So Wednesday was a happy day for Mister Determined . Thursday was a bit wobbly. Friday was a disaster. This week was a perfect example of rollercoaster parenting.

We anticipated a bad day for Wednesday, the day of the school sports carnival rehearsal. But as it turned out, it was a good day, a day turned from a potential disaster into a small victory (see previous post).

Then, on Thursday, I took a taxi to the school, to go home on the bus with him. My aim is to get him coming home on the bus for two days a week next term, and from experience, I know that it's best if I prepare him well. So I have started to take the bus with him on Thursdays, to make sure that he's comfortable with the whole thing, knows what to do, where to get off, and all that. It's a big thing, getting on the bus without mum or dad or a teacher, especially if you remember how much noise a bunch of kids on a bus can make! Anyway, things didn't go that well, he burst into tears very early into the journey. The older kids the bus picks up at the next school shout and jostle and play, and it frightens Mister D. Thankfully, he was sitting on my lap, ready for a big cuddle. I held him, calmed him down, and thought him how to look out of the window and "tune off" from the noise on the bus. He perked up a bit again after that, and we had an ice-cream once we made it to the bus stop. Phew.

Then, on Friday, Mister Determined collapsed. Hubby took him to school in the morning and he burst into bitter tears. We agreed he would try to stay, but if he didn't manage, I would come and pick him up after morning tea. He never made it that far. The school rang, telling me they had a very upset boy in sick bay. So I took a shaking and trembling boy home with me for a day of R and R at home.

They'd had school photo's on Tuesday, the sports thing on Wednesday, the bus on Thursday, and then knowing that he'd come home with his friend William's mum, was all too much change in routine. Systems meltdown.

And then, today was a wonderful day. He'd had a great time, lots of fun, was happy all day, and had heaps of fun during his swimming lesson. Yesterday was another positive milestone, where for the first time ever, he played with the other kids at a friends' birthday party - I know, I know, not much for most of you, but for us, a major achievement. Up and down, indeed.

An Inspirational Boy

Next Monday is the day of the sports carnival at Mister Determined's school. On Wednesday, they had a general rehearsal. He woke up that morning, and we immediately noticed that he was a bit fragile. He came for a long cuddle in the bed, and when the radio played a sad song, tears welled up in his eyes. After we sang along to the radio - first singing the song in a sad way, and then singing the same song in a happy way, he told me that he was worried about the sports, worried that he might not be able to keep up with the other kids. I assured him that when Daddy dropped him off at school later that morning, he would talk to his teachers, and they would surely let him do some jobs if he didn't want to join in with the sports. Dad also ended up reminding the teachers that Mister Determined would benefit from being told regularly and throughout the day what was happening, as he doesn' t do change in the routine too well.

So I was a bit anxious when I came to pick him up from school later that day, wondering how it had all gone. As soon as I walked into the classroom, I asked "how did it go?" and the teacher turned to me with a glowing face. He had coped brilliantly with the whole day, and decided to participate. He ran in the 50 meters race. And then, he ran in the 100 meters race! All the teachers clapped and cheered him on. By the time the teacher had finished the story, she had tears in her eyes. "He's an inspirational boy" she said, and he beamed with pride.

Later that night, he did let on that his whole class clapped and cheered on Tom, who was the fastest runner - and he was so slow, the class did not clap for him. We had a long chat about how his efforts are just as big as Tom's, and how sometimes in life, it's not the speed at which you do things but the fact that you have a go, even at something that is very difficult, and we don't really want to do at first. We also spend some time on explaining the word "inspirational", and then, Mister Determined had hours of fun with an old microphone, pretending to organise a school sports carnival, and making a whole lot of noise, hailing imaginary kids to the starting blocks. Rollercoaster parenting indeed - up and down, up and down.

See What I Can Do!

Just recenty, Boo Boo has developed an interest in self-feeding. This makes an almighty mess, but we indulge her - as we do with every new skill. It's another small step towards increasing independence. It might not seem much to most, but for a child with cerebral palsy, self feeding is a major accomplishment. As my mum (visiting from Belgium to help us with the move) said today "you cherish every step so much more".

Just to show you how proud we are, here is another picture.

Just some photos

Putting on a show on the "stage" in the garden

Sharing some fish and chips and sushi with the cousins

The two girl cousins sharing a book