School starts in 3 Days!

Wow this summer flew by. We will have two second graders this year. My youngest won't start Kindergarten for another two years because her Birthday falls on September 20th! She is so smart so I feel like she will be bored with school so I am going to try and fight for her to go next year but I think it is highly unlikely I will win.

We have been busy bees as always. Brendan went on vacation with his father last week to NH. He goes every year. I decided to take the girls on a road trip since my husband has been working so late every night. It is hard to do some things with Brendan so while I felt really guilty I knew he was having fun with his dad. I also really wanted to take my youngest to an amusement park. She hasn't really gotten to go. We brought the other two a few times and she was really young and doesn't remember and couldn't ride on much. So off to Sesame Place we went for two nights. It was a great time. It did rain the entire first day but that meant no lines. We rode every single ride multiple times. The water slides were a lot of fun. I loved watching my youngest enjoiy everything. She even danced in the parade! She is so cute and loves to dance. She is very outgoing, will do anything type of kid. The one we need to watch out for when she is a teen! I love that she is outgoing because I was a super shy kid like my stepdaughter who wouldn't go dance in the parade and then wished she did. I so know how you feel kid! It was a great girls trip and I am so glad I went because my youngest had reactions that were priceless. I could have rode the roller coaster all day just to watch her face and here her laughter. She put her hands up in the air for the entire ride every single time! OH BOY!

Out and About

Since we have gotten the new rampvan I have been out and about so much with the kids. It really makes small trips seem less daunting. It doesn't wear me out physically and Bren is really happing riding in it.

My husband got a new job and has been out really late all week. He got home after 8pm twice and who knows when he will be home today. He leaves by 7am so I am having some very long days with the kids. Brendan's ADHD was horrible this week too so he was testing me often! Today I took the kids to bumper boats and we got drenched but it was alot of fun.

It has been a while! AND an Exciting Purchase!

I feel like since the kids got out of school I haven't had any time for myself let alone computer time. I apologize for the lack of posts lately.

Brendan's elbow is still healing! I can't believe how long it is taking. So far so good but his father told me it did start bleeding over the weekend so I am worried.

We just got back from our camping vacation this past week. We went to a luxery campground called Pine Acres in Oakham MA. It was a good time. It rained alot and I was so thankful we had our pop up camper this year. I went outside and sunk in about a foot of water and really couldn't imagine having a tent to sleep in during those conditions. The only downside is that the rain is beyond loud hitting the popup and my husband and I were wide awake for hours. At least we were dry!

We broke down and bought a handicap accessible van! I am so excited. I am still in the process of registering but Brendan gets to ride in it today for the first time. It should be interesting and it is raining but I am excited to not have to lift up that wheelchair into the back of our old van any longer. It is a Toyota Sienna and the van is amazing! The front seats come out so he can either drive when he is older and capable (not looking forward to this!) or sit next to me as a passenger in his wheelchair. We chose the one without carpet. It has a pretty cool floor that won't get all dirty and nasty from his wheels. I love it so far but ask me after today how I really feel about it! I just hope I can attach him into it on my own! I am a bit nervous.

Brendan is on the mend! 4 ER visit's later....

Well his elbow is finally healing! He had a staph infection and although he tested - for MRSA it seemed to be just that. It was the same type of bug that causes MRSA and it started healing soon after he begun new antibiotics that destroys MRSA sooo who knows. I am just happy his elbow looks better. It is scabbed over in fact. WOOT WOOT!

We missed my entire step daughter's birthday party because he was almost admitted at the hospital and put on IV antibiotics. We were at two hospitals from 10AM to 3:30PM. It was a long day! We switched ER's because of where his pediatrician sends her patients and instead of admitting him they switched his antibiotics and let us go home. We were both very happy to go home instead of spending 3 days in the hospital. :)It was a scary week. A spot started appearing on his leg and his arm had a tiny scratch that blew up so something was going on in his tiny body. I was starting to freak out but thankfully my mom is a nurse and helped me calm down by reassuring me he would be okay.

I am actually kid free for a few hours. My youngest stayed with my parents after we visited yesterday, Brendan is at school for a couple of hours and my step daughter is with her mom. So I spent some quiet time weeding the front yard and decided to prune a bush. I am snapping away when all the sudden I hear bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz so I RUN! They chased me and got me twice. :( I am glad I ran because they were mad! Who knew bees lived in bushes. UHHHHH!

It is never a dull moment in this house!

Life of a SAHM

Life has been a bit hectic around here and at times I can't believe how much I can do. My husband thanked me last night for being super mom ~ that was really appreciated and made me realize I WAS super mom yesterday!

