thefavilles: It's Autumn!!

Our fall days have been filled with seasonal fun! The boys are enjoying all of the falling leaves and festivities of apple orchards, picking out pumpkins, decorating for Halloween and trick or treating. Matthew finished out his soccer season with a bang. He scored lots of goals this season and can't wait to play again next year. They offer indoor soccer here but who can get their kids there by 4pm all the way across town 2 nights a week? Not this mom! Andrew just started boy scouts tonight and can't wait to go and see all of the fun things boy scouts do. They are both doing well in school, but we'll know for sure mid-November at Parent-Teacher conferences.
Andrew continues to progress after his surgery very nicely. Since he only had the left leg done at this time, we're working just as hard on his right leg, which continues to show signs of toe walking. We're really hoping that with the increase in PT that it will correct itself like the doctor hoped. The PTs are starting to really work on strengthening and balance as well as his walking gait. He walks much different than before surgery, so he's basically learning to walk all over again. We've tried him out without his AFOs for the last 2 days at school and he seems to be doing well, but exhausted by the end of the day. His Neurosurgeon, Dr. Park, wants Andrew to ditch those braces as soon as possible, and now that we are a month post-op, I think its' time to start him weaning off them. He still has therapy 4 days a week (ughh, exhausting with all this running these kids around). It's been quite frustrating with his outpatient PT since somehow his sessions keep getting cancelled! I think we may move him to a different clinic... but the therapy when he does get it, is very good. He is making a lot of progress and now just started running again! He seems much quicker and is also having an easier time going alternating feet upstairs too. Now he just has to train his brain to lead with his left foot. It's been such a habit for so long, it's difficult to break. So you'll all have to watch the new videos we posted on YouTube with Andrew running from house to house on Halloween! It was such a relief not to have the wagon to get him from house to house this year! The boys went to every house on the block and Andrew did a great job keeping up with the group. Only a few times did they have to wait up for him! The videos are a bit dark, but be sure to watch them in HD so they are clearer. We're planning on getting some more post-op videos together soon. I'd like to do a monthly video now. He's just been progressing so quickly that we can't keep up!

Visit www.youtube.com/thefavilles for more videos!

We had a great Halloween this year. The boys both dressed up as zombies and Sean & I actually got dressed up to go out on Saturday night to a costume party. We've never gone out on Halloween. We dressed up as Snooki & Pauly D from the Jersey Shore. We had a great time and got lots of compliments on our costumes. We laughed all night long.
Speaking of Jersey Shore... we sneaked a trip down to New Jersey to surprise my cousin Wendy for her 40th birthday for the night and had an amazing dinner at Moonstruck in Asbury Park, NJ. Great food, great service and lots of fun. If you ever get to Asbury Park, you've got to go eat there! We had to keep it a secret from the kids so they wouldn't be mad that they couldn't come. They love going to Jersey to visit family. It was a bit exhausting to drive the 6+ hours there, dinner & drinks all night long and then 6+ hour drive back all in a matter of 24 hours... but it was worth it.

Sean & Mel outside Moonstruck - Asbury Park, NJ

The weather is starting to turn crisp and we finally gave in and turned on the heat! We've had a little bit of snow that didn't stick, but it's still snow! We've officially retired the bikes & pool toys for the summer and have to get the sleds and shovels warmed up for winter. Take down the Halloween decorations, only to put the Christmas ones up. We have our family photo session on Sunday on location and pray that it's not too cold. It could make for a miserable day.