet again) for illustrating the accuracy of the description of the scottian worldview! the directness and practicality is like a total hallmark.
    hey you Indianianaes don't play sports half-hearted, do you?
    too quick a Summer, but hoping for a merciful Fall...

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    1. Anytime. :)

      I can't speak for all Hoosiers, but I have come across more than my fair share of competitive people.

      Way too quick of a summer. Way. I'm hoping for a merciful winter.

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  6. Yikes on the concussion. I'm glad you got her checked out.

    Hubby and I are the same. His strengths are my weaknesses and my strengths are his weaknesses. Works out very well.

    Enjoy your log holiday weekend. ☺

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    1. I am, too. Since it was just a practice, the trainer wasn't there when it happened. She would have gone back on the field and risked horribly injuring herself.
      It does work out well, when it doesn't get aggravating. :)

      I always do. Hope you had a great one!

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  7. I hope that Buttercup is feeling 100% better soon. That must have hurt a ton. Happy long weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Me, too. She's getting there, but still has some symptoms.
      Thanks!

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  8. *giggling* I am LOVING that your dad is now joining in with the quest for FRIST on your blog. That's so cool :D *waves* Hello Christine's dad and welcome to the game :D

    Poor Buttercup - I hope she's feeling loads better now, and that the three-day weekend gives her sufficient time to fully recover. Hit on the head is bad, but to that degree is definitely worse.

    Indy 500 sounds AWESOME. I'm glad you got to spend that time, and the ice-cream after the soccer sounds FABULOUS! You're a brilliant, brilliant mom, and I love reading about how you make magic moments for your kids. :) Makes me happy in my heart.

    And YAY for your knee almost being better, and all the canning and mowing you've gotten done. Sandy got to ride on a mower this weekend, which I think I might try to borrow for when I come over and mow your lawn - she looked like she was having a blast.

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    1. I was quite surprised by that, too. It made me smile.
      She is improving slowly but surely. She was out of her room for a couple of hours today, but still had some symptoms.

      OK, I won't hold it against you or make fun of you, since you are from England and all...the Indy 500 is a car race held in May. I went to the Indy 11 soccer game. Still awesome, but of a very different kind. :)

      I'm glad it makes you happy to read about the good moments. It makes me happy, too.

      Yay! I saw that photo. I have the same kind of mower. Different manufacturer, but same style. Oh, and hers looked much newer.

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  9. Sounds like Buttercup had one hell of a bang on the head; to be honest if that had been my son I'd have taken him to A & E as soon as he started acting weird - concussion isn't to be messed with. It's good that the trainer checked her out though, I hope she's feeling much better by now.

    Love the idea of sitting in the back of the car eating ice cream straight out of the tub - something so simple but will probably be remembered for a long time.

    And 'Hello Christine's dad' from here in the UK - shame you only just missed being FRIST, maybe you'll get it next time :)

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    1. Here in America, the trainers are actually better at identifying concussions. They know the kids and take baseline tests so they know what each player's normal is. Plus, they have been well trained in identifying and treating them. I knew right away what it was, and the ER would have been a wasted trip. Before she is allowed back on the field she will have to be cleared by a doctor who specializes in concussions.

      It was such a fun little spur of the moment thing. I so hope the kids remember things like this.

      Ha!

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  10. 1. So glad you are nearly back to normal! (Whatever normal is - tee hee)
    2. Those two must have been quite a pair on the lawn mower. Bet the mower misses your touch!
    3. Seriously, who would send you a picture while you're in a public place and make you embarrass yourself laughing?
    4. Glad Buttercup is feeling a little better. Even more glad that concussions are being taken seriously now. Last year, we had a volleyball player hit her head on the floor hard enough for her to get one. Does it make her nervous to go back to playing?
    5. Same here.
    6. Love mom and son dates!
    7. See #6, above.
    8. -9. I want to come visit, too.
    10. Yay for three day weekends!!!

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    Replies
    1. 1. I've come to realize that there is no normal for me. :)
      2. It must. The things I found around the yard that had been run over with the mower running...
      3. Awesome friends, that's who.
      4. She isn't nervous at all. She wants to get back out there. It's going to be a week before she can, though.
      5. It comes in handy sometimes.
      6 Me, too!
      8-9. Anytime! I'd love for you to visit!
      10. They are the best...after a week-long vacation, of course.

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  11. LOL at how you were able to change the font to let us no how close the mower was to running out of oil. You must really love to mow because I'd be milking that knee surgery saying it wasn't ready for mowing. My husband wouldn't let me do it because I WOULD tear up the mower for sure - tip over in the ditch or something. I don't have any patience either. It's funny how Christopher has only been in school for two days and I'm already so happy that tomorrow is a free day. No school, no sports. It's going to be over a hundred degrees so I'm not planning to do anything outside. I might stay in my pjs all day.

