Hot Wheels!

This must be the year of the wheel- because they keep coming my way! At the end of last year I got a new wheel chair and a new handicapped accessible vehicle- practical wheels, but ones I use every day. Now here we are in June and I have received more wheels! But these are different because they are FUN WHEELS! 

The first set of fun wheels I got was from an organization called JJ's Toys for Friends.  They make amazing adaptive equipment for people like me in memory of their son JJ. They gave me a new jogging stroller that can turn into a bike trailer, AND it also has pop on beach wheels! We have been waiting for something like this for a long time. 

Here I am attached to my mom's bike

Here I am at the beach with the big wheels

I can't wait to use these fun wheels all summer long! My family likes to go on bike rides and to the beach, so it will get lots of use. Just wait until you see the next set of wheels...

A special group at the University of Rhode Island, called Lil' Rhody Riders, created an adaptive ride on car for me.  It is a collaborative project between the physical therapy and engineering departments. It is so amazing! I can push a button and make it go all by myself! Or we can switch modes and my mom or dad can drive me with a remote control. It is going to be so fun riding around my neighborhood this summer!

This is going to be a great summer! Thanks so much to JJ's Toys for Friends and Lil' Rhody Riders!!

Summer is gone...

I can't believe it's been so many months since we have written an update! Summer is already come and gone. We were so busy having fun we forgot about blogging for awhile. Here is what we were up to for the past few months...It was a summer all about FAMILY!!

When summer first started we went to Pennsylvania to go to The Family Hope Center and then to visit my Grandpa Bob and Grandma Judy. We had lots of fun riding on their pontoon boat and swimming at the pool.

I love riding the boat!

Grandpa Bob, My sister Addy and ME!

When we got back from PA it was the 4th of July! I love going to the parade in Chatham- but sometimes the cannons are a little too loud.

In the middle of July my mom and I went to Houston for our last trip. I am part of a stem cell trial at the University of Texas. We got to have some fun while we were there. We went to the Houston Aquarium and to the Museum of Fine Arts. It was super hot while we were there!

Museum of Modern Art- that's all paper!

The Aquarium had white tigers!

Petting the rays

Splash park

Riding a giant ferris wheel

Ready for some tests!

When I got back from Texas it was my brother's birthday party. We went on a REAL pirate boat! We looked for treasure and used the water cannons to get the bad pirate. We all dressed up like pirates and sailed on the water.

Kingfisher Kai (Pirate Name)

Getting my treasure!

At the end of July we went to Rhode Island to stay with my Mema and Grandpa Al. We had a fun week of time at the beach, birthday celebrations, outdoor concerts and treats!

Blueberry picking

Playing with my cousin Bo and Uncle Andy

I love babies!

Hangin at the beach

Luau party with my cousin

In August we had a visit from our Aunt, Uncle and four cousins from Alaska! This was the first time I ever got to meet them! We went to the beach and played lots. My cousins pushed me on the zip line so many times!

Swimming with Uncle Jack

Cousin Liana

Watching movies

Yeah Cousins!!

By the middle of August we were set to head out for our last road trip for the summer. It was time to visit Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Ken in Illinois. We visited my Aunt and cousin too! We even saw mom's uncles and cousins. We went bike riding and to a water park. We also took the train into Chicago and went to an amazing playground and to the Art Institute. We listened to a concert in the park too!

At the Art Institute

Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

Our reflection in "The Bean"

Millenium Park

Concert in the park with cousins

Saying goodbye to Grandma and Emmett

When we got back from Illinois we still had one more trip before school started. It was one of the best parts of my whole summer! We took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard to Camp Jabberwocky. Jabberwocky is a poem from Alice in Wonderland. This is a special camp for kids like me! Our whole family stayed at the camp and we had so much fun! Unfortunately, we had to end our trip early because of the tropical storm-- we can't wait to go next year!

Dancing at camp

Archery

Cruising on a Catamaran

Saying goodbye

New friends

Our Table

Every night my family eats dinner together. We have lots of fun conversations at dinnertime, and I thought I would share them. We start our dinner with a thankfulness prayer, it goes like this:

Thank you for our warm house

For our friends and family,

For our food, we are thankful.

For Life

For Healing

For Joy

We are thankful.

After we say our prayer we share our high/low. High/Low is a game we play by each sharing the "high" of our day and the "low" of our day. The "high" is the best, or most fun, part of our day; and the "low" is the worst, or not fun, part of our day. My brother Liam always says that he has "No lows!" He is a really positive guy, and he seems to forget the bad stuff. I share my high/low by my family asking me about what I did that day at school, and then I tell them "yes" when they get to the thing I liked most. 

After that we each choose a card from our stack of Christmas cards that we get from our friends all over the US. At Christmas time we hang the cards around the doorway, but when it's time to take them down, we put them in a pile and choose three to talk about at dinner. My Mom and Dad tell us about the people in the picture, or who sent the card. Then we send them kind wishes.

Last summer we did a project every morning at breakfast and every night at dinner- we grew a Gratitude Garden! We cut out petals, leaves and stems. Then every day we wrote one thing that we were grateful for. At the end of the summer we had a garden on our wall!

Our Gratitude Garden

A few years ago we made a Thankfulness Turkey around Thanksgiving time. My mom is always looking for fun dinnertime things to do!

Thankfulness Turkey

Spring Break Fun!

Even though we were really hoping to go somewhere warm for spring break, we still had an awesome time doing fun things on the Cape all week. Here is what we got around to...

Sunday
Of course, I got to ride my beautiful horse Duke at Cranberry Sunset Farm (I'm doing a triathlon with mom and dad to raise money for this amazing place! To donate click here). 

Here I am with Little Duke!

Peter helps me learn how to ride.

In the afternoon we went to the Harwich Junior Theater to see "The Secret Garden". It was a musical. We didn't get any pictures with the actors, but we took a picture outside. After, we went to Buckie's for a treat and then to the park.

Monday

We had some old friends come to visit for a couple of days. Corey, Alana and their Mom, Liz, met us at the Cape Cod Children's Museum in Mashpee. We had lots of fun playing with dinosaurs, dressing up and petting turtles!

 Tuesday

We went to a fun event at ME Small school where we got to pet a hedgehog, a bunny and a turtle. We did some arts and crafts too. Then we went to the park. I love the swings best!

At the park on School St.

In the afternoon we went to see the juggler at the Dennisport Library. Here is my brother being part of his show!

 Wednesday

 This was a super fun day! We went to the Marconi Fire Station for Junior Ranger Day. We learned all about fighting forest fires. We got to try out different types of hoses and even a fire extinguisher! Of course, Smokey the Bear was there! Later that day we did an Earth Day scavenger hunt at the National Seashore. We had to travel to different places, do activities and get puzzle pieces. Then when we put it all together we got a special Jr. Ranger patch!

Getting ready to use the fire extinguisher

Ready, aim, NO fire!

Thursday

I got to go to the Audubon camp in Wellfleet all day long with my brother and sister. We were so busy we didn't even get pictures!  We got to touch some wild birds, go on nature walks, make crafts, look in the exhibit hall and learn all about animals. It was so fun!

Friday

We went bowling with my friend Maeve. My sister helped me get the balls and roll them down the track to get a strike!

 Saturday

What a beautiful busy day we had: ziplining, a trip to see the herring run in Brewster, the playground, and swimming at the YMCA. 

I love my zip line!

At the herring run with our friends

Drummer Boy Park

Swimming at the YMCA

 It was a fun week, but I can't wait to get back to school!