Drew Rocks!

Lucky

2012-01-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

I just feel lucky. Blessed, is a better word. Drew was having difficulty falling asleep again, so I went in his room to snuggle. I put in a CD I made for him years ago. Remember the mixed tapes, from 'back in the day'? We would spend hours waiting to hear a song on the radio, with our fingers poised on the 'record' button of our tape recorder. We would try to time it just right, so that the DJ or commercials wouldn't ruin the song. We would rewind, fast-forward, and otherwise manipulate the cassette tape so we could pack as many meaningful songs into a compilation as humanly possible. Then we would proudly present this tape to a loved one and exclaim 'I made you a mixed tape!'. Good times :)

Well, this CD was considerably easier to make...I just made a playlist on the computer and burned the CD. Ah, technology! The songs all remind me of Drew; his spirit, his experience, his past, his future. Either way, it is meaningful and when I hear the songs, I am energized by Drew's journey and his essence.

Tonight, while he was finally relaxing enough to let sleep come, I realized that I would not trade these times for anything. I thought of all the moms I knew, at that moment, who were doing the exact same thing as I was. Coaxing their babies to sleep. Comforting them. Doing what it takes to make sure their babies knew they are loved and important. I felt lucky. Blessed.

I tell Drew daily during our 'snuggle time' that there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be, than right here, right now with him. I felt that power of all the moms tonight, at bedtime, that feel that same way. All the moms that are too busy, too tired, too stressed, too sad, too overextended, but who do it anyway. I feel lucky to be part of a such a group of strong women. You know who you are. But if you don't, I do. God does. Your kids do too.

"It's better to be a Lion for a day than a sheep all your life'~Sr. Elizabeth Kenney
Peace.

Life is good!

2011-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to have a nice home, plenty of food, wonderful family and friends, our health. I always reflect on what I am most thankful for before my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. Drew has been super tired the past few days...I think it's a growing spurt. He fell asleep in front of the cozy fire, and turned toward the fireplace to bask in more heat. He is sleeping so peacefully, so I will curl up on the couch and keep the fire going tonight. He continues to amaze me every day with his spirit, sense of humor, and determination. He is a typical 10 year old in many ways; he, uhm, passed gas at therapy today and cracked up so loud I heard him and everyone in the gym laughing, and I was in the waiting room! I found out after the fact what the ruckus was about. I learned long ago, to not be embarassed by anything this kid does. He is just, well, Drew. Boys are gross sometimes. :)
I hope this Thanksgiving season finds everyone with bountiful blessings to reflect on. It is the start of the Christmas season, but without the commercialism and stress...Thanksgiving is about family and friends, spending valuable time together. To quote Kid Rock:
Cuz' I hear screamin on the left
Yellin on the right
I'm sitting in the middle tryin' to live my life
Cuz' I can't stop the war
Shelter homeless, feed the poor
Can't walk on water
I can't save your sons and daughters
I can't change the world and make things fair
The least that I can do,
The least that I can do
The least that I can do is Care.

Boy's best friend

2011-10-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

We went this weekend to check out a potential puppy for Boogie. He has loved dogs for a looooong time, and has dog-cousins Buddy, Shady, Jake that he loves and that love him. We miss our dog, Ruger. Roo was our first baby, we got him before we got married. He would make sure that I knew if Drew needed something...if he was crabbing or uncomfortable, Roo would get my attention and look at me like "HE NEEDS SOMETHING!' He was the most gentle, loving, and protective dog! He would 'make his rounds', check on Drew and I about every hour or so. He would check on us, then do a perimeter check of the house to make sure all was well. Then, he would hop back on his futon and sleep. He just wanted to be part of the family, and we have missed him so much the since he has been gone.
Saturday, we went to look at some pups and see how Drew and they interacted. The pups were born on Oct. 17, so it will still be a while before we welcome him to our home. There was one puppy out of all of them that took an interest in Drew, and Drew seemed to like him the best too. He is know as 'electric blue collar' , so the breeder can tell them apart, and make sure all the pups are eating and getting socialized. This one was a pudgy, hungry little guy, and his eyes weren't open yet. He was also the most interested in Drew. Drew liked him too! He was soooooo cute! He snuggled right up to Drew. Drew was all smiles, as the pics show. We have our eye on 'electric blue collar'. Can't wait to see him in a few weeks, when he is getting into mischief with his littermates and exploring the world.
We also carved pumpkins, which Drew has absolutely no interest in. The one on the left says 'Drew rox'. Ah, well. The deer, squirrels, racoons and birds at the cottage will be feasting on pumpkins
till they get their fill! I hope all is well in the blog-o-sphere with everyone!
Peace,

September, really?!?

2011-09-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like I begin each blog post with an apology for not posting more often. Today is no exception. We have a lot to catch up on!
The play, Wizard of Oz, was awesome. Drew was a munchkin, member of the Lollipop Guild, and a flying monkey. Sterling Civic Theater is a class-act, all the way. They have open auditions, allowing anyone who wants a part to have one. We practiced a lot, (Aunt Joan too!) and Drew made it in 4 of the 6 performances. Opening night was a no-go, but he rallied back and performed the rest of the weekend like a champ. We had so much support, especially from Lauren, Simron, Hannah and Amanda. All of the kids were so sweet with Drew, and he LOVED being with kids his age. They helped him onstage, calmed him during meltdowns, and entertained him in the downtime. My favorite times were in the cafeteria, between scenes the kids were in. There was a lot of that time--kids running around, playing, being kids. There is talk of doing both 'Legally Blond' and 'SchoolHouse Rock' this Winter. I am hoping for 'SchoolHouse Rock'. We will definately check it out.

Lauren, Drew and Simran as munchkins

Kate's birthday weekend at Terri's was super fun! It is always a wonderful time. Drew and I got the flu and were well taken care of by my sisters, but other than that, it was fun, fun, fun!
We grilled out, swam in Terri's awesome pool, went for walks, went to the River Park, Went on a Pontoon boat ride in the Calibogue Sound. We loved just being with our family.

Drew in HHI on Pontoon
YOU should be here!

Fall means FOOTBALL season! We are well into the season for Morgan, Connor and Brendan. Morgan is a kicker for her varsity team, Mott Marauders. Connor is QB for his freshman team. Brendan plays for 6th grade St. Anne Eagles. Jim coaches at Seaholm. WHEW! That is a lot of football in one house! We enjoy going to the kids' games and cheering them on when we can.

Now that it is almost October, I have to think of a good costume for Drew for Halloween. Any suggestions, Blog followers? If there any even left!!! LOL

I hope you had a great summer...we sure did. I am looking forward to a fun-filled Fall.
Drew says: ROCK ON!

Time Flies!!

2011-07-06T19:04:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened since my last post. Drew started Baseball, went to a bunch of Wizard of Oz play practices, participated in the amazing Summer Games Special Olympics at CMU, and a bunch of other stuff.

The Special Olympics was awesome...I posted a bunch of pics on my FB page. It is something that I wish everyone could experience. I could go on and on, but in summary: Their motto is 'Let me win, but if I can't win, let me be brave in the attempt'. There is no one more brave than the athletes, their sponsors, families, friends and supporters.

Drew and I leave tomorrow for Hilton Head to visit Aunt Terri. This trip is a 'girls only' trip--to celebrate Aunt Kate's birthday. Drew will be doted on by 4 of his Aunts, and HH is a great place to vacation! We are blessed that Aunt Terri opens her home to us, and Drew loves spending time with his family. He, Buddy (the dog) and Uncle Pat will be outnumbered! Can you say 'HEN PARTY??!!'

The play Drew is in is 'The Wizard of Oz' and here is the link: www.sterlingcivic.org for information. It will be a great show! The dates are July 15-17 and 22-24. Hope to see you there!

Thanks for checking in, Blog Friends!!! We hope this Summer finds you well and all your dreams come true. :)

I said it before, I'll say it again...

2011-05-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have the friends and family that we do in our lives. I love seeing the smile on Boogie's face every morning. I know he feels so loved. This past weekend, we went to the cottage and saw our Wertz Warriors friends. They gave him a T-shirt to wear at the Summer games for Special Olympics next weekend. They are the 'Hank's Drew Crew' and if you missed my previous post about Hank's, it is a wonderful restaurant/bar near our cottage. Everyone at Hank's, especially the staff, has made us feel welcome, even in the 'tough years'...when Drew just screamed and cried and had meltdowns all the time. Chris and I felt okay and comfortable there. It was, and still is, a blessing. Drew has grown to absolutely LOVE Hank's. The food is great, the atmosphere is better, and he loves the attention he gets. If you ever find yourself on M-76, between exit 195 and 202 off of 1-75, stop in!

