Old Man Shove Can Walk!

Ryan had a shoot with Condoleeza Rice while still in his cast--and she signed it!
#she'sanAXO #lovethatshehasasenseofhumor #mostfamouscastsignatureever #yeswekeptthecast

Ryan's cast free!

The doctor removed the cast ten days ago with the instructions for Ryan NOT to bear weight on it for one week. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty sure that it was the longest seven days of his life while waiting to ditch the crutches. I'd catch him sneakily putting his foot down under the guise of "stretching it," but I'd play mom, begging him not to push his limits. (Unfortunately I think being on those dang crutches for another whole week pushed him to his psychological limits!)

Then, last Thursday, Ryan was like a kid on Christmas morning as he stood up on his own for the first time in over a month. I can imagine how horrible that month must've been--sore underarms, achy hips, lack of independence...ugh. The doctor told him to begin by hopping along with one crutch at first, but of course he's been just straight-leggin' it around, crutch-free instead. (Men...) He's been using the crutches when he's going to be standing for long periods of time and when in public places, but around the house he's almost back to normal. When he's outside he wears the boot (Robo-boot) to help his balance and walking ability, but around home takes it off to let his muscle-less calf get some daylight. :) I'm continually reminding him to take it slow, but he's eager to feel independent again. (Oh, and he can actually carry the baby now--yay!)

On another note, I have a confession. Yesterday I officially had the WORST day ever, and most of that day consisted of running (failed) errands. (Don't you hate that? You make a special, well-planned, efficient effort to get stuff done, and the world laughs at your effort and says, "Yeah, right. Try again some other time!") I had E.V. with me, it was freezing, and my errand-running was going so badly that when I discovered Ryan's handicap parking pass in my car, the little devil on my shoulder won out. I figured that as long as there were plenty of other special spots available, my failing day counted as a handicap. So I used it. And I was soooo paranoid. I used it at the mall and at Target, and both times I felt like people were glaring at me. So I did what anybody else would do. I reparked my car. I limped a little as I walked into the buildings. (Sheepish grin.) No kidding. And then, when I was packing my stroller into my handicapped car after my Target trip, I realized that I had a pair of leggings for E.V. that didn't make it onto the checkout counter. Crap. So I did what anybody else would do. I unpacked the baby, walked inside and paid for them. I drove away. Hey! I'm not a bad guy--I called and tried to pay for them over the phone. Turns out that Target doesn't take payment over the phone. Nor do they hire people who care if you confess your thievery to them. The girl told me to just bring them to any Target location next time I was there...which was today. (Addicted.) And I forgot them. Crap. I swear I'm going to pay for them NEXT time. So there you have it. I'm a liar and a thief. (But, man, it sure was nice to park so close!)

The moral of the story? Ryan's working on his freedom, and I'm working on my incarceration. :)