Hidden Therapy

Today the boys were out of school for election day.  Most of their school are used as polling locations.  I promised them I would take them swimming.  We don't go often...it seems to be quite the chore in the colder weather to take them to swim.  Too much packing and preparing.  The boys are very good about going for an hour or two and not fighting me when I say it is time to go.  I know they would love to stay longer, but Hailey only makes it about an hour and half and then she turns into a pumpkin.

I seized the opportunity today to squeeze as much therapy and exercise into her swimming as possible.  I've been a little frustrated with her lack of desire to walk since she started wearing her orthotics.  We did a lot of walking in the water today.  She generally will not walk with our hands at home...it needs to be her idea to walk and that type of walking apparently is not her idea.  I then made sure she was in deep enough water that she could not sit down and she cruised the wall of the baby pool for about 20 minutes.  She did quite a few squats along the way because she kept trying to sit down and then realized it was over her head.  I later had her stand against the wall in the wave pool with the waves on.  I was actually impressed at how well she was staying upright while the waves hit her.  After about an hour, she was tired and hungry so we called it quits.

I'm hoping tomorrow while Hailey is at her actual therapy session, she will remember walking today and realize it isn't something that is going to end the world and she is capable of doing it.  I'm definitely not holding my breath on that one.  Gross motor has always been a strength of hers up until the last several weeks.  I'm not going to complain too much because she is progressing with other things.  Today she actually ate off a plate and didn't throw it!  I think Ian was still throwing plates at this age.  Her signing and speaking is still taking off.  I'm amazed at her capacity for learning new words.  She has been signing two word phrases...milk please...Daddy work...more please...mommy baby.  She signs words as she hears others use them.  Today she saw a CPR dummy and signed "baby".  I'm trying to ease up on my obsession for her to walk when her verbal and language skills are exploding.  I'm a little type "A" and OCD, so it is hard for me to let things take their normal course!  We've been on this journey for 20 months, but it is still difficult to realize I'm not in control and I can't control it all.

On another note, we will have no political calls tomorrow!  Yay!!!

Here are a few pics from today.  It is hard to get any of the kids in the water.  They don't like to sit still long enough!