a blog about raising a daughter with cerebral palsy and learning unexpected lessons along the way

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Bit of May

May is one of my favorite months. Having my birthday and Mother's Day all in the same month makes for a lot to look forward to. Both are now behind me. 36 feels pretty darn good and being a Mommy is my ultimate joy and always will be.



April showers have done a wonderful job of showering into May. Like the rest of the east coast, we have been under raindrops far more often than under the sunshine. This kinda' chilly, wet spring weather has had me on a mission to get my girls into their own pair of rain boots.



And the Laurie Berkner song titled "BOOTS" just happens to land on the Teaster girl's Top 10 which only means these kiddos needed some. I pulled through. And the rain has continued to fall which is making us very happy. Splashing in the rain and mud is good for the soul.



And speaking of good for the soul... There is nothing quite like the very moment of the evening when both girls are in their beds and the final nighty-night is exchanged. Both bathed, sleepy, cuddly, tucked in and especially sweet. Naturally, I always tell Oia I love her at bedtime. She usually returns a sleepy "ok" in reply. She can't independently say "I love you" yet. I settle for whatever reply she can give me because world-class huggers don't need words to confirm their love and because I know that one day she will be able to say "I love you too, Mommy". Esme is the last one I say love you to each evening, as the baby in her needs my shoulder just a little bit longer than her sister does. Just three nights ago, I gently lowered our sleepy Esme down into her crib, told her I'd see her in the morning just as soon as she woke, then turned to walk out of the room while whispering I love you, Esme... and with one more step towards the door I faintly heard "lub you" from inside that tiny, white crib. I froze for a moment to not only internalize the words but more so the feeling they gave. "I love you, too", I whispered one more time. Mommy's need I love you's and my very first one is now filed into memory forever. These tiny and soft-spoken words are just as good for the soul, if not better than, a good pair of rain boots. Oia will tell me she loves me too one day, just as soon as she can. I know she will.



Also this month, we ventured on a weekend away to the Sharpe's in North Carolina. We so enjoy relaxing with these dear friends on their rural slice of Heaven, which offers a nice and much needed break from the tight neighborhood we live. Cows were tagged and fed, Ms. Emily the donkey was loved on, tractors were rode, fish were caught, and we all had our fair share of cow poo under our feet. Pure country bliss. Thank you Jason, Suzanne, and Sawyer for your love and southern hospitality that we can never get enough of.




And to close, next week is the end of another chapter for Oia. Just 4 days of her 3 PK years left. I'm ready for us all to move on to new and fresher things, whether we are ready or not. Currently, her IEP for Kindergarten is still incomplete and under "negotiation". It's a nitpick of wording at this point to ensure that verbal commitments from the school are documented properly and carried through with. I'll save the topic and details for when this loop is finally closed. IEP talk is draining anyways...

Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend, everyone.



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