It’s been a very busy summer around here!
I can’t believe that the summer is quickly coming to a close and the kids are getting ready to head back to school.
Kaitlyn had a very interesting summer. While it was at times extremely difficult both physically and emotionally, it was also incredibly fun filled. She continues to amaze me with her ability to tackle any situation with enthusiasm and optimism.
The highlights of her summer included a princess dance camp, a school book club, and a beach vacation. We were lucky to spend lots of time with good friends and family. The most exciting part of the summer for her was definitely the fact that she got to spend time with all of her cousins, something that distance makes quite difficult.
I love that Kaitlyn can find happiness and excitement at some of life’s simple pleasures. Her diary is filled with entries about seeing a seal swim by us, finding a starfish, taking her first canoe ride, and going out for ice cream.
Unfortunately the summer was also filled with several doctor’s visits. At the end of the day, Kaitlyn’s doctors concluded that she doesn’t need any surgery at this time, whereas a couple of months ago we feared that at least one surgery was imminent. We are trying some other interventions in the hopes of warding off any surgeries for as long as possible, and so far, so good!
This week Kaitlyn had some fancy new casts fabricated, and of course handled the whole thing like a trooper. There were two other patients who spent several hours in the casting room with us. One was a younger boy who cried for the better part of two hours because he was scared to death of the ridiculously loud cast-saw that sounds like something out of a horror movie. The other was a “tween-age” girl who would only look up from her hand-held electronic thingamabob long enough to roll her eyes at her mother for daring to ask her such annoying questions as “Are you hungry?”, or “How are you holding up?”. Then there was Kaitlyn. She spent her time telling the little boy not to be afraid of the saw, and drawing pictures for the doctor and his staff. I know that I’m her mother and admittedly biased, but I swear, this girl just spreads sunshine wherever she goes. I found myself fully enjoying a day at the hospital, because Kaitlyn is simply the most pleasant person I can imagine spending time with.
So, as I write this post I find myself feeling both grateful and a little melancholy. I am incredibly thankful that I was given the gift of being Kaitlyn’s mother. Seeing how she makes other people smile by spending small amounts of time with them, makes me realize how lucky I am to get to spend every single day with her. As for the melancholy feeling, that comes from the thought of the kids heading back to school. Call me crazy, but I really am going to miss both Kaitlyn and Connor when they head to school next week. I have really enjoyed having them home for the last 10 weeks, and I’m not looking forward to the quiet that will fill the house without them. I try to take the words of wisdom from some of my friends with older kids to heart. They have told me to enjoy every minute of them being little, because in the blink of an eye they’ll be heading off to college. I try to remember that every day, and take the time to enjoy the little moments of walking on the beach, kicking a soccer ball, sitting in our yard figuring out what each cloud is shaped like, or eating our lunch together on our deck on a breezy summer day.
I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures from our fantastic summer…
I can’t believe that the summer is quickly coming to a close and the kids are getting ready to head back to school.
Kaitlyn had a very interesting summer. While it was at times extremely difficult both physically and emotionally, it was also incredibly fun filled. She continues to amaze me with her ability to tackle any situation with enthusiasm and optimism.
The highlights of her summer included a princess dance camp, a school book club, and a beach vacation. We were lucky to spend lots of time with good friends and family. The most exciting part of the summer for her was definitely the fact that she got to spend time with all of her cousins, something that distance makes quite difficult.
I love that Kaitlyn can find happiness and excitement at some of life’s simple pleasures. Her diary is filled with entries about seeing a seal swim by us, finding a starfish, taking her first canoe ride, and going out for ice cream.
Unfortunately the summer was also filled with several doctor’s visits. At the end of the day, Kaitlyn’s doctors concluded that she doesn’t need any surgery at this time, whereas a couple of months ago we feared that at least one surgery was imminent. We are trying some other interventions in the hopes of warding off any surgeries for as long as possible, and so far, so good!
This week Kaitlyn had some fancy new casts fabricated, and of course handled the whole thing like a trooper. There were two other patients who spent several hours in the casting room with us. One was a younger boy who cried for the better part of two hours because he was scared to death of the ridiculously loud cast-saw that sounds like something out of a horror movie. The other was a “tween-age” girl who would only look up from her hand-held electronic thingamabob long enough to roll her eyes at her mother for daring to ask her such annoying questions as “Are you hungry?”, or “How are you holding up?”. Then there was Kaitlyn. She spent her time telling the little boy not to be afraid of the saw, and drawing pictures for the doctor and his staff. I know that I’m her mother and admittedly biased, but I swear, this girl just spreads sunshine wherever she goes. I found myself fully enjoying a day at the hospital, because Kaitlyn is simply the most pleasant person I can imagine spending time with.
So, as I write this post I find myself feeling both grateful and a little melancholy. I am incredibly thankful that I was given the gift of being Kaitlyn’s mother. Seeing how she makes other people smile by spending small amounts of time with them, makes me realize how lucky I am to get to spend every single day with her. As for the melancholy feeling, that comes from the thought of the kids heading back to school. Call me crazy, but I really am going to miss both Kaitlyn and Connor when they head to school next week. I have really enjoyed having them home for the last 10 weeks, and I’m not looking forward to the quiet that will fill the house without them. I try to take the words of wisdom from some of my friends with older kids to heart. They have told me to enjoy every minute of them being little, because in the blink of an eye they’ll be heading off to college. I try to remember that every day, and take the time to enjoy the little moments of walking on the beach, kicking a soccer ball, sitting in our yard figuring out what each cloud is shaped like, or eating our lunch together on our deck on a breezy summer day.
I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures from our fantastic summer…
Here in New England we call this "Lobstah Fishin"...
The beach!
Connor at soccer camp...
A duck boat tour of Boston with their cousins was a huge hit!
My little girl is growing up - she got her ears pierced!
Schnazzy new casts (pink of course!)...
I can't believe summer is coming to an end too. We were scheduled to start school here on Monday but Irene postponed everything by one day so Malayna went back today.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a great summer, despite some trying times. Kaitlyn never ceases to amaze me! Her spirit is incredible!
Malayna participated in a Challenger soccer camp this summer too. She was in the mini-kickers group and had Coach Rhys and Coach Lois. Did Connor have either of them?
I enjoyed this post. Sounds like a wonderful summer. I swear your kids are more gorgeous every time I see them. I especially love the beach picture. I love that Kaitlyn can stand so nicely in the sand with her feet and heels touching the ground. Because Emma cannot do that I notice those little things.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with going back to school.
Oh, and I love the way you cherish every little moment with your children. I think some people figure that out after it's too late.
Glad to see you on here. Can't wait to see another update soon. Kaitlyn is such a sweet little inspiration. She is surely a ray of sunshine.
Great post Tara.. I love you and the kids more then words can say. You are the person that makes so much for both of these kids happen. All the coordination, research, doctor visits from MO to Boston this summer and we can not leave out the medical equipment, insurance and dealing with the school challenges. We are lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteAs far as missing the kids, I will remind you of this during the 3:30 to 8:PM powers hours after school.
Love you