Official Picture

Every year around their birthday, I do a little photo-shoot with the boys... I didn't really this year with Brad, but he's been super great with helping me play with some of the new studio stuff I recently got. In the playing around, I took this picture of him... and it just HAS to be the official '10 year old' picture!
It is SO Brad! A big grin, and that hat! It originally was dark blue - like, almost black it was such a dark blue. He picked it out when we were in the States a few years ago, (over a toy!) and has worn it almost every day since. Even in the HOT summer weather, I find him sticking it in his backpack, "just in case it cools off".

What an amazing kid Brad is! He's thoughtful, creative, and I love that he shares stuff with me that he feels insecure about. I hope our relationship never changes.
I hope that when I'm not "cool" anymore to him, he know that I'm still his biggest cheerleader, even if he wants me to be a little more invisible around his friends.
I'll always have his back, no matter how badly he screws up. I will always stand up for him, and help him get back on track. I hope he knows that I'm doing my absolute best to keep him safe, even if he doesn't understand now why something is 'unsafe'. Why I won't let him go to certain places, watch certain movies, or listen to some music. I hope someday he understands that this wasn't the easy way out -that I didn't spend 3 days reading lyrics online before loading his ipod because I had nothing better to do.
This is my job - I'm his Mom, and I take that seriously. I hope some day he'll understand that it's because we love him SO much that we don't take the easy road and let him do whatever he wants. He's 10 now, and such a an amazing kid. He's going to be the most amazing man!

Happy 10th Birthday Bradley - I love you more than words can say!

Brad's Big 10!

10! TEN!! WHAT?! Double digits!!
Brad turned 10 this weekend, and what a party we had for him! 12 of his friends were able to come, plus Zach. Boy, was I praying for sunny weather! What would I have done with them all in the house?!

Luckily, we had PERFECT weather for the water fights Brad wanted to have, and all the games Dustin and I had put together.
The party invitation was a Lego Star Wars one, so we tried to have a bit of that theme running through the party as well.
All in all, I think Brad and his friends had a blast! It was kinda sad to see Zach sitting left out, but every time I offered to help him join in, he declined. Poor kid - broken legs SUCK!

The Goodie Bags I made

Cupcake Cones- a huge hit, once again!

Checking over his shoulder during the water fight!

Gifts

Humoring me for a picture - the wind blew all the candles out long before he could.

The first challenge for the boys to become "Jedi"

Another - popping a balloon with their bum. Was HILARIOUS!

Bobbing for apples - much harder than it looks! Most couldn't do it!

They all earned their Light Sabers and are now Jedi!

After a treasure hunt (with clues that had them running all over the yard), they found their goody bags in the treasure chest.

Chowing down on worms, lol!

His actual birthday morning - headphones from Zach

And the ipod he's been asking for months for!

I do have TWO kids!

Most posts lately seem to be about Zach - I know! He's taken up a lot of time and attention around here with his broken leg, but Brad has been busy during this time too. He's a great older brother, helping Zach cheerfully (usually), and hanging out with him on the couch.

He's also been busy helping Dustin with some of the yard work! I came out one evening to see Dustin teaching him how to "back-blade" the driveway with a skidstear we'd been able to use. (Dustin kept close and careful watch, don't panic).
I was hit, yet again, with the realization that I am slowly losing my little boy.
I love that he's learning skills like this, so when he's older it's not a big deal. I mean, really- he did it when he wasn't even 10 yet -surely that's got to be a confidence builder!
I guess I'm a real town girl when it comes to stuff like this, because it impressed the bejeebers off my feet that my baby was able to drive skidstear ... but then a friend said her little brothers did it all the time, and Dustin said he was driving machines like this at that age too.
Huh.
Town girl here, like I said! If you can drive anything other than a 10 speed before you get your driver's license, I am IMPRESSED!

Zach's 1st day back

Well, today was Zach's 1st regular day back to school. He was pretty excited this morning, had next to no pain, and was doing so well with getting ready himself.
Then, crutching to the car he tripped on a cat who thought his crutches was just the greatest toy ever.... DANG CAT! To save himself from completely wiping out, since I was just out of arms' length, he had to put his casted foot down. He shrieked, probably more from fear than pain, but did catch himself and was able to prevent anything too bad from happening. He was beyond disgusted with the kitten!
Lets just say if he could have caught it after, we'd have 2 cats now and not 3.

