How we spent our Saturday night...
Claudia and Eloise we fortunate enough to be invited by a very sweet friend to a birthday party Saturday night. It was a marathon of a birthday party... first swimming, then pizza, then ice skating, then cake, then a movie, followed hopefully by some slumbering, followed by pancakes in the morning and finally home.
Both of the girls were interested in going, and like most typical 10 year-olds had some worries. Eloise was worried that she wouldn't fall asleep and be grouchy the next day. Claudia, at first, was silent but you could see her wheels turning. Who will help me go to the bathroom, who will help change my clothes, who will get me into and out of the pool, how will I get my wheelchair into the house, how will I ice skate, I won't be able to sleep well, I'm allergic to their dog, and so on.
Matt and I have always been encouraging Claudia to attend birthday parties and behind closed doors we negotiate the logistics. We debate who will be Claudia's legs in the bounce house with twenty kids for the ten time that year. And please don't misunderstand, we want more than anything for Claudia to be included and to have some friends. I also don't want to paint an unrealistic picture.
So this Saturday, Matt drove Claudia and Eloise over to the friend's house. He carried our personal ramp over to their door to allow for Claudia's wheelchair to enter. He helped her get into the pool with all of her floatation devices. He helped her get out of the pool and change into winter wear for ice skating. During the pizza feast he gave her a straw and helped her reach the food she wanted. He drove Claudia in our wheelchair accessible van to the ice skating rink. Matt unloaded Claudia and her walker.
I met up with Matt and the girls by the rink to help get skates fitted. Vincent and Julianne were excited to try skating too. I adjusted Claudia's walker higher to accommodate for the blades on Claudia's feet. I donned some skates too. It was my turn.
Claudia and I entered the rink with about 80 other skaters of varying abilities many of whom were also using "walkers". I helped support Claudia's trunk while steering the walker and avoiding the 80 other skaters. At times Claudia's knees would buckle and I would need to help her straighten those too. We went around and around the rink fast enough to feel the cool breeze in our hair. (a novel concept for many native Arizonians) I had a good time and I sure hope Claudia did too.
Matt and I would do just about anything to help Claudia experience a full life. It hurts when we see her on the sidelines. It hurts her too. This year we have noticed more and more that Claudia seems content to sit out or that keeping up is just too much work. On some level I understand that feeling too... especially when I see her face while she is holding on with everything she has just to keep herself upright on those blades.
