MacKenzie and Griffin

I love this one of Mackenzie and Griffin from Georgia Soo Adorable

"Just The Way You Are" Matty B

This video has been on the special needs circuit for quite some time now, but it makes me smile every time I see it. I wonder if Bruno Mars has ever seen it?

SIgn Language Video

As some of you know, awhile ago my blog was nominated for the About.com "Readers Choice Award" for The best Grandparent blog, I recently found out that I am now one of the top 5 contestants (Whoo Hoo)!!!!! Thank you for those who took the time to vote for me. I appreciate it. But anyway, the reason for my blog is while I was taking the time to peek at my competition, I ran across a blog called "Grandma's Briefs" (I couldn't help it, the title of the blog peaked my curiosity) When I looked at the blog I was pleasantly surprised to find a video that she had made after learning some basic sign language from baby signing time. This is all the rage for typically developing kids to be able to communicate earlier than they are able to speak. It cuts down on frustration and is also known for encouraging speech at an earlier age. I also need to get up to speed with my sign language in order to be able to keep up with Hailey's communication, she has learned a bit in school and I want to be able to understand her when she is trying to tell me something. I hope this helps dome of you as well. Thank you to Grandma's Brief's If I don't win the contest, I hope that you do!

"Just Because"

This was a poem I wrote last year for Hailey on Valentines Day.
You have my heart there is no doubt,
my fragile flower, I can’t live without.
my heart is yours, as well my soul
I love you more than you’ll ever know.

A little girl, with long brown hair
her smile it spreads from ear to ear.
her words unspoken, I don’t care
I know she loves me, i’m well aware.

Her future holds no certainty,
but then again who’s does
i’ll just take it day by day
and love her just because.

xoxo Copyright by Janet Harrold

For Natalie and all of "The Special Moms" out there

Traveling Bears

Do you know a child who would love a visit from a cute and cuddly teddybear who just so happens to have the same disability as they do? These friendly bears are on a very special journey spreading awareness, encouragement and love by visiting families all over the world. This mission was brought to life by a very young 7 year old boy named Elijah and his mom. They wanted to raise awareness for his diagnosis Pediatric Stroke, and thus the Traveling Awareness Bears were born.The effort took off and was even more successful than they could have ever imagined, bringing along the conception of multiple bears with varying diagnosis’s known as the Bearowicz family. The bears are allowed to visit the home of a very special little girl or boy for 1 week, and for individual circumstances up to 2 weeks.They arrive with a journal and a passport in tow. Each child gets to stamp the passport and marvel at how far and wide their bear has traveled to be with them. (pretty awesome huh)?The bears hate that they have to leave after just 1 week but they are mindful that their job is very important and they have friends around the world that need them too.The bear is allowed to go almost everywhere, to schools, Dr.s appointments, surgeries and even while they are attending horseback therapy lessons. The organization is to taking suggestions on other disorders, diseases,syndromes, and disabilities but for now the bears that are making the rounds are...Pediatric Stroke, Autism, Congenital Heart Defect and Rare Chromosome Disorders, lymphatic malformation, Chiari malformation, cerebral cavernous malformation, EA/TEF and they are also working on diabetes, epilepsy, leukemia, hearing impairment, ADHD/ADD.. Their goal is to eventually have bears for all of the things that affect our children. If you would like a member of the Bearowicz family to come visit your home for a week Click Here . The organization is currently in the process of becoming a non-profit 501c3 but in the meantime has a WISH LIST Please take a moment to see if you can help out with any of the items on their wishlist. They are not expensive items and some of you may have things around the house that would be helpful to them. Traveling Awareness Bears P.O. Box 1513 O’fallon, MO 63366

