Happy Birthday Party!

Nick had his first school-friend birthday party!

He decided that he wanted to go bowling for his birthday.
This is something that he can do (with a ramp) and has fun.

Not all of the kids had been bowling before, but they all had fun

We had 3 different teams

It was a little complicated trying to decide who would be on who's team. But I think everyone was happy in the end. (And there wasn't any crying like at Katheryn's bowling party)

We had an hour of owling, and then an hour in the party room for cake and pizza.

This is Nick's Star Wars Rebels birthday cake. I think it turned out great!
And he really wanted a Star Wars Rebels Birthday

All of the kids had face masks in their look bags. So we got a group photo (lots of kids wanted to be Storm Troopers)

The birthday boy was very happy!

He got a little bit nervous when everyone sang happy birthday

But I think he also liked the attention

His friends were so cute, everyone wanting to show him what they got him.
I think that everyone had lots of fun. They each left with a loot bag with Star Wars goodies (and their face masks) and some token for the arcade (there was no way I was going to be in charge of 10 kids in there!

We spent a little bit of time in the arcade afterwards. Kyle and Katheryn had a fooz ball game

And somehow the kids talked us into going to Boston Pizza after the party

Nick said he had a great birthday party and can't wait to come back!

Police Games

It was time for the annual Durham Police Children's Games!
Nick has so much fun every year, and this will be our third year attending. We look forward to it every year (and I have next year in my calendar as well).

Every year the kids are organized into different police groups. Nick was in the Traffic Group. And they all go whistles!

Each group has a couple of leaders. Nick's leader was a teacher he knew from Campbell's, and then we had a couple of police officers with us as well. There are a number of different games to play and the kids get points (after practice time).

A shooting game

Pushing the big ball (Nick's favorite thing to do)

Bowling

Basketball

Golf

Curling

Nick got to play curling against his friend Reid

There was a dress up game, how quickly can you dress the police man

Nick liked dressing himself

We learned over the last couple of years that this would happen. Since Nick wants to use his walker at the beginning of we day, we used it for the first part of the day and then kept the wheelchair in the main room for when he started to get tired

Then it was time for some hockey

With the police as goalie

And wheelchair rugby against another team

Nick wasn't that interested in the game, he just wanted to play with his friends

But he did like being goalie

They had a couple of characters around for the kids
There was Spiderman

And Anna and Elsa

Elsa really liked Nick's new sunglasses!

The Police games is about the sports and trying out new sports, as well as an opportunity for Nick to meet up with his friends again. Nick was happy that he got to meet up with some of his friends from Campbell's that he may not have seen since June

Alejandra and Nick have known each other since they were babies, but were still excited to spend the day together

Nick and Reid met in school last year and had a lot of fun together

They spent a lot of their time play fighting and wrestling

They were inseparable during the games

Nick also got to meet up with his EA from Campbell's, Mrs Pam!

Nick also got to meet a Sledge Hockey Paralympian champion, and see his bronze medal!
And he was born with spina bifida, just like Nick

Nick had a great time at the Police games, and asks when he can go back (the bad news, is that it is next year)

  The team got to have a team photo, and everyone got their medals.
 

Nick is excited to bring his medal to school next week

Thank you so much to the Durham Regional Policy for another great Children's Games! Can't wait until next year!

Social Butterfly

Katheryn's birthday party is coming up in a couple of weeks. She got to pick 5 friends from school to come.

She came home after she handed out her invites to say that she wrote out invitations for 3 other kids and invited them. So we made 3 actual invites for these kids as well. Katheryn came home from school with 3 other hand-written invitations from other kids including a birthday in June, November and no date, but at one boys house #22.

We were home one evening and I answer the phone and hear this little voice say "hello". In the background I hear a mom say "ask for Katheryn".
Katheryn got her first phone call!

Katheryn was funny on the phone. Bluntly saying "who is this?" and then "what do you want?"
The conversation improved after that.
We put the phone on speaker because Katheryn was having problems hearing her.
And I got to listen to the cute conversation as the 2 girls made plans for the next day.

I didn't actually realize that her first social call was a milestone.
But it totally was! (at least from the parent perspective)

Nick-angelo's Birthday Party

When it was time for planning Nick's birthday party he knew exactly what he wanted.
He only wanted a swimming party, and of course it had to be Ninja Turtle themed.

So we did both, Ninja Turtle Themed with an hour in the pool as well.

Masks for the kids (and maybe some adults)

Ninja turtle loot bags

 And a couple of games
Some bad-guys to knock down (with ninja turtle coloured Frisbees). I got old-ninja turtles and new-ninja turtle bad guys

Pin the pizza on the Ninja turtle

And a ninja turtle basketball game

We had some Ninja-Turtle food trays, and of course pizza

And a Ninja Turtle cake

Nick got to play with all of his favorite friends

Nick had a fantastic time. He got to run around and play (in his Shellraiser), go swimming, then eat pizza and cake and have everyone sing to him

And after all of that fun, he still got to open presents!

Surrounded completely by all of his friends, who each had a job to do, including present passing, card reading, music playing and garbage collecting

And everyone was excited to see what he was getting

Nick was loving it of course
(Ninja turtle Kraft dinner!!)

 Pretty soon 4 hours had gone by, and the party was over

Cowabunga!
Happy Birthday Nick!