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    1. Glad someone noticed the time I put into that. :)
      I don't really love to mow, but I do love to have a properly mowed lawn. With those two in charge, our house looks abandoned.
      I can't even imagine a summer with temps in the hundreds. Sounds miserable. I love a pj day! I hope you did it.

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  12. I was wondering where your post was...it was late for you!
    Your Dad is too cute with the FRIST!
    So glad you got Buttercup checked out and that she is on the mend. Concussions. I've seen more than I can tell you in my classroom over the last few years as things moved from the world of "shake it off" to the way we do things now - so different. The change in the kids is sometimes so dramatic I find it hard to believe anyone ever took concussions less seriously. Hope she's back to herself in no time! Prayers for her coming your way.
    Sounds like you and your hub are much like we are - a good balance of different traits. It makes it work very well. Around here, though, I'm the hysterical panic partner and he's the calm and logical one. Thank goodness because if we had to depend on me to think things through we'd be in a hole most of the time.
    Glad your knee is progressing so well and, most of all, that you can get back to your normal tasks. I know i get frustrated when I'm out of commission.
    Have a great long weekend and a great week ahead!

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    1. It was late, but not as late as my replies and reading of everyone else's. I haven't had the time.
      It cracked me up.
      It is shocking that concussions weren't taken seriously. She is an entirely different person with this thing. Thanks for the prayers.
      In some ways, that whole "opposites attract" is the best thing for a marriage.
      It feels so good to be able to do things, even if it is laundry. Of course, I'm not in any way looking forward to cleaning the bathrooms again.
      Thank you!

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  13. #10 is GREAT. Enjoy the weekend and I'm glad you are almost all healed. Have fun at the game.

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  14. Oh, poor Buttercup! I hope she heals quickly.
    It's amazing how much fun chores can be after not being able to do them for a while. 150 pounds of cabbage must have made a ton of sauerkraut! (Not literally, of course, but that sentence makes me chuckle.)

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    1. She's improving slowly but surely. She's slept most of the weekend away.
      Ha! It was a lot of sauerkraut, but they use it. She has 7 kids, plus 5 siblings. She passes it out to everyone.

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  15. Wow, you've been busy! Sorry to hear about Buttercup's concussion... that sounds scary! But it is nice that the school takes it seriously and is giving her brain time to heal.

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    1. I have, much to my blogging brain's dismay. :)
      It was/is scary, but I'm glad she will be allowed the time to heal.

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  16. You are so right about concussions. Seriously, your posts really prepare my mind for what can happen with my kids from them just playing and going on about life. It's hard to fathom all of these things when you only have a 2 year old. So I love reading all of your stories about the kids and their adventures and things. So glad your knew is getting better. Phoebe sounds like such a wonderful friend. 3 days off is good. Great list this week!

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    1. While 2 year olds aren't immune to injury, the chances certainly increase as they grow and play with other kids.
      As much as I hate for my kids to get older, it does give us chances to do different, fun things.
      Thanks!

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  17. You have been busy but it all sounds like good things. Everytime you update us on the progress of your knee I am cheering you on! Boo to the concussion. I hope Buttercup has rested this weekend and is back to 100%. And you win the Mom of the Year for just getting the half gallon of ice cream. Hi^5 for awesome!

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    1. Lots of good things, for sure.
      Buttercup has slept for most of the weekend. She's improving, but not there yet.
      Ha! Thanks!

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  18. I have been to this page three times today...it's been nuts around here so I've only been able to read a few thankfulness see each time. Lol. Finally a quite moment this evening to catch up.

    I'm glad you figured out Buttercup has a concussion, I had one about 15 years ago...it was like a glimpse into menopause...I couldn't remember anything for more than a few moments. I kept asking the same questions. Funny thing is, as soon as I asked a question again, I immediately knew I just asked it, lol. I slept ALOT! Dr said it was ok, my brain needed the rest. Hope she is feeling better soon. Young ins heal up so much faster.

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  19. So, so glad to hear that Buttercup is on the mend! I know how scary that can be. They really don't fool around with concussions any more. They've become quite serious. And rightly so. I got a chance to ride a big fancy mower this weekend. I love those things and even if it was hot as fire outside, I found it very relaxing. Something about it I can't explain...or maybe I'm just weird that way. I LOVE the ice cream story! I would do that too....we actually have picnics in the back of the car sometimes. When you're on the go so much, sometimes there's no choice. It's Tuesday morning now, so the three day weekend is done but I hope it was a good one for you!

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  20. Ouch to poor Buttercup!!! I had two concussions as a kid and they were awful. I remember my mom waking me up every two hours or whatever and YIKES. Also, my lawn is neglected. My husband obviously needs to catch your enthusiasm to mowing. Or um I do. Here's to ice cream (pig) and long weekends. Because that's the big important.

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