Six

SIX! (Now, someone give me back my baby...)

How can I possibly sum up what the last six years have done to me? Meant for me? How can I tell you how incomplete I was before she came along? Without her, we were just people, and how now we are a family.

Born just before dawn, May 23, 2007, dark brown hair and eyes, chubby cheeks and plump fingers.

Now standing 4 feet tall, with light brown hair and those same chocolate-colored eyes. Elegant, graceful, smart and funny.

Claire Barbara.
You're my favorite girl, ever.

Brand new. 

One-derful!

Two and a few.

Four! (I can't find a picture of her at three...bummer. Also, t
hat kid next to her in the stripes is Ben)

Sakes alive - the girl is five!

Maybe

A good long time has passed.

Nothing much has happened. I feel strange here. Like watching the world from inside, when I should be out there, experiencing things and letting them pass

Spring has come. The trees are green and there is sweet shade beneath them. The kids are full of boundless energy these days, running, climbing and swinging through the late afternoons. C has mastered the monkey bars, at long last. Ben longs to climb and swing with her, but can't. He's starting to get the hang of pumping his legs on the Big Kid swings.

I have finished the OT I was required to do for my post-surgical finger. It's still a tiny bit tender in a few spots, still scarred, but so much better than it was. I still wonder if it was worth the time it's taking to heal. (I wonder in the abstract, of course. I know it's worth it. Left untreated the growth would have continued and become worse.)

We're making our summer plans - camping, water parks, weekends away. I've signed the kids up for camp for a few weeks.

I'm glad it's warm again, aren't you?

Belvedere Castle

Yesterday

Yesterday was one of those rare days. Perfect.

We woke up, made pancakes and headed into the city. Central Park, to be exact. It took a shlep, but fortune smiled on us, and we made it to our destination easily. (We made all of our subway connections AND the Maclaren stroller folded and unfolded when we needed it to.)

Claire, Ben and I were headed for the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater for a performance of Pippi. (As in Pippi Longstocking.) Claire was excited as we were going to be meeting many of her Daisy Scout Troop, I was less so. I don't remember liking Pippi very much. I was the sort of kid who got very nervous around over the top kids. She upset my very ordered mind. AND even worse, I do not like puppets. I mean, Muppets are OK, and hand puppets are acceptable, but marionettes? Ugh. Even thinking about them makes me a little wobbly.

All told, it was a pleasant afternoon of theater. Ben was utterly charming, giggling at all all the right parts. Afterwards, we climbed to the top of Belvedere Castle, and down again, and let the kids play in the Diana Ross playground. We even treated ourselves to hotdogs.

One Month

A little more than a month has passed, and things are getting better and better.

The scar is starting to fade in spots, and the nerves are coming back. Slowly. I had a muscle spasm last week while cracking an egg, sending egg whites all over the kitchen. Weird, right?

It's still strange, and I have a ways to go. According to the occupational therapist I see, it could be a year or more before the scar is fully cured.

Gong Hey Fat Chow

We had a bona fide urban adventure today. We went to Flushing, Queens to see the Lunar New Year Parade. It was pretty awesome. We met our friends at the subway, then took the trusty 7 train to the parade route. 

When we came out, we found the streets were still empty, so we got some snacks at the Taipan Bakery. If you've never had Chinese pastry, I highly recommend it. 

Then we secured a spot along Main Street, and waited for the parade. 

  Of course, the biggest attraction is the dragon dancers, and we were not disappointed. This guy was one of three in the main section of dancers. Later on there were some smaller lions which were equally impressive. We also saw a police department marching band, several Tai Kwon Do schools and various civic organizations.

The kids had a blast. In addition to Claire and Ben, our friend N was with us, along with her parents. The girls get along swimmingly, and Ben absolutely glows when he's around N's dad, P.

I loved the costumes - bright colors cutting thorough the grey winter day. These guys (below) were my favorite - that yellow with the blue sash. They were a traditional band, playing horns of every shape and size, including several dudes blowing conch horns.

Afterwards, we took our friends to our favorite noodle shop, Nan Xiang-Dumpling House, and had a wonderful lunch. 

Wiggle It, Just a Little Bit - Part 3

So, here I am, one week into this recovery. I do my exercises, as prescribed four times a day (whichever kid happens to be around gets a big kick out of counting the reps for me.)

And slowly, things are getting easier. I can feel most of my finger now, in fact the only bit that is numb is where the surgeon cut away the tumor. I've gotten all the sensation back in the rest of my finger, and a good deal of the incision is healed.

I've gotten an amazing lot of range of motion back, and while I'm still tentative with it, there's lots I do without thinking.

However, there are a few raw spots, and the joints of my finger are taking their sweet-ass time in healing. I'm reluctant to put any lotion on the cracked and sore skin. I desperately want to scrub my finger, like it will feel better once there's no longer a purple jagged line running down and across it.

Tomorrow I see the OT for the first time. I'll post more after that visit.