Lucky 13

Here's a little fairy tale for you.

Many, many years ago, 13 to be precise, a couple with a history of successful matchmaking had their eye on another match. They said to the girl: "We have the perfect guy for you". Her answer: "Not interested; happy being single" (which as an aside, she meant truthfully for about the first time ever). They said to the boy: "We have the perfect girl for you". His answer was evidently something along the lines of "no thanks" as well. This matchmaking couple kept suggesting the match, to no avail.

Then only weeks later, fate stepped in and decided to give this "perfect guy" a job at the restaurant the "perfect girl" was already working at. This is where things got good.

Within a few days, he had his first shift. He had seen her earlier, at his orientation, but she had only heard he was her new coworker, not having seen him yet.

On this particular night, she walked out onto the floor of the restaurant, mumbling the nightly specials to herself, smoothing out her apron over her black skirt. She looked up to speak to her manager before greeting her first table and she caught site of the open kitchen. She stopped in her tracks, taken by the new cook with his black hat on backwards. He was looking down, sprinkling pizza toppings, then he turned away to the brick oven, unaware of her presence. That was long enough - she knew. She turned to her manager and asked "What's the new cook's name?" sure of the answer. Her manager confirmed her suspicion as she shook her head walking away, thinking to herself "Oh no. I'm a goner".

She was a goner alright. He had her at the cheese sprinkling.

Over the next few days, they spent time sitting together after their shifts, getting to know each other. Additional details were passed back and forth between the matchmakers about very important things like "how good looking he is" or "her nice eyes". There was no denying that they liked each other, and two weeks later they went on their first date. They were quickly inseparable from then forward, eventually marrying five years later, having children, and living happily ever after.

I guess (or I should hope anyway) that you've figured out that I'm talking about me and Jordan. It so happens that today (or some day close to today, I'm not sure in fact so let's go with "today" for credibility) is 13 years since we met. This is not an anniversary we have ever celebrated, or even noticed pass us by, but in some ways this date is the most special. On this day 13 years ago, destinies were realized and lives were changed. I know, that sounds hopelessly romantic, but it's true.

I honestly believe Jordan and I are soul mates and I could not imagine going through life with anyone else. Yes, when I knew I would spend the rest of my life with him (very early on I should add), I knew he would be my ever-supportive partner and the father of my children. But I couldn't have guessed how amazing of a partner and father our life would call on him to be. If I had a less giving and involved husband and co-parent, I would not still be standing. You wonder "how we've gotten through everything"? Together, that's how. He's up when I'm down, I'm strong when he's weak. We each step up when the other needs us to.

We are beating the odds. Not only do a staggering 50% of marriages end in divorce, a much more grim 80% of marriages with special needs kids do. Isn't that crazy? That said, I am more confident than ever that we are in the 20% that will see this marriage deal through the long haul. No our marriage is not perfect, but whose is. It is strong though, and we are committed. And did I mention we are happy?! Despite seemingly endless stress and exhaustion, we actually have fun together!

So thank you fate, matchmakers, The Med Grill restaurant, and whoever else had a hand in helping Jordan and I find each other. You got it right.

Look at them - they're just babies!

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There's only two days left to donate to our World CP Challenge team. If you haven't donated yet, there's still time to give!

A Truth I Live By

Sometimes the discussions are over email, or text, or a quick phone call in the car. Other times, they're had in front of the kids, speaking in code so they don't know what we're talking about, or right before we fall asleep, back to back in the dark. Seldom do we need to actually be face to face to review all of our options. We know each other and our responses so well that it is quite rare (and a bit of a luxury to be honest) that we actually sit down and hash these things out.

Decisions, that is. There are about a million to make each day and a majority of them affect the kids, from simple to complex. I hate where I do this whole "I know parenting is hard, but special needs parenting is even harder" bit, but I'm going to do it. Of course I do know that every loving parent makes important decisions all the time for their kids, typical or special needs. But when you have kids with a disability, you are making a lot more decisions. Procedures, doctors' suggestions, therapists' suggestions, therapists' differing opinions, old research vs new research - the list is absolutely endless of things we could/should/would do for the boys.

