Tuesday, June 21, 2011

I needed this.

There's a lot to think about when you're planning your daughter's first lengthening. Paley-patient Emma, pictured above, seems to suggest that mobility won't be a problem.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Ok, that was a long time.

I'm still here, I swear.
What can I say? It's a tough schedule I keep. Knee-deep in 360 middle schoolers from 7 AM to 3 PM. Maybe get in a workout after work. Chase Emily around the rest of the day. Did I mention she stays up later than I do? I know you think this stuff just writes itself, but it's hard to come up with brand new poop jokes every few weeks. Even when you have an almost-three-year-old who's actually potty training.
Let's see...where were we? Last we talked I was thanking my hoop team for their thoughtfulness. Shortly after, those of us at Camp Tredwell were prepping for Emily's first soccer fundraiser. It turned out to be a great time. Both teams took a real shine to our girl. Emily got to go out on the field during warm-ups and get loose, sit on the Fairfield bench during the game and even get prime seating in the press box. That's a full evening! Thanks to Coach O'Brien, Coach Cohen and Coach Lopes for putting together a tremendous evening. Despite temperatures in the "let's just stay inside" range, we still drew a decent crowd to watch some spring soccer. Extra special thanks go to Bri Miller and Alli Walsh, two injured Stag players, who sat near the front gate and hit people for donations. These two couldn't have been any nicer. While their Fairfield degrees will certainly take them to bigger and better things, they can always fall back on careers in fundraising.
I'm sure a lot has happened since then, but I've pretty much screwed myself by taking all this time in between posts. Really? I can remember all the details? The witty remarks? The uncharted cuteness? Remember, I'm not terribly bright and a bit of a boozer. It's just a matter of time before Emily is rolling her eyes at me and walking away with an exasperated, "Ok, Dad..."
So, until I decide that it's much easier to post a picture with a quick blurb every few days, I'll just have to catch you up bullet-point-style.
  • I'm pleased to say Emily is taking after dear old Dad with her ability to quote movies. Because "Despicable Me" is in her rotation right now, she rips those lines out at just the right moments. Time for dinner? "Assemble the minions!" Ordering pizza? "I will stuff you all in the crust!" If you don't get these jokes, you need to get on her level.
  • She has a new swingset in her backyard. It is her equivalent to Ray Kinsella's baseball field. It is the first thing she looks for when she wakes up.
  • She can flip out with the best of them. Offer her a peanut butter sandwich and, in the same breath, she will cry, "I DON'T WANT THAT! Give it to me. Thank you!" Either she's soon to be turning three or she's bi-polar. It's really 50-50 at this point.
  • She loves to sing and dance. She knows the words to a number of top 40 songs featuring Rihanna, Adele and the Black Eyed Peas. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
  • She clearly has personality. I often label her "bossy" and am immediately corrected by women who call her "assertive." How ironic.
  • She often asks, "You know who's going to fix my boo-boo? Dr. Paley."
As sweet as the last one is, it's a phrase that's starting to take over our little world. With about five weeks before our next check-up with The Man, we're starting to put plans in motion for her first lengthening next year. Even as I sit and write this, thinking about alternate housing, stretching the finances, insurance and separating the family for an extended period is creating a knot in my stomach. Nevermind the fact that it's our beautiful little girl who will be going through such excruciating pain for months at a time.
But what can you do? There was never another option. This is what we're doing. We've got a plan. We're all in. It's just our turn.
While being busy was a convenient excuse, perhaps this is why I took such a lengthy hiatus. It allowed me to avoid the reality of the situation. For the longest time, this was something we would have to go through eventually, but not now. Later. Much later.
Not anymore.
And I know, I know...we'll get through it. We have to. But knowing that doesn't necessarily make this easier.
Uh, I don't have a clever ending here. Maybe next time. For now, just enjoy a couple recent pictures and hopefully I'll be back soon.