Illuminati Confirmed

Priya had physical therapy this week, and it has really helped. They said that psychologically the mind is scared to put weight on the leg after something like that surgery, and as a result Priya has been really careful with her leg. Now she's realizing that she misses walking and being more independent, so she wants to walk more. It makes me happy to see. Especially that her leg is turned the right way.
It's been an interesting week with those two weirdos. They both sleep in our bed. I don't usually say that because the look I usually get from people is, "I didn't know I was a better parent than you. That's good to know." It had to happen. We went through one full year with Mirinda trying to get her to sleep in her room. She fought tooth and nail. There were several months I was sleeping on a bean bag next to her bed just to get her to stay in her room. Finally we realized it wasn't going to happen, and let her sleep in our bed. She was developmentally behind at that time, and still wasn't speaking much. Within a week of letting her do that she began to speak in full sentences and started to develop rather quickly. I think part of it was she was getting sleep, and part of it was it reduced her anxiety.
I get annoyed when I hear "They say you shouldn't...". I'm never sure who "they" are. Illuminati confirmed.
The plan was to get them to sleep in their own beds when Priya came home, but the transition was tough, and it was pushed back.
Now these girls are getting older and more mature, and it's time for them to sleep in their own beds. It's been fairly successful. It's also been some very cool father/daughter moments. The first night Priya went to bed happily, but the second night she cried a lot. She finally did fall asleep, but it took a while. The next night she started crying again, and I had her on my lap. I asked her what was scaring her, and she said ghosts. I asked her if she was afraid ghosts were going to come get her and she said yes. Then I told her about the angels that were watching over her and the house, and how I would tell the ghosts to go away. She made me repeat that a few more times, but then she calmed down and went to sleep.
With Mirinda she was really excited to sleep in her own bed, but then would sleep for a few hours and wake up screaming when we weren't in bed with her. So a few nights ago I told her if she woke up she could just come into the room and tap me on the arm, and I would pick her up. She didn't need to scream. The next morning she was in bed with me, and I asked Amy what time she put her in bed with me. Amy said she didn't, she thought I had gotten Mirinda. I didn't. Mirinda woke up scared, got out of bed, and crawled into bed with me without waking anyone up.
They both listened to me, which is a strange experience. Most of the time when I'm asking them to do something I imagine they're thinking, "Dear Man, we appreciate that you're speaking to us right now, but we're going to do whatever we feel like." So hopefully we'll get to the point soon where both of them are sleeping in their own beds, and I'll stop falling off the bed at night because Mirinda gains like 150 pounds when she sleeps.
We're going camping this weekend, and the girls couldn't be more excited. Last year Mirinda wanted to turn in at about 5:00 because she was so excited to sleep in a tent, so we'll see how this year goes.
We are going to be launching the podcast soon, but Jim Bob uses Windows 95 with a dial up connection, so it takes like a week and a half to upload something. But rest assured we'll have it up and running soon! Thanks for reading!

New Coke. Seriously?

Priya is doing amazingly well. We've gone swimming 3 times in the last week, and she is so happy about it. That girl is a fish. She crawling pretty well, and will walk when someone is holding her up. She still treats that leg pretty gingerly, but that's to be expected. She did ride on her tricycle the other day, and was so proud of herself. Her first physical therapy session is on Monday.
I'm also happy to report that she's gone back to her sweet happy self. It doesn't mean she doesn't get mad at me still. I'm teaching both of them how to play chess and I took one of her pieces. The look she gave me meant she was going to kill me in my sleep. I sleep with one eye open now.
Slowly but surely we're getting life back to normal. The girls were adorable on Father's Day. They answered some questions about me, and I got a good laugh about that. Priya thinks I'm 4 and Mirinda thinks I'm 1. One of the questions was what does daddy say to you a lot, and Priya said I say good job a lot. I was happy about that. I'm glad it wasn't that I say pull your head out a lot or something like that.
We're going glamping next week, and the girls are so excited. If you've never done that, it's glamorous camping. There's a place called Conestoga ranch in Bear Lake. You can sleep in a covered wagon that has a king sized bed and 2 bunk beds in it, or a big tent that has a king size bed and two single beds. They have even larger tents that can sleep more, and one really large tent that has a bathroom attached, but that's like $400 a night. For $400 a night I'm not sleeping in a tent. It's an extremely fun place, and I really recommend it. Fancy Nancy goes camping in one of the episodes, so the girls have been asking to do that for a little while.
The girls received a really wonderful box from Mrs. Claus last week. It told them that she and Santa were so proud of them for all they went through with the cast, and had a bunch of toys and clothes for them. The girls were beyond excited and we are so grateful to the couple that sent it to them. It meant so much to us!
The whole nostalgia movement has now gone too far. I like nostalgia. I like going through and playing the video games I play when I was a kid. I was happy when they brought back Crystal Pepsi, because I love Crystal Pepsi. But here's the issue. We remember these things from when we were a kid and because of the internet we start pushing for things to be brought back, and then they come back we realize they weren't that good, then we're mad. It's annoying sometimes. A lot of times. It's like the 4th season of Arrested Development. Absolutely awful, but so many people pushed for it and were so excited for it. It's unwatchable. Most of the time lightning doesn't strike twice, so enjoy what there was and move on. Today I found out they're bringing back New Coke because of Stranger Things. Seriously? New Coke? One of the worst possible ideas in the history of bad ideas? It's just the same as saying, "You know what everyone misses from the 80's? The constant threat of nuclear war. Let's bring that back." Same exact thing as bringing back New Coke. I think New Coke caused mutations too, so that's even worse. Let's stop with the nostalgia and enjoy the now. 
This past week Jim Bob and I recorded our first podcast episode! It hasn't been uploaded yet because we're working out some bugs, but once it is please go out and listen to it. If you like what you hear, please share it. We'll be on Facebook and Instagram, but not Twitter because cesspool. I'm really excited about this.
As always thanks for reading, and I'll keep you updated on the new podcast.

