Well today was what would be a Typical Winter/Spring day in Sunny Alberta. A beautiful Chinook arch in the sky, blue skies, sunshine, 3oC and you want to be in a T-shirt, I'm sure I got a tan. (I'll explain the tan in a bit).
If you ever fancy some free "sport" (meaning a laugh), just invite me along and make sure you get a front row seat. No I'm not joking, I have posted how I end up going against the grain of life, and I've posted how it really used to bother me, and used to wonder WHY? but now I have a few grey hairs, I just shrug my shoulders and well you just have to LAUGH and not fight it! It's so much funnier when you just laugh...
A Friend who doesn't have any brain injured children all the same ages as ours and does have her household like the "Waltons", says how I "look" for these thing. But I seriously don't, it just happens, look at last week with my "so annoyed post". I dotted all the 'i''s and crossed all the 't's and still. BOOM BOOM POW! I was proactive in ensuring it would go without a hitch and it should have... but nope of all the 50+ families... it happened to me!
After dropping my 3 gorgeous kids off at their schools I went for a Swim. I was in a lane with a lady whom we've swum with a once or twice but never really chatted. Well even though I swim as fast as a snail, she was complimenting my swimming and told me how she couldn't Breathe for front crawl... well being a person who didn't get proper stroke technique till they were 12 and became a swimming instructor... I gave her a few tips. And then out of the blue, she started to Tumble turn. She stopped and said how she felt like she wanted to pay me, as she was in Swim Club as a kid, she couldn't compete as she couldn't "Breathe" and well she gave up swimming as a result, and now is obese... So I jestingly said, she could egg me on to do a Tumble Turn as "payment", as I haven't done one for 18 years... (since I injured my back when I was a teen), and have been reluctant to do so since, so I did 4 tumble turns today, they weren't pretty, but I sooo enjoyed them, we had an absolute SCREAM together it was hilarious...
My Oatie, was full of surprises... and know how I was took him shopping, well I was still thinking about how nice it was... and why was it nice this time, what was different? I don't see it but my friends do, Oatie is very subtly improving. That's why, his back's not in pain how it used to be, today he stood up and put on his OWN hat. as it was a T'shirt day we walked back to the car. Yes I'd say it was a walk. Usually we'd do the WADDLE... but today he held one hand, my hand was by my side rather than high up taking his weight. It took 20 minutes to go the 200 metres but we Walked, it was pleasurable, it was a slow stroll, he chattered, it was the first "normal" experience of physical activity we've ever done, it was just like MAGIC, so magical that it was one of those moments like on a Startrek film, where time was frozen and I'll remember the moment FOREVER. Well that's how I got my Tan!
We did 2:25 of ABR,.... Thank you ABR so much!
The 3-turns, well I'm still short of one of my inside ones, (skating speak), buy my figure skating kids did beautiful 3 turns, they had a great skate today.
The Meringue, well we had some egg whites from making the peppermint creams at Scouts last week, so I made some English meringue's actually a strawberry pavlova, I can't eat the cream but we bought some and whisked it up and voilà! Which my lovely hubby took round to my two fellow Scouter's homes. I won't be at camp next weekend due to the 32 hours. They are always so nice, and so supportive of Oatie, me and my family, never complain if I can't be there or go to camp, and it's an honour to Scout (Scout Association) with them.
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| Oatie holding my hand walking look at his feet, look at our hands WOW! |
A Friend who doesn't have any brain injured children all the same ages as ours and does have her household like the "Waltons", says how I "look" for these thing. But I seriously don't, it just happens, look at last week with my "so annoyed post". I dotted all the 'i''s and crossed all the 't's and still. BOOM BOOM POW! I was proactive in ensuring it would go without a hitch and it should have... but nope of all the 50+ families... it happened to me!
