Trying to help my kids with some outside the box thinking thanks to @StarkParks

I was chatting with my friends at Stark Parks on Twitter this morning and I was reminded about the new Mindfulness Walk that was completed a few months ago. This is a walk through nature and it consists of 10 stations where you can stop, self-reflect and focus on your mental health. Ten stations promote relaxation, focus and awareness, reflection, and embracing the present moment. Examples include a zen sand garden, a musical instrument, stacking stones, and a labyrinth. It's beautiful and I've been meaning to get the kids out there all summer but it kept slipping my mind. I know the boys are having a very difficult time right now and I thought it might be the perfect time to help them unplug. Everyone was excited to go but Elliott. He was…

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In other news

In other news, Gavin's IVIG Infusion went well. I'm still batting a thousand in the IVIG infusions that don't leak category. Gavin's happy and it also means less pain for him as well. His infusion went pretty quick today. It took less than an hour in total and that's always a good thing. Sometimes it can take four hours or more and that makes him very anxious. Today's infusion was a success and I think Gavin did a fantastic job.

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What a difference a haircut can make

Over the weekend, I was able to get Elliott a major haircut. He hasn't had a haircut this significant since Gavin's wish trip to Florida, and he wasn't happy about it then. His hair was getting out of hand and much harder to maintain. We stopped by on the way home from our train ride on Saturday and got it done. He was remarkably cooperative but his hair was cut shorter than what he was comfortable with. In order to quickly diffuse the situation, I pointed out that he had the same haircut as Season 1 Sam Winchester. Since he was dressing up as Sam for Halloween this year, his frown, quickly turned upside down.. Check out my handsome young man.

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Being a single Dad is not easy but we made some serious progress today

I know it's Monday and Mondays usually suck but I want to focus on some pretty amazing progress being made by one, Mr. Gavin. I'm so thankful to have my kids in my life every single day. Many single Dad's don't have that and I know how lucky I am. At the same time, it does present a few challenges that have forced me to make unwanted changes in my life. One of those challenges is that I can no longer go walking in the mornings like I have been for years. This impacts my health, both emotionally and physically, as well as my weightloss. The kids can't stay home alone for a multitude of reasons, and that means I have to take them with me, everywhere I go. It's…

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So Far So Good

So far so good. Everyone is going to school without a problem. Elliott is dragging a little bit but he's also a teenager. I have some serious concerns about how school is going to go today for him. I'm grateful that he's not putting up a fuss about going at this point. That tells me that he's at least making an effort to go and that's important. Gavin and I are going to go walking after we drop the boys off at school. I feel like I slept really well and that's a good way to start the day.

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I got yelled at a lot tonight and it f*cking sucked

There's so much to talk about but I'm exhausted beyond belief and want to call it a night. Thay said, I figured I'd sum everything up quickly and maybe provide more detail in the morning. The boys had a visit this morning with their mom. They left around 9 AM and were back a little before 3 PM. I did absolutely nothing while they were gone. At first I felt guilty about that but that didn't last too long because I needed sleep. I crashed on the couch with Ruby for a decent power nap and ended up feeling better after. When the kids got home, Elliott was upset again but he wasn't dwelling on it so I told him that I was there if he needed to talk. Emmett…

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We were able to escape our lives for a little while yesterday

Yesterday was a really long day. It was spent on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and it was pretty amazing. The boys and I had never ridden on a train before and we can now check that off our bucket list. We arrived early and rode the train to the end of the line. On the return trip, we stopped at the small town of Peninsula, Ohio (population 500). The train would pick us back up about 4 hours later. During that time we were able to explore this beautiful little town and spend time as a family. We had a fantastic lunch, before visiting an art gallery, gift shop, ice cream parlor and a few other little town stores that lined the main street. It was a really nice…

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We have the most amazing day planned at the @CVSRR

This will likely be the first and final update until we get home today. We made it to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad safely and on time. That's right, on time. In fact, we were about 45 minutes early. ☺ Not sure how long of a day this is going to be but it's a much needed break from all the stress in our life right now. It's going to be an amazing day and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. ☺

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