ABR Oatie Comparison File March 2010 to May 2011

Here is a comparison photo of Oatie before ABR and after one year of ABR





Look at his spine and his shoulder blades and the tops of his shoulders.  On the Left photo he had to be supported or he would fall over and he was sat on a firm surface.  On the Right he is sat on a mattress... so it's squishy and less supportive.

March 2011	May2010
Before ABR, I called this the sack of potatoes look... you could push him over with a gentle shove...	Wider pelvis allowing a better sitting platform. One can also see the better definition between the right, left and central segments of the back. May 2011

Day Three and Basilique Notre-Dame De Montréal

Today was day 3/3 of our training. We got stuck into our manual exercises today and we got the 4th "channel" for our ABR Machine. Which means that we can do one more area on Oatie when he sleeps.

I have three exercises on his head/neck which are called Manual. I have one submerged ball rolling on his head the photo was posted yesterday. Submerged

Then we have the mid back and the ribs of intensive rolling.

We finished the morning by looking at the future tool of working with Egg's and also were given the bladder for Oatie's hips.

So we have 2 machine set ups... Front and Back of Chest, front and back of abdomen... OR.... Front and Back of Chest and the hips....

The difference we noticed this time was one multi useful platform.. two balls... one of which we already have.

We also have a contingency plan for Oatie's frequent colds... and have a priority of which lower half ones to do.

The familes that we trained with one we met last fall and one was a new family which was nice.

Inside Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal

This afternoon we went to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal... we had our guided tour, my daughter wanted the French tour... and the rest of us wanted the English tour... after tour we took a nice stroll around the olde town, and had a stop in a cafe before heading back to our hotel.

The kids are persuading us for a swim and then we're going to our favourite indian restaurant in Canada so far.

'China Town - Montreal'

Huge Bridge

Our parking space by the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal

Oatie's Mum thought orange road markings interesting

Day 2 of Training Done...

Last night we took the kids swimming in the pool... which they loved... Oatie hasn't been swimming since Halloween because he's ben ill after ill after ill...Today, we started our session by setting up yesterday's intensive ball-rolling and in our case it was Oatie's Ribs... Today we did the brand new ball-rolling technique where you submerge the head or body part in a ball, so in effect they look like TOAD from Mario... it doesn't hurt and Oatie LOVED it. We also did the Shoulder Edge by that technique.

After lunch we were all tired either from the trip or training so we chilled out at the hotel, went for a bite to eat before Oatie's 6 month interval photo session. He still cried but not as bad as before... he showed off how he could pull up his pants and how he can now crawl alternating legs if he wants and how he can walk and bend down and pick up an object....

So training is going great and one more day tomorrow where we get the 4th channel for our machine, which he'll be getting some machine ABR for his hips...

OK and the sun didn't last for long, it's rained all day...! Really enjoying the training and looking forward to tomorrow...

love

Oatie's Mum

Oatie - In limbo, a disabled fraud or where?

On Friday we did manage 2:39, of Manual ABR and has his Machine every night but two, since we got  his ABR Machine.

Well while I went swimming and had the "mean swimmer" swimming in the next lane as my muse... (joking about him being my muse, just relieved not to swim with him),... I was wondering about the "F" word, (Future), for Oatie.  Sunday night we did his flashcards with him, and he will always orientate them correctly and he got all correct apart from his newest word that he hadn't seen for 2 weeks, he is so obviously very very bright... and even though it's  2.5 years till he starts Grade 1, that's only 30months...   Why was my head swimming when I was swimming.... well apart from the best place for me to think;

• My eldest school is also having a re-vamp and well there was no mention of adding any disabled facilities to the school, it's not even an old building and had a huge overhaul 8 years ago and even then when they added an upstairs library still no disabled method of conquering the stairs.  We would like Oatie to go there when it's time... but that is a battle to come, for another day...

• The the other recent experience of the whole speech thing at his school, "oh sorry our budget is exhausted..." and I was like with whom?  Oatie is your most severe disabled child, and you've spent NOTHING on him... so who took the WHOLE budget?"  "Sorry our OT is pregnant.... so nothing this year..."

• Parking in a disabled bay WITH our badge WITH Oatie in the car, the scathing looks of the elderly like WHO is disabled in your car....!  (Yep they can push their cart and walk unaided to their car, not saying they don't' deserve their badge, but... what makes them think that they have any right to judge whether Oatie qualifies for his badge)

Well, who needs Google, from swimming regularly, and at the same time as the adult swim-club (I don't swim with them...) but I know quire a few people who do.  I am finding out a wealth of info on disabled services and the best way of accessing them.  Only, there was a disabled swimming group, which isn't open to the public it's organised via a Dr's referral... granted it was for adults... but only because I swam much later today did I ever see or hear of this group.

Everyone says he will walk, and for him, I really hope he does, it would open up the world to him, but if he doesn't walk, he doesn't walk, people can lead a super life without walking too.  But at the same time, no one thought he was "disabled"/ had CP.

So I kind of feel that Oatie/we are in limbo, it's taken a huge effort to keep our disabled and our able bodied worlds both open, and sometimes I'm thinking.... why did I fight for this, to be in both?  (But it is for our family good to be in both, it just is painful from time to time, but that's ok).  It's good for my elder two to have a 'normal life' and embrace their brother's and it's so so so good for the "normal" people to have a reality check with seeing a disabled person in their face, and for their kids, to see that it is perfectly normal for disabled and able kids to mix, and in my opinion, how it should be.  Another blog I follow of a girl called  Ashley, her mum has been campaigning to get Ashley into a mainstream school.


I can now TOTALLY see why we don't see many families with a young disabled member, being in the able world, as it's fairly painful actually...  being in a fairly small town, if you're a sporty family, you tend to see the same people/families around town all the time.

From the able world, you get the uncouth remarks, then they go oops... or they arrange an able bodied activity/social for the kids and ohhh sorry I forgot... or a play-date with the kids the same age... but not Oatie... and they turn and say, "Well he can't do X..." and like I had at the volunteer commitment / no one wanting to babysit.

Where as in the "physically less able world", although we all have our different plights and each of our children all have unique "conditions", we all stand together and that's so nice.

Recently one of the blogs I follow,  of a gorgeous young man called Adam, Sharon put a post about WHY, why don't people look closer to home...

