a Sneak Halloween Peak

The same as last year, I had a walker and a wheelchair idea going.

And I had one day set aside to do everything!

 

This is my walker!

 

I had to try him in it a couple of time to make sure I wasn't blocking anything.
Plastic plates, permanent markers, popsicle sticks, green tape and a plastic table cloth
Tada!

Nick just wanted to try out the antlers!
(And he has orange face makeup on too)

My wheelchair houses needed some additional work as well

I wanted it to be real houses
To have more substance, but still be able to go on the chair.
This is the final product

It should be waterproof and durable enough.
Now I just have to make sure that they will stay on the wheelchair.
I'm waiting for something to attach it to (my project for tomorrow). But the Tyrone house (the orange one) will fit behind him, and the other 2 should go beside the chair.

Because I put so much work into it, I'm hesitant to send him to school with these houses. So the wheelchair will go around on Halloween Night, and the walker will be ready for school.

Nick thinks they are fantastic! But there was a lot of detail in these!
Katheryn is ok will so much time spent on Nick's costume. She just wants me to paint her face

Fun and Games

Today was our first annual Durham Region Police Children's Games. It was the 29th year they have done this, and this is the first year Nick was old enough to participate.
It is fun, it is free and the kids had a great time!

You can read about the write-up on the DRPS site here, and also the Toronto Sun here (with pictures, I think we are in 3 or 4 of them)

 Nick was in the PATROL group. It was a group made up of kids from Grandview.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and he wanted to walk in his walker. So that is what we brought.

It was a bit spread out (it was at the Pickering Rec Complex), and there was a lot of walking. So Nick got tired, before we even got started!

It started with a parade, including bag-pipes and an honor guard.
They had the kids parade in. The Patrols came, and we were waiting for Nick....
And I had to go and help him. He was doing it, just slowly, he goes faster with just a touch of help.

There were all kinds of different police men there, all in full uniform (including weapons), even some police dogs too, and dress uniforms as well.

There were all kinds of different games to play and try out.
I wasn't sure whether Katheryn would be able to participate or not. I described it to her like at Easter Seals Camp, where the Easter Seals kids went first and if there was time the siblings were able to go.

We did the parachute... How long does it take for all of the balls to get in the holes.

Then there was lots of running underneath and playing

We played Golf

 

Curling

 

 Nick had no desire to push the big ball, but Katheryn did

There was Hockey

Katheryn was a pro

 

 Then it was time for Bocci Ball

 Bowling

 

Basketball

 

Nick took a bit of a break

Katheryn enjoyed herself with the police chasing her
(Hopefully only at this time...)

It was not all laughing, Nick got very tired and wouldn't play, so he wouldn't play, so we just watched.

We refused to be part of the team photo. So we took him out, he had a bit of a rest and then we took a couple of just him (that she fit in perfectly)

And we even got an almost-smile

 

Nick had fun playing wheelchair rugby (and got an assist in the game)

 

 

 

 

We were going to go home after we ate, but Nick finally agreed to go in his chair. Some food and a mini-siesta and he was full of energy again!

 

 

There was entertainment, a live band, pizza and cupcakes

 

 

And everyone registered got an award and loot bag

The had some extra awards, so Katheryn got one too

 

 

Next year... Oct 25th, 2014.... I have it marked on the calendar to do it again!

Halloween Plans

We have had a plan for Halloween since the summer.

Nickolas has had a very specific request.

He wants to be Tyrone from the Backyardigans

 

So my mind started thinking about what I wanted to do.

First I prices out off-the-rack costumes.

I didn't like them

 

So I looked for how to make them.

Got my pieces back in July

 

 

But now it is 1 week to Halloween, and I have to put these plans into action.

We have 2 costumes to make.

 

 

A walker backyard, and a wheelchair backyard, with Tyrone in the middle.

 

 I needed to make sure I had the right inspiration.

 

I made some quick drawings to see how it would show up.
It's very important for everything to be waterproof.
I don't want to do something in paper and then have it all dissolve in the rain/snow, or not use it because it would.

I added 2 other houses for the walker (yellow and purple) which aren't in the original picture
So I have plastic plates to use for the walker-houses (draft versions above)
Then foam for the houses for the larger wheelchair-houses.

I'm going to put it all together this weekend.
I am a little nervous that it is going to flop...

Katheryn is going to be a super-hero, and her costume is all done.
I was going to add some embellishments to her, but I pulled it out yesterday and I think I might just make it worse. But I'll do something for her... Maybe some wrist cuffs?

Home again... with attitude

While we were away Nick went through an attitude adjustment.
I'm not quite sure why or what triggered it.

He has turned into a little monster. And not in a cute way.
A "I hate you mommy" and "I hit you on purpose, Ha!" evil kind of way.
He will just get so wrapped up in being evil and mean and it spirals out of control.
It's not just me, it was directed at Kyle and Katheryn as well (but I felt I got more of the "I hate you's").

He won't stay in place for a time-out, he crawls away and laughs and continues to say how much he hates us. Putting him by himself makes him scream. We found that wrapping him up burrito-style in a blanket, with him arms helped to calm him down.

The last day on our trip, in the bathroom, I'm crouching in front of him cathing him in his chair and he is saying "I hate you", "I hate you", and he pulled back and punched me in the face.
I was not happy.
I brought him back to were we were waiting and he had to stand with his face in the chair until he was calm enough and ready to apologize.

It has continued to some extend while we have been home.
Regular time-outs are not working.
Putting him in his room seem to be the answer, except he screams that he doesn't want to be alone.
But he is ready to be nice and apologize quicker.

I'm not quite sure what the trigger was, but I'm hoping now that we are settling back into our home routine it will get better.
Apparently in school and daycare he remains the cute little boy.

Some things don't change

We found Backyardigans in Spanish

 

Nick still loved it