8/29/11 Monday,
I am late for work but wanted to share;
I was dressing Jewel this morning and it is easier for me to do this when she is on my bed,
this way I am not bending over too far.
As I was getting her clothes together, Jewel said;
"look mom, happy dance"
There she was lying on our bed, feet dangling off and she was gently wiggling,
she looked pretty straight to me with head looking up at ceiling and it was the perfect happy dance!
So Jewel has been showing everyone her 'happy dance' this morning.
Thank you Jewel, you have the perfect happy dance! :)
Everyone should have a happy dance, it is a great way to start the day!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
poem by Sam Levenson on Beauty
8/2/11 Thursday
Dear Makena, Raven and Jewel
I found this poem and I think it says what is important and what makes a lady beautiful.
always remember this poem;
Dear Makena, Raven and Jewel
I found this poem and I think it says what is important and what makes a lady beautiful.
always remember this poem;
"Time Tested Beauty Tips
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!"
— Sam Levenson
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!"
— Sam Levenson
Lesson from the Dentist
8/24/11 Wednesday,
We always see the dentist at the pedodontist office at 8am to be the first clients in and avoid germs, this was the objective and has stayed habit.
We were there this morning before the doors were open, it is Jewel's 6 month check up.
The usual, teeth poking, flossing, brushing and fluoride.
We swaddle Jewel in a velcro blanket, this time we used 2 since she has grown so much in length.
I sit on the dentist chair with her, today she her AFOs on and her legs are kept by me in a frog position to help break her tone. I hold her hands as well and speak to her talking her through the visit.
This morning Jewel kept saying, "scared, scary."
I did not see how tightly wound up I got.
My whole mission is to keep Jewel calm, safe and to explain the visit and for her to know that she is not alone, that her Mommy is there. We have done this same routine since she was tiny and had brittle breaking teeth that need a lot of painful and expensive dental work, with extraction and many caps to save her teeth.
Today I remind her that Dr. Sato is a father of 2 daughters, the same dentist that always takes care of her.
He flys in from Honolulu twice a week to Maui for years now.
I remind her to breath deeply and think of happy thoughts, reminding her that if she cries she will get all congested and have a hard time breathing.
I focus in on reminding the dentist and hygienist that I have now learnt that Jewel is a mouth breather.
I consistently repeat to Jewel how she needs to nose breath over and over again.
Jewel asks questions, "what doing", and I tell her what the dentist is doing and why, this continues as the dentist and hygienist affirm how good Jewel is doing, how wide she is opening her mouth and they are positively affirming how helpful she is being. I am right there helping re-position her head and just being in their faces like I always have.
I have become like the comic strip of the sculpture who is carving a self portrait, but ends up carving the mirror out of the soap stone since the artist is so close to the mirror that she loses her perspective and her focus thus carving the mirror which she was holding and not a bust of herself.
This was me and I did not see it.
After all was done and said, no dentist fingers or tools were bitten and no cavities were found, the visit came to a completion with the exchange of a tooth brush for Jewel.
This is when the dentist reminded me that Jewel is his best patient, and that I am a good mother. Even though I have just learnt that Jewel is solely a mouth breather and all the risks that come with that, and I am diligently doing all sorts of homework with her to help with her suck, swallow and breath co-ordination I need to remember that Jewel does not do things like the 'book' says to do. In spite of this Jewel has always done well, that her survival instincts are strong and have always worked for her during her dentist visits. I need to trust in Jewel and her body's primitive instincts to protect herself. She is healthy, happy and growing nicely. She eats table food and drinks water from a bendy straw. She is doing well and I need to see, acknowledge and trust in her ability to handle the dentist visit, it has been working for 10 years and I needed to relax and honor her way.
Just as I was taking her off the dentist chair she got her happy thought and shouted, "Santa" and smiled flashing her dimples and pearly whites. I guess it does not matter when you get your happy thought as long as they come :)
The lesson I learnt today;"Trust in Jewel, trust in myself and trust in God", this is something my mother in law said to me right after Jewel was born, and good advise just like dreams do not have expiration dates on them.
We always see the dentist at the pedodontist office at 8am to be the first clients in and avoid germs, this was the objective and has stayed habit.
We were there this morning before the doors were open, it is Jewel's 6 month check up.
The usual, teeth poking, flossing, brushing and fluoride.
We swaddle Jewel in a velcro blanket, this time we used 2 since she has grown so much in length.
