It was past nine o'clock on a school night. Triple overtime was beginning. Two minutes to decide their fate in the world of basketball. Parents and siblings were all cheering. Super K of course was pretty excited as she is Wade's biggest fan .At the end of the two minutes, with five of the six sixth grade boys on the court, they fell by one basket. Their time in a Little Dribblers league was over. Forever. Tears flowed from those boys because they play with their whole heart as a team. They were amazing to watch.
This week has been a real challenge in the Neyland household. Wade has been in his final National Little Dribblers Tournament and the county livestock show is happening. Thankfully, the tournament was within a daily driving distance. As a matter of fact, I told Wade on our way home from the loss that win or lose, I really enjoyed spending the day with him. He missed all of his events at the livestock show, while his dad and little sister stayed there so she could show Wade's heifer in the pee wee show. Though I really missed watching Abigail, I had some good friends who helped her get ready and some more who sent videos.
I love watching Wade play any sport, but when he gets on the court, he becomes a totally different kid. He is all heart. We all watched him get mad his first year on the court, and he just woke up to playing basketball. This morning a kid on the opposing team totally triggered the same angry reaction and he played like a beast. He admitted he wanted to throw a punch when the kid shoved him (a foul was called), but he didn't want to get ejected. At least he thinks through his anger. I think the greatest compliment I have received as a parent is that Wade is so coachable, but that is because he plays with his whole heart. I'm so proud of him and his leadership on a court. I'm proud of his friends playing. I'm proud of the coaches who volunteer to coach them. We talked on the way home about what is means to leave it all on the court and I asked him, "Did you leave it all on the court?" He answered, "Yes." "Well son, you have nothing to be sad about. You left it all on the court."
Now Kaydence Grace has been a real trooper because she has attended most of the games. She chants her chant, sprays some spit, and laughs at drama on the court. She is almost yelling during opposing team free throws like a pesty sister should. She loves some basketball. She only seems to get upset when momma gets a little too mouthy and she plugs her ears. I guess I have something I need to work on before we play in junior high.
Kaydence has also enjoyed sitting in her new adaptive stroller. Yes, it looks like a wheelchair, but guess what? I don't care and it doesn't bother me at all. Unlike with a stroller, no restaurant hostess tells me I can't keep her in it in the restaurant and forces us to put her lanky body in a high chair. She is also comfortable and well-positioned in her posture. If one might recall, we ordered this chair in October and received it March 26, the day my Grandma died. Thus, I did not blog about it earlier. My back and hip have not hurt me near like they were because loading a chair into my car is easier than carrying Super K.
She is getting so much better walking, and at school, she has learned how to coast down the slope in the hallway. She is so funny and she figures stuff out so quickly. She may not be able to communicate, but my manipulative little evil genius is quick to figure out the things SHE wants to figure out. I consider this a win, even though part of her figuring things out is related to her eating. She is still eating well, but her gagging herself until she vomits is a whole other issue. I know I should be so thankful, but let me tell you, when you work hard to meal prep and feed a kid who NEEDS the nutrition and calories, vomiting it all up is the most frustrating thing that happens. It's work and it's exhausting, so vomit is contradictory to the whole feeding plan. With time, we will all get there I think. My big kids are constantly telling me what Kaydence will be doing in the future.
Speaking of the future, Kindergarten graduation, and sixth grade graduation are upon us. Usually in Kindergarten graduation, they do a slide show and post what the kids say they want to be when they grow up, and the kids speak it at the microphone. I'm a little emotional when I think about this moment, because my daughter cannot say that. I feel like her slide should say, I just hope to grow up. I just hope to be alive. I realize some readers may think that sounds drastic, but kids like Kaydence don't always make it to adulthood because their health can rapidly decline for a variety of reasons. I'm not whining. I'm just a realistic thinker, and probably too much of one, but this is something that always weighs heavy on me. Life with a Super K is just different. We have to think ahead about how to take care of her in case we die before she is grown. We have to consider what to do with her when she, hopefully, graduates high school. What happens if we are too old to really care for her? And those are just the tip of the ice burg. So we do try to make plans for some of the what-ifs, but many of them are just like her whole existence has been - just a wait and see. But for now we do what we can in the present.
One of Kaydence's current issues is her right foot. Her muscles controlling it are a little high in spasticity, so it causes her foot to really draw in and she cannot walk well. In May, we are going to try a little Botox to those muscles to relax the foot and hopefully gain some traction in walking. She wants to walk so badly, and I want her to walk so badly. Please be in prayer that this helps her. I also just hope we can eventually shuck her derotation cables. They definitely help turn her feet out, but it's all so bulky and has to be annoying to her. Sometimes you take a few risks for progress, and I'm hoping this one really works. For her to learn to walk better will give opportunity for other areas to develop, like potty training. I am again reaffirmed that God did not make me to be a nurse because the diaper of a six year old is yucky. Tiny babies are no issue all day long, but the older someone is, the more complicated it is. There is a meme on the Internet with a picture of two wrestlers saying, "Me trying to change my kid's diaper." Yes! That is me with Kaydence all day long! I really need her potty training, but walking to a potty is kind of important.
