It is raining. The roof is not leaking.  I am not worried about the tree falling on the house.  Things are quiet on the home front.  Jordyn was down on Monday.  She rode Mr. Kid.  We have been lifting her up and down off the saddle since she was a baby.  I have had three surgeries on my right rotator cuff.  Jordyn now weighs about 45 pounds.  I do not need to be lifting her up on a horse.  We have a three-step mounting block that I use (because my hips don’t work either) to get on the horses. 

Monday Jordyn learned to use the mounting block.  She is always reluctant to try new things.  Probably because I tend to suggest dangerous things.  When I suggested learning to use the mounting block, she countered she would when she was six.  She is four years old now.  But we went and tried.  I got patient Mr. Kid to stand right alongside the block (it is probably about three feet high) and was in position to help Jo until she figured out the dynamics of this new thing. Then we practiced about 12 times.  Finally, she was able to put her foot high into the stirrup.  I gave her a little boost and told her to climb.  She scrambled up into the little English saddle.  She can’t do it by herself yet, but will soon with a little more practice.  Before I know it she will walk her own horse out to the arena and be on-board before I even know she is out there.  I always say be careful what you teach them.

She was so proud of herself and rightly so.  It is a hard thing to master and Kid is a full-grown horse setting Jo at least five feet off the ground.  She couldn’t wait to tell her mother what she had done.  I love to see the kids learn they are capable of doing something they think they cannot.  I was so proud of her for being willing to try.

In other news, Jim has totally moved from the assisted living place to his sister’s house.  Mom is alone and seems to be getting more involved with the activities of the center.  I am having difficulties reaching her on the phone.  I miss talking to her.  Jim seems to be more confused and called Amber multiples times today to ask when she was coming to take mom shopping.  Amber was working at the hospital today and had no plans to go there.  After Jim’s fifth call to Amber’s cell, she called me to intervene.  Apparently they were waiting in the nursing home lobby for her.

I need to get to the assisted living facilities here and see what I can find out.  I am thinking maybe September would be a good time to bring momma home to me.

Amber was having the day from hell. She started out with Lexi sick.  Then got to the day care to find the day care worker in a ball, sobbing on the floor.  She took her to the ER (kidney stones, they think) then started to see and discharge her own patients.  Then Jim called 72 times.  Then Amber found out a neo-natologist she had worked for had died of cancer at 40, leaving an orphaned child who had been an orphan in Russia before being adopted by the doctor.  Wow. How do you get past that?

Ally saw the doctor again today.  Maybe two more weeks until baby Kendyll arrives. She is trying to negotiate the C-Section date to an earlier time. She and Jordyn are out in the rain trying to buy the Justin Bieber CD.

So, rain-this time it is a gentle one for me.   But Amber is riding out her own storm.  Hopefully, things quiet down for her soon.