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Hawaiian Luau Time

This morning there was a breakfast at my girl's school for all the parents that have volunteered over the course of the year. The theme for today was hawaiian luau, so everyone dressed in colorful shirts, or skirts, with flowers in their hair and leis around their necks. It was a lovely breakfast and later the principle led all the teachers up front to put on a hula for us. Very cute.

I forgot my camera and my cell camera has given up the ghost.

You'll be happy to know that I found my keys. Well, hubby found them actually. They were in my purse. Not sure how that happened. At any rate, I was able to go to the breakfast with my girls.

All the children and the majority of adults were wearing flip flops on their feet. Ashley decided that she was going to wear them as well. The problem is, she can't walk in them. She can't keep them on her feet and her walk deteriorates into a sort of stumbling shuffle. It hurt to watch her keep trying, but I couldn't say anything to her Everyone else was wearing them, so she wasn't going to be the only one left out of wearing pretty colored flip flops.

Sometimes I just get this wrenching in my heart over her. Yes, I know that not being able to wear flip flops in the summer isn't akin to dying of cancer or losing a limb. I'm totally aware that there are much worse things to have happen.

It's just...sometimes it hurts to see her struggling with something all her peers take for granted. My heart just hurts.

Her teacher (a wonderful lady!) came up to me today to talk about the upcoming field trip for the class. On Monday they are walking to a fire station in Graham. It's a far distance away, with a rather large hill to climb. She said that she was going to drive and wanted to take Ashley with her, but didn't want to single her out. She's going to ask Ashley to be the food monitor (be in charge of the lunch sacks) for the day, and so she will have to ride in the car with the lunches. I thought that sounded like a really good idea. It gives her an important job, she's going to be riding in a car with her teacher (all great perks) and she won't have to walk that distance and come in last.

Summertime is always a bit difficult with Ash in that she refuses to wear her leg brace. It's hot out, it's more visible to other people because it's not hidden behind long jeans any more and the fact that she wears it less and less means that her gait worsens and her foot turns in more. It's more difficult to stretch her out at night before bedtime and in the morning before school.

I've rambled on here more than I intended. chalk it up to the passion fruit juice I had at the luau this morning. Mmmmmmmm....that was yummy.

Comments

  1. Anything that makes a kid different has got to be rough - at least as much for the parent as the child. Hopefully something that improves or gets better?

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  2. No, unfortunately it will only become worse as she gets older. She had a stroke in my womb and has cerebral palsy on the right side of her body.

    As she gets older (she's only seven now) her affected limbs won't keep up the growth with her normal side. She becomes tighter and more pulled in. We do what we can with therapy, but no. No getting better for my little angel.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Poor little sweetie. It's nice that she has an understanding teacher and a wonderful mom like you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. And it's still good that she obviously has guts about her.

    Must get it from her mom.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Women lose keys. Men find them. Men lose their minds, and women save them.

    It's the way of the world...

    "My heart just hurts." Pamela, that feeling is the universal pain of the parents' soul.

    And Ashley will be the wonderful person she will be because of that lovely caring and need and want to protect and nurture.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You guys are sweet. Ashley truly has more strength than any other person I've ever known. She's a stubborn little soul with a tenderness in her heart that always touches me.

    She also has an iron will. I know that will help her as she gets older. Sometimes though, it makes for epic struggles in the parenting arena.

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  7. Go Pammy, you're the best.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awwwwwww, Tommy. Thanks. But I'm not much, truth be told.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pammy,
    Ashley is lucky to have you. I still have those pangs when I see my boys (21, 19) struggling with something. My grandmother, who died at 94 with all her wits about her, used to say that she had worried about her daughter, about her granddaughters, and her grand-grandchildren, that motherhood never ended! Nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  10. *great-grandchildren* I catch my own mistakes!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You all are very sweet. Thank you for all your kind words and comments.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pamela, I do understand and really feel for you all. My family's going through something similar.

    ReplyDelete

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