The blanket definition of CP, each child who has CP, it affect them all in a different way.  From love that Max


Oatie is 'lucky' as I don't know if that the right word, but he has the "normal" life just out of his fingertips... always..., he's blipping between the two worlds, his speech, walking improved day by day, but will it be 'enough' in 30 months time?, I wonder where his life will lie, in which sphere able or less abled?  Some day's I wonder if we're a fraud in the disabled world as there are so many kids/adults who have much bigger challenges to climb than Oatie... and then, we don't fit in the "able" world either.  I have to say I feel more at home here in the the "physically less able"  that's why I sometimes feel that we're in limbo,... and more so as we're out of the "medical system" as we do ABR which is out of the medical system.

We didn't do any ABR over the weekend as he really wasn't very well, a parting souvenir from preschool before spring break.  But today he didn't want to eat his lunch, he said, "Mama I'm tired" something he's only said to his dad before and then I said well "eat your lunch and you can have a Nap then?",  he said... "NON!! in his French accent and said " I want BED", so I sat him down for lunch, and he drank his drink and said, "Tired... Tired.... Tired.... Tired... Mama... Tired..." etc so he took himself off to his bed for the whole afternoon, and didn't want to get out of it, he reluctantly came down for dinner and we said he could play for a bit as he'd been in bed, and said, nope! I Tired, I want Buzz Bench (ABR Machine), I sleep!

So as my bench companion (Oatie) went to bed...., I made two pairs of figure skating pants this afternoon for my eldest,  I was hemming them as he went out the door...they compete in the weekend after next for three weekends in a row....

Hoping to get some ABR in tomorrow,

Love Oatie's Mum
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T-shirts, tumble turns, magic, walk, tan, ABR, 3-turns and meringue

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).

Oatie holding my hand walking look at his feet, look at our hands  WOW!

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.

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...

March and Friday AGAIN!!!

Oatie with the hardest push-along we have, the one behind is the harder cart and in the by the door is his sturdy tikes cart.

Here's Oatie taking Crystal my other son's cat for a walk in my daughter's Barbie Pram. You can just see the paw and tail.

Yesterday was a rather hectic day with one school skiing with their dad, Oatie at preschool, my other son at home for a teacher training day.  We made some paper aeroplanes together then picked up Oatie, had lunch, cleaned up did some ABR then had to go to the volunteer meeting which I actually (I'm surprised) got an apology for the whole "annoyed" thing.  So I was like oh OK, and well then the kids had skating followed by off ice followed by me leading our Scout meeting we were making peppermint creams.

It's really quite tricky trying to lead something when you just can't speak up, not because I'm shy (I'm about as far from shy as one can be.  Well that's not strictly true as the introvert side on occasion I can be but I don't mind public speaking or making a speech those thing just don't phase.  So it was like Galaxy Quest when I say something and then my fellow Scouter would repeat it for me.

So anyway, today I've declared that on Teacher Training days' I'm just not going to roll Oatie, I will take the day off, my eldest is going to be 8 this year and my daughter 6 next month and Oatie 4 in July... so seeing the actual Numbers, I'm like YIKES, and so I'd really like to enjoy those days with them.

So we've done 3 hours in the last two days and tomorrow & Sunday I should get our full hours in.

Wowwzer's Monday

Well, I think you know I'm slightly obsessive about time management, (I was a Executive PA), well I really really do like to squeeze as much in a day as possible. There are a multitude of reasons, one of which is really personal, was my aunt, who my mum nicked-named "Joan Collins", well my mum and my dad's sister had a spirited but healthy rivalry, and looking back it was rather surreal, but does make me smile, I think my mum and my aunt quite enjoyed the banter. Well the sad bit was that while my Aunt was what most people call their prime in her 40's, (although I think being in your 60's is your prime!) she had a stroke and had a combination of muscle wasting diseases and from being a feisty spirited, very handicraft type person to not being able to move a muscle apart from a blink. I still have the toy seal she made me when I was 7, and what occasionally chokes me is that after her first stroke and she realised that her health would deteriorate, she made pictures and hung them around her house, and wrote notes on the back for whom they were to go to, but never told a soul, after she died, her husband found them, they hung there for years. I don't know why I'm telling you this, I suppose it's just gone past her death anniversary, and I love sewing, a friend today was admiring the skating dress I made for my daughter, and she, my aunt loved sewing, but we never got to sew together.

Well, after seeing my aunt when I was 17, she could just about chat then, and we enjoyed watching "pretty woman" together, I vowed never to 'waste' a day again. Waste meaning Take for Granted. Hence my days are actioned packed.

Well to further streamline my schedule, I found this app, it's actually quite useless, but I kind of really needed it(for me), I think in pictures and well your day is a pie chart, and you put your daily schedules in and you can visualise you day (as you can see quite useless) but for me, I actually like it. I think the idea is that you balance your work, rest and play, and I suppose seeing the segments of each it nice. This evening when "Freetime" went ding on my phone I was like, ohhh that's nice!

Well today I had a great day, I swam 2k, ran 2 miles, I straightened my hair and painted my nails, did 2:55 of Bench (ABR), made the lunches for tomorrow, took the kids skating and made dinner, a banana cake, well it was just nice.... not too rushy but just nice.

Oatie will be returning to School tomorrow, he didn't make it today as each time he goes in he picks up another cold, and I was beginning to wonder if it was the floor... so my husband was hedging asking as diplomatically as he could when, so we found out today that the floor hasn't been mopped since September-October last year, the cleaner they just sacked said he never knew he had to clean in the preschool room ewwewewewe! 

Oatie walking to put the fence back in Happyland today

Quiet Saturday's are nice...

My oven is busy making all these dishes.

Today we had a quiet day at home.   It wasn't as quiet as I thought, as I did a bit of spring cleaning, I know I've mentioned my oven a few times, but I really do love it, how many ovens can you clean while your cooking?  My oven was grilling sausages, had a casserole, frying onions, a huge rice pudding, and cooking rice and had the contents of my quiche filling, oh and making me a cup of tea too!  (Yes that is a giant sized mug, it's my ABR mug).  I can make a nice cup of tea it stays hot and is great especially for $0.50cents!

We took today off from ABR, and Oatie played with his less sturdier cart, this morning he stood up and went to walk with it and lost his balance and fell on his bottom, he was about to crawl away and cry, when I told him that he was able to play with it, but he couldn't lean on it as it won't take his weight,and he'd need to put a few of his cuddlies/stuffies back inside the cart to help, so he said "OK Mama" and stood up in open space and had another go.

What's ironic is that having the combination of "able" and less "able" children in our house, at times, I'm not sure who's the less able one, as Oatie rarely spills anything, gets any food around his mouth, where as my 7 year old.....!  So it's quite funny, even though they have differences physically to Oatie, they all 'struggle' with similar goals just in different ways,  my older two are trying to perfect their "sweet-spot" on their figure skates whereas Oatie is trying to find his "Sweet-spot" on his feet too.  When he stood up, with his cart after he fell, he rocked back on his feet and forward, looked like he found his balance (same look as my older son on his hockey skates last week) and then was off...  It's called his "speed cart" and it's full of all his stuffies/cuddlies.

