It's not a secret. Shaw and I spend a lot of time in therapy.
I'm actually surprised at how easy it is right now. There are new toys, rides, contraptions, trampolines, books, etc. It feels like fun. It IS fun!
We also are very mindful of scheduling therapy simultaneously, while Nash is at school. We treat it more like a 'Mommy & Me Gym" rather than work - and that is very important to us.
Shaw 'graduated' (or at least is 'taking a pause') from Speech Therapy last week. (A HUGE, TREMENDOUS, EXCEPTIONAL accomplishment that Michael and I certainly don't take lightly - but we don't necessarily celebrate it at home with the boys, either. I don't think they really know what a milestone Shaw has achieved - and that is okay. Michael and I, however, have shared many tears, high fives and proud head-nods at our son's accomplishments.
What I love is - each week, as we traipse back to Physical Therapy, Shaw is still asking for his Speech Therapist, Anne. He misses her.
I try not to get ahead of myself, but sometimes I wonder what it will be like when the boys are older and the work of therapy isn't as easy to camouflage as play. I don't want to sugarcoat everything and want to be honest with our boys. But soon, Shaw is going to figure out that this is work and not everyone else is at Ms. Gail's or Ms. Anne's or Mr. John's or ..... Instead, they are at playdates, at the park or soccer practice. Nash is not far from understanding that we do things a little differently.
I suppose we will cross that bridge when we get to it. What I've learned so far is half the things I worry about, never happen the way I imagined them anyway. And the things that do seem consuming often find a way of working themselves out.
Another thing I have learned with the help from our therapists is what a vital role we (as parents) play at home with our children. I do my 'homework', vigilantly, with Shaw - but I do my best to make it fun. Here are a few of our 'therapy' sessions at home this week...
PS - refurbishing an old swing set provides a HOST of activities for both boys. Thanks to their Daddy and Mr. Rawald, the boys wake up talking about the swing set and have been helping every step of the way!!
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| Daddy adds nails to boards for the boys to hammer, while he is working. (Great OT) |
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| The unattached swing rocks and demands serious balance. |
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| Nash's friend, Xavier, comes for a visit, while his Mom and I talk about her experience as a Mom currently in the NICU with a little one. |
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| Our swing set heroes - Daddy & Mr. Rawald!!!!! |
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| Ms. Gail in our PT sessions. |
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| This is the beginning of a very exciting project for Team Richter |
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| No. This isn't a whip. This is Shaw on his scooter board at PT, building his core. (Nash and Shaw both have scooter boards at home where we race through the kitchen on our bellies) |
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| Danger! But so fun!!! |
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| The best homework to follow for both boys is having fun. Our neighbors, the Lowes, make that so easy to achieve! |
1 comment:
I'm popping over from the Observer article, and I wanted to share how inspired I am by what you have done and continue to do! One of my little buds did a (praise) short stint in the NICU at CMC; his twin went straight to the newborn nursery. The non-NICU twin, however, has had more challenges. They are seven years old and in kindergarten, and the non-NICU twin goes to therapy on Wednesday mornings (instead of school). The good news I want to share is that therapy doesn't phase him a bit (from a "being different" perspective), and actually that's his favorite day of the week!
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