So, the shirt is custom made for Boogie...signed by the patrons and Wertz Warriors supporters. I know he will make them proud. :)

Also, tonight he had his second practice for 'The Wizard of Oz'. Aunt Joan took him, and he did a great job. He recognized the songs from last week, and they did some dance moves as well. He did such a great job that Aunt Joan took him to Boston's for Ice Cream and to meet up with Erin and Tommy. Judging by the smiles and giggles when he got home...he had a blast.

The play is in mid-July. I for sure will keep you all posted. I hope this post finds you all happy, & healthy. Peace.

Munchkin

2011-05-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today was Drew's first rehearsal with the Sterling Civic Theater for The Wizard of Oz. He is a munchkin, along with about 100 other kids. Tonight, we practiced a song that the munchkins will sing. He loved every second of it. He loved the activity of it; patiently listened to the director and others talk about what is expected of them, and took a short walk in the halls of Stevenson High School with Aunt Joanie while I took notes before practice.

This is a class-act all the way, so far. The people in charge talked about a zero tolerance policy for bullying, cyber or otherwise. They will only accept acceptance of every member of the cast and crew. They stressed the importance of taking ownership in the play, being on time, and committing to the success of the production. This will be a very cool experience for us, and I bet it will be the first of many. These people seem to have an organized, well-run, and inclusive program. I appreciate the fact that they welcome diversity and are creating a fun environment where anyone can be involved in theater. Best line of the night was, after they handed out the sheet music with the lyrics and music and we ran thru it a few times...a little girl raised her hand and said 'excuse me...but I can't read!' At which time a 'Drama Mama' (volunteer mom) helped her remember the lyrics. She doesn't have to read--kids have a great memory!

The play will be in July. There are some fundraisers to help offset the cost of insurance and other things, so I am warning you now that I will probably hit you up. :) Thanks for checking in!!

Bionics, Olympics, and the Yellow Brick Road

2011-05-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

Weird title, I know. But there are a few exciting things in our near future. Currently, Drew is breaking in a schedule for 'Wearable Therapy' from Axiobionics.

It is electrical stimulation pads sewn into a custom made garment (left and right arm sleeves) to control his spastic tone and try to re-educate the brain to lessen the abnormal tone patterns. It is pretty cool, and he tolerates the e-stim pretty well. It cycles and alternates the current to the spots on his arms that work against him, when he is trying to have purposeful movements of his arms and hands. We are hopeful that this will lessen his tone so he can learn how to make his arms and hands work like he wants them to!
Drew also got chosen for the Summer Games of MI Special Olympics. He will be competing in swimming and another event. The best thing is, he is going with his BFF Maddie! They get to stay (with the teachers that are taking them) in the dorms at CMU! They will travel together, do the events together, and sleep in the dorms. He will feel sooooooo independent! I will be close by, watching and cheering them on in their adventure!! I am excited, but know as it gets closer I will be a wreck! He and Maddie will have a ball tho. They love fun!
The other cool thing is that Drew's Aunt Joanie found a posting in the paper about the Sterling Civic Theater welcoming people with special needs for their summer production of 'Wizard of Oz'. They are open auditions for anyone, but they want our kids involved. I thought that was so cool. We took Drew for the audition on Wednesday and he loved it! He loved the dancing part more than the singing...we will see where he fits in. He got so excited, and he just loves to be involved in anything. I will keep you all updated on the Olympics and how the auditions are coming!
Peace!!

Bittersweet Symphony of Life

2011-03-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

This week is the hardest on me and Chris. Drew's birthday is March 27th. The days leading up to his birth were filled with excitement, wonder, hope, and promise. As I got closer to his due date, 10 years ago, I asked my tummy every day 'do you want today to be your birthday?' We didn't know if our baby was a 'he' or a 'she'. We didn't want to. We believe that God has a plan for all of us; that as long as our baby was healthy, we would be happy. Our family would be happy. We trusted God. Still do.

Drew's birthday is always bittersweet for us. It was the best and worst thing that ever happened to us. Best, cuz we had our beautiful, perfect son. Worst, cuz his birth resulted in such damage to him that his life would be filled with extra challenges, obstacles, difficulties, and disappointments that most others are obilvious to. We are grown, and can handle ANYTHING that life can throw at us. He, on the other hand, is an innocent angel that has to battle not only his body every minute of every day, but society and insurance companies and ignorance and stupidity and close-mindedness and...I could go on and on. The purpose of this blog is to 1)let everyone know how cool Drew is, 2) to urge everyone to see the value in everyone, 3)to educate people that God shows himself in all of us, especially in the 'least' of us. 4) to remind us that everyone needs help--use your gifts to help others when you can.
Boogie (cuz we boogie down...he loves music) is a cool kid who has made more strides in 10 years than most do in a lifetime. Please, when you see kids or adults that are different, just treat them like they (and you)would want to be treated. With basic respect, and with God's grace. I am gonna quote one of my favorite artists, Pink. She seems to have a great understanding of our people. Misfits. Those who don't fit in, for whatever reason. Me. You. All of us, at one time or another. Her lyrics: 'Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel that you're nothing, less than perfect...to me...'
Peace.

Life is Ridiculous...

2011-03-10T20:13:00.001-08:00

I said it on my FB page, and I will say it again: Life is Ridiculous! I don't know if it's the long, cold, lonely winter or just bad Karma, but there is a lot of crap going on now with people we love. Betsy, my very, very, very great friend and reminder of 'you need to blog about Drew more often!' is going thru some stuff. She is tough; I don't doubt for a second that she will come out on top, after bossing several medical professionals around and making some sweeping policy changes. That is one thing she is great at: making people take notice of things that need to be improved/changed/re-done. There are a million other things I could list too. She has my vote if there is an election to rule the world. She told me once that Drew had 'spirit'. That was the nicest way anyone has ever described horrible meltdowns and seemingly endless tantrums. Most of which occured when we were trying to talk on the phone! LOL
I still refer to those things as 'spirit'. Thank you for that, Beth! That, and million other things that I don't even have to refer to cuz you can read my mind! I know you are an avid follower of Drew's blog, and I hope you know that across the miles, we are thinking of you, praying for you, and missing you like crazy. You ROCK.

Everyday Heroes

2011-02-04T18:35:00.001-08:00

We are so blessed to have such great people in our lives. Our family and friends are so important to us; they inspire us, balance us, and enrich us. Almost 10 years ago, Drew's traumatic birth resulted in cerebral palsy, and our lives changed drastically. Our priorities changed. Our outlook changed. We slowed down. We now notice and appreciate the little things in life, and success is measured in Drew's smiles and how comfortable he is. We try to see the big picture, and even though we don't know what the future holds, we are trying to follow our path.

Drew is never happier than when we are up north at the cottage, especially at a Bar/Restaurant called 'Hank's'. Hank's is near our cottage, and we go in there every time we are up. The food is great, the atmosphere is welcoming, and Drew is treated like a Rock Star. Over the years at Hank's, we have gotten to know an incredible group of people who are loving, supportive, and genuine. Some of them are part of a group called the Wertz Warriors, founded by Vic Wertz in 1982 to raise money to fund the Special Olympics. His vision has grown, just as the group has. These Warriors raise money all year 'round for the Special Olympics, leave their jobs and families and homes in the dead of winter for a 900 mile snowmobile trail ride that stretches from Metro Detroit to the opening ceremonies of the Winter Special Olympic Games in Traverse City. Once there, they spend the first hours giving the athletes rides on the snowmobiles and rocking their worlds!

This past weekend, Drew was honored with a green Wertz Warriors jacket by the local crew (Colleen, Jack, Jan, Rachel, Joe, Beth, Koz, Shelly, Brian and Winnie & the rest of the helpers) and declared to be an honorary member of this selfless group. We were so touched and so proud that Drew is so loved. This group raised over $35k for SOMI this year alone! Wertz Warriors as a whole group--over 80 members--has raised $8.5Million in the past 30 years. Incredible. I am always in awe of every day heroes, those who go beyond themselves to help others.

