Denver Diary Days 13 & 14: Thank you, God, for fuzzy creatures and Chuck E. Cheese

It finally happened.  In the attempt to help the boys get to sleep last night both Eric and I fell sound asleep with them!  I slept all night in the clothes I was wearing...I'm thinking I've got a little exhaustion problem going on!  Although it would seem that we have all kinds of time here, our schedule is actually pretty full.  And I think just being away from home for so long is taking its toil on all of us.

Tuesday Cade had a great day at OT.  He was very verbal...and that was encouraging considering many of his therapy sessions now are spent making noises and being quiet instead of talking.  Those of you who know Cade know that he is a very verbal child, so it has been a bit distressing to me to see him seem to shut down a bit.  Julianna has explained several times, though, that his body is trying to get regulated during OT, so his speaking seems to turn off because his brain cannot handle conversation during the intense time of trying to regulate.  I know this all seems baffling...I have been hearing it and living it for a while and I am still baffled!  But it makes a lot of sense...Cade's brain is being so inundated with information coming in through his sensory systems that his "mis-wired" brain cannot handle taking on more tasks.

This problem also greatly affects Cade's ideation and motor planning - his ability to generate ideas for play and figure out how his body will carry them out.  Julianna has been working on this a lot.  This is a struggle for Cade...he will generally come in to therapy each day and begin by repeating the last task they worked on the day before.  This is because his brain does not have to work to generate a new idea...he can simply pick up where he left off. 

Tuesday Cade somehow decided that we could pretend that we were at Chuck E. Cheese.  Now he LOVES this place...but I must tell you it's not a place we frequent.  Besides the obvious fact that it's full of kids and loud and not extremely appetizing because of the atmosphere -- mostly it sends Cade's sensory system over the edge!!  There is so much going on there that he struggles.  But a Chuck E. Cheese in the therapy room at the STAR Center...that one he handled well!  I was so proud of him for the work he did to generate ideas and make them happen.

This video shows some little balls that he found and decided he would put them in his "ticket booth" so we could buy them as prizes:

Cade was also able to develop a conversation with some little "fuzzy creatures" (basically stuffed animals!).  He has been fixated on being a garbage man over the last few days of therapy...he finds bins of things in the room and dumps them all in the large ball pit.  Poor Julianna has to fish them all out at the end of our session (please continue to pray for her patience and understanding to continue...we love her and she is so good with Cade!).  Tuesday, though, he was able to expand on his ideation...it was awesome to see!

Today was an ok day at therapy...he reverted back a bit to his running around the room and being quiet.  This is a struggle for me...it is hard to see the back and forth progress in therapy.  I know this will be a long process...rewiring Cade's brain is not something that will or even can happen overnight.  But I wish it was moving faster. 

This video shows Cade on a therapy swing...you will notice the lack of conversation here

Julianna and the social worker we have been seeing here both recommended that we make an appointment with the STAR Center's developmental ped.  Eric and I hesitated...we are blessed with a fabulous developmental ped. at home and completely trust all that she has done for Cade.  But we finally decided that, since an opening came available, we would go ahead and take Cade for an appointment.  Since the STAR Center works as a multidisciplinary team to help Cade we felt that the medical side was important.  We also wanted to discuss Cade's sleeping patterns and behaviors with him.  We were able to see Dr. Frank on Tuesday, and although we haven't received official feedback from him yet, he did tell me that there were some things he would like to try before we left on this trip.  We were also encouraged to know that he would be contacting our developmental ped. at home and discussing his plans with her...it is important to us that they work together.  We are very hopeful that we receive some good feedback from Dr. Frank.

Please pray for the STAR Center team tomorrow (Thursday)...Dr. Miller, Julianna, Dr. Frank, and the rest of the team will be specifically discussing Cade and his needs and treatment.  We are desperate for answers and help, and we are counting on some feedback on what steps we need to take next. 

