Holidays Are Busy

I didn't update since December 11? Geez. I'll do general updates for you...

Ryker update:

He had his Holiday Program at school last week. He has been singing the songs and doing the little dances around the house for a long time. He got up on stage, smiled hugely and waved at us, then stood perfectly silently for the almost the entire program. He smiled nicely and clasped his hands together. Not a word. Not a dance move. All the teachers took turns trying to coax him into participating, and he would just shake his head no. They kept turning to me and shrugging. Hilarious. He did yell out one line of one song, which made the whole audience cheer, and then stood silently again. Afterwards he seemed perfectly pleased with himself.

He also continues to be fiercely loyal to his brother. If Jack is in a timeout, Ryker tries to spring him loose, or tell us that it's time to let him out. It's pretty cute.

Jack update:

He lost his first tooth! I got a call at work from the school nurse, who we happen to know anyway because she dates our neighbor across the street. She said "Jamie - Jackson lost his tooth!" and I said "exciting!" and she said "yes, but we can't find it, so you will want to watch him..." and then the call dropped. Ummm, watch for WHAT? Wouldn't it just...pass, or something? Anyway, he got the coveted Tooth Necklace, which is supposed to hold your tooth so you can take it home. Only his was empty. He made me write a note to the Tooth Fairy, which he dictated to me. It said "Dear Tooth Fairy, Jackson lost his tooth. He lost it for real." Then he said "Dear Jackson". I said "huh? Are we starting a new letter?" and he said "no, now write Dear Jackson". He thought closings are the same as openings. So cute. We put the note under his pillow and the Tooth Fairy brought him a shiny gold one-dollar coin with a picture of Abraham Lincoln on it. Score!

Jack has also decided he wants to help around the house a lot. Mostly he wants to cook. He now makes breakfast for Ryker (oatmeal and cereal usually - they are hobbits, remember?). He has also helped make spinach lasagna, and gingerbread cookies.

I'm still healing from the back injury. After every 8 physical and/or occupational therapy appointments, they have you see the spine doc for a re-evaluation. Mine was last week. He says I'm right on track. I've been given the entire circuit training routine to start, which is early for people in my condition. That's due to two things - 1) I was an athlete to start with, so I know most of these exercises, and 2) I couldn't DO anything for the first few appointments so they had lots of time to talk to me.

I'm in the first of two machines, but the doc wouldn't graduate me to the Big Girl Machine (my term). I was bummed about that. The machine that I work in right now is all about range of motion, adding in foot-pounds-of-pressure. I'm at 70 foot pounds right now, and they want me over 100. I'm getting there but they only add 5 pounds every appointment, and that's only the 1st of the 2 machines. They've finally found a position that my back will tolerate in traction, so every appointment ends with me getting pulled in half. It is a VERY weird feeling, but helps. The doc also checked all of my leg symptoms, which is the first order of business - getting the nerve pain out of my leg. My right calf is stronger than it was when I first went in, but I am still totally numb from the knee down on the outside of that leg, on the right side/bottom of my foot, and in my pinkie toe. I also still have zero reflex in my right achilles and behind my right knee.

So, that's the back update. All of THAT being said, I'm able to be back at work full days and to perform my job fairly normally. I'm able to help at home and be a mom and wife. So that's good. I told them, though, that I would rate my "progress" on a scale of 1-10 as a 3. The looked surprised and I said "I have high standards for where I want to be." They smiled.

Chuck's weathering the storm of having a not-as-helpful wife and two crazy boys really well. He's also losing crazy amounts of weight on a new eating/workout regiment. My Incredible Shrinking Husband.

Okay - those are the updates. I'm sure I'll be back to tell you all about Christmas too! Happy Christmas Eve everyone!