I have always felt that kids have an innate ability to know people's souls. Drew has felt so comfortable with this group for as long as I can remember. He positively LIGHTS up when we see them, or even at the mention of his Hank's friends' names.

We thank God for the people in our lives that accept Drew and love him like we do. For those who can see HIS spirit, as he sees theirs. Thank you.

Winter so far...

2011-01-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

We had a fun-filled Christmas with family, and Drew received a lot of wonderful gifts. He loves when the family gets together--loves the activity, togetherness, and most of all, loves seeing his cousins, aunts and uncles! We always miss the Annessa's and Johnny and (usually) Matt, but he was able to come home on leave from the Army for a few weeks. It was great seeing him and spending time with him.

Drew loved messing up the tree again this year...good thing I had all plastic ornaments. I learned my lesson from last year :)

We started the New Year at the cottage, with the Madigans. It was a great weekend filled with board games, Wii, football (of course!), card games, great food and great fun. The only unfortunate thing was it rained instead of snowed, like I had hoped.. We wanted to go snowmobiling! The kids, Chris and Jim had a snowball fight after midnight on NYE with the remaining snow, so I guess they got to play in it a little. I have no idea how to organize the pics, but I hope you enjoy them!

I am counting down the days till our 'January is over' party. It is my least favorite month (like most people's!) and as of today, we only have 22 days left! WAHOOOOOO! Stay warm, and I hope 2011 brings you many blessings.

SNOW!!

2010-12-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-15T16:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-15T09:21:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-03T18:33:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-06T16:52:00.001-07:00

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.

2010-08-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

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

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

South Carolina!

2010-08-18T14:20:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-06-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

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!!

2010-06-21T09:18:00.001-07:00

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.

2010-05-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-03-19T20:12:00.001-07:00

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

2010-03-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-25T05:34:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-02-16T19:26:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-04T17:05:00.001-08:00

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!!!!!

30 days in the hole...

2009-12-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been a month since I blogged. We have been sick...thank you, Michigan weather! With a special shout-out to Global Warming--We are alternating between flu, respiratory issues, and yes, allergies! I am still coughing like crazy and am considering taking up smoking; if I am gonna feel like crap I should at least have a vice. Tee hee!!!
Drew is in the throes of yet another cold. He felt good for a few days, (after his resp. infection/ear infection cleared up) and now is super congested and coughing. That is why I titled this post '30 days in the hole...I feel like a prisoner to viruses/bacteria/and other assorted crud.
ANYWAY...Drew continues to rock our world. He absolutely LOVES Christmas and everything that comes with it. Just like his daddy! I would be a total Grinch if it weren't for him. I love seeing his face light up when he hears a Christmas carol for the 1,000,000th time. We went to my friend's Christmas service at her church, and he was sooooooo geeked every time they sang! He stares at the tree, and will crane his neck if he can't see it. Tomorrow, Santa is coming to his school--I can't wait for the picture! Last year's pic looked like Drew and Santa were old drinkin' buddies--they have conspriatorial grins on their face, like they know a secret we don't!!!
We hope this Christmas finds everyone happy and healthy. Remember the Reason for the Season! We look forward to hanging out with the family at Joan's on Christmas--attire is 'pajama party' (great idea, Erin!) and can't wait to see everyone. Well, almost everyone. We will miss the Annessa clan and the Schenk's, but they will be close in our hearts.

Monster Trucks, Baby!!!

2009-11-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Drew, Danny, Monika and I went to the Palace to see the Monster Trucks this past Saturday. It was fun!!!! Drew wasn't sure what was going on at first, but loved the trucks and the activity. His favorite was a car looking thing on huge monster truck tires. They did a 'wheelie' contest, a 'burnout' contest, a motocycle show and then freestyled it for the grand finale.

The motorcycles were by far his favorite...they jumped super high, over vans and cars and the span was a few hundred feet!!!! I know our next show will be the motocross when it comes to town. He kills me. :)

We always have fun when Danny and Monika come with us...Danny is a cool kid and he cracks Drew up! I bet they will come with when we go see moto-cross!!

Two weeks till Thanksgiving. I am Thankful every day for my beautiful, loving family and friends. Every day is a gift and an adventure. Life is what you make it, and be kinder than necessary...remember everyone is fighting some kind of battle.

school photo 2009

2009-10-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Fall...

2009-10-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I have blogged about my love. Thank you Betsy, for 'reminding' me. I wish I had some cool pics to share of the Fall colors, but I don't. So, I am just gonna brag about my boy instead.

We are still on the waiting list for Lokomat. BUT are going to Novi to CHM Rehab for Speech every Wednesday till the end of December. They have this cool machine that can hone in on Drew's pupils using infared and a camera. He can look at pics on the computer and make choices, since it is so difficult for him to use his hands to point or indicate. The therapist says we have A LOT of work to do to get ready for the Mytobi machine. He needs to strengthen his eye muscles and focus. Mostly focus!

We also started Chiropractic. Drew loves it! He like 'ran' into the office the other day...I was holding him up, but he 'ran' without crossing his legs and it was fast! He went about 30 feet in a row! That is huge. He usually goes a few steps then stops.

Next week at school the Halloween Shenanigans begin. Drew loves all the activity. He will be Elvis for his school party, since his teacher is a complete FANatic. He will be Han Solo for the 31st, at the Madigan's and our old stomping grounds.!!! We love going there and seeing our old friends/neighbors.
I gotta get some new pics on here...he is looking more grown up! We hope all is well with our blog-friends. Especially Chelsea!!!! <3

Please consider...

2009-09-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Donating to Drew's page for the Autism Walk on October 11th at the Palace. We are on Team Grand Slam with our Challenger baseball friends Marilyn, Crystal, Shari, & James. Our friend Frankie has the best shirt...'WHAT! is my Autism showing?'...some of the other disabilities are more easily recognizable, and often Autism or ASD is looked on as bad behavior or bad parenting. It is neither! Remember...we are all fighting some sort of battle. Be kinder than necessary and spread the LOVE!

Like Elvis (Costello) said: "What's so funny 'bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?"

Here is the link:
http://www.walknowforautism.org/semichigan/drewroxx

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!

2009-09-13T08:07:00.001-07:00

We love Football season. There were a lot of 'big' games yesterday, but the only one we were interested in was St. Anne vs. OLGC. The Eagles lost, but played a great game. Connor played an awesome game...we kept hearing his name over the loudspeaker for making tackles and stuff! We misssed Brendan's game cuz Drew had a chiropractic appt and speech therapy. :(

We will for sure see Brendan play and Jim coach next Saturday. Then going to head to the St. Anne Festival!! Can't wait to hook up with my former classmates on Sat night.

It is also Cider mill weather! YAY! Going to Yates with our friend Ben later...it has been way too long since we got to hang out together.

Oh, I gotta call Beth Mabry and to make an appt. for Drew's pics! She does beautiful work...check out her blog in my 'favorites'.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT JOANIE!!!!!!

End of an August

2009-08-30T13:13:00.001-07:00

We are looking forward to going up north for Labor Day...REALLY hoping that we get some beach days!!!! It is supposed to warm up, I think. All of this Global Warming shenanigans is really jacking with my sinuses and our beach days. That is what we get for not respecting our Mother--jacked up weather patterns and unseasonably cold and warm spurts. I am gonna keep my sunscreen next to our winter coats just in case! LOL

Football season is here, so that is fun! We are looking forward to cheering on Drew's boys (Connor and Brendan) and their teams. GO EAGLES!!!!

We hope this post finds you all well...here are a few shots of Drew lovin' summer!

hang in there!!!

2009-08-11T17:32:00.001-07:00

I have been neglecting the blog and I feel horrible. I will update it ASAP, and a loyal follower called me out last night on this. Thank you, Betsy! I haven't forgotten...just have been busy!

here are a few random pics of Drew till I can get back here in a few days to talk about our trip to Terri's in SC and camping.

Happy Birthday, America! and Lori!

2009-07-13T07:28:00.001-07:00

We went to the cottage for the 4th...great weather, great beach days, great cook-outs, great company. Joan, Dave and Maddie camped and we grilled and chilled at their site till the fireworks on the beach Sat. night. Then back to the campfire, where Drew finally succumbed to sleep. He fought it hard tho! He doesn't want to miss a thing! Lori snuck in a kiss...

We hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. We are blessed that we live in America, and our brave soldiers fight tirelessly for our freedom and way of life. Thank a soldier~!!! :)

Summer...so far

2009-06-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

We hope this finds everyone well...we are doing great! Last Saturday our friend Shelby K came to Drew's game and sang the national anthem for us before the game! She is 8 (and a half!) and has a beautiful voice. And the guts to sing that difficult of a song in front of people! American Idol in training!!! :)

It was so sweet. The teams lined up on the first and third baselines, and she was on the pitchers mound. The kids had their hands over their hearts...nothing gets me more than a kid singing...except a bunch of kids listening and cheering when the anthem was over!

We are looking forward to going to visit Aunt Terri in Hilton Head in a couple weeks...we can't wait!!!! Beach days, dolphin cruise, music in the park, swimming, shopping, grillin' and chillin' is how we roll on HHI! :)

Angels among us

2009-06-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today was Drew's last day of school for the year...till next week when he starts the summer program. He is classified as SXI, or severly multiply impaired so he goes during the summer too. He has a the rest of this week off, then goes for a week, then has 2 weeks off. He also has two weeks off in August. We thank God for the dedicated teachers and para's, and support staff that take care of our kids and teach them academics, life skills, creativity, and have fun!

I gotta give a huge shout-out to Dottie...the world's best bus driver. Ever. We have been blessed with great bus drivers since we started (and I have heard horror stories!), but Dottie has a loving soul and gentle spirit. She truly loves what she does, and it shows. She will not hesitate to clean the kids' faces, wipe their noses, indulge their unique personalities. She makes the ride fun for the kids...at Christmas, there is the Christmas music, the jingle bell bracelets for everyone, the thoughtful gifts. She told me once "I can't believe I get paid for this job"...and I believe she really feels that!

She is an Angel. She marks every holiday with thoughtful gifts, and now that it is the end of the year, this is what I found in Drew's bag. I know there was a similar award in each of the kids' bags...cuz that is Dottie.

The 'Piano Man' reference is cuz we tape Drew's keyboard to his tray so he can jam as he feels the urge. The 'excellence in bus riding' is pure Dottie. :)

We are so blessed. We hope you all have a great summer! Check back for baseball pics...we missed tonight's game cuz Boogie is still under the weather and actually took a nap! He needed it!

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT SUSIE! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Last LOKO post

2009-06-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

We ended Lokomat last Friday...I need to tell you that Drew supassed our goal of 50% guidance force for the legs! He did 50% for a good part of the session and then Terri brought it down to 45% Drew did 55% of the leg work for 10 minutes! He complained a bit, but I can only imagine that it was hard work for him! So proud!
We also got some great feedback from his re-assesssment. And video of his truckin' down the hall, while I was holding him up...but only if someone was 'chasing' him!

He also pedaled a lot by himself at CWJR on the bike yesterday...Terri R, are you reading this!? put that in your data for Lokomat!

Kay, I am done talking about Lokomat for a while. Oh, and he did say 'Da'...3 times to call Daddy on Sunday!
Okay, now I am done. :)
~Shout out to Drew, Kylie, ABC, Hannah, and all my other heroes!

lovin' summer

2009-06-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

We have had a great start to Summer '09! Lokomat is ending (BOOO :( ) but we have done a lot of fun things so far. We went to the Zoo today with the Wolo Girls. Maggie, Kylie, and Taylor are fun to hang with, and the highlight of the trip was the Arctic Ring of Life. The lowlight was me getting a tinge motion sick from the Wild Ride dinosaur simulator! It's like the reverse bucket list; there are things I cannot do anymore the closer I get to 40!

The Polar Bear was so cute, swimming around and putting his giant paw on the top of tunnel. The seals swimming upside down were totally cute too.

We went to the Zoo with Danny and Monika last week...it was totally fun! Here are some pics of that trip, and a few others.

65%!!!!

2009-05-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my little man! I was all proud of his doing 25% of the work last session...but today, Terri dropped the guidance force down to 65%! so Drew was doing 35% of the work for the last 19 minutes of the session!

We have a week left. Terri is cool, and set a goal of 50% by the time Drew is done. So he will be doing 50% of the work, moving the legs, while she is adding more and more body weight too. Thank God she is pushing him! He is up to the challenge!!!!

DMC/Children's is amazing. We are so lucky to have found therapists there and at Crawl, Walk, Jump, Run that push our kids, and WANT to make a difference!

GO DREW! We are so proud of him. He truly ROXX!!!

Love to all, and GO WINGS!

Time Flies

2009-05-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Drew and Brendan at B's school play Drew talking to 'Beast' his buddy

We are coming up on our last week of Lokomat. :( June 5th is our last day...I have tried to bribe Terri, the PT to get us back in ASAP, but she is too honest.

There is now a long waiting list...and I am excited for everyone on it! We have seen Drew work so hard these past 7 weeks. He has gained better head control, gotten some increased muscle mass on his cute legs, and his trunk seems stronger. He can stand for longer (assisted) than he could before, and he seems to be trying to 'talk' more.

The guidance force (how much work the robotic legs do) is down to 75% for most of the session now! That means Boogie is doing 25% of the movement to make himself walk! And, he is supporting more of his body weight every few sessions. It must be a hell of a lot of work for him...but he comes thru like a champ! I dread the day I have to explain to him we can't go to Lokomat! :(

His Challenger baseball games start next Wednesday. Stay tuned for pics of our lil' sluggers on their new field!!!

The picture of Drew & his brotha-from-anotha-motha Brendan kills me...it was Brendan's idea to put the wig and glasses on Drew! I love how he includes him in everything. We are blessed to have such great cousins!!!!

Is it just me, or...

2009-05-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Do they re-use people on the Today Show Smucker's birthday montage? I swear I have seen some of those ppl more than once!!!!

Hope all is well for anyone reading this. We are great! Had a wonderful weekend and Mom's day with my boys. Drew continues to rock it at Lokomat! His legs are getting more muscular, which is great for the bones! He rocks. Our friend James has started too...I can't wait to hear about his progress; he is the hardest working kid I know.

Even tho more of you are coming to the darkside (FACEBOOK), I hope you keep checking my blog--Terri, this means you! tee hee!!! :)

Wishing everyone a great week!

lokomat pics

2009-04-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics of the Lokomat...you can see how the robotic legs are strapped to Drew's legs and how it all works together. There is a pulley system, the computer can be adjusted to add more or less body weight for when he is on the treadmill. The rate/speed he walks and the amount of work the robotic legs do are also adjustable. I asked the therapist to put a mirror in front of him, so he can watch his legs move. He loves it! He is doing really well with it. Our goal is that he will have more endurance and strength, and stand better. Balance and coordination will come later...we hope all is well with everyone!!! Looking forward to the MDA walk on Sunday with Shari and Team Skywalker!!!

Loko #2

2009-04-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

We didn't have Lokomat on Wednesday, the therapist was sick. So today is day 2, and no, I won't be blogging about each session, but I gotta tell ya...little man rocks!~

We are supposed to work up to 45 minutes--he did 20 the first day, which was great! Today, he did 45!!!!! 45 minutes!~ WOOO HOOOO!

It will get more difficult as the weeks go on...he is only bearing half of his weight, and the robotic legs are doing all of the movement, but that isn't bad for a kid who fatigues easily due to lack of movement!!!!!

I am encouraged that he will be moving the 'legs' on his own in no time!!! He WAS listening to her and lifting his knees, so that is good.

Forgot the camera, but will take pics hopefully next week. Mott vs. Sterling in soccer, so we are going to root on our girls on Monday!!! Go Mott! Go Sterling! Go Erin! Go Morgan! Go Kylie! :)

Here are some pics from Easter!

Lokomat

2009-04-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

We started the Lokomat on Monday at Children's Hospital in Novi...we will go Mon, Wed, Fri for the next 8 weeks. I am bringing my camera on Friday to take and post some pics. Drew, of course, did wonderfully. Terri, his therapist, said 'we can try him for a few minutes' ( Monday was the first visit...a lot of measuring, talking, and testing) to have him get a feel for it. He wound up doing 20 minutes! They work up to the 45 minute mark. We had to restart several times...he got so excited it shut the machine down!!! It is really cool--he is suspended by an unweighting mechanism, with a belt/harness, and his legs are connected to a pair of 'robotic' legs that move in the proper heel-toe strike pattern on the treadmill. Monday, he was about supporting about 50% of his own body weight. That will increase, as will the speed of the treadmill. Hopefully, the end result will be that he will have learned to pattern his leg movements and coordinate balance with weight bearing to walk or stand better.