Meanwhile, Crystal was hunting the sausages...

I can smell Sausages...

A change... a good change but a change...

I'm perplexed, doesn't happen often but, I'm had a few moments of actually looking, not believing my eyes and looking again! I suppose it was subtle, but just a good few 'subtles' today which was eyebrow raising for me.


If I could ever have multiple me's like Multiplicity (with Michael Keaton), I would kind of love. The rest of the world wouldn't as there would never be any peace for a start and if they could chat half as much as I can... then it would be "God save the world", as I am a Gemini too, but 50-50 extrovert-Introvert straight down the line.

Well I have decided what "jobs" they would all have. I'm sure you who read my blog can guess what, one for ABR, one for running the house... But ultimately I don't think I could as they would be like Slaves and I just couldn't stomach that. I wouldn't mind employing someone to help, but they would have to treated "tiptop" for sure.

The reason I think of Multiplicity.... is the balance, my plate spinning goes awry at times, I hear a few chinks of of Stoneware hitting the floor. I would say China, but I only like my cup of tea in China. Good old Stoneware is so durable.

My "old life" was predictabley boringly balanced, too balanced, I like running things to perfection, (OK i'll admit it) it was a tad dull,... there is never a dull moment now! Be careful what you wish for!!!

Today my younger two had teacher training days, (I can hear you shouting WHAT ANOTHER ONE!!!) like I said between Oatie picking up every illness at school... and the Teacher Training days of 3 different school calendars... I have job some days working out who is meant to be in the car and who isn't!

Well, I decided to take my daughter to the public figure skate, not because she was lacking in ice time but just to spend some one on one with her. She skated this evening for another 1.5 hours but we went for a giggle together, we held hands, she looked at my 3 turns, and we really enjoyed it too. The trade off was Oaties ABR so I did manage 1 hour and I thought one hour is better than no hours and well it has a knock on to the dishwasher not being run and then adds a few chinks to my well oiled machine. Oatie is still having everyday 10-14 hours of ABR Machine a night. I suppose I wish I could be there for everyone whenever they need me (highly unrealistic) but it was what my "old life" before his diagnosis was like and I did really enjoy the freedom of the past, I don't want it to sound bad as I love Oatie just as much as my other two, and in some ways he's the least trouble as he always does his best and listens most of the time and doesn't have strops. What I mean is, I liked being able to "waste an afternoon chatting to a friend about nothing", or not multitasking EVERYTHING, all the time, and as long as the basics were done, laundry, dinner sorted, school run and clean kids, didn't really have a care in the world, I suppose the simplicity. Hence the thought of multiplicity.

I thought this was going to be a short post! Well I wished I could roll (ABR) Oatie more, not because anyone is making me do it, or out of guilt as I don't feel guilty about what happened to him. But on days like today, for a fleeting moment I do wish I got our "usual" hours in, especially when you see him progressing.

Here's why I was gobsmacked...today, he spontaneously asked for food, when offered lunch he said no, later!, and then told me which pudding he'd like, when I said it wasn't available (he hmmmmmmed and then said something else), he stoutly was opinionated, used words I had never heard him use before and, pushed his other cart that he couldn't hold even if I was holding it he'd fall over (I felt bad for buying it as it seemed cruel that he had this toy and couldn't use it, so I hid it in a corner behind the door in the playroom for the past 2 years)..., today he got it out, did squats with it and pushed it along and I was like, OMG!!!! and said to my husband "did you see that?" he looked up and just said yes (automatically) thinking Oatie was with his usual more sturdier cart, when he looked up again and went OH! He found two stuffies from this cart, decided they were friends, and gave them names and told me what they liked!?!?!? (OMG!) Watching Skating this evening he sat on the bench watching his DVD holding his dad's hand (usually he'll stand up) and he walked to get his bedtime water and opened the underbed-drawer to get his ABR machine out, and well he was just "different" like a good change had happened again, nothing major, but all the little bits really added up to "WOW" for me, and that's why I couldn't believe my eyes.

Well it's our Friday night Date Nite, our Takeout/Takeaway is arriving soon, so I'll leave you in peace... for now! Hope you all have a great weekend too.


Love Oatie's Mum (Mel xxx)

I've contacted the Mayor

Today was a special Flag Ceremony at my daughters and Oatie's School... and guess who sat next to me,... none only other than the Town Mayor (we're not officially in the town) but we're in the sprawl in the countryside so we're like honorary town members.

So whilst I was emailing him his photos, I asked if he could do something to improve disabled peoples access/rights in and around the town.  He really is a nice guy, probably the nicest politician I've met, so we shall see.  What I like about him is that he really does seem to care about what his role is and I have no idea how good his French is, but he was really making a huge effort and it was nice.

I even sent him a photo of Oatie Buggy skating from Sunday so I'm hoping that his cute smile might win him over.

Oatie and I'll be back later.

Oatie - How he Stands in Open Space - ABR

This is how Oatie stands in open space, as time goes by, he's getting more confident on standing in open space and at times, to me, it seems that he forgets that he he has to "think" how to walk, only very briefly when he's caught up in emotion like wanting to walk to someone or holding something special.  Suddenly he realises that he's walking and then you can see him thinking about it.

From Picture 3-4 he's like Elle Woods from Legally Blond, "Bend and Snap", (he's down and then straight up. )  He's knees bend where as before he'd be "wooden legged"

He has probably added 1-2 metres in distance in the past 4 months.  His sturdiness is so much stronger, like he's getting stockier and certainly less floppy.  I'd say 5 metres is his comfort zone, any further distance in open space is like hmmmmmm he has done 7metres, and that was only because his daddy's gorgeous arms were waiting for him.

The only thing I can attribute this to is ABR (Advanced Bio-Mechanical Rehabilitation), and Oatie's Sheer Willpower, if it's one good thing he's inherited from both his parents and both grandparents is Brute Stubbornness...  Like when you do ABR on him you can just feel the difference...

Well we got 2.5 hours of Manual in today, he still gets his 10-14 hours at night on his Machine.

I'm being a pickle for mum!

My mum is exhausted from me being a "pickle" she has been trying for an hour to get me on the bench for ABR but I either hide, walk to the otherside of the room or need changing for the fifth time... Here's me "on the run"... Quick hide mums coming...

Out of Sync... no not an Iphone! ME!

Well, since the Grandparents flew home on Wednesday, my routine has been a bit hap hazzard, like catching up on the regular chores that you shoved aside so you can spend some time and well for me waiting till the weekend so I can take a breath....