Like anyone, sometimes we make decisions that are best in the moment, and then later another decision turns out to be better. Other times, when medical or therapeutic intervention is involved, the best intended decisions need to be reversed. Right now for instance, something we felt strongly about for the boys three years ago needed to be re-visited by a doctor and a procedure we were against will be the result. Did we make the wrong decision three years ago? Absolutely not - things change. But now, whether we felt strongly about it or not, it needs to happen. It's what's best.*

We are just two parents trying to get by in the world, raising our kids in the best way we know how. We try to have an open mind and let our beliefs guide us but not limit us. We do have some hard and fast rules we don't break (for example we don't spank and we do immunize) but for everything else, we make informed decisions as each dilemma presents itself. There is a truth that Jordan and I live by when making decisions for the kids - do what is best for the family, trying not to sacrifice what we believe strongly in. When I lay it out that simply, I realize it's always been a pretty easy process.

Because maybe this will sound like I am bragging, but I'm ok with that because it's true: Jordan and I parent well together. Really well. I am not saying that we are the world's best parents by any means, but we do work incredibly well as a team. When I say that decisions are often made over text or email or with little discussions at all, it's not because we take things lightly - it's because we're always on the same page. Sure, sometimes one of us may play devil's advocate, but that is usually just to ensure we've covered all of our pros and cons.

And yes, sometimes we might even make the wrong decisions. We are human after all. But our intended results always have the best motivation.

To see more writer's takes on "A Truth I Live By" please stop by the link up on Ellen Stumbo's blog.

*Am I being vague on purpose? Why yes, I am. Closer to I will talk more about it.  

New Slang

Sitting in the second row of the balcony, far above the crowd in the lower theatre, I have a perfect view of the stage. Everything is in darkness but the band is illuminated. I look to my right at Jordan and our friends, and wonder if they are feeling the same energy I am - like I am being transported to another time and place. I am not really present, and it is The Shins after all. I am a huge fan and I owe it to myself to take in every drop of this experience, but I am having trouble focussing.

Seeing a live show, of a band that I love, takes me back to simpler times. Again I am reminded of "the old days" before our life got complicated. First just a couple, then a small family of three - live music was at the top of our entertainment to do list. Rio even heard several live shows in utero, including her own dad's band. Going to concerts was just what we did, and nothing did, or still does, give me goosebumps like seeing an amazingly talented band play live.

For many, music is some sort of time traveling device. It takes them to times in their past - happy or sad - and brings back a flood of emotions and memories. For Jordan and I, music is always in the background. So every momentous event in our lives as a family, but even prior to meeting each other, can be associated with some song or whole album.

Jordan and I are raising a new generation of music lovers. The kids know what they like and much to my chagrin it often includes Swedish metal (thanks Jord) as much as it includes indie rock. In the car when they hear a song they don't like they demand it be turned off, and when they hear one they do, they request the volume be raised while their little heads start bopping to the beat. They have their own iTunes playlist and have been known to watch youtube music videos on repeat, never tiring of their favourites.

There is a scene in the movie Garden State where Natalie Portman's character turns to Zach Braff's character and says "You gotta hear this one song - it'll change your life". Funnily enough it's a Shins song she's referring to, and I totally agree with her, in general, and with that song specifically. Good music is life changing because it makes your life better. Similarly, bad music can make your life a little bit worse (this is where I take this time to apologize to the world for the fact that my country birthed and bred not only Nickelback, but Avril Lavigne, and they could be breeding babies of their own one day. Ewww.). Movies can be made or broken by their sound track (case in point Garden State which is a pretty ok movie, but has a stellar soundtrack). If a movie is accompanied by terrible music, the movie is going to be terrible. But if a movie is accompanied by music that makes you feel all the right emotions at all the right times it is successful. So if life mimics art, it only makes sense that life is just made better by good music.

We have no new concerts on the horizon, but the good thing about having limited time and budget to see shows these days (it's been almost a year since the last one) is that when we do go to a show, it is a really good one. Here's to more goosebumps, teary eyes, and time travel in our not to distant future.

World CP Challenge - One Week Left

This morning I realized that aside from asking for donations at the bottom of pretty much every post this month, I have failed to give a real update anywhere other than facebook. So for anyone who isn't my friend on facebook, here's where we stand.

• We have one week left in our four week challenge.
• Of 1,120,000 steps required for the challenge, our team only has 60,000 steps to go. We will continue to track our steps for the remainder of the challenge even though we have met our goal.
• We have so far raised $6,802 dollars, far exceeding our initial goals of $2000, then $3000, then $5000. Now I am hoping we can make it to $7000.
• We have a strangle hold on first place for all fundraisers in Canada. 
• We are less than $200 from first place worldwide in our division of 1082 teams.
• Of the 2002 total teams in all three divisions, we should easily finish in the top 4 in the world if not the top 3.

