Friday Favorites

It's been a busy week! The kids are starting school and getting ready for new activities. The Princess is dancing and Cheering for Garnet Youth Football, as she has done in the past. The Pope will continue his swim program. We have also decided to add Challenger Soccer this fall. It seemed simple enough. One day a week, kids with special needs get together to play soccer... for fun. It's in a list of Challenger sports which include baseball... something we will try this Spring. But this fall, it's all about Challenger Soccer. The biggest challenge with soccer was finding the required "equipment". The Pope is a tiny guy, so we needed to find size "extra-extra small"... Yes, in the world of soccer, this size exists, just not every sporting good store carries it. Fortuantely, after some negotiations, I was able to find shin guards, socks and shorts, appropriate for a budding athlete. We were also talked into the pee-wee, size 3, soccer ball. Apparently there are 3 different sizes depending on the level of play. Who knew? 

Soccer? I got this...

Has anyone seen the ball? (I had to help him find it... I figured the bright yellow would be enough contrast... hmmm... maybe I should have gone with hot pink?



He shoots, he scores!

So my Friday favorite is Challenger Sports. I'm really kind of new to the whole concept. I thought there was only Challenger Little League Baseball until we were informed about the Challenger soccer program at our local club. I suspect there might be more programs out there. If you do have a child with special needs and don't have a Challenger soccer program near you, check out Special Olympics. They have a wonderful soccer program as well! So get out there... play... and most of all, have FUN!

Friday Favorites

Some of my blogger friends post "Friday Favorites" - a favorite thing of theirs each Friday. So I think I'm going to jump on the Friday Favorite band wagon and begin doing the same. This first Friday Favorite is a toy catalog... It's the Toys R Us* Toy Guide for Differently-abled Kids.

What makes this catalog great is that the toys are not only broken down by recommended age, but also developmental area. There are toys recommended to help special needs kids with fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language, social skills, self esteem just to name a few. Need help with visual skills? We've got a toy for that! Additionally, the child models used in the catalog are all special needs kids! Check out page 24... recognize this guy?

Therapy Fun

Today the Pope began a new speech therapy program. It's not because we're unhappy with the therapy he's receiving at school. It's a supplement. Something to give him a little boost. You see, the Pope began speaking this summer, just after he got out of school and his father and I have been on a personal crusade ever since, to find a way to draw this speech out of him. Then, just a week or so ago, God sent us an angel. Seriously. She walked right into the restaurant where Mike was playing piano, told Mike she was a speech therapist and that she could help our 4-year-old son at little to no cost to us and she had an opening right away... (okay, well, it didn't happen exactly like that, but it's almost that good.... so thank you, Lord, for sending this woman into our life and for a great first day today!)

The Beach

Sad to say, yesterday was our first trip to the beach, this summer. It's sad, because this summer is almost over. There are only about 2 weeks left (officially) and it's unlikely we'll get back to the beach again before school starts.

Last year's story was similar. We had one trip to the beach on a similar weekend in August, but we had an excuse because the Pope was ill much of the summer and we up against multiple surgeries and procedues. It simply wasn't feasible.

This summer, we didn't make it a priority. And I'm very sorry about that, because everyone, including me, absolutely loves the shore in the summer time. Mike grew up there. He met his childhood best friend at Long Beach Island. His parents owned a house there and he spent the entire summer as a resident on a lane owned by his best friend's parents. His best friend and his wife now own the lane. As a kid, my favorite summer memories are the week or two my parents rented a bungalo at the Delaware beaches. We'd swim in the surf all day and hit the boardwalk every night. It was heaven!

So this year, we finally made it to the beach! Our annual trek to Long Beach Island, to the lane where Mike grew up, to spend time with his best friend and a chance for the next generation to be friends for the day.

Ted's son with Mike's son... the tradition continues!

Pope discovers the water coming to him!

Best day ever!

The girl found a sand crab for Pope.. not sure he knew quite what to do with it!

All the little kids, enjoying a day on the beach, just like we did all those years ago.

