Great Expectasia

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Second Half of Summer

Since we left off, Koby enjoyed his two weeks as an only child/grandchild in Michigan, and the big kids had a great time at camp. We got to see Jer in SE Michigan, Koby had lots of sleepovers at Bubbie and Zaydies and more visits to THE Henry Ford - though the three last visits were to Greenfield Village, which was a change from the first visit to the museum. It was cool - though I think the adults were more into it than the kids.

I got a last minute trip to Cleveland to see Seth, Emily, Mike and Jo and their families. We were trying to figure out a time to meet in Cleveland or maybe Ann Arbor later in the summer, and they said they would discuss it on Sunday in Cleveland. I was like, "wait, what? You'll be together on Sunday in Cleveland? Can I just come?" So I did, and I got to see all their friends and had some really great time with them - especially Seth. Fills my soul.

I played tennis a few times with the person I met at Michigania as well as someone I met in my parents' neighborhood. I never won, but I got closer!

While in Michigan I was able to get a lot done for Sam's BM party/open house there in November. Hired a photographer, planned out some decorations with Paula, figured out table cloths, etc. Super helpful. We're nearly there.

A highlight of the last few weeks was time alone with Matt - for the second time in 12.9 years! He flew in to Michigan on Thursday the 3rd, and I picked him up, and we went straight up north to my brother's house. Friday we spent the day in the Leelanau Peninsula. We did the dunes walk to lake Michigan from the Dunes Climb at Sleeping Bear. We had lunch in Leeland. We did a hike around there. We had a swim and a walk around Sutton's Bay and a lovely dinner in Traverse City. We spoke so much and got so many decisions made and had so many conversations, we nearly ran out. It's amazing to just do what you want to do when you want to do it and not worry about kids and their silly opinions. Saturday we played pickleball and did a long walk at Maplehurst and then spent the afternoon playing Settlers and drinking beer with my brother. Sunday we woke up early for another walk at Maplehurst, this one with Jer, and then we drove back. Matt went to the airport to get Sam. I went to the bus to get Elie.

Sam had a great time at JCC Ranch Camp in Colorado. They said the people were SUPER nice. They loved the camp part, the horse part and just about everything about it. They want to go back, and they're trying to convince Koby to go (but not for the equestrian program).

Elie had a wonderful time at Ramah. He made new friend, tried new things - his favorite thing this year was canoeing (yes!!!). He wants to go back - hopefully they will have enough kids to go for a month next year.

We had a week all together in SE Michigan. Kids went back and forth between grandparents and mostly chilled. We saw wider family (brother and sister in law, cousins) and friends (Flory and Katie in Ann Arbor, Jessica, etc.). Matt worked a lot but also relaxed and spent time with everyone.

Midway through the next week, the kid and I flew to Boston and rented a car. We ended up with a BRAND new Pacifica with 17 miles on it. It was fantastic, because we had FOUR DUFFLE BAGS AND A SUITCASE once Matt joined us, so we could fit it all in the car. We got a CT scan of Koby's leg, visited the doctor (more on that below), saw a few friends and family and also relaxed a lot at Nancy and David's. We had a great half week, and Sunday morning Matt flew out to join us and fly back to London with us on Sunday night.

The flight back to London from Michigan is awful. It's at 6:30pm, so you're not tired. You only get tired when you're landing, so you really don't sleep, and then you arrive in the 6 am range, and you have to stay up all day. It's quite miserable. I wanted to fly back from Boston, because that flight is SO MUCH BETTER (and about $600 cheaper...). It was at 10:50 (and ours was delayed an hour - even better), so you're TIRED. We told the kid they could watch one movie, and when they cleared up from dinner, we would all go to sleep. Koby and Sam slept a little bit. Matt and I slept a bit more than that and Elie slept the whole time until we touched ground. Magic. We arrived around noon, so we just had a half day to stay awake and then we get back to normal (though I was up two nights ago all night, and the boys - and therefore me...- were up ALL last night, so I think we may still be jet lagged...).

On Koby's leg: it was x-rayed in July, and the doc said he saw a fracture. Koby's leg didn't seem fractured to me. He said he couldn't walk, but he wasn't really complaining. It was barely swollen. When I have experienced broken bones, the whole limb hurt, moving it hurt - it just seemed a lot more painful than not being able to walk (only). I asked the doctor if he was SURE it was broken - and he said, "yes - here is the break - a piece is missing off of here." (pointing to an xray). After the CT scan four weeks later, the report said that the potential break was not a break but a nutrient vessel and all is aligned and perfect. I couldn't wait to hear what the doctor said. He said it was very strange, because the radiologist didn't see the break that he saw, and therefore it must have been a growth plate injury. I was like, "um - wait - so this was never broken?" (THREE WEEKS OF CAMPS CANCELLED, NO WATER SPORTS, NO SWIMMING, NO WALKING, NO SWEATING AND A LOT OF INCONVENIENCE FOR NOTHING?????) He said, "well, we knew it was either a growth plate injury (HE HAD NEVER MENTIONED THIS BEFORE) or a break, and the radiologist thinks it wasn't a break, so it must have been a growth plate injury, and the treatment for that is 4 weeks in a cast or boot." Hmmm. I don't feel good about the whole thing, but at least the cast came off. Koby is still limping, but he can walk short distances. So far in our return to London he has walked to the bus or the tube, but he can't make it to school. He has ridden his bike easily, which is good. Hopefully a few weeks, and he will be fine. (I haven't told him that it might not have been broken...so Koby if you're ever reading this, I apologize for keeping that from you. It didn't seem productive to tell you at the time).

