Little Red Wagon

Today, Jack and I took the boys to the Arboretum.  Walker wanted desperately to rent one of the red wagons on offer at the front desk and ride in it with Charlie. We knew it was a gamble, because Charlie had never been able to support himself in such a free and open seated position.  But, we gave it a whirl.  And after some creative wedging of blankets, Charlie was comfy and supported.  The boys toured the entire botanical garden in this little wagon, while I did what any self-respecting mother would do: snapped eleventy-million photos. Both Walker and Charlie were tickled to be together, snug as two bugs in a rug.

Christmas Light

This weekend, we took Walker for a carousel ride in Frisco. When the bell began to ring, he covered his ears. Then he warmed up and had a blast.

And this is a house in our neighborhood I thought was worth sharing.  It's crazy amazing.  As we drove by, I rolled down the window to listen to the Christmas tunes they have pumping through an outdoor speaker. 

Breakfast with the Big Guy

This morning, Walker and I met Santa for breakfast!  Walker had a chance to chat with the Big Guy, ask about his reindeer and tell him his Christmas wishes.

Here was the conversation in the car on the way home:

Walker: I had a hard time believing that Santa was real until I saw him.
Me: Yeah?
Walker: But seeing is believing.
Me: Wasn't it wonderful to see Santa?
Walker: Yep. Santa is made of love.
Me: That's right, sweet pea.
Walker: And just because you can't see love, doesn't mean it isn't there.
Me: That's true.
Walker: And actually, I see love all the time.  It's all around us!
Me: That's true too.

Walker tells Santa what he wants for Christmas.

Santa says he can't promise anything, but he'll try.

After Santa tells Walker that he loves him and to "be good", he gives Walker a big squeeze.

Thank you, Santa!

Boys in the Backyard

People often tell me that they can't see Charlie's stroke facially. It's minimal, but this is a good shot of his neutral face. And of course you can see the drooping left eye and slack cheek, etc. Oh Charlie... you have the sweetest face on earth.

Friday Folder

Every Friday, Walker returns home from preschool with a folder filled to the brim with the week's work.  This includes worksheets, art projects, writing samples and more.  He was very excited about this week's batch and rightly so.  Here are his two favorite things from the booty in today's folder.

Helper Hand

Charlie and his therapists have been working tirelessly on loosening that stubborn left hand.  Recent efforts include kinesio tape and a new thumb splint. Charlie is experiencing lots of success and has had an easier time grasping for objects in the past month.  Here he is with Cyndi bouncing on an exercise ball - this is his warm up for swinging.  It helps engage his core muscles and relaxes his arms and legs.

Check out that beautiful left grip on the rope!  

He reached out and grabbed that himself!

This morning at bootcamp, Charlie reached up to the train table and pulled up a bit to get a better look at the toys on the table.  He is easily reaching out with his left now to stabilize himself!

Carpool Line

Here we are today picking up Walker from school. The day was warm and I thought my little preschooler might need a cold treat. Charlie concurred.