Free At Last

Avee finally got her cast off. She has a cute little limp from habit. She's already jumped on it 563 times since she got it removed, so I'm pretty confident it's completely healed. None too soon. She had just started using it as a "crutch." We went to dinner at some friend's house and they have a couple of little "mommies" who loved doting on Avee. She recognized that immediately and I heard her telling one of them, "I haf a broken layg. I can't walk." And so she was carried like an infant to the dinner table.

We promised her when she had it off that we would take her swimming. So that night we went to the YMCA. As we were driving the 1/4 of a block from our house to the Y in 26 degree weather, it was not lost on me how much work it was to get out the door to go swimming with three kids. Almost ridiculous.

At the pool we swam for about 20 minutes when a lady gave us the boot because of a class. We weren't even technically supposed to be there. I thought maybe we could ride it out, but it was going to be 45 minutes before we could get back in the pool. I asked the lifeguard if we could go get in one of the lap lanes and leave if anyone came. She said no. So we made our way to the family shower/dressing room. It was FREEZING and I knew that a 20 minute swim wasn't going to satiate Avee. She's been waiting 2 months. We stood in the shower/dressing room while my mind raced thinking of a suitable solution.

I turned on the shower for the kids to stay warm. Then I decided to plead my case one more time to the lifeguard. There were 6 lap lanes and only one person swimming.

This time when I went out, it was a male lifeguard. I opened with, "My daughter just got a cast off her leg that she's had on for nearly 2 months and we promised her we'd take her swimming..." I didn't even have to try that angle. He couldn't have cared less if we swam in a lap lane.

I rushed back to the locker room to tell J and the kids the great news. J had pulled down the bench in the shower, drawn the curtain shut, and was sitting in the shower with both kids on his lap, keeping everyone warm while the kids happily played with the removable shower head. When I pulled back the curtain J looked up feigning surprise and in his best Michael Jackson impersonation said, "There's nothing going on here."

We made our way back to the pool and over to the furthest lane and had a grand ol' time in a space probably as big as Donald Trump's bathtub.

Yesterday I helped with the primary activity and another 4 year old boy whom I was helping make a snowflake informed me that my son was "cuuhraaaazy". When I asked him what that meant he said, "He doesn't really ever be hayve." Nice to get feedback from another 4 year old.

I told the kid to shut his mouth or I just might let him have it.

We have a bunch of presents crammed up at the top of a not very big coat closet. I asked Bo today if I pulled them down if he and Avee would leave them alone and not open any of them. He answered, "No, I'd rather you take them downstairs so I won't open them." Where did this kid come from? I can guarantee you Avee's eyes would have darted around rapidly, assessing the situation as quickly as possible and she would have answered,"Oh yes Mother Dear, put them down within our reach, we'll never touch them."

It's a good thing I married J. Something needs to balance out the tricky, manipulative, cuteness Avee and I bring to this family.

Here's a little footage of Avee's limp. It makes me laugh. Today she dropped a chair on her feet (don't even ask...) and it left a couple of marks on the top of both her feet. When the pain didn't subside immediately, she started asking for a cast again. I so get this girl.