Update for the week.

Alright, it’s been nearly a week since I last posted anything, though I have written when I can (in a note on my iPhone so I can transfer it here when I had the chance, without interruption)  So here I am! Posting updates all in one big blog post; so get a glass of something delicious to drink, have a seat and enjoy.

May 15 – Cakes, breads, coffee and goodies

Oh I wish you could be here I smell these wonderful smells in the house today.

Last night my son baked a cake all by himself!! I made my homemade frosting and frosted it (we were squished for time because bedtime was quickly running after us!!) and it was delicious. We had a boxed cake mix (I hate them but useful in a pinch) and his was fluffier than mine turns out!! I am very proud of my son, only 8 & ½ years old, and he is responsible (he’s been a wonderful nurse during my recovery as well as helping around the house in general with not a single peep of being fed up) and always interested in cooking. *I vividly remember being my son’s age and being forced to start dinner every night because my both of parents worked at that time; mom had to take the busses and transfer a few times while my father worked about an hour away from home (that’s when there wasn’t traffic)

I also sent my son to the market in town on his bicycle with his backpack to pick up frozen garlic bread and to pick out a candy bar for himself and surprise his sister with one as well. That little bugger got me one too, so thoughtful.
*Watch out—- another childhood memory: I was 7, my mother sent me with $1 to the post office to collect stamps and I would scrounge in my pockets and trinket bowl on my vintage ivory and gold detailed dresser for coins to buy a soda, candy and junky toys at the toy shop a block away from the post office… Such fun times*

Whilst my adoring son was off at the store, my little lady and I started the dough for out family’s weekly loaves of bread. I always make a separate loaf for my cousin, he lives for nutty and seeded breads. I can not get used to that sort of bread, it’s just not versatile enough for my liking. (jam on seeded/nutty bread!? Yuck) I prefer a plain bread, maybe with a light sprinkling of grain in the dough and to top it (such as spelt) which is what little lady and I decided to that this time.

This bread is amazing! I can across it through one of my favorite bloggers, Lucy from Attic24 – which she does link to the blog she got it from here. (which I have as a tab opened on my phone’s browser at all times) It’s an artisan type of crusty bread that is so easy, my 5-year-old made it herself. It is also so easy to make custom bread with a few well-chosen mix ins!

(the process of baking the bread is shown above)

Yes, little lady has baking in her blood as well. I’m glad my kids are growing up craving homemade foods and homebaked sweets, breads and cakes. They do get store bought from school parties and complain when they get home “mommy you food is so better then what we had at school” or the typical request from them for class snacks are my Hummingbird cupcakes.

(Here are a few different variations of the cupcake recipes I found on the website listed below)

That’s correct….Hummingbird bakery in the UK, the recipe from their cookbook, but adjusted for high altitude by this blogger: hummingbird high.

Now coffee, oh the nectar of my life.. I love coffee so much more than I ever thought I would. Since being in recovery mode with this darn knee, I can’t keep running errands everyday (which also allowed for a cup of takeout coffee – which is one splurge I won’t do without from time to time, thought it’s been quite frequent lately) I will gladly stop buying yarn to support my coffee habit, granted I do have a bunch of wool to hold me over! I have brewed a large 12cup pot of coffee this morning and have enjoyed it with some vanilla cream. Oh… so heavenly!

I went to take a shower, crutching through the house to the bathroom, and I hurt myself. My crutch slipped on the cat’s food and water mat and I stopped by landing on my right foot (that’s the leg with surgery) I was pretty sore and miserable after that. I did take a couple of naps,  and even took ice in the car when I had to ride along for errands out-of-town.

Now into the hair subject… As a reminder, I partially shaved my head last summer, around 10 months ago. I loved it, for a few weeks, then I was so over it – that I couldn’t wait for it to grow. Once the short shaved sides became long enough, I turned it into an evened out pixie cut that looked quite cute. Regular trims and jumping outside of my comfort box by attempting styling techniques I wouldn’t have normally done otherwise, helped to tame those in between periods when the hair was looking scraggly and hopeless. I fought the urge to chop it off and keep it short, I made it over those awkward stages and I’m still here to talk about. I say this because hope women feel hopeless growing their hair out and might come across this post and realize it’s possible and far from hopeless. I am normally very impatient and spontaneous, so you can imagine the internal struggles I had as I had to resist cutting my hair drastically short again. I reminded myself of how warm and snuggly long hair is in the winter, of how cooling it is to pull up into a pony tail,bun or even a braid!!! Great, now I’m making myself anxious for growth.

