Life Lately: Mostly Great Things

Hi friends. I’m checking in with a “life lately” post. I have lots to share and most of it is good/happy/exciting. I intended to write this post yesterday afternoon but the day went a bit off the rails with some not so great things. Let’s get those out of the way first and then I’ll get to the good stuff.

A VERY MONDAY KIND OF MONDAY

The day started out strong. I taught a lovely yoga class at Charlotte Yoga and then stopped at the trails to get a short run in before heading home. Once home, I took a shower, made lunch and parked myself in front of my computer in my office to get some work done. I got a few bites into my lunch when I heard a car horn blaring nonstop, a huge bang that sounded like a gunshot and then a lot of people yelling. I bolted up from my chair and rushed downstairs to see what was going on.

I opened my front door to find a car on fire in my front yard!!!!!!!!!! There were several people out on the street and someone had already called 911. My nanny quickly got Finn into the car and away from the house because we didn’t know if the car would explode or if my house/yard was at risk of catching fire, etc. He was really freaked out (and so was I).

Luckily, the fire truck arrived in a matter of minutes and got the fire out quickly and no one was hurt. Apparently, this guy was driving down my street when his transmission caught on fire. He jumped out of the moving car and it ended up hitting a tree in my yard. I am just so thankful that no one was hurt and the car didn’t hit a person or a house!

What’s left is a big mess that I’m calling the city to see if they can come clean up. There is SO much glass everywhere. The car hit a tree in the space between the sidewalk and the street so the city is technically responsible for the tree and debris clean up. I am going to request that a city arborist come and give the tree a thorough inspection. I am praying the damage is just superficial but the tree got a good charring and don’t want it to be at risk of falling.

Craziness, I tell you. This did all foster great discussions with Finn about how the fire/police/EMS help people. He’s read so much about them in his books so it was a good real life application. I also met a few of my neighbors that I hadn’t met since moving in so that was a silver lining.

Finn and I spent the rest of the afternoon out in the backyard with the dogs. I gave both of them a thorough brushing (of course they went and laid down right in a pile of leaves and sticks after) and played games with Finn.

Overall, he was in a great mood all day but a nagging cough that he’d had seemed to quickly worsen. By the time dinner rolled around, he was lethargic and running a low-grade fever. He was eager to eat dinner and had an appetite but ended up throwing up while eating. I think he had a cough coming on and was trying to swallow food and it was just a bad combination. I got him in the shower and tucked into my bed where he fell asleep quickly. He was a bit restless at times last night and his temp got up to 102 but overall he was able to get a lot of rest.

Finn wasn’t feeling any better this morning so I took him to see the pediatrician. Flu and Covid were both negative and his ears and throat were clear so he just has to tough out a respiratory virus. Poor guy. He’s coughing so hard/forcefully that it’s making him gag. The doctor said other than honey or honey-based cough syrups, there’s not much he recommends for the cough from a medication standpoint. If you have any tried and true remedies for cough symptoms in small children, I’m all ears. I set up a vaporizer in my room last night and that seemed to help.

I took Finn through the Krispy Kreme drive-thru on the way home from the doctor and chocolate donuts with sprinkles do wonders to lift the spirits. 🙂

I HAVE THE BEST NEWS!

My parents made 12-hour trek back to Florida last Friday with Sam in tow! After living in a Marriott Residence Inn in Durham for six and a half months while my mom went through the lung transplant program at Duke, they finally got the green light from her medical team to go home. I can’t even explain how mind-blowing it is to think that I went to Florida on September 20 to fly my mom up to North Carolina for her first appointment at Duke on September 23 and she never went home again after that. Can you imagine packing one suitcase for a week away and then finally going home almost seven months later with new lungs?

I have typed and deleted so many sentences about what those seven months were like for all of us and I’m just not there yet. What I will say that my leading emotion right now is gratitude – for the healthcare workers at Duke, for the lung transplant community at Duke, for my mom’s donor, for my mom’s bravery, for the staff at the Marriott who supported my parents and helped make a hotel feel like home, for more time with my mom, for my dad’s strength and steadiness, for their safe return to Florida. <3

How divine is this timing? My parents received permission to go home on April 8…the day before my grandmother’s 92nd birthday! They did the 700+ mile drive in one day – brutal but can’t blame them…they were so READY to be home! My mom walked into my grandmother’s condo around 7p and they enjoyed an emotional reunion.

The next day, on my grandmother’s birthday, she had another birthday celebration with my parents and one of their friends who’s been keeping a close watch on her and become a good friend to my grandmother. The friend cooked everyone dinner and baked a cake and everyone lingered and chatted into the evening. My grandmother said it was the best birthday she’s ever had.

My mom has settled right back into life in Florida and it’s just wonderful to hear that she’s able to do things as simple as laundry, shopping, walking Sam and spending time with friends. My dad is back in his own kitchen and taking his long walks on the beach. I’m so happy for all of them.

I’ll wrap up this post by sharing this adorable Easter art that Finn and his nanny made together. It’s bright, cheery and brings a smile to my face every time I see it.

QUESTIONS 

Tell me something good! What are you celebrating or feeling grateful for?