SNOW!!

This pic is from last year, sledding at the cottage!


Today is December 1st, and we woke up to snow. I hope that is a good sign...if it's gonna be cold, it might as well snow so we can play in it! I hope we get tons so we can go snowmobiling up north. I also hope that the plows and ice trucks are on their J-O-B for around here!! LOL
I actually have some Christmas spirit this year! Maybe it's the tree that Chris put up the first week of November. Maybe it's cuz my Christmas spirit has been missing the past few years. Either way, I don't sigh and roll my eyes when I hear a Christmas song and actually tune into the Christmas station. Although, only when Drew is in the car! He loves it.
He also loves 'King of Queens'! Found out by accident, channel surfing. He seems to understand the subtle and not-so-subtle humor, and I think he likes the expressiveness of the actors too. He used to LOOOOOOOVVEE 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' too, but it's not on anymore that I can find. :(
Happy December, friends! Peace to all of you.

NovemBRRR

It's starting to get really chilly outside...and I decided to try really hard to have Christmas spirit this year. Chris put our tree up at the beginning of November (I don't like it up till after Thanksgiving, but he won this year...) and I have to admit, I am feeling festive! Gonna try really hard to ignore the commercialism this year and not be annoyed by things like 'X mas' (Christ is the reason for the holiday after all) and the incessant repetition of the same Christmas songs on the radio for almost 2 months. I am going to try and ignore the retailers trying to cash in (Happy Holidays! half-off green beans! ), the impatience of shoppers waiting in line, driving too fast, and being downright rude.

Instead, I am going to follow Buddy the Elf's advice: The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is by singing LOUDLY for all to hear!

And revel in the wonderment that Drew feels this time of year. He loves Birthdays! Especially Jesus'. :)

Peace to you this Christmas and Holiday season...no matter what you celebrate, share the love!

Hollow-een

Halloween is probably my least favorite holiday. Drew seems to like it, so we do the pumpkins, costumes, and trick or treating. My fave part of it is hanging out at the Madigan's with them and their neighbors. Jim and Jen bought the house we all grew up in, and I love going back there, trick-or-treating and seeing the old neighbors. NOT OLD! I mean, my former neighbors! :)
Jim and Jen's friends/neighbors and their kids are wonderful, and welcome us whenever we are over there for holidays, gatherings, or just-becauses.
We were looking forward to seeing the old (and new) neighbors and trick-0r-treating, but Boogie is not feeling well. He is super congested, had a fever today and is very lethargic. Thank Goodness he doesn't eat candy, and had a great time at his school party! It was enough for him. I wish he felt better. I have been giving him allllll kinds of love, snuggles, and essential oils to make him feel better.
I hope everyone had a great weekend, and we are looking forward to Thanksgiving. THAT is a real holiday. Togetherness, family, love, no commericalism, and fun. :)

Girl Power!

Too bad this picture is so small...it's an awesome shot of my niece Morgan in action. She is a kicker for Warren Mott's JV football team...she got the position after showing her mad skills on the field during a homecoming pep rally event. She has played soccer her whole life, and was a kicker for St. Anne Football team a few years back. She is an amazing young woman who excels in whatever she does. Drew is very proud of his cousin! We all went to cheer her on at her game last night...it was a great game. Mott beat Dakota 28-12 and Morgan made all four of her extra points!!! It was so cute seeing her with her blond ponytail hanging out from her helmet, and she looked so tiny next to all those big guys!

It was so great seeing the family and cheering for Morgan. :)

Heading to Zoo Boo tonight with Monika and Danny...looking forward to it!

Homecoming 2010

This weekend was the St. Anne Homecoming. Connor plays for the 8th grade team, Brendan plays for the 5th grade. St. Anne is the school that me and my entire family attended from 1st to 12th grade for my sibs, 1st to 10th grade for me. The High School closed at the end of my Sophmore year. My brother Jim coaches football (Coach Mad-dog) and Drew and I love to watch his cousins play and watch Uncle G's team.

Aunt Terri came in from VA for a visit, and to catch the games. We had the best time! She ROCKS!!!!

It was cold, windy, rainy...but we wouldn't have it any other way! We got to see Connor get an interception on Friday night, (and see our fam) See Morgan play soccer on Sat morning (and see our fam) and see Brendan score a touchdown after a 50 yard run(and see our fam). It's football season, and we just bundled up, cheered our hearts out, and had a blast. Drew loved every second of it. He loved hanging out with Aunt Terri and Aunt Kate. Loved the cheerleaders. Loved the attention he got from the St. Anne family/friends of the Madigans. We even rocked out between plays, courtesy of the DJ in the announcer booth!! Drew loves Twister Sister. He is his father's child. :)

Good times, Good times.

