Some things just pull at my heartstrings...

It's funny how these things tend to come in waves. I ought to know better than to let myself breathe too easily when things are going well. March was really an amazing month. Between our trip to Disney World and Kaitlyn's birthday, life around here was really happy.

Whereas March was all about rainbows and fairies, April is turning out to be more about frustration and annoyance.

Most recently Kaitlyn's been asking me if she can play soccer on a team like Connor does. Chris and I have always said that we would give Kaitlyn every opportunity that any other child would be given, no matter what. However, now that I'm faced with figuring this one out, I'm admittedly rethinking our strategy. For Kaitlyn to play soccer, there are some major hurdles to overcome. The biggest decision would be whether or not she would use her walker. When she plays soccer here in the yard, she doesn't use her walker. Luckily her neighborhood friends are AMAZING. They all watch out for Kaitlyn and take precautions not to bump into her. I even overheard a 3rd grade boy say to his teammate "Don't steal the ball from Kaitlyn.". I've never asked these kids to give her any special treatment, but the fact that they have done it on their own just warms my heart. However, on a soccer field with "real" players, I would anticipate that Kaitlyn would get bumped and knocked on her butt all day long. With that in mind, I can't imagine her playing without her walker.

So, the only real option would be to use her walker (which she would most likely hate). However, I'm not even sure if the league would allow it. I recently read about a family who had to file a lawsuit against the town they live in to allow their 9-year old son Ryan to play soccer with his walker. The league said that it was a danger to the boy and to other players on the field who could get hurt if they bumped into the sharp metal corners. A federal judge ruled that Ryan should be able to play soccer. He ruled that the walker must be padded, and that the league had to provide an adult to stay near Ryan on the field. I can't help but wonder if this is something we are ready to face. Truth be told, I have no idea if Kaitlyn would be allowed to play here in our town. Even if she's allowed, I'm not sure that I feel that it would be safe for her. I'm really not sure where to go with this whole thing...

On another note, Kaitlyn has been telling me that she's been spending most of her time at recess playing by herself, mostly on the swings. Knowing what a social girl she is, I'm always surprised to hear that she's spending a significant amount of time by herself. When I pressed her about it, she told me that she would prefer to play with her friends, but that they run around and play games that she can't keep up with. As a matter of fact she said that they line up to go outside, and as soon as they get the chance the kids all run off in different directions, and she gets "left in the dust". With everyone gone, she makes her way to the swings and hangs out alone. How sad is that???

Chris and I tried to give her some tips to help her through this. We suggested that she make some plans ahead of time at the lunch table with some of her friends. Sure enough Kaitlyn has become quite skilled at planning activities for her and some friends. She is so excited to come home and tell us that she got to spend time playing with her friends instead of hanging out by herself. We've seemingly dodged this bullet for the time being, but situations like this truly pull at my heartstrings a little. I wonder how long this had been going on without me knowing about it?

It's amazing to me how some of the things people take for granted are so difficult for Kaitlyn. When most children ask their parents to sign them up for a sport, it's usually as simple of filling out a registration form and paying the fee. Five minutes later, your done. As a matter of fact our biggest dilemma with Connor this season was trying to figure out which 2 of the 3 sports he wanted to play we would allow him to play. Similarly, for most children simply running around with their friends is something that happens naturally, without any forethought whatsoever. For Kaitlyn these are just two examples of seemingly mundane activities that for her present monumental challenges.

The one upside to all of this is that I know that this too shall pass. These challenges are certainly going to continue to arise year after year. My goal is to meet each one head on, and together with Chris figure out a solution to each situation one step at a time. Okay, that's probably more easily said than done, but it sounds good, right???

Happy 8th Birthday Sweet Kaitlyn!

I love, love, love Kaitlyn's birthday! The reason that I love it so much is because she loves it so much! On her big day she woke up with an extra bounce in her step and announced that she felt bigger. She spent the whole day with a giant smile on her face, and truly enjoyed every bit of celebration that we jammed into the day.

She asked that in lieu of a party that she and I go to the mall for a shopping spree. She loves to shop, so this was the perfect way to celebrate her birthday. She picked out the perfect shopping outfit, and off we went. She hit all of her favorite stores, including Claire's, Justice and Build-A-Bear. She took her time in each store picking out all kinds of fun stuffed animals, earrings, and clothes. Once she was all shopped out, we headed home to enjoy some birthday cake with the neighbors, then headed out to a dinner where she had a big bowl of her favorite meal - spaghetti and meatballs. Check out the picture of her cake below. My super-talented friend Kim made it for her. Most days around here you'll find Kaitlyn listening to her IPod and dancing around the living room. So what better cake to make than a pink IPod cake? Kaitlyn LOVED it!

It was just a great day all around. It's nice to take a day off from all of the challenges in Kaitlyn's life, and just celebrate her awesomeness. She is just the sweetest, happiest little girl, and I really am so lucky that she is my daughter. On her birthday each year I can't help but reflect on the day she was born. This year instead of thinking too much about her rough start, I chose to be grateful for just how far she has come. Although she has challenges to overcome each day, she does so with her signature positive outlook and unbridled enthusiasm. It is such a treat to watch her grow up.

Here are some pictures from her big day. Hopefully you'll get to see what a truly happy birthday she had!