Lynne's Lowdown

The (Short) Lowdown:

Took Eric to his orthopedist appointment yesterday. Everything is going well. He's in the home stretch, as the doctor put it. Next week he'll start sport-specific therapy, working on basketball motions. He's allowed to shoot free throws now. In four weeks he'll have a CT scan and hopefully be released to start (slowly) playing basketball again.

KC's obedience training?

Umm....


Not so great.

She was just sitting there, like, "What's for dinner?"

Speaking of obedience, KC is never going to pass the class to become a therapy dog. The instructor brought out a wheelchair to see how the dogs would react and KC was absolutely terrified. Also, when a tennis ball was thrown and the dogs were supposed to ignore it as it rolled by? KC was obsessed and couldn't stop thinking about it even when we moved on to another part of class.

So much for that.

Lynne's Lowdown

The Skinny (Lowdown):

Eric's been enjoying, and doing great with, driving since he got his license. So much so that I haven't seen him since last Wednesday.

I'm having a bone density scan tomorrow just to get a baseline. I already know I'm dense, so what's the point?

KC is doing so-so with her obedience classes. Her toughest challenge is obeying the "leave it!" command when a refrigerator-sized bone is placed in the middle of the room; she has yet to master the ability to over-ride her salivating sensory receptors. We're working on it.

Eric has a follow up appointment with the orthopedist this Thursday. I think he's grown another inch, so does that mean another month of physical therapy? Let's hope not.

Have you visited my book blog lately? Emma, my new book review assistant, has been promoted to "header model." Funny, I've had more comments on her than on the books I've reviewed. Go on, check her out, but please don't leave a comment about how cute she is. I'm not sure she can handle the accolades. Lynne's Book Reviews

It's a wonder I get any reading done with these two on my lap vying for attention.

He's Free at Last

A few pictures from Eric's 16th birthday party that my wonderful friend Julie had for him. How many people have birthday parties for their friends' children?!

Eric, Taylor (Julie's son) and Brian (Eric's "Big Brother" through
the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.)



A mother's admiring look :)



Me, Eric and Marlys (Brian's wife)

And guess what Eric got today...

Lynne's Lowdown

The lowdown:

Saw the movie Precious last week. Difficult to watch, but the acting is a-mazing!

Looking forward to the movie The Hurt Locker. It came out in DVD on 1/12. Supposed to be the best film of 2009.

KC had her first obedience training class and did a great job. Trying to practice with her at home.

Have had severe back pain for the last week. I was reading on the couch with my legs tucked under me with my back kind of twisted, and when I got up I could tell something was wrong. Eric thinks it's hilarious that someone could hurt their back while reading.

Eric practiced parallel parking with trash cans for his upcoming driving test and he did it perfectly on the first try. He did it again about 10 more times and totally had it down pat. Must be hereditary.

Jason, who graduates from USC in May, finds out January 21st if he got a position with Teach for America, and if so, what town he'll be in. He applied for jobs in Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles. I hope it's St. Louis; he makes us laugh, and I love watching the camaraderie between him and Eric.

When Jason left after Christmas break, Eric started drinking weight gainer shakes, even taking powder in a bottle to school every day. Jason is a great motivator and wants to see Eric succeed in basketball. He's already gained about 6 pounds.

I decided to collect newspapers for the Animal Protective Association, but when I brought in a stack to them I came out crying. I am such a wimp! At the front desk was a guy who was all teary-eyed because he was giving up his two dogs. His landlord wouldn't allow them. He said it was the hardest thing he's ever had to do. That and a darling yellow lab/retriever mix in a kennel who wanted me to take her home so badly she cried. Me and stray dogs with big sad eyes don't do well together. I spent the next week obsessing about whether or not she got adopted. So much for that recycling endeavor.

For my niece Alana's 7th birthday party, she asked her invited guests to donate to Stray Rescue in lieu of presents. She's my hero.

Driving Me Crazy

Dear Siblings,

I found a baby picture of myself! Okay, so maybe I really wasn't adopted.

This is much cuter



Than this



Don't you agree?

Thanks a lot, guys, for using the ugliest picture of me ever. So now that the joke is over, can you please change it out so when mom looks at her pictures I look as cute as (probably cuter than, really) all of you?