I am the child

I have posted this one in the past, but since I have so many new readers, I thought I would repost. It is so important for everyone to understand. I only wish I knew the author so that I could give proper credit. I AM THE CHILD (Author Unknown) I am the child who cannot talk. You often pity me, I see it in your eyes. You wonder how much I am aware of -- I see that as well. I am aware of much, whether you are happy or sad or fearful, patient or impatient, full of love and desire, or if you are just doing your duty by me. I marvel at your frustration, knowing mine to be far greater, for I cannot express myself or my needs as you do. You cannot conceive my isolation, so complete it is at times. I do not gift you with clever conversation, cute remarks to be laughed over and repeated. I do not give you answers to your everyday questions, responses over my well-being, sharing my needs, or comments about the world about me. I do not give you rewards as defined by the world's standards -- great strides in development that you can credit yourself; I do not give you understanding as you know it. What I give you is so much more valuable -- I give you instead opportunities. Opportunities to discover the depth of your character, not mine; the depth of your love, your commitment, your patience, your abilities; the opportunity to explore your spirit more deeply than you imagined possible. I drive you further than you would ever go on your own, working harder, seeking answers to your many questions with no answers. I am the child who cannot talk. I am the child who cannot walk. The world seems to pass me by. You see the longing in my eyes to get out of this chair, to run and play like other children. There is much you take for granted. I want the toys on the shelf, I need to go to the bathroom, oh I've dropped my fork again. I am dependent on you in these ways. My gift to you is to make you more aware of your great fortune, your healthy back and legs, your ability to do for yourself. Sometimes people appear not to notice me; I always notice them. I feel not so much envy as desire, desire to stand upright, to put one foot in front of the other, to be independent. I give you awareness. I am the child who cannot walk. I am the child who is mentally impaired. I don't learn easily, if you judge me by the world's measuring stick, what I do know is infinite joy in simple things. I am not burdened as you are with the strife's and conflicts of a more complicated life. My gift to you is to grant you the freedom to enjoy things as a child, to teach you how much your arms around me mean, to give you love. I give you the gift of simplicity. I am the child who is mentally impaired. I am the disabled child. I am your teacher. If you allow me, I will teach you what is really important in life. I will give you and teach you unconditional love. I gift you with my innocent trust, my dependency upon you. I teach you about how precious this life is and about not taking things for granted. I teach you about forgetting your own needs and desires and dreams. I teach you giving. Most of all I teach you hope and faith. I am the disabled child.

The world needs art!

Today's post was brought to you by Jewels, she wrote this lovely post after meeting Hailey at the Dance Studio... I am a dancer of IMPACT dance company, located just outside of Boston Massachuesttes. The companies founder/choreographer/most amazing woman ever is evolving a evening length work right now based on the movement of Hailey, a beautiful bright four year old with Cerebral Palsy. Hailey's Grandmother has a beautiful blog that documents their families journey, please read about this remarkable family here. Working on this piece has been emotional since day one for me. Working to promote Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness has opened my eyes to the struggles so many children with special needs face, especially in social situations such as schools. It was wonderful to meet Hailey and hear her parents speak about how much she has opened up with children at school, and to witness her be completely open with a room full of strong dancers - not say in the least - was so heart warming. We all fell in love with Hailey the second she entered the room. Her sparkling eyes lit up and she went straight to the mirrors, admiring her beautiful face. We preformed a part of our peice for her, and she watched with rapt attention, smiling and giggling the whole time. The joy in her face is something I will never forget. It made me think about how much I take for granted - the fact I can move and have a body that is suited for dancing, I can walk I can run, I am weight training, I can articulately speak my mind- things she will not be able to accomplish because of her body and her brain. She is extraordinarily intelligent. After watching us she copied our movements exactly and picked a favorite part of the dance. I truly believe she will do great things with her life, she is too intelligent not to. Please follow her story at the link above and stay tuned for the progression of this piece. Todays post was written by Jewels She is one of the Dancers over at Impact Dance Company Boston

Child model with Down syndrome inspires thousands

To see a video of Ryan Langston, Click on the link below. He is the young boy that everyone has been blogging about! Child model with Down syndrome inspires thousands

Best Grandparenting Blog!

