A post about nothing but good things.
It's so nice to write about how great things are going for Kaitlyn. I can't believe it’s been so long since I've written! I was reading my last post, and I am happy to report that all of the things I was worrying about a month ago are no longer concerns. Here is an update...
*Halloween - Halloween came and went without any issues whatsoever. The Halloween parade at school went off without a hitch. Kaitlyn was more than happy to ride in her fully-decorated wagon. She had a little friend ride with her, which was great. My concerns that she may be upset about the fact that she couldn't walk with the rest of the group were for nothing! She actually reminded me of a Homecoming Queen riding on her float the way that she was smiling and waving to the crowd! As for Halloween night, that too was better than I anticipated. Our fantastic neighbors offered to bring treats to Kaitlyn since Trick-or-Treating is such a challenge for her. She anxiously awaited each group of ghosts and goblins to ring the doorbell, and happily traded treats with them all. Honestly, she made out a lot better on the candy front than Connor did, and he walked 2 miles and rang every doorbell on the street! I feel so lucky to live in a neighborhood filled with such kind and generous people. Since she was dressed as a 50's Sock-Hop girl, we went to a 50's diner for breakfast on Halloween morning. The ladies there LOVED her (almost as much as she loved herself!!!)!
*School Field Trip - The trip to the fire station went pretty well overall. I volunteered to chaperone so that I could make sure that Kaitlyn was okay (I plan to volunteer for every single field trip until she graduates high school, but don't tell her that!). At the end of the day it was very clear that she would have been fine without me, but it just puts my mind at ease to be by her side. For the walk up the street to the fire station, Kaitlyn really held her own to keep up with the group. She made it through all of the fun activities with the firefighters, and had a great time. By the time we were ready to return to school, I could see how tired she was. The walk back to school proved to be tough. She and I fell way behind the group, but she made it back to school. Her very sweet teacher noticed us lagging behind, and came back to walk the final leg of the trip with us, which I really appreciated.
We are working toward getting Kaitlyn a stroller/chair system. Where I once fought the idea of needing any of this type of "equipment", I now embrace it. If it will help Kaitlyn be able to enjoy trips that will undoubtedly be longer than the walk to the fire station, then OF COURSE we should get her whatever she needs! Honestly, seeing how she handled riding in her wagon for the Halloween parade, I have no doubt that she would be just fine riding in a stroller (that we will of course personalize to make it "cool" for her!).
As far as a couple of other "good things" in Kaitlyn's world right now, there are two that come to mind. First, she is doing AWESOME in school! She got her very first report card for first grade, and it was super. I had an IEP meeting this week to talk to her teacher and the rest of her school team, and they really couldn't have been more glowing in their assessment of Kaitlyn's physical, academic, and social abilities. She has been placed in an advanced reading group, which is important to note because there was a time when we were told by a Neurologist that with Kaitlyn's type of CP, cognitive impairment could be a factor. Perhaps I should send him a copy of Kaitlyn's report card showcasing how well she's doing in all of her subjects (math, reading, handwriting and spelling)! Take that Neurologist!!!
The second good thing in Kaitlyn's world is certainly her continued love of dance class. She just lights up on Tuesdays when she's headed out to her class. It is astounding to me how hard she works to do her very best each and every week. She never complains that she can't do things the way the other girls do. Honestly, I think that she thinks she's every bit as capable as anyone else, and I couldn't agree more. I just love her spirit, and continue to be inspired by her!
I'll leave you with this clip of her doing her thing at dance class...
