Is the summer really over??

FIRST OF ALL, LET ME THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS SENT A CARD, A CARE PACKAGE, A PHONE CALL, AND PRAYERS, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MADE US DINNERS: CHRIS AND ELISE, THE LASAGNA WAS DELICIOUS, MATT AND MIREILLE THANKS FOR GRILLING FOR US, TAMMY AND ED, THANKS FOR THE TIPS AND CHICKEN. I COULD HAVE WASTED AWAY TO NOTHING WITHOUT THOSE MEALS. AND FOR MATT AND MIREILLE AND CHRIS AND ELISE, WHEN YOUR BUNDLES OF JOY ARRIVE, WE WILL RETURN THE FAVOR AND BRING YOU FOOD.

This has to be the quickest summer of historic record. I can't believe our students start returning tomorrow, and Margo is back in full session with students on Wednesday. Where has the time gone?

Medical Update:
I am feeling pretty good today. Last night Tammy and Ed brought their girls over (joined with their part time Au Paire - Grammy), and during dinner I had a painful back spasm. The doctor told me 4that may happen but it hadn't, so when it hit, I was in PAIN! I took some pills and had to lie down for a couple of hours. I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow afternoon and we'll see what the doctor says. For now I feel like the surgery worked. I have not had the pain, but I think I may need some physical therapy. My body must have gotten used to walking crooked and not using my left leg as much because my balance is a little off, and my left leg seems more tired than my right when I do walk.
This picture isn't great, but it is what the incision looks like right now, covered in tape strips.


Up for Sainthood:
If there is a place to cast a vote for Sainthood, I would like to nominate my wonderful wife, Margo. I have barely had to lift a finger this past week. She has taken care of Maggie, the cooking, the dishes, the laundry, the cleaning...you get the picture. Now just stop with the jokes/comments about how is this week any different than any other. I in fact DO spend time with Maggie, and I DO do most of the cooking. Thank you so much MArgo. I promise that once I am all healed, you will receive a great reward.

Heeere's Maggie:
I has been a while since I wrote a big section about Maggie. This summer has been very productive for the little lady. The biggest accomplishment is that she has taken her first steps on her own. Now it was only 2 one day, and the next day she took 3, then two a little later, but for us it seemed like a mile. She is standing a lot, but when she wants to move she still drops down and crawls, but we are getting there.
Another huge step has been her talking and vocabulary. She is talking constantly, and trying to use real words. We can understand the following: walk, dance, flower, baby, mommy, daddy, puppy, apple, cheese (like when you smile), off, and "no-no-no". She says this when she gets too close to an outlet. She waves her hand in front of her and says "No-no-no" just like Margo and I did when she first started poking at them. She says "walk-walk-walk" when we hold her up to walk while we hold her hand, and whenever music comes on she will twist and bounce and say "dance-dance". (In fact Maggie loves to dance to any music she hears. TV commercials, our singing, a ringtone from a cell phone...any audible = time for dancing.) Maggie is also learning some of the ABC's, and when she is lying in her crib, we can hear her on the monitor singing quietly to herself as the radio plays in the background. She does this in the car too when certain songs come on the radio. It is more of a hum than singing, but there is a tune to it, so I call it singing.
Here are some recent pictures of Maggie:






And it is now time for me to go. I may put a few more pictures up later today, but they are all on the other computer so they will have to wait.
Thanks again, and take care. Bye!