About.com is looking to give the 2012 Readers Choice Award to the best grandparent blog and “Painting For Hailey” has been nominated! This is the category that we are nominated in. Best Grandparenting Blog by an Individual Blogger

If you enjoy reading my blog and learning about Hailey and our families journey, please go over to the nomination page and nominate us. The five blogs that get the most nominations will make it into the voting phase. Nomination: Best Grandparenting Blog by an Individual Blogger All you have to do is write in 3 pieces of information as follows: Name of Blog* “Painting For Hailey” Blogger Name (Real or Blogging Name)*Janet “Grammy” Harrold Blog URL/web address* www.janetharrold.blogspot.com So head on over to About.com Thank you for your continued support and if you want to see our profile on About.com you can see it here

Mary Clare and Luke

I just realized that I haven't been posting all of my latest paintings on the blog. I have been painting, just not posting them. Here is my latest, I hope you enjoy! Oh and head on over to my painting for Hailey fb page to see more. The shirt in my painting is different per moms request Mary Clare and Luke... so precious

The Photo

Who's next??? inbox me www.harrold.janet@gmail.com and thank you for sharing my paintings with your family and friends

"Inclusion Infusion"

Inclusion infusion, that is what comes to my mind when I see this ad. The buzz around the special needs blogosphere is that Nordstroms and Target have really hit a bulls eye with their ads featuring this handsome young man Ryan. Ryan (who just so happens to have Down Syndrome) is included in both of these ads.

Often times our society excludes children with disabilities, too many times they are separated, stared at and picked on. It does my heart good to see these retail giants support and include Ryan. After all...he is adorable, just as cute as any of the other children in the ad. I shamely admit, that before Hailey was born, I had no idea that the special needs community is as large as it is, I not only had no idea, I never took the time to find out, or to care. It wasn’t my issue, After all, I was too busy, and it didn’t concern me. SHAME ON ME! But the reason I had no idea, is that I was never taught or educated about how or why people with disabilities were born, or how they should be treated. When I went to school the children with disabilities were in a separate classroom, away from everyone else, they did not participate in recess as we did, they didn’t have lunch when we had lunch, they took a different bus than we took to school. I thought they were someone to fear! After all, alot of the children in the special ed class couldn’t speak and they sometimes made loud noises and that scared me. I thought, they were behind closed doors for a reason, and I should be afraid of them. SHAME ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM! But now that I am grown up and I have a beautiful granddaughter with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy. I know that people with disabilities are just beautiful members of this society just as you and I. They deserve respect, love, patience, understanding, acceptance and they deserve to be included in everything that you would want to be included in. I believe that if we see more often in the media children who have special needs (such as an ad with a child in a wheelchair, or leg braces, maybe someone with a therapy dog, or a child with a walker) If it becomes more commonly viewed, then it will become more accepted or more “the norm” and others will understand that people with disabilities are not people to be pitied but accepted, respect and included. As a granddmother who supports and loves her grandchild just as anyone else supports and loves their grandchildren, I have made several small attempts to try and make inclusion a priority. A few recent attempts that I have done to raise awareness. Some have been successful, others, not so much. But with these two retail stores putting there best efforts forward, I will continue to try and maybe, just maybe one of my efforts will catch on. One small effort that I make to raise awareness is this blog, it is a pretty well read blog, so I have to say that this effort has been successful. Another successful effort for raising awareness for C.P. is hiding a green Cerebral Palsy Awareness ribbon in my paintings, this has been sort of successful, I have many people who view my work as about it, and this gives me a chance to explain. Another successful feat was this years “Christmas Card Project” It was my hope to design a Christmas card that featured a child in a wheelchair opening up a present and enjoying Christmas just as any child enjoys the act of opening up a present.