I will post pics once I get them. Hope all is well with everyone!!!! Oh, and I wanna shout out to Jen Johnson and Abby, who just completed Abby's stem cell therapy in China and will be home on Tuesday!!!! Jen left her boys at home to take Abby to China...it will be worth it!!! :)

You've got a friend

2009-04-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more honest than the emotions of kids. A few weeks ago, Monika and Danny came to hang out with Drew and I. We played, talked, had Pei Wei (first time ever...yum!) and Danny helped Drew walk in his walker. I will never forget the sweetness of that moment when he grabbed the walker and started pulling it...poor Monika was terrified for a second--'is that okay?!' and I replied 'it looks fine to me!' Kids connect in a way that no adult can with other kids. We should all be so accepting.

We are looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. Danny is great kid, and Drew and I love him.

We are on Easter Break tomorrow and all next week. We wish everyone a Happy Easter!

Oh, for the music lovers out there...Dottie, the best school bus driver ever in the whole wide world told me today that she heard Drew get all excited and then realized that the song on the radio was 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel. I told her that we usually belt it out, and she was free to do the same!!! My boy has good taste.

We wish you all all love-filled, blessed Easter!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-03-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Boogie!!!! 8 years ago tomorrow (27th) my hero was born. He had a rough start (understatement of the decade) and began his journey to remind all who get to know him what is really important in life. He is the strongest person I know. He inspires us every day. His birthday is always bittersweet for Chris and I...it was at once the best and worst thing that ever happened in our lives. Best, because we had planned our lives and looked so forward to our baby...worst, because it didn't go at all as planned; with lifetime consequences for him.
Having said that, you need to know that he has overcome incredible obstacles, and has come out smiling and laughing. I will say it again...he is the strongest person I know.

True confessions

2009-03-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Blog, I am cheating on you with Facebook. I feel bad! Also, I can't find my camera to take any new pics of Boogie, so that is limiting my blogging. While I could fill pages with senseless rambling, opinions and other neuroses that I possess, I know the real reason you all check this to get the scoop on my hero, Drew. I love that! That is why I created the blog...so you can get to know the crazy, fun, silly, cool kid that lights up our world.

So, keep checking!! I am on a mission to find the camera, and will take pics of our adventures.

Hope all is well with everyone!!!

Love,
Team Kijek

Super Trooper

2009-03-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Drew Rocks. He handled the surgery today like a champ. Again! This was an outpatient procedure to remove the plate from his hip. It took about an hour total, from anesthesia to finish. Then a few hours in recovery. Scruffy the one-eared wonder dog was there, of course. Scruffy got the oxygen in post op recovery, since Drew didn't need it. The nurse asked 'who bit his ear?!' (Scruffy's) and I explained that our real dog, Roo (RIP) did and I had to cut the dog slobbered ear off. She thought that was hysterical. Scruffy had the hair net on too. He is a very loyal friend. The surgeon made a small incision and got the plate out...there are no restrictions for Drew, and by the time we got home he was trying to stand and walk, moving his legs! He is such a trooper.
We took advantage of the beautiful weather today and took a long walk...he was moving the entire time (as much as he could in his stroller) so I think he will be just fine and ready for Lokomat in April. :)
Thanks for all or your well wishes...love ya!!

Tomorrow

2009-03-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we will be at Beaumont at 6:30am to get Drew's plate removed from his hip. The surgery is scheduled for 8, and I hope they take him then. The earlier the better. He can't have anything to eat or drink till after the surgery, and the boy LOVES TO EAT!! Plus, I don't feel like I am doing my job when he is hungry. It should only take an hour or so, then we have a snuggly day planned! My favorite!!!
This pic is of is Drew and his boy Brendan. B will be 9 on Saturday! Happy Birthday Brendan!!! We love you!!!
We hope you all enjoy the warm weather...Spring is in the air?!?!

March?!

2009-02-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone? I really can't believe it is the end of February already. CRA-ZAZY!!!! We are going to a Vegas night fundraiser for the PTO at Drew's school on Saturday. Drew is going to have a blast--his cousins are coming over to hang out. I see Rock Band in Drew's future!!!

We go on March 6th to have his plate removed from his hip surgery. It has been 6 months already! He won't need a cast or anything, just some rest and more rehab. Our next adventure is the Lokomat, a gait training device that uses robotic 'legs' and computer programming to pattern walking. It is at Children's/DMC rehab in Novi, and we will go 3x per week for 8 weeks. The sessions are an hour each. Hopefully, this will improve the brain/muscle connection and create pathways so the brain will communicate with his muscles and he will realize he has the capacity to walk. Then, it just a matter of balance, strength, coordination and putting all of that together on a regular basis! easy peasy. tee hee.
He loves to move, and is ecstatic when he is 'walking'. Challenger baseball starts soon...we are so excited!
We hope all is well...holla!

Catching up

2009-02-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already almost the end of February! Time flies. We had winter break last friday, mon, tues and back to school on Wed. I kept Drew home today due to icky snot and coughing. We will see if he is better for school tomorrow.

As I write this....he is still crabbing in his bed, fighting sleep. UGH! We are looking forward to Spring...since I think snowmobiling may be done for the season. At least for us!!

Oh, and now for a new installment of 'is it just me, or...':

Is it just me, or is 'The Office' the freakin' funniest show on TV?!?!?

K, gotta check on my crabby-wonderful child...cold season sucks!!!
Terri, we love and miss you!!!!!

Sledding /Girls Bday with the fam January 2009

2009-02-06T06:13:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with the Madigans and Smith-Jasinski's at the cottage...sledding, snowmobiling, playing games and cards. Happy Birthday Kylie and Morgan!!! Drew loves having his people around him. We do to!

up north again

2009-01-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

We just got back from the cottage, but this weekend was not as fun at the last one where the fam came up for 'Winter Classic' 2009. I will post pics once I get my PC back. That is where all the pics are stored and it fried last week. Hopefully Dave can work his magic and fix it!
This weekend was a somber one for us...we found out on the way up that our dear friend and neighbor John passed away on Thurs. night. He had numerous health problems the past couple years, but died from pnuemonia. He was only 67 and Chris met him on a walk the first year up there...1996. That was his first year up there too. He retired early from GM due to heart problems, and we shared a lot of dinners, converstations, and coffee. He was a cool guy and will be missed.
We did go snowmobiling for a while, but it was very cold. Drew gets bored on the straight-a-ways, but totally loves the trails! All of those dip-hilly-thingies crack him up! We had to stop a few times to make sure he was laughing and not crying! He was so bundled up, but I could see the smile in his eyes! He was a trooper thru the funeral arrangements too, and it never ceases to amaze me to see him get stressed when he feels our sorrow. Such an empath!
We are home now and looking forward to seeing friends this weekend at the Superbowl party. Go Cards!!!! Chris is going for the Steelers, but I want Kurt Warner, I mean the Cardinals to win! We are betting a whole dollar on the game. Fingers crossed, y'all!!!!

Almost 1/2 way there!

2009-01-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

Usually, I begin my 'Days till January is over' countdown on the 1st or 2nd of the month. I just realized it is the 12th, and I haven't started the countdown yet! WOOO HOOOO! Maybe it's cuz the snow has distracted me...it is so pretty when it snows. Plus, we can play in it! Maybe it because Drew is cracking me up lately. He is kicking his legs right now, watching the Irish dancers on 'Superstars of Dance'. Watching Chris incorporate the 'curly shuffle' in his dance is good for a few giggles as well.
I so want to take Drew to 'Monster Trucks', but they are coming on the 17th, and we won't be home that day. I think he would love the monster trucks and all the activity. The noise would bug him at first, but he would adjust to that quickly. He is such a boy. Ever since he was really little, the more smash-up, crash-up the better. We used to have Elmo vs. Barney Smackdowns and such. Good times, good times. Oh, yeah...bodily functions kill him too. Boys!!

Facebook addict.

