Love the Weekends

Boy, do I really enjoy the weekends. It's nice to have Jonathan around to help with the everyday things to do for Aaron, and the pace is much slower.

Friday night, Ethan had a pack meeting for Cub Scouts. I took Aaron with us, and Jon picked him up. That was good because he was getting tired. The boys watched Star Wars when Ethan got home. The four of us went to bed at the same time because we were so tired.

Ethan and I got up early for gymnastics. He is on the pre-team, and he does very well. Ethan loves gymnastics and is flipping around all the time. He likes to practice his splits, pull-ups (I think that he can do 11 or 12 now - that is crazy), and other flips. He is working on his front and back handsprings right now. Anyway, after I drop him off I do some errands. Parents cannot stay and watch for the entire 2.5 hour practice. We can watch only the first and last 15 min.

Jonathan picked Ethan up, and the kids watched a movie. We gave Aaron a shower, cleaned his pins, and got ready to turn the pins. Jonathan had an idea of turning each of the pins a little bit (not the entire way) at a time, and then go back and turn them a little more, and then go back and turn them the rest of the way. He was thinking that this would make it less painful. It seemed to work a little better. So, we are hoping that this is a good way of doing it. We are continuing to give Aaron Benedryl and Tylenol which helps with his itching. His toes are also starting to curl under. Dr. Snyder told us that this could happen because the lengthening can affect the feet and toes. Aaron is supposed to stretch them several times a day. He is doing that, but it doesn't seem to help. It is also very painful for him to stretch them. He walked today, and he did a good job. Now instead of pain, he is extremely itchy after he walks. He hates that worse than the pain. So, needless to say, walking is still not his favorite activity.

Jon and I were able to see a movie on Saturday night while Nana and Papa watched the boys. It didn't go that smoothly - Aaron was a little upset we were gone. But, Nana and Papa hung in there. It was nice to go out for a bit and spend some time together. I also was able to take a walk on Saturday, and Jon was able to play football on Sunday. These breaks help us be better as we take care of things at home. (So, don't forget to take your breaks!!! It will help you work, parent, care for, or whatever much better!)

Today is Sunday, and we are hanging out and watching the game. Ethan and Jonathan are playing frisbee. It is hard to convince Aaron to go outside and play (he does go out for recess at school). I also was trying to convince Aaron to sit in a chair instead of hanging out in his "bed" downstairs. We will need to work on that for a bit. He is NOT convinced that it would be a good thing. He remembers sitting in a chair at school, and it hurting.

So, it is always a couple of steps forward and a couple of steps back. There are a lot of challenges every day, but overall things are going well. Aaron said "thank you, Mommy" when I brought him to the bathroom. I think that he appreciates everything that we are doing for him, and he continues to be very brave. Even after he has had some extraordinary pain, he pulls it back together and can move on. Our family is learning some valuable lessons about patience, suffering, sacrifice, and many other things. The weather here in New Hampshire is beautiful today, and we are planning on going for a walk after the football game. Go, PATS!