Have you ever had one of those days when... you feel like you are out of sync with the cosmic forces around you, like you're out of time (not game over necessarily) but out of time in syncronised terms. A few near misses with death...One of those days when you get in your bed at night and glad that you've "made it". It isn't a "bad mood day" as I don't often have a bad mood day, (as it's generally a waste of energy, emotion and well, I like to be up beat). It's a day when your mood is happy/neutral and you're just "out of sync!" It's a bit "deja vu ish..." too.

Well I had one of those days, and well a decade ago I would have fought it (by trying to ignore all the out of sync things, and try and get back on time), but a bit of experience has taught me not to fight it and well be thankful that I'm in one piece, and just take a deep breath and in your stride is the best way to end up unscathed... (it's the type of day you know that you should have stayed in bed). I found that if you fight it, the consequences are worse... so it's better to accept that today is one of "those" days and to be more vigilant that you are out of sync and then I've found nothing too drastic happens, like you have the near misses but not the "hits".

So it started off as a fairly typical day it was the day after my parents went home. My husband took my elder son and daughter for their ski lesson (the had teacher training days) and I took my Oatie to preschool. Well with no other siblings to fight with, and not trying to get 3 kids in the car only one... and having peace and quiet in the house you'd expect that to go fine... well after two changes, about to put him in the car, when I was like, OK, so I had to unalarm the house, boots off... so anyway we were laughably 30 minutes late for school, the door wouldn't open and then there was a tractor doing a manoeuvre on the highway (you know stuff that doesn't' usually happen), two cars having very aggressive road rage at each other, followed by a 6 police car speed trap.... hauling people off the road and then at school no spaces in the car park even though we were late, the path slicker than a rink... At school Oatie got accidentally hit in the eye with a toy plane within 20 seconds of being there... and then I went for a swim, got kicked, broke nails on the rope, slipped poolside... jammed locker so took 20 minutes to free my clothes... it was -20 with 85% humidity, no hat or mitts as my husband had my car... so I had to almost burn my hair (well I borrowed Oaties bobble hat) the cream one photo previously on the blog. Picked up Oatie, we went fabric shopping in town, got police radar-ed another two times, got cut up 3 times by a truck and a car having road rage, 5miles later one car 5 in front did a huge emergency stop for no reason and almost caused a huge pile up... followed by another radar.... got to the strip mall and the car park was blocked by a truck who couldn't manoeuvre as there were 3 illegally parked cars, bought the wrong colour gold fabric, ended up in the splits in the carpark, drove to the other shop which has the notions, another police radar, someone parked across both handicapped spaces so we had a huge walk, skidded on the ice with Oatie... (I bought him some denim, and track pant material and some pyjama material to make him some more CP friendly clothes he chose it and was a super shopper) got in the car, saw a huge multi car pile up been cleared up, eventually made it home with some nice more road antics... a few cat sick, and kid spillages later, we settled down for our ABR (unfortunately we didn't get in the amount we'd usually get in on a Thursday), my husband kindly too the older two skating, and I made popped a dinner that cooks no hassle in our lovely oven while we did our ABR. I might take a photo of one of my best friends (my oven) for you to see, well after dinner it was scouts and well it was the first time it was 5 of us for almost a week were together, so we were just all catching up when I realise I was late for scouts, I was like oh no! but thought better late than never, so I got in my car got radar-ed again, and well I did apologise for being late and mentioned to a younger scouter about days when you just don't feel in sync with the time around you, and well he said at times he has days like that too once in a while. We had our leaders meeting after and after being radar-ed one last time, I was very relieved when I finally pulled into our garage... PHEW! only to slip on the kitchen floor! YIKES!

Luckily those days don't happen very often to me, when some of the near misses are unfolding and you get the deja vu, but then a pit in the stomach feeling that things could have easily gone the other way(like bad) have you ever had that?

Well no speeding tickets for me! Ta Dah!!!!

The other thing I just don't get... is Road Rage, it was all the Rage in the mid 90's to the mid 00's in the UK. Like seriously, it was so bad, I've seen people smash other peoples windscreens in at the Gas Bar as they didn't pull away, in the person doing the punchings' timely manner, punch ups in the Supermarket. In the new it was worse, baseball batting's, been followed and when people pull up they get beaten till they don't move... shootings over road rage. Well it got so out of control, but it was everywhere people up each others Fenders/Bumpers and everywhere was just so ANGRY on the roads it was insane. You'd see people been forced to stay on the highway as no one would let this person who was indicating come off the highway as the cars/trucks would form a "Wall". Well the increase in fuel seemed to calm it down as to "Rage" would cost more, but the graphic images on TV actually helped to calm it right down. I don't know why, but here, they seem to be in the infancy of their road rage... why don't they understand that their anger behind the wheel is likely to cause someone's death? Why do people get so NASTY when they are behind the wheel? You should never drive "Angry" and if someone wants to turn right, by blocking them off isn't going to make them to want to go left, so why not let them turn right and give them some space so they can be safe? You get to go where you want to go and they them.... both arrive at your destination in tact? The roads are so SLOW here, what difference does going a few KM faster do anyway 15 seconds? 30 seconds earlier at your destination? what's the point? I wish the Government here would educate people, they shouldn't need to to me it's common sense,...but I think that they should. No one here leave any form of breaking distance. They drive on open empty highways like they are in rush hour Central London (England).

Oh and Oatie has been spontaneously walking short distances more... like when he comes out of class he like to walk to one of the dads whom he loves (they are a good family friend of ours) and he walks to give him a hug.

Tuesday hooray

Oatie has had another fantastic day.  Well for starters he managed to persuade his Granddad and Nana to accompany him on the school run.  Oatie and his Granddad have really bonded this visit, and Oatie won't leave the house without him, if he needs carrying, it's Granddad no one else will do.

My bulging biceps are turning to blubber (not that I mind and I am joking... you know when body-builders don't keep up the training it turns to fat).  

As I wasn't doing the "carrying" and just holding my daughters cute little hand in mine, walking along swinging our arms, I had a small taster of how our life used to be, totally carefree (and how other parents have it when all three are able to walk) and I think my biggest worry was what was I going to cook for dinner... and if X had nappy(diaper) rash...  Well  there is never a dull moment now!

This time last year, Oatie couldn't weight bear that well, he couldn't really sit up...he'd cruise the furniture but it was laboured, and I have written about that "soldier" who helped Oatie and I on our first time to Montreal, settle Oatie (he is very attached to his dad) by giving him his very first lollipop, to carrying our bags of the aircraft, our stroller wasn't there so he helped us to the baggage carousel, and got our bags off and found our stroller and walked us to the taxi rank.

