Sunday, May 3, 2015

Getting Out


I'm going to let you all in on a secret.  Cabin fever can happen without even needing a cabin.  While Nate was sick we weren't able to leave the house much and with our apartment being small enough to make Thumbelina explode in claustrophobic rage, you can imagine how things were starting to feel for us.  

So we've been getting out as much as we can.  On top of Nate's list was the NASA Ames Research Center.  It had Nate so excited that he couldn't focus on any one thing.  We would roll him up to something he wanted to see and in seconds he would point his wrist over to something else and excitedly demand we go look at that now.


He loves the stars and space so I asked him if he wanted to be an astronomer.  He said no and told me what he wanted to be.  I asked him to tell me again.
 


However, just today he was saying he wanted to be a doctor.  A blood doctor specifically so that "if someone's CO2 is too high I can do a blood draw".  It's delightful and sobering that Nate knows about high CO2 levels and blood draws to test for that.

Over the last couple of weeks we:

Checked out the new handicap accessible park that just opened near us, Magical Bridge. As you might imagine, Nate loves it.  In the couple of weeks it's been open, Nate has been there at least 132 times.  The park is amazing and has so much more stuff for Nate to do and enjoy than a regular park.  The best part about it though, is probably how well it integrates the play between disabled and typical children.  It's a great park and a lot of fun.





He also found a new place to check out ducks, geese and Koi fish.  I don't think he loves seeing fish, ducks and geese but he loves seeing Annie's reaction to geese that get too friendly.  If you're wondering - her reaction is a mixture of terrified and spastic. 


Back to the farm near our house.  Any chance Nate gets, he chases peacocks.  It's been his thing for years.


His highlight this week was heading back to school.  He had to miss school for a month while he recovered but was so excited to get back.  The day went from 10 to 11 when the caterpillar cocoons the class had been tending finally opened up and a butterfly took its first flight right onto Nate. 

Nate felt like he was pretty important that day, maybe too important.  I should probably do something to knock that self esteem down a notch before he starts getting too uppity. For those of you who don't know please be aware that I am joking and not a terrible parent.  At least not on purpose.


The beach!  We have a love hate relationship with the beach.  Annie and I love it, Nate loves it but it hates us, so very much.  The beach is hard for us what with it being made of our mortal enemy, sand.  Thankfully, there are quite a few places around us that have nice pathways right on the beach that allow for Nate's wheelchair.  It's been a big hit so far and occasionally we'll unplug Nate and take him down to the water.  Exhausting but worth it. 

Can you find me and Nate?


Nate checking out the seals on Seal Rock through a 70-year-old telescope that cost us 50 cents. 


Beach near Half Moon Bay. Look at the face on Nate.  I want to say it's pure joy but it could also be him going over his plan for world domination.



I love going to the movies so my favorite day of the last few weeks was taking Nathaniel to his first movie.  I don't know if it's a SMARD thing or just Nate but he has some sensory issues and we'd put off taking him to the movies but he really wanted to go so we went.  He loved it. 

It's always great when Nate gets out and does something and gets that smile of pure excitement on his face.  It feels like a big win for us.  Now that he's seen Disney's Monkey Kingdom, next up, Furious 7.  Nate's a HUGE Vin Diesel fan.