A Watched Pot Never Boils

I am so impatient. And this whole knee thing taking 3 years is not my cup of tea. But, really if you have been around Kenyon lately, you can tell that it is not a good thing. He can't walk. The pain has increased and his ability to get around has decreased. So a couple of week ago, I called back up to the doctor and said "you need to do something." I really think he would be in a wheelchair by the end of the year if this isn't dealt with.
 picture source
Yesterday we finally got in.  And it is a potentially long story. If you want the short answer - he is having his knee scoped next Wednesday. It is an outpatient surgery but his leg will be immobilized for about a week and then he starts therapy. The right knee first and later the left. The goal is to clean out all the inflammation and scar tissue and try to help the knee heal. But ultimately we are still talking years to regrow new bone.

Longer story -he also has scoliosis in the lower part of his back because his right leg is an INCH shorter than the left. How did I not notice that? It really is so obvious. That problem has existed long before cancer but does not help the pain and condition of his knee. So we will be seeing another guy to get started on taking care of that - 1st step is to get a heel insert made.

The doc also wants a bone density scan of his knees so that we have a baseline to measure progress. I don't know why that wasn't done a long time ago. Seems kind of obvious. But here's the catch. Nobody seems to do that scan. They typically only scan hips for bone density. So we did that but the density is fine there. I am sure the doc will figure it out because he has had it prescribed before but we'll see.

So...we continue on or improve actually the diet. He really needs to have a great diet that promotes bone growth and is also anti-inflammatory. And try to get to a point where he is walking.

Carry on...

The Balancing Act

When I made my last post on the Insanity of the last week (and the next couple weeks to come), I wasn't trying to sound super (but hey thanks). It really feels like insanity and it wears on on all of us. It has me thinking constantly about the choices we all made to be involved in so many things and ultimately how to balance EVERYTHING. It feels crazy. 


This super mom (daughter of Richard and Linda Eyre - if you know them) just shared the same thoughts recently and I thought I would share. Precarious Balancing Act She talks about some upcoming events and says, "I think what it comes down to is BALANCE.  Balance is such a lovely concept, but such a hard thing to really find, don't you think?  Balance requires TIME for prioritizing and re-prioritizing and self-assessment.  It requires setting and sticking to boundaries.  And just when you think you've got things balanced quite decently, some new thing gets dropped in your lap and you're off-kilter again."


She suggests looking over the week in advance and considering the question - What are the Best things I can do this week? And then creating a list of other action items that need to be done but are not necessarily essential to be done this week.  


She also poses these questions:

• Does this really matter? To me? To others? To my overall goals?
• Do I WANT to do this?
• Does this really need to be done by ME? Am I really the best person to do it?
• Would this be the BEST thing for me to devote time and effort to NOW?
• What will I NOT do so that I can do this?
• Can I do this in a simpler way? Is it worth doing well or just barely worth doing? Thoreau said: “Our lives are frittered away by detail, simplify, simplify.”

I can tell you - that lately - there hasn't been much THOUGHT put into what I am doing. It is a list of times and places and I go. 

Here goes another week. Plenty can't change and I don't really want it to. I really think it is fun to be at each of the kids games. But there are some things I can do BETTER in the other hours of the day.

My Insanity

I know some of you are thinking of this Insanity. Some of you crazy people are even doing it. Good for you. I thought it would be fun to get my own version of Insanity added to my life. 

It goes something like this...

7-8 am - get 4 kids up, dressed, chores, pack lunches, cook breakfast, eat, read scriptures, family prayer, out the door.

8-3 pm - take care of a 2 year old - nuf said

3-8ishpm - drive carpool, homework, piano, and then...during this week it consists of 4 flag football games, 5 soccer games, practices, piano lessons, parent teacher conferences, and pine wood derby pack meeting. 

Insanity.

Not Yet!

Why does my baby girl have to be approaching 2 at rapid speed? This is ridiculous. I cycle through moments of thinking "she is the cutest little thing that ever existed" to "somebody save me OR her now please." She drives me up a wall. And at the risk of me looking like a total failure, I will share the proof. Just know that as long as she is awake - nothing is accomplished. NOTHING. And when she goes to sleep, I am so tired that I don't get much done then either. So ignore the mess. Just listen - I hear this ALL DAY LONG.

Favorite activity: pushing a chair to the sink, high-centering herself and getting a "dink." And everything around her soaking wet in the process.

Quinn was insistent that this skirt belongs to her and on her. It is actually Elise's uniform skirt.
Favorite word - MINE. A close 2nd - "Mo" that means no and yes. Totally confusing. And 3rd - "Don't Dad" or "Don't Mom".

Another Talented Relative

Kenyon's family is just chalk full of talent. And here is yet another cool one.

So he has a niece and niece in law who have a little custom invitation/announcement company. They do awesome stuff. Even Christmas cards (which I know some crazy person out there might already be thinking about that). They did the invites for THE wedding and it was also featured on Martha. BTW - have I ever told you that I LOVE letterpress. Really really love. Anyway....so that same niece-in-law just started another little company with really cute posters. Check it out!

I think this would make a great baby gift. 

Too bad I can't get some of this talent for myself. 

Martha Stewart Features THE wedding

Here it is people. Remember that wedding we went to that was so incredible? Martha Stewart featured it on her website. Check it out here.