Tummy trouble

    After three weeks of First Grade Amaya missed a day of school. Her stomach was hurting and she had some diarrhea so we kept her home yesterday. I'm not sure if she wants me sharing that. Sorry, Amaya. She also had a stiff knee and knee pain when she woke up. We're not sure the antibiotics are what's upsetting her stomach. She's been on it for a week now. I'm a bit surprised and glad that she hasn't missed any school before this. She ended off her last school year with over forty absences. That just shows you how much her pain and mobility has improved since then (almost four months ago). 
    Yesterday we got a letter and picture from our friend Rory. The girls love it and we've put it up next to our stairs so that each time we go up and down we can see it. It's so nice having pen pals and getting mail. Although we haven't been so great about sending mail out lately (sorry Ben, Zoe, and Rory). We've go some we're working on and hope to get them in the mail soon. 
     Yesterday on the way to therapy Amaya said she was scared about her bends. She said she was afraid they would hurt. Its a given that they will hurt. I told her that I was sorry that it hurt her, but reminded her that it was only a small part of her day. She said that she wished it was me or Josh who had to do it, and I agreed. I reminded her how quickly she gets her knee to eighty degrees, and I reminded her that the quicker she gets to ninety degrees the sooner she can get it over with. I reminded her to do her best, try hard and not say that she couldn't do it. We talked about setting a goal for the day. We agreed on anything between ninety and ninety-six. She had ninety-six on Friday.
     When we got to therapy Amaya told Melissa that the fast walking she taught her on Friday helped her. Amaya was walking in pushing Lidie on the wheelchair. Melissa said she could tell that Amaya was walking faster and doing better. She was still turning her foot inward, but it was definitely an improvement. After her work she started her bends. She worked hard and didn't complain once. She kept saying, "I'll try." I can't tell you how proud I am of her when through pain she utters those words. It worked, she got to ninety-two degrees. Even though she was in pain. The pain stopped as soon as her bends were over. 
       Today she went to school but didn't take her wheelchair in with her. At lunch Josh gave her her antibiotic, asked how her tummy was doing and if she wanted her wheelchair. She said her tummy felt fine and that she didn't need her wheelchair. She said she did fine all day without it, but wished she had it when it was time to walk out to the car to go home. "That's when I was tired," she said.
    Tonight she had some knee pain at bedtime then woke up again with more knee pain. I know pain is a part of this, and normal at night. But I sure do wish she didn't have to deal with it. I'm looking forward to  the day when pain is no longer a normal part of her day.

Melissa had Amaya pull herself up the ramp on the red scooter by bending her knee. Amaya thought it was a fun way to do bends.

Amaya asked to ride the scooter, but Melissa asked her to ride the bike instead because she gets a better bend that way. Melissa did say that after she rode to the hill she could ride the scooter down it. After the hill Amaya didn't want to get off and kept riding. So Melissa told Amaya that she would have to ride the big loop with the bike, and she agreed.

Lidie enjoyed playing with some of the baby toys at therapy. She thought it was funny that she use to be a baby and played with toys like those.