Edward's Gardens

Today's Grandma outing was for me a trip down memory lane. I cannot remember if I've ever taken the girls here, I think I have, but since we got home I'm unable to produce any photographic evidence to support this thought. I really have no idea when I was last there. When Kate and I were in Toronto for some appointments in June we drove past it, and I thought, it's time to go again. 

Today was the perfect day to visit. We walked around for about an hour. We enjoyed the flowers, the ravine, the weather. We purchased a magnet from the gift shop, and then we had lunch at Chick-fil-a. Grandma loved her frozen lemonade, which I thought she would. Other than Kate getting a headache and feeling a bit off, the day was pretty much perfect.

On the way home we drove past Elkhorn Public School, and 50 Citation Drive. The school hasn't been remodeled, and neither has the house, but so many of the houses in the neighbourhood have been torn down and rebuilt. 

Fiona's Epic 13th Birthday

I can't remember exactly when Fiona decided that she didn't want a birthday party, but she did. What she did want to do was go rock climbing at the indoor climbing place in Whitby. All of that changed of course when she broke her wrist a week ago. It was back to the drawing board and re-imaging her birthday in a different way.

She woke up to the birthday decorations and presents on the table.

She actually liked the purse that we picked out, hurrah!

And watching her face when she opened the purple bunny was so awesome.

After waffles, bacon and sausage for breakfast, Fiona eventually had one of the cakepops my friend and colleague Cindi made.

FIona suggested we go do an escape room, and everyone thought that was a fun idea.

We were all so happy when we were able to solve the room and get out, with 22 minutes to spare even!

Then we met Grandma and CJ at Jack Astor's for Fiona's birthday dinner.

CJs table art was the best, no surprise there.

Fiona wanted to play a game, so a board game was played. (I worked on report cards and Kate was somewhere else). And then we sang happy birthday and Fiona ate another cake pop and blew out a candle.

Happy birthday my beautiful girl. I'm so proud of you and how brave you've been during the craziness of breaking your wrist! I hope you know how much joy you bring to our family. I'm ever so grateful that you are the light that completed our family. Happy 13th Birthday! Welcome to the teenage years!

The Birthday Questions - Fiona - Age 13

1. What is your favourite color? Pink

2. What is your favourite toy? The gorilla or playdough. (She got a purse for her birthday and it came with a pink gorilla keychain.)

3. What is your favourite fruit? Strawberries and Raspberries

4. What is your favourite tv show? Modern Family

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Pasta

6. What is your favourite outfit? Yellow gap sweatshirt and jean shorts

7. What is your favourite game? Happy City

8. What is your favourite snack? Fruit

9. What is your favourite animal? Bunny

10. What is your favourite song? The Cure, Olivia Rodrigo

11. What is your favourite book? To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

12. Who is your best friend? Hazel

13. What is your favourite cereal? Rice Krispies with strawberries

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside? Go to the park

15. What is your favourite drink? Lemonade or water

16. What is your favourite holiday? My birthday and Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Jellycat bunnies

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? A smoothie

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Jack Astor’s – chicken strips and fries

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher or an architect or an interior designer

 

A New Cast

Who would have thought that going to the fracture clinic would be such an emotional ordeal?!?!

This morning Fiona went with her Dad to Crave to pick up donuts. The only bummer, she didn't get a free donut because tomorrow is her birthday. Next year they'll know. Fiona and I had a P.A. day today, I was supposed to work on my report cards all day...

Her appointment at the clinic was at 12:45. We didn't wait that long to be seen by someone, but the first person that we saw was an assistant. He informed us that she might get her cast off today, or she might have to come back next week. This was instantly upsetting because Fiona was counting on getting the ugly, heavy cast removed. Then the actual doctor came in and told Fiona that her cast could indeed come off today and that if she wanted, she could have a splint instead of a cast. Cue more tears and much confusion. Fiona did not know what to do. We asked lots of questions. We hummed and hawed, we asked more questions, Fiona cried a little more. 

We went to see the guy who does the casts, he talked to Fiona and instantly put her at ease. He showed her the amazing material he had to make a purple cast, her eyes lit up. The appointment that I thought would take half an hour ended up taking almost two hours.

The casting dude was the best.

However, we left with a happy girl. She still has her moments - being casted for the month, and on her 13th birthday, was not part of any plan, but she's looking for the good and trying to be optimistic. Cool thing, this cast is waterproof, so she doesn't have to cover it up in the shower.

We went to pick up her free Sephora gift, and that was a happy thing.

A fresh coat of nail polish helped make things feel better too.

All of this on the eve of her 13th birthday. Good night my twelve year old.

I hope that even though this isn't the birthday you were expecting, that this is a good birthday. 

A Broken Wrist but really "a non-displaced radial fracture"

No more hurdles for this girl! Oh dear! Ken called me on the way home from picking up Fiona from hurdles practice. Fiona was crying hard in the background. I felt pretty calm even though my baby girl was miserable. I just knew we needed to go to the hospital. I haven't been to the emergency department in a long time, I think the last time I was personally there was taking Fiona when she was 3ish and fell on her head. Our wait was long ish but all things considered, not too bad. Fiona had moments of pain and tears and moments where she pulled herself together.

After the x-ray, and after the first waiting room and then the second waiting room and then getting called to see the doctor, he said that he had good news and bad news. The bad news, which Fiona wanted first, was that her wrist was broken. She was shocked and funnily a little excited - or maybe just relieved that the pain that was really bad, was actually real. The good news, he informed us, was that she didn't have to be sedated to be casted - ugh! 

Fiona's after photo, when we were waiting for Ken to come get us. 

This first cast will need to be replaced sometime next week, we'll get a call, and we aren't totally sure when the cast will come off, but Fiona's next month is not looking quite like she had expected. She wasn't expecting to not go to the hurdles competition, she wasn't expecting to miss out on the 5km, she wasn't expecting to have a broken wrist for her birthday. She's had some real ups and downs tonight. I pray that she'll be brave and comforted through this very not fun experience.