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Welcome to Coleson's blog. We've created it to keep friends and family updated on the journey we are about to embark on.. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement during this time when it matters most.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to one and all!

 

We have had a good 4th quarter here at chez David.  We started the quarter with a trip home in October for fall break.  October 6th was the anniversary of my father’s passing and we buried his ashes (those that weren’t spread elsewhere) next to my mother.  Aggie had a very nice headstone with a barn made, very apropos for my dad.  It of course brought all the sadness of it all back to the surface but at the same time at least for me, it also gave me a sense of peace with it all as well.  I have been visiting that cemetery for 35 years now since my mother passed away and I find comfort in knowing she is watching over him (showing him the ropes so to speak)!   My Aunt Rose took our family pictures at the farm while we were there. 

 

The rest of the quarter was inundated with birthday parties, including Peyton’s 6th.  She has lost her 2 bottom teeth already.  She is doing very well in school but longs for the Pre-K days when school was only half a day and there was no homework!  Her freedom is getting squashed at Kindergarten, she doesn’t have as much time to play at the park these days.  I thought she would enjoy being at school with friends all day but I think being at school with friends and playing at the park with friends is very different.  Despite this though, she is exceling academically and behaviorally. 

 

Coleson is also doing quite well.  In fact, I think he has had only 1 sick day from school, not because he was sick but because there was strep throat in the Pre-school classes and I didn’t want to chance it.  After we got back from home, we enrolled him in a Sensory Learning Program.  Think of it like exercising the neuron pathway to the brain that controls focus, stability, attention and communication.  He had to lay flat on a table that moved in a circular motion while staring at a flashing light and listening to headphones with music that would oscillate through the decibels.   He had to do this 2x/day for 30 minutes ea. for 12 days straight.    By the time we got him into it, I wasn’t quite sure that he really needed it as he has progressed to be in the average range in every area.  However, I figured it could only help him and so we went through with it.  Thank you to those who donated to Coleson’s cause so that we could afford to send him there!  He actually did quite well despite it being a pretty intense 12 days and I have seen a difference in his attention, focus and his communication skills.  He still remembers going and everyday says, “No Sirri”, which is the name of the place we did this at.   Rachel did most of the weekday sessions with him and I think she says the same thing! 

 

We have scheduled his surgery for next year for May 24th and I booked a house for the entire summer.  I really think this will be better for us all.  I still don’t know how to break the news to him as he is very much aware of what happens at hospitals now and this surgery will only make that nervousness worse.  He has gotten a few shots lately (vaccines and flu) and though he handled them all quite well (better than Peyton),  there is no reason in the world that a 4 year old will understand why he is able to run into the hospital fine but come out with a double cast and in a lot of pain. 

 

We took the kids to Polar Express this weekend with some neighbor friends and I think Coleson really understands Santa now.  Nothing like meeting him in person!  I hope all of you have a happy holiday season.  If you are thinking about ways to help out others during the season, I have 2 recommendations:

 

  1.  If you are in Arizona, you can make a dollar for dollar tax credit on your Arizona income taxes by donating to Waggoner Elementary School of up to $200 single/$400 joint.  You don’t have to have kids in school.  It is a direct $ for $ so why wouldn’t you want this money to go to a school instead of to the government.  Kyrene.org/taxcredit, select Waggoner Elementary. 
  2. Also, you can sign up on Be The Match   (www.bethematch.org) as a bone marrow donor (or if you don’t qualify, you can donate directly).  It’s very simple.  This video, a parody of Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood”, puts a light hearted spin to the Bone Marrow Transplant process.        A Bone Marrow Transplant parody of Taylor Swift's Bad Blood

Hope your holidays are merry and bright!