Satan is on the move and has caused several problems to come up at home.  Since we aren't there to be able to take care of them we are counting on dear friends of ours that have been taking care of our animals and our house.  It is a burden for them and a huge worry for us....please pray that things settle down a bit and we can refocus our efforts on our task here in Denver.  Also, we have still not resolved the plane ticket issue with Delta.  We have requested a letter from the STAR Center discussing our need to stay.  Eric contacted the corporate office today, but we were only able to get some info stating that, although we might be able to get the change fee waived (and this is by no means a guarantee) that we would still be responsible for paying the difference in fare.  Just the fare difference could total around $400.  Although this is a ton this may be our best bet.  We are going to the Denver airport on Friday morning to plead our case.  Please pray that the supervisor we are able to talk to is sensitive to our case and is able to do something more for us.

Whew...it's hard to sit back and take a deep breath here these days (and it's not just because of the elevation!).  But tonight I thank God for the fuzzy creatures and Chuck E. Cheese that have been able to bring Cade out of his shell this week.  And I pray for more of God's blessings to rain down on my little boy to help him dig out of this super struggle he is in. 

PS:  I have uploaded these videos using You Tube in hopes that they will be easier for you to see.  Please give me some feedback on whether they were easier or if there was any difference.  Thanks!

Denver Diary Day 12: Story Collector

It seems I have become a story collector.  Living in the "special needs world" 24/7 lends itself to learning all about the families around me and the stories of their special kids that has brought them to this place.  It's not a bad thing...it gives me an outlet to share our story, too...and to get the perspective from many other moms and dads that are going through a tough time with their child.  There are so many stories...

- My friend Pam and her daughter and son-in-law Liz and Steven...Liz came to the Ron McD House expecting twins to be born at the Colorado Children's Hospital here -- one, baby Brayden, suffers with the condition called "Hypo plastic Left Heart" where his left heart ventricle isn't formed.  Both babies were born last Wednesday...Parker came "home" to the Ron McD House yesterday.  Brayden had his first surgery this morning to begin to repair his heart...he is still not stable as of this evening.

- My friend Sandy...her 15-year-old daughter Anna, a beautiful and well-adjusted teenager, got the flu in January.  Since then she has suffered from life-altering anxiety...cannot leave the house.  Anna is in intensive therapy here to try to get to the bottom of and help relieve this anxiety issue.

- A couple here who have a little boy born early with Downs Syndrome...the doctors are waiting for him to hit 3 1/2 pounds so they can begin his life-saving surgery for a respiratory disorder.

- The family that lost a baby boy today...he was 3 months old and had an unknown chromosome disorder.  They have been here 4 days.

- Sophie and her family from New York...a 15-year-old girl who has suffered with anorexia since the age of 11,,,stayed at the hospital clinic for 6 weeks.  She and her mom headed back to New York on Saturday...her mom was filled with much anxiety about what was to come when they returned home.

- A mom from upstairs...her 11-year-old little girl suffers from extreme hallucinations--she is in the inpatient psych ward at the Children's Hospital here.

- A pastor and his wife...their 3-year-old little boy Ethan began having seizures from out of the blue and has been diagnosed with a disorder that basically means "unexplained seizures" -- they are here to try an experimental dietary plan that will hopefully stop the seizures from occurring.

- A mom and her precious 8 month old little girl...she was born with terrible jaundice and her pediatrician let it go for 3 months...her liver is not functioning and she is waiting for a liver transplant.  Mom told us they are basically waiting for another family to have a tragedy so her little girl can live.

- Ika, a mom of two kids...her daughter suffers from a skin condition that must be treated every year or so.  Her son has profound Autism, and this trip is really hard for him.  Her husband, Bob, had to travel back to Arizona to work and cannot be here with them during their six week stay.

