Goodbye! Good Riddance!

Tomorrow afternoon, when she should be napping, Grace will be at the doctor's office.  Tomorrow afternoon the nap will happily be skipped.  Tomorrow afternoon has long been anticipated.  Tomorrow afternoon Grace will be getting her cast off.  Not a moment too soon.

While Grace has been a very good sport about having a cast on, in extreme heat, since the very beginning of summer, it has recently begun taking it's toll on her.  Most of the time she does well hobbling after the boys, watching them run through the sprinkler, admiring how fast they can run and chase.  But I think she has gotten to a point where enough is enough.  She wants to be running.  She wants to be climbing.  She wants to go swimming in the lake.  She wants to walk on the sandy beach.  

Grace's usual easy going, sunny attitude has given way to bouts of grumpiness and whining.  And who can blame her?  There is only so much a kid can take.

Luckily for Grace, there have been a few small benefits of having a pretty pink cast.  She has definitely had a lot of attention on her the past month.  I'm sure that was appreciated.  And she has even gotten a few special treats and surprises too.  As a matter of fact, just this week, Karen from Fresh Fixins sent an AMAZING care package to Grace to make her last week of confinement a bit more bearable.  She was thrilled to get a package in the mail, and even more thrilled to wade through the massive piles of goodies inside.

There were coloring books, paints, crayons, puzzles, cookies, a doll baby, stickers, necklaces, and fun and colorful books.  Just the perfect things to keep her busy while we waited out these last few days.  It really did lift her mood.

Thank you so much, Karen, for your sweet thoughtfulness.  I can't tell you how much she (and I) appreciated your kindness.  I have no doubt that she will be clutching that sweet little blue baby in her sweaty, nervous hand as the doctor removes her cast tomorrow.  And I know that all of the lovely gifts will be played with long after the cast has come off.  

I am leaving you all with one of my favorite pics of Grace with her cast on.  It pretty much sums up her experience.  Trying to make the best of it, but ultimately frustrated.  Hopefully this will be the last picture you ever see of Grace (or any of my kids) with a cast on.