Monday, June 17, 2013

Camping

On the road again.....

I'm going to try to be a better blogger. 
I've been (finally) filling out the boys baby books
and this blog is really the place I've chronicled the big and little stuff to look back on. 
I hope the boys will enjoy it too when they get older. 

Its also been a great way to keep out of town family and friends in the loop with the boys
and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I get an email from someone we don't know asking information about spina bifida or food allergies because a friend of a friend pointed them our way. 
We've relied on so many others during this journey and I"m sure we will continue to do so 
and it feels really good to be able to give back a little bit of our knowledge or experience 
to any one who might need it the way so many others have done for us. 

 Anywhooo.... We kicked off our summer this weekend with our first camping trip of the season. 
It was Father's Day weekend and that was exactly how hubby wanted to spend it. 
Its not a big secret that hubby is more excited about this camping business than I am, 
hence why we gave up roughing it by tent a few years ago 
and got the camper (a.k.a the hotel on wheels). 
 Its honestly a lot of effort to get all the clothing, meals, food, sheets, pillows, diapers, loveys, toys, medicines etc. all packed up just to unpack them all again two days later. 

So I guess I'm kind of a grinch about it, begrudgingly getting everything ready and packed up, all because hubby really likes it, and its good for the boys, yadayadayada.

And our boys who are just a wee bit OCD with routines and everything has to be the way it "normally" is, well lets just say that first night of camping was not all that much fun initially. 

Except I admit when the 'work' is done and we are unpacked and settled at our site, 
there is something very special about getting away like this. 

We are unplugged from the Tv, internet, and phones and just focus on
being together. There isn't a mile long list of things we "should" be doing like if we were at home.
When you are camping, you are "supposed" to take walks, 


dig in the dirt, find sticks and bugs, jump in puddles, 
or just wear your rain boots every where
Camping is about just being a kid, exploring, playing
 trying new things
sometimes new things are a little bit scary
  or hard work (alex climbing all the way up)
but on the other side....


it sure feels great and gives us confidence for the next thing!
  
Oh......and every one knows its just not camping
without the marshmallows!!!




A very good and humble reminder that sometimes
it truly is the little things in life that are really really sweet :)



Wednesday, June 12, 2013

We have a walker!


this video was taken just a week into Alex having the walker.

I take for granted that every one is on facebook these days so things don't get to our blog as readily as they used to. Some things don't get here at all, bad blogger! So for any of our family or friends who follow here, here it is. 

We have a walker!!!!

To think that there was a time that we almost didn't pursue this. The doctors, therapists all told us it would be cumbersome/heavy/sweaty and take A LOT of effort on Alex's part (and ALL of those things are true) but he LOVES it and as with everything else, Alex lets us know when he's ready and he defies our expectations every.single.time!!!

Thank you to our "Miss Patty" who decided almost immediately that we should try a walker after seeing him want to move around in his braces. We had NO idea what to expect but agreed, sure lets see what he wants to do with it.

Alex you are so sweetly shy, hesitant with new things, new people but when you figure out that you want something, watch out world! Your determination, your strength, your mile wide stubborn streak, they all make me love you more. I'm so unbelievably proud of you Alex!!!