More Spring Break

Okay, so this week my elementary kids and high schooler are home. It's just crazy how many days they are out of school. How does any normal, work-in-an-office parent do it? GAH!

I love my kids, but boy, this is too much togetherness.

One of the big challenges is Kameron's lack of mobility. We don't have a wheelchair van, so that means lifting him a lot and hauling his wheelchair in and out of the car. It wasn't such a big deal when he was younger, but now he's nine and weighs more. His chair is bigger, too. He also doesn't help much with the transfers. All this tends to make me think several times before attempting a trip out, even to the store. I'm also realizing that all the "handicapped accessible" places aren't very. Accessible, I mean. Lots of unexpected stairs.

Now, this isn't something a typical family deals with. My previous parenting experience was fairly straightforward. But, since Kam's still not walking (he keeps trying!), I guess I better face the reality that he'll be in his chair for awhile, if not for his lifetime (toungue biting here - that's DEFEAT, isn't it??).

Crazy as it seems, I never allowed for the possibility that he wouldn't walk. Somewhere in my brain was the idea that God + me = overcoming any and all obstacles. Guess I should have read my Bible a little closer. Sometimes bad things don't get taken care of this side of heaven. Kameron very likely will remain non-ambulatory (big words for not walking). Really, I need to be way more grateful that he's even alive.

All the really big health challenges he has had in his nine short years. Born very premature - at 25 weeks - drug exposed, lungs barely developed, ventilator dependent, fed with a tube in his tummy, for his first three years. We get him over all that, then massive brain junk starts. Too weird and complicated to go into in depth, but basically, he's had over thirty procedures trying to stop large fistulas (nests of arteries) in his head that don't belong there and posed a real risk of stroke and hemorrage...all that culminated in brain surgery last August 1st. Thirty-two stiches in his little cranium.

Ugh AND gah.

He's doing so much better, now. He's trying to learn math, and writing, and reading...loves the Bible, music, and me. Well, he loves all of us, except when someone says no. But that's another story.

So, actually, I have got to be way more grateful for his little life and less focused on the difficulties. Perhaps if I pray about these challenges...what a concept: stress less and pray more!

Gotta go, got Someone to talk to.