Oatie couldn't stand really, he wouldn't hold on, and you couldn't put him down anywhere or even sit him down as he was so unstable he'd just flop over like jello/Jelly.  I keep on putting N. American words and UK equivalents... lol!  He couldn't sit on a chair without flopping around and in the cabs where he had to sit on my lap, he'd scream as it hurt him and he felt unsafe... so I crossed my arms over his chest to make him feel secure.  Getting out the cabs, I'd almost cry as most of the drivers were impatient to go, and not help the with the stroller and just dump and drive off (with snow on the ground) and you need two hands to put the stroller up!  In the end I found one nice taxi driver and he became the only taxi I'd use and gave him our airport run too.

It's coming up to our 1 year anniversary of ABR, well not quite, but he's come so far in one year.  This morning was another, he now has muscle control of his bladder (he won't use it yet...) but he was bone dry and then very soggy, so we were late to school, so it was quite funny for me, with my other two I'd be like ohhhh no we're going to be late!!! but with Oatie I was like WOW!  

Today he hiccuped for the very first time... that either my husband or I could ever recall, in fact I don't think he's ever hiccuped before, my husband took a year off before/after Oatie, and he didn't remember him hiccuping either.  We both had high flying jobs and time was whizzing past and we wanted to spend more time as a family as our older two were at nursery from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and the balance felt all wrong.  (Just so you know that they took BABIES from 6 weeks old!not mine, My older two were 6 and 8 months and I went back very part time to start with but got sucked back in to workd, as you'd get full time hours but part time pay, so you ended up going full time so at least you were paid for it, but that's what it's like in the UK the pressure to return to work is huge, if you don't want your job, 20 other people are standing waiting!).  One of life's annoyances, but maybe he couldn't hiccup before?  My other two did and I recall fondly whilst pregnant, the insomnia  of the hours of hiccups from my son and daughter!  All the little things that we take for granted or hate, that is just amazing or new for Oatie.  Inbetween the hiccups he was "What's that?" meaning what is a hiccup!  (We have been working on the chest cavity.)

Get ready for another roar of laughter, well I vowed that I'd never be a stay a home mum before we had kids (cue laughter), well I am, and the ABR hours I do with Oatie are like having a part time job...lol!  From doing the whole part time, full time, stay at home cycle several times around now.  I'd say if you like and are able, part time work is nice, you get a break, they get a break... but I have respect now for stay at home parents too and of the belief that whatever works for your family, is the best thing.  For Oatie, this is the best thing for him at the moment.  I am so pleased that preschool is working out for him as it's just so nice the two hours he can just be him, and play and have fun and make friends.  I also enjoy the two hours to break a sweat.


So today was our last full day with the "Grandparents" visiting.  Tomorrow there are going to be some huge tears from Oatie as Granddad will be going home.  If you hear of avalanches it will be Oatie's "yodel" that will be the cause for sure!


Well my friend the washing machine is calling but before I go...

I had a classic moment this morning, as I traded my usual exercise for spending time with my parents... I thought I'd wash my hair this morning before the school run, I had time to wash, virtually dry and still beat the kids in the car.... or so I though!  We live in the country and have a well.  I had just put a stack of conditioner on my hair (I grow my hair and donate it) so I try and keep the condition good. and the water cut out (the filter was blocked with soil), it was a trickle... so  there was all this foam and no water I was like ARGHGGGHGHGHG, so in the end I got my water bottle (It has to be a bottle or my cat will drink from my glass by my bedside...yuck!! she wears a collar so I can hear the chinking she like a cup of tea too!) and tipped it over my head, dried it best I could in 5 minutes still with conditioner in it and put my wolly hat on and was out the door.  Thankfully there are no photos of me on the blog as the whole screen would be taken up by HUGE hair like in Bridget Jones 2!


I hope everyone has sweet dreams, xxx


Tuesday's are our short sessions but we still got just under 2 hours of Manual and Oatie's zzzzing with his buzz bench on.
 

3:25 Manual ABR

Today we did 3:25 hours of manual ABR. I haven't told Oatie that he can family skate, as I thought till we were in the car on our way before telling him. I'm hopeful that we might make this Sunday... we'll see.

Oatie walked around his class room today from the Table to the play kitchen and when his Daddy came to collect him he walked with his lunch kit about 2 Metres into his arms.. and later at home he walked 4metres... he's funny, he'll go through a day of doing that and then, he won't walk for weeks. He stood up in open space each time...

Tonight is my casino shift...

Here is Oatie at school walking to his dad.

Oatie's first experience of ABR - Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation...

Well, here's a story about Oatie's first day at ABR..... well the tylenol sales went up forsure... for all the headaches he caused by SCREAMING, and I'm not joking.  The ABR Trainer we had, was just magic, so patient, so kind and so nice.  He didn't want to go on the bench partly as he was so skeletally unstable, and in the group setting he got easily distracted, like you can see the pictures of his stance last March.  He didn't want to be there and he just had tantrum after tantrum.  In the end I found a "naughty spot" that he hated.  And by the end of the week he was doing ok at co-operating but was rather fragile, so the slightest thing would get his back up.  He was so bad that the lovely people at ABR were willing to refund me as it looked like at the time that he would NEVER co-operate.  I remember when I said, that "this is the only logical therapy I've seen for Cerebral Palsy, and quite possibly the only thing that will at least not let his body become contorted and twisted and therefore in constant pain, and to me the only thing that looked like it would actually help him.  I know him, he'll co-operate).".


When we got home my husband built his bench, and painted it Lightning McQueen Red and my other kids put "cars" skickarounds on it, so it looked nice.  We went over to the bench, and Oatie has been crying because he rolled backwards from sitting on the carpet (he lost his balance) he was like a sack of potatoes.  I said to him, do you like falling backwards? he was sobbing still...  he shook his head no.  I said if you want any chance of, not falling backwards from just sitting, this bench is the thing to help you.  He saw our digital frame and a photo of my eldest doing a sprial (arabesque) with his Class teddy bear came up and he said, "I Skate?"  I said I don't know honey, I can't promise that you can like your brother or sister can, but if you want to, then this bench will be your best bet at helping the Cerebral Palsy.  So he then said "Ok Mama, Bench Yes" and that was pretty much it.  He from that moment decided that if bench could help him... he'd do bench.  Then he started to feel the benefit of ABR and now he's the otherway round, he'll demand his ABR.