They're getting smarter and I'm getting grayer. And Leo's getting larger

What a freaking relief to have that kid out of a cast! Seriously. She's gone back to her old sweet sassy self, and she couldn't be happier about it. We've learned not to bug her when she's doing something she likes doing. The other day Grandpa Tim called to talk to her, but she was in the sandbox and had no interest in talking at that time. She isn't really walking yet, but they said that would take 3 to 4 weeks. We did go swimming, and that kid is a fish in the water. I was extremely concerned about her pushing that leg too much. It did spasm at one point, so once that happened we went to the kid area and just let her swim back and forth. She is a smart kid, but a little too smart. She kept swallowing water, so I told her to come see me so I could teach her what to do. She wouldn't. I told her to come here again, she wouldn't. Finally I pulled her towards me to tell her what to do, and she was still mad. Later at home she told me she already knew how to swim and didn't need my help. She'll be interesting to deal with as she gets older.
She got to ride in the baby sparkly car finally, and she told me she loves it. She wasn't able to ride in it before cause she had to lay down and the seat isn't long enough. It's fun to watch her discover things she likes to do again. She knelt down to say the prayer last night and she was very pleased with herself. She took a bow afterwards.
I've noticed Mirinda comprehending a lot more things lately as well. It's terrifying. They're both extremely smart girls and I feel like I'm on a game of the Weakest Link. Coming back from swimming Mirinda wanted a quesadilla and a taco, and Priya wanted a Happy Meal, so I did what I vowed I'd never do and went to both places. We went to Taco Bell first and Mirinda ate her quesadilla roll up (as she calls it) very quickly, but I'm not going to have her eat a taco in the baby sparkly car. She was hungry, but I told her it would be a few minutes. We went to McDonald's and Priya wanted chicken nuggets. Mirinda decided she wanted chicken nuggets to, but we told her she had already made her choice. She started to throw a fit, but I told her she wasn't going to share half her taco with Priya, so Priya's not going to share half her chicken nuggets with Mirinda. She calmed down for a few minutes, and then told Priya she really wanted to share half her taco with her, as if it was her idea. They're getting smarter and more crafty. Hopefully I'm not the weakest link.
We're going to Lagoon tomorrow and the girls are very excited. Priya is extremely excited to go on some rides, though I think we'll do some of the more gentle rides for a while. I'm just happy that she can do the things she loves to do again.
The girls don't like it when I go to work, so lately Priya has been telling me to go to work as we're getting ready for bed. In her mind if I work all night I'll be home when she wakes up. Crafty. Just another level of terror I'm experiencing.
I talked a few weeks ago about the podcast Jim Bob and I are starting, and we're going to record the first episode tonight, so please watch for that and support us! I'm excited about it. I miss doing improv acting and a lot of it will be that. Thanks for all the support for Priya! I really can't tell you how much it means to me and my family!

