Going back to May

Hello?!  Is it me you're looking for?  The old Lionel Richie song seems appropriate since it's been so long since I've posted.  I will try to get caught up.  Going back to the middle of May.

I finished my fifth and final March for Babies walk on Saturday, May 20th.  At the middle of January when my boss quit and my coworker was on maternity leave until March I didn't know if I would make it through the walk season.  It was me, two interns and a part-time administrator.  Somehow, someway, we made it through.  My coworker came back, we hired a new boss and even by the last walk we got to hire a new part time person.  It was the hardest spring of my career but I survived.

In the evening of 5/20 we went to the Greek Festival in town.  It's always a big deal around here.  It was my first time going and I was underwhelmed.  The food was good and the church was pretty to see but there wasn't any dancing going on while we were there.  Plus it was really hot.  We didn't stay long.

We got an early call on 5/24 from the school that the power was out and said they could bring flashlights with them.  This happened once a couple years ago and the kids thought it was so fun!  It was out the entire day that time.  Thankfully it was on around 10:30am this year.

That same day Lindy had a doctor's appointment at the ophthalmologist in Greensboro.  She had started saying things were tilted.  She explained it as if doors were leaning towards here.  She said it a few times in the fall of 2016 and then stopped saying it.  She ramped back up saying it so I had to get it checked on.  Of course I feared her retinas were detaching.  She had gotten new glasses but because she had said it in the fall with her old glasses, I couldn't just blame the glasses.  Thankfully she checked out fine.  Nothing had changed since her previous appointment which was reassuring.  On the other hand, he had no idea whey she'd be saying that and didn't know of any conditions with that as a side effect.  So while we were still stumped, at least we knew nothing bad was happening.

Memorial Day was the last weekend in May and we actually went and did something fun.  We took a day trip to the mountains.  Our planned destination was Linville Caverns. The kids had been with summer camp the year before but we had not been.  About 5 minutes before we got there we saw a cute little cheese shop so we stopped to try their cheese and it was delicious.  We enjoyed our visit and got some cheese for the road.  Thankfully we got to Linville Caverns early because when we came out it was busy.  We enjoyed our tour into the caverns except for it being really wet and our fast talking tour guide.  They give guided tours and point out all kinds of things along the way.  Our girl talked so fast you only caught about 1/2 of what she was saying.  We had had days of rain the week before so it was dripping rain water most of the time.  I had brought sweatshirts because it stays 52F in there year round so we were able to use the hoods on our sweatshirts as rain coats.  It was neat to see the different rock formations.  We left there and decided to stop by the nearby Linville Falls.  It was a short walk to the falls, or should have been.  The kids ran ahead and took a wrong turn and we ended up in the other parking lot.  We finally got to the falls and we were blown away with how cool it was.  Definitely didn't expect to find what we did.  We finally headed out of there and made our way to Blowing Rock.  Drew took the kids to the park in the middle of town and I looked through a few shops.  We had dinner and then we finally headed down the mountain back home.  It was a fun mountain day trip.  It's fun to live in NC and be able to go to the mountains or beach.  We just wish the beach was a little closer.

We finished out the long weekend by meeting GrandBob and Suzette at Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury.  We met for a picnic lunch and then just played at the park.  Drew, Bob and Will played putt putt and Lindy, Suzette and I walked through the little zoo.  Suzette and I also took the kids on the train.  The kids played on the playground for a good while too.  It was a great playground for Lindy.  We had a fun day at the park with them.

Greek Festival

 Going to school with no power!

 Snacks at the cheese shop

 With the 'green pickle'

 Hiking at Linville Gorge

 With their walking sticks from Mr. Jerry Perry

 Linville Falls

 You turn the corner and whoa - crazy, rushing water.

 Dan Nicholas Park with GrandBob and Suzette

Moving on into May

The last week of April was pretty boring.  The kids did take a field trip on the 25th and 26th of April.  They went to Ms. Hanes Cookie Factory.  They got to tour the factory and taste cookies.  They were learning about economics in school.

The last weekend in April brought another walk for me and tennis practice for Will. 

The first week of May was a boring one.  The only exciting thing that happened was the kids' Wax Museum project.  The kids had to pick a person to study and read about.  We had to practice a speech and they had to come up with a costume.

