School, Health, Father’s Day, and Other Miscellaneous Stuff

School

James was supposed to start summer school, but as I mentioned in my last post, his one-on-one school nurse wanted to take some time off for the summer. Unfortunately, the nursing agency has been unable to find a replacement. Until they do, it looks like James will be stuck at home watching some not-so-educational TV…

 

James lies on his cushioned recliner under a blanket, watching an animated show on the TV. The entertainment center in front of him is filled with personal items — weights, DVDs, decorations — including a Superman emblem and a shelf labeled with his name. A whiteboard and a calendar hang on the wall nearby. The moment feels relaxed and familiar, capturing a quiet stretch of downtime in his room.
Day 1 of Summer School

 

I admit that I may be a bit jealous. I wouldn’t mind taking some time off, relaxing, and watching Big City Greens on Disney Channel, like James is doing in the above picture. I really like that cartoon.

Hopefully they will be able to find a nurse so James can spend at least some of the summer in school. We think it’s good for him. School is really the only time he gets to be with kids his own age and intellectual level.

 

 

Health

This health update is going to be a bit different than most. I am including three of the four of us this time around, and not just James.

James goes first because this is his blog after all. He had an ear infection last month, was treated with antibiotics, and it seems to have gone away. And May 23rd was the 3rd anniversary of his spinal fusion surgery, which Stacy calls his “Spinalversary”. It was a long surgery followed by a much longer than anticipated recovery in the hospital, but in the end we’re still glad we did it. He sits up so much straighter, and it has to have taken some pressure off of his internal organs.

 

A six‑panel collage marks the third anniversary of James’s spinal fusion surgery. One photo shows him resting in a hospital bed under a colorful blanket with medical equipment nearby. Another shows his back with a long surgical scar. The center panel features celebratory text reading “Happy 3rd Spinal Anniversary” over a background of red, blue, and white hearts. Additional images show him sitting in his wheelchair in a hospital gown and neck brace, along with two X‑rays displaying spinal hardware and alignment. A final close‑up highlights the healed scar. The collage feels reflective and proud, capturing both the difficulty of the journey and the strength in reaching this milestone.
It’s been 3 years since James had his spinal fusion surgery

 

Next up is Maggie. A few weeks ago she had a small mass removed from her side. We don’t know if it was cancerous or not and chose not to do a biopsy on it. It was an additional expense that we didn’t need, and we don’t think knowing would change anything. They sent her home with a “cone of shame”, which wasn’t going to work for her. I ran out to the pet store and picked her up an inflatable collar instead. She wasn’t a fan of that either.

 

Maggie, a light‑brown dog with a medium‑length coat, lies on a wooden floor wearing a bright blue inflatable recovery collar. Beside her, Stacy sits close in a striped hoodie with a paw‑print design, offering quiet company. Wooden cabinets and a red rug fill the background, giving the scene a cozy, lived‑in feel. The moment captures calm care and a gentle check‑in during the dog's healing.
Maggie with an inflatable collar instead of the “cone of shame”

 

For the final piece of family health news, Stacy tested positive for Covid on May 27th. We had been fearing that this would happen sooner or later; that one of us would get it and bring it into the house with James. I’m kind of surprised that it took this long. It’s been almost a month and James and I are fine. Neither one of us has it. All three of us are vaccinated so we’re not sure how Stacy got it, but her symptoms have fortunately been pretty mild. Just a headache and a bit of a sore throat.

 

 

Father’s Day

A six‑photo Father's Day collage shows moments between Jeff and his son, James, across different ages. One image shows Jeff holding James as newborn, wrapped in a blanket. Another shows him on a couch with James, now older and wearing an orange vest. A third shows him sitting on a red couch, embracing James and kissing his forehead. The bottom row includes outdoor photos: Jeff lying on a blanket smiling at James, both lying in the grass looking toward the camera, and the two of them stretched out on a blanket with autumn leaves around them. Text at the bottom reads, “Happy Father’s Day dad. I’m lucky to be your son!” The collage feels affectionate, nostalgic, and full of their bond over time.

