Smiles

Some smiles just because

Because sometimes it is fun to share your seat

Because scarves are cool

Because being a Beaver AND Thor is very serious

Because it is a gorgeous day

 Because dressing up is fun

Because sometimes you just need to ring the doorbell and wait

Because today was a great day

Because what better way to fall asleep than a smile on your face

Zoo time

After the SB&H general meeting we all went to the zoo.
Everyone got to pick 1 animal to go and visit

Nick picked the penguins

Katheryn picked the lions, but her favorite was watching the gorillas outside

Nick had lots of fun moving himself around by himself

We stopped and watched the tiger on our way back to the front of the zoo

And we got to take some pictures

This is my favorite. Shows how lucky I am to have these 2!

General Meeting

We went to the Annual General Meeting for the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario. 

Every year we try to go, and every year I bring the kids (or at least Nick). I really think it is helpful for him to be in that environment, even though he doesn't pay attention to the presenters. I also bring lots of toys and stuff for the kids to be distracted by.

This year they had another awareness initiative with t-shirts

SBH

Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

Spirit Breakthrough Hope has traditionally been the slogan of SB&H

There is a new slogan of Strong Brave Human

These are different words for SBH, but it is not specific to spina bifida and hydrocephalus, it is something that is for everyone.

 Everyone is strong, everyone is brave, and everyone is human. 

So here is the thing. Wear the shirt and be aware of how you are strong, brave and human. And when someone else asks you about your shirt you challenge them. What makes you strong, brave and human.

This got me thinking, imagine a day (in June) where everyone wears a shirt to celebrate themselves and what they can do. What makes us the same and what makes us different, what makes us strong, brave and human.

I am excited to bring the idea to Nick's school and even my work.

Another thing at the General Meeting was that I got an award.
They said some really nice things about me, and what I have brought to the organization and done to raise awareness and support in the community. It was really nice and I am so thankful!

Nick and I also got to meet someone I only met online. Jenna is an adult with spina bifida and Nick was excited to meet her. I am so thankful for her perspective and knowledge and it was very nice meeting her in person

The kids also each got a present that had been donated to the organization.
Katheryn got a bunny (that she carried around with her all day... and longer). Nick got a Batman play castle, and the kids have set it up and play with it after school every day!

It was nice that I was thanked at the general meeting, but I am incredible thankful that the organization is there for me and my family. This is why I work hard raising funds for the organization through calendar sales (coming soon) and our SWWR walk

Hairraising Fun!

I decided on a bit of a fun change and got some bright purple put into my hair

Nick decided he wanted his hair done too!
First we tried blue

Then we tried purple

I won't let the kids really dye their hair, but I got some colour cream in blue and purple that completely washes out.
(And where is it most fun to try new things than while sitting on the potty)

Nick's hair is really easy to dye, Katheryn's is dark and the colour doesn't show up very well. Katheryn's didn't want her hair done, or at least not the temporary kind. She is just waiting unitl she can do it for real (when she is 15, when she can change her colour every other day... like I did).

Meet the Teacher

Nick has really been enjoying going to school.

He wants to go every morning and is upset on the weekend when he finds out he doesn't get to go and see his friends.

I hear from Katheryn and some of the other kids how Nick is always surrounded by girls in the playground (which evens out, because Katheryn is always with the boys).

It is actually working out really well (socially) that Nick is in a split class. Because all of the grade 2s are friends with Katheryn. 

We had Meet the Teacher night tonight and one of the other parents told me how well Nick is doing in class. She told me how much her son talks about Nick and how excited her son was to have a new friend. It is funny, because he son is the little boy that Katheryn has been talking about since JK.

It was really nice to hear how well Nick has been doing in his new school.

For meet the teacher we got to visit the classrooms

And see some of their artwork

Katheryn is in a split class as well (2/3)

Katheryn really wanted me to take a picture of the inside of her desk

And we got to pick out which of the self portraits was Katheryn (I picked right)

Then we all went to to gym for assembly. It was really nice to see how much Nick is adjusting to his new school. 

I feel so much better about Nick being in school