I sit on the dentist chair with her, today she her AFOs on and her legs are kept by me in a frog position to help break her tone. I hold her hands as well and speak to her talking her through the visit.
This morning Jewel kept saying, "scared, scary."
I did not see how tightly wound up I got.
My whole mission is to keep Jewel calm, safe and to explain the visit and for her to know that she is not alone, that her Mommy is there. We have done this same routine since she was tiny and had brittle breaking teeth that need a lot of painful and expensive dental work, with extraction and many caps to save her teeth.
Today I remind her that Dr. Sato is a father of 2 daughters, the same dentist that always takes care of her.
He flys in from Honolulu twice a week to Maui for years now.
I remind her to breath deeply and think of happy thoughts, reminding her that if she cries she will get all congested and have a hard time breathing.
I focus in on reminding the dentist and hygienist that I have now learnt that Jewel is a mouth breather.
I consistently repeat to Jewel how she needs to nose breath over and over again.
Jewel asks questions, "what doing", and I tell her what the dentist is doing and why, this continues as the dentist and hygienist affirm how good Jewel is doing, how wide she is opening her mouth and they are positively affirming how helpful she is being. I am right there helping re-position her head and just being in their faces like I always have.
I have become like the comic strip of the sculpture who is carving a self portrait, but ends up carving the mirror out of the soap stone since the artist is so close to the mirror that she loses her perspective and her focus thus carving the mirror which she was holding and not a bust of herself.
This was me and I did not see it.
After all was done and said, no dentist fingers or tools were bitten and no cavities were found, the visit came to a completion with the exchange of a tooth brush for Jewel.
This is when the dentist reminded me that Jewel is his best patient, and that I am a good mother. Even though I have just learnt that Jewel is solely a mouth breather and all the risks that come with that, and I am diligently doing all sorts of homework with her to help with her suck, swallow and breath co-ordination I need to remember that Jewel does not do things like the 'book' says to do. In spite of this Jewel has always done well, that her survival instincts are strong and have always worked for her during her dentist visits. I need to trust in Jewel and her body's primitive instincts to protect herself. She is healthy, happy and growing nicely. She eats table food and drinks water from a bendy straw. She is doing well and I need to see, acknowledge and trust in her ability to handle the dentist visit, it has been working for 10 years and I needed to relax and honor her way.
Just as I was taking her off the dentist chair she got her happy thought and shouted, "Santa" and smiled flashing her dimples and pearly whites. I guess it does not matter when you get your happy thought as long as they come :)
The lesson I learnt today;"Trust in Jewel, trust in myself and trust in God", this is something my mother in law said to me right after Jewel was born, and good advise just like dreams do not have expiration dates on them.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
understanding
8/18/11 Thursday
No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding. -Plato
Jewel's frustration sometimes comes from not being understood.
I am understanding her need is no different than mine.
We have made a wonderful break through with Jewel's reading.
I think it is timing, knowledge and the creative process of not giving up and trying alternate avenues.
In the past Jewel was not able to physically tolerate and support this position of being on all fours on the floor.
Being able to be on all fours with gravity's help and our minimal touch is what helped facilitate reading.
Patience, ... waiting for Jewel to respond, read or ask for help.
Her processing takes a little longer than ours, being aware of this and respecting her way.
Weight bearing is critical to being able to use your limbs in a functional movement, so this position is multi-faceted.
Jewel is able to listen to audio books from the library and follow the story line and comprehend, for this we are very grateful. She has just finished listening to Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke, one more in the series to go. One of us is always sitting by her during the audio book, ready to answer questions when she says, "I do not get it" or laugh with her or be sad with her. We do not just put her in her wheel chair with audio book on and leave, this is important to know because a child should always have a parent or caregiver close by to connect with.
I still read books out-loud with my teens, and we talk and connect as we read along. A most memorable book that we read together was, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper lee. We had taken three copies out of the library and daily took turns reading together. We cried and laughed together, I stopped and explained ideas, history, life and we connected and grew in understanding. A most best time that I savour in my heart forever.
Yesterday Jewel read Book 3 and book 4 in the Bob book series by Bobby Lynn Maslen, scholastic. I had her in her chair and she was very relaxed. Her breath was very shallow due to the irritation of all the sugar cane harvest burning. I applied some slight pressure to her head in a downward motion thus stabilizing her head and I held the book up in front of her. She gets a good laugh out of the illustrations and after she has had time to look and we comment briefly on the pictures we begin reading. I wait and help only when she says, "help". Book 3 was a review on Mat and she did well. Book 4 brought more help from me, Jewel was tired after this but her focus and attitude was strong and happy, willing to go to the page that said, The End.