Pee Pee on the Potty

We are so proud of Boogie! We started trying to toilet him a few months ago...even though he doesn't have a good or consistent way to tell us he has to go. I figured it was worth a shot, trying. He surprised us! He has been pretty successful at home. We put him on a few times a day and sometimes he goes! He started school a few weeks ago in a new classroom. His new teacher got a potty seat that she thought would work for him. He went Pee Pee on the Potty today at school! He is so proud of himself!!! We are so freakin' proud of him!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He still lacks a good way to communicate that he HAS to go--but he is sure trying to make himself go when we put him on the potty. Also, today, he wanted yogurt and grain bars for dinner (turned down ravioli and beef with peppers-he made a 'yuk face') and was sooo happy he got what he wanted! His teeth were bugging him and he wanted something sweet and easy for dinner today. I am so proud of him...

MDA telethon

Drew and I walked with some friends this past May for tha Stride and Ride, and fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. We walked on our friend Marisa's team, she has MD. We raised almost $1000 and reached our goal of sending a kid to camp. It was a blast, and our team 'Marissa's Musicmakers' are looking forward to the next walk...this time it will be in January at Ford Field in Detroit.

The MDA called Lisa (Marissa's mom) and told her that they wanted her to present the check at the Telethon to the MDA! It was a great honor and Lisa wanted us to join her. Drew and I went to the local channel 20 studios to present the check with Lisa & Marissa. Drew was fine until we had to go into the actual studio and wait our turn to go on the air. He was crabbing so much, we wound up waiting outside the studio room, but we got to see Lisa on TV! She did a great job! It was very nice that she included us...and we were happy to be there. We will be walking again in January...I will hit you all up for donations in a few months. It is a great cause...although Drew has Cerebral Palsy and not MD, we are all a united family and will help out any cause we believe in!! Thanks everyone for your continued support of the blog and my attempts at fundraising!

Well Said.

Please check out this powerful blog posting about the 'R' word.

http://davehingsburger.blogspot.com/2010/08/people-who-are.html

South Carolina!

We have been back now for a few weeks from our trip to see Aunt Terri near Hilton Head. We went last year too, and it keeps getting better and better!! We rented a beach wheelchair so Drew could do all the things everyone else does on the beach...and enjoy the water too! Aunt Terri found the beach w/c rental place last year for us...great find!!

We had a blast going into town to see Gregg Russell, going on the Dolphin Cruise, and going to the beach. But it was also great spending the day at Aunt Terri's in the pool, having game nights, and grillin' and chillin'. It's win-win either way for us! Buddy, Terri's dog is so sweet and took good care of Drew, Brendan and Connor. Chris and I got to go on a date to a cooking class with Chef Michael...it was so fun! We made a lot of yummy things and learned a few tricks. We got to see Michael, Brooke, Steve and Virginia and spend the night with them...we are so blessed and miss our family!

We hope you all had a fun summer too!

neglect

BLOG, I AM NEGLECTING YOU AND I AM SORRY! I want to post all about our trip to see Aunt Terri in SC and other goings on. Today is not the day tho... gotta get ready for Drew's last baseball game.

Check back soon :).

Adventure...

Check back in a couple weeks to read about our upcoming adventure...we hope everyone is enjoying your summer!

Above are a few pics from last summer for you viewing enjoyment... :)

Drew is back!

Drew has NOT been himself the past 2+ weeks. He got bit by something near his eye, and it swelled up. Took him to urgent care 2 weeks ago,and have been to his doctor several times. To make a VERY long story short, he is just now back to being 'Drew'. The fevers, vomiting, listlessness, not eating, meltdowns, and pain that have plagued us seem to be resolving. He laughed for the first time in 2 weeks, is back to eating like a truck driver, and is sleeping peacefully as we speak. Or, as I type :)

Consider this a warning for any bug/spider/ant/critter that is thinking about biting my boy...I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN and it won't be pretty. You will tell your bug/spider/ant/critter friends if you know what is good for you. I can make 6 or 8 little cement shoes if I need to. :)

We had a good time tonight at his game. Grandma and Grandpoo were there again to cheer on the Challengers and Drew. I saw Drew gazing lovingly at Grandma...it was so sweet. There are no games for the next couple weeks. I think it's the 'All Star Break' for us. :) We are having a Fundraiser at CiCi's Pizza at Hall Rd and Schoenherr on July 8th from 5-8. Mention Challenger Baseball and they will donate 10% of sales to us!

We are looking forward to a great 4th of July. God Bless America and God Bless our troops that fight for us so we can have our freedom. We live in the BEST country in the world.

Hope you all have a safe, fun 4th of July weekend!! This is a pic from last year 4th of July at the cottage. He loves his beach!

Hello Summer!!

