So, off Claire and Luke went Friday afternoon to donate themselves to science. When I first heard about the course, I didn't realize it was a national course. Therapists from all over - LA, Atlanta, Dallas, NYC, Duluth, and Denver - were gathered in San Antonio to learn how to improve muscle function to facilitate independent movement in kiddos of all developmental stages. While Claire worked on planting her entire foot on the ground to go from sit to stand, Luke built abdominal and calf strength to improve his gait, walk down stairs with more stability, and actually get some vertical distance off the ground when jumping.
I'm not quite sure if it was more inspiring to watch so many talented therapists in one room, or to see so many children with diverse needs work towards independence. From little babies just learning to crawl to high school students working to leave their wheelchairs behind, all kids in that room had one thing in common - their lives are intertwined with the care and support of therapists who don't care how long it takes to reach the next goal. They have the patience of saints through the frustration of working with body parts that don't quite cooperate, and they also wipe away their own tears of joy during the moments of victory.
The best thing about the weekend wasn't all of the extra awesome therapy - it was the sleep that followed!!!! Both Luke and Claire were EXHAUSTED.....and I was the happiest mom on the face of the planet. Not only did I get to watch an entire movie without interruption, but I took a bath, surfed the internet, and sat in blissful silence. That is, until the stupid smoke detector decided its battery wanted to die. Most of you are probably thinking of that annoying soft chirp that many make when the battery is low. Nope, not mine. "Warning: Battery is low."......"Warning: Battery is low." Really??? I have never been so happy to find a 9 volt battery in the junk drawer in my entire life. I hauled the step stool upstairs, and thought, "How hard can this be?" as I looked up at the annoying little machine.
There was a little button in the middle that I thought said, "Press Here to Open".
"FIRE!!! FIRE!!! FIRE!!! EVACUATE!!! FIRE!!"
I frantically pressed the button as quickly as I could.
"WARNING. CARBON MONOXIDE HAS BEEN DETECTED. EVACUATE."
Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!! Press press press
"FIRE!!! FIRE!!! WARNING. CARBON MONOX - "
Guess what - the button didn't say "Press Here to Open". Upon further examination, it really said, "Press Here to TEST". Oops. My next thought when straight to a time when our security alarm went off and the police stopped by to make sure everything was ok. The last thing I wanted was for the stupid fire truck to come blasting through the neighborhood. So, it was time for the first middle of the night phone-a-friend!
Me: "You better not have your &#^@ phone on silent!! Hi!!!"
Patrick: "Why are you calling in the middle of the night?"
Me: "So, if you accidentally set off the fire alarm in the middle of the night, does anyone come to check to make sure there really isn't a fire?"
Patrick: "Nope. They sure don't. Go to bed."
Me: "I'm scared."
Patrick: "But there wasn't really a fire."
Me: "I know. But now I'm awake. Want to talk?
Patrick: "Go to sleep"
Me: "Hey! The good news is that we're down to double digits left on this deployment!!!"
Patrick: "Good night."
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