Knees

Today was the first day back to normal after 10 days of Spring Break.  Caden delighted in having his brothers home :)  For the duration, we scaled back the time spent doing therapy and homework and dialed up the play time.  This meant more time hanging out with his brothers, playing outside, going on walks, riding his bike a la Fred Flinstone, and spending time with friends.  To ease back into the routine this morning, Caden did the first half of his PT at home, and the second half on the playground.  We were both impressed with his balance on the suspension bridge; and his new and improved arm strength meant hardly any help from me on the monkey bars.

Back in February, Caden was allowed to slowly transition from using a walker to using a cane.  Well, Caden is Caden, and he never really took to the cane -- preferring to use it more like Fred Astaire, although without the cool jump kicks.  His preference was to use my hand and/or arm which he affectionately calls the Mommy Walker.  Last week he was given the go-ahead to freestyle, and we put the cane aside.  Caden is once again my toddler, or a boy with lots of swagger in his step, or a cowboy, depending on his mood.  To give him more freedom (and me peace of mind), he has a "crash helmet" and knee pads that he can don before swaggering out the door to play.  As he still needs lots more therapy and conditioning to get his balance under control, Caden spends a decent amount of time practicing falling down and getting up :)

I can remember pulling up my knees at the end of a fun-filled day, and smelling the sunshine and grass that lingered there.  We have often told the boys that we can tell how good a day they have had by what stains they have acquired on their shirts.  Caden's days can be read by his knees:  frequently bruised, but joyfully splashed with mud and grass stains and a dash of pet hair.  Guess those knee pads can't cover everything!     

Desks and Ducks

Spring is finally in the air (sometimes), and Caden can smell it!  He wants to get outside and play, and do the things that were normal for him pre-injury.  One favorite is to ride his bike.  This results in great enjoyment for Caden, and a total work-out for me and whichever one of his brothers I can entice to hold up the other side of the bike ;)  Just as we were digging around for a pair of training wheels, his PT suggested lowering the bike and taking off the pedals completely.  We'll give it a try!

With over a month of home instruction under his belt, I think Caden is getting used to the routine.  His amazingly creative teachers are great at adapting the work to help Caden relearn some of his skills.  They have even brought him his very own school desk!  Aside from being the right size to help him with his posture and fine motor skills, it makes home a little more school like for those hours of the day.

During one of Caden's first outpatient PT visits in early January, the therapist recommended that he add the crab walk to his repertoire.  He was just really getting a handle on crawling, and attempting the crab walk for the first time proved very frustrating -- his arms were not strong enough to support him and the motor planning involved made the whole activity beyond his reach.  Two months (and a lot of practice) later, Caden can sidle like a crab around the mats with confidence.  His new challenge:  to walk like a duck.  I told him he can quack to his heart's content.