Sunday (OT) Fun :)

We started with these planters

They were patiently waiting for their soil plug to re-moisturize

Then you put 3/4 of the soil in the planter

in the LITTLE opening

Then you pour the seeds on top (ignore the bed head :))

Then you put the remaining soil on top :)

Then you WAIT for the seeds to grow! (guess how many times we have heard when is it going to grow)

Then after lunch we did this gift from Auntie :)

They had to read a key, match the numbers with the colors

They literally sat for almost 2 hours!!!!

The finished products

These are mine :)

Left to right, Victoria, Gerri and Danny - all by themselves!!!

Gerri seems to be doing much better now at home. She is remembering how to get around. Her knee seems to have settled in at the 90 degree bend. I have been having her trying to stretch with her legs in the v shape as the adductor muscle in her left groin has tightened up since it was released in November. She has been scooting all around, already going up and down the stairs. Last night I got a big hug and love you mommy that seemed more real. I hugged her big time and told we would all get through this together and she piped up with "yes mommy as a family" :)
This morning I dressed her in loose pants so she can get them up and down easily. I had her sit on the floor and stretch some more and I can already see it is better. Dan sat with her and told her as only he can "honey I know this s*cks, but it will get better" she smiled at him and said "I know daddy, only 2 more casts" lots of hugs and I love yous today :) I told her as I took her out to the bus that if she needed help at all to have her teacher call and either mommy or daddy would come to her.  More kisses and I love yous :)

a breakthrough I hope!

Talking to Daddy before breakfast

Telling Danny what they are doing

In Ms Becky's car with their goodie bags she made them!!

 Victoria was so funny, she said, "good thing Danny isn't here cause these are GIRL bags"

The girls with Ms Becky :) our new bestest buddy!!

Looking at their new booty!

And it makes a great pillow!! note Ms V reading the safety rules :)

So happy to be going home!!

 I could tell Gerri was hurting, she likes to sleep on her back and with bent knees it is uncomfortable. I put a pillow under her knees and that seemed to help a bit. I have been giving her pain reliever since yesterday. She finally said her left knee hurts. It is bent 90 degrees which is a bit tight for her. She is very uncomfortable and does not like being immobile :( She settled down on the plane and they played and enjoyed themselves. Our flight out of Philly was delayed an hour so by the time we landed in Fl we were all tired and cranky and hungry. What is up with airlines offering nothing to eat!! We stopped at BK in the airport and had a quick bite. On our way out of the airport Gerri tossed her cookies all over! Victoria was so grossed out that she started with the dry heaves! She was so upset about throwing up on herself :( I asked her why she did not tell me she did not feel good and she just looked at me. I was so tired and frustrated that I almost started crying. We had to go to the bathroom, which was right next to us to clean her up as best I could. I asked her again why she could not tell me she had to throw up and she just stared at me. At times like this is when I get so frustrated with her. She just can not let go of her control. She still does not trust that mommy and daddy will take care of her. I told her that mommy was so very sad that she could not tell me she felt sick and told her that at 7 years old she is too old to be doing this.

Gerri had a bit of a breakdown in my car on the way home :(

 But I think we might have had a bit of a breakthrough on the car ride home. We talked a bit about how sad mommy and daddy are that she does not trust us to take care of her and protect her. I said that is what mommies and daddies do. I asked her what happened on vacation when Victoria got sick and she told me that we took care of her. Victoria asked her why she didn't want mommy and daddy to take care of her and Gerri started crying. Victoria told her that is what mommy and daddy do, they love us and take care of us. I think Victoria got through to her like no one else could. Gerri then told me that she did not want casts anymore, that her knee was hurting and her tummy. We had a great talk about how she could not walk last summer but that the casts fixed that, that she already had 11 casts done and she only has to have 3. She also said she was afraid to be left at the hospital by herself and I asked her if she has ever gone to the dr's by herself, no, has mommy and daddy been there with her for everything, yes, have we done everything we can to help her, yes.  By the time we got home she seemed so much more relieved, relaxed and settled.
She is settling in with remembering how to get around, using her chair, getting on and off the potty. When she got into bed tonight I put her pillow pet under her knees, hugged her and kissed her.

So happy to be back together!