These cards were sent and received by so many people across the world, thanks to the Cox family for allowing me to paint their handsome boy Carter and for sending these cards to soo many people. This idea came to me after writing a letter to “Blue Mountain” greeting card company and a couple of other companies suggesting they come out with a line that featured cards appropriate for and featuring the special needs community, this effort was rejected and makes me want to start my own line. I really want to do this and have been working on it, but I don’t have the necessary resources. Another effort that was rejected was my letter to Susan Lordi (Willow Tree Figurines) You have all heard of or seen these beautiful figurines. They claim to have a figurine for everyone or just about any occasion. I beg to differ, I love these figurines, I love the art, sculpture and the painting so much of these beautiful simple works of art that I contacted the owner and asked them to sculpt a child in a wheelchair, or in leg braces etc. They sent me a nice response but were unwilling to fill my request. This is an example of one of their figures, depicting a perfect family,

however it doesn’t look like my family. I would love for Hailey to see things that she can relate to. Not that she can’t relate to every other little girl that loves to play with dolls and watch cartoons, but it would be great to see a large company support everyone, just as Nordstroms and Target are doing. They are saying that our kids are just as adorable as other kids and they are treating our kids as equals and that goes along way with me! A big thank you to Target and to Nordstroms for the support!

Where It Counts

Today I read this on facebook and just had to share :)Love the image too!

I'll never be on the cover of some glamour magazine. I'll never wear a crown or be a beauty queen. There are days I look like hell, There are days I show my age, But in my heart... where it counts I'm Beautiful all the same. I might not save the world, I'll never cure some deadly disease Won't fly above the trees But I'll do my best to change the world a little each day I'll do my best to make a difference, Touch the heart of someone as much as I can, Make a mark on the world where it counts. I know many who will try to put me down, Many who would love to see me fail, But I know who I am and that's where it counts. ~ Written by K.D. Storm

Santa Claus

This year I thought was a good year for Hailey as far as the Santa Claus thing goes. I wanted to know whether she was getting the whole concept about Santa or not, so I decided to ask her questions about what she was getting for Christmas. Obviously Hailey couldn't tell me in her own words, she doesn't speak, so my questions would simply be yes or no questions. Hailey is very good at shaking her head no and when she nods her head up and down for yes, it is much more of a subtle nod, If you are not paying close attention you just may miss it. The first question I ask her is..."Hailey, have you been a very good girl this year?" Hailey slightly nods her head up and down. and then I ask..."Hailey, is Santa Claus going to bring you lots of toys?" again her head slightly cocked and she is nodding up and down. So I continue... "Is Santa going to bring you a doll baby?' up and down again. "Is Santa going to bring you a truck?" this time I think i'm going to trip her up abit, but she slowly nods her head up and down again. Now I'm thinking she is just saying yes to everything I ask her. My next question..."Hailey, is Santa Claus going to bring you some new clothes?" She briskly shakes her head NO! Just like any typical 4 year old, she is not as interested in the clothes as much as she is the toys. The following day I went home and wrote her a letter, the return envelope was from The North Pole. When Natalie read it to her, she listened attentively as her mother read these words...

Dear Hailey, Rudolph just whispered in my ear that he can hardly wait to lead the reindeer with my sleigh full of toys on our long trip from The North Pole to your house! I will be making my list and checking it twice, please continue to be a good girl. I know that you are 4 years old now and getting so big! The other day I looked into my crystal ball and discovered that you are going to have a little brother soon.This is great news, I just know that you will be the best big sister ever. I must go now to check on the elves in the workshop where they are making all the good boys and girls their favorite toys. I think I saw them making a new doll house for you! We will be loading the sleigh soon and heading your way. Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas, Love, Santa Claus Hailey's face lit up like a Christmas Tree!