2009-01-07T13:58:00.001-08:00

Hey, I need to get on here and post the pics of Tday and Christmas. This past week I have been immersing myself in all things Facebook. I joined months ago and didn't realize how cool it is! Check back soon!!!

Is it just me, or...

2008-12-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

Can Christmas be over already? I am not being Grinch-y (okay, a little grinch-y) but Christmas is not nearly as fun as it was when I was little. Although, I gotta say that this year was really cool cuz Drew was so into Santa. He received a letter from Santa and was beaming, so proud. He was into the whole thing. We had a great time at Joan's. Played Wii Mario Cart and pictionary with the rugrats. Connor and Kylie killed the rest of us...it was cute to see how grown up they all are (morgan and erin were texting, probably eachother in the same room!!!) and B was helping out too. We are blessed to have such awesome cousins for Drew--we always miss Johnny, Matt, Mike, Steve now that they are adults and, sadly too far away. I will post pics another day.
We just got back from hanging out with Aunt Joan, Kylie, Erin and Morgan at Canturbury village then Connor's championship tourney game. They won!!! A very close and suspenseful game, they won by one basket. WHEW! We had a fun day.

Drew's school pic 2008

2008-12-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

Finally, his school pic came back. We had to get retakes---the pic in Sept. looked really cute, except his eyes were closed. So, this is the re-take, taken in November, right around the time that his dry skin deal was going on under his lip. :( GRRRR.
Ever since he got his SpongeBob front teeth, he has smiled differently. I miss the old full-on, mouth-wide-open, just-heard-the-funniest-joke-ever smile!
Aunt Terri, mom wanted me to tell you that she will be mailing you a pic, but is letting you get your own frame, cuz I don't know where you will be keeping it!!! You KNOW how she is tho...it might take a while, but I saved one for you!!!!
Mom, Dad and I played hooky on Monday and went to the cottage to go snowmobiling on Sunday. Alger got about 2ft. of snow, and on Sat night, we got a couple of fresh inches! Mom didn't take any pics, but we had a blast going all over Forest Lake for about 2 1/2 hours! My longest trip yet! I am built for speed, and kept trying to reach the handle to either go faster or to drive crazy. If it's gonna be this cold, it might as well snow so we can play in it!!!! It was about 35 degrees and very nice out. Mom got stuck twice and daddy had to unhook my from the harness and get her snowmobile out! But the last time I got to ride back to the cottage with mom, so that was cool. She is lucky that daddy is so strong! We had a great weekend. Today mom and I stayed after school to see my girl Maddy at her Investiture ceremony at school. She and Hailey are girl scouts now, cuz the awesome Miss Patty and her friend decided to start a special needs troup so the girls at our school can be scouts.
It was really cool, and I am very proud of my friends. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Mom will probably post again...she likes to brag about me if you haven't noticed!!! :)

Christmas Blessings from our Team to yours...

2008-12-08T17:13:00.001-08:00

'Tis the season...

2008-12-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

I am taking it upon myself to offer some Christmas shopping tips for the overworked, underpaid, over stressed, underappreciated, over- it shopper out there. Christmas is not about gifts. Material ones, that is. The best gift you can give to a fellow shopper is patience, understanding and a genuine smile.
It might be the mom whose kid's Autism is showing and he is having a meltdown in the middle of the store, or the mom struggling to keep her inconsolable daughter from screaming cuz she is having pains she cannot express any other way. It might be the little guy drooling cuz he has poor oral motor muscles, or has runny snots cuz mom can only do 9 things at once and doesn't notice it. Believe me, we know when our kids' diapers need to be changed...but I challenge anyone to find a changing table made for a kid bigger than a two-year-old. There is no such thing as 'running a quick errand'. We could make the most efficient project manager envious on a daily basis.
My advice: Don't stare. Don't plaster on a fake smile or pretend you don't notice the chaos that surrounds us moms. Don't pity us or look at our kids like they escaped from a freak show. Don't go on and on and on and on about how cute our kids are. Say it once if you feel like it, and if you don't have anything else to say, then don't.
Just smile genuinely, say 'merry Christmas', or whatever holiday you celebrate, and treat us like we want to be treated. Like everyone else.
Christmas brings out the best in people. I encourage everyone to act Christ(mas) like all year long!!!!
To quote the great Elvis Costello: "What's so funny 'bout peace, love, and understanding?!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is pretty much tied with Christmas for my fave holiday. It is the start of the Christmas season (remember...it is a season, not a retail fiscal quarter!) and there is less stress and commercialism than Jesus' Birthday.

I love getting together with my family and hanging out, talking, laughing, playing and enjoying each other's company. Our loved ones out of town are close in our hearts. Drew loves it too. His favorite things in the world are his family and eating! So it's win-win for him too.

I will be posting pics of the Indian Headresses and Pilgrim hats I am requiring everyone to make before they can eat. We did this a few years ago, and I am looking forward to 100% participation this year.

Toonces, our cat, has taken quite a shine to Drew lately, as he has to her. I think they both miss Rufus. :( She will lay by him now, and he reaches out to pet her. Yesterday, she made herself at home on his lap while he was getting a drink! He didn't mind at all! I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving--we are very thankful for our family and friends!!!

Is it just me, or...

2008-11-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

Are you also wondering what a cat looks like in Drew's shirt??

Is it just me, or...

2008-11-07T08:52:00.001-08:00

Michigan...will the last one out PLEASE turn off the lights.

Rock the Vote

2008-11-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Election day is one of my favorite days of the year. I am a complete dork, I know. I have a great appreciation for the periodic table of elements too.

Anyway, THE THEORY OF DEMOCRACY PRESUPPOSES AN INFORMED CITIZENRY. So, ROCK THE VOTE Y'ALL!!!! you still have an hour and a half if you haven't voted yet. It's worth it. No posting would be complete without a pic of Boogie, so here is one of him enjoying aunt Terri's pool in Hilton Head. We can't wait to go back!!

Drew's expressive face

2008-11-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

Chris got these pics of Drew as he was talking to him---he was trying to answer sooooooo badly! It's gotta be so frustrating for the kid--considering his lineage of big mouths. LOL :)

I would like to think he is saying: DO YOUR RESEARCH AND VOTE TOMORROW!!! Our soldiers are fighting to keep this the land of the free, home of the brave, so do your part and take a few minutes out of your day to vote!!!!

He is probably saying "Dad, You are the best! I love you!"

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T20:45:00.001-07:00

Halloween was fun--busy, but fun! The day was filled with trick or treating, parties, and more trick or treating. We went to the Madigan's house, and I love seeing the old neighbors (former, not elderly!) since we grew up in that house. Drew got to hang out with his boys'--Connor, Charlie, Brendan. I will post pics of them together as soon as Jen sends them to me...my camera battery died, unbeknowst to me, so she has the pics on her camera. She is wayyyyy busier than I am, so we not see the pics till after football season, when she comes up for air!!!

Here is a pic from us at his school Halloween party:

He loved the excitement of the whole day. He doesn't even eat candy! Just loves the activity :)

Is it just me, or...

2008-10-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

Does anyone really care that Kwame is in jail finally and the fact that he is having beef pot pie and jello for dinner is NOT news?!?!?

Is it just me, or...

2008-10-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

Is the media creating widespread panic by their running commentary of the jacked up economy?! We need to be informed, but dang, they are just freakin' people out!

My advice: don't worry about or even check your stocks, 401k's, or investments unless you are planning to sell immediately. Otherwise, the fluctuations will just send you into a panic and they will no doubt rebound. Hang tight. Election years are always tough on the economy.

Lost another one!

2008-10-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Drew lost a tooth on the bottom--right in front!

He is absolutely thrilled that I wanted to get this picture. We were supposed to get his pics taken today, but the weather didn't cooperate.

Instead, we are going to the Hughes' to carve pumkins and for dinner. We can't wait to see the kids!

Stay warm and don't forget to ROCK THE VOTE Tuesday, November 4th!

Is it just me, or...

2008-10-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is a new segment on the blog I am titling 'Is it just me, or...'and I will be asking questions that are rattling around in my head. Maybe if I get them down, they won't haunt me. :)
Feel free to comment! Here is the first one:

Is it just me, or do Pat Sajak and Vanna White flirt shamelessly on Wheel of Fortune?!?!

Up North again--finally!