May 16 – PT Day 3

Oh my goodness. After physical therapy (which went pretty well, with nothing interesting to report) Some slight bruising was showing today, but nothing major. It was a boring and slow day today.

May 17/18 – Weekend Madness

This weekend has been very stressful, because of the carrying on and fighting between the children. Saturday started out with being woken up by the cat, sitting on my knee that has just had surgery. She’s never felt that heavy before! I woke up screaming from the pain, which caused her to hide for over an hour. When she finally did come out of hiding, she was loving on me, sleeping in my arms or on my chest as I laid back with my knee elevated and ice on it. The kids just fought and argued over every little thing, talking back to each other to the point I gave my son a few dollars and the keys to the post box, so he could get out of the house and away from his sister’s badgering. He got a letter from his grandma (his dad’s mom) which excited him… she’s a wonderful woman and such a loving abuela (grandma in spanish). Later that evening my daughter got sent to bed early (she kept pulling and squeezing the cat’s tail after being told not to), and her brother stayed up to help me bake some scones (American scones… totally different from UK scones) We made some yummy fresh raspberry and white chocolate scones… mmmm.

Sunday was a little calmer; the kids played quietly and let me sleep in, but did start in on their fighting after breakfast. I send them to play outside, and afterward they did some of their plastic canvas sewing, then perler bead crafting (which they dumped back into the bin since they didn’t want them heated) They went to bed with no problems and I fell asleep on the couch until 330am!!! yikes!

May 19 – PT Day 4 and freedom

Alright so I woke up around 7am, which is later than I wanted, but after dragging myself to bed at 330am, it seems that I couldn’t get to sleep until around 4/430am! What a night! My son was excited to get to ride his bicycle to school, only to find out he lost is lock key but nobody touched his bike, so that’s good. My daughter was less than pleased she was once again left out of the activity, and had to take the bus, but she was happy to wear a hat to school, so I guess that makes it a good day? She’s really silly sometimes.
After the kids left, I got cleaned up and ready for my PT appointment and found out the cat had chewed my shoe’s laces on one side! Really?! Thanks fur ball! I could still tie them, so I put them on and headed to PT, driving myself…. oh that’s right, I can drive with my left and right foot (right foot hovering above the gas, because of where the brace makes it stand out at and then just pressing the gas or taking my foot off the gas as needed and using my left foot on the brake) this isn’t my first time driving like this, I had to do it with my manual transmission car (very carefully) in Germany after my accident which started this whole stupid knee injury nonsense. Again I practiced it when I hurt my knee earlier this year. I actually lifted my leg for all my exercises by myself! No help what-so-ever!!!!

I picked up a gallon of milk at the market, then went home… did some cleaning then took a break and iced my knee for about 30 minutes. I finished some cleaning in the kitchen, then made myself some lunch (a yummy sandwich with my homemade bread from last week) before icing my knee again and taking a short nap. Once my kids got home from school, it was time for my daughter’s appointment at the doctor to see when she’s coughing so much, etc. Allergies kicking up might be why, so we will see. We also walked around town after the doctor appointment, checked the mail and picked up my daughter’s medication. It felt so very good to walk around and stretch my legs out of the house in the wonderful warmth of the sun today! Well, we  just finished dinner and had ice cream for dessert (mint chocolate chip!!!)  which was delicious! Now we will watch some “Leave it to Beaver” before it’s time for bed.

So all in all, my knee is doing well, and I’m doing my exercises at home that I’ve learned in PT. Also, I go to my doctor for my post op appointment, and to get my stitches removed on Wednesday. I’m very excited for that, because that afternoon I have my next physical therapy appointment, and if we get the okay from the doctor, I’ll be able to bend my knee (unlock my brace from being in full extension)!!! Cross your fingers for me!!!!