Hailey with Impact Dance Company

A while back I wrote a post called "A Dance for Hailey" Hailey's mom Natalie has a best friend who has a dance company called Impact Dance Company, it is a fairly new company but the dream to do this choreography has been in the making for almost 5 years now. Ever since Hailey was born with Cerebral Palsy, Meghan McCaffrey dreamed about doing a dance piece that would help others to understand and raise awareness for Cerebral Palsy and to celebrate Hailey and all that she has to offer. Well, today we had the opportunity to meet the dancers and the dancers had the opportunity to meet their inspiration (Hailey) The had the opportunity to observe Hailey's movements, and the way that she crawls,smiles,sits acts, and laughs. The next two videos are just so exciting to me, as I watch Hailey act out and perform with the dancers without any prompts from us, she was totally comfortable with what she was doing and even commanded the stage. One of Hailey's dancers summed up our morning by saying " We danced, we talked, we laughed, we learned and we cried" All of these emotions were present and I can't figure out who learned more. Us, The Dancers or Hailey. But I do know that it was one of the most positive experiences for everyone involved, and we can't wait to do it again. I don't quite know all the details at this point, but Meghan tells me she plans on doing this piece in a theatre, it will start out with some information about C.P., Possibly a video chronicalling Hailey's journey this far, and the finale will be a Rockin performance by her dance company that will captures the true spirit of Hailey. This is going to be a lot of hard work over the next few months, but I know it will be worth the wait! Thank you Meghan...head on over to Impact Dance Company become a fan and you can track the progress of this lovely and heartfelt performance for Hailey

Wheelchair Acceptance

Well, yesterday was an extremely emotional day for our family. Though some of us handled the news better than others. It wasn’t a total surprise when Natalie called me to let me know the news. Hailey’s PT recommended that Natalie contact children’s hospital about getting her a wheelchair. There has been talk about this in the past, so I don’t know why it hit me so hard, but it did. Like a ton of bricks. I was at work and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it, I couldn’t get myself together and I felt awful when my waves of emotion took the place of getting my job done, but I couldn’t concentrate, I just wanted to go home and go to bed, put the covers over my head and wake up in the morning and discover it was all a bad dream. I felt compelled to drive over to Natalie (because I know she was feeling it even more than me) and hug her and let her know that everything was going to be o.k. Little did I know that she was already headed over to my house with Hailey. She said she was in the neighborhood, but I think that subliminally, she wanted to be with people who love Hailey. She knows that she can always count on us for support. We have all been through so much together as a family. I guess I kind of secretly hoped that Hailey would get to a point where she would be able to walk with assistance, and that one day the only thing that she would need would be help from a canine assistant. So to here from a professional that this is not the case, it just knocked the wind out of me. Now that I have digested and regurgitated the news, i’m o.k. with it. Why wouldn’t I be? As my husband says “Hailey is still the same beautiful girl today, as she was yesterday and will be the same beautiful girl tomorrow” I know this is true. So, as I usually do when I hear new developments about Hailey. I get on the internet and I talk to my blogger friends, the people who understand first hand about what is going on in our lives, because it is also going on in theirs.(special thanks to Cary from about the small stuff) I have to constantly remind myself to stay focused on the positive and not let these barriers swallow me up, and to remember that wheelchairs are just a good way of getting around if a person has trouble walking. I also know that there are others out there who do not have the mobility to use a wheelchair and I should be grateful that Hailey is a candidate for one. Just because Hailey will be using a wheelchair does not mean that we are giving up hope, that one day Hailey will walk. We will continue to challenge her to reach her own personal potential, whatever that may be.

There are just so many unanswered questions: I wonder if Hailey will use a manual wheelchair, or if she would be better suited with a power wheelchair? Will her motor limitations allow her to maneuver the controls like a joystick, or will she have the strength to push herself along. She will have to get used to it in school, at home, travelling etc. It will be quite different. I wonder about how the wheelchair will transport? If we need some kind of conversion van, or lift. I wonder if we will eventually need a wheelchair ramp? I wonder how Hailey will adapt to using this new mode of transportation? My sense and my hope is that she will adapt fairly well. Her strength, determination and perseverance will be tested once again. As I have said so many times before, I believe in Hailey, she has led the way for our family on this uncertain path this far and she will continue to lead us down this bumpy road, only this time she will be doing it on wheels!

