We are thankful for (to name only a few): Our Gracious God Our family Our extended family, church family and friends The men and women in the U.S. military Stability in these unstable times (there are too many items to list!)
We are not thankful for: The critter that decided to crawl into our wall and die. Might I add it crawled into our BEDROOM wall! Mercy!
Tru has been walking with his prosthesis for about 18 months now. Other than walking with his prosthesis Tru's only other mode of transportation (besides Mom and Dad!) has been scooting on his bottom. Before getting dressed (which includes "putting on his leg") in the mornings Tru is scooting around. After bath time in the evenings he scoots around until bedtime.
The results: holey pajamas.
We have been trying to talk Tru into learning to hop as an alternative to scooting on his bottom. He has shown little interest. He was a little scared because if he is hopping and he would fall there is a great chance that he would land on the end of his residual right limb.
But... finally... last week... on his own... he started hopping all of a sudden. And is he ever proud of himself! This video is the second evening after he began hopping freely. He is almost worn out but he would not stop.
Just press the "back" button to get back to this page.
GO TRU!
Sign Of The Day:
(You may have to click on the photo to enlarge it for a better view. To get back to this page just click the "back" button.)
Tru recently took school photos. The company taking the photos sent home this notice. They give specific hints on the way your child should dress for the photos.
Take a look at the upper right hand side where I have placed the blue arrow. Then... look at the little girl's shirt....
Last Thursday was Tru's birthday and it was the first one he was really excited about. So much fun!
As I mentioned in our previous post, Tru is currently obsessed with vacuum cleaners. Anytime he is with us while shopping he insists that we drive the shopping cart by the vacuum section. As he sits in front of the vacuum displays he likes to discuss and compare them, study them, admire their hoses and describe them while also making sure that no one is going to be coming by to turn them on.
We have no idea where, when or why this fascinated started.
The truly odd part is that he is absolutely terrified of them!! He likes to look at them on the shelf or at our house as long as they are not powered on. He talks about them constantly. However, if you do not warn him (so that he can run from the room) before you turn on the power to a vacuum you can see the instant terror in his face and he runs/hops/scoots from the room as quickly as he possibly can.
Still, he is quite taken by vacuum cleaners.
On the morning of his birthday Tru and Lin-Ley had the following conversation:
Lin-Ley: Tru, today is your birthday.
Tru: It's my vacuum cleaner birthday.
Lin-Ley: What kind of cake are you going to have?
Tru: A vacuum cleaner cake.
Lin-Ley: Are you going to have a party at school?
Tru: Yes, a vacuum cleaner party.
There was a birthday party at his school. My oh my - how times have changed! With the severe allergies so many children have to peanuts and other foods these days there is not a lot of oppotunity to make the children's birthday parties very special. We are not allowed to bring home-baked foods. We are also not allowed to bring in store bought cakes or cupcakes unless the store will 100% certify that the cake was baked in a nut-free environment. That will never happen.
So.... our only choice was boxed cupcakes. As I would normally post a photo of Tru's birthday cake here, I will paste a photo of the boxed Tastykake cupcakes:
If we were going to have store shelf, boxed cupcakes I decided that I would just buy a variety of snacks that Tru loves. So the party consisted of cupcakes, cheese puffs, cheese sticks and juice. It was an odd combination and a very non-party feeling party (without a birthday cake) but the kids had no complaints and cleaned their plates. By the way, the school also does not allow balloons at the parties!
Boxed cupcakes and all - the kids enjoyed the non-party.
We all made it home early and right away Tru was excited that he would be getting a birthday present.
He had not asked for anything for his birthday.
There was only one gift we could think of. Something that he would truly love.... This is a video of Tru receiving his gift. You will see the absolute fear as Dallas makes the initial presentation.
Tru quickly falls in love with his new vacuum cleaner! He begins vacuuming (and would not stop) as Dallas and Lin-Ley have to finish opening his other presents.
They would show him his presents as he and his vacuum cleaner would walk by.
Now... if only... it were a real vacuum cleaner!
After this weekend our house would be spotless!!
That night, after Tru put his vacuum cleaner to bed on his Mickey Mouse beanbag chair, told his vacuum cleaner good-night, and almost started crying because we said he could not sleep with his new vacuum cleaner, Dallas and I were smiling just a big as Tru had been all evening.
Who knew?!
Quotes Of The Day:
Tru's birthday. Smiling ear-to-ear. Timeframe: Within 4 minutes of receiving his new vacuum cleaner.
"See my vacuum cleaner?" "I have a vacuum cleaner." "Look, it's a vacuum cleaner." "You don't have a vacuum cleaner Lin-Ley." "I'm going to suck you up Daddy." "Vacuum Cleaner." "I have a vacuum cleaner like you Mommy." "I'm going to turn on my vacuum cleaner." "Don't touch my vacuum cleaner." "Vacuum Cleaner." "The floor is dirty. I will use my vacuum cleaner."
Pa-Pa Cowboy and Ma-Ma Linda (Dallas' parents) came for a visit. They came up on Amtrak and visited us for a week.
Tru had a Halloween party at school. This was the first year he was really into Trick-or-Treating.
All of the children participated in a Halloween Parade around the school. At each door there was a parent handing out candy.
Tru was too busy smiling and galloping to say "Trick-or-Treat".
Tru's whole class.
They had outdoor activities after their parade. This is a sensory table filled with noodles and eyeballs.
Here's another table filled with goo and spiders.
Then they sat at tables and decorated pumpkins. They obviously do not believe in the "a little dab will do you" theory when it comes to using glue.
After nap time it was time for the party.
I think I have a photo of Tru licking a cupcake at every party he has had at school.
It was Pa-Pa Cowboy and Ma-Ma's Linda last night with us. Lin-Ley talked Pa-Pa into a game of checkers. I warned Pa-Pa that Lin-Ley would cry if she did not win. He said he would be "mad" if he did not win. Luckily I do not think they ever finished the game so there was no loser.
Tru was walking around giving away kisses.
So Ma-Ma Linda grabbed him as he hopped by.
Halloween night. Ready to get started with the house-to-house Trick-or-Treating.
You can see Lin-Ley's "silver tooth" in this photo. (She is very proud of it!)
After visiting several houses it began to sprinkle so we headed over to our church for the Fall Festival. This year's theme was Noah and the Ark.
Lin-Ley is playing the matching game. She had to match the baby animal with the adult animal. Memory game style.
There was a potato sack race game as well. Since Tru can not hop in a sack (yet) Dallas and Lin-Ley took him through the course without the sack.
Tru played Casting The Net. He would throw the hoops and he got to keep the prizes that his hoops landed on.
Lin-Ley waited semi-patiently for the face/body painting.
Tru takes the opportunity for some more galloping.
Ta-Da.
Happy Halloween from Minnie and Cowboy.
Quotes Of The Day: Lin-Ley After dropping something on the floor Dallas bent to pick it up. Lin-Ley swooped in, grabbed it and handed it to Dallas saying, "Here you go Dad. Kids are just faster than old people." Tru At most meals Tru holds out his hands and says, "Let's pray guys." The night before Pa-Pa Cowboy and Ma-Ma Linda left to go to Louisiana Tru's prayer went as follows: "Dear God, Thank you for our vacuum cleaner, our napkins, our food, and thank you for fixing Lin-Ley's toy box. Amen."
(By the way, Tru is absolutely obsessed with vacuum cleaners. However, if you turn the power on he will leave the room faster than you ever thought he could....)