Brendan came down with an infection in his elbow. He scraped it falling off one step a few weeks ago. I constantly cleaned it with proxide and it healed nicely so I have no idea where this infection came from. I noticed his elbow was not looking good Monday morning. I kept saying I didn't like the looks of it but my husband said it is probably just a bug bite and he has scratched it too much. I thought otherwise and my fears came to life the next evening. It looked worse and had puss coming out of it now. We went to a walk in clinic which I was NOT impressed with and they told me it was an infection and prescribed him antibiotics. I thought we would be in the clear until the next morning when it looked 10x worse! I new it was time for an ER visit. SO THIS IS MY SUPER MOM DAY:

Brendan woke us up at 5:50 am standing next to his bed and since he couldn't go anywhere from there and was calling us. I checked his elbow since we had it bandaged up and it looked really really awful. I didn't understand how it could look so much worse from 8pm last night. I knew I had to bring him to the ER so I got the kids up bathed, fed and ready to go and off we went. My AMAZING 17 year old neice came and picked up my youngest at the hospital at 8AM...She is beyond awesome! My stepdaughter was with her mom that morning so thankfully I could focus on Brendan. 2 1/2 hours, 4 x rays, and 30 minutes of my poor boy going through exruciating pain while they opened, drained, and packed his infection we got to go home! We raced home and I immediately wrapped my step daughters birthday presents because of all days TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY! I quickly dirty iced a cake (that I had made the following evening after I got home from the walk in clinic), fed us lunch, and then we rushed off to the mall. We were meeting my niece who still had my youngest daughter and my stepdaugther with her mom because today she was getting her ears pierced for her 7th Birthday! I couldn't cancel or miss this and Brendan was up for it. She did amazing and they look so nice!
We headed back home so I could finish icing and decorating her birthday cake. My husband got home so we let her open presents and then we all headed outside to watch her ride her new power scooter. I then realized our kitchen trash can was still outside waiting to be cleaned from the previous day. I also realized that some outside table and chairs had to be cleaned with bleach for my step daughter's party on Saturday so that is what I did.
We headed back inside to make dinner and have cake and ice cream and then I was DONE! It was almost time to relax....we just had to get some kids into bed.

What a day! How did I do all of this working full time???...now that is the question. I have no idea! I am happy to be a stay at home mom.

Enjoying the Summer~

This past weekend we set up the blow up water slide and the kids had a blast! They played non stop for 5 1/2 hours. The neighbors were over all day long and really had fun. I had bought water squirters at the dollar store which were awesome amusement and they kept Brendan entertained for an hour. He could actually suck up the water and squirt it. He couldn't really aim at anyone but I bet he will in time. The kids created obstacle courses and my husband timed them. Brendan loved cheering them on and yelling ~ "ready set go"!!!!

Brendan started riding his power wheels again. He calls it his go cart. He kept asking for a go cart for his last birthay but we decided on something a bit slower and with two seats. When we surprised him with this he was so happy and yelled "A Go Cart"!!!!!... so at least we made him happy!
His driving is ten times better this summer. He was stearing it all on his own. He drove on the road and I barely had to help him. Even his step sister was impressed. Our mailbox is across the street and Brendan likes to drive to go get it but he ended up driving too far down the road and all the sudden he turned around perfectly in the middle of the road. I asked him what was he doing and he replied I forgot to get the mail and parked the car right in front of the mailbox. I was so impressed! I even let him drive around the yard without walking next to him and he did AWESOME! He did crash into lawn chairs once but with some yelling he didn't do it again. He drove over this huge rock we have in our yard which freaked me out. I was running towards him yelling Bren don't!!! I didn't make it in time but he drove over it just fine and I think he actually planned it because he yelled "I did it"! after he got over it. Derek would always drive him over this rock but he would be steering and walking right beside him!

This kid always impresses me. Seriously, he is growing up on me. He is becoming more independant. I am not sure if PERCS is the reason but he has changed so much since the procedure. I don't know if it gave him more confidence or if his brain can focus on other things now but he is a different child for the better.

How MY life is different

Running out to the store just to get milk with a child in a wheelchair is not as easy as it seems and is avoided at all costs!

My back, arms, and neck often hurt or are soar and it is just part of life now. I remember one of Brendan's PT's telling me that one day my body would start to feel it from lifting him and all his equipment. I didn't think that day would come so fast.

Weekly 45 minute one way commutes to therapy have become part of my routine and I don't even think about them anymore.

I have constant guilt when I don't exercise and stretch him everyday but sometimes the days get away from me.

Family vacations have to be thought about before booking because we can't just go anywhere. Not to mention there is only two of us and 3 of them! Maybe that will get easier as the girls get older.

I recently realized I need to start asking for handicap accessible rooms because recently we were placed on the 2nd floor and carrying his wheelchair up a flight of stairs should never happen again if at all possible.

When I had my first child I had no idea how many times in one week I would have to bring my kid to the bathroom and I honestly don't look forward to how many more times that count will become over the years.

Last night I wished out loud to my husband that 'he could get his own pajamas on'. I did not feel like doing it at all! I realized this dream is far off when he couldn't even get his shirt off.

Our library is NOT handicap accessible yet we are going today because all 3 kids signed up for the summer reading program. I don't feel right bringing the other two to pick out books without bringing him. Sooooo we go today which means I have to carry him down a flight of stairs and then carry his walker. Why not add to my soar neck today?

Wheelchairs effect everyday activities and decisions. Walkers effect everyday activities and decisions. Having a child with a disability effects everyday activities and decisions but I will continue to try and do everything I possibly can with him because I want him to experience life like every other child.

I think I will just have my husband go grab that milk for me! :)