If you haven't donated yet, please do. If you've said you would and haven't gotten around to it, please take the time to do it today. I am beyond proud of our team and the awareness we are spreading, not to mention the love and support we can one day explain to Asher and Nolan.

Seven days, lots of steps and hopefully some more money left to go. Please help us make it happen - just click right here. It's that easy.

An oldie but a goody. Please, do it for them.

Snug as Three Bugs in a Rug

...or in a bed

or in home depot

or on a swingset

or in a snuggle

These days we don't get many pics of the kids together, so thought I'd share the love.

Epilogue to Summer and The Bucket List

Well we had a great summer, there is no denying it. But when I look back at the items on our bucket list, we didn't really accomplish as many as I'd hoped. To recap on this last day of summer, here's what we planned and what we actually did:

1. Get faces painted - Yes! Ashy was totally into it, but I made him get the very scaled down version of Rio's because he was about to go for nap and smear it off. Nolan wanted nothing to do with it.

Lady tiger and her cub

2. Camp in the back yard - Nope. We never camped all summer so it seemed like a lot of work to pull all the stuff out for one night. Lame excuse, I know.

3. Take Rio to a movie at the theatre - no, we never got around to it. That said, Rio's only been to the theatre once and is pretty overwhelmed by anything scary, so it wasn't really on our radar. Kind of a silly one to put on the list.

4. Teach Nolan to actually pedal his big wheel instead of just "Fred Flintstone" it. - Not exactly, legs still not long enough to be pedaling, but he IS using the plasma car and steering it all by himself. That's a pretty big accomplishment.

No we don't make him wear an extra large pink helmet. He wears Rio's bike helmet ALL THE TIME. 

5. Get ice cream from the ice cream truck. - Yes! Twice! First time in South Dakota, second on our front street!

6. Go on a boat (BC Ferries doesn't count). - Yes. Lake Coeur D'Alene. Thanks Christa and Adam and girls!

7. Go to water parks. - Yes, but sadly only one, in Maple Ridge when we had a very quick visit with friends before my cousin's wedding. No photos though.

8. Have a family picture in front of Mt. Rushmore. - Sort of. Does us driving in our van in front of it count?

9. Dig for dinosaur bones. - Not really. The brothers were not up for staying at the dinosaur museum any longer than it took to see the displays. But we did get lots of good dinosaur pictures, and touch real fossils, so I'll give that an honourable mention.

10. Swim in a lake. - Yes, three times! Strangely enough, not once at the lake that is 5 minutes from our house, but all on our summer trip. No photos though.

11. Ride a horse. - Ashy did, and loved it. What a cutie.

12. Cook a meal based entirely on food grown in our garden. No, I wish, although we had many a lovely accompaniment of veggies. But desserts a plenty will come from our incredibly productive apple tree.

13. Visit outdoor summer markets - just one, squeaked in at the end of summer.

14. Go to a drive in movie - We tried, but they only showed three this summer (on the roof of a mall in town) and we couldn't make any of the dates. I tried for an outdoor movie on the grass as a backup plan, but we couldn't make those dates either. Points for honestly trying?

15. Ride our bikes for a picnic lunch. - No. Bikes didn't get ridden much this summer, nor were there many picnics. What's up with that?

We had a VERY good summer, even if we didn't accomplish some of the fun things on our list. When making this list I didn't factor in just how much of the summer the trip would take - planning, trip itself, and aftermath, and how little energy we'd have for everything else. Next summer I don't think there is a 3 week trip on our horizon, so we'll try to get some more interesting stuff done around home.

Now that summer is officially done, welcome fall. Ahhh jeans and sweaters I've missed you.

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Still haven't donated to the World CP Challenge? Well you can do so here. Please give!

Different Than Expected

I sit staring at the keyboard, not even knowing where to begin. As part of my recent goal for self preservation, I've decided that I need to make more time for myself. Exercise and writing are at the top of the list. Exercise, at least for this month, is being taken care of by the World CP Challenge. Writing on the other hand, has been neglected. For way, way too long. I'm rusty, at not only putting the words together, but at drawing forth the inspiration to even begin my train of thought. Thank goodness for this blog, but I would like to be doing more.