Overwhelming Relief

The cast came off today, and all I feel is overwhelming relief! Priya did amazing. She had two nurses on either side cutting the cast off her. Her skin looks great, and she now has a wicked cool scar. It is really long. She is so happy to have it off! They took x-rays and its amazing to see what her leg looks like now. The doctors are really happy with it. They moved her leg and it rotated the way it should. I never thought that something so simple would amaze me like it has. They're making a new boot for her, and gave her a walker. She'll need it for 3 to 4 weeks. That's what they said, but I don't think it will be that long. Is it wrong that I want to dress her up like a little old lady with a walker and take some pictures? Probably. I just think it would be hilarious.
She'll start doing physical therapy, and they said pool time is great, so we'll be doing that quite a bit. It was amazing to see the difference in her already. We went to lunch and she was more than happy to sit in a high chair by herself and eat. There's a huge difference in this kid. She's developed some bad habits that we need to fix now, but that's a small price to pay for a hip.
This morning I was thinking about the first day I met her. I was in Nagpur, India, and the a hotel car with a driver. I told him the address and it took us about 45 minutes to find the place, and then another 45 minutes to find the orphanage once we found the building. The orphanage is in a state hospital, and it's huge. I was glad I had the driver with me because not many people spoke English, and a lot of them were terrified of this huge white man walking down the halls.
We finally found the orphanage, and this little tiny girl that couldn't walk very well came out to see me. I brought her a coloring book and crayons, and we sat on the floor and colored together. Her whole life up to that point had been four small rooms. It is a good orphanage, but it's a hard place to grow up. The only time she left was to go to the doctor.
This was just about a year and a half ago. Now she's in a comfortable home with parents and a sister who love her so much. She's able to get amazing medical attention, and will have every opportunity to have a happy and healthy life. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for all that. This kid deserves it. She deserves to have joy. She deserves to run and be a kid. I can't believe how lucky I am to be her dad.
The Lord has blessed our daughters so much and I'm filled with such joy for them. We've still got work to do, but for now the burden has been lifted and I feel a sense of relief that I can't fully explain. In the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia series, CS Lewis wrote, "The term is over; the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning". That's how I feel right now.
Thank you to family and friends who have been so supportive and have helped us through this time. We could not have done it without you!

He needs The Doctor

4 days left! Holy crap it seems like an eternity since this kid could walk. The good news is she has been in a little better mood this week. Not completely, but better. She is so excited to be able to walk again, and Mirinda keeps telling Priya about all the things she can do when she gets her cast off. It's adorable. She tells Priya she will be able to run as fast as she does, swim, ride her bike and dance. Mirinda is her biggest cheerleader. On Tuesday the cast will come off, and then we'll see how much atrophy there is. The way Priya learns things, I think she'll have it figured out in about a day, and the muscle will be much stronger in about a week. It would be fascinating to see her thought process as she realizes that her leg moves where it is supposed to move now. She's literally going to have to learn how to walk again. I think she'll absolutely love it. As a dad I can't wait to see it.
No matter what we do though, man that cast stinks. Remember that scene in Star Wars Episode 4 when they go down the garbage shoot and Han Solo says, "What an incredible smell you've discovered!". Her cast smells like what I imagine it smelled like down there. It happens with all casts. That's a million dollar idea though. To find a way to freshen up a cast (they told us not to use febreeze). You'd be rich. Or I will be once I get it figured it out. Patent pending.
Speaking of Star Wars I have been geeking out the last week about Star Wars Galaxies Edge in Disneyland. It looks so amazing. I'm already planning out what lightsaber I'm going to build. I realize it's $200 to build one, I just don't care. There's a droid station where you can build you're own remote control droid from scratch. It reacts to things around the park. The food looks so cool, and the millennium falcon ride looks absolutely incredible. Plus, right now there are record low numbers at the park. I have the app that allows you to see wait times on rides, and on the day the park opened there was a 10 minute wait time for the millennium falcon ride. I think everyone figured it was going to be too crazy at the opening, so no one went. Seriously it's going to be so cool. Really the only problem is the LA Times sent a bunch of their people to review the park, and their all d-bags that don't care about Star Wars. The food critic started his youtube video by saying, "Space, the Final Frontier." I thought you poor, poor d-bag. You're about to be destroyed on the internet. Plus he kept talking about all the food there as being cafeteria style food. Yep, you're in a cafeteria. That's the annoyance I have. I'm a bit of a food snob, but it doesn't mean I don't enjoy a greasy burger or a cafeteria. Any food can be good if it is prepared correctly. I get annoyed when things aren't prepared correctly. I can appreciate a cafeteria for what it is, if it tastes good.
Speaking of geeking out, I watch Doctor Who on my phone every night as we're calming down for the night. The girls usually watch Peppa Pig, and I watch Doctor Who. Every night Mirinda asks me what I'm watching, and I tell her The Doctor. Last night we were reading the scriptures. We have the illustrated ones and we were reading about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. Mirinda asked me if He had an owie, and I said yes it was a really big owie. She said He needed a doctor and I told her He went to Heavenly Father after that happened and Heavenly Father helped. She said, "No, He needs the doctor on your phone." It took me a second after she said that because we've done connect care on my phone before to talk to a doctor when she was sick, and then I realized she was saying Jesus needed The Doctor from Doctor Who. It was hilarious and adorable. I explained to her that Jesus was OK now, and He didn't need The Doctor. I love kids.
I'm a little depressed because Billy B's shut down. They said they were going to open back up at the beginning of May, but now the building has an available sign in it. I want to find the lady that made the donuts and beg her to open up a donut shop in town, but maybe it isn't meant to be.
Thanks for reading, and for all the people that have asked and been concerned for Priya. We're almost done!