There are so many others...but all of us have one thing in common.  We are here for our kids.  I was worried before we came that we would be the only ones here without a life-threatening illness...that our problem would seem insignificant to the others at the Ron McD House.  What I have found instead is such a bond with everyone here...and that although we all might have different problems each of them are the most important to us -- and that there are such a variety of needs here that we fit right into the mix. 

So tonight as I sit here in this quiet little room on the second floor listening to my little boy jerk and toss and turn and grit his teeth...tonight I ask for prayer for all of us here.  For we, the kindred moms and dads and grandmothers and grandfathers of the Ronald McDonald House in Aurora, Colorado, we are all struggling to help our kids have a better life.  And each and every one of us would move Heaven and Earth to make it happen.

Denver Diary Day 11: Rocky Mountain High

Today we ALL needed a change of scenery!  Although being able to stay in the Ron McD House is wonderful, it can be a little cramped sometimes.  We have found that being in the small bedroom can really set Cade off.  So today we decided to pack up and head to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Both boys slept most of the way, so the trip up gave Eric and I a chance to talk...the chances we have had to actually have a conversation have been few and far between since we touched down in Denver.  We found a neat, but very "touristy" town when we entered the National Park vicinity.  And of course, we drive almost 2 hours to see a national landmark and where do we stop to ear??  McDonald's!  The kids were happy, though.  It was an amusing visit...apparently Chinese exchange students had flown in and were working at this McD's for the summer.  The young man that helped me was super nice, but he was really struggling with the register and the menu. He told me that in China the McDonald's was very different -- we briefly swapped stories from my trip to Japan when Eric was deployed there...they have tiny little drink cups and no refills - yep, we are pretty spoiled here!

I chuckled to myself when he told me my total was "One hundred ninety eight -eight" -- $19.88, and gathered up our food to head outside where Eric and the boys had found a nice table on the patio (we always try to eat outside these days...it just makes everything a little easier!).  We had finished up and the boys were enjoying watching the birds that had been jumping all around the patio picking up scraps of food that diners had left behind.  The boys tossed them a little fry...and that's when we met the elderly Ms. Obviously-a-Colorado-Transplant.  As she was walking on the patio -- with her LARGE dog, mind you -- she promptly told us (in her less than Colorado accent...I'll let you decide where you think she was from...) that we were feeding the birds inappropriate food.  As her husband entered she let him know of our wrongdoing.  Eric and I kinda chuckled at each other and tried to ignore her, but she went on and on about how we were not allowed to feed the birds french fries and how it was soooo bad for them. 

OK, so finally we packed our trash up and began to throw it away...and of course as I walked over I had to acknowledge the fact that she was still admonishing our sinful deed.  The conversation went something like, "Wow, we're from SC and people don't really act like this there..." to which she said, "I hope you meet nicer people here, then..." to which I said, "Actually, you're the only person we've met since we've been here who hasn't been nice..." to which she said, "My husband is ok, I'm just a (insert expletive here)..." to which I said, "Well, I hope your husband is able to enjoy his life later, then..."  And I escorted my wrongdoers off of the patio.  Now looking back I should gave said, "Well, I'm thinking that my boys feeding these robins french fries seems a lot less offensive than you bringing that large, slobbery, and shedding dog onto the patio of an eating establishment..." -- but you know what they say about hindsight...(Can I tell you how much I am kicking myself for not taking her picture??  Sorry, I cannot help the little streak that runs through me...but what an awesome pic it would have made for my blog!!)  And herpoor hubby looked mortified...he just sat with his head in his hand.

Anyway...we trekked up the road for a few more miles and found the National Park.  It was SPECTACULAR!!  We found a beautiful waterfall, wildlife, and even some of the cold white stuff!  And other than having a little trouble breathing because of the extreme elevation the fresh air was wonderful!  And Cade was right smack dab in the middle of his element...CLIMBING!!!  He and Eric climbed all over the waterfall...even to the point where he scared the wits out of Eric and they had to come down.  It's amazing just how much of a strong climber Cade is.  His deficits in proprioception (the sensory system that controls our muscles and joints) actually make climbing a necessity for him.   And climb he did...he was all over that mountain!