Will chose Steve Jobs, the co founder of Apple and Lindy chose Morris Frank, the founder of the first guide dog school in the US.  They both worked very hard on their projects and learning their scripts.  Friday, May 6th they got to do it for their teachers, two second grade classes and the parents.   All the kids were set up in their rooms in a circle.  In Will's class you hit his button to make him start talking and in Lindy's class you dropped a penny in her bucket to make her start talking.    They both did really great.  It was pretty hard to hear Lindy but we know she did a great job. 

I had another walk on May 6th and Drew took Will to tennis that day.

Will had a follow up appointment with the endocrinologist to check his growth.  We saw her in Nov. and she said he is not growth hormone deficient.  She said he just needs to eat.  She was actually pleased with his growth in May.  He had grown an inch and 4lbs.  That's the biggest weight gain we've ever seen on him.  We are keeping it up and will hopefully show good growth again at his 10 year check up.  She said we didn't need to come back unless we had a problem. 

May 11th was a special day - our 15 year wedding anniversary.  15 years of marriage.  I don't feel old enough to be married to someone for 15 years!   We unexpectedly got to go out to eat that night because Mimo took the kids to a summer reading program that night so we were kid free.  We enjoyed a nice dinner out to reminiscence about our wedding day.  Except I don't think we did that. ha!

The weekend brought my fourth March for Babies walk and then Mother's Day.  It's nice to have a day to remind everyone how great mothers are.  I was glad that my mother got to come over for lunch so I could spend it with her.  I hit the  jack pot with my mom.  She is the best!

Meet Morris Frank and his dog, Buddy

 Introducing Steve Jobs

 Because the kids didn't walk at the March for Babies they missed their signs along the route.  I snapped pics one day at my office. 

 

Thankful to be a mother to these two.

 Thankful for my mother!

 

 

Third Week of April

The third week in April was actually pretty eventful and has pictures so I'll give it its own post.

The first part of the week was the kids adjusting to school after spring break.  It was getting ready for my first walk for me. 

Will had piano lessons on Wednesday and Lindy had art lessons. 

Lindy had her HI/VI field day on Thursday, April 20th.  It's a special field day for kids who are hearing impaired or visually impaired - or both, like Lindy.  She goes with her vision teacher from school and I think she mainly stays with the visually impaired group.  But she does get to see her hearing therapist and her old hearing teachers, Ms. Asbury and Ms. Mary.  They spend the morning playing games and then her vision teacher buys them Subway for lunch.  Mimo went to stand in for us this year as neither Drew nor I could be there. 

Friday evening Lindy had her first art show.  She spent seven weeks taking an art class and she loved it.  It was a small class of four kids and the teacher was really great with her.  She really enjoyed it and we plan to do it again.  The art show was at a church in town and it was really great.  She had all the kids' work displayed and ladies from the church had gone through and given them awards.  The kids could walk around and vote on their favorite pieces and there were refreshments. 

Will had gotten a cold at the end of the week and ended up not going to school that Friday.  My mom came to town and picked up Lindy and then got Will from Mimo's house.  He stayed home with my mom while we went to the art show.  She came over to spend the night and go to the walk with me early the next day.  It worked out she was there because he has started throwing up when he gets a cold and gets all the snot and junk. 

Saturday morning was the Winston-Salem March for Babies.  Besides being first walk and the biggest walk, it is the walk our family participates in.   We had some family come walk with us and we had friends from our old church come as well.  Unfortunately neither of our kids were feeling well.  Drew did bring them, but they both walked up with throw up buckets.  Nice.  They stayed for the opening ceremony and then they actually left because they weren't feeling good. 

Ms. Asbury

 Ms. Rose Lynne

 Ms. Mary

 Lindy at her art show!

 Her self portrait!  Love it!

 Drew and Martha getting their Zumba on!

 Will faked it well

 We had the coolest moment in the opening ceremony.  We had the kids who had been born premature or with a birth defect participate in a Miracle March - a survivors lap.  It was really touching and impactful.  The whole crowd just stopped and clapped for the kids. 

 Jamie, Ellie and Mom getting started

 Sweet Ellie!

 Three great volunteers!!!