A Crazy Summer Comes to an End

One-handed typing takes some getting used to. Had my ulna shortening osteotomy Sept. 3 and all went as well as can be expected. It's painful, in a cast from elbow to fingertips and itches like crazy. I go back to see the surgeon tomorrow to see how I'm doing and hopefully will get a shorter cast.

Margaret continues to make progress, although she is still in some pain. Last week was the first two days of school, and she weathered them. The first day was actually a half day because the afternoon was more like a carnival, so I brought her home. She was exhausted and very, very sore. Had to take a pill mid-day. The next day was a full day, and she had to take one mid-day as well. She comes home exhausted. Tomorrow starts her first full week. The school made what is called a 504 plan for her to comply with the Disabilities Act -- but they would have done this anyway. They gave her a permanent hall pass so she can change classes when they are empty, she isn't in gym, she has special chairs in each class, etc. She can't be in a situation where she could be jostled or bumped.

Patricia, meanwhile, continues to be a huge support to me by helping her sister as much as she can. She's a great kid. This year, for the first time, she's taken up a sport -- modified cross country. It's hard, and she's been discouraged, but she's doing great and we're very, very proud of her.

Brigid loves being a Pre-K girl. Her class has a few new kids in it, so she has some new stories to tell (apparently Oliver shoots people with whatever he can create to make a gun). She's liking the idea of being a big kid there, and you can almost see her developmental milestones jump out at you. Her vocabulary has increased tenfold; She's grown so much taller. Her conversations are rational and well-thought out. The melt downs have dwindled to a few a week rather than a few a day. Most days, she's a joy to be around.

Jack is entrenched in the world of academia now -- he is officially part of the SUNY Plattsburgh faculty. It was a hard transition to make -- going from a job he could do on auto pilot to one that takes tremendous planning and interaction with so many people, but he's doing well and getting the hang of it. Pretty soon, he'll be talking about writing textbooks and getting his Ph.D. no doubt.

Fall is in the air, and as we roll along into a new school year, it's hard not to look back on this summer without mixed emotions. It was glorious (the weather, Cape Cod); sad (losing John to a new parish); difficult (work frustrations for both Jack and me); fun (going to Montreal for Andre Rieu and an overnight, the beach); and painful (Margaret's fall, my surgery). Here's to falling back, to new challenges, pain-free living and mended bones -- all in the next few weeks.