He was the same for the machine, the first time we went to put the machine on him, (we'd prepared him by talking to him about it the day before) but when the time came, he threw a huge tantrum.  He went back out to his original "Naughty spot" from 7 months ago, and we re-explained that this is like "Super Mama" so you can have bench in bed... so I asked him if he'd like to put the machine on "Wow" so he came back into the training room and asked if his daddy would have the machine on, and me, so I said, how about turns, WOW, Daddy, Oatie and then mummy.  When he realised that the machine would help, he was really sweet and co-operated.  It was quite funny as he had the machine on for an hour while we were being trained on it.. and when we "unwrapped him", this was an hour later at least, he said "mama's turn" so I had to get wrapped up.  He now loves his "Buzz Bench" and cries if for some reason he doesn't get it.


So I don't know if you've noticed but when I saw today's photo to the earlier photos on the slideshow, you can really see the difference in his posture, and the meatiness of his chest, like he's filled out...


Here are some snippets from our last ABR session in October 2010

Added a Slideshow!

Today, was a mixture of a day, how I expected the day to be wasn't how it ended up at all.  Well, I've added a "slideshow" of the photos of the Blog under Oatie's main photo in the right hand column.

Well, we had all three kids at school today for the first time in ages.  Oatie was delighted to be back at school, and they had a new wooden kitchen playset in Oatie's room and he thought it was fantastic!  I forgot to say goodbye to him, and I had left the building, so I went in, took my shoes off again and said bye, and he didn't really even glance, he was more like "you back already!" in a sweet smile.. so off I went.

Wednesdays are usually my favourite day of the week at the moment.  Although my all time favourite day is Thursday's, I LOVE Thursdays, it's like the Weekend already....  Wednesdays I have my adult learn to skate class, which there is a track, so the lovely friend who I blogged about yesterday who we were destined to meet, well we run together every Wednesday for 45 minutes and then I have my skating class which we spend most of the time laughing at ourselves which is fantastic.  Oatie's dad has joined us and it's a ball!  I picked up Oatie and he ate his lunch with his dad while I (OK it's becoming an addiction) I jumped on my rebounder for 30minutes.... well it's a nice way to chill really,and so relaxing... and I just love it.  I dove in the Shower and got down to our ABR.  It's so nice to be feeling better!

That was when we got the call from my eldest's school.  That for a few weeks now, he's been playing up a bit at school and now in trouble with his teacher.  So Wednesday is our Activity free evening, which we usually bake, play together etc, so a good portion of that was getting to the bottom of his behaviour, most of it the things that we all went through as children..., not wanting to grow up, thinking about something, not discussing it and then it self manifests...to doing something wrong that he knew was wrong but doing it anyway.... and then we got on to Oatie, where he was really upset and comparing all the things that he can do, and that Oatie can't and finds that really upsetting.  Like being able to dance, skate or go to Beavers and will Oatie be "allowed" to attend his school oneday as my eldest knows Oatie is bright enough.  I remember the pure delight on my eldests face when we told him Oatie was likely to be a boy... Having just over 4 years between them, you could see all these thoughts of what they would get up to go through his head.  My eldest was feeling guilty to an extent that he can do all this stuff and Oatie can't.  After we went through systematically about the guilt process and why he shouldn't feel guilty etc etc.. I then told him how Oatie LOVES watching his brother and sister skate, he cheers the loudest and claps and shouts "good job" when they're competing.  I said that Oatie might skate on his feet but he can most certainly skate on a sledge... my friend who I was running with has also joined "the army" who would like to teach Oatie to skate one day.

I said having someone who's "disabled" in your life, humbles us all, but at the same time you can really appreciate what you do have, and make the most of the things that you can do physically, rather than taking it for granted.  I know that there are lots of disasters in the world, but Haiti has really struck a chord with my eldest so I suggested that if he wanted to combine appreciating the use of his legs and doing something nice for others, he could do a sponsored run in the spring, which he wants to put the money towards Haiti, I think the Wavin' flag young artists for Haiti's lyrics touched him, the bit about people generally forgetting and carrying on with their lives when people are still suffering.

I had considered Sibshops for my older two, but even after today, I'm not sure if that will be right for them or at this time.  It will be something I/we mull over and if keep at the back of my mind, at least I know it's there.

Meanwhile, my daughter and her friend got kicked in the stomach with snow thrown in their faces today at school, not Oatie related bullying this time, just because these boys think it's funny to do that to girls.

Oatie watched Dora the Explorer in French today, which he loved very much.  Here is Oatie taking a leap in self belief.  He stood up, wanting the Dyson toy Vac so badly, he  had to let go of the playhouse and take a step or two towards it, he hesitated, shall I do it, or not, and you could see him contemplating the pleasure of getting the Vac over just "looking" as I showed him how it wouldn't take his wait, it would tip back before he attempted it....

I think I'll be glad to climb in to bed today.... I know Oatie was!  Buzz Bench Daddy and yes his favourite PJ top is his Buzz Lightyear.

I will post about Oatie's First ABR experiences tomorrow, you might need some ear defenders...

A friends son with Brain injury is dying....

While I was on the Re-bounder, in our Basement, Oatie sat himself on the kiddy keyboard stool all by himself and I quickly snapped a photo of him.  Later he "demanded" his ABR... I think he thought I took too long in the Shower...

A friend of mine posted an excellent post on his blog. Questionning the big man himself...  you can click the link to read it.

Well, my personal beliefs have altered significantly since I found out Oatie's diagnosis.  But one thing that I do believe in is some of the people you are "destined" to meet.  I always think of that film "sliding doors" with Gwyneth Paltrow, I wouldn't say it was a favourite of mine buy one that comes to mind now.  If you're wondering... my FAVOURITE 'film' is "Pride and Prejudice" - Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle BBC 1995 TV Adaptation. 

When I worked at Heathrow, I checked in my Future Father in-law before I officially met my husband.  He (my Father in-law) was such a lovely man, he had impeccable manners and such an English Gentleman.  It was his birthday and he way flying to the far east on Business and I was teasing him about his birthday and made sure the Cabin Crew spoilt him rotten.  After he left my desk, I said to my friends either side, "don't you just wish he had a son...?"  Before that I saw this guy (my husband now) at the gym, we shared the same machine and well I liked his six-pack, we had done this without much dialogue for 6 months... and one-day I was running on the treadmill at the gym, and the speakers blew up, anyway he was Yawning I know now... but because of the cracking speaker sound, I thought he said Hi... so I stopped the treadmill and I asked him... out but for two weeks time as I was going to the Gambia with some friends that I worked with.  Well when I gave him my address and number I saw his surname... and I was like is your dad a "BA gold card holder?"... he was like "errrrrr..." , and I said is your dad's birthday and recalled the date... and he was like Yes (this was 4 months later) and I told him how I had checked his dad in... and well the rest is history.  It's our 11 wedding anniversary this year.  Yes... Yes... we were a 2000 wedding.

