Category Archives: family time

Family, family life, family time, happy life

Her Inspiration, Our Perspiration

Hands to Work, Hearts to God - A Shaker saying
Hands to Work, Hearts to God – A Shaker saying

It remains astonishing to me how memories from years ago continue to shape my perspective.  A decade ago, I went to visit Shaker Village in KY.  I was struck by how ahead of their time they were on many issues like racial and gender equality.  However, what has stayed with me was the motto “Hands to Work, Hearts to God.”

I thought about this last week when my wife suggested we take turns and shovel the sidewalk to the school.  There is about four tenths of a mile of sidewalk along a four-lane road many of the children at the elementary school walk.  It had not been shoveled on Tuesday when kids went back to school, and after falling a couple of times, A joined the throng of children walking in the road.  My wife and crew joined, but noticed how poorly unsupervised kids walk in one lane and how poorly people drive around the school in their hurry to drop their kids off.  So when I got home, she proposed we shovel the sidewalk in shifts with the other taking care of our kids at home.  As I shoveled, I thought of the Shaker saying. 

I will admit there was a side of me annoyed the school whom we support with our taxes and time along with the community association we support with our dues both passed the buck on shoveling assuming it was the other’s responsibility.  At a certain point, it just needs to be done.  That point was 8:45pm on Tuesday when we finished. 

I will also admit I liked working with my wife.  Her inspiration and our perspiration resulted in a safer path, and I like to think that metaphor fits our family life.  Who knows?  Maybe the memory of parents just making plans to do what needs doing without being asked or paid will stick with my kids.  Maybe they will not think of any one time or incident but rather the pattern.  That would be the ultimate compliment.

On the cool side, A made the local news this week.  We found out when a friend messaged J saying A looked good on the news.  The incident had not made an impression on her, but when we showed her she was thrilled…Of course her excitement was not for being on the news but rather because her “boyfriend” P was on the segment, and she was excited for him.

http://www.abc2news.com/news/education/elementary-school-incorporates-the-arts-in-each-subject-to-nurture-students-creativity

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Exercise for the sick, family time, family vacation, MS, MS progression, MS travel, Multiple Sclerosis, Tysabri, Uncategorized, when kids won't sleep

Double Rainbow Days

On some days, a single rainbow just doesn't say enough. This day ordered a double.
On some days, a single rainbow just doesn’t say enough. This day ordered a double.

This past week, my family and I went to Jamaica, to FDR which is our favorite family resort (for what it worth, TripAdviser.com has had them as the top family destination in Jamaica for years). For a family with medically fragile children, this place is a life line. Their nannies take excellent care of the medical and non medical children, and the resort is the perfect size. It’s big enough the parents can do things without the kids and small enough parents and kids can find each other whenever needed. We went last year, and we could not wait to get back this year. It’s the land of double rainbows where the pots of gold are smiles and free moments with spouses.

We were a little worried when the passport request for K was denied 12 days before we were to leave. However, the Maryland Department Social Services (DSS) office in Baltimore city came through in spades. We called our worker when we got the package returned to us Saturday. Sunday she came to our house and picked up the package. Monday afternoon, she brought the package back to us with the requested paperwork signed by a judge and notarized and other paperwork approved by DSS lawyers to meet the requirements of the State Department’s letter refusing the first application. For all many rightly bemoan bureaucracy, Baltimore DSS did well by us to get the passport reapplication accomplished quickly.

When I look back, I cringe thinking how much K would have missed out. She had her own nanny on the trip, and she thrived. People were amazed after the first day whenever we said she had problems seeing. We all watched as the first day we had to tell her “step” whenever there was one upcoming, but she quickly memorized the place and took off. She loved the pools, the beach, and even the water-slide. Watching her go from scared of sand to crying whenever it was time to go back to the room was a joy. I have never seen her so happy.

As for the rest of us, we got what we wanted too. Whether it was A getting a group of adults (the nannies) to play Parcheesi, O getting to hunt hermit crabs and play Foosball, or J and I getting to have quiet dinners alone to reconnect, we all got a much needed break.

That’s not to say there weren’t bumps along the way. When are there not? I can not for the life of me explain why A loved the water slide on alternating days with fear being the dominant emotion every other day. I still have no idea from where our kids drew their limitless energy rejecting sleep half the nights there.

However, the good days were so good, and the ability to rest and relax let me enjoy physical activity levels I have not had in years. When a day can start pushing K on a 5k run through the hills followed by a longer bike ride after breakfast, then some thing is going well. To have both of those things not tire me out for the rest of the days activities is an awesome testament to the value of the workouts I do most days at work and the efficacy of Tysabri thus far in controlling the physical symptom progression of my MS.

I liked our date dinners on pier. J and I rarely get time to go out alone. Thank you FDR.
I liked our date dinners on pier. J and I rarely get time to go out alone. Thank you FDR.

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