My tape job

So I've been going to Physical Therapy 3 times a week.

Things have been going quite well.  The object of all this is to get my range of motion back.  I can't straighten my leg out and I can't bend it all the way either.

They ultrasound my ligament, stretch me out, and work me over.

I ride the bike.

At the end,  they put these electric stimulators on my leg above and below my knee.  These are suppose to trick my brain so that I don't feel the pain so much....DOESN'T WORK.   So they fill this pillowcase with an ice bag.  It is heavy.  They lift my heel off the ground and place it on a hard rolled up object, then turn up the stimulators so it's like shock treatments, then place the ice pillow on top.

This is the part where I want to swear and hurt someone.

This is my tape job from yesterday.  I think it is one of her finest's.  I was really swollen yesterday...even a month later.  We figured it was because I tried to do too much the day before (vacuuming).  (Dang!?!)

That sun better come out soon!

Not keeping up so much...

The day started out great....

The weather was perfect, everyone was having a good time.

Me, Haddi, Sicilee, and Kadee piled on the tractor tire...

We got going really fast...(30+ mph, my dad was going beside us on his snow machine).  We got turned around...now we're going backwards...now we're hitting a bump...now everything goes black.

NOW I HURT!

NOW i REALIZE i'M OLD!

NOW i'M CRYING...

Turns out I tore my MCL (I really don't want to spell it out).  I bruised my femur.  The Dr. said it looked like someone hit it with a sledge hammer. (his exact words).  And on the MRI, my ACL (not spelling it out either) looked like it was in bad shape too.  But the good news...no surgury, just this big, bulky brace and physical therapy.

It has been a really long week...ugh.

Dr. said I had to stay off of my leg and keep it elevated.

Do you know what that entails?

A whole lot of nothing...

I was going crazy.

Betting...and losing...

So if any of you know Chad or my brothers, you know that you can't watch a big game and/or play a game without having consequences for the losers.

Here is a perfect example.  Kami, Penny, Lex, and Melissa lost at Poker one family reunion.  Penny and Kami had to scale this fence after pool hours.  Lex and Melissa had to jump in the water fully clothed.  Pool gates were locked.

At our last family reunion, Lex lost again at poker.  He had to get up on our train car and try to get everyone to sing the "Song That Never Ends" song while Chad heckled him.

So before the Superbowl, Tagg had all the bets placed.  The losers had to run out to the fence and back in their bare feet.

Now I had lost a couple of years ago and I knew how terrible and painful this was.  You know how snow gets a crust on it?  It feels like Edward Scissor-hands.

Ironic that Avery, Darci, Jerry, and I were the only ones not running...hmmm....

I don't know if you can tell that Indee is about to have a meltdown.  But it is coming!

Meltdown happening...

Grandma's efforts to thwart meltdown...

All in all it was a great game...but what was up with that half-time show?  The Who?  Who Dat?  Faren was talking it up the whole first half and then when it came time for him to defend the Who, he left the room...some attorney he is. 

I think it's finally happening....

I think it is happening to me.  Sicilee might be turning on me and I think it's kind of funny.  We are chilling tonight, watching the grammys and The Dave Matthews Band comes on and I am loving it.  So Dave Matthews starts dancing (did anyone see it? wasn't it cool?  Kind of Elaine-ish?  I think that's why I liked it!) anyway....I comment.. .

Me:  "Oh he is cool"

Sicilee:  "Oh my Gosh, He looks retarded"

Me:  "are you being sarcastic?"

Sicilee:  "uh...ya, I am...duh?"

Sicilee:  "rewind it"

Sicilee:  "You like that?" (picture her saying this with a little sweet, sarcastic attitude...)

Me:  (grinning)

Sicilee: "You think that's cool, mom?"

 

Just a few more examples that she's turning against me...

She didn't think Adam Sandler was funny.  She asked me who Jon Bon Jovi was and she didn't know any of the lyrics to "Living on a Prayer".

I know this is a right of passage for all of us moms out there...to go through teenage years with our children and I'm looking forward to it.  I think it will be fun.  I am going to embrace it.  I say "bring it on".

What was I thinking?

I was reading the paper today and there was an article with the recipe for "Spudnuts".

Did you know it takes a village to make "spudnuts"?

The older girls are doing the dirty work.

My job was the glazing...also dirty work.

Mia took her "quality control" job very seriously.

Dreaming...

 

 

This about covers it...

"You better watch out!"

Singing....

Decorating....

Anticipating...

Traditions....

Waiting....

Hugging....

Decorating....(again)

Smiling...