Kids Walk

We really like the Kids Walk for Grace. I usually post videos of Grace, herself, using the equipment but I thought the company's video was very descriptive. I do not get anything for posting this. I just wanted to share a piece of equipment we like.

run through the sprinkler in your wheelchair

Here I put a long green sprinkler (the one with holes all along it) along the rail of the deck. G loves moving herself in her wheelchair among the streams of water. She really wanted a place to stick her hands in water, so I placed the flower box holder with a container to hold water at the end. A stream of water fills it as she plays.

Independent play- water box with straw & deck toys

G loves playing in this water box, I made from a plastic storage box. Two holes in the top for her to stick her hands into and play water. I had to add the straw because she wanted so badly to blow bubbles into the water. She has been happy with the straw to blow bubbles into the water.

G also loves to make music outside and so I fastened a couple of musical toys to the deck with straps.

The white circle piece plays music with a simple spin.

On this one, the purple circle is turned by G sticking her finger in the open window part & G gets music. You can also push the buttons but G doesn't do that.

Independent Playskills- toys we have

 Most of these toys that we have are push button- cause and effect toys. G is not so good with these ones, though. You need a bit more precision to make them work.

I like this one with the balls to move left and right. That would be a different skill for G to learn for independent play.

Other ideas for independent play:
And G also likes to blow on the recorder. Maybe some other toys that use blowing to work.

Also- I was thinking: Pulling toys to her. Tying short strings on toys that G to pull to her to reach.

Current toys- independent toys

 The knobs on this play stove, G can turn on and gets a "water boiling sound"

G pulls the orange handle on the bottom

 G hits buttons- likes the 3 at the bottom which say Dad, "I love Grace," & Mommy (left to right, middle one is programable). She hits the toy open handed with palm.

 Another musical toy- Velcroed to table. G usually goes for the orange/clear spinner on the left.

ipad- needs help to get to an app

no music but G likes the spinning pieces.

Basket of toys: lots of different textures, shapes and sizes. G usually pulls different things out, feels them, keeps them or throws them.

Here is G's independent play area.Her toys are usually all around her and she will roll around to get to them.

Another type of Need by other Special People in my life

Post mastectomy/double mastectomy gift ideas
(May want to give it to your person in need before they go for surgery)
Two separate people, dear to me, needed extra support in the past few months because they each underwent a double mastectomy. Then another friend knew a coworker having surgery and asked what I did for my people. Here are pictures of things I made that I know both women have been grateful for.

Post-surgery, you are stuck with these drain tube thingies hanging from the surgical sites. They are there for 1-2 weeks give or take. So, I saw some expensive options on the internet but made my own versions, rather cheaply or for free.

 

These are pouches, I made from the sleeves of some old kid clothes I had. The BC survivor can put the drain tubes inside a pouch and pin to an undershirt or the back of their main shirt. I also think you could use size 3T-4T kid socks- the less stretchy the better, I assume. I like the convenience of using large diaper pins versus small safety pins, but your choice.

A lanyard from an old convention I attended a few years ago. I added 2 pieces of the Velcro you wrap around cables to the lanyard. This is used to tie the drain pumps together when you are in the shower. (The 2nd picture is from Amazon.com)

This is a small kid's waist apron with a pocket. Cut a slit into the bottom to let the water drain out. I added extra ribbon to the original ties so that it could go around an adult. This was used by one friend in the shower who found it's convenience of dropping her drain tubes in it easy for the shower. She put her drain tubes in the pocket for her shower then afterwards just hung it on the shower rod to dry.

This last item is a scarf which I bought and sewed pockets into. I picked a pretty scarf but the BC Survivor wore it under her clothes & put her drain tubes in the pockets. But who says you have to wear an ugly scarf? Beat the ugly cancer with beauty and you will win. The pocket is made with some white felt I had.

Lastly, in case you don't feel comfortable giving the above supplies to your BC survivor person, you could always give a funny card about a "fast recovery" or "speedy recovery" and a funny DVD.

 "Laughter is the Best Medicine" ~unknown

Gluten Free Muffins Cooking Tip

When I cool my gluten free muffins I turn them upside down(in picture on the right side)on the cooling racks so they don't fall down into themselves (in picture on the left side).

Handicapped Parking

We had a lot of trouble with the handicapped parking at my child's school this past fall. People were constantly illegally parking in the spaces. The solution that seems to be working is the addition of an orange traffic cone. Simple for the school to do and a much calmer start to my daughter's school day. I can easily jump out of my car and move the cone and pull the van in. The person with disabilities, driving themselves, can easily drive right over the cone if necessary, to park in the spot. It's been a win-win, so far.

I have no problem waiting my turn to park if the handicap parking spaces were all being used by legally marked cars with handicap tags or plates but each day was so frustrating. People had excuses galore for using the handicap parking spots. "I'm just running into the school 'for just a minute,'" "I was hoping to get back to my car before the space was needed," etc. You, the illegal car parker, do not know my child's schedule. "Just a minute," is 60 seconds too long. You do not understand what it takes to pull a wheelchair and walker out of my van, having the room to do so and get a growing child into a wheelchair. You don't know what it is like to push all this over the ice and snow. Handicapped parking places have been made so that they have extra room around the car. They are usually close to the building because it often takes the person actually using them, much more energy to get to the door than you or I. The handicap parking spaces are placed by easy access ramps for the wheeled equipment.The handicapped parking places are placed to assist people with health issues. Be grateful you don't need this space and please respect those who do by parking in the hundred other parking spaces available nearby. Thank you.

UPDATE: Nowadays, the orange cones are placed at the end of the yellow lines, so I can just drive around them.