The problem is, my headache is raging, and my patience is nil. I'd love to lie down for even a minute, but the pile of laundry on the bed is yelling at me to put it away before I do. I can't wait for the boys' nap time to come and when it's over, I'm counting the minutes till bedtime. To say I'm in a low period these past few days would describe it aptly.

When I'm feeling like this, everything is different than I expected. I don't want to sound naive, but I really didn't expect life to be this hard. I didn't expect to....

....well I won't bore you with that list; you know what we've been through.

Who expects any of that to happen?

But it has happened, to us, and because of it I'm on a completely different path than I ever imagined, but hopefully the exact path I was always meant to be on (this is what I tell myself to keep sane, anyway). Some days, like right now, I think "This is not what I signed up for, I am not capable of this", but those days pass. On the good days - most days - I know I am where I am supposed to be and the different doesn't seem so scary.

As I numbingly stir the pasta on the stove, I hear fits of laughter erupt from the boys' bedroom. They are playing doctor. Rio is the doctor, her stuffies are the patients, and Asher and Nolan are her assistants. Nolan is toodling around following big sister's orders, and the tray of Asher's chair is lined up with all of the doctor's tools. In this moment, none of them know the meaning of the word different, at least not in how it applies to them. They are just three sweet siblings who all adore each other. Everything is right in their world.

This realization shakes me back into focus. When I look at the kids, right here and right now, things are not worse than I expected; if anything they are better. Different in some ways, yes definitely, but still very, very good. This house is so full of love and laughter and I realize that my dreams for family have come true, maybe just not in the way I had expected.

***

Thanks Ellen Stumbo, for providing this writing prompt. Please go to her blog to check out others' experiences with "Different Than Expected". Ellen is a really great writer and mother, and she has a lot of great things to say. I hope to start linking up with Ellen's prompt every week.

Thirty-Seven

Today is my 37th birthday. Gulp. I think 37 swiftly kicks me out of the "mid thirties" and into the "late". Ouch. Let's not dwell on that, shall we?

So on this day, if you want to do something nice for me (besides telling me I look twenty-seven), I'll tell you what that can be:

Talk about my boys, and talk about CP. Tell someone who doesn't know us about these two great little boys with CP, and what that means to their lives. Don't dwell on the challenges - highlight the positives, of which there are many. Educate someone, and maybe crash through a stereotype or two.

Because every year I have many birthday wishes, and in recent years they're all about my kids. But this year, I wish that this challenge we're doing really means something. It's about even more than showing support or giving money, it's about changing the world for those living with CP - particularly my sons.

So go ahead and wish me a happy birthday, that's great. But with your next breath, turn to your neighbour and say "I've just got to brag to you about these two amazing little guys in my life...". Then you would truly make my birthday dreams come true.

Oh and if you haven't pledged me for the World CP Challenge yet, how about you take my birthday wish one step further? You could pledge me $18 for the day I was born, or $37 for how old I am. I am only $50 away from raising $3000 all on my own. Wouldn't it be great if you helped make that happen?

Happy Birthday to meeeeee!

Tough As Nails

The boys are tough. Considering their first five months of life, that is a given. They were poked and prodded and pricked. They had tubes running from their mouth or nose into their stomachs, but they didn't gag because they didn't know any different. They lived on a ventilator for weeks, without sedation. They knocked on death's door several times, and thankfully death didn't answer.

They are super human. I see evidence of this and it never ceases to amaze me.

Nolan, because he struggles to walk, falls all the time. I mean all the time. His knees are bloody and he's bruised from head to toe, not to mention the cracks the size of the Grand Canyon that he has on his feet, yet he manages to hobble around on them. But he doesn't cry when he falls. Ok maybe he cries 1% of the time. For every hundred falls, he cries once. "Mama kiss elbow" he says through tears, and it melts my heart. On our most recent ferry ride, he absolutely shredded his knee but it didn't even faze him. I only noticed when I picked him up and the front of me was drenched in blood.

Friends and family comment all the time about how tough he is, but they say it so non-chalantly like "Oh what a little toughie". But I look at them and wonder how they don't realize why he's so tough. Don't they know no child should ever have to go through what they've been through, so he's developed an ungodly pain tolerance?