Understanding takes time, but a worthy and important act for both her and I. How can we be kind, show sympathy, be considerate or sensitive with out understanding. Understanding our needs and taking care of them eliminates stress and sickness. Understanding our children and helping them meet their needs makes our world a better place. Stepping out of the one sided dimension and participating in the two dimensional world brings us to three dimensional. I am enriched when I can learn from my children and understand them thus my life becomes fuller and more meaningful. Being disconnected from them is a cold, sad, angry and frustrating place. I choose to take the time to understand more deeply.
The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. -Leonardo da Vinci
I must understand that Jewel's physical condition makes learning more encompassing, first we have to physically put her in a position that will facilitate supportive and correct body posture. She can not yet do this by herself. Once this is done we have to be calm and make sure her needs are met, is she comfortable, is she thirsty, hungry, happy. We take out distractions; like people, things, noises that will steel her attention and set her tone and spasticity into motion. Once these needs have been met we patiently go on to help with the task like reading. We still want to process to be full of life, love, wonder, fun and organic. Learning should be fun! Then we start and stop, taking many breaks for her to catch her breath literally and for us to adjust our attitude remembering and understanding her needs and the process and desired outcome. Everything is a matter of choosing to be love, patient, peaceful and understanding.
It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through. -Zig Ziglar
No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding. -Plato
Jewel's frustration sometimes comes from not being understood.
I am understanding her need is no different than mine.
We have made a wonderful break through with Jewel's reading.
I think it is timing, knowledge and the creative process of not giving up and trying alternate avenues.
In the past Jewel was not able to physically tolerate and support this position of being on all fours on the floor.
Being able to be on all fours with gravity's help and our minimal touch is what helped facilitate reading.
Patience, ... waiting for Jewel to respond, read or ask for help.
Her processing takes a little longer than ours, being aware of this and respecting her way.
Weight bearing is critical to being able to use your limbs in a functional movement, so this position is multi-faceted.
Jewel is able to listen to audio books from the library and follow the story line and comprehend, for this we are very grateful. She has just finished listening to Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke, one more in the series to go. One of us is always sitting by her during the audio book, ready to answer questions when she says, "I do not get it" or laugh with her or be sad with her. We do not just put her in her wheel chair with audio book on and leave, this is important to know because a child should always have a parent or caregiver close by to connect with.
I still read books out-loud with my teens, and we talk and connect as we read along. A most memorable book that we read together was, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper lee. We had taken three copies out of the library and daily took turns reading together. We cried and laughed together, I stopped and explained ideas, history, life and we connected and grew in understanding. A most best time that I savour in my heart forever.
Yesterday Jewel read Book 3 and book 4 in the Bob book series by Bobby Lynn Maslen, scholastic. I had her in her chair and she was very relaxed. Her breath was very shallow due to the irritation of all the sugar cane harvest burning. I applied some slight pressure to her head in a downward motion thus stabilizing her head and I held the book up in front of her. She gets a good laugh out of the illustrations and after she has had time to look and we comment briefly on the pictures we begin reading. I wait and help only when she says, "help". Book 3 was a review on Mat and she did well. Book 4 brought more help from me, Jewel was tired after this but her focus and attitude was strong and happy, willing to go to the page that said, The End.
Understanding takes time, but a worthy and important act for both her and I. How can we be kind, show sympathy, be considerate or sensitive with out understanding. Understanding our needs and taking care of them eliminates stress and sickness. Understanding our children and helping them meet their needs makes our world a better place. Stepping out of the one sided dimension and participating in the two dimensional world brings us to three dimensional. I am enriched when I can learn from my children and understand them thus my life becomes fuller and more meaningful. Being disconnected from them is a cold, sad, angry and frustrating place. I choose to take the time to understand more deeply.
The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. -Leonardo da Vinci
I must understand that Jewel's physical condition makes learning more encompassing, first we have to physically put her in a position that will facilitate supportive and correct body posture. She can not yet do this by herself. Once this is done we have to be calm and make sure her needs are met, is she comfortable, is she thirsty, hungry, happy. We take out distractions; like people, things, noises that will steel her attention and set her tone and spasticity into motion. Once these needs have been met we patiently go on to help with the task like reading. We still want to process to be full of life, love, wonder, fun and organic. Learning should be fun! Then we start and stop, taking many breaks for her to catch her breath literally and for us to adjust our attitude remembering and understanding her needs and the process and desired outcome. Everything is a matter of choosing to be love, patient, peaceful and understanding.
