Winter Break Week!

Here's an old concept in New England: the public schools get TWO spring breaks: one in February, one in April. (Now you know why we go to school through the end of June, here.)

I think maybe because winters are so long here, they like to give people the chance to vacation away where it's warm, or vacation to somewhere where there's really good skiing. They have resorts here, of course, but no huge mountains.

(Now that I've offended all the New England skiers, I'll backpedal a bit with "Your national parks are beautiful--great hiking trails everywhere! Cross-country skiers have it made, too! It's even fine to learn to downhill ski here. It's just not the Rockies.")

So, for those of us who do NOT plan big, expensive vacations to Carribbean waters, we stay in town for the week. (Frank, of course, does not get the week off. He works, same as every week. A thousand thanks for that, Frank.)

To give us all some variety, I put on my Activities Director hat. One day we played indoor mini golf, another day we went to Disney on Ice. We also visited Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and tonight we'll try Rock Climbing at a rock climbing gym.

Here are a few pics from the ICA, the INSTITUTE of CONTEMPORARY ART. It's right on Boston Harbor, and some of the top floor even hangs out over the water.




From the top floor, you can see the bridge and the skyline. Yesterday it was clear and sunny--really pretty. (The long, skinny picture is from the ICA website , and the boat/bridge picture is mine.)

Teresa and Kara tried their hands at creating contemporary art: see Teresa's mound of flowers on a base, and then here at home she let Komodo explore the artwork.

P.S. Just got back from the Rock Climbing Gym--awesome! The kids have so much energy, they could probably have stayed longer and longer. Me? I'm beat! I think everybody had fun. Friday night is "Family Night" and they cut rates a little for you. Here's a picture from their website:

Well, it's Friday! (After a week of Saturdays, that doesn't mean that much.) Have a happy weekend! Kari

No Snow for Us, Knock-on-Wood

Hola!

After reading about the frenzy the D.C./Virginia/Maryland area was in this weekend, it is with more than a little relief that I tell you that it missed us. We were too far north for THAT storm! It's been sunny and clear in Massachusetts for a few days now.

Our consultation with David's doctor was Thursday. We had lots more questions for him, and he answered them all. He was almost offended when I asked "Would you have your son have this same surgery?" He gave a very quick "OF COURSE--do you think I'd recommend something I wouldn't do on my own kids?" Made me chuckle a little.


This doctor has done over 1000 of these surgeries. Not that he still counts, he tells us! It's just that for the first 5 years you DO have to count, and report on your surgeries, to get into some National Association or other. He just knows that his numbers have not gone down from those first five years, so he can estimate.

The good part is that David's curve is very basic, and "simple." And he has good bone structure: plenty of room on each spine segment to attach the rods to the sides of his spine. They'll go in the back, which is "quickest recovery," as opposed to going in from the side.

He'll spend 5-7 days in the hospital. After 1 day, they have him sitting up. After 2-3 days, he is standing and walking around. By 5 days or so, he'll be walking up stairs. That's the criteria for going home: to be able to walk up stairs by yourself.


He'll go in to give blood for himself (should he need it during the surgery) tomorrow, and then it's quiet for a couple of weeks.

Then a pre-op day the first week of March, and the surgery will be March 8.

Now you know the calendar!

Onward to Monday--have a great week, Kari