Random Tidbits

• Nana was here with us all through last week.  Thanks to her visit, I was able to get those pesky last boxes unpacked, take the older boys to the dentist without doing the wheelchair shuffle, give Toby a break from physical therapy tag-along, go on a date with my husband, get groceries for the next two weeks, and talk my mama's ear off.  My mom works as a church secretary, and it was the church's idea to give her the week off to help us.  What an incredible gift! 

photo by our resident 4-year-old photographer

• Our medical journey as a family has definitely impacted the way that the kiddos view the world.  Today we were playing football, and Toby said, "Now let's throw the football while bending at the waist so that we can work more muscles!"  Maybe our little drummer will have physical therapist as his day job title.  And then, of course, there are the many medical checkups occuring in our living room:

Nana getting serious medical treatment

• Our first hamster had a very short life with us, so when we realized that our second hamster had survived over a year with the indiansandpirates, we were thrilled.  Eli refers to Cappucino as a senior hamster (since he certainly wasn't a very young guy when he joined us), but he's definitely still a spunky hamster - he escaped yet again just last month and still hangs by his teeth from the top bars of his cage.  We celebrated his vigor by giving him some treats. 

• Home continues to be the best medicine/motivation for Ish.  He is making ridiculous progress with standing and walking, he is sleeping so much better and is completely off pain medication, and he is just soaking up everything a day in his home holds for him.  He's still a bit shy in public, but he's working on it.  I told him tonight that he definitely doesn't quit, and he said, "What does quit mean?"  Even though I explained it to him, I don't think Ish will ever know what quit means in the whole of his life.

Some gymnastics work while warming up for some basketball