Today is the first day of Summer, and like I tell Drew...God gave us a beautiful day! We are looking forward to a great Summer. So far, we are having a blast with Challenger baseball, grill-outs with friends, and a few trips to the cottage. We are trying to have Drew ride his bike around the bases (we take one base at a time, & there are no outs so everyone gets a chance to bat) and he did pretty well at the first game. He is actually grabbing the bat and hanging on to it this year! baby steps...

The other pic is from a different game--his friend was helping him around the bases. The bad thing is, they were supposed to be in the field. AND she was heading FROM first TO home. WHILE the other team was up to bat! But hey, we are more interested in the Spirit of baseball than the logistics of it!!! We have a blast, the kids learn about teamwork and patience, and a few skills too.

We are looking forward to our trip to Soulstice--to see Aunt Terri. I will for sure post about our adventures. The Madigan boys are coming with us, and Drew adores his cousins! As do we!!! It should be a blast. We get to see the Annessa kids too. It's win-win!!

No Fear.

Gibralter Trade Center in the Clem has their annual Fair going on now. We went last Sunday, and decided to go back today after the rain stopped. They have 'Bike Night' on Friday and Saturday nights...live band in the Pavilion. We hung out at the Fair, then listened to a great band called Room 13. They did everything from Black Eyed Peas, to Stone Temple Pilots. Great band.
The highlight of our night was when we went on the Ferris Wheel. It's the Big Ass one, tallest I can imagine. Luckily, it has the 'gondola' style cars, not the bench seats from back in the day. Those scare the crap out of me...you move a fraction of an inch and it swings like cra-zazy! Plus, with Drew's lack of muscle control, I was always terrified that he will scoot out of the seat. ANYWAY, with this type, the round, umbrella covered type with the pole in the center of the car--much safer!! It is super tall, tho! Drew is way braver than Chris and me...we were a bit nervous at first, but he was looking around with such wonderment, I learned quickly to relax and enjoy the view.
Next stop was the Roller Coaster. We went on it last weekend too, but I swear, this time it was faster! It was the kiddie coaster, but went fast enough to make my hair fly in the breeze! Drew was allllllll smiles. He anticipated the turns, and where daddy was, and during the biggest hill, he braced himself and I could feel his smile deep in my heart.
He loved the live band too. He watched the kids and adults dance, and loves listening to music. He is so fun to hang out with...my little fearless punkin.
Our first baseball game is Thursday, June 10th at 6:15. We can't wait!

zoo & stuff

We went to the Zoo with the Wolo Girls last Thursday...it was a beautiful day, sandwiched between cold/rainy/windy days. Drew is still under the weather...woke up on Sunday and was sick--turns out it's strep. He is still feeling crappy. He is napping on and off on the couch--I hope he feels better soon!

Lokomat is almost over, and we had to miss Monday and Today. :(

Here are some zoo pics from last week...

Loko Legs

Crazy Legs Kijek rocks!!! He is doing so well in Lokomat...today Terri took the guidance force (amount of work robotic legs do) down to 40%! That means that he was doing 60% of moving his legs, while holding up 50% of his body weight!

He continues to do the entire 45 minutes--that is a lot of work!!! He makes us so proud at how hard he works (when he wants to...LOL). He cracks me up.

I am gonna take some pics (keep forgetting my camera-UGH) so you can see what the Lokomat is.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Ya take the good, ya take the bad...

Things have really busy around here lately...Drew's 9th birthday was a blast, with lots of school and baseball friends in attendance! We are blessed to have a circle of amazing friends and their families. We bowled, played pin-the-tail on the donkey (more like 'walk up and stick the tail on...our kids aren't always fond of blindfolds, spinning, or being handled!!) and Drew got a lot of very nice gifts.
We started Lokomat again...we did it last year, it's the treadmill gait-training with the robotic legs that assist in patterning and weight bearing. Drew loves it. He worked up to the 45 minute mark on the second session! 45 minutes is the max, but Terri, his PT can increase his weight bearing and decrease the machine help, so he has to work harder each session. I am excited to see what the next 8 weeks will bring!
He is doing well in school, we are excited for baseball and summer, and our trip to see Aunt Terri in July.
Our next adventure is the MDA Stride & Ride on May 2. We are on a team called Marisa's Music Makers--she is a friend of ours that has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Our team is raising money to send kids to summer camp so they can have a lilttle bit of fun this summer. May 11 we are going to Lansing for a rally called 'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' to support/increase awareness for the developmentally disabled. Looking forward to both events!!!
Unfortunately, he has been having a lot of seizures the past month. He had another bad one yesterday afternoon, and had a second one 40 minutes later (not as bad) even tho he was medicated with Diastat (to stop seizure activity and knock him out). We are increasing one of his meds, hopefully that will help. I don't know if it's cuz he gained some weight, it's Spring, or what is causing them. Scary thing is--he stops breathing when he has seizures. I will never used to seeing him turn blue and convulvse violently, no matter how many he has.
If you are a spiritual person, please pray for Drew and us. For him, so he doesn't regress or have to endure these seizures. For us, so we find the strength and wisdom to protect him from seizures, so he doesn't hurt.
Thanks to all our followers...It makes me so happy when I hear you mention that you read the blog!! He is my FAVORITE subject, after all!!

