Halloween 2020

 

Today the families with young children in our cul-de-sac made up activities for the kids to do during our afternoon Halloween party. It was super low-key but I think the kids still enjoyed it. Doodah and Chewkie put candy in bags that I hid around the cul-de-sac (think of easter egg hunt but with ziploc bags instead of eggs). We also tried having the kids eat caramel popcorn balls off a string but only my children were willing to do that. Another family made small ghost cups filled with candy while someone else had pizza and coloring. Everyone brought candy or treats of some sort and everyone took turns pushing Chewkie around in the wheelchair my parents leant us.

Doodah was still a bit disappointed at not being able to go trick or treating so I gave him the job of coming up with some other options to make it better. He decided to put candy in every door at which he and his sister trick or treated (completed with saying the words, "Trick or treat" and "Thank you! Happy Halloween!"). I was surprised that he was okay with this kind of option, but I think being able to put more candy in his bag was all he really cared about. 

His other activity was hiding candy in a cup and then playing Three Cup Monte. Everyone took a turn making everyone else guess. Good family together time. After dinner we pulled our pumpkins inside our house, lit them up and then watched a Halloween movie by pumpkin light. 

Even without the hours of trick or treating, I think it was still a good Halloween.

P.S. The kids pictured above weren't all the ones there, but they were the only ones around at picture time. Note Chewkie holding onto the toddler to get him to stay in the shot.

Also note that I gave Doodah my camera to get a picture of the moms. Thank you my son who thought he had gotten 5 or 6 pictures but really only managed this highly unflattering one.

Chewkie Gets Surgery

Today my sweet daughter had surgery to lengthen her Achilles tendons on both her ankles today. She was so great on the way up (at 5am), groggy and cranky on the way home, peppy as she played with her LOL glamping van she got as a surgery gift, and then so sad at bedtime as the reality of what the next month + looks like for her set in. I think there were a lot of tired emotions thrown in for good measure but I don't blame her for wishing the recovery away. Poor little dear. 

Walking was hard for her today as she was working on retraining her center of gravity and trying to heft the extra weight on her legs. I had to hold her up for the most part or Matthew and I carried her. At one point after dinner at my parents she attempted walking all on her own. We were all so proud of her. 

I am so grateful that Chewkie is such a plucky, optimistic little girl. This will be a trying experience for her but I know she will make the best of it. I am also grateful for the inspiration to buy fun surgery gifts for both the kids today (Doodah got an electronic golf ball he can steer with his tablet).

P.S. For the record, Chewkie opted for surgery on the day before Halloween. I suspect she wanted to show off her new casts to her friends, but she also claimed to want to get it done and over with as soon as possible.

Pumpkin Carving 2020

 Chewkie, Matthew, Mine, and Doodah

I really love the kids cleaning, designing and now, even cutting their own pumpkins by themselves. I also really love the joy they find in their creations. 

Chewkie was working towards a minecraft pumpkin and Doodah will always love doing angry faces.

Halloween Costumes 2020

Normally I am super lazy and cheap with Halloween costumes. Surely they can just come up with something out of our costume box right or maybe I can sew them something? Well this year, I took some time with each child and we scoured Amazon looking for the perfect costume. Doodah eventually came up with a ninja and Chewkie could not be talked out of being a hotdog. In the past she's been a princess, a minion, a butterfly, but this year she had her heart set on being a hotdog. And really would YOU want to talk her out of that joy?

Edit to add: Both kids have worn their costumes nonstop since they arrived. Purchased costumes for the win-win.

Heron House

Last month, with the smoke wreaking havoc on our air quality, I was in a desperate emotional state. After crying for sometime, I prayed for relief and got the answer to plan a girls' weekend at the coast. With Matthew's enthusiastic support I texted a few ladies and asked if they would be willing to join me. 

Fast forward to this weekend. After a lot of searching for just the perfect location we found it. This lovely house on the end of the road looking out over the Siletz River that feeds into the Pacific Ocean. Everything about this house and it's location whispered peace. 

There was brief talk of going for a hike or shopping since the weather was so lovely, but it all got drowned out by the desire to just sit, look at the river, and chat. We talked about a whole host of subjects, all of which were so uplifting. Each woman expressed their gratitude for my planning this and I expressed gratitude to my Heavenly Father for giving me the inspiration in a very sad and desperate moment to plan something that would be so beneficial to all of us.

Chewkie needs surgery

When I took Chewkie in for her most recent annual doctor's appointment her doctor and I talked about sending her to a specialist to check out her toe walking issues. We ended up going to Portland's Doernbecher Children's hospital to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. Matthew had to go into the office so I took Chewkie up by myself. Doodah went to my parent's house. I'm pretty sure he LOVED being there without his sister.

Well, we met with the specialist who pretty quickly told us Chewkie needs a simple surgery followed by a very LONG recovery period. One month in double leg casts, 3 months of 24/7 braces, 3 months of braces worn at night, and another 6 months until she's back to her regular bouncy self. That's intense and it left me feeling like surely there must be something else we should try and surely he just said that because he's a surgeon and surgery is what they do best. it was all I could do to hold myself together until I could get us back to the car.

I called her PCP as soon as I could to get his take on the whole scenario. While I was waiting for him to return my call, I talked to my mom, my sister, and I called Matthew (though I never actually got to talk to him). Somehow between the phone calls, I missed the call from her PCP. I was so angry at myself even though he must have gone straight to voicemail.

I got home, did some research on her diagnosis, talked to Matthew some more and felt resigned to surgery for Chewkie. This evening her PCP finally got a chance to call me back and I realized the tender mercy of missing his earlier phone call. Over his lunch (after his initial voicemail) he talked to the specialist and got more insight on the diagnosis. Chewkie's condition is congenital and would not have been fixed by earlier intervention. He also told me that, although the recovery is severe, we probably would get the same answer from another pediatric orthopedist. It was the final answer to affirm what I had already been feeling, but now no one has to feel guilty for not noticing it sooner.

1. Today I am grateful I missed the initial phone call from Chewkie's PCP even if it caused me to be angry at myself for some time.
2. I am grateful for some alone time with my unbearably adorable daughter.
3. I am grateful for the peace in what comes next for my sweet daughter.

Finally, a picture of Chewkie in her paper pants that made her so very happy. She asked and they agreed to let her take them home. The simple joys in a young girl's life.

P.S. This is how Adelae stands on her feet almost all the time.