Tomorrow isn't promised, but we have to work today like it is, so that's what we will keep doing with all of our kids. We will keep pushing Kaydence and Wade and Abigail to move forward and learn something from every situation. Tonight marked the end of an era for Wade., but I think he learned some excellent lessons for the past six years. My tears are dried now. I'm ready for junior high. I hope he is too.
This week has been a real challenge in the Neyland household. Wade has been in his final National Little Dribblers Tournament and the county livestock show is happening. Thankfully, the tournament was within a daily driving distance. As a matter of fact, I told Wade on our way home from the loss that win or lose, I really enjoyed spending the day with him. He missed all of his events at the livestock show, while his dad and little sister stayed there so she could show Wade's heifer in the pee wee show. Though I really missed watching Abigail, I had some good friends who helped her get ready and some more who sent videos.
I love watching Wade play any sport, but when he gets on the court, he becomes a totally different kid. He is all heart. We all watched him get mad his first year on the court, and he just woke up to playing basketball. This morning a kid on the opposing team totally triggered the same angry reaction and he played like a beast. He admitted he wanted to throw a punch when the kid shoved him (a foul was called), but he didn't want to get ejected. At least he thinks through his anger. I think the greatest compliment I have received as a parent is that Wade is so coachable, but that is because he plays with his whole heart. I'm so proud of him and his leadership on a court. I'm proud of his friends playing. I'm proud of the coaches who volunteer to coach them. We talked on the way home about what is means to leave it all on the court and I asked him, "Did you leave it all on the court?" He answered, "Yes." "Well son, you have nothing to be sad about. You left it all on the court."
Now Kaydence Grace has been a real trooper because she has attended most of the games. She chants her chant, sprays some spit, and laughs at drama on the court. She is almost yelling during opposing team free throws like a pesty sister should. She loves some basketball. She only seems to get upset when momma gets a little too mouthy and she plugs her ears. I guess I have something I need to work on before we play in junior high.
Kaydence has also enjoyed sitting in her new adaptive stroller. Yes, it looks like a wheelchair, but guess what? I don't care and it doesn't bother me at all. Unlike with a stroller, no restaurant hostess tells me I can't keep her in it in the restaurant and forces us to put her lanky body in a high chair. She is also comfortable and well-positioned in her posture. If one might recall, we ordered this chair in October and received it March 26, the day my Grandma died. Thus, I did not blog about it earlier. My back and hip have not hurt me near like they were because loading a chair into my car is easier than carrying Super K.
She is getting so much better walking, and at school, she has learned how to coast down the slope in the hallway. She is so funny and she figures stuff out so quickly. She may not be able to communicate, but my manipulative little evil genius is quick to figure out the things SHE wants to figure out. I consider this a win, even though part of her figuring things out is related to her eating. She is still eating well, but her gagging herself until she vomits is a whole other issue. I know I should be so thankful, but let me tell you, when you work hard to meal prep and feed a kid who NEEDS the nutrition and calories, vomiting it all up is the most frustrating thing that happens. It's work and it's exhausting, so vomit is contradictory to the whole feeding plan. With time, we will all get there I think. My big kids are constantly telling me what Kaydence will be doing in the future.
Speaking of the future, Kindergarten graduation, and sixth grade graduation are upon us. Usually in Kindergarten graduation, they do a slide show and post what the kids say they want to be when they grow up, and the kids speak it at the microphone. I'm a little emotional when I think about this moment, because my daughter cannot say that. I feel like her slide should say, I just hope to grow up. I just hope to be alive. I realize some readers may think that sounds drastic, but kids like Kaydence don't always make it to adulthood because their health can rapidly decline for a variety of reasons. I'm not whining. I'm just a realistic thinker, and probably too much of one, but this is something that always weighs heavy on me. Life with a Super K is just different. We have to think ahead about how to take care of her in case we die before she is grown. We have to consider what to do with her when she, hopefully, graduates high school. What happens if we are too old to really care for her? And those are just the tip of the ice burg. So we do try to make plans for some of the what-ifs, but many of them are just like her whole existence has been - just a wait and see. But for now we do what we can in the present.
One of Kaydence's current issues is her right foot. Her muscles controlling it are a little high in spasticity, so it causes her foot to really draw in and she cannot walk well. In May, we are going to try a little Botox to those muscles to relax the foot and hopefully gain some traction in walking. She wants to walk so badly, and I want her to walk so badly. Please be in prayer that this helps her. I also just hope we can eventually shuck her derotation cables. They definitely help turn her feet out, but it's all so bulky and has to be annoying to her. Sometimes you take a few risks for progress, and I'm hoping this one really works. For her to learn to walk better will give opportunity for other areas to develop, like potty training. I am again reaffirmed that God did not make me to be a nurse because the diaper of a six year old is yucky. Tiny babies are no issue all day long, but the older someone is, the more complicated it is. There is a meme on the Internet with a picture of two wrestlers saying, "Me trying to change my kid's diaper." Yes! That is me with Kaydence all day long! I really need her potty training, but walking to a potty is kind of important.
Tomorrow isn't promised, but we have to work today like it is, so that's what we will keep doing with all of our kids. We will keep pushing Kaydence and Wade and Abigail to move forward and learn something from every situation. Tonight marked the end of an era for Wade., but I think he learned some excellent lessons for the past six years. My tears are dried now. I'm ready for junior high. I hope he is too.
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