Anyway, I got him to school and settled without further incident, so I was expecting a good day. I did give the teacher our cell numbers (I know the school has it, but I wanted it super handy - because I'm a paranoid mom) but wasn't suprised that she didn't call.
I picked him up a little early to avoid the stampede in the halls, and he was smiling the whole way home telling me about his day.
Awesome! I couldn't be happier!

Last Friday was actually the first day back though; his class went on a field trip. I guess I had my days wrong because I had been convinced he missed it the day he was getting his cast.
Anyway, the big reunion happened there - all the kids (girls) fussed over him, signed his cast, and he was able to participate in most things. I had called ahead to make sure the Museum they were going to had wheelchairs so he wouldn't have to crutch all day. They actually offered me a choice between a golf cart and a wheelchair, but I didn't want to lift him in and out of the golf cart; pushing the chair was hard enough at times.
Luckily, I was able to tag along with some other parents that were hugely helpful. I went in with the attitude that I didn't expect help so it wouldn't make the day harder on anyone else, but when the offers came and my hands and back ached, I was soo thankful for it! There were a few things that he needed to either be carried out of the wheelchair for, or I needed help popping the front wheels over, and they were more than willing to help.

The few things that Zach couldn't really do (the windmill, going into a church building that's wheelchair ramp was under water (& mud!) weren't that big of a deal. I gave him my camera and he played with that for those times.

All in all, I think Zach had a great day, so it was worth all the headaches of dealing with a wheelchair all day.

Surronded by all the girls in the groups we went with. At any given time, there was a girl on either side on the wheelchair.... so funny!

In the public school house. The back desk didnt have a seat attached, so it was perfect to wheel him up to.

Cast signing session at lunch break

One of Zach's pictures - I really like this one!

Petting zoo area

Fiberglass Cast

Today was THE day I've been waiting for. Well, since May 24th at least. Zach's appointment at the Cast Clinic in the Children's Hospital was today.

The Dr was in a meeting, so we had to wait a bit (we brough DSs and snacks so we were prepared!) but once the Dr came in and saw him, he gave the Ortho Tech instructions on how to cast it and it didn't take long after that.
I'm not sure if the Tech misunderstood or what, but the first try had the cast mid-thigh, just like the temporary one was. I was REALLY hoping we could have something lower so that movement would be easier for Zach (especially in the washroom!).
The Dr came back in to inspect it and agreed that it could be lower, so the Ortho Tech sawed the top part off so it's just above the knee in front, but just below in the back. The idea is that is still supports the joint, but Zach can bend it more.

We brought Brad along since we had to leave for our appointment long before his bus would get here in the morning, and I didn't want to ask someone to come that early just for that, so he acted as my photographer while Zach got the new cast on.
At first, the Tech was going to let Brad do what Dustin ended up doing (holding Zach's leg up and still!!) but Zach freaked out more than usual at the idea, and I spoke up and suggested that maybe Dustin could do it instead, and Brad could snap a few pictures.
It really wasn't a long process, but true to character, Zach panicked and cried with step of the process and itty-bitty movement.

He'd been doing SO well the last couple of days with pain; he's really getting the hang of the crutches to get around better too (I'm not carrying him anymore!). He had a little mishap in the parkade right before our appointment that made him put weight on his broken leg, and of course, it was extremely painful. So I'm hoping the next time we go in to the Cast Clinic, in 2 weeks, he'll have a better experience and a lot less pain.

Playing DS while waiting for the Dr

The Tech checking how far he could bend his foot up - it wasn't high enough for a walking cast yet, but I'm hoping next time it will be!

Me, trying to calm him down

Finished, but still not impressed. He claims it still hurt, but when the Dr checked it again, he said it wasn't the break hurting, but the muscles around it that havent done anything all week.
Zach was given "home work" to do. A few basic leg movements to work the muscles more.