It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through. -Zig Ziglar
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Jewel read her first book today!
8/16/11 Tuesday
Wow, Jewel read her first book/s today.
I feel like it is still a dream, but regardless of how dreamy this reality is, the fact remains to be announced and celebrated that Jewel read her first book today!
The book/s are those of the Bob books by scholastic.
Raven and I had Jewel on all fours, with feet tucked under and on a wedge.
I shoved a rolled up towel in between her chest to help prop her up.
Raven was in charge of giving Jewel's head some help for stability since Jewel tends to sway her head back and forth.
We lay the book on the floor and I waited for her to read; Mat, this is the title for book 1 in collection 1.
My finger pointed to the word and we waited.
Jewel read and spoke, "Mat", I had to pinch myself!
The stick pictures were a distraction, so I covered them up until Jewel read the words, then uncovered the top of the page and we laughed, as we looked and spoke about the picture.
Then we moved on to the next page.
Book one repeats the word Mat on three consecutive pages, then we have Mat sat.
Sam.
Sam sat.
Mat sat. Sam sat.
Mat sat on Sam.
Sam sat on Mat.
Mat sat. Sam sat.
The End
and this was Jewel's very first book read all by herself in entirety at age 10 1/2.
Then Jewel wanted to read book 2 called Sam.
and this she read by herself, with us patiently waiting and helping her body and reminding her to breath deeply through her nose and to remember to say the last letter of the word.
She was on a roll and insisted on reading book 3 called Dot.
I gave her a few helps as she pushed through, lighting up when she read; "The End"
This left us all exhausted and exhilarated.
There have been days that I wanted to give up, but we continue to show Jewel alphabet flash cards and read to her daily. Our team has tirelessly continued to help teach Jewel, when I am tired or discouraged then Makena or another family member fill in and on many days she has all of us teaching her. Well done Gary, Makena, Raven and Jewel. Jewel listens to audio books and enjoys getting lost in a good book. She told me that she "really, really want to read" and she told Makena that she would like to, "hide under bed and read". Recently I wondered if it was fair to her to keep teaching her and encouraging her to read, and the answer is yes, keep dreaming and keep reaching for the stars and moon. As you walk daily in your tasks one day the fruit of your labour will blossom and bare fruit. Ask the questions and live the answers.
Wow, Jewel read her first book/s today.
I feel like it is still a dream, but regardless of how dreamy this reality is, the fact remains to be announced and celebrated that Jewel read her first book today!
The book/s are those of the Bob books by scholastic.
Raven and I had Jewel on all fours, with feet tucked under and on a wedge.
I shoved a rolled up towel in between her chest to help prop her up.
Raven was in charge of giving Jewel's head some help for stability since Jewel tends to sway her head back and forth.
We lay the book on the floor and I waited for her to read; Mat, this is the title for book 1 in collection 1.
My finger pointed to the word and we waited.
Jewel read and spoke, "Mat", I had to pinch myself!
The stick pictures were a distraction, so I covered them up until Jewel read the words, then uncovered the top of the page and we laughed, as we looked and spoke about the picture.
Then we moved on to the next page.
Book one repeats the word Mat on three consecutive pages, then we have Mat sat.
Sam.
Sam sat.
Mat sat. Sam sat.
Mat sat on Sam.
Sam sat on Mat.
Mat sat. Sam sat.
The End
and this was Jewel's very first book read all by herself in entirety at age 10 1/2.
Then Jewel wanted to read book 2 called Sam.
and this she read by herself, with us patiently waiting and helping her body and reminding her to breath deeply through her nose and to remember to say the last letter of the word.
She was on a roll and insisted on reading book 3 called Dot.
I gave her a few helps as she pushed through, lighting up when she read; "The End"
This left us all exhausted and exhilarated.
There have been days that I wanted to give up, but we continue to show Jewel alphabet flash cards and read to her daily. Our team has tirelessly continued to help teach Jewel, when I am tired or discouraged then Makena or another family member fill in and on many days she has all of us teaching her. Well done Gary, Makena, Raven and Jewel. Jewel listens to audio books and enjoys getting lost in a good book. She told me that she "really, really want to read" and she told Makena that she would like to, "hide under bed and read". Recently I wondered if it was fair to her to keep teaching her and encouraging her to read, and the answer is yes, keep dreaming and keep reaching for the stars and moon. As you walk daily in your tasks one day the fruit of your labour will blossom and bare fruit. Ask the questions and live the answers.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
crying and Anchors
8/4/11 Thursday morning, and I guess I am not getting up to blog as consistently as I used to.