"I know a great store that has countless toys for kids with special needs"

It's that time of year when i'm asked on a regular basis "what are you getting Hailey for Christmas", or "what can I get Hailey for Christmas" "can she play with regular toys" "How about puzzles, does she play games" "does she still like books" ????????? It's because of the many questions I've decided to write a general guide to help others who may have someone in their lives with motor issues know where to buy and understand what they may like and be able to use. First of all no toys please, just money for her well needed and very expensive hippotherapy lessons, just kidding! First off I would just like to say that Hailey likes alot of the same things that other 4 year old girls like. She loves to play with her dolls, just the other night, I was playing with her in her bedroom, she lined up all her doll babies, stuffed winnie the pooh, elmo, mickey mouse and dora. (Hailey doesn't walk so she spends alot of her time on the floor) With my help,she covered each of the dolls with little blankets (well really anything textile that she found on her bedroom floor, things such as, nightgowns, sweaters, coats, towels and the like). After her babies were all tucked in, she dragged her basket of goodies over and carefully but with much effort, gave each baby a piece of pretend fruit. This took over an hour but it was then I learned that Hailey was a nurturer, she made sure that each baby had their nourishment. There were bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, and oranges strewn about on the floor next to each of them. In this respect, I'd say Hailey is like other 4 year old girls. As far as other games and puzzles that Hailey likes, they really have to be well built, made of hard plastic or wood,otherwise, because her fine and gross motor issues, she will destroy them. An example of what not to get her would be...anything paper, books, cards, crayons, etc. Or anything that requires you to hold on to in a controlled fashion or with small pieces, these types of things will be destroyed in minutes she doesn't have the control or motor skills to turn the pages of a book without tearing them, or she would crumple a card when she makes an attempt to pick them up. Small pieces are difficult to grasp etc. These are all things that we work on but are extremely difficult for Hailey to achieve. Natalie and Tom believe the best place to buy Hailey's toys from is Lakeshore Learning, they have store locations from coast to coast as well as a full service web site. Here are a few examples of toys that Hailey or someone with motor issues would enjoy.

Though I believe Hailey is getting too old for these now, she enjoyed them last year and this is the type of durability I am talking about.

Giant Knob First Puzzle Set Little hands have no problem piecing together these adorable puzzles! Each simple puzzle has 4 wooden pieces with giant, easy-grip knobs—so they’re a cinch for kids to grab and fit into place. And, with matching illustrations right on the puzzle boards, they couldn’t be better for beginners! Four 9" x 9" puzzles come in a handy wire rack. EE439 • $39.95

Hailey had something similar to this last year, the large plastic cookies are a bit easier to grasp, as we helped her put her cookie in a slot the jar counted for her, she loved it! Count-A-Cookie Number Jars Tots fill up cookie jars with tasty-looking treats…and build counting skills—piece by piece! 5 wipe-clean vinyl jars are labeled with numbers 1-5 and come in graduated sizes to build number sense and reinforce one-to-one correspondence. Kids match the cookies to their color-coded jars, counting each one as they drop it in! Largest jar is 5"; with 15 cookies.$32.99 It is difficult for Hailey to hold a ball, she doesn't own these, but I believe these are something that she could grasp.

Easy-Catch Playballs - Set of 4 Put a fun new spin on active play games with our easy-to-catch playballs! The playground-tough neoprene balls have a flexible woven design that gives children endless ways to grab and throw them—ensuring frustration-free play for players of all sizes. 4 balls, each 7 1/2". CE255 • $39.95 I think Hailey really responds to music, these are a good example for someone a bit younger than Hailey, I think it would be a great way to keep them moving their arms.

Easy-Grip Jingle Bells - Set of 8 With our easy-to-play bells, little ones always enjoy no-fail music-making! Each one has an extra-chunky plastic handle to give children a sure grip, plus three securely attached metal bells that jingle with every shake. They even come in cute animal shapes that kids are sure to love! Set of 8 easy-grip bells; fish is 4 1/2" long. DB952 •$24.99 Hailey loves to be read too, I wonder if she would like these

Differing Abilities Book Set Kids learn why some children wear leg braces, how deaf children communicate, what it’s like to live with autism and more. 5 books, each 24 pages. AB358 • $29.50 She doesn't have these, she doesn't play with figures yet, I guess I posted them because I love them and think that it is a great idea to have figurines of people of different abilities.

