The Heat Stinks and Brady’s Accomplishment!

I don’t do heat. I don’t like to be in the hot sun. I especially don’t enjoy temps in the 90s by 9am!

I am SO VERY THANKFUL for our central air. It was my only requirement when we bought a house, and this house didn’t have it. However, we put it in a year or two after we moved in, and we have never regretted it. Although I have to say if we didn’t have it, we could be in our basement which is also very cool and comfortable!

These days are like the cold winter days in that I have to be creative and think of things we can do to occupy our time, prevent boredom, and manage chaos while not going outside.

Yesterday Matt and I took the kids to Strong Museum. There were moments of fun and cooperation, but there were more moments of the two of us being annoyed at just how difficult managing our 3 three year olds and 1 one and a half year old can be. At any given moment someone was whining or refusing to do something. There were empty threats, timeouts, standoffs, and moments when we questioned our big Museum Trip idea! But alas, amidst all that, we got a few cute pictures:)

Princess Allie kissing her frog prince!

Did I ever tell you about the time when Cara stuck the toothbrush from this exhibit in her mouth…ugh! Also take the time to appreciate Eli’s bad hair day!

Our Brady boy has achieved a BIG milestone today! Do you know how toddlers eventually learn to get up off the floor using a kneel to stand stance? Brady has always gotten up off the floor like a young toddler, with his bum up in the air using his hands to push up off the floor. We worked in PT to have him push off the ground while kneeling on his left leg, pushing off his right (his stronger leg). He could do this when prompted to, and always using his hands to push down on his knee.

For the past few days, I hear him say to himself, “Get up like a big boy!” and then he will get up the correct way without me telling him to! This is great!

But then tonight, I asked him to, “Give lefty a turn” meaning to use his weaker left leg. You may remember that the tumor did much more damage to his left side which has always been weaker. This boy will try and try something until he gets it these days. So he puts his right knee down, his left leg up, pushes with his hands on his knee with all his might…..and….he DID IT! He tried to do it over and over again and did it with about 50% accuracy! Then all of a sudden he started trying to do it without pushing off with his hands, still using his left leg. And he eventually did that too!!!! We were all hooting and hollering and this face was just the best thing I have ever seen! I started telling him to say, “What tumor?” while doing it, and of course he used his big man voice and said it! What a big shot…what a miracle!!!!!!!