Long Time, No See...

FYI--the pictures that will follow are in reverse order...
Well, I guess it's been a while since I have chronicled the lives of my kiddies--tonight I plan to catch up slightly...only very slightly!! We have packed the summer with travel and we are now home for a while with no travel plans in sight. We just returned from New Jersey/New York--we spent a week with Jamie, then my aunts and uncles, and then in NYC. I am exhausted still, but it was very worth it! I flew alone with the kids on the way up--frightening!!! Lily was an angel, Ty was AWFUL!! The lady in front of us wasn't very nice about it either! The ride home was much smoother--Ty slept the whole way in Todd's arms (not fair)! While at Jamie's, Lily and Jules had an exercise in sharing and playing nice--you can only ask so much of 2/3 year-olds--HA! The had fun picnicking in the living room, eating cupcakes and ice cream, visiting the farm, and just watching their mommies make up for lost time! There's just nothing like going to Target with your best friend... and then we packed up and moved on to my Uncle Tony and Aunt Angela's house where we stayed to attend my cousin Dennis' wedding. The accommodations were superb!! And the wedding was beautiful and so much fun. I can't adequately put into words how amazing it is for me to be with family again--some folks who I haven't seen or communicated with in 15+ years! My cousins, Katie and Samantha, are just growing into little women before my eyes! They took Lily under their wing and occupied her any chance they got--a break for Mommy!! And Lily, my dear little angel Lily, got into some chocolate and mints one night while Angela was babysitting--and proceeded to throw it all up in the bed that she, Todd, and I were sharing!! Angela took it in stride and we stayed another night after that before heading into the city. We visited the Central Park Zoo, FAO Schwarz, ToysRUs, Hard Rock Cafe, Carmine's, Maxey's, and several Starbuck's (I swear it tastes better in the city!). We also visited the American Girl store and Capezio, where Lily got her first pair of ballet shoes!! I was bummed to miss out on seeing Wicked again--I plan to catch it in April in Orlando! I also visited M&J Trimming in the city--anyone who knows me knows this is like making the haj! I bought a modest amount of ribbon... I could've spent all day in there...I digress... Anyway, here are some photos from these adventures! I will blog more on our earlier summer adventures soon!! Cheers!

All About Ty!!!

What a wonderful 2 days!! Count 'em, 2!! Ty and I are back home after only 2 days of therapy! And he now has a new tool! We got his prosthesis yesterday and had therapy and he took to it like a fish to water--mostly he forgot he was wearing it! But he did not try to rip it off, so that right there is a feather in his cap! I must say that staying in a hospital room with a one year old is a real challenge...add to that the adorable four-year-old roommate we had who was in pain all during the night and crying...and a massive metal cage/crib not conducive to calm sleeping...and add the fact that same four-year-old roommate and her mother spoke NO ENGLISH!!! The bathrooms in the rooms were only for the patients so I had to schlepp Ty down the hall with me to go potty--or wait until he fell asleep (which was about 10 pm!). Needless to say, we are both a bit sleepy today! Ty slept all the way home! Even so, it was an experience I will never forget--in a good way! Please don't take my comments as complaining--I can handle just about anything for a night or two--and I found myself counting my blessings as I witnessed firsthand parents whose burdens were far greater than my own. Non-ambulatory children, those suffering with cerebral palsy, missing multiple limbs, just massively catastrophic injuries and birth defects...I mean Ty missing a hand is barely a blip on the radar in terms of what could have been. And every parent there had the same knowing expression on their faces--each of them had been through the moments of realization, denial, acceptance, and embrace. I know that look because I have seen it in the mirror occasionally on my own face. And I realize that most parents will never know some of the purest versions of the universal parental feelings--pride...some of these parents feel pride from their kids learning to feed, dress, and toilet themselves--at eight years old!! Can you imagine? Joy--at watching their children enjoy themselves in spite of their pain, frustration, anger, and immobility. I just catch a glimpse every now and then of the intensity and depth of those feelings...I just feel like so many of my concerns have been petty...

Anyway, I am deeply moved and changed from these two days and I want to share some of my photos with you--enjoy

The Adventure Continues

Life has been so great and we are loving watching Lily and Ty bond as brother and sister--she calls him "buddy" and he thinks she hung the moon! Here they are under the table sitting on Zuzu's bed, covered with a blanket...I never know what scheme they will have concocted!
All this kids wants is a ball to play with!! He will stop crying if you hand him a ball... I sense a future in the NBA...or perhaps MLB?? NFL??
Another quiet and mannerly moment at our dinner table with our Emily Post poster-child...

Lily and Natalie ruling over their little town...
Two little blondies relaxing in the recliner...
This looks like a cozy seat...

Lily and her first "love" Nicholas on their last day of school--can a year have already passed?

Happy Memorial Day from the cutest kids in the universe!!!

Wild Man sits still to try on his test socket for his new prosthesis
He tried to put it on his nubby as soon as we handed it to him

a few minor adjustments...

I can dance!!!

A brief brunch date with Daddy, GG and Gran while Mommy held a shower at home...
the socket up close (it is held on by suction and has room for growth)

I am leaving tomorrow morning to take Ty back to Shriner's for in-house physical and occupational therapy through Friday. He will get his new helper hand tomorrow and I am so anxious to see his reaction--not scared or nervous, more excited and happy. Lily will be staying with Daddy and has a busy social calendar until GG comes to visit and then she will have the spotlight on herself for a few days :) I will post again as soon as possible to show pictures of our experiences this week--cheers!