Time Flies!!

Boogie will be 9 next Saturday--I can't even believe it! We are having a party here with some of his buddies from school and baseball. We can't wait to get these crazy kids together for his birthday!
I will take lots of pics. I am so happy Spring is here tomorrow. I don't even mind that it will be like, 43 degrees! IT'S SPRING!!!!!!!!! WOOO HOOOOOOO
We are scheduled to start Lokomat again next Monday, the 29th. That is the treadmill/unweighting system/robotic legs thing that we did about a year ago. Drew loved it, and gained muscle mass and coordination during the 8 week session. He is doing great riding his bike in our basement and I told him he can ride it from base-to-base at baseball if he works hard and keeps doing a great job.
Sleep is still an issue for us, but it will likely always be. Drew continues to amaze us and make the world a better place with his engaging spirit and sense of adventure. I love how he sees the world around him; to watch the wonder on his face when he sees the wind blow through the trees, or hear his belly laugh when he sees something unexpected makes my day. Every day.

SPRING FEVER

It is March and I am fiendin' for the warm weather so we can play outside! I miss walking outside, feeling the sunshine on our faces. I miss open windows and soft breezes. I miss the smell of freshly cut grass and grilling for dinner. I WANT IT NOW!

This winter stunk for snowmobiling. It might snow again, but at least it's March! Spring is just around the corner. I hope this is a great year for all of us!!!

Cool things

Drew did a couple cool things this week in therapy. We attend Crawl, Walk, Jump, Run Therapy Clinic and are blessed to have some of the most skilled and creative therapists in the world. They are encouraged to treat the whole person...and are reallly in tune with each child and adult they treat.
They make therapy fun!
Anne, the Awesome OT was working with Drew, and she was counting to 10. She stopped at 9, repeating 9,9,9 and he looked at her and smiled, as if to say 'ummmm, you are doing it wrong!' :)
THEN, she was spelling his name out and she purposely didn't put the E in his name. He said 'neh', meaning 'no'. I am so proud! I knew he knew numbers, but didn't realize that he could recognize his name, enough to know if it was correct.
I wish there was a way to test these kids that are trapped in bodies that don't work correctly. Their receptive language is very good--but since we can't know what they know, we keep the faith and keep celebrating the tiny victories.

I was asked to write a bit about what baseball means to us--we have played on this wonderful league for 4 years. We start in the June...come see a game!!

What Challenger Baseball Means to us:

I became aware of Challenger Baseball from an issue of Sterling Heights Special Recreation. I was looking for an outdoor activity that would entertain my son, Drew. Our days were filled with school (if he was well enough to go), doctor's appointments, therapies, working on ADL's, stretching his muscles so he would have proper range of motion and not cramp and contract, and reinforcing what we did in his OT, PT, and Speech therapies.
I wanted us to have some fun. I wanted us to join a team, where he would learn patience, responsibility, teamwork, and make friends. I wanted us to have something other than therapy and I could actually answer the question: "What's new with Drew?", since we don't really have 'Milestones'...we have fraction-of-an-inch-stones. Our successes are measured differently than most.
Challenger Baseball provides us with a place where we are part of a team, a community of like-minded, open, compassionate, fun-loving parents who want their kids to have some of what 'everyone' else has. My favorite part is seeing the look on Drew's face when he knows we are going to play. He is so proud of himself and his team. His friends and family can cheer him on, and share in our experience in being accepted unconditionally and part of a team.

2/3 done

We are almost 2/3 way done with January; my least favorite month. For the most part (see--I am off my game; starting sentances with prepositions! Not enough sunshine for me...) it is a gray, cold, no-fun month. Sandwiched between the Thanksgiving-Christmas euphoria and Spring fever.

I don't have many new pictures to share. We are having our 4th annual 'January Sucks' party on January 31st and should post some from that. We listen to Jimmy Buffet, Michael Franti, Bob Marley and other island music and will be grilling out and having a dance party to celebrate the end of icky January. His Valentine's Day dance is coming up in early February too. That is always a great time. :)

We hope all is well with our followers...love ya!!!

BETH!

Called me out YET again for not keeping the blog current. It is so comforting to know you can still boss me around from across the country. No bullshit, I am serious! :)
I miss you and will update the blog in a more timely manner. OH, and thanks for being the music trivia queen.

Drew misses his Aunt Betsy. Don't have any pics from the past weekend, but we only got out once on the snowmobile cuz it was so freakin' cold. looking forward to MLK weekend when the fam comes up, last year was a blast!!!!

THINK SNOW!!!!!