Cade ran to the top of a huge boulder to climb...

 

...and he stressed out Daddy a bit in the process!



You can't see it here but that's Eric and Cade climbing that huge rick!




Cade joined right in with the older kids...no surprise there!




He's just taking it all in...



Kai and I decided we would throw rocks in the river while we were waiting for Daddy and Cade to climb the rock.



This is what I had in mind...





...and this is what HE had in mind!!

After our climbing adventure we decided that we would ride on up the mountain and see if we could find any elk.  We didn't find elk, but just the ride up the mountain was unbelievable!  We were about 2 and a half miles above sea level, and I truly thought Eric was going to wet his pants as I drove up the highway to the tippy top of the enormous mountains in the cold rain without so much as a pebble protecting us from falling over the side.  But we were so glad we did it -- it was such a remarkable feeling to see God's splendor at the top.  And now I can say I have officially been in the "Arctic Tundra Ecosystem" in Colorado!

The SPECTACULAR views from the top of the Rockies!

We were literally even with this mountain when we took this picture!



Yes, folks...that's SNOW in the middle of July!!

 

Kai just loved this whole experience -- he kept saying, "Wow, Mommy...big mountains!"

Cade would not get out of the car once we headed up the mountain.  He isn't scared of heights, but we are pretty sure the extreme elevation did a number on his already screwed up sensory system.  His body seemed to go into "hibernation mode" -- he just sat with his blanket over his head and dozed off.  It is strange how God made our bodies to protect themselves...I think he just couldn't stand the feelings of his ears popping and probably felt extremely unsettled way up there. 

Cade was not too impressed with the mountain views...

We headed back after a day of breathing in the wonderful mountain air...both boys got baths and fell asleep pretty quickly.  It was a memorable day...and I am so glad that we were able to experience it.  So you're right, John Denver...it is possible to get a "Rocky Mountain High" in Colorado!

I am so happy that Cade could just be a typical little boy here...

Thanks for the memories!





Denver Diary Day 10: Save yourself first

Day 10.  As I sit here day 10 feels like day 50.  Having been here for 10 days I'm not exactly sure where I thought my mind would be, but I know for sure it wasn't in the place my mind is today.  Today was...challenging.  No, that's a lie.  Today was actually horrendous.  It was a hard, crazy, stressful...a day that left me feeling totally out of control.

You know that saying, "Mama always said there'd be days like this" (isn't that a song?!).  So true, except thanks to my loving (just a hint of sarcasm here) husband pointing this out, I actually said this myself.  At one point today he brought me back to one of my early blog entries, before we even came to Denver...an entry that I'm sure was written to prepare me just for today...the day where everything we are living in at this moment just hits me like a ton of bricks.

The day started at therapy this morning, where Cade began by literally running throughout the center...down the halls from room to room.  When Julianna was finally able to corral him into the gym he spent most of the next hour jumping from one activity to another, spitting and sticking his fingers in his mouth...crazy uncontrollable disorganization.  Julianna and I shared uneasy glances throughout the session, and at one point I just looked at her and said something like, "I don't even know what to do with him right now...."  Yeah, it was that kind of day. 

And down it went from there.  There were moments of some organization today -- glimpses of what I can only pray my little boy will be most of the time when his body one day gets to some sort of regulation.  But today was the day I hit the wall -- the day that I'm sure must come for parents in our situation.  Today was the day that I felt completely out of control...the day that I began to wonder whether we would actually be able to get Cade the help he needs. 

And then I was fortunate enough (insert sarcasm here) to speak with a representative from Delta Airlines, who was able to regretfully inform me that it was going to cost us $800 to change our 4 tickets back to Charleston (Cade's therapy has been extended for a week here in Denver).  And then she wanted to make sure that I knew that she "understood" our situation (insert really drippy sarcasm here).  Yeah, we're not done with this situation yet...