 

I’m lucky to be your dad, James. Although we can’t do the normal stuff that other fathers and sons do, I hope you know that I don’t think any less of you. As a matter of fact, I probably think more of you than a father of a typical son does of their kid. You inspire me to be a better person. I may be a bit rough around the edges, but I am working on it. You’ve taught me to not take things for granted. And you’ve shown me that no matter how tough I think my life is, somebody has a tougher one.

 

Three people stand together in a grassy backyard. James sits in his supportive wheelchair wearing a plaid shirt, shorts, and sandals. Two adults stand behind him — Papa in a purple polo and khaki pants, Jeff in a patterned shirt and beige shorts. Green plants, a tree, a wooden fence, and part of a house frame the background. The moment feels casual and relaxed, like a simple outdoor snapshot with people who care about James.
Stacy’s Dad, Me, and James

 

 

Other Miscellaneous Stuff

On June 13th, shortly after I got home from work, the tornado sirens started going off, followed by alerts on our cell phones, and Alexa. Since we don’t have a basement, and the only room in the house without any windows is James’ bathroom. That’s our storm shelter.

The first day we got Maggie a year and a half ago, we gave her a shower in there and she’s been very reluctant to go in there ever since. She and I sat in the hallway until the storm passed, while James and Stacy were in the bathroom.

 

Two people are in a small bathroom with light blue walls. Stacy sits on the floor near the doorway, looking toward the camera. James lies on his cushioned recliner on the bathroom floor near the toilet, resting quietly. A patterned shower curtain hangs to the left, and a wooden vanity with drawers sits to the right, with a bag covered in multicolored hearts beside it. A small rug and a toilet brush sit near the toilet. The scene feels intimate and practical, capturing a moment of close care while waiting out the storm.
Hanging out in the bathroom until the storm passes

 

In a carpeted hallway with wooden doors, Jeff sits on the floor with his back against the wall and legs stretched out, wearing a blue shirt, jeans, and white socks Maggie, a medium-sized light‑brown dog leans into his lap. Jeff holds a red bag of dog treats, suggesting a calm moment of reward or connection.
Maggie refuses to go into the bathroom so we sheltered in the hallway outside the bathroom

 

The following day the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-0 tornado briefly touched down a couple of miles southeast of us. Fortunately, the damage wasn’t too severe:

“Damage was sporadic along the path of the tornado and consisted of part of the roof of a business getting peeled back in two different directions with the rest of the damage being confined to trees.”

We didn’t have any damage to the house, but we did have several tree branches down in our backyard from the winds:

 

A backyard with green grass shows scattered small branches and leaves on the ground. A wooden pergola stands in the foreground Hosta plants sit near the bottom edge of the image. To the right is a beige shed with red shutters and a white door, and a blue house is partly visible behind trees and bushes. The scene feels calm and suburban, with signs that the yard was recently brushed by strong storm.
Our backyard after the storm

 

In other miscellaneous news, the Township Disability Services Department had a nice BBQ that we went to. James got to see one of his old crushes, too.

 

Two people sit outdoors in their wheelchairs on a paved area, both wearing supportive harnesses. James is on the left, wearing sunglasses and a blue shirt with bold text, with colorful accessories attached to his chair. His "crush" sits on the right, wearing a yellow shirt with a bright design, patterned pink‑and‑white pants, and a name tag. A small white table in front of them holds two cans of Diet Coke. Behind them, rows of empty folding chairs are set up, suggesting a casual gathering or community event. The moment feels social, relaxed, and full of easy companionship.
James with his crush at the Disability Services BBQ

 

One last thing to post before I go grab some lunch and do some yardwork. I was debating putting this picture on here for the world to see, but I think the world should know how Stacy tortures our son. She gave him a haircut a week ago and put his hair in a ponytail. She has always wanted a daughter that she could do this to. If Maggie’s hair was longer, I’m sure she’d try to do this to her. Poor James!

 

James lies face down on a patterned surface with a towel draped over his upper body. Their head is turned to the side, resting against the fabric, and their hair is pulled back with a blue hair tie. The background is plain and light, giving the moment a soft, close‑up feeling of rest and calm.
Stacy put James’ hair in a ponytail