A Journey with Love and Laughs

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Amazing

That's my kids.
My kids are amazing. You should be jealous.

I know my last post was a little blah.
But the kids really know how to cheer me up.

Hug Fest!

I feel much better now.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Wheelchair Trials

Sometimes I think the wheelchair trial is not so much a trial for Nick, but as a trial for mommy.

I've mentioned that I don't want it in the house, the purpose is not for independence in the house, it's for independence outside, therefore the wheelchair stays in the car. But we want Nick to get used to it, to get moving in it. So we have to get out and about.

We’ve spent the last week out of the house every day.

Our first outing to Walmart did not go very well, Nick didn't want to be in the chair and he didn't want to push himself anywhere. When we went to the zoo he did better, but mostly I pushed him and he would go in a 5 foot area. But what I really wanted was for him to move himself more. I want him to be completely independent. Now. (Yes I know he has his own timeline...)

So we kept going at it.

I've also bought Nick some bike gloves which have really helped his poor little hands when we are wheeling around outside.

We've gone out every day to different places. As well as the zoo, we’ve walked the neighborhood, gone out to restaurants, shopped in stores and visited. We’ve been very visual.

Where ever we go, I'll leave Nick in an aisle or something and then see what he'll do. I'm trying to give him his space.

Every day we out he is starting to get more and more comfortable. He's doing well going to something he wants, now I'm just having difficulty getting him to move himself away from something he wants. Imagine that.

But I'm finding it a mommy trial. I'm finding it a bit harder than Nick is.

It's not that we are getting alot of stares or anybody has really said anything. I'm sure we’ve gotten stares, but I stay in my own little bubble and don’t really notice other people. I have had a couple people ask me why Nick is in the chair (along with how old he is). One man kept saying, "that's too bad he's in a wheelchair so young". He said it a couple of times. I've also noticed some other people go out of their way to be nice to us - which is nice.

But it's that we aren't invisible. We aren't just another mom and kids out shopping.

Now we are that mom with her kid in the wheelchair.

I know that today I am being selfish.

How can I tell Nick or Katheryn that being in a wheelchair isn't something bad, when it just makes me feel bad.

I know that tomorrow I'll feel better about it.

Tomorrow Nick will show me how much it does for him.

Tomorrow Nick will continue to show me that he doesn't think it is something bad.

Tomorrow Nick will show me that he doesn't care or notice if people stare. Let them stare - he's a rock star!

Tomorrow Nick will continue to chip away at that heavy feeling in my chest when I see how much he has to work to do things we take for granted.

I guess that's why we have trials. To learn, to endure and to overcome.

It also doesn't help that I hurt my shoulder hauling that thing in and out of the van! I can't wait until we get the lighter one to trial. Boy do I hope he likes that one better!

Sorry no pictures

I'll do less wheelchair complaining next time. Because Nick really is doing well with it.

And he's doing well with his walking too!

Posts will come - I already have the pictures taken.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Wheeling around the zoo

OK, so I wrote this whole post yesterday, left it overnight to finish downloading a video. Came back this morning and it was completely gone. Not even in my draft posts. So here we go again. Hopefully this one will be as awe inspiring and wonderful as the erased one from last night!

I think I've done a number of posts about the zoo. Well, I love the zoo! I love the animals, and I love how the kids love the animals. It's free (well if you don't include the membership and parking fee), it has indoor and outdoor stuff. And they have their favorites!

As soon as they mentioned wheelchair all I could think of what that it would be great to bring to the zoo! I got out my calender and tried to find a free day that we could devote to the zoo and trying out those wheels!

Now that we have the wheelchair I knew it was time to pack up the kids and head out. So the 3 of us spent a nice Monday at the zoo. Which was perfect because it wasn't very busy at all.

What I wanted was for Nick to start to realize that he could move himself where he wanted to go.

The first place we went to was the polar bears. You might remember Katheryn's obsession with the polar bears when we went for her birthday. Nick now shares the same obsession.
Because I had the joy of experiencing Nick's first public display of two-ness!
The polar bears were not really out. And Nick really wanted to see the polar bears, and when I was taking him away he threw a yelling, screaming, kicking fit.

But then we made our way to the penguins. And the penguins were great!
These little guys were great motivators!

It was great for a wheelchair trial. In a nice flat area, not alot of people and the penguins came right up close. I could get Nick to move himself up as long as I didn't have him too far away. Too far away meant crying and pointing.
But I guess a little bit at a time.

Then I thought, hmm that ledge looks perfect for some standing.
So we did that too.

I think we should just visit the penguins for some physio every day!
Except they are at the top of the hill, and the zoomobile doesn't run again until the spring. And pushing a wheelchair down a hill is kinda difficult.

But we weren't done with the animals yet!

Katheryn wanted to go and see the monkeys. Usually they come pretty close too, but not today. Nick still liked watching them from the distance though.

And Katheryn wanted to play.

As long as they are happy!

This video is a little long, but I was trying to get video of Nick moving , and Katheryn wants me to play hide and seek with her!

Last thing we did was see who was making all of that noise!
Can you see it?

The lions were very vocal today!

The zoo was fun, but exhausting.
It was a good trial for Nick's wheelchair and it is just the beginning to show him everything that is out there, and all that he can do by himself!

I almost forgot. When we were leaving, we went into the gift shop. They were starting to decorate the Christmas tree and the lady in the store let Katheryn and Nick help! Katheryn kept telling her how we decorate our tree at home and Nick kept wanting to keep all the sparkly ones.

I guess this shows they will have fun in a couple of weeks when our tree goes up!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Who? Who? Who is Two?!

The day started off pretty well.
Nick was woken up by sister Katheryn singing 'Happy Birthday' to him!

And he came downstairs to a bunch of presents on his new chair (I've loaded this picture a dozen times and saved it different ways in different files and it still comes sideways!)

All he wanted to do was play with the dinky cars! (Uh oh, I feel a 2 year old attitude coming on)