Happy Anti-Bionic-Aversary

All that horrible metal came out of my back one year ago today, September 9th. I've survived a lot, but the back surgeries are still a pretty raw nerve so I'll keep this short and sweet. Woo-hoo, 365 days of no metal in my spine! I wish I could say it was a pain free year, not even close, but it was totally the right call. Healing is such a long process. I still have the bag of screws and rods. I've been encouraged to make some kind of art piece with it, but even a year later I'm not there yet. Someday, I'll either make something beautiful out of all that ugly metal or I'll throw it away, but not today. It's just a reminder that you have to "just keep swimming."

March-ing On Part 2

Jump in your time machines fellow travelers and let's go all the way back...to mid March! We'll all pretend I totally skipped almost two whole months of posts on purpose so I could do a few cute recap posts. Here we go...

We celebrated two years of marriage and almost seven years together (it'll be seven next month). We rang in this milestone in our usual super cool style...with board games! Cards against Humanity and such, chips and dips and some drinks. It was actually a lovely evening, not in the top ten most romantic nights of my life, but exactly what we were in the mood for. Here's to fifty or so more years!

Right on the heals of Isaac's character day Roo's school had fairy tale character day! It was conveniently the day after Epcot so she had just received her brand new Mulan dress (not that she has any shortage of options before that). I was thrilled that she wanted to be Mulan because I was sure the room would be full of Rapunzels and Belles, but she was bound to be the only Mulan. We found her a white flower from the garden for her hair, gave her some purple eye shadow and red lip gloss and even managed to find her "beads of jade". She looked perfect. Let's face it my kids kick butt at character days!

Scenes from Spring Break

I talked a lot about spring break an earlier post...But let's just sum up here as well. Children's Museum, library, movie nights, board games (Disney Sorry FTW), coloring, car sing-a-longs, play dates!, dress up, out to lunch, Easter decorating, playing "quietly", puzzles, books, running around in the backyard and making a pony at build-a-bear!

We snuck a date night into the mix right at the end our spring break. More board games and adult conversation for us. Good times.

The kids had their first and second night sleeping away from home about a week apart. Their grandparents took them out to dinner, to the Lego movie and then swimming the next morning. They gave them back happy and tired. The next weekend I asked Roo's Bestie's family to watch them so Mike and I could go out. She kindly volunteered to let them sleep over. It was very nice and super weird. It's odd, but when Mike and I are alone I always dream up all these fun things to do and then we end up happily doing nothing. I just always feel the full weight of being tired when I stop moving. It's why I don't stop moving too often if I can help it, so I can keep ignoring the tired. That being said I enjoyed my time off very much almost as much as I missed them.

Miss Roo and I took a stroll through one of the world's biggest Disney Stores and we found her the wig for her Halloween. It was late March and she just happened to demand her skeleton tights. My silly girl. She got compliments all day on them. Then we got home we tried on the whole ensemble. Amazing, right? Now we just have to wait seven months....

And now my friends you have been brought up to the present, hurray!

Our Paper Anniversary

We've come to the end of our newly wed status (not that we ever really were). One year married. We made all kinds of plans for what we would do on our first anniversary, but life happened. We were going to eat at the lovely restaurant where we had our rehearsal dinner, but with Leeloo only one day post-op and all the stress lately I just wanted a low key dinner near by and a couple of drinks.

It took three tries to find a restaurant close to home without a ridiculousness wait. Forty-five minutes to an hour, really? On a THURSDAY? I know not all of those people were married on Wednesday a year ago. Third time was the charm and we waltzed in and were seated immediately. It was even happy hour. We had a lovely dinner. We toasted...um...something...I think maybe we just said Sláinte! It means "to your health" in Irish. We were just so relieved to take a moment for ourselves. Once we'd had our fill we decided to take a walk.

After our walk we were both ready to get home. I'd given Mike his present as soon as it came in. I ordered him an LED shower head. We've nicknamed it the "rainbow shower." It's a big hit with Mike and the kids. My gift was an upgrade to my engagement ring setting, but my current side stones didn't fit so that's on the back burner for now. When we got home the kids were still awake watching Wreck it Ralph 3D in their jammies. So, I told Mike to cut everyone a piece of of cake from our top tier.

I was very nervous. Year old cake...um...yum? I had even threatened to throw it out once or twice because it took up valuable freezer space. I was completely reassured by how beautiful it still looked. Can you believe that was in the freezer for a year? I mean look at it! It tasted as good as I remembered. Mint chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. Everyone was pleased. I fully intend to contact our baker and tell her so. Once the kids had their cake and brushed their teeth it was off to bed. Mike and I had a quiet evening of old Sci-fi TV. It was lovely. Bring on year two!

Happy Blog-A-Versary!

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of the Hedgehog Blog! Unbelievable how much has happened in two years. To celebrate I thought maybe I'd list the blog's greatest hits (according to number of views):

1. Unwanted Children, Undeserving Parents: 336 views since 2/19/2011
2. Riley's Mommy Walks Funny: 292 views since 4/21/2011
3. Cottonball Christmas Countdown: 222 views since 12/2/2011
4. Conversing With Cute: 160 views since 11/20/2011
5. We Don't Live in Parking Lots: 105 views since 4/26/2011

So, there you have my top five in the last 2yrs of posts. A little social commentary, some silly kid stuff, disabled mom perspective and crafts. It seems like a pretty good snap shot of what I get up to blog side to me. Full disclosure though, there were two with more views than number 5, but one was a contest entry and the other was pictures of Riley's new room so I skipped them.

This blog has given me a place to write, an excuse for time to myself and connected we with lots of other wonderful people who I am so lucky to have read my little old blog. Thank you, thank you. If you keep reading it, I keep writing. Here's to another two years!

Happy Back-A-Versary

One year ago this week, May 24,2010, I had spinal fusion surgery. After my pain intensified to the point that I could no longer lift my baby I decided to do something. After alot of tests, doctor's appointments and drama it turned out surgery was the answer. All of that is documented in the blog. However, the ensuing year is not as well documented.

Partially because it's impossible to type when you can't sit upright. On top of that it's time consuming healing with a newly mobile, still breast feeding 8mo old at home and I often didn't have words to describe what it was like (hard to believe I know). It was a long dark journey after a "terrible insult to my body." It will be a whole year before I am completely healed.

I'm so lucky to have had the wonderful friends who came over every night with dinner in the early days and never forgot about me during the long periods I couldn't get out. Thank you new mommy group ladies! Thank you friend who spent your vacation days visiting me and washing my hair. Thank you friends and family who came to visit and lend a hand. Be patient with me I'm halfway there.