2008-10-20T18:48:00.001-07:00

We went up north to the cottage for the first time since before my hip surgery. The Fall colors were a couple weeks past peak, but beautiful. We went for walks, carved pumkins, and went bike riding by the lake. I am getting better at pedaling, and really took off when the sound of a car behind me scared me! When I go too slow, I just watch my feet go up and down with the pedals. I like to go fast, but mom and dad are cautious. So, I took off a bit on my own, and pedaled 4-5 times at a time! I am sure I will be a pro at riding in no time. The pic on the left is of me by the campfire, in a 'joe dirt' wig that was at the cottage from a few Halloween's ago. Mom, Dad, Corinne and Lori thought it was hilarious. We saw a lot of deer and Turkeys too. We checked out the river and the lake for fall colors. It was a very fun weekend. It was pretty chilly, and I dozed off by the fire when mommy was reading me a book. The air is a lot fresher up there, it seems!!!!

Homecoming OMG!!!!

2008-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of my girls--Kylie, Erin and Morgan. Morgan is in the yellow dress. They had ---OMG----HOMECOMING last weekend! Mommy doesn't know how to set the camera correctly, and erased a few really cute pics of me, Erin and Morgan at the Madigan's house. :( Then, the camera was only saving like 6 pictures at a time, cuz somehow it got set to a weird billion-resloution pixel thingy. Anyway, now I have to wait and bug Aunt Joan and Aunt Jen for better pics of my beautiful cousins.

Sounds like a good time was had by all at HC, and mommy and I had fun being a part of the festivities. We followed Morgan and Aunt Jen to Sabrina's house for pictures and they got a limo!!! Aunt Joan had bunches of kids coming and going from her house for pictures and (of course!) had a ton of food and drinks for the kids. Mommy says it seems like just yesterday that she was at homecoming. I saw pictures, and her hair was waaaaayyyy bigger than Kylie, Erin and Morgans. She said something about back-combing it and that was 'the look' back in the day. whatever! She and Daddy went to a couple homecomings together. He had a sort of mullet looking thing. I am glad that people are opting for more subdued hair styles these days.

My girls are so so smart and beautiful inside, it gushes out and makes them beautiful on the outside too. :)

Cancer Sucks.

2008-10-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

The 3 Day was incredible. MI had a record number of walkers and raised $7.2M!!!
The weather was great, the support was amazing, and the route was beautiful. Day 1 started with opening ceremonies--very touching and emotional, seeing thousands of walkers and crew getting fired up for the journey with the goal of eliminating breast cancer forever. We began at OCC Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills. Our route took us through Farmington Hills, with our destination for camp at Rotary Park in Livonia. Closing Ceremonies were at Henry Ford in Dearborn.
I am very glad that Farm Hills was Day 1 and not Day 2 or 3! I grew up in Sterling Heights, and never saw any Heights. I lived in Pleasant Ridge for a while, and don't recall a single Ridge. Let me tell you, Farmington HILLS is true to its name! HOLY HILLS! :)
Day 2 took us around Livonia and Plymouth--there was a 4 city block long line of supporters cheering us on and thanking us for walking. All along the route there are people that sit on their front porches, in shopping strip malls, or at cheering stations. Many with tears in their eyes, urging us to keep walking and thanking us. It helps! There are also the Dancing Lady, the EMS trucks with the music blaring, and the sweep vans and supporters that drive along the route, honking and cheering. My favorite is the kids--they clap and cheer and high five us, not really aware yet why they are there, but no doubt remembering it forever. This time, Sarah and I made a group of kids giggle hysterically when we high-fived their Webkinz they were holding!

It ends with closing ceremonies--a very emotional ceremony that showcases survivors (while we walkers bend our aching bodies on one knee in a show of respect--many survivors walked along with us those 60 miles, and shower them with pink roses we were given upon finishing the walk), reminds us of why we walk, and gets us fired up for next year!
One of the things that kept me going this year was I saw along the route every day, a woman holding a posterboard sized photograph of a newborn in his mommy's arms. Mommy was kissing the baby. Mommy had lost all of her hair from Chemo. The woman holding the sign had a sign around her neck that said 'This is Me!' She now had a full head of hair, looked totally healthy, and the baby is 7 months old. When I got tired, I thought of her and all the other mommies that don't want to leave their babies. Ever.
Thank you again to all of my supporters. I am crewing it next year, and if you want to join me, lemme know! BTW, my feet aren't as gross as they were last time---so no pics. :( I guess it pays to learn from experience!!!

Time flies

2008-09-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is officially Autumn. Where does the time go? I will be walking in the Breast Cancer 3 day this weekend--60 miles over the course of 3 days. Thank you to all of my supporters for donating and helping to research a cure for this devastating disease. It has been 19 years (almost to the day the walk starts!) that I lost my mom to Breast Cancer. I walk because everyone deserves a lifetime. She was taken from us far too soon, and we miss her dearly. One of Drew's nicknames is 'Beans' cuz she would think he is 'full of beans'. I see her mischief in Drew sometimes--and know that she is one of the angels he communicates with on a regular basis. T Bone is up there too, as is Jason, among others we were blessed enough to have known. :)

Drew is doing well in his new class. His teacher Mary looooooooves Elvis. I got all excited when I thought she meant Elvis Costello, but no, she loves Elvis Presley. There are pics of him all over the room--even in the bathroom! They had special olympics the other day at Woodlands, and I was surprised to hear Drew enjoyed himself. He is usually so bored at that---he is like 'can't we just sit outside and enjoy the fresh air??' The pic above is from a few years ago and he looks like he is sooooooo over the whole thing. He was just waiting for lunch! Funny thing is, this time he won a ribbon for 5th place in something. I certainly hope they recycle those ribbons, and he got that more as a participant ribbon, cuz, really?? 5th place in the special olympics????? His age group does stuff like 'stationary ball hit'. okay? HMMMMM. Maybe less music appreciation and more emphasis on sports in is order. Speaking of which, he got allllllllllllll excited when he heard "if the house is a-rockin', don't bother knockin'" from Stevie Ray Vaughan on our MP3 player yesterday. The boy has good taste.

I am planning on posting gross pics of my feet this year after the 3day. I have an outlet now! Check back next week for an update on how many blisters and how many nails i lost---it is sooooo worth it tho. Cancer sucks.

Gettin' back in the Groove

2008-09-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Drew is healing well--his hip is less tender but we still cannot bear weight or resume therapy. Another week of taking it easy, then I am sooooo putting him back to work! I can't wait to get him back on his new bike---now that his leg is not pulling in, he should be able to learn how to pedal (i hope) and feel himself make himself move.

I kept him home Monday, but he has been back to school since Tuesday. He is in a new classroom (they age out into diff classrooms so the kids are grouped by age as well as ability) but I am convincing him that he 'graduated' to this new class, and there will be more expected of him.

I really like his new teacher and aides--you can tell they love what they do, and he will have a great time in there. There is a piano in there that his teacher plays, and on Fridays they have a big 'ol hootenanny. How fun is that!? I will be buying sheet music for all of our fave bands(wait, do they sell sheet music for Jimmy Buffet and Black Eyed Peas??)

Maddy (Drew's BFF and future wife) is not in his class and we miss her already. She is only in the room next door--and we have seen her a few times already---but still.

I didn't take any pics of Drew this week, but here is his baseball picture. Notice the 'Game Face' on him---how intimidating!!!

Rainy and Pain-y

2008-09-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been full of rain and full of pain for Boogie. :( His left hip is really sore and his legs are tight. He loves being in the jacuzzi, even fell asleep while I was holding him!

Hopefully the pain is lessening with each new day--in the meantime the pain meds are a blessing!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Joanie! We love you!!!!

Free at last...

2008-09-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the day! We got the cast off--Drew continues to amaze us. I told the woman removing the cast she may want to shut the door, cuz the loud saw would probably freak him out. It didn't. He giggled. She cut the top half off, and sent us home to take the bottom half off when we got home--he can't sit yet so we couldn't put him in the car seat. We were told to expect pain, spasms, sensitivity and general crabbiness for the next week or so, while his legs get used to moving again and the muscles warm up. We kept the bottom of the cast on for a while, while he laid there, to see what he would do. He started wiggling his feet, and pulling his legs up a little at a time. We had given him some tylenol before we left the doc, and an hour into it, he is moving his legs and not crabbing! I am sure the meds are helping. His legs are still really tight--we will put him in a warm bath and massage tonight. He can weight bear in a couple weeks and start therapy then too. Till then, it's baby steps.