Coming back to London is ok. The kids got to see their teachers and classrooms yesterday, and they were SO SO happy to be back with friends and in the school. We are also happy to have our space back. Two months in other people's space is hard. Koby especially is SO SO happy to have his toys and dress up back. I feel a bit mixed, but I'm trying to stay positive.

They rigged a way for him to do archery sitting down. Koby stopped using crutches for the most part. He just hopped.

Day out with Bubbie and Zaydie

Sam on their horse, Oat

Celebrating Elie and Bubbie's birthday with Uncle Dan

Labyrinth blows my mind, but I love it. Jer got it for Elie for his birthday, and Koby and I (and Elie a lot) have loved it

Painting with Bubbie and Zaydie. They always have such creative projects for the kids to do.

Sitting in an airplane from the 60s at THE Henry Ford

Koby could swing, and that made him SUPER happy - once we could finally get him out there

We wheeled him on walks in my grandpa's wheelchair

to Dairy Queen with Jer. Jer was the pilot for this one

Papa had Koby playing as many sports as he could. Basketball.

Frisbee

Swinging competition

Koby and I went to the new Natural History Museum in Ann Arbor. It wasn't our favorite, but it was very pretty. And it is great for a sophisticated kid. We walked all around Ann Arbor. This was the Law Library.

Sleeping Bear with NO KIDS

The forest near Leeland

Many games of Settlers with Jer

Everyone came home!! To the playground...

Silly fun and LOTS OF HIDE AND SEEK with cousins

And a visit with Cousin Dogs

Happy birthday, Bubbie!

Happy tenth birthday, Elie!

More cousin visits, including cousin Bailey

Greenfield Village

Elie had a tooth that needed to come out, so Papa went back into business for a minute.

Last Dairy Queen of the Summer

More Labyrinth. (There isn't much that keeps ALL THREE entertained...)

Flying through the airport in Boston

In my happy place, Cold Spring, with Susie

Elie in his happy place - on top of Ethan and Evan

Apparently it tickles A LOT to get a cast off

Skinny left leg

Teaching Sam to cube and using his new timer

Ice cream with Charlotte and Benjamin

Elie and Koby are like two old men discussing everything together. In the airport in Boston - heading to London

Ride for Koby back from the bus. It's a seven minute walk, which is a lot when your leg is weak.

Sam and Elie got new haircuts

Ping pong on the dining table. We ordered a topper for the table - it comes tomorrow. Phew. I really miss our ping pong table in Newton. Can't wait to play.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Month 1 in the USA

Since my last post, we had a day in London, packed up and flew the next morning to the US. We had three HUGE bags, so Matt SUPER KINDLY escorted us to the airport on the Heathrow Express. Flight with the kids was easy-peasy, because they're 8, 9 and 12, and as long as their ipad isn't dead or they have found a movie on the screen at their seat, they don't even talk to me. The flight attendant mentioned to me that Koby ate his ice cream before he ate his dinner. Then she suggested that I ask them to turn off their screens to eat dinner. I let her know (kindly) that there was no chance they would eat the food - other than the ice cream, but thank you for your suggestion.

We had a day or so in Michigan before all three kids went off with Bubbie and Zaydie to Grandparents University at Michigan State. They got to choose their classes in advance. Koby enjoyed Harry Potter and the Secrets of British English, History of Sparty, Sled Dog School, and he didn't love Science of Star Wars. Elie and Koby did their classes together with one grandparent and Sam had others (theater games, humor and laughter, animal diseases and the Harry Potter class) with the other grandparent. They stayed in the dorm that Fran and Tom lived in their freshman year. They ate in the cafeteria. They all had such a blast.

While the kids were all away, I drove up north with my mountain bike and stayed with Jer in Elk Rapids. The air was really bad from the forest fires in Canada during this time, so we weren't outside as much as we wanted, but we want for lots of awesome walks, a lovely hike, two great mountain bike rides (my first in two years I think - darn that torn calf last year!), we sailed on his new laser sailboat, and I played pickleball three mornings. We also went for a great meal in Traverse City and for another and a flight of beer at Shorts. It was a luxurious three days - amazing to have no responsibilities involving children!!!

After GPU Matt came in, and we stayed most of the week with his parents. We enjoyed 4th of July evening and fireworks with Jill, Ben and family and had a lovely 4th of July bbq at the Hildebrandts. We also got to see some cousins.

