Summer Time Blues

  I'm so far behind on my blog I'm going to include 3 videos!

 

 

 

  In the first video,  I drove up to Spruce Lake in the Poconos to talk to people from Joni and Friends, which is a camp for Special Needs kids AND their families. Joni Earikson Tada is well known in Christian circles. She is a radio personality, public speaker and is on TV. She was in a diving accident years ago and is in a wheelchair. Now she heads up a whole ministry to people with Special Needs.

 

They have an office in Philadelphia and they help churches set up Special Needs Ministries. This includes Sunday School classes as well as support groups and outreach to the whole family, not just the children. They are a wealth of knowledge and support. I was a bit overwhelmed with how big this could become.
  Last month someone handed me a book called "Same Lake Different Boat", written by a woman who runs Special Needs Ministries. When I went up to meet the woman from Joni and Friends, she suggested I may want to read a book....you guessed it, same book. She said to contact the author. I haven't done it yet, but I will soon.

 

 

   For now I've decided to start up a support group for parents, open to the community, not just people from church, to gather together and talk, hang out, share information and just feel like they have a safe place to gather and talk and make new friends. I would like to eventually start up a Sunday School class for kids with severe disabilities like Robbie and hire a teacher with a degree of "Teacher of the Handicapped", but for now I'll start with one thing at a time.

 

Episode 47- Camps and Support Groups

 

The following week Robbie had the longest seizure he has ever had, lasting 4 minutes 20 seconds. He was taken to the hospital in the ambulance and when I arrived to the emergency room, he was completely out of it, eyes closed, unresponsive, and frankly it scared me to see him like that. It took a couple hours for him to come around. Whenever we are there, he just wants to sleep, so he turns around on all fours, and pulls the blanket up over his head to make it darker. Then he starts pulling off all the leads, wires and eventually the IV. That's when Mom steps in and goes all "Terms of Endearment" and starts pressing the doctors and nurses to let him go home. They were really good at this hospital and when Robbie started to come around, they sent him home.

 

Episode 48- Seize The Day

 

The next day after the seizure he was tired all day. Then on Saturday I took him to the beach and he was like a new guy! I kept Robbie seated in a chair by the water, feeling that's the safest position just in case of a seizure. Also, my sister in law went with me, who is a nurse, just in case. But there was no need to worry. This is my favorite video of all because Robbie is so happy and playful and you'll see how he teases me and will even hear him laugh!

Episode 49- Beachin'

 



23-Movie Night and Mother's Day

I don't think I've seen as many rainbows in my entire LIFE

as I have seen this month of May, 2014!

 

 

 

My son David plays baseball and many nights we were watching the sky, concerned that lightening would be on it's way. They would stop the game for a temporary downpour and then the sun would come back out, we'd see a rainbow, and resume play.

 

 

 

 

This seems to be the story of my life with Robbie. We have ups and downs, good days and bad days. He may get sick, or get violent, but the episodes quickly pass and when he smiles he can light up the whole world.

His smile is as beautiful as a rainbow!

 

 

I could get really philosophical about this, but I'll keep it light. But rainbows really are a perfect example of how we can weather through a violent storm, and then witness something truly beautiful as the sun shines once again. I am amazed even as I watch my own videos how our lives daily dip up and down, and how quickly they turn from good, to bad, to good again. Like little mini thunderstorms. But then as the clouds dissipate, a ray of sunshine peaks through, and sometimes, we have great days, as beautiful as rainbows.

 

 

 

 

 

   In our first video I take Robbie to movie night at church. This is typically for families of little kids who come and lay down on blankets and watch cartoons. But they have Robbie's favorite things:

Pizza, soda and Disney movies! So I took him. While we were inside it poured and when we left there was a big, huge, beautiful rainbow in the sky on our ride home.

 

MOVIE NIGHT

 

 

Next is Mother's Day. We had beautiful weather that day so my daughter Denise suggested we take Robbie for a ride down the shore. Now, some may say "to the beach" but in New Jersey, we say we're going "down the shore". The water's too cold in May, but he enjoyed sitting in the chair watching the waves. The whole day was wonderful until I took him home and no one was there. He got annoyed that he had to wait and didn't want to get back in the car, so he ran away. I won't tell you what happens next, you'll have to watch and see!

 

MOTHER'S DAY MISHAP

 

Like I said, life is full of rainy days, as well as sunshine and rainbows. There are ups and there a downs, literally! LOL

I hope your life gives you many rainbows!