A Few New Firsts

With just 6 weeks left until summer vacation, we are finding ourselves thrust into the end-of-the-year tidal wave of activity…special school performances and trips, preparing for state testing and two very special graduations from elementary school and middle school for the boys, doctor appts, immunizations and keeping everyone motivated in general as the final countdown approaches.  The challenge, actually, will be to keep myself motivated…with all the heightened activity this spring and preparations for the big boys’ enrollment to their new schools NEXT year and our efforts in getting some of Rudy’s future therapy needs figured out, etc, etc, etc, I’m pretty much ready for the lazier days of summer!!!!

Rudy had his routine appt with pulmonology at UCLA on Tuesday.  It’s always good to check in with the folks at UCLA but the exam didn’t generate any new news or plans.  We can’t move forward with decannulaton of Rudy’s trach until he has his sleep study…I’ve been working to get the study scheduled at Children’s LA for the past 2 months and it still isn’t on the calendar…we’re waiting for their pulmonologist to review the order.  Once we have the doc’s confirmation, the earliest available slot isn’t until June so we could be waiting a few months.    (patience…patience…patience)

We sure had fun celebrating Wilson last week on his 14th birthday which offered a few new firsts for Rudy including….

…his first “Looking Good Santa Barbara” clean-up day!

This annual, city-wide clean up day fell on Wilson’s bday this year and he initiated our family’s participation as part of his day ‘o celebration!  We enjoyed working alongside some friends from church on a gorgeous Santa Barbara day and got some great exercise weeding and cleaning up a local park…

…and his first “Teenage, Boy/Girl Party”…

Gone are the days of themed bday parties with silly games and novelty cakes for Wil…this year he asked for a gathering of friends to “hang-out” and eat pizza & smores!  It was such a blast to watch Wilson host his friends…making sure everyone got drinks and food, setting up the music system and keeping the tunes rolling all night, paying attention to little details and having a great time.  Although we were prepared to set Max, Livy and Rudy up in another room with a good movie to give Wilson and his friends some space, they actually fit into the mix sweetly and Wilson was gracious to let them stay and “hang out” with the cool teenagers the whole evening!  Rudy, of course, LOVED the throng of pretty girls that surrounded him a good bit!  Ha Ha  Rolf and I spent most of the evening sitting on the couch twiddling our thumbs as there were no games to facilitate or elaborate scavenger hunts to produce, but instead we got to sit back and watch the dawning of a new era in the Geyling household…