One of my very dear friends I only met last December, first in our Adult skate class, she was a top level skater and after not skating for 10 years went for her Axel!  We then met one week later on Christmas eve family skate, and she caught me from falling...we hadn't really said any more than Hello to each other...as my eldest was chatting to her daughter who had just joined our skating club and then, one morning in Jan I went to drop my daughter and her son had just joined my daughter's preschool class and then about one hour later, we bumped into each other at the running track... and the that was it, we were instant friends... she told me a few months back, that because of my accent that she couldn't understand a word that I was saying for the first 6 weeks of our friendship, but she said she knew two things that, she liked me and knew we'd be friends...

I have met Phil, Sharon and Adam, who are such an amazing, wonderful, loving family and hope to meet Aimee one day too.

Well another mum from that preschool class, my daughter and her son hit it off straight off... and Independently, my son and her daughter were both in the same Ballet class, but the four of them had NEVER met, so it took this mum and I a few months to work out that our kids had independently become friends with each others siblings!  Well it's this mum who has this horrible chapter coming up in her life...She's a mum of 5, and her 3rd child a son, who was born fine, but due to medical negligence at the hospital, long story, but he ended up with a brain injury to his pituitary gland mainly, and now the part of the brain that controls his Cardiovascular system is seizing which will result in this lovely child's heart stopping and starting and one day he'll just die in his sleep and from what his mum was saying they think it will be soon, so he won't make it being 10, she told everyone yesterday by email late last night.  They are such a lovely family, I feel so useless, I can't take away their pain, or make them feel better, so apart from my endless supply of hugs...so I have offered my shoulders....and that I'm there... 

Well Today I saw this mum, (the son who's dying)  in the car-park and the poor love, got out the car ran across sheet ice and fell into my arms..... For someone who likes to chat a lot (Me) I'm verbally rubbish in such situations, but at least my hugs seem to be good.

Phil, I feel a line forming should you meet "the man" I think there's another mother who'd like to have a word....

Happyland Vs Errands... arghghghg! don't you just love them...!

You might have guessed that I like to "Rabbit" on,... yes I am a Chatterbox, and have been since I  could talk, and haven't stopped since, (unless I lose my voice!) but now I have our blog! and you could probably tell from the length of the post, when I'm blogging from my i-phone or from the luxury of my keyboard.... Fortunately in my former-life I was a PA so touch typing does have it's uses!

Yesterday while Oatie's daddy and our older two were having their Ski lesson, Oatie and I popped up to town to get my elder two's skates sharpened, Oatie has been drawn to Hockey since we moved here 2.5 years ago, and the old-timers when they see him give Oatie some pucks so he has collection. The skate shop does both Figure and Hockey, and have a Huge TV with either sport on there., yesterday a Hockey game was on and Oatie was shouting Good Job when he saw a goal! The nice man who held the door open for us asked if he played Hockey? (Yep a Dagger through the heart moment, I just said not yet...) and then later the nice man was watching Oatie in the shop looking puzzled... as he could hear that he was intelligent from what he was saying to me, but then looking at his legs...

We had a fast dump of snow so using Oatie's wheels was not an option so I carried Oatie in, he was amazingly good, he knew why we were there and he wants to skate SO bad, and our backyard rink is a right-off this year, it is now 4 feet high of snow! so as it has the  mesh fence around it the snow is trapped.  You can see just the top of our Hockey Goal poking through the snow.  Oatie walked everywhere holding my hands and we looked at bags, to tops to hockey stick to whatever he wanted to look at and my favourite thing he does at the moment is "What's that?"... "What's that?" the game can go on for hours, but he just wants to know what EVERYTHING is and what EVERYTHING is called... and I can't deny him that! so after we announced everything in the shop, he looked at the blade covers and picked out some snakes, I thought he wanted them for himself, but he said NO, for his Brother... and what I loved was he carried them in his not so good hand, dropped them did a full squat, while holding my hand and dropped them and another squat... he was so good.  My kids skating coach gave them a Reddi rink as a treat for being hard workers, so think I'll get that out and maybe Oatie can have some fun on that.

 Today started of how our usual relaxing Sunday's have been our week's usually  fairly action packed so it's nice to have an "unwind" day... but not today, The Elder two had their early morning skate, and Oatie was playing his Happyland... which my older two like to play with him too, we alternate between our Thomas more serious set for half the year, and then Happyland for the other half of the year... set up in our Bonus room.

 I love Happyland, and when my eldest was a baby this toy shop always had a buy two get the 3rd item free so we have a huge set.  Oatie loves playing it, he sets up traffic jams or multiple trains or bath's the characters.

My husband who's the sensible one, reminded us of the impending errands that needed to be done, (my eldest)"oh no! we have to leave the house on a Sunday?"  In-between the questions why you don't get a "Snowbow" when it's snowing and Sunny from my daughter.  I remember the time when even with the three of them, Oatie as a baby, I'd have the double stroller and my eldest holding my hand, and pop by the Supermarket for some bread... or something you fancied for dinner...

 Well now, our shopping / errands are kind of compartmentalised, I have a Super app on my iphone called "pocket informant" it's available on the ipad too I believe, and one of the organising settings you can have a "project" with contexts for tasks, and each context is say a store, so under one project called shopping, I have all the stores, so if we head to town, I can see everything that we need to buy at that store, for me it saves so much time, so efficient and that what we do so we can get our ABR hours in.  Yes, when I see someone with a pint of milk, I do inwardly smile, oh how that was once me...We bunch up the errands and hit them in one go, in a logical circuit.  That way we do that once every 4-6 weeks rather than weekly, you save on the drive there and back and can systematically get through the list fast...as no one is really enjoying it so no one wants to browse and job done....  On the way home we stopped of for a meal treat, one that the kids weren't expecting, yes it was the one with the Golden Arches, say no more, and you can see who LOVES it, the photo at the top.  We don't have that type of food very often, so when we do the kids really enjoy it.

So that's how we deal with errands, bunch them up and get them done.  My husband does the weekly shop on a week-night .

When we got home, my husband bathed the kids and washed their hair and they settled down to watch a film, while mummy made home made snacks for the week+ banana bread, granola bars, chocolate brownies, gingerbread cookies (OK I have a secret addiction for them! well they dunk fabulously in a cup of tea!) and I'm making a Valentine's Cake, I banned my husband from buying me a card and flowers years ago, I'd rather a mug that I can enjoy day in and day out...(let's see if he's reading my blog!!- joke) and will Ice it tomorrow and pop it in the freezer, and I might go all out and pipe some Royal icing flowers which I'll make and store and then assemble the day before.  Oh and my darling husband did Oatie's Neck ABR exercises while I was baking.

