Today we passed a Halloween store on the way to therapy. Amaya saw it off the freeway. The girls are still traumatized by the one they went into last year and mention it every once in awhile. I let them know that Halloween is only about two months away. I asked if they had any thoughts on what they'd like to dress up as this year. Amaya said, "yeah. A person with a fixator." I laughed and said that it was doable. Then very excitedly she said, "Oh, I know. An orthopedic surgeon!" Me and Lidie thought that was a great idea. Lidie said she wanted to be a tooth fairy. Then she asked Amaya if she would be a boy or girl orthopedic. Amaya said a girl since she already is a girl. I told her that her first orthopedic surgeon was a woman then she had a male one before Dr. Nelson. Out of the blue she said, "I need to write Dr. Nelson another card." She said she wanted to thank him for how much he's helped her. Let me paraphrase what she said she wanted to write. "Dr. Nelson, thank you for how much you've helped me. You are so nice. Because of you I want to be an orthopedic surgeon." I told her that was a very sweet letter and that I hope she does write it. Then she asked if she could call him Scott or Scott Nelson, or if it was okay to write "you rock," then she asked if surgeons like music or what kind of music they like. It was funny to see her wonder about all kinds of stuff. I told her she could ask Dr. Nelson in her card to him (and I explained why he call him Dr. Nelson and not just Scott). I let her know that each orthopedic is different and they all like different stuff. I hope she does follow thru to write the letter. Either way I hope he knows how much he means to her and us.
When Lidie and I went to pick up Amaya from school for therapy she was out at recess. I figured I'd find her easily in her wheelchair but couldn't spot her anywhere. A couple of kids came over and told me she was playing so we just waited for recess to end. Then I saw her walking up with a group of friends holding a ball. She looked grown-up and confident and happy. It was nice to see her up and playing.
When we go to therapy the lady checking us in said hi to the girls as soon as she saw them. I had talked to her on the phone yesterday when I called to reschedule two of Amaya's sessions. As soon as I said the last name the lady very cheerfully said, "oh for Amaya." Its nice having so many people know and look out for Amaya. When we got back with Melissa Amaya helped her set up the bowling pins so that she could bowl with the scooter. Melissa had Amaya bend her knee to stretch it as she bent down to put the bowling pins down. After she knocked them down she helped pick them up while working on knee bends. While she worked a friend and one of Josh's co-workers came in to say hello. Her son was there doing some therapy as well. She stayed and watched Amaya for awhile.
After her work Amaya started her knee bends. She was at fifty degrees to start and had a goal of ninety one degrees. She quickly was in the eighties so I teased that she should change her goal to one hundred. She said that she'd go for ninety-three. And on she went! She bent and pulled and stretched. And sure enough she got ninety-four! She's done so great these past two days that she's been working on not complaining or saying that she can't bend anymore. Her mind helps her do so much. Even though it was tough, she got through it better when she focused and was convinced that she could do it.
When Josh got home he told me that he was talking to the school psychiatrist about Amaya hitting her fixator on the toilet and starting new antibiotics. She jokingly said that with all that we've been through they should have prescribed us lithium. Its funny, and a bit true. For as crazy as this can be, you'd think they'd give you something to help take some of the stress away. Later as Josh and I talked he said that our life isn't crazy or neurotic. It's true (most of the time), we've worked hard to not let it get out of control or overcome us. Not to say that we don't have our bad days or bad moods, but for the most part we're pretty normal considering Amaya has a fixator on (and all that it entails). Tonight she's been crying with knee pain, so send some peaceful thoughts.
Lidie and I got to feed the ducks today. She's been asking to go for a week now and it finally worked out to go. We were one of the few people feeding ducks today so they were very hungry. This one ate right out of Lidie's hand. I could tell that the down time, and the one on one time meant a lot to her. And it did to me as well.
The view while Lidie played at the park. It was so nice to just sit, relax and enjoy some fresh air. 
Melissa was bending Amaya's leg back as she laid on the red scooter. Lidie looks like a ghost because she was busy jumping on the trampoline.
Amaya climbed up and down on the ladder seven times today. She had to work hard to bend her knee instead of her hip to climb up. A few times she leaned back onto Melissa's arm, almost sitting on it, while trying to bend her knee because it was so difficult to bend. She kind of looked like she could fall, but Melissa held on tight to her.
Amaya started off at a slow pace then all of a sudden started to pick up speed and pedaled so fast down the hall and up the hill. Here she is going down the hill and almost crashing into Lidie (who likes to stop in front of them to chat and then gets mad when they don't stop).
Amaya asked if she could swing into the ball pit before doing her bends. Melissa agreed while I got the bench ready. After bends both girls got to do one more swing into the ball pit.
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