Long lost Larabies

I came across the link to our website and realized just how long it has been since I've posted anything.  I do things in spurts anyway but I think this is worse with blogging because of Facebook.  Basically all of my family and all of our friends are on Facebook so they "see" what we are up to all the time.

However, I realized that I missed this.  I feel like we are the long lost Larabies because we've been absent from the blog for so long.

I'm hoping to get back into it.  We shall see.  No promises.  Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic with the holidays quickly approaching...or with the kids growing up so fast...or a combination.

Corey is busy with work.  There has been another reorganization in the company and he now has several more employees under his management.  There is news that the whole company is in the process of being bought by a Canadian company.  No, we don't have to move to Canada....although if we did have to we wouldn't have a problem with it at all!  Hmm, too bad they aren't "making" us.   He just got back from a business trip to Maryland and will be going again right after Thanksgiving.  Then the following week he is off to Ohio.  From the sounds of it, there is more travel in his future.  He doesn't particularly care for travelling so this doesn't thrill him.

I have partnered up with 4 other doulas to create a group that helps women during pregnancy, birth, and afterwards.  We hold monthly meetings that are educational and social, we provide birth and postpartum doula services, as well as help with breastfeeding, loss, Blessingways, and more.  Our goal is to create a village for women during the childbearing years.  We met for the first time in Nov 2012 and had our grand opening in February 2013 so we have been together a year.  Things are going pretty well!  We hope to keep growing.

Morgan is in 10th grade, taking Honors and pre-AP courses and planning for college.  She attended an academic camp at Clarkson University this past summer and since then has been researching, planning and preparing to head off to college.  She is currently performing in a play in Spring Hill, on the bowling team at school, and helping with our doula group.

Alex is in 7th grade and still homeschooling.  He is all about the computer and being online.  He interacts with friends all over the world in various online games, especially Minecraft.  He has his own server (with the help of dad) where he can run his own Minecraft mods.  I believe he had 3 growth spurts this summer and has officially surpassed me in height....so I'm officially the shortest person in the family.

Last month, we lost our cat, Kali.  She got sick and when we took her into the vet she was in severe kidney failure and there was nothing that could be done.  We were all very sad and Alex had the hardest time.  He was the first of us that touched Kali when we first found her (she was just a couple weeks old) and once we got her she claimed Alex as her own and mostly put up with the rest of us.

I think that is it for now.  Hopefully, you will see more from me.  :-)  

August = BIG changes

Apparently August equals big changes here at the Larabie house.  After some discussion it was decided that Morgan would enter public school for the very first time.  We've actually discussed it off & on for 2 years now, always defaulting to the "non-decision" method and continued with the status quo.  This year we felt it was a good time for her to give it a go.  So, after jumping through some hoops, plenty of drama (from the school not Morgan), we got her enrolled!  We spent the first day (all 2.5 hours of it) getting her registered.  The second day, she rode the bus (first time!) and went to pick up her schedule...which wasn't ready...so spent 3 hours hanging out in the auditorium and then finally got her schedule in time to attend the last 2 blocks (4 blocks plus homeroom & lunch each day) and ride the bus home.  Finally, on Friday, she had her first WHOLE day at school.  *phew*  It has only been a few days, we've had our ups and downs, a serious adjustment is happening here. I am SOOO proud of her for jumping into this!!

As if that isn't enough of a change for us, I am getting a "regular" job.  I absolutely LOVE being a doula (and would LOVE to find an apprenticeship with a midwife) but I just am not getting clients so I can help our family financially.  :-/  It is frustrating, but I know it takes time to build a business and I will keep at it.  Right now, we have some things that we need to take care of and this is what will help do that.  I've interviewed for a tech support position and have training coming up in 2 weeks.  I don't know what hours I'll be working so that could really make this a juggling act...time will tell.

Alex is still homeschooling.  The few things we needed for him have been ordered and should be arriving today and tomorrow.  Then it is full schedule for him.  His big changes will come once we know what hours I'll be working.  He will work independently while I'm at work, then work with me or Corey when we are available.

