Denver Diary Day 16: Delta comes through, tie-dyed shirts, and Mom's night out!

Happy Friday!  Actually, around here is it just another day.  I'm pretty desperate for a change...the days seem to run together.  Today Cade had therapy 2 times...Julianna wants to try doubling up some to work on his motor planning skills.  We weren't sure how he would do...OT typically wears him slap out.  His morning therapy was great...Eric was able to take him and reported that he had several ideas on his own.  Although his afternoon therapy wasn't as successful, he was able to come through a meltdown and leave on a positive note.

I spoke to Julianna a bit today about my frustration...I feel like we're stuck in a time warp and things aren't really moving forward.  We will meet tomorrow and I know we will be able to talk more about this, but she did point out a very interesting point.  When we arrived and Cade began therapy his play was almost entirely centered around objects,  He would collect things, play with them...he would allow others to join but he definitely revolved his play completely around things.  Over the last week or so his play has began to be centred around people,  Light bulb...yep, she's right!  He does try to involve us in what he is doing so much more now than he ever did before.  This is a major breakthrough...it is so important for him to allow us into his world so that we can use the relationships to help him adapt.  Don't know how I missed it...guess I'm just a little too close.  Thank you, God, for Julianna...she has been such the right fit for us!

I'm happy to report that after Eric's 7 am Denver Airport trip armed with a very well-written letter from the STAR Center, a wonderful supervisor booked us on a flight for next Saturday...without ANY additional fees!!  What a relief and such an answer to prayer!  Thank you all so much for praying for this need!  The supervisor even wrote his name down and told Eric that if any more changes needed to be made just to give him a call and he would help us.  Thanks, God, for that icing on the cake!

The Senior Girl Scouts from the area came today to make us lunch.  After lunch they stayed and made tie-dyed t-shirts with the kids.  My boys had a blast!  I loved it because it was not the typically mess--they let the kids draw on their shirts with Sharpie permanent marker, then they dropped drops of alcohol on the marker.  And there you have it...a tie-dyed shirt!  I will definitely be using this trick in the future.

Not sure what this strange face is about...but he did enjoy making his shirt!

Kai as especially proud of his!

Today has been a rough day.  One of our cats at home has been a little "sick" for a while...a long story for another time.  While we have been in Denver his problem has worsened...the dear friend taking care of our house and animals has been keeping us posted.  Today we were forced to have him put to sleep.  This is a cat that Eric and I rescued from a shopping mall while we were living in Virginia when he was only 8 weeks old.  He has always been a literal scaredy cat...I was probably the only one he truly trusted.  I am so sad and will miss him terribly.  It's especially hard since we're here and can really do nothing.  Isn't it funny how things are always so much worse when we are far from home?!

Thankfully I was able to go out tonight with my dear friend Sandy.  She and I met here on the second day we arrived, and we became fast friends.  She and her daughter are leaving tomorrow morning...and although I am so sad to see her go I am happy that they will be able to go home.  She treated me to a fabulous pedicure at the mall and we enjoyed walking around and having dinner.  I needed a night out more than I can say...it was so nice to only have to worry about myself while we were there!  I am so thankful that Sandy and I crossed paths, and I'm sure we will be life-long friends, bonded by such an unusual and difficult experience for both of us.  I continue to be amazed at the people that God has chosen to bless us during this time.

While I was taking a break at the mall Eric took the boys to the park.  While he was there he met a couple with 2 little boys close to the same age as Cade and Kai.  They have invited us to supper (not sure that they call it that in Colorado!) at their house tomorrow night.  This always makes me a little nervous, especially with people that we don't know.  Cade has a tough time in these situations...I worry so much about offending people with his behavior or having to leave early.  Please pray that Cade is able to have a nice evening and that we are able to make good decisions to keep him regulated while we are there.  We know the boys will have a blast, and we could use the adult conversation!

On an ending note...somebody from the South has apparently been thinking we were a little homesick and prayed that God would help with that -- the temperature here today was 99 degrees!!!  Now granted, without the humidity it was still so much better than at home.  But give me a break...almost 100 in Colorado??!!