After dropping my 3 gorgeous kids off at their schools I went for a Swim. I was in a lane with a lady whom we've swum with a once or twice but never really chatted. Well even though I swim as fast as a snail, she was complimenting my swimming and told me how she couldn't Breathe for front crawl... well being a person who didn't get proper stroke technique till they were 12 and became a swimming instructor... I gave her a few tips. And then out of the blue, she started to Tumble turn. She stopped and said how she felt like she wanted to pay me, as she was in Swim Club as a kid, she couldn't compete as she couldn't "Breathe" and well she gave up swimming as a result, and now is obese... So I jestingly said, she could egg me on to do a Tumble Turn as "payment", as I haven't done one for 18 years... (since I injured my back when I was a teen), and have been reluctant to do so since, so I did 4 tumble turns today, they weren't pretty, but I sooo enjoyed them, we had an absolute SCREAM together it was hilarious...
My Oatie, was full of surprises... and know how I was took him shopping, well I was still thinking about how nice it was... and why was it nice this time, what was different? I don't see it but my friends do, Oatie is very subtly improving. That's why, his back's not in pain how it used to be, today he stood up and put on his OWN hat. as it was a T'shirt day we walked back to the car. Yes I'd say it was a walk. Usually we'd do the WADDLE... but today he held one hand, my hand was by my side rather than high up taking his weight. It took 20 minutes to go the 200 metres but we Walked, it was pleasurable, it was a slow stroll, he chattered, it was the first "normal" experience of physical activity we've ever done, it was just like MAGIC, so magical that it was one of those moments like on a Startrek film, where time was frozen and I'll remember the moment FOREVER. Well that's how I got my Tan!
We did 2:25 of ABR,.... Thank you ABR so much!
The 3-turns, well I'm still short of one of my inside ones, (skating speak), buy my figure skating kids did beautiful 3 turns, they had a great skate today.
The Meringue, well we had some egg whites from making the peppermint creams at Scouts last week, so I made some English meringue's actually a strawberry pavlova, I can't eat the cream but we bought some and whisked it up and voilà! Which my lovely hubby took round to my two fellow Scouter's homes. I won't be at camp next weekend due to the 32 hours. They are always so nice, and so supportive of Oatie, me and my family, never complain if I can't be there or go to camp, and it's an honour to Scout (Scout Association) with them.
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| Not a great photo but you get the idea, two layers of meringue, sandwiched with whipped cream, whipped cream on top decorated with Strawberries, We use dairy free ice cream instead... |
Strawberry Pavlovas are so AWESOME! I imagine the Scouters would have taken a great deal of delicious delight.
ReplyDeleteAren't they just, I love a pavlova. My lovely oven, makes them so nice that the meringue melts in your mouth. One of the Scouter's is Canadian and hadn't seen a pavlova before and the other is a Brit so a nice treat. Especially with a freshly brewed cup of tea. I piped ours into small "nests" so it's portioned nicely... for a strawberry and dollop of ice cream.
ReplyDeleteLove that magic! Oatie not in pain! Oatie walking with just one hand for help! What I appreciate so much (and I have been reading about this for years in ABR) is that Oatie's functional changes happen spontaneously as his body has reached the proper level of volume and mobility. You know, the ABR mantra - volume, mobility and function! You have NO IDEA how inspirational your story is for me and I appreciate catching glimpses of it through your blog. OH, and you make me laugh - sorry can't figure out what a TUMBLE TURN is. Your approach to Oatie's rehab is so pure - you focus on ABR and keeping him healthy. Sometimes when we bring new therapies into Adam's life it's difficult to figure out what is due to ABR and what is due to a new therapy. We have refined this greatly over the years but in our pursuit to improve the quality of Adam's life we have to keep the door open for a few other possibilities. Watching Oatie validates ABR profoundly. Good work Mel, good work Oatie!
ReplyDeleteDear Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI admire and love your honesty too. Being a Newbie it's coming up to our one year anniversary of ABR that I still can't believe my eyes, and sometimes the change is sudden, sometimes you think is this doing anything? and then BAM, something changes. But it's true... I'll be posting more on this later about our call from the Neuro clinic...
I think it's great that you and Phil do keep an open mind to other therapies, as firstly you never know what will help and also it would indirectly reaffirm your belief in ABR too.
Oh and Sharon I forgot to say, I love you, and thank you for your lovely compliments, coming from you it means a lot. Mel xxx
ReplyDelete