Same goes for Asher. Sure, he doesn't fall because he can't walk (although he has fallen out of a chair or two and mama's response was much more tragic than Ashy's). But when he's sick, you don't hear a whimper. When he's tired of standing in his stander, or doing therapy, I just see it in his eyes, not through tears or complaining. "You tired Ashy?" I ask him. "I know mama", is the heartbreaking answer.

So now the point of this post, even though you'd never know it because of how long it took me to get here: let's talk about molars. Parents complain to the high heavens about teething, don't they? And the two year molars? Look out. I complained about them when Rio cut them, as does every other parent I know. It's apparently one of the worst things* to ever happen to child and parent.

Well the other day I thought to myself "Hmm, the boys are almost three, I wonder when they'll get their molars?". So I pried Nolan's mouth open to see if any were poking through and I was shocked. There they were: all four. Not just poking through - four full teeth. I counted his teeth to double check and sure enough I was right. Thinking this wasn't possible I then had Asher show me. It was almost the same situation: 3 fully in, and the 4th poking through. Eight freaking molars** cut and we didn't have a clue. Not a single word, whimper, or complaint.

Tougher than tough. Tougher than any adult will ever dream of being. I wish they didn't have to be but it's obviously serving them well. My skinned kneed, bruised headed, molar chomping heros.

*Sorry to be facetious, but before I knew what "the worst" could actually mean, I used to think it was defined by things like teething and tantrums too. 

**Are you wondering how we missed 8 teeth? Of course we brush their teeth, don't get a hate on for me and bad dental care. But other than looking to make sure the teeth are clean we have never taken inventory of what's going on back there, especially because they've never given us reason to be suspicious of any activity!


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Have you donated to the World CP Challenge yet? Don't look away, I'm talking to you! :)

Kids In Bed

I could just keep going on with this "Kids In" series, but for now I will stop here and leave you with a few sweet pictures of Kids in Bed. (They're not always 'in bed' but I couldn't really stick with the name of the series and call it "Kids in Sleep" could I?). Obviously, everyone has a zillion pictures of their sleeping babies, so here are just a few of my favourites.

Sleeping kids. Nothing better. Seriously, if they could just sleep all the time...

Just joking!

Ok some days, not really.

And last but certainly not least, Rio and her friend Gabe having a sleepover. It was hot, apparently, and God knows how or what her blanket is doing on her head, but have you ever seen anything so ridiculously cute?! Can't wait till they get married and this one's blown up at the wedding!

In case you missed Kids in Hats and Kids in Glasses, check them out. Thanks for indulging me and my cute kids!

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Have you donated to the World CP Challenge yet? If not, please do so here..

You Care

I know, I know, all I've been talking about this month is the World CP Challenge. I can't help it, I'm excited. And I know it's probably a bit annoying to be continually asked for money, I get it. There are a ton of good charities and fundraisers out there, and if we all donated as many times as we were asked, the world would probably be a much better place but we'd all be broke. I for one am not the greatest pledger. I have friends who do the Run for the Cure every year and do I pledge them? Nope, not usually. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic cause - I mean we lost my mom to breast cancer after all. But there are just so many charities and so little time and money that I set limits, and these days it's usually related to children.

Recently, an online friend whose son (a twin) has CP, was doing a fundraiser for his therapy. I thought her idea was wildly creative and so full of love. I was amazed by what she was doing, but I didn't pledge her. I'm not sure why - I have no good excuse. But now I am disappointed in myself and told her so.

After she pledged me last night, we had a good correspondence back and forth. I told her that before she even pledged me I felt terrible I hadn't donated to her. As soon as our money started coming in I realized it wasn't about the money, it was about the gesture of showing support. But of course, she already knew that, and that's why she chose to pledge me. See how that works?!

So when you decide to donate to us, I hope you get the warm fuzzy feeling that you have done something nice for our family. Because you have. I hope you feel good about showing your support and friendship to us. You are doing something for our kids and as their parents that means the world. We would do absolutely anything for them, so knowing you are pitching in is truly amazing.

Do you want to know exactly what we think when we receive your donation? Let me enlighten you:

• You care that Jordan, Diana, Leanne and I want to do something - anything - to bring awareness to our boys and their challenges and their abilities.
• You care that the boys, while bright, beautiful and strong, have struggles and obstacles that will last them their whole lives.
• You care that our family life, happy as it is, involves a lot of challenges.
• You care enough to show us that while you might not understand exactly what we go through, you want to understand.
• You care that two parents of three young kids of any ability, much less two with a disability, probably have a hard time getting out to do an hour of exercise a day each, but we still do it.
• You care that there are two amazing little boys in our family that have surely been put on this earth to make us all better people, and this is a way you can celebrate that with us.