Next we drove up north on Thursday evening, two days before Michigania and stayed with Jer. We had lovely Elk Rapids adventures with him, including Maplehurst, the art park on the lake, and Shorts with some food truck delights. Saturday before camp we got to hang out with Mark, Paula, Eric, Matt, my parents and Bailey of course. Kids had a great time but could not wait to get to camp.

At Michigania, we didn't see our kids. From the moment we arrived, we checked in with them at meals, and they came home before bed. The boys did their activities in the mornings and then Elie did archery all afternoon and Koby did CAC (arts and crafts) and archery. They ate most meals with friends. After dinner, the boys were mostly on the volleyball courts playing all sorts of games. Elie ventured off with one of my favorite friend's kid to make a movie. Boys had to be home at 8:30. Sam spent the entire day at riding and loved every second of it. They had to be home at 10 and basically showered and crawled into bed - then snuck out before the boys woke up. We truly didn't see Sam the whole week. No conversations. They were so happy. We were happy they were happy.

Oh, and while they were being happy, WE HAD THE BEST TIME!! Matt and I played pickleball each morning with my dad, my uncle and two other men. Then I went mountain biking with my dad or my brother. Then every afternoon I played tennis with this woman I was connected with. She beat me everyday 6-1/6-2 or something close to that. I NEVER got to three games. But I kept going back for more, because it was so fun. We had the longest points (mostly because we're both all about defense and don't have much offense). I had a few games of volleyball. I went to the beach a few times. I went sailing twice with my brother - once on his new laser and once with his buddies on an ensign. We played games at night. It was just so so fun and so relaxing knowing the kids were having the time of their lives. They love the independence. They love their friends. They love the activities. What a gift.

The day camp ended, we went to Matt's parents' house and made a huge mess of their living room. We unpacked Michigania, labeled and packed Sam for camp, packed me and the boys for a week in Boston and packed Matt for Boston and a return to London. A lot of thought went into it, but it was successful! Unfortunately our flight to Boston that night was delayed, so we didn't get to Nancy and David's until after midnight (2 ubers - SO MUCH STUFF).

We had a WONDERFUL week in Newton. The kids had playdates with good friends - Sam had two sleepovers, we had dinners with a few friends, we had great conversations catching up - it just felt so so normal and wonderful. Koby was signed up for a week of flag football camp, and Elie was signed up for soccer camp with Evan. They had a great first day - even though it was in the 90s, and they were outside the whole day. Then we were at friends' and they ran around some more. After 12 hours of a day, we were heading back and Koby fell down after doing the Griddy, celebrating a touchdown in American football. I was sure he was tired from a long day and was fine - the kid falls down ALL DAY EVERY DAY. He said he can't walk. We got him home - he hopped the entire way to the car - showered and in bed, and I was sure he would be fine in the morning. He couldn't walk in the morning. No complaints. No crying. Just, "mom - I can't walk." Off to urgent care (after a lot of time figuring out our insurance). X-ray showed a fracture, but she wasn't sure where. She gave him a boot and crutches and told us to call Ped Ortho. I did and they said they had no openings for weeks. I was begging when a cancellation popped up for the next day at 8:45. The doc there saw a fracture right where Koby had pain. He prescribed a cast that does not bear weight. Koby chose red.

Wed morning of that week Sam flew ALONE to Denver to go to JCC Ranch Camp - to do their equestrian program. We have confirmation they made it, and we saw Sam in a few pics. Otherwise, we have no idea what's going on with Sam.

Sat evening that week, Matt flew back to London (delayed three hours) and the boys and I flew back to Michigan (delayed 2 hours). Lucky a friend in Newton had a knee scooter. Koby was FLYING through the airport. Sunday was spent getting Elie ready for camp - including going to Meijer with his airtight bin of the allowable size and filling it with treats that he chose (he chose some good ones). Monday morning we were to be at the bus at 8am at Shaarey Zedek. We were there! And so were 8 other kids and one counsellor. But no bus. 8:30, no bus. 9. 9:30...finally around then they told us there was a miscommunication and there was no bus - we could go home and they would updated us. We drove my parents and Koby back home and I was preparing (and getting excited!!!) to drive Elie to camp and spend the night with Shana, but then we got a message that they secured a mini bus, and Elie said he preferred to go on the bus (???!!! is he nuts!!!???) - back we went. And off they went. I got confirmation they arrived (and an apology from the camp about the bus), but haven't heard anything else!

Koby has had a chill week. Lots of playing with Papa. A sleepover at Bubbie and Zaydie's. A visit to Henry Ford Museum today (that was super cool!), lots of TV. I have been trying to stay active - some pickleball with my dad, a bike ride, longs walks and a few runs - and getting SO MUCH done.

We are currently in 4 places (Ranch Camp, Camp Ramah in Canada, Michigan and London), including 3 countries. Very spread out.

Pics out of order as usual