Ending the summer....

I can't believe that it has been eight weeks since we picked up the boys. A time has flown by. This was helped by our trip to Disney, a quick trip to San Francisco for work, and the last three weeks recovering from a back strain. If you remember from the previous post I strained by back on July 25th and spent two days at home and then went back to work. I ended up working half days for the remainder of the week and then did the stupidest thing I could possible do: took a day trip to Richmond on the July 31 with the family to see the exhibit Tiffany: Color and Light on Louis Comfort Tiffany and the Maymont.

I was on my feet for the majority of the day. The exhibit was really cool and the mansion had a three story Tiffany window. Wicked cool. However on Sunday I was pretty much on the couch. Monday I worked until about 3:30 PM before I couldn’t take anymore. And then came Tuesday morning of August 3rd.

I was able to get into the car to take the boys to day camp. But it was a struggle to get out of the car when I got back home. Then I sat at the table to eat breakfast and then I couldn’t get out of the chair. I was stuck. Thank god my friend Stacey was in town and there to help me up. I was suppose to go to Lilith Fair with Stacey, Molly, Mom, and one of Molly’s friends. But after the struggle to get out of a chair I knew I couldn’t go and sit on the lawn of Merriweather Post Pavilion all day. I called Molly to let her know I couldn’t go, I called and made an appointment with a doctor at DeWitt Army Medical Center, I called James to tell him he would have to come and get me, and I sent Stacey off to spend the day with near strangers. When it came time to get me off the couch and in the truck it took James and I about 15 minutes to complete a task that normally takes one.

To shorten the story (to late) the doctor told me that I had an extreme back strain and that I was to stay in bed or on the couch for an entire week. Seven days. And this time I knew I would follow through with the doctor’s orders. It is amazing what doing nothing for an entire week can do in terms of healing a back strain. My sister helped out by taking the boys to day camp and then cleaning up the house. And then my mom came up for four days while James took the boys to New York to visit his parents.

When he returned he brought his niece Makayla for a visit. By this time I could move about without much difficulty but took it easy with no heavy lifting or exercise. We piled into Lola and headed down to my parents house for a few days to enjoy hot Hampton Roads weather, the pool, and good conversation.

Yesterday we took Makayla and the boys into the city to see some sights. They weren’t really interested but we walked from my office building to the Washington Monument, took in the really tall structure and then hopped in a cab to take us to dinner.

James caught up early this morning to take Makayla to PA where he met up with his sister and then fought his way back through traffic to return two hours behind schedule. Tomorrow James drops me off at the airport for my trip to Wyoming for work and he then will take the boys back to Maryland.

Amazing how time flies…….but we made it through the summer in almost one piece.