Morgan auditioned for and got a part in a play in the town just north of us.  The play is Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.  She got the part of the Enchantress, which is the Rapunzel story.  She just accepted another part because someone stepped down, and will also be playing a princess in the Frog Prince story.  Rehearsals just started this past week so she's not behind or anything. She has several friends in the play so she's really excited to go to rehearsals.  I can't wait to see how they do with this play...the script is great.  Definitely for older kids...but that is the nature of the Brothers Grimm...their stories aren't like D*sney puts them on.  LOL!

Dance starts at the end of the month.  She has decided to drop a couple classes...hip hop and pointe.  She had been so excited about pointe when she got the chance to take it and it wasn't how she thought it would be.  She prefers ballet to pointe.   So, she will be taking ballet, tap, jazz, and an extra ballet class.  She will audition for the Intensive group again.  Also, come January, she will take lyrical again.  So, she could be up to 6 classes by mid-year.  But for now, she's starting with 4.

Now that we have all these changes in the midst, Corey's work has decided that he needs to travel twice...very soon.  LOL!  Funny how he doesn't travel for years, then travels once, goes a long time with no travel and BAM! right when we make some serious changes at our house they want him to travel back-to-back.  Good thing the kids and I are really good at continuing on whether he's at work or travelling.  He's going for some power meetings so hopefully that means good things.  :-)

Catching Up

Apparently, I am not doing so well with the whole blogging thing.  LOL!  As it has been quite some time since I've posted anything.

Tomorrow will mark 3 months since my knee replacement surgery and all is well.  I finished physical therapy at the end of the 9 week mark.  I actually miss going.  It was good for me mentally, socially & physically.  I am moving around very well.  My gait is pretty close to normal, my balance is much better than it was, I am going up and down most stairs alternating feet (like normal), and my stamina for standing & walking around seems to be pretty close to normal....better than before surgery & after.

Alex participated in a research study at Vanderbilt about reading and the brain. He was a champ...spent 2 days at Vanderbilt University doing numerous tests and even several activities during an MRI scan of his brain.  He was given a printout of several different views of his brain from the MRI and he will be receiving compensation in the mail.  He got along very well and held his own during conversations (most of the science related) with the research students.  I think he was in his element.  Maybe he'll go to Vandy in the future.

Both kids auditioned and received parts in a community play.  It is 12th Nite (an adaptation of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare).  They have rehearsal every week night so that has put us in a busier mode than usual during the summer.  Fencing has been slow for Alex between him being sick, his coach getting Mono, and some camps that they've held.  However, he is looking forward to getting back to it and hopefully a more advanced class.  Morgan has had a month of dance, which helps keep the summer from being TOO bored and missing dance so much until things start back up in August.

Our CSA deliveries are going strong.  I'm working for them this season and I love it.  I'm an admin in our facebook group, I take pictures of share boxes and I update the website each week with the harvest and pictures so members can identify what they are receiving.  I've also done a few customer service tasks.  We were invited to visit and mingle with other employees and families this weekend while celebrating the 4th of July.  We are looking forward to it.

Corey was promoted to manager recently at work.  He's busier than ever.  He works with some great people and they all work so darn hard.  I hope their company appreciates them!  I know we appreciate how hard he works to take care of us.  This coming weekend will be his first off in a month.

Speaking of time off....we are getting ready to go on VACATION!  We are driving up to Tupper Lake to visit Corey's parents, brothers & their families.  It has been 7 years since we've been back to Tupper Lake...long overdue for a visit.  Poor Alex hasn't seen some relatives since he was 4 so is having trouble remembering everyone.  After a visit there, we are taking the kids to Poughkeepsie (where Alex was born) and then into New York City for the day.  We'll also be meeting up with some friends.   Then off to Delaware to visit Dogfish Head Brewery & their restaurant as well as spend 2 days at the beach in DE. Then we are heading to Corey's aunt & uncle's place in the mountains in North Carolina for a few days of relaxation before heading home.

