Down Time

This weekend we took some time to relax and recharge.  This is not something that we take for granted since we usually have very little "down" time.  And, when we do get a long weekend or unexpected break from running here or there we are often working on any number of things to stimulate Emma's speech or motor skills.  Really....poor Emma can't catch a break from us!  

But, this long weekend we decided to relax a bit and have fun as a family.  We didn't worry about how much time Emma spent in a stander, listening, stretching, etc.  Instead we relaxed, recharged and played!  And our entire family is better for it.  The thing is, when we take this approach Emma usually shines!  She holds herself up really well in her wheelchair, she vocalizes to get our attention, she KNOWS that she is not being asked to work and she is thrilled to fall into the lazy days when they happen.  

So, this weekend we did a bit of shopping, ate some Mexican food, played miniature golf, went to the Wilmington Blue Rocks game and stayed for the fireworks show, ate ice cream from the local creamery and enjoyed a family bar-b-que.  We also slept in and skipped some naps.  Popped some popcorn and watched Camp Rock 2:  The Final Jam.  We talked about all the fun things we are looking forward to in the Fall - like picking apples, the leaves changing colors, doing crafts with the leaves and pine cones.  

September is a busy month for us.  Chris and I will present a final project and graduate from the Partners in Policymaking program.  Julia will start back at school and dance lessons.  Chris will run his first half-marathon and we will all participate in a 5K.  I will spend a lot of time following up on all the paperwork to get Emma's KidWalk gait trainer.  We have Emma's IEP coming up next week and she will likely start pre-school by the end of the month.  I have a lot of anxiety over sending Emma to pre-school, but know that we will only do that once we have all her supports in place and can ensure it will be a good experience for Emma.  

I think we all needed the holiday weekend to recharge for the busy month ahead.