My mom is having her hip replacement surgery tomorrow. She will be 70 this June and is in good health otherwise so I'm sure the surgery will go well. She will need a lot of help afterwards because they send them home three nights after surgery. The poor patient has to set their home up like a hospital with special walkers, toilet raiser, bars in the bath etc. They even had to learn to change her dressing themselves. When I say them I mean both my mom and dad because my dad will be the one helping my mom at home. I don't know why they can't send a nurse in to at least do a couple of bandage changes and make sure things are going okay.
My sisters and I are making plans to help out my dad by going up and cleaning the house. My mom already has a bunch of meals in the freezer and my dad can cook a few meals himself but we'll bring some extra ones up and generally try to take the stress off him a bit. We are all a bit nervous and worried for my mom. It's a big surgery on some big bones and will take months to recuperate from even if it all goes well.
My kids are back in school after their two week spring break. They spent most of it bored. The weather isn't good and we don't have money to go on a holiday or do much like their friends do so I tried to keep them busy but teens aren't the same as younger kids and don't want to do crafts, go for walks, have puppet plays etc. These used to keep them busy on breaks from school but now they are too old for those things, or so they say. I'm old and I still enjoy doing them!
So it was a pretty pathetic spring break for them and I feel bad but I did make many suggestions on things they could do and generally tried to accommodate them. Teens are tough work, much tougher than I expected even when everyone told me that teens are hard work. I guess I figured since my two didn't bother with the terrible twos stuff they'd maybe skip the teen angst stuff too. It's hard to watch you child go through all that stuff with hormones flying and them trying to figure out who they are. Then there is all that stuff with friends (no girlfriends or boyfriends yet, thank goodness, or at least not that I know of).
From what other parents of boys have told me it's common for them to play video games tons. And some older teens and graduates told me that the older boys don't change much and are still playing video games. Now I'm not against playing a video game now and then but not to the exclusion of sunlight and sleep! Can you imagine what all that sitting does to a growing body? Not to mention what must happen to that still developing brain. A teens brain is still developing and it's important that they take good care of it so that it develops fully.
So my son has become a recluse playing video games my daughter is going through the friend angst stuff. And just to be clear I don't let my son play video games all day but if he is left up to his own devises that's what he'd do. The only hobby he has is going to violin lesson and getting him to practise is like pulling teeth. He doesn't like sports even though we always encouraged them to be in a sport. At 13 we finally let him drop out of Karate because he didn't like going. I'd hoped he find another sport or at least be active in another way but so far the only exercise he gets is at PE, walking to school and scrubbing the bathtub (one of his weekly chores).
These are all things my mom and daughter brain have been filled with the past few weeks. I know I've promised pictures and I see the camera sitting just over there..... oh heck I guess I'll go find the cord and see what's on the camera to post for you. I know I enjoy seeing pictures on all the blogs I read so in keeping with that sentiment.
Erin here's the antler that my daughter found. It reminded me of the one you had.
Here's the picture of the crocuses peeking out of the garden last week. This week they are blooming and I better get out and take a picture of them because they will be done soon.
And Erin here is another one for you. I too have a bowl of rocks and a fish bowl of shells too but those aren't in this picture. I need to wash my rocks soon.
Those are the only pictures worth posting from a bunch off the camera. I could post a bunch of the kids' and husband's birthday but no one really wants to see those.
I'll update after my mom is out of the hospital.
My sisters and I are making plans to help out my dad by going up and cleaning the house. My mom already has a bunch of meals in the freezer and my dad can cook a few meals himself but we'll bring some extra ones up and generally try to take the stress off him a bit. We are all a bit nervous and worried for my mom. It's a big surgery on some big bones and will take months to recuperate from even if it all goes well.
My kids are back in school after their two week spring break. They spent most of it bored. The weather isn't good and we don't have money to go on a holiday or do much like their friends do so I tried to keep them busy but teens aren't the same as younger kids and don't want to do crafts, go for walks, have puppet plays etc. These used to keep them busy on breaks from school but now they are too old for those things, or so they say. I'm old and I still enjoy doing them!
So it was a pretty pathetic spring break for them and I feel bad but I did make many suggestions on things they could do and generally tried to accommodate them. Teens are tough work, much tougher than I expected even when everyone told me that teens are hard work. I guess I figured since my two didn't bother with the terrible twos stuff they'd maybe skip the teen angst stuff too. It's hard to watch you child go through all that stuff with hormones flying and them trying to figure out who they are. Then there is all that stuff with friends (no girlfriends or boyfriends yet, thank goodness, or at least not that I know of).
From what other parents of boys have told me it's common for them to play video games tons. And some older teens and graduates told me that the older boys don't change much and are still playing video games. Now I'm not against playing a video game now and then but not to the exclusion of sunlight and sleep! Can you imagine what all that sitting does to a growing body? Not to mention what must happen to that still developing brain. A teens brain is still developing and it's important that they take good care of it so that it develops fully.
So my son has become a recluse playing video games my daughter is going through the friend angst stuff. And just to be clear I don't let my son play video games all day but if he is left up to his own devises that's what he'd do. The only hobby he has is going to violin lesson and getting him to practise is like pulling teeth. He doesn't like sports even though we always encouraged them to be in a sport. At 13 we finally let him drop out of Karate because he didn't like going. I'd hoped he find another sport or at least be active in another way but so far the only exercise he gets is at PE, walking to school and scrubbing the bathtub (one of his weekly chores).
These are all things my mom and daughter brain have been filled with the past few weeks. I know I've promised pictures and I see the camera sitting just over there..... oh heck I guess I'll go find the cord and see what's on the camera to post for you. I know I enjoy seeing pictures on all the blogs I read so in keeping with that sentiment.
And Erin here is another one for you. I too have a bowl of rocks and a fish bowl of shells too but those aren't in this picture. I need to wash my rocks soon.
Those are the only pictures worth posting from a bunch off the camera. I could post a bunch of the kids' and husband's birthday but no one really wants to see those.
I'll update after my mom is out of the hospital.
Comments
I've always felt a bit of stress in the spring time. Most people get energized in the spring and go into doldrums in the fall. My wiring must be messed up because I'm just the opposite. I could probably analyze why I'm that way but I won't go into it here. Other than to say I just don't like spring. Think MUD, damp, wet, chills-you-to-the-bone, no more time for handwork or reading in front of the fire. See? I really am a lazy person to the core!
I'm still waiting to hear how the surgery went but unfortunately she won't be pain free after it. She has to have surgery on her knees too but one surgery at a time. Poor woman's joints are falling apart and she's not a large or overweight woman either.
Erin we are teaching the son how to cook so if in the future his wife goes away he'll be fine on his own, no freezer meals necessary.