You see the common theme here? When we receive a donation, the first thing we think is that YOU CARE. No matter the size of the donation, it is the gesture. You care about our family. You may never have met our boys, you may never have even met Jordan and Rio, but you still want to show your support.

So when I thank you, as I will continue to do all month long, please know why I am thanking you. We appreciate your money, yes, of course! But more than anything, we appreciate that when you click "Donate" you may as well be clicking a button that says "Trousdells, I care about you and your kids".

Friends, that is immeasurable.

***
Haven't donated yet? Now's the time!

If you want to pledge me, go here.

If you want to pledge Jordan, go here.
If you want to pledge Diana, go here.
If you want to pledge Leanne, go here.

Us in Words

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Have you donated to the World CP Challenge yet? You know you want to! You'll feel great when you do, I promise!

Updates to The Chair

So Asher got his fancy new chair a while back, and while it's great, it hasn't been perfect. When one spends $7000 on a chair (ok not us thankfully, but that money came from somewhere) you want it to be perfect.

Luckily, our chair comes with service. I'm not talking a wheelchair salesman or a 1-800 number, I'm talking a real life person who is trained as an occupational therapist, but whose specialty lies in seating.

She is the one who measured Asher for the chair initially. She is the one who helped pick out the model, and she is the one we have seen several times for tweaks since we got the chair. More padding here, less padding there, a seatbelt moved, a paddle adjusted. She decides what she thinks would be best, a technician cuts and sews and uses hardware and power tools, et voila, Asher's chair becomes closer to perfect, for now at least.

And by for now, I am lucky enough to mean that if something changes, we just go back and they make adjustments. When Asher grows, or when he strengthens, or when we notice a new pattern in his movement, they are there to work with us and the chair, and make whatever changes are needed to have him sitting to the best of his ability. She is very conscious of the fact that Asher loves to move his body, and in moving he is learning. She is careful to position him in the best way to allow him to learn the intricacies of his own body - noting that although he may not always be sitting perfectly, he is experimenting and learning how to sit best for himself, without being restricted by the chair.

I hate that Asher has a stroller-that-is-in-fact-a-wheelchair, because what mom wants their kid to need a wheelchair. But I love that the chair, and everything and everyone that comes with it, are so amazing.

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Have you pledged me for the World CP Challenge yet? What are you waiting for? Please give!

Some Donation Questions Answered

First off, thank you to everyone who has donated to our cause for the World CP Challenge. As of last night (haven't looked this morning), we were in first place for fundraising in Canada, seventh in the world, at over $3000. We have been exceeding our steps, and overall we are thrilled with the progress. A few things to note, based on questions I have been asked:

1. Any donation above $2 gets a tax receipt. It automatically gets emailed to you when you complete your online donation.

2. They do not accept cash or cheque donations, but I do! If you give me cash or a cheque (made out to me or Jordan personally, or to Diana or Leanne if that is the case) we can put the donations on our own credit cards. Not to worry - the donation will still be in your name and you will still receive the tax receipt.

3. The suggested donations of $25, $55, $120, etc, are just suggestions. If you click "Surprise us" you can fill in any amount, smaller (or larger!) than what they suggest.

4. How are we getting our steps? Well walking around your regular day gets a surprising number of steps! But additionally, we have all been doing at least a one hour walk (or equivalent exercise) to put us well over 10,000 steps each day. I have to say, I was immediately feeling those steps, so decided this was a worthy reason to replace my 5 year old runners.
5. The money our team raises goes to CPABC. When you register your team, you pick your charity - so the teams in the U.S. benefit an American CP charity, the teams in Oz benefit an Australian charity, and we here benefit Canadian charities. Because most (all?) of the provinces have their own CP charity, the money you donate to our team stays in BC, helping British Columbians with CP (minus some of the administrative costs that must go along with this event). At some point, this money will surely directly benefit Asher and Nolan.

6. Lastly, let me remind you why you are donating. Pretty worthy cause, no?

If you want to pledge me, go here.

If you want to pledge Jordan, go here.
If you want to pledge Diana, go here.
If you want to pledge Leanne, go here.

