Good Bye and Good Luck

Today was graduation day for Nickolas. Nick isn't returning to Campbell's School next year but is transitioning to his home school (with Katheryn) in September.

As long as the Elementary Teachers don't strike.

I have been preparing for this for a long time.

We have been so happy that Nick went to Campbell's for 2 years, to become more prepared and older and more experienced. I think that we all needed that.

But now graduation day has come.

And I think we are ready.

Nick has grown so much, gained so much confidence

I am sad to leave the school. The experiences that Nick has gained in such a supportive environment is fantastic!
A Halloween Parade, meeting the Panam/Parapan mascot, golfing, hockey, meeting hockey players, and going to the zoo are just some of the activities that they have done over the last year

Nick also has therapy during school hours. In types of classes.
Like the Wild Wheelers is a class every week where the kids go around in their wheelchairs (inside and outside) and learn wheelchair skills, computer skills, yoga classes

This is their playground.

And of course one of the best thing about the school is being with kids who are just like him

With a team of people who are with him and supporting him every day.

But now the day has come, and I think that Nick is ready.
He will miss the school and his friends and teachers (and school bus driver). The school is small so he knows everyone, they know him. He gets around without a problem, the classes are small and he is the same as everyone else.

But his new school will be a change, he is still excited for it. He is excited to be at school with Katheryn and he already has some friends who are excited for him to be at school with them (all different ages).

Nick i s definitely going to miss his teacher. Mrs. Meyers has been his teacher since his first day at school last year. We are all going to miss her!

But this guy is ready for Grade 1!

As well, I got creative this year and we made our own Thank you gifts for his teachers, EAs, bus driver and OT and PT.
A mint plant

A picture for the bus

And some nail polish (ninja turtle colours)

Christmas Morning

Christmas started for me at work. Where we still tried to have a bit of fun "Delivering Christmas Joy"

Then it was time to head home for Christmas morning!

Santa dropped off Katheryn's gifts as requested

And for Nick

Katheryn was very excited to see that Santa had come!

Katheryn emptied out under the tree for everyone.

We took some time in the middle of the wrapping paper mess for some cuddles and pictures

A quick kiss under the mistletoe

And wishing everyone a Merry Christmas

Then it was time for me to go to bed...

Christmas at Grandma Ridding's involved family, more presents and swimming!

The kids got lots of presents, toys, games, books and clothes.
Katheryn's favorite present was her go-go puppy and Monster High books.
Nick's favorite was his Lego's and his Ninja Turtle 'spiders'

Christmas for me was really busy, splitting family time with work and sleep time. For the kids it was fun and visiting family. I'm looking forward to finishing these last few shifts of the year and then taking time for family.

A gift of spina bifida

It is easy to focus on what I am missing by having a son with spina bifida. (This is a followup to my last post - A Moment of Grief) When talking about 'a different kind of perfect' I might think and imagine what I am missing, how things are worse now that we have spina bifida in our lives. Concentrate on the worry, the appointments, and the hardships.

But thanks to a friend, fellow mother and blogger Joanna for reminding me that there are things that I have gained by having spina bifida in my life. I have been given a gift. Yes, you read that right. It might seem that gift is a strong word to talk about our diagnosis, but it really isn't.

It has brought me the gift of celebrating each little milestone, to recognize the amazing capacity children are born with. It has shown me that my child is stronger than I could ever be. It has given me the gift to realize that some things in life are important, and some things are not.

Spina bifida has brought me clarity.
It reminds me of when I first got my glasses. I commented to my mother that Now I could see the leaves on the trees when we were driving. I never knew before that I couldn’t see the leaves; I didn't know I was missing anything. But now that I had seen I didn't want to go back to the blurriness.
Having a child with spina bifida has given me glasses that I never knew I needed. It has opened up a life for me that I don't want to give up.

It has given me the clarity, time and opportunity to enjoy and marvel at little things (even during physio). To be thankful for every movement, every laugh, every smile and to marvel at the love that I see and feel every day. We celebrate each exploration of our world. I have less moments of mundane and more moments to bask in the joy of my son's accomplishments.

It has given me a voice to ask questions and seek current research. It has made (ok maybe I'm not quite there yet), I should say, it is making me into an advocate. Confident that I am a strong mother who has good instincts.

It has given me the gift to realize the strength of my partnership. That we have been to the bottom of the pit and have risen higher than we realized that we could. That we are stronger now than before we knew what spina bifida was. I have been given the gift to realize that we are four individual pieces of a puzzle that produces a beautiful picture.

 

It has brought me a gift of a family of mothers and their children that understand exactly where I am and what I am thinking. It has given me children that I have followed and will follow being born, growing older, rolling, standing, walking and running. I have found a whole community of people who have been there, and share their experiences to help you when you feel alone.

Let me finally say that it has given me to opportunity to realize how wonderful, loving and caring my family is. Who read about my moment of grief and reached out to see how I was. To reinforce their love and confidence in my ability to be a mother of a son with spina bifida.

So today I celebrate the gift of spina bifida. That I have been given many little gifts with this diagnosis that I didn’t know that I needed, but that I am not willing to give up. I do have moments of grief and negativity but these are more than balanced by gifts of clarity and love, moments of joy, realization of faith and appreciation of my many blessings.

OK hand me a tissue.