We were able to have both sets of our parents, Jenny’s grandma, and a few siblings with us for Christmas. Jenny felt it was one of her better Christmas celebrations. We played several games, all of which Jenny was able to participate in with little or no help. The kids, with only minimal help from myself, made Jenny a game for Christmas that she can play with no help. Overall, it was a wonderful time and Jenny was happy and positive about things. I was fearing that it would be just the opposite being that it was her first Christmas since the stroke. Each day has the potential of bringing tears as she does something for the first time, like wear her sun glasses that she has not worn since March, or finding that they don’t make her favorite hair gel anymore. Something that minor is as trying experinece because it is one more thing that has changed since her injury.

Jessica was so excited because she received a doll in a wheel chair for Christmas that she had been asking for. Playing “mom” has always been a favorite thing in their imaginary play, and this is now part of their everyday life. Jenny is touched that Jessica has been so accepting of her condition and still feels like Mom is a big part of her life. If I can take anything from Jessica’s play, there is nothing that Jessica feels that her mom can not do.

My theory of Jenny doing better when family and friends are around was reconfirmed as Missy and Dustin have been here for the past few days. It helps that fresh faces bring fresh ideas. Missy and Jenny shopped together all day yesterday and brought back too much stuff. They bought some games that Jenny could possibly play. One was a Mancalla game with the oval shaped marble peices. Jenny beat me 4 straight games (doing all movements on her own) and even corrected an error that I made (she called it cheating, but I called it a mistake). I quit so she could beat Missy and Zach just as bad. Not bad for a woman with hazy vision. She spelled out that it felt good to be able to interact with everyone like a “real person” and not just an observer. I feel she will quickly be able to interact more in no time. Jenny demonstrated great leg lifting on her right leg and continues to strengthen her right shoulder.

Missy and Dustin are visiting, which is always a good thing for Jenny- and the family. Since they were here for so many months just after the stroke, it has been a great baseline to judge her progress over the past 3 months. I had forgot what Jenny had been doing when they were here last, so it was fun to see how excited Missy would get to see some large improvement. Jenny felt a little proud of herself as well.

We are still waiting for some medical equiptment (such as the power wheel chair), which will make huge changes in Jenny’s life. Hopefully, it will be a nice Christmas surprise to get these things by then. Jenny has become much stronger in her right arm and it continues to improve daily.