I liked dancing and eating the ice cream!
The sisters also loved the sausage sandwich and lemonade.
We all got our faces painted. I got a minion on my forehead!
Thanks for a fun time!
This school holiday business is fun!
What a fun afternoon we had at the Golf Club disco!
I liked dancing and eating the ice cream! The sisters also loved the sausage sandwich and lemonade. We all got our faces painted. I got a minion on my forehead! Thanks for a fun time! This school holiday business is fun! School holiday fun with my sisters!
They did a good job! I love them. What a busy and fun Sunday! Today, we went to Sydney - on the train! We wanted to see how easy it would be, to do a Sydney trip in my wheelchair. We took Aunty Carol, because Dad had to work and Mum knew she wouldn't have been able to do that on her own! We got on the train at Wollongong, because there were buses from our local train station. My wheelchair would not have fit on the bus and they would have had to carry me. So, we drove to Wollongong. I got to sit in the special designated wheelchair seats, at the end of a carriage. We folded three seats up and my wheelchair was locked in place. Mum and Aunty Carol had to lift me on the train though. There was no one there to help us with the wheelchair ramp. Mum and Aunty Carol lifted my chair and put it in the carriage. These seats were good and it was nice to know there would be wheelchair seats. There's no way my wheelchair would fit down the aisle of the seats and we would not have been able to get it up or down the train steps. In the city, people were in a hurry and didn't want to wait or make room for my wheelchair, so it was a bit difficult getting in and out of the trains. Mum and Aunty Carol lifted my wheelchair, each time. When we caught an inner city train, these 'wheelchair' seats were taken. No one moved for me, so we locked the wheelchair wheels and left me in the middle of the section. I loved Sydney! It was pretty easy to move around the city. There were smooth footpaths and each time we came to steps, there was a lift. We ate ice cream and even got to see part of our Melbourne family at Darling Harbour! i got mango ice cream. It was delicious! Then, we caught a ferry to Circular Quay. I got to get on first, because of my wheelchair! But, we couldn't sit together. We had fun though! Then we had a picnic, overlooking the water and listening to the buskers. Some people tried to get videos and photos of me. We're not sure why they do that. It happens sometimes. When my family notice, they hide me from the person with the camera. We wish people didn't do that. We had a really fun day. I was so chatty when we got home! Our train rides were fun and I got to help do the Opal tap on and off! Mango ice cream for me! The waves were lots of fun! My little sister thought it would be fun to squash me... I didn't love that! After being in my wheelchair for so long, I just wanted to be back on the ground. We had fun and we thought Sydney was easy to get around, even with my wheelchair.
One of Those Days The Many Faces of Dexter Cerebral Palsy Doesn’t Stop Me Understanding Stuff They Want Octopus Arms Little Fingers Reaching Something to Say But No Words to Say It And Then, They Whispered about Me Dexter's First Month Dexter's Vision Dexter's Cerebral Palsy Dexter's Cancer Who is Dexter? Return to Home page Find me on: facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube Can you see me?! That's me, with the stripped socks on! I'm in an exploring mood tonight... I'm off to the girls room! #cerebralpalsy (The toy box was painted by @ericamade) This is my cool trick, at the moment.
They put me on the comfy mat.... but. I don't stay! I head off, as soon as they walk away. I'm getting good at turning the corners and I'm pretty fast! If I hit my head on the walls or on furniture, I stay still and make loud noises until they come and help me. One of our stories was just published on Source Kids Magazine's website. That's pretty cool! (Can you see me?!) It's nice to know that other people respect and value our stories so much, they are willing to share them. The post is about going to mainstream kindergarten. We always thought it was the right decision. We never thought there was another option. Until people started to show such surprise that we'd chosen mainstream schooling. We listened to the doubters and our confidence shifted. After some thought and discussion, some sleepless nights and some worry... we were back on track and feeling confident about our choice. And, now... two terms later, we know it was the exact right choice! Source Kids Magazine share stories about people with disabilities. From their website: Source Kids is Australia’s first magazine for parents, carers, families, professionals and teachers working with children with special needs. Source Kids delivers the latest information on a range of topics. Source Kids is a free publication that aims to deliver relevant and reliable information in a positive and vibrant magazine. As parents of children with special needs we know how important it is to have knowledge and information so that we, and the professionals working with our kids can do our best to develop their skills to the highest level possible. We're proud to have our story shared by Source Kids Magazine and hope it might inspire and encourage some families to consider mainstream schooling. We hope we can inspire and encourage people to believe in their decisions and stand tall through the doubts others throw at them. Read the Source Kids Magazine post here. Read more on the Source Kids Magazine website. Read more on the Source kids facebook page. Follow them on instagram. (Dexter's on instagram, too - @LoveDexter3 Raising awareness #cerebralpalsy #inclusive #mainstream #school Website is Five Stuck in a Rut Embrace the Lion I’m a Kindy Kid! Dexter's 2013 Dexter's First Month Dexter's Vision Dexter's Cerebral Palsy Dexter's