Kids in Hats

This is part two of my "Kids In" series. Because you know what else is cute besides glasses? Hats. I had a million of Rio in various hats but only included a small fraction of them. Again, the boys are only represented at the very end - what's with us and our lack of photos? Poor 2nd/3rd kids. Don't ask me what their baby books look like...

Anyway, here you go. Kids in Hats. FYI, in this case, 'hat' may include anything placed on one's head. Enjoy!

As an added bonus, our first born also makes an appearance. Introducing "Cats in Hats":

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Have you donated to the World CP Challenge yet? You can do so here and we would appreciate it immensely. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! Still in first place in Canada, at just under $3000, and the day is only half done!

First Day of Grade 1

Yesterday was the first day of Grade 1. Two hours to settle back in and then a full day today.

Rio was anxious, but I was just as bad. No graduated entry into school like in kindergarten - just full on.

While some parents are thrilled to send their kids for the start of the school year, this has been harder for me. I think it is different for both the mom and the kid when you are a stay at home mom - you become very attached over the summer. Not to mention that I've never felt like this summer had any sort of a break. Between our big trip and lots of other small adventures, I never felt like any of us got any rest. I think I should probably prepare that going forward, life with a family of five means no rest. Ever.

My big, beautiful, toothless girl, leaving me for another year. In the blink of an eye it will be her first day of university, and I will probably be this sappy.

***
Have you donated to the World CP Challenge yet? You can do so here. Update after day 1: we had the must funds raised in Canada so far, sitting at $2025. I raised our goal from $2000 to $3000 and really hope to go further. This is not a subtle hint, this is me outright asking you to please go get your credit card :) Thanks VERY much to everyone who has already!

World CP Day

Remember way back in March when I posted every single day about CP? I sure do! I did that because at some point various Canadian CP organizations celebrated March as CP month. While only a handful of places now do, there is something new on the horizon for September 4th: World CP Day.

Today, to celebrate world CP Day, I am doing my part:

1. Participating in the World CP challenge for the next four weeks. You can pledge me here. Not to be pushy, but you must know how much this means to us. I will keep hounding you, rest assured.

2. Reminding you of the 31 CP posts I wrote last spring. If you didn't read them the first time, please do now. There is a lot of insight to life with a child with CP.

3. Linking up with Ellen Stumbo's* blog so you can read some other awesome posts about CP:

4. The most simple one - living our pretty awesome life with our pretty awesome kids with CP.

To all you parents of kids with CP, and kids and adults living with CP yourselves, all the positive energy in the world going out to you today! Let's make people aware, shall we?

*If you don't already read Ellen's blog, you should. She is an amazing writer, and an even better mom.

World CP Challenge

I am so excited to announce that in honour of World CP Day on September 4th, I am participating in a 4 week challenge to raise funds and awareness for CP. Please, see my plea for your help below:

Hello friends and family,

I'm taking part in the World CP Challenge and I'd love to have your support. I'll be part of a four-person team, including Jordan, my sister Diana, and our friend Leanne.  We are climbing a virtual mountain to raise funds for the Cerebral Palsy Associations of Canada.  In addition to funds, we want to do everything we can to raise awareness and help our amazing Asher and Nolan.

For this challenge, I'll be wearing a pedometer to count the steps I take. Over the next four weeks I'll need to reach a target of 10,000 steps (approximately 8km) each day. Seems like a bit of an undertaking, but pales in comparison to some of the challenges our boys face every day. In four weeks, I'll take a total of 280,000 steps.  I hope that proves how committed I am to this cause and how much your support would mean to me. Our team name “Twin Peaks” signifies who we are doing this for, and the mountain we need to climb.

You can make a donation towards my fundraising target by clicking here or you can copy and paste this link (http://donate.ca.worldcpchallenge.org/index/onbehalfof/accountId/d7069cfb0cadefee706eaf544565b33e) into your browser. Any donation is very much appreciated*, and is tax deductible.

Access to the right equipment and services is essential, and we know this first hand. In addition to providing services and equipment to families, the Cerebral Palsy Associations of Canada also fund critical research projects that will make improvements in the way that cerebral palsy is diagnosed and treated.

Thank-you for your support on behalf of myself, Jordan, Rio, Asher and Nolan,

Tracey

Photo cred to big sis

*If you want to pledge Jordan, go here.

If you want to pledge Diana, go here.

If you want to pledge Leanne, go here.