one more for the road

One last picture, we hope. Tomorrow, Punk goes back to the orthopedic surgeon to see if his wrist is healed enough to take the cast off. I know that he is more than ready and so am I. With soccer and track seasons approaching the midway mark, I know that he is itching to resume play on the fields. Not that I can blame him one bit either. Its been a LONG year of injuries for him and I don't even have to imagine that he is ready for a break (and a chance to see his arm again).

one last picture

If all goes well, tomorrow afternoon, he will be cast free and heading off to his track meet. I really hope that we don't have a repeat of last time. I seriously don't see how we could since this break was an "easier" one than the first and since it took us a week to cast it (and it should only need to be cast two to three weeks).

I miss watching Punk play soccer. I miss watching him participate in track (even if I only got to see the one meet). I know that the warm weather is coming and with that, swimming and beach time. I know that he is ready for that.

I will breathe easier tomorrow after this is over. 

Cinco de huh?!

Today was definitely a first. And hopefully a last. I am not sure that my feelings have ever been so hurt by one of my children before in my life. I am aware that that is saying a lot and not much at all in the grand scheme of things. Honestly, if my children only stab at my heart the one time in their childhoods, its really not that much. But being my first born son and knowing how much effort I put into today.... yeah, it stung.

You see, this beautiful little boy pictured below? He was not the birthday boy. But I felt it a bit inappropriate to take a picture of an empty yard and share that. But I should have. That's pretty much how it felt when Punk stood everyone up today and failed to show at his own birthday party.

not the birthday boy

After biking yesterday and then an impromptu bbq with our friends, which was followed up by s'mores around the bonfire, we got home late late! And I knew that I still had a ton of prep work for today to get done. Cupcakes to get baked (two different kinds... chocolate cupcakes with cookie dough frosting especially picked by the celebrated child and vanilla bean cupcakes with a chai  frosting for those of us unable to have dairy at the party), potato salad to prepare, a house to clean, a yard to get in order, etc. So the hubby and I stayed up WAY too late getting what we could done and then I got up WAY too early to finish. But we worked together and we got it done. Every single thing that we had on our to-do list, we accomplished.

So we got a few minutes to sit back and relax before people started arriving. Family arrived, friends arrived... my good friend drove across the state to come and celebrate with us. And yet, birthday boy himself didn't show. I called his dad's house, no answer. I left voice messages.... no response. Hubby fired up the bbq and we began feeding our guests. Still waiting.

Finally, three hours after the party began, Punk returned my call. And cried because he had to leave his dad's house to come to his own birthday party. So I hung up. Hung up and had to tell everyone that the birthday boy wouldn't be in attendance. Do you know how low it is to be stood up by your own son? People came to help honor his thirteen years on the planet and he couldn't be bothered to leave his video games and come home.

People left cards on the table for him. Family took their cards home with the message that when he has time to fit them in his life again, they will give him their wishes. Dishes were done, food put away. We settled down with those remaining and enjoyed the last bit of cool breezes and late afternoon sunshine.

Punk did finally come home... two hours before bedtime. With a sheepish grin, expecting us to be happy to see him. I will say, he went to bed disappointed.

here we go again.... hmm hmm... catch us if you can

Miracle of all miracles.... the orthopedic surgeon had a cancellation today and could fit Punk in. Which was not a moment too soon, from my stand point. Even sending  note to school from hubby and I stating that Punk was NOT to participate in gym because of the injury, sending Punk to school wearing a brace to keep his wrist in place.... the gym teacher decided that since it wasn't an official doctor's note, that he not could but WOULD participate in gym class. We picked him up for his appointment and he showed us the lovely new raw patch on his knee from where he fell and proceeded to slide in gym to keep off his hands. Apparently, only a doctor can keep a student out of a class. Not a parent with the knowledge to know that a radiologist told you NO activity until the bone is set, not the student with the broken bone... only a doctor. So frustrated with schools right now.

Trying to make the most of things

X-rays done today showed the buckle fracture much clearer than the initial scans did. I am not sure if that's normal for them to show up stronger after a few weeks or if it was just because Punk had been (still was?) using the wrist. Good news though is that this bright orange cast (meaning caution... hazard boy coming through) should only have to be on until May 9. Then he might go into a fracture brace again or if enough healing is done, which it should be, he will be cast free.

Seventh grade and soccer just hasn't been a banner year for Punk. Three casts, two quarters of soccer played and one track meet. I am thinking that its pretty safe to say that he will not be returning to soccer next year. I think that we need a year break from, well, breaks.

