Month: April 2018

I just want to take a chance to brag on my awesome husband. Evan is such a good dad. The bedtime routine between him and the boys will melt your heart. He is always thinking of us and ways to plan and save for our future. He just does so much for our family. My favorite project that he’s taken on lately has been adding a ramp to our back deck for Gage to wheel down.

My boys LOVE to be outside. Caleb will stand at the patio door and beg “owside…owside…owside” any time of day, even if it’s dark and rainy and 30 degrees out. So, we try to spend as much time outside as possible when we actually can. Last summer, the back yard was our playground with a kiddie  pool, water table, a couple swings and a sweet hammock for mom (shout out to my amazing sisters!) We practically lived out there and loved every minute of it. This year, Gage has been using his gait trainer more and more, so we’ll go out and he’ll wheel around on the concrete patio, just having the time of his life! Caleb literally just plays in the dirt. But if it makes him happy, I’m totally ok with that.

Evan made it a priority to have a ramp added to the deck this summer. I figured once school was out and he was on summer break, he’d be hard at it, working when the weather would hopefully cooperate and stay above freezing for more than 48 hours at a time. Instead, he’s been working on it every chance he gets. The last several weekends, even if they are interrupted by flat trailer tires and other unforeseen circumstances, have been dedicated to working on the deck. He goes the extra mile to find any way possible to save us money on the materials, strategically making purchases a bit at a time and using coupons. Below freezing temperatures did not keep him indoors, resigning to wait for a nice day. He just added some layers and kept working. When I asked him how I could help, he would always respond, “just keep those boys happy.”

At first, Evan was just going to add the ramp with new materials for now, then wait until later to replace the original deck. But after getting started, he made the decision to replace the old boards now as well. One day he came home on his lunch break and the boys and I left to go to a therapy appointment. When we got back, ALL the old boards had been completely removed! I was amazed at the progress he’d made in such a short time! And then he ran back out the door to return to his job and teach until 6 pm like he does 4 days a week, like it was no big deal at all.

He hardly ever complains, even though I know he’s sore and tired and has a ton on his plate. I admire his motivation to do things himself, even if he has to learn as he goes while he’s doing them. But my favorite part is the reason why he’s doing it…that the source of his motivation is completely unselfish. He knows that adding that ramp will make it that much easier for me and the boys to get outside and play in our favorite spot this summer. Just like everything he does, he’s working hard for us. Gosh, I love him.

We’ve still got to add railing, but all the decking boards are now in place and we are so excited to try things out! Caleb just runs up and down laughing the whole time and Gage (with some help) rolls quickly down, which he thinks is hilarious, and then works really hard to get back up. I love not having to lift and carry equipment as far. So, if you’re looking for us this summer, we’ll be spending 90% of our time in the backyard. Come hang out with us!!

Today was Gage’s first hippotherapy session at Dynamic Strides. We went for a PT evaluation a couple weeks ago and decided to pursue it as a way for him to do something different and fun, but still therapeutic and beneficial. I’ve heard so many good things about therapy with horses and how good it can be for kids with CP, so I was excited for Gage to get started.

At the initial eval, Gage was all smiles when we rolled into the barn and he got to meet a horse named Peaches. He even reached out to pet her hair and got some kisses from her on his hand. Caleb was a whole different story…he was so excited to see a horse, right up until we walked through the door to the barn. Then he immediately wanted to turn around and go back where we came from, but managed to stay calm enough in mommy’s arms while clinging to me for dear life. The PT we met with told Gage that she had the perfect horse in mind for him—a smaller pony named Coco. We left that first appointment excited for new possibilities, with an inkling of nerves about adding more to our schedule and just the unknowns that come along with something new.

Our session today started off with friendly greetings from the therapists. As we prepped Gage for the ride with an adorable little blue helmet and a vest for added support, things went downhill. He did not want to be messed with as we tightened straps and tried to keep him calm. Taking a selfie on my phone wouldn’t even cheer him up, and we all know what a camera ham he usually is! His protests continued for about three laps around the barn. I waited with Caleb in a viewing area at one end of the arena and would think to myself, “oh good, he stopped crying” only to realize he just got far enough away that I couldn’t hear his screams. But eventually he did stop screaming. He still had a few sniffles here and there, but as long as Coco kept moving forward, he was pretty content. He looked so cute and tiny propped up on that horse’s back, with a foam wedge in front of him to  bear weight on his arms. The therapist would give me thumbs up from time to time as I watched from behind the big windows.  At the end of the session, I got to step inside the barn for a photo op without the glare of the glass, but by then, Gage was mad all over again because the horse stopped moving.

So, day one is in the books. All the staff at Dynamic Strides was extremely gracious and reassured me that many riders have a rough start and end up loving it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that’s the case with Gage. I have to remind myself that every new thing we start is hard at first. We’re just trying to figure out together what works and what doesn’t. One thing is for sure, we’ll never get bored!