Eric took the boys to the park late this afternoon...this fortunately gave me some down time to try to collect myself (mostly unsuccessfully).  Before he left he pulled up two things for me on his computer.  The first was my previous blog entry I mentioned earlier...the entry where my own words predicted this day.  The second was a Bible verse -- Philippians 1:6 - "...and I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day that Christ Jesus returns."  Thankfully one of us has our wits about us today and he is able to be of some encouragement to my rapidly sinking ship.

I have had the feeling today that I am on one of those crazy simulation rides - you know, the ones where the seats move and it feels like you're actually on a ride, but really it's just a simulation of the ride?  I keep thinking that surely someone will turn this thing off or pull the plug...something to make this stop.  Nope...the ride is still going, and I'm still here...

...and still being here is a really good thing.  Because whenever there is a crisis I must save myself first.  I must put on my oxygen mask before I can help Cade put on his.  I must get into the life raft before I can help Cade in.  And I must keep myself together before I can help Cade begin to help himself heal his body...

So tonight I pick myself up...save myself first...come home from my pity party and steel myself for tomorrow.  For in the words of Scarlett O'Hara -- "Tomorrow is another day..."

Denver Diary Day 9: Changes

Today was a super busy day here...I feel like I say that every day and it's true every day.   Because we are so wrapped up in the OT life here it is hard to "decompress" - there are very few distractions that allow us to even think about anything else.  We are constantly making trips to the STAR Center, and many times that involves taking the whole family because our OT appointments and parent meetings are so close together.  Of course we know this is necessary and we are trying to just soak it all up while we are here.  But hopefully this weekend we can make a trip to one of the national parks in the area for a change of scenery!

Today Eric was able to take Cade to OT.  I think both of them enjoyed it!  Following OT I was able to have a parent meeting with Julianna.  She immediately discussed the fact that we were only on a 20 session program for Cade...we were told this was a typical program for out of town clients.  Due to Cade's deficits she feels, and we all agree, that Cade needs additional sessions.  Looks like we will be making Denver our home for a little while longer.  I'll update you on that schedule change, but right now it looks like about 10 more session.  We know that means more of everything for all of us, but we feel that we absolutely must get Cade all of the care he needs while we are here.  Please pray that our airline allows us to change our return tickets without a fee.  We really don't need to have to pay anything to go home later!

Julianna is completely in tune with what Cade needs...God certainly put her in our lives for this season.  We were able to discuss more of his sleeping disaster stories and what to do.  Basically...we have no clue what to do!  She will be taking this issue along with a couple of other baffling "Cadeisms" to the team.  I cannot begin to tell you how truly blessed we are to have the best researchers in the country discussing strategies for our little boy!  It is nice in the middle of the chaos to remember the opportunity that we have been given here and to marvel...things are still a little surreal here for me.

Cade is singing Kai a lullaby before bed...ironic that it doesn't work for Cade!

I need to add that we were blessed with a fantastic meal for supper tonight from a culinary school in the area.  We had fried chicken - I mean she was right there doing it on the spot - baked chicken, homemade mac and cheese, homemade biscuits, salad, and cheesecake.  It was phenomenal people!! I continue to be amazed at the blessings we have here -- we have saved so much on food from the gift cards we have received and the meals cooked here at the Ron McD House.

I am also happy to report that I have zeroed in on a prairie dog fiesta going on in the front yard of the Ron McD House...hopefully I can figure out a way to sneak up on them enough to get some footage!  I'll keep you posted...

Denver Diary Day 8: They say sleep is overrated...

Cade has always had some sleep problems.  Even as an infant, although he went to sleep well, he struggled to stay asleep because of his terrible reflux problems.  As he has gotten older, and especially in the last several months, sleep has become the nemesis of our evening existence.  It literally takes him hours to get to sleep at night, and he is usually awake after 4 hours or so.