We are having a CAST OFF-DANCE OFF tonight--but Drew won't be doing much dancing. At least I can hold him and dance with him now!!!!! I am breaking out my ABBA greatest hits CD for the occasion. :)

Thanks for all the support this past month...Drew is a trooper and we are so proud of him.

We remember those who were lost 7 years ago--most importantly, Thank God for our soldiers who keep us free and safe.

Sad Pet news

2008-09-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I write we had to put Ruger down yesterday. He was the best dog, the first dog I ever had, and a member of the family for 14 years.

He was our first baby--we got him shortly after we got engaged, and he 'grew up' with us. He was the kindest dog I have ever met---we were all set to pick up a littermate all those years ago, and I noticed this other puppy stepping btwn the bigger littermates and the runt they kept picking on. Several times! Then I looked closer at him and saw the most adorable cowlick on his nose. He looked right at Chris, and it was over! We told the breeder we wanted that one, and he spent the entire hour drive back to our house snuggled in Chris' arms in the backseat.

There was also the time in Detroit when, while on our front lawn chewing his bone, a little girl that we hadn't seen before ran right up to roo and TOOK THE BONE out of his mouth!! Chris and I were next to him and were freaking out! Roo just looked at her and wagged his tail. It all happened so fast, and another dog would have bit her, I am sure. You get the idea. He was a sweet dog and very protective of Drew and I.

He loved it up north and was a very fun, cool dog. He will be missed.

1 week to go!

2008-09-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

We go to the ortho next Thursday. 8 Days. Not that I am counting! We will hopefully get the cast off and begin the rehab process. I hope he remembers that he loves to move!!!!

It feels like Groundhog day (the movie)--every day, the same thing over and over. I am not good at so much repetition! :(
Tomorrow is supposed to be cool, which is great cuz then we can hang outside. These past 2 days have been hot during the day, so we are limited to evenings outside.

We had an uneventful Labor Day Weekend. Cooked out, had a few fires with Lolly and Corinne--always nice to see them!!! We saw uncle DJ too--that was fun.

Stay tuned to the blog for pics of our 'hell yah the cast is off' party that I am planning for next Thursday. Which is roughly 195 hours from now. Not that I am counting! Tee hee!!!

Another one bites the dust

2008-08-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

Drew lost his other front tooth on Tuesday evening! Now he looks even more ridiculously cute in his body cast and no front teef. :)

Jenna came to the house yesterday on her way to work (at New Beginnings Salon, 23 mile and Van Dyke--go see her! She does a great job!!) to cut Drew's hair. It was getting very long, and I was gonna let him have Skater hair, but changed my mind.

We have had lots of visitors to help us pass the time. Maddie and her family came over on Tuesday. Sara did too. They almost came to blows over their man! tee hee hee.

We got to hang out with Kathleen and Kayla yesterday too. She is too cute! I put Kathleen to work doing Cranio-Sacral Therapy on him--hopefully it made him more comfy in his cast.

2 more weeks from today we go to the doc to see if we can get the cast off. I am hoping that we can, and for an Indian summer so we can get to the beach a few times post-cast and finish our summer how we started it!!!

Finally!

2008-08-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Drew lost his first tooth today! The 2 front teeth have been loose for a long time. We were having lunch with Maggie, Taylor and Kylie at our house. Taylor and I had just given Drew the fauxhawk. Now, he looks like a scrapper--- punk hair, shirtless, and missing a front tooth.

The tooth fairy will be giving him a quarter. Yeah, I said it, a QUARTER. :) update: the tooth fairy has since reconsidered and given him a dollar. :)

K, we are getting bored.

2008-08-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

We were very bored today. Drew was not in a mood to watch movies while I cleaned up the house, making sure I HEARD his protests. We went outside for a nice long walk in the morning, then read books outside till lunch. He is not interested in eating, which is freaking me out. The boy LOVES to eat. I am going to pretend that he isn't expending as much energy as before, that is why the 'I don't wanna eat' deal.
We had music appreciation outside in the afternoon, although I am not sure how much the neighbors appreciated it. I made him a 'mix tape' (CD) a long time ago--anyone under the age of 30 will have no idea what that is. But, we played Xylephone and Bongo drums along to the music. I sang a few songs off key as well.
Tomorrow, I am planning a karaoke party. Poor little guy, can't run away even if he wants to! Although, I think he THINKS that everyone sings off key and out of time, making up words as they go--and he really has nothing to compare it to, so he thinks I ROCK. At least that what I pretend his smiles mean!!!!!
We are expecting a call from the doc tomorrow to set a day for his post op appt., which should be next week. We go to the neuro on Sept. 4th for a check up too. I can't believe I am looking forward to Dr appointments! tee heeee heheee

1 down, 3 to go!

2008-08-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Bud brought Will (Drew's cousin) over today and he put a puppet show on for him, which he really liked.
It was a nice visit. Made even more exciting by Ruger peeing alllllll ovvvvveerrrrrr the floor, in between Aunt Lorraine and I! Then all the way out the door, as she was ushering him outside. UGH. He is 14, and a good dog, but has that gotta-go-can't-hold-it bladder now that he is in the twilight of his life.
At least it is cooler today. We didn't go outside yesterday till our walk before bedtime! Drew seems to have little or no pain--during the day he is fine, but at night he is either in pain, uncomfortable, or both. Oh, or if he is watching movies and movie time is over...then he seems to be in excruciating pain! :-)

So far so good!

2008-08-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Drew had his surgery this past Tuesday and came thru like a champ. We stayed a couple days in the hospital, and got home Thursday night. The first night was okay...he was up a lot, but that is to be expected. We lost power on Friday am, finally coming on at 11:30pm. Thank God we have a generator!!!!

Drew is really tired still---he perked up a bit yesterday, but just looks like he feels like crap. We have been outside a lot with the cool reclining wheelchair and have gone on a few walks. He got to watch his cousins play soccer in the field next to our house for a while yesterday. Last night we grilled out and had a fire in our fire pit, with some friends and the Madigan kids.

He is a trooper, and we are very proud of him. I cut some of his tee shirts so he isn't sporting the belly shirt look. That is not a good look on anyone. Grandma is coming over this week and I am going to have her sew velcro on some boxers so he can be dressed but we can still change him.

The kids (and several adults) have started signing his cast...I am still waiting for the creative person to draw legs on the front of his cast, like xray vision!!! Tee heee hee.

Roll on, Roll on Roller Coaster...

2008-08-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Song Lyric I can't get out of my head today:

Roll on Roll on Roller Coaster We're one day older and one step closer
Roll on there's mountains to climb Roll on we're on borrowed time
Roll on Roller coaster Roll on tonight

If you don't have Kid Rock's new album, Rock n Roll Jesus, get it!

Drew's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 8:30am. It should only be a couple hours, then we will be in the hospital for a day or two. Check back in a few days for pics and updates.

2008-08-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Kwame rules. Who else is as arrogant as he is? He thinks the rules don't apply to him. We make the National news again! AH, Remember the THUG life, the party at the manoogian mansion, the cadillac, the deceased stripper, the spending taxpayer money on personal trips, the text messages, the other scandals, the felonious assault, the leaving the country while on bond? good times, good times. Detroit...even our MAYOR is a criminal!

The Highland Games

2008-08-03T08:55:00.001-07:00

Nessie lives! I can't figure out why so many people are afraid of the Loch Ness monster. Mean people don't wear shirts with their name on it. OH, and he was in a skirt, (matching hat too)so how scary can he be??? We went with Aunt Joanie and Uncle Dave. I had a lot of fun.

2008-08-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of bands playing all around there. I like the music. The kids following the band were supposed to be the army I think, cuz they all had wooden rifles and stuff.

2008-08-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Border Collies would have to weave in and out of the posts, and run thru tunnels then clear the jumps. It was fun to watch!

2008-08-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

These logs (cabers) weigh about a hundred lbs each. they had to throw it end over end and have it land straight for a perfect score. the Scottish used to have to do this to dam up rivers (throw it just so) and be able to use the logs as a bridge to cross the flowing river.

the Highland Games

2008-08-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

they had to throw a 58lb. weight over the log at the top of the lift. I liked this and the Caber toss the best.