6/28/2009:
ZACH ROLLED TO THE DOORWAY OF
THE DEN, & SAID, “AAAAH” TO DAD
HE ALSO ENJOYS WATCHING TV IN MY
MANUAL WHEELCHAIR & MIMICKING
HOW I TALK ( HE OFTEN SAYS “I O U”
BACK TO ME).

3/2009: JESS LIVES IN MY CHAIR,
JUST ROLLING AROUND THE HOUSE.
THE KIDS TAKE TURNS WATCHING TV
IN MY MANUAL WHEELCHAIR

12/2004:
FOR CHRISTMAS, JESSIE ASKED FOR AN AMERICAN DOLL WITH A WHEELCHAIR. SHE PICKED A DOLL THAT RESEMBLED HER & MOM, & NAMED THE DOLL “JENNY JUNIOR.”

4/30/10
IT’S FREAKY FRIDAY. JESSIE CHOSE 2 DRESS AS
HER MOM, & WORKED IN THE WHEELCHAIR
BEHIND THE DESK, TOOK IT OUT TO RECESS,
DRANK OUT OF THE BOTTLE , & TALKED IN IT.
HER FAVORITE THINGS WERE GETTING PUSHED
AROUND THE HALLS, LAYING IN A SOFT
WHEELCHAIR AND WATCHING A MOVIE IN IT.
JESS LEARNED THAT BEING IN A WHEELCHAIR
FOR ONE DAY CAN KILL HER, “CAUSE I LOVE TO
BE ACTIVE AND RUN. BUT I HAD FUN BECAUSE
I GOT PUSHED EVERYWHERE AND I GOT TO GO
DOWN THE ELEVATOR!

5/26/09:
FOR A WHILE NOW, MOM HAS MADE LISTS FOR HER CAREGIVER,
CARA, SO CARA KNOWS WHAT JOBS MOM NEEDS HER TO DO.
SOPHIA HAS SAID SHE WANTS HER OWN LIST FOR CARA—
WITH THE FIRST JOB AS “CLEAN MY ROOM!”
NOW, MOM JUST STARTED USING CARDS ON A KEYRING THAT
HAVE “STOCK PHRASES” TO GET HELP FROM THOSE WHO CAN’T
SIGN (LIKE “PUT MY SUNGLASSES ON”), & TO GIVE DISCIPLINE
(LIKE “DO IT NOW!” OR “STOP HURTING YOUR BROTHER/SISTER”
OR “IF U CHOOSE TO IGNORE ME, U WILL WEED”). WOULDN’T U K
KNOW IT, SOPHIA WANTS HER OWN CARDS WITH “STOCK PHRASES!”

7/9/09:
BACK ON EASTER OF 2006, SOPHIA
HAPPILY FOUND A BUILD-A-BEAR
WHEELCHAIR, FOR HER EASTER BASKET.
THEN, IN MARCH 2009, FOR HER BIRTHDAY,
SOPHIE GOT A WHEELCHAIR BARBIE.
SHORTLY AFTER, SOPHIA WAS PLAYING
BARBIES, & WANTED TO MAKE A BARBIE
FAMILY, OF OUR FAMILY, SO SHE USED HER
VERY OWN WHEELCHAIR BARBIE TO BE
THE MOM! THAT BARBIE IS NOW NAMED
“JENNY.”

NOV. 14, 2009
I HAVE A CUP THAT GOES BEHIND ME &
WRAPS AROUND W/A STRAW, SO I CAN
DRINK. FIA SAW MY DRINK, & IMMEDIATELY
EXCLAIMED THAT SHE WANTED 1!

7/14/09:
FIA CUT 10 INCHES OFF HER HAIR…
UPON SEEING HER NEW HAIR-DO IN A
MIRROR, SHE EXCLAIMED HOW SHE LOOKED
LIKE MOM…THEN ADDED, “NOW I JUST NEED
2 SAY, “AAAAAH!”

3/2009: I LOVED WHEN SOPHIA
PULLED UP to MY SPOT
AT THE TABLE, &
TOLD JESS TO FEED HER!

1/23/2009:
FIA WANTED TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE FOR ME,
W/1 HAND…SO SHE PUT HER LEFT HAND
AGAINST HER SIDE, & W/HER RIGHT HAND,
DREW A HEART & A HOUSE (BECAUSE I DRAW
HOUSES A LOT, & THEY ARE WHAT I DRAW BEST).
I ENJOYED HER COMMENTS TOO MUCH! SHE
NEEDED A FEW TRICKS (LIKE, I SLIDE CORNERS
OF A PAGE UNDER MY KEYBOARD, TO GET THE
CORRECT ANGLE ON A PG., & HOLD IT IN PLACE)

11/29/09:
AS THE KIDS WERE MAKING WISHLISTS,
FIA CAME UP 2 MOM, & FLAT OUT SAID
SHE WANTED A WHEELCHAIR. SHE’D
BE THE HAPPIEST KID IF SHE COULD
PLAY COMPUTER ALL DAY, BE FED,
ORDER OTHERS 2 DO HER TASKS,
CHOOSE WHEN 2 WALK, & SHE EVEN
THINKS IT’D BE GREAT 2 JUST NOD
YES/NO & SAY THINGS ONLY WHEN SHE
WANTS 2! MOM’S GLAD HER LIFE IS SO
APPEALING