Moving on...

Eric's report card was really good this semester, 4 B's and 2 B+'s.

Physical therapy went great yesterday. E got into it and worked hard. I love his physical therapist, Tom, who helped me get back to running after my herniated disc and spinal stenosis years ago. He's amazing. After Eric's next ortho check in 4 weeks, he'll get to start sport-specific physical therapy. Tom is great for that and plans to work on core strengthening.

It's supposed to snow 4 or 5 inches here tonight. You don't know how excited Eric is about that. Well, about having a snow day and missing school, anyway.

Two more weeks and we'll have another driver in the house. E will be 16 on January 17th. You know how excited I've been about not having to drive him all over Timbuktu, right? Well now I'm getting nervous. What if he texts while he's driving? What if he gets pulled over after midnight? What if he drinks and drives? Holy cow. Can I change my mind about wishing time away? It's like when they're little and you can't wait for them to start walking so you don't have to carry them anymore. But then they start walking and it opens up a whole new set of problems. And then you wish again for the days when you put them in one spot and they just stayed there. Aye, aye, aye.

Off to the grocery store for beef stew ingredients, as well as hot chocolate, marshmallows and fire starter logs. We may be stuck for a day or two and I want to be prepared.

Emma Reads / A Bit of Lowdown

How funny is this picture of Emma? Trudy sent it to me as a thank you for the book we got her, "Why Dogs are Better than Cats."

Emma is a reader just like me :)



And her middle name is Jane, not Grace as I erroneously reported in the previous post.

A Bit of Lowdown...

While in California, Ryan, Krista, Eric, and my mom and I went to see The Blind Side. It was my second time seeing it. Have you seen it yet? You really must. It's amazing.

Took E to his doctor's appointment the other day to check on his back and he's been released to do a bit of cardio, elliptical and bike only. He went to the gym yesterday with Jason and Larry and rode the bike for 45 minutes. He also starts physical therapy tomorrow.

School started back for Eric today, but after getting dressed and with the car all started and warmed up (it's 9 degrees), he felt a migraine coming on. So he took two Excedrins and went back to bed.

Larry got an iPhone yesterday, so now I'm the only one in our family without one. Not only that, but I didn't even get a Kindle for Christmas. Isn't that the saddest thing you've ever heard? I think I'll have myself a little pity party today...violin and all.

California Christmas

My dad called yesterday and said, "You've been home for three days now, so why haven't you updated the blog yet?" Or something to that effect.

So thanks to dad, here (finally!) are a few highlights from our California trip.

We gave pictures to my mom for Christmas of us as babies (except for me...Since I was adopted, they only had an older one of me. Just kidding. Nobody could find a baby picture of me. Hmmm, maybe I was adopted). My mom never cries, but she shed a few tears when she opened this box.



Ryan



Krista



Mike



Gary



The adopted one... Me




Eric and his step-cousin Ricci (my stepdad's Bob's daughter Cori's daughter - did you get that?)



Cori



Uncle Dick, my mom, and Aunt Lyn



Channing



My nephew Mark with Channing



My sister Krista and Mark



My brother Ryan



My niece Maysen with Cabo



Is that an ocean view or is that an ocean view? (At my mom and Bob's house in Redondo Beach. From the left, my mom, Mike, Eric, Ryan, Maysen, Gary and Bob)



Eric and Kelly having their annual "who's taller" photo taken. Somehow Kelly keeps shrinking. (I don't know whose face is funnier, Gary's or Krista's.)



At my dad and Trudy's. From the left, Maysen, Gary, Ryan, Mark, Krista and Dad.



Ryan coming up just a tad short



"Emma Grace" and Annie



I forgot to crop this before posting it.



Eric, Ryan and Surfer Boy, um, I mean Gary



Krista, this is basketball not dancing...



Ryan means business



Coach Eric - bestowed such an honor due to doctor's orders - and his co-coaches Emma and Annie






It's a bird....

It's a plane...

It's Annie and Emma waiting patiently for a treat



Psycho, Trudy's guinea pig



Um, Emma, I think you're supposed to curl up in the bed to sleep???



"Whatch you talkin' 'bout Willis?"




HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!