- Riding a bike. Done it lately? Anyone who reads my blog knows my favorite form of exercise. What is it? Walking! Love to walk. Fast enough to burn some calories. Slow enough to take in the sights and sounds of the world around me.
- My dad use to be an avid runner. Before his cancer, before his stroke, he could run amazingly well. I remember going to watch him in local running events. I was always so very proud when he crossed the finish line. "There's MY dad, I would say." He can't anymore. But it's amazing what he can do. He can ride a bike. FAR. It's amazing. I don't know how he does it. My parents live in the country, about ten miles from me and it isn't unusual for him to stop by to get a drink of water on his way around during one of his ventures. His stroke affected him enough that he had to change his life, but he didn't let it take away from it. He just had to tweak it to keep doing the things he loves. Have I told you he's one of my favorites? He is.
- Another favorite is my beautiful girl. To all of you parent's with "normal kids" I have a bit of advice. Don't ever for an instance take for granted the little things your children do as they are growing up. Example: Riding a bike. In our little world my daughter, to experience things other kids do, we have to adjust to her world. The world can't change to meet her needs, we have to tweak things for her little world. My daughter is 9 and has low muscle tone and problems with her hips. I still push her in a stroller. We follow my son on his bike and she has always watched him longingly, even pretending she's riding a bike. So when I mention "walking" in my posts, they almost always involve me pushing my 50 lb. baby girl in a stroller. She hums, and imagines riding a bike like her brother. Her wish right now (besides talking) is riding through the neighborhood alongside her brother.
- So for her birthday I racked my brain to figure out how I could grant my daughter this wish. I found many adaptive strollers that resemble bikes but she would know the difference. So one day after typing many different adjectives into the search engine, I ran across "the Helpers Handle." it's a push bar that goes on the back of a normal (yes, normal) children's bike. Pretty little pink glittery normal little kids normal bike. Nothing unusual about it except for the bar.
- The first time on the bike she was scared, unsure and had no self confidence she could do it. The second time was different. She stared at the sky, smiled and took it all in. It was work. I had to push the bike, but also run ahead and steer. We got some weird looks. A couple smiled, an older gentleman drove by in his truck and slowed down to take a look at what kind of contraption I had. I wanted to exclaim, "I don't care if we look strange. My girls on a bike!" If she wouldn't have done anything but look at the sky with a smile on her face that would have been OK with me. I wanted her to experience it for as long as my little body can push her. I will give her that gift.
- I'm to the point in her life that I don't care what all the other kids her age are doing. I try to let her experience life at her pace, but hopefully check off all the things that I think she will want to do with her life. She can't tell me. I can only see in her eyes, her actions. We will find a way to attempt them however we have to, not letting her "diagnosis" keep her from getting to try them. I'm starting to realize there is nothing wrong with a slow pace. We get to enjoy so much more that way. We can take it in and absorb each and every baby inch forward.
- With only a couple weeks of practice my daughter is steering completely on her own. She needs no help with that part. I realized that is kind of like her life. I will take over and guide her as long as I can, then sooner or later, even if I don't think she's ready, I'm going to have to let go a little. She wants to do so much with her life. She only takes as much help as she needs. She doesn't say thank you, but her smile on her face says it all.
- So I took her to church yesterday. During the welcome song, people were coming up to shake hands with us. One reached out to shake her hand. My daughter cannot yet say good morning. But she did say, "my bike." During prayer as she closed her eyes and prayed I imagined her thanking God for what she CAN do. Thanking God for her family and friends that love her so much as she is, for what she CAN do, thank you for sidewalk chalk, pretzels, the tire swing at her Grandma and Grandpa's house, her baby dolls and chocolate milk. For dreams come true. Like one little pink glitter bike.
I've been a very bad blogger, (Slaps own hand in punishment) I have a very good, very important excuse that I am sure everyone will sympathize with. I was having fun! Between the Fourth of July, birthdays, garage sales, and a small and incredibly too short vacay this summer is flying by! But it has been a great one. - We came home from our short but sweet fun coupla days away to SCHOOL REGISTRATION forms in the mailbox. Can I get a big sigh from kids going back to school and parent's alike? I'm not ready for back to school shopping and apprehension about the dreaded first week of school and all that entails. I wanna stay in denial and keep my babies home with me. I have one off to Jr. High. I have another who is starting a new school also.
When we were on our trip we had such a good time at a large family amusement/theme park. My son road his first roller coaster. Now he is a certified roller coaster junkie. On one of the many that he rode, he asked me why I close my eyes on all of them. I realized, heading up the steep monster first drop off hill of terror I popped my eyes open. It was clear to me, if I saw where I was going, maybe it wouldn't be so scary. It was true, even though we were winding, dropping, loopty-looping, as long as I kept my eyes on the track it wasn't near as scary and I knew where we were going. It was so much more enjoyable. - So, a few weeks til school starts and life is flying by. But I won't dread or deny what's ahead. We will make it a great year of, twists, turns and loopty-loops. I won't keep my eyes closed and dread and fear what might be ahead. I'm going to enjoy the ride. But I don't care what you say, I'm NOT LETTING GO. No one said I couldn't hold on for dear life. Insert satisfied smile here.
Here's to fireworks. Here's to cookouts. Here's to families and laughter and good food til we are stuffed sick. Here's to pictures capturing all of the above. Here's to the red, white & blue.- Every year when I watch the big fireworks display with my family I do something unusual. I don't watch much of the fireworks. I watch my families faces as the fireworks light up the sky. Try to embed the memories of this point in time in my mind.
- I hope your Fourth of July is full of noises. The noises of fireworks, families and laughter.
- God Bless families , friends and good times. God Bless America! Here's to the red, white & blue and YOU!!!