The "beach bum" just relaxing...

Mike with his best friend, Ted

Gathering for hors'deouvers before dinner.

Silly kids!

Eight is Great!

Dear Princess,
Is it possible you're really 8 years old already? You're an amazing little girl; well, not so little any more! I am in awe of you... You are sweet, sassy, smart and charming! You are so creative, an amazing artist and dancer. You have so many friends are the mayor of the playground. Happy Birthday, Sweetie! We could not love you more!

Sick

No sooner did the Princess recover from strep throat last week, then the Pope has come down with some nasty virus. We've been up since 3 AM on Sunday morning, trying to keep the Pope cool. We have no clue what's going on with him, no symptoms other than these scary-high fevers that have topped at 105^ F! I have a big week at work this week, so unfortunately for him, Mike has been charged with playing nurse for the Pope. Since Pope is a cancer survivor, I always worry just a little more with him, than I do with the Princess, when he gets sick. Come on Pope! Fight this and feel better big guy!

Summer Recreation Program

Every summer, the NJ CBVI puts on a Summer Rec Program for children registered with the Comission for the Blind. Since the Pope was battling retinoblastoma and having eye surgeries last summer, we didn't participate in the program. This summer, he was too young for most of the events which included baseball games, a luau, accessible theater performances, camping, etc. He was invited to go to Black Bear Lake on Saturday. And what a day we had! We also met other families with children who are blind or visually impaired. It was a fun day and we certainly are looking forward to going back next summer!

Cowabunga! Pope LOVES to jump into the pool!

High flying fun! Another great jump!

Build a pet (kind of a knockoff of Build a Bear*) came to the event... can you guess what Pope stuffed?

Posing for a photo in front of Black Bear Lake. (Aww... come on Mom... do I have to?)

Pope met H and A and the 3 boys had a great time together.

Pope and A having a snack together.

Pope LOVES to climb... he was too little for the big rock wall, but the one at the playground was a good substitute!

Taking a walk on the boards at the end of a really fun day!

What kids CAN do...

We went to a very exciting event today... It was called the "Kids Sports Spectacular" and, while the target audience was kids with disabilities, it was open to anyone, age 4-21, interested in sports. I signed up the Pope, and the princess tagged along.... I'm not sure who had a better time, the Pope... or the the Princess... after trying wheelchair basketball, sled hockey and hand cycling, the Princess said "it's fun, but I'm glad I don't need a wheelchair... Me too Princess, me too!

Here's a few photos from the day... the big shocker for me was how much the Pope enjoyed playing basketball... Maybe a hoop for a 5th birthday? You never know!

The Princess tried out hand cycling.

A katate demo was enjoyed by everyone...

The Pope gave tennis a try, although it was obvious he couldn't see the ball.

But basketball was another story! Nice dunk Pope!

By the end of the day we were exhausted.. but we had a great time!

Kids

There is a 2 year age difference between my biological niece, Mackenzie, and my adopted son Jon Paul (aka "Pope")... They will turn 3 and 5 this coming December, respectively. And It's difficult... It's difficult for me, as the Pope's mom, to sit back and watch, as the younger Mack, will lap him. In some ways, she already has... In language, for example, Mack is already far superior. It is, perhaps, unfair to compair them. Mackenzie was a wanted child. A survivor of a traumatic birth and, perhaps slightly delayed as she was a late walker, Mack was afforded every opportunity including a helmet to correct plagiocephaly and lots of phyical therapy very early on for being deemed a "late walker" (just barely... I think she took her first steps around 18 months) I don't know when the Pope started walking... I know some of his peers are still struggling to walk while he runs, so I am grateful for that! But Mack is a smart girl... 2 year his junior... and I know I'm going to watch her go to "typical preschool" and "typical kindergarten" and "typical school"... someday, maybe she'll play soccer in local league... and the Pope will play Challenger soccer... and my brother and and I will exchange stories... but it won't be the same... it won't "feel" the same...





For the record, she doesn't really have pink hair! LOL!