Lakeshore Block Play People with Differing Abilities Increase the diversity of your block play community by introducing our figures with differing abilities! Made of extra-tough vinyl, the dolls represent a variety of ages, ethnicities and genders…all with super-realistic details and adaptive equipment—from leg braces to a hearing aid. Tallest is 5 1/2". Set of 6 figures shown. RR759 • $19.95

I like this because Hailey can reach it, but since it is so expensive, I just might buy the magnetic shapes and she can play with them on my refrigerator, she "W" sits lot ( I know, I know, we try to correct her, easier said than done) ans she can reach the lower part of the fridge.

Stand-Up Magnetic Design Center Our magnetic design center is so big, children can stand side by side while they create colorful magnetic patterns! Double-sided center features two giant magnetic write & wipe surfaces, plus a sturdy base to store magnetic shapes. Wooden center is 21" x 32" tall. Easy assembly. LA583 • $79.95 Jumbo Magnetic Design Shapes 40 giant wooden shapes include circles, squares, rectangles, triangles and more. Large squares are 4". LA585 • $29.95 Hailey loves her pretend fruit, this wooden set is very durable

Fruit & Vegetable Cut-Ups Our fun fruits and veggies let kids cut, slice and dice like real gourmet chefs! 18 plastic play foods stick together with hook & loop fastener, so kids can safely “slice” into each one…then press them together and start again! With 2 safe “knives” and cutting board—all in a 10 3/4" basket. FV526 • $29.95 Last year Hailey received this gigantic peg board game from her Uncle, she needs lot of assistance when she plays with this, but she enjoys "trying" to stick the peg in the board!

My First Pegboard Set As tots fit chunky, baby-safe pegs into our fun-shaped pegboards, they explore color matching, develop eye/hand coordination & build muscle control! The big, 9" x 9" pegboards are made of soft, flexible foam…and the jumbo pegs are 2" wide, so they’re a cinch for small hands to grip. Includes 4 boards & 40 pegs. DD645 • $29.95 These are just a few of the many awesome toys that Lakeshore Learning has to offer. Whether or not you have a child with special needs, This store has toys that are strong and safe. It is definitely worth checking out!

The most beautiful blessing

Well, we all know how much I really enjoy spending time with Miss Hailey and Thanksgiving certainly is a perfect time to reflect on all of the blessings we have in our lives. I would be lying if I said that it didn’t bother me to watch her struggle as she attempted to eat the whipped cream off of the spatula from the pudding pie that she and Natalie made for dessert. Of course I wish that such a simple task could be accomplished without such difficulty, but for Hailey, it will always be difficult. But we will never forget that the mere fact that she is here today is truly a blessing.

Life certainly has a way of throwing you curve balls, but it is how you deal with them that defines your character. I am so proud of the way Tommy and Natalie have grown both in maturity and character since Hailey’s birth 4 years ago. As young parents they have learned more about life lessons, health issues and therapy sessions, than most of us will ever learn in a lifetime. They have learned more than they should ever have to know. When you have a child with a disability it is important to be able to look past the medical issues, past the limitations and all of the challenges that someone like Hailey faces every single day.They even have to look past the ignorance of others. Instead the importance lies in seeing the beautiful and courageous little girl that Hailey is. After all, that is what defines her anyway... not her disability.

For others it may seem a bit difficult to see their blessings, especially in this challenging economy, some have lost their jobs, others their car payments or the luxury of enjoying a night out to dinner. To my family our blessings are quite clear. Hailey is our blessing. We see things a lot more clear than in years past. We celebrate every achievement, no matter how small. Our priorities have shifted and our lives have completely changed, because when someone that you love has Cerebral Palsy, (or any disability) it’s as if the entire family has Cerebral Palsy, and you know what, we wouldn’t have it any other way, because we will never let Hailey go through this alone. We count her as our number one blessing, not only on Thanksgiving, but every single day.

Assistance dog helps Ohio boy with cerebral palsy | The Associated Press | Health | San Francisco Examiner