Being here at the STAR Center has caused us to look at every aspect of Cade's sensory problems.  Because his regulation is so bad we know that his sleep patterns have been truly affected.  But knowing this certainly doesn't actually help us when we are in the throes of trying to get him to sleep at the end of a very long day.  And to top it off, since Kai is in the same room he has decided to jump on board with the "let's not go to sleep" thing.  Needless to say, Eric and I are at our wits end by the time everyone's head hits the pillow in exhaustion!

In exploring Cade's sleep difficulties we have become very concerned with lots of excessive movement Cade makes after actually getting to sleep.  Now all of our bodies might jerk or shake occasionally as our body is relaxing and we are settling down.  From what I understand, this is simply the neurons in our brain firing, especially after a particularly stressful or busy day, as our motor is starting to "shut down" as we sleep. 

Cade's movement has gotten much worse over the past several weeks, though, and has now become "seizure-like" -- many times his entire body will jump off of the bed.  This movement can last for hours, and if he wakes up in the middle of the night and goes back to sleep the movement will return.  Our concern led us to actually tape Cade sleeping last night in order to be able to use it as a reference and get some advice.

I need to tell you, I hesitated posting this video here today.  But I feel that those of you following this blog are truly vested in Cade and our family.  And in order to truly know how SPD affects him I think it is important that you see how he is affected.  I hope that in showing you the real day to day events that we are going through that you will be better able to both understand yourself and share it with others.  Let me also say that the video quality is such that, although you cannot see the extent of what I am sharing, you can get the basic idea of what Cade's sleep pattern has become.

In this video the movement appears to be only in Cade's legs.  While this is the primary area of concern we are also seeing excessive movement in his shoulders and torso, as well as clinched fists.



I did contact our wonderful Developmental Pediatrician back in SC to discuss this with her.  She was able to tell me that she has seen kids with SPD before with these issues, which was at least comforting.  In the brief explanation she gave me on the phone, apparently Cade does not go through the sleep cycles properly.  As with many aspects of SPD sleep patterns are exaggerated...and his time in REM sleep is also exaggerated -either not long enough or too long.  Because of this his motor is not able to "turn off" properly, causing his brain neurons to continue to fire.

She has scheduled a sleep study to be done on Cade during the 3 weeks that we are home from the STAR Center.  This will help us get a better look at exactly what is happening when Cade sleeps by having connectors on his head to measure brain waves and neuron firings.  This should be fun...I think I will need medication before we go to that!  But hopefully that will eliminate any worries of seizure activity that might be happening as well as help us determine if there is anything else that should be done to help him sleep.

So I'm not sure WHO it was that said sleep was overrated.  But around here right now we would actually pay to get some rest!  Please pray specially for Eric and I -- we are extremely frustrated and it is very hard not to let that spill over onto the kids. 

I cannot close tonight without asking for prayer for some dear friends we have met here at the Ron McD House.  We met Pam our first morning here while I was trying to cook breakfast with my two wired and very jetlagged boys running around the kitchen.  We have seen her and her daughter, Liz, each day since.  Liz has been pregnant with twin boys, and delivered last night.  One son, Parker, is doing very well.  The other, Brayden, has a syndrome called Hypoplastic Left Heart.  This means his left heart ventricle was not developed.  Luckily they caught his condition at 20 weeks and have been preparing for this day.  But the surgeries that he requires are daunting and he is nowhere close to being out of the woods.  Pam was able to say that a respiratory condition he also has is better than they believed it would be, but this family will be waiting for many weeks to see if little Brayden can make it on his own.  Please pray for Liz and her family, and for the new little brothers that just arrived!

Denver Diary Day 7: Wubbzy, yellow rings and just breathing...