I am in a different season and I feel my presents needed more as my girls are all growing up so fast.
I am trying to reflect and be present more than I used to.
I wanted to post about crying and routines.
I am reflecting the nature of crying, specifically with Jewel. I have found that she has different cries, one for pain and one for stress, one for temper and whining, one for sad and they are all slightly different. I knew immediately at the Shriners appointment that she was in pain and took her away from the doctor. In a mater of seconds I was able to find where it was hurting by doing a quick body check, for Jewel did not respond to my questioning of where she was hurting. You just have to trust your instincts with children who are not too verbal. I did not understand why she did not verbalize that her leg was hurting, or at least say, "owie" like I have tough her. You see the AFOs had pinched her calf and made two blood blister bruises. After asking the O/T her thoughts on this we both asked Jewel if she knew where the pain was coming from and she said, "no." The O/T said that it is possible that Jewel lives with pain daily and it is harder for her to isolate the source. She is getting better at telling me at times but I have to remember that she can not always tell me the origin of where the pain is coming from, so we practice staying calm and responding quickly with visible signs, asking questions and physically checking her body. I have to console her and remind her to breath and stay calm while I figure out what, where the pain is coming from. I can not imagine being in so much pain and not being able to tell someone immediately that my leg hurts. But crying is her way of communicating with us.
Then there is the stress crying, some times is it because we are not picking up on signs that we are placing too much pressure on Jewel, or that she is placing it on herself or that we are not giving her enough time to respond or we are not listening to her. When she cries due to stress it takes longer to calm her down for we have missed the signs and cues so we have to back track to what we were doing with her before the crying started. This process takes longer but well worth it getting to the source of the tears and frustration. We all need to be heard, we need to know that someone cares, that we are loved and worth being listened to.
In a busy day of scheduling and daily tasks it is easy to want to rush from event to home but I have to remember to slow down. That daily routine brings about more calm and ease for Jewel as far as her needs being met and her knowing what to expect next. Though having said that it is also enriching to take her out of this routine and bring her to a movie, a play or just go out with her into the world. This is where anchors come in, anchors will ground us and keep us safe. We have many types of anchors, some are for our mind, spirit, soul, and body. Meals and meal times are one of our important anchors, nap times for some but Jewel has never napped, that is another story. Healthy snacks and meals are what Jewel needs to anchor her day, and then we can change up the activities and some of the routines. She also needs her AFOs in the day, at night her swash buckle hip adductor brace and stander / gait trainer and wheel chair time during the day to support proper body alignment and function. Lots of water during the day is another anchor and if these anchors are in place she is a happy camper. I am trying to fit in more weight baring on her arms and more academics as far as her reading by her self. But a good day is built with anchors in place and if the winds blow hard and the waves come crashing the anchors will keep us grounded and in a good space.
I am in a different season and I feel my presents needed more as my girls are all growing up so fast.
I am trying to reflect and be present more than I used to.
I wanted to post about crying and routines.
I am reflecting the nature of crying, specifically with Jewel. I have found that she has different cries, one for pain and one for stress, one for temper and whining, one for sad and they are all slightly different. I knew immediately at the Shriners appointment that she was in pain and took her away from the doctor. In a mater of seconds I was able to find where it was hurting by doing a quick body check, for Jewel did not respond to my questioning of where she was hurting. You just have to trust your instincts with children who are not too verbal. I did not understand why she did not verbalize that her leg was hurting, or at least say, "owie" like I have tough her. You see the AFOs had pinched her calf and made two blood blister bruises. After asking the O/T her thoughts on this we both asked Jewel if she knew where the pain was coming from and she said, "no." The O/T said that it is possible that Jewel lives with pain daily and it is harder for her to isolate the source. She is getting better at telling me at times but I have to remember that she can not always tell me the origin of where the pain is coming from, so we practice staying calm and responding quickly with visible signs, asking questions and physically checking her body. I have to console her and remind her to breath and stay calm while I figure out what, where the pain is coming from. I can not imagine being in so much pain and not being able to tell someone immediately that my leg hurts. But crying is her way of communicating with us.
