The countdown and the not-so-single mom

There is a countdown going on in my house. It's not the countdown to my son's birthday, which is only a week away. It's not the countdown to my wedding, which is only three months away (still so much to do -- eek!) It's not the countdown to a vacation or a fun outing. No, all of that pales in comparison to what's happening on Tuesday -- the cast comes off (insert a deep, echoing "dun-dun-dun!" here).

We head back to the orthopedist on Tuesday to get his cast off and, assuming the x-rays look good, pins out. The doctor has indicated that my son will have a sling or something on his arm afterward for a while to let it continue healing, but he doesn't expect to put a cast back on.

My son is, in a word, eager.

Since at least the 7th of this month, he's been telling me every morning how many days remain until  he gets his cast off.

"Morning, sweetie."

"Morning, Mommy. 10 more days," he mutters as he stretches and yawns his way toward wakefulness.

I'll also get regular reports throughout the day, just in case I'd forgotten since the morning or, you know, failed to grasp how counting works.

"It's 8 days until I get my cast off.  And tomorrow it'll be 7. And the next day it'll be 6. And the next day it'll be 5..."

I won't write this sequence all the way to the end in order to spare your eyes and sanity, gentle reader, but I assure you I'm subjected to it day in and day out, often several times a day. I'm not sure he has ever learned a math skill better, faster or more thoroughly than he has counting backwards for the sake of this countdown.

Despite my grumblings here, I have expressed nothing but excitement for my son every time he launches into this daily recitation. He's been so utterly miserable hauling that thing around for the past three weeks. Sleeping has remained difficult and uncomfortable, and that legendary itching that comes along with casts has set in. Though he still has a lot of recovery to go (not the least of which is persistent nerve damage that is causing him a lot of pain and still making his left hand practically useless), both of us are quite ready for this part to be done.

Only 4 days left. And tomorrow it'll be 3. And the next day it'll be 2. ...