I am happy to report that today we had a positive therapy session!!!  And not before we needed it...after yesterday I was feeling pretty beaten down.  The social worker yesterday had suggested that we begin limiting Cade to the "Big Gym" area - basically the area with the ball pit, zip line, monkey bars, etc.  Because he has been running from place to place uncontrollably she felt that we needed to set limits for him.  And she wanted to teach cause and effect - when he runs out of the gym we (and by we she meant me) put him in a "therapeutic hold."  OK, so I'm not opposed to this -- Eric and I use the hold at home when Cade's meltdowns occur.  But all I could think was a hold equals a meltdown...and a meltdown every OT session equals much less OT that we desperately need!!

When we went into OT today Julianna met me in the lobby to talk to me about a plan.  She had decided to first try the route of positive reinforcement with Cade to help him with cause and effect.  She had made a velcro chart and made little pictures that she found on the computer.  Each time he didn't run out of the big gym then he got to put a picture on his chart.  If he earned 5 pictures he could choose something to take back to the Ron McD House with him (that had to be the size to fit in a little tote bag she brought along).

So I could have hugged her!!  I was anxious about the meltdowns and was so happy that Julianna had decided to try something else first.  And another funny note...the little pictures she found on the computer?  Yep, "Wow, Wow Wubbzy" - one of Cade's favorite characters!  He was thrilled, but probably not nearly as thrilled as me! 

This new strategy worked beautifully!!  Cade did so well...he even stayed on task with lots of distractions in the gym, which is always super hard for him.  He played his "sneezing game" with her - pretending to sneeze every time he does something.  Julianna told me that he is doing this as a "form" of communication -- because his body is trying so hard to regulate at OT typical verbal communication becomes hard for him.  Hey, whatever works.  Oh yeah, and what did he pick to bring back?  2 big yellow rings from a ring toss game.  Not what I would have chosen from the zillions of things the STAR Center had that would have fit in that bag...but again, whatever works...

Cade is playing in the ball pit finding "fuzzy creatures" -- this is excellent for his sensory development!

Today before OT I was able to have lunch with Dr. Lucy Miller, the founder of the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation and the STAR Center.  I met her briefly when I went to Austin, TX in March for the SPD Symposium, but I was thrilled to be able to sit with her and 5 other parents to discuss our kids.  She allowed us to just ask questions, whatever we wanted.  We could have kept her at lunch forever...it was so remarkable to see just how much she knows about SPD and how truly vested she is in our special kids. 

Equally valuable to me was the chance to talk to other parents about their kiddos, the experiences they've gone through, and what they've tried.  We've been so down over the last few days about Cade's deficits, and when you're living and breathing SPD like we are here then there's not much else to think about.  But I was so encouraged to hear all of them say that they were so happy Eric and I had caught Cade's SPD early...most of their kiddos were 7 or 8.  It was nice to hear that we are hopefully on the right page with everything that we're doing.  And it was so nice to just breathe...it seems as though I have been holding my breath for a few days without realizing it.  It's amazing how getting into the company of other moms and dads fighting for their kids like we are fighting for Cade can help to rejuvenate my spirit!

Just a couple of fun notes...Cade has discovered the Wii since we've been here.  We have one at home that we haven't even hooked up...seems life just got in the way and we didn't want one more thing that could cause frustration in our life!  But he has started to love it, and is very good at the CARS racing game that is included.  I am happy to report that I found that very same game on clearance (you know me...never buy anything full price!), so we will be hooking that baby up when we get home!

Cade with a buddy he met playing the Wii

Also, we had a sweet group of people who call themselves the "Empty Nesters" come tonight and fix supper for us.  We had yummy tacos, and the boys chowed down!  Of course Kai had to socialize with them...and even invited himself into a picture they were taking as they were leaving today.  It has been so nice to see his sweet spirit come through here...he has made quite a name for himself and I now have people from the House that I don't even know saying, "Hey Kai...how are you today?"  Now if I can just keep him out of trouble...but that's another story...

Kai with Ronald and an "Empty Nester"