Everyone was very tired and beat, sound asleep at 8:00. Thank heavens we have another day off before school!
And we get to do this again next week, and the week after, and the week after! :(

A very long day :(

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We had a very nice breakfast at the hotel. I had them making letters out of the silverware :)

 We called for a taxi, thankfully her wheelchair collapses down so we could put it in the trunk :)
He dropped us off at the wrong hospital, but luckily it was right next door to Shr*ners

Playing in the lobby

Hanging in the room

 While waiting we got to meet another Reece's Rainbow family!! Aaron has arthro too and is also from Ukraine :)
He was not quite sure about us girls bothering him :) :) But he is a solid boy! He is only 6 and much bigger than Gerri.

Aaron, Gerri and Victoria

Ms Julia and Aaron :) :)

I took a couple of pictures of Gerri's feet, they really are not great :( and she wears her AFO's religiously

Ms Mimi and Dr vB oohed and aahed over the pics the kids made for them! They taped them to the wall

Dr vB took all new measurements

He had a tight grip on her foot and leg

It took all 3 to keep her in place, she tends to wiggle all around to avoid being stretched (she is laughing)

 Every once in a while Dr vB would ask her if she was ok and she would laugh and say yes :)
This experience was SO different from our other casting experiences. He uses full plaster all the way up her leg to her groin and casts her with knees bent 90 degrees. All Gerri's other casts were plaster on the feet and then fiberglass the rest of the way to mid thigh, with pretty straight legs.

Hot Pink was chosen!!

Victoria was right in there to help

Shr*ners made Victoria a bracelet too so she would feel special

Very tired!!! We were waiting in the lobby for the shuttle to take us to the RMH, 4 1/2 hours after arriving!!

 I had called the RMH's this am while at the hotel and one said they were pretty sure we could get in, the other said call in 2 hours. So we checked out of the hotel and took all our stuff with us to the hospital. I did not think we would be there for 4 1/2 hours, but luckily learned our lesson from last time and had granola bars, raisins and lollipops :) That was our lunch! Ms V was SO excited about finally going to the RMH. All they talked about was dressing up!

We didn't even go to our room for 2 hours so they could chill out, relax and have fun

A local family made us a wonderful dinner, the girls had mac n cheese and I had wonderful beef stew!

 2 of the family members sat with us for dinner and the girls entertained them the whole time!!

In the kitchen with their chef's hats on :)

Victoria "painting" with her new toy wagon toy :)

So happy to be in bed!!

Gerri had a tough time adjusting to the casts, they are much heavier and more awkward. She is SO used to being independent and can't right now. I brought children's pain relief and was giving them to her all day every 4 hours to keep the pain at bay. Both girls fell asleep as soon as I started the lullabies on my computer :)

Ms Becky is picking us up in the am so we can have breakfast together and then off to the airport to home!!

On the Road Again!!

I created this chart to help Danny focus and get things done in the am without being constantly reminded

He Loves it!! He was SO proud of being able to initial each block as he did it

I just can not believe that the girls had to board another plane today!!

Big discussions while snacking and waiting for the plane to arrive

Watching cartoons on our flight

 Both Ronald McD*nald houses were full up so we had to stay at a hotel :)
We met a new friend, Becky, who picked us up at the airport. It was SO much fun having another mom to talk to!! We hope to be done early tomorrow so that we can meet up and do something!! Maybe the kids museum!

Settling in :) More snacks and juice and cartoons

Got bored so they stated checking everything out

 We were pretty hungry since all we did was snack all day and luckily the hotel has a sports bar/restaurant downstairs. It was pretty quiet when we got there. But they were all SO nice to us :)

Playing Pacman, the bartender gave them quarters so they could play

They were fascinated by the guys playing pool!! The guys loved the audience!

 You should have heard everyone laugh when Victoria said out loud "mom, I should have brought my poms poms!!

This picture is for hubby!! It was yummy!!

 I called home to rub it in that I was eating a real Philly cheese steak and the poor guy is SICK!! Fever, chills, v*miting, just plain miserable. :(

They were nice enough to put sponge b*b on the tv for us

 Today was bittersweet, just knowing Gerri gets casted tomorrow and will be in casts for the next 3 weeks. :(
I let them play in the halls and run around and play forever in the tub :)

Last tubby together for a while:( :(

The big show!

Settling Back in!

It was tough getting Danny and Gerri up and going on Monday morning!!
Luckily Ms V did not have to go anywhere :)
I printed up picture collages for them to bring to school and they got to show them to their classmates.

Here is Ms V waiting for dinner Monday nite - sleeping!!

Tomorrow Gerri, Victoria and I head to Philly for Gerri's first re-cast. She is sad, but happy that Victoria is coming with us. We focus on all the things she can show her in Philly.
And we get to meet Becky in Philly!!!
And we get to meet Julia and Aaron on Friday at casting clinic!!!