Then there is the stress crying, some times is it because we are not picking up on signs that we are placing too much pressure on Jewel, or that she is placing it on herself or that we are not giving her enough time to respond or we are not listening to her. When she cries due to stress it takes longer to calm her down for we have missed the signs and cues so we have to back track to what we were doing with her before the crying started. This process takes longer but well worth it getting to the source of the tears and frustration. We all need to be heard, we need to know that someone cares, that we are loved and worth being listened to.
In a busy day of scheduling and daily tasks it is easy to want to rush from event to home but I have to remember to slow down. That daily routine brings about more calm and ease for Jewel as far as her needs being met and her knowing what to expect next. Though having said that it is also enriching to take her out of this routine and bring her to a movie, a play or just go out with her into the world. This is where anchors come in, anchors will ground us and keep us safe. We have many types of anchors, some are for our mind, spirit, soul, and body. Meals and meal times are one of our important anchors, nap times for some but Jewel has never napped, that is another story. Healthy snacks and meals are what Jewel needs to anchor her day, and then we can change up the activities and some of the routines. She also needs her AFOs in the day, at night her swash buckle hip adductor brace and stander / gait trainer and wheel chair time during the day to support proper body alignment and function. Lots of water during the day is another anchor and if these anchors are in place she is a happy camper. I am trying to fit in more weight baring on her arms and more academics as far as her reading by her self. But a good day is built with anchors in place and if the winds blow hard and the waves come crashing the anchors will keep us grounded and in a good space.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
life is good
8/1/11 August is here and I am back,
last week was wonderful because Jewel received her AFOs, they arrived in the mail and she has been waring them again, better posture less tone and spasticity. We are so grateful to Shriners for this! Thank you!
Her owie on her elbow has healed up nicely and daily life continues.
On sunday 7/31/11 Jewel got to ride Cookie Dough for at least 30min, it was a good ride. She has not been on the old horse since June since he had been sick. Her Aunty Cindy met us at the horses and we groomed him, cleaned his hooves, fed him and loved on him before we were sure he was ready to take a walk with Jewel. Cindy lead him, Raven was the back rider and I the side walker. These walks are so good for the horse as well. We just bought some senior food and rice bran for him, this helps keep on his weight. We bought some Canola oil as well to add 1/4 cup into his evening meal for weight gain and shinny coat. We always soak his alfalfa cubes for this helps him eat otherwise it just falls back out of his mouth. Jewel was a trooper, though she did not sit up the whole ride, she did not whine either, she slumped over for the last part, but I am assured from all the reading that this is still therapeutically beneficial for her hips. We hope to go riding soon.
Jewel is all into wanting a tower for her Rupunzel barbie so we will be making one out of cardboard and paper mache. Jewel is happy and healthy and enjoying her time with her Da and Sissies and her dog Grace. I miss having the speech therapist come and give direction and fine tune her progress from gross to refine. We have been blessed to have some of the finest therapists come through our home to help with Jewel and hopefully this will continue. Have a great day, today is another adventure for Jewel and her sisters always make life wonderful.
last week was wonderful because Jewel received her AFOs, they arrived in the mail and she has been waring them again, better posture less tone and spasticity. We are so grateful to Shriners for this! Thank you!
Her owie on her elbow has healed up nicely and daily life continues.
On sunday 7/31/11 Jewel got to ride Cookie Dough for at least 30min, it was a good ride. She has not been on the old horse since June since he had been sick. Her Aunty Cindy met us at the horses and we groomed him, cleaned his hooves, fed him and loved on him before we were sure he was ready to take a walk with Jewel. Cindy lead him, Raven was the back rider and I the side walker. These walks are so good for the horse as well. We just bought some senior food and rice bran for him, this helps keep on his weight. We bought some Canola oil as well to add 1/4 cup into his evening meal for weight gain and shinny coat. We always soak his alfalfa cubes for this helps him eat otherwise it just falls back out of his mouth. Jewel was a trooper, though she did not sit up the whole ride, she did not whine either, she slumped over for the last part, but I am assured from all the reading that this is still therapeutically beneficial for her hips. We hope to go riding soon.
Jewel is all into wanting a tower for her Rupunzel barbie so we will be making one out of cardboard and paper mache. Jewel is happy and healthy and enjoying her time with her Da and Sissies and her dog Grace. I miss having the speech therapist come and give direction and fine tune her progress from gross to refine. We have been blessed to have some of the finest therapists come through our home to help with Jewel and hopefully this will continue. Have a great day, today is another adventure for Jewel and her sisters always make life wonderful.
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