Weekend and Knee Update

Hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day weekend.  I got to spend the whole weekend with my husband and kids...plus had some quiet time on my own Saturday night while hubby took the kids to see a movie that I had no interest in seeing.  They needed some time together and I enjoyed my quiet time.  Unfortunately, while I was on my own I got up "funny" out of my recliner and seemed to have tweaked my GOOD knee!  Sunday was very nice.  I got to sleep in, received very sweet cards for my wonderful husband and kids along with some goodies.  We had a relaxing day and then they took me out to dinner at Olive Garden.  We had a delicious dinner and then went to visit my mom at work.  My good knee was hurting all day and I was rather frustrated with myself.  Six weeks post-surgery and I mess up my other knee...not good!

This morning I had PT and aqua therapy.  I'm doing great on the NuStep (recumbent stepper) and am up to almost 1/2 mile on it.  The black band exercise doesn't increase or change, the hamstring leg machine was increased in weight, step ups are becoming easier, and we added mini-squats last week and those are a little easier.  My table exercises are good...we've increased the weight on some of them.  Today, after doing all of my exercises and stretching out my knee...I was able to bend my knee 117 degrees on my own!!  Then I was sent to the pool.  All of that routine is the same except each time I've increased the speed on the underwater treadmill...just not sure what it was on today because I was walking & not watching as she increased the speed.  LOL!

My good knee is feeling better...not quite 100% but definitely better.  So I don't think I did anything horrible to it.

Wednesday I have PT, aqua therapy and then I go upstairs to see my Orthopedist.  I'll update then.

Six Weeks

Wednesday it was six weeks since my total knee replacement surgery.  It feels like just yesterday and it feels like it was forever ago...all at the same time.  I feel like I'm doing great and I'm so proud of where I am today but I have moments when I feel like I should be "done" with recovery and I should be all back to normal already.  Well, that isn't reality and I know it.

I had my first aqua therapy session on Wednesday afternoon and I met a lady that was in my pre-surgical joint replacement class.  She had her left knee replaced on March 28th just like I did...by the same doctor.  She was the 2nd surgery of the day (so right after me).   We were both in the pool at the same time and compared recovery notes.  We've had almost identical recoveries! It was really neat to see her again and to be able to talk to someone that is literally at the same place I am in recovery.  Aqua therapy for me is 10 minutes of walking on the underwater treadmill; leg lifts to the front, back, and side; going up & down on my tip toes; bending my leg to the back (leg curls?); and then bending & straightening my leg out to the front.  The leg lifts I do with both legs...my left leg for strength and my right leg so I can work on balancing on my left leg.  The other 2 things I just do my left leg.  

My last 2 therapy sessions I have made progress on my range of motion.  Wednesday I was able to bend my knee 111 degrees on my own and 120 degrees with help.  Today I got 114 degrees on my own and 120 degrees with help again.  At the moment, 120 degrees with help seems to be my limit.  I make a horrible face and squeal/squeak in pain/discomfort and about come off the table.  LOL!

This week has been pretty busy for me.  I'm very proud of being able to handle everything at this point.  Monday was chiropractor for Morgan, physical therapy for me, school with the kids and dance class for Morgan. Tuesday was school with the kids, fencing with Alex (at a later time than normal), running some quick errands, quickly make dinner & eat, get Morgan's hair in a bun & make up on & then dash out the door for 3 1/2 hours of costume changes and pictures at the dance studio.  Morgan & I got home about 10pm Tuesday night..tired!  Wednesday was CSA week #1 pick up, strawberry picking at a local farm, unpacking & washing all produce, school with the kids, physical therapy for me, getting Morgan's hair in a bun & make up on & dash out to the dance studio for 2 1/2 hours of costume changes and pictures.  We got home about 8:45pm Wednesday night. I was WIPED OUT!  *surprise*  Thursday was chiropractor with Morgan, school with kids, and then dance class for Morgan.  The rest of the evening was pretty slow & relaxed.  So far today has just been physical therapy for me and some relaxation.  We are already planning a very veg-out night.  We have a Netflix movie waiting to be watched, St. Elmo's Fire at Morgan's request, and no other plans.