Oatie's up to 15 flashcard words, today we added 'Flower', today we combined two of his flashcards and he was delighted when he read them... it was "red car".  Just before Bed I put on on Oatie's favourite Tune of the week which is Black Eyed Peas "Meet me Halfway" and he stood up in open space and bopped for almost a minute before diving on the beanbag.

Well I would have rather been at home playing Happyland, but at least the errands are done till the end of Feb lol!

Oatie Buggy Skating!

 Today my eldest two had a figure skating clinic with a famous male figure skater which was really nice as he's a really nice guy.  So my husband and I did "Oatie Switch" whereby I needed to chaperone our elder ones and then mid afternoon he does a "drive by... with Oatie" so he pulls up out front, I hop in the drivers seat, we exchange keys and that's Oatie Switch done! and my husband stayed with our elder two so Oatie and I could do our ABR session today.

We got in 2.5 hours which I was pleased with as still don't feel 100% and neither does Oat.  Well lots of snippets happened today, nothing major but my middle one is still enjoying her Sorbothane lined hat raspberry in colour... I start singing the a prince song "she wore a Raspberry Beret..." yes I am old enough to be a Prince fan...  She actually looks steadier without her helmet, which I have to admit, I can't look as having one brain injured already....  Whereas my eldest, is actually is safer on the ice, on land he falls up the stairs, down the stair, slips lands on his bum on the floor... on the I  I think I've see him fall 3 times this season on his skates maybe, if that and when he does he falls well.

Well they had a blast, and Oatie and I had fun at home, below is a snippet of Oatie dancing wheeling his shopping trolley/cart.

Rink side chat is always bizarre, well once again is a minority bullying within a minority, something that I have found odd, like at French school the bulling against Oatie's cerebral palsy.  Well, we live in a hockey town, thru and thru, and for the seminar the town REFUSED to let our club hire the community room which they would have got paid for, because it was the figure skating club... the room which is up a level in between the rinks, sat empty all day not a single user....  They were saying how for Summer camp the town has cut the ice amount and put up our ice fees by 45% at the beginning of this season all because we're not Hockey.  I have nothing against hockey ice or otherwise, In England I, my dad and my husband all played Field/Grass hockey at school and I keep my husbands hockey stick near by when I go out in the yard/garden at night...

So our skating club gets' bullied by the Town and by the Hockey community for being a figure skating club.  Out of all the day to day people we meet, the parents at the club are the most supportive and interested in Oatie's Rehab, I'll give them that.

Well I'm not fan of PC, Black is Black and white is white, why have all these fancy non de-script words... I'll never forget when I did "Check in" for a National Airline and this lovely FAT man came to my desk and bought one seat when he'd need 3... so I said to him, I don't want to offend you but how would you like me to describe your "request" to the guys in "close outs" the people who could give him "free" if space was available seats rather than making him pay for them...  He said, please tell them that I am "hugely FAT!"  Well I phone up and said "I have a really NICE gentleman who requires three seats, because of his body size..." and they were sweeties and gave him 2 extra seats complimentary. 

Well the parents today were chatting about which way people spin and the ones who spin the other way to the "norm" have funny terms in the skating world... well unless you're Patrick Chan and is an ambidextrous skater..., and one mum said I spin the "retarded way too!", "retarded" isn't a word we use in England any more in descriptive language as it's considered rude.  Then they went on using more terms usually reserved for handicapped people laughing... at least at themselves.

Well at my kids level, the parents for the most part are all encouraging each other's kid and it's a nice atmosphere on the bench.  Where the older/better standard skater is out there it's all catty, is the way I describe it....  Even-though for the most part it's an individual sport, we are one club, and the skaters can learn from each other, one of them might be able to show or explain in a kids way that just makes that skilll click for another kid...  The reality of reaching the pinnacle in this sport or any sport for that matter is an not an achievement reached by most, so why all the hostility, catty, bitchy behaviour?  This sport is an unforgiving sport, repeated pain, you could be the best skater in the world and catch the wrong edge and one slight minuscule mistake and it's game over.  So the skater has to skate from their heart (not their parents), aspiring for the Olympics if that's their dream, but really the parents on the bench need to take a deep breath and remind themselves that this is their kids activity, cheer in their triumphs and give them hugs when they fall or things don't go how they planned, why do they sit there on the edge of the bench, glowering at them or shouting "tips".  Or when their kid has moved up a level, not all but a good amount of parents will not speak unless they have to to the lower group parents... - ridiculous! 

The reasons...I don't understand the bitchy, nasty side of people really, actually I find it unfathomable, How can people, actually devote energy and time to be purposefully rude and mean to people, and have to remember who they will speak to and who they won't, and who is beneath them in their eyes.  Ludicrous!  All that energy and conscious thought and NEGATIVE energy, rather than just being able to enjoy your children having fun and learning new skills, keeping fit and making friends. 


Well, I know one of the reasons and it happens to all humans when they are in confinement or over congested...  Our club cannot get any more ice time for the growing club  in a small town with 3 Full sized ice rinks, who have many successful skaters past and present and upcoming maybe to the Olympic team, because the Hockey teams won't get all the ice that they want.  It's almost like the town is trying to Squeeze the club out.  So our Ice sessions are all FULL... so there is little margin for error and on occassion skaters do by accident get in each others way... or in the senior sessions they have this stupid pecking order thing which the parents could irradicate and get all the skaters together and just have it out in an open forum and just say either skate with courtesy or get off the ice had cool off... but just let it continue... as there is protocol on the ice depending who's in a lesson, who's music is played etc....! but due to the pecking order it at the higher level isn't being observed... 

During the day at the rink it's a joke.  Apart from the pre-school learnt to skate programme which is fabulous, the rinks are allocated for Shinny at lunch and unless a school wants to use them they are left EMPTY for most of the day.  They won't allow public skaters to skate on them and there is only one public figure skating session a week.

Well my older two did really enjoy the day, and I felt the more they cemented/bonded their friendships at this stage, if they have strong bonds and us with the other parents can have a good bond so to speak, maybe our level of skaters as they move up, can stamp out this nonsense!

Which was my point really, seeing the photo of Oatie so happy on the ice, I must progress his ice sled/ or being permitted on this "town's" ice of inclusive skating.  If they are like that to figure skaters what will the town be like to Oatie?  Unfortunately due to Oatie and I having the lurgy we haven't been able to get up to the other side of town to check out the sled skating yet.