Stay calm.... We got this

Eight days ago, Punk broke his wrist for the second time. Eight days. Do you know WHEN we can get him in to have it checked/casted? Another eight days. Ugh! I understand that the ortho/surgeon that we took him to the last time is busy but seriously?! Sixteen days of waiting for something that should take 2-3 weeks in a cast to heal? I am so beyond frustrated with this. I did call around and found somewhere that can fit him in on Friday. That's better... only two more days of waiting. I think that I can handle that better. Ok, so I HAVE to handle that better since I don't have a choice in the matter.

Pretty much sums up my mood.

Right now, I feel like life is a huge cycle of hurrying up to wait. Waiting for the ortho appointment so I can stop worrying that Punk is going to do more damage. Hurrying up and waiting for us to get underway on our next "project", which will be building the littles a set of bunk beds for their room. Hurrying up and waiting for hubby's hours at work to return to normal so we can get underway on our home projects. Hurrying up and waiting for spring.... Yes, an early spring was predicted this year and what did the littles and I find today when we went outside? Snow!

I am starting to think that this year is yanking my chain just a bit. I am not quite sure which cosmic power is having a good laugh at my expense but I am really hoping that I am giving them a good chuckle at the very least.

leap of.......

When you get a phone call from the doctor's office, its never a good thing. Just once I would like a doctor to call and say "Hello, I have good news. Nothing is wrong. Just wanted to tell you to have a blessed day." But nope, offices don't do that. Instead they call to tell you that they are sorry, but new appointments need to be made. Things get overlooked. Specialists need to be called.

walking on air

I really thought the call was about Pork. After all, two stool samples have been taken to the hospital and yet, no call has ever been given to us to let us know what the heck happened with his stomach/digestive tract over vacation. Best guess that I have now is that he must have picked up something from the petting zoo in St Louis. But it could have been norovirus or rotovirus as well. Not knowing why he had severe diarrhea for two straight weeks doesn't thrill me. But knowing that his body is healed on its own (apparently) makes me happy.

Speaking of happy, Punk is the exact opposite. After a wonderful track practice tonight, coming home with the expectation that he would be preparing for soccer, I had to break (ha ha) the news to him that we got a call from radiology today letting us know that he, in fact, DID break his wrist again. We need to now put a call into the orthopedic surgeon and have him re-x-rayed, cast, and pulled out of sports/gym until it heals. Wonderful.

The only good news that I could offer him is that they said that he most likely has a buckle type fracture this time. Which is a much quicker heal than his last break. We are only looking at 2-3 weeks instead of 4-6 weeks in a cast. Basically though, just long enough to take him almost to the end of his track season and about halfway through this season of soccer.

I am just concerned at this point that he has been walking around (running, stumbling, throwing, catching, etc) with a broken wrist for a week. I am really hoping that no further damage was done and that when he get in to the ortho, that it really is a quick heal. 

I hate making Punk unhappy. I hate hearing him cry because he is now missing out on everything that he loves once again because of a broken wrist. I really wish that there was some way that I could make this up to him but I know that having a mom hanging all over you, trying to cheer you up is just not the "cool" thing when you are 13. Instead, I have to just put on a brave face and allow him to work through the grief on his own. Hopefully, he will find his silver lining soon.

one proud mama today

Anyone who knows Punk knows that he loves sports. Loves them! And it makes us all laugh because he hates running. Detests it. He will run for short distances but he just doesn't enjoy the feel of a good, long distance run (and neither does his mom ha ha!) So imagine our shock when first, he comes home and tells us that he wants to join track and our even bigger shock when he sticks with it.

Yes, my soccer star now runs track! 

I think that a major part of it was his coach saying how track helps you build endurance for other sports. Which is true. And that its a great complimentary sport for those that are interested in athletics. Which is true too. Doesn't hurt that one of the coaches is one of Punk's favorite teachers. Having someone you admire tell you something that your parents have been trying to tell you for years definitely goes a long way to cementing that idea in your head.

Punk at his first ever track meet

Since Punk's school has an extra abundance of track members (well over 100), he wasn't selected to "represent" his school in the meets but performs for "personal best". Today, he did the running long jump, 50 meter dash and 75 meter dash. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't out of my seat proud! Just to see him stick with this and really work made me so happy. That he went to his first meet after not being able to practice with the team for most of last week made me even prouder. I wanted to just tell everyone that my boy isn't a quitter but a fighter!

Today's goals were logged and he will compete against those scores on Thursday. I am not sure if he competes in the same activities week after week or if they will end up switching it up a bit. I know that he has no interest in ever running the hurdles or doing the high jump but I do know that he wouldn't mind doing shot put at least once or twice.