Cancer Who is Dexter? Return to Home page Find me on: facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube This post isn't about me. It's not about Mum or anyone in my family. It's about my lovely nurse friend! She is always there for Mum, offering advice and helping Mum make the right decision. When I'm sick, there are lots of messages between her and my Mum. She always tries to visit when I am in hospital. Because of her, Mum didn't have to call the radio doctor for me last night. Because of her, I was able to avoid hospital last night. She understands me and my cerebral palsy. She knows my complex medical history. My nurse friend understands that Mum still has flashbacks to when I was really sick, last year. This was the one time Mum has called an ambulance for me. Usually, the doctor calls the ambulance. When Mum called the ambulance, she had to explain it was only because I was crying. The paramedics were awesome. They made ure my sisters were not scared. And, they listened to Mum. They took me to the hospital, where I had a long, scary seizure. I ended up in hospital for a week! My nurse friend knows that Mum gets very scared and remembers all my hospital admissions, while she watches me getting sick. She supports Mum. She doesn't judge Mum, even when Mum forgot that she could give me other medicine to help bring my fever down! She is awesome! I'll make sure I give her lots of sloppy kisses when I see her next! And... I'm ok. I had high temperatures and my oxygen saturation levels dropped for a while. When I get sick, it happens very quickly! Yesterday was just a stressful few hours, when I went downhill fast! I was feeling much better today. Dexter and Hospital
Hamish and Hospital Hospitals – Need ‘em, Hate ‘em Mum was Crying in the Ball Pit Stuck in a Rut Embrace the Lion I’m a Kindy Kid! Dexter's First Month Dexter's Vision Dexter's Cerebral Palsy Dexter's Cancer Who is Dexter? Return to Home page Find me on: facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube Today feels like the perfect day to snuggle into a blanket and watch some old videos. This was Dexter before he had surgeries on his hips. This was the best day he has ever had in his walker. He was so detemiend and felt so strong. We've since had to replace the smaller walker with a bigger one. Dexter has had to re-build his muscles, after his surgeries. He's had to remember how to take steps and how to move himself along the path. Somedays, he moves across the room and we're constantly turning him away from furniture. Other days, he struggles to move. Cerebral palsy makes everything difficult. Here's Dexter's Beach Dash: Ignore the crying at the start... The Flying Fox day was so amazing. While the expression on Dexter's face seems as though he wasn't loving this, he had the best time! He didn't want to leave and talked all the way home. Using an eye gaze system to play games - with his eyes! Though he enjoyed this one, he prefers the more 'boyish' games... smashing bottles and making fart noises. We can't wait to see what technological advances are yet to come. Still working on this! Still trying to stand. Still working to show how strong and determined he is. (Again, ignore the background noise!) Would You Like Some Cake, Dexter?
Physical Toll of Cerebral Palsy It Takes Energy to Stay Strong Out of the Mouths of Babes Mum’s Therapy Walking Until It Hurts I’m a Kindy Kid! Dexter's First Month Dexter's Vision Dexter's Cerebral Palsy Dexter's Cancer Return to Home page Find me on: facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube NASA
I'm going to get there one day! Maybe... I can be the first person with CP to fly to the moon! This photo might not look like much. But, look a little closer at our hands and you'll see that I'm holding Mum's hand.
From the moment I was born, I have always had tight hands. My thumbs are sometimes tightly closed inside my hand and my fingers usually make fists. But, we have been working hard at making my hands nice and loose. And now, I reach out for people's hands and I hold on to them. That's a nice feeling! You might have seen some art in the back of our photos. Remember these? These were given to us, for one of our fundraisers, and gifted back to us on the night. Now, they hang in our home. Mum grew up on the north coast of NSW. These artworks represent the many islands where Mum grew up. The artist is Frances Belle Parker. Mum loves these paintings, because they tell a story of her home. They were painted by someone she knows and they remind her of her childhood. Something very cool happened, this week. The art works of five Indigenous Australians have been chosen, to be displayed on the Sydney Opera House, every night. The display goes for seven minutes and is called Badu Gili. (This means Water Light in the local Bennelong Point language.) Frances Belle Parker is one of those artists. Her art is now being shown on the sails of the Opera House, each night! The display is shown at sunset and at 7pm. Apparently, over eight million people visit the Opera House, each year. That's a lot of people who might see her work! We're very happy for her! I can't wait until I can see it. (Photo credit: Daniel Boud. Photo source.) You can follow Frances Belle Parker art on instagram. Here is one of her photos: Congratulations! If you can't get to Sydney, you can watch the Badu Gili display here: The video goes for 23 minutes and was shared on the Sydney Opera House you tube channel. (This video has no sound, but other videos have indigenous music accompanying the light show.) Answering Questions – Non Verbal
Mum, Dad & Ten Years What a Dollar means to Dexter When Wheelchair Stops Being a Dirty Word Embrace the Lion I’m a Kindy Kid! Dexter's First Month Dexter's Vision Dexter's Cerebral Palsy Dexter's Cancer Who is Dexter? Return to Home page Find me on: facebook twitter instagram youtube |
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