Round and round the calendar goes

And just like that, what they called a long summer is over. The kids are back to school. It’s hard to believe how quickly the months passed. 

Monday night we were sitting at dinner and Claire asked if we could have just one more week of summer. We laughed and told her that they were probably a lot of other kids asking for the same gift at the same time around the state. But, none the less, tomorrow morning, everyone would be heading back to school.

This year we have a big twist in the schedule. We have a middle Schooler! This means early mornings for Ellie and at least one parent to support her. None of us are morning people. This is a big adjustment, but after two days so far so good.

The first day was a little nerve-racking for everyone. Ellie asked me if I would walk her to school, instead of walking with her friend. She would walk with her friend tomorrow. I was honored and definitely willing to take the time to walk her to school. I’m grateful she still wants me around. I know this time is fighting in our life. That being, despite the fact she said she’ll always want me around and always want to live with me. 

For Ellie, the first day was all right. Lunch was a little bit hard because she didn’t feel anyone talk to her at lunch despite sitting with a big group of girls. That made me sad. Middle school is hard. Friendship is hard. Adolescence is hard. I am Hoping today is better. I am praying God gives you a grace and skills to help her through these years somehow. She does like most of her teachers.

At the normal time Clair and Banks got ready for more time at the elementary school. Their morning went very smoothly. It was a minor change in the drop off location of the school, but otherwise we sent to have the kids off. Max needed to help others friend to carry his supplies, due to his hernia. I had to strap clear supplies to her, literally, because there were so many. Apparently she made it to her teacher without falling down and she helped unload all her stuff. Both had good days, with a little bit of social disappointment about around lunch and recess. Here’s hoping today is better for them too. 

I hear of the stories of my kids feeling left out or feeling like nobody wanted to play with them or eat with them, it breaks my heart. I hope that when they see others that they notice are left out, but they are able to step in and offer to be a friend to them. No kid should be alone at lunch. No kid should be alone at recess. That is, unless they really want to for some reason. But I honestly believe people don’t want to be left alone in the situations so I think so just get used to it.

Friendships and social interactions can be so hard for some of us. I will keep trying to be better at it because I know my kids need to have a way of learning to navigate the world. 

Here are a few images from the day.

Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but she was really happy with it!

Mamma and her eldest. 

Grannie called to say good morning. 

Wakes right past the elementary school and into the middle! 

Gorgeous girl! 

Snuggles, always and forever. 

Off to 4th grade! 

What a great friend! 

She’s full! 

Max’s umbilical hernia repair

One of Max’s doctors Discovered the spring that he has an umbilical hernia left over from when he was born. This Friday, we finally had it repaired. Four days later Max is doing OK. He handled it like a champ. He is brave and patient.

The day of surgery he was scheduled to start at noon, but kept getting pushed back and pushed back, until 4 PM when they finally started. Max, David, and I spent a good five hours in a 8 x 8 hospital room with Max in preop. He was good for the first few hours watching TV while I did work and David did stuff on his phone. Eventually back got old. Things started to get silly. The boy hadn’t had any food for dinner the night before. We offered by this time he be well on his way to recovery. Find me when the doctors took him in he asked if he could walk to the operating room. The Anastasia Yala just was very kind to him, and told him that he could go however he wanted and that he had been very patient. So off walked about five doctors, my sweet nine-year-old little boy, and his daddy to the operating room. They said one of us could go back, and David is the one that can do these things without showing emotion. So I assume that’s what’s best for the kids at that point in time. Meanwhile, I headed to the waiting room alone, saying prayers for my boy.

David came out a few minutes later and said things have gone very well. The anesthesiologist were impressed with Max has one capacity. Apparently he has an excellent set of lungs and should either be a singer or professional screamer. We have seen the evidence of him being a professional screamer. 

The surgery lasted a little less than an hour. We got back to see Max after he had started to come to. He was very groggy and confused. His arms were moving about on his face. I kissed him and ripped his hair and asked if he was OK. He told me he needed coffee.

At that moment in time to nurses turned to me and said what did he just ask for? I said he asked for some coffee. He said does he drink coffee? I said nope, never. But I think he feels the way he thinks I feel each morning when he knows mommy needs her coffee. Everyone had a good laugh over this, and we encourage Max to go back to sleep because he didn’t need to wake up right now. 

But Max wanted some apple juice and some food and he wanted to wake up. No doubt he was confused because after the coffee, it came in a request for mommy to go have her hernia fixed now.

Recovery went well. He was able to keep down apple juice and goldfish and a popsicle before we left the hospital right around rush-hour. They don’t keep them long and postop care for outpatient surgery. I always wish that they would keep them longer.

Max did great on the ride home. By the time we were heading home he was asking what we were having for dinner and there were signs that he was moving in the right direction. I was pleased he never threw up.

When we got home his sisters had some presents for him. Gramma was also waiting to see how he was doing. He stayed on Tylenol and ibuprofen for less than 48 hours. The only thing left is to get him walking upright and not scared of using his abdominal muscles again. This part is still a work in progress.

I’m really proud of how he has handled this all. He goes with the flow, he is brave, and he keeps a good sense of humor at every turn. I’m so sorry he’s going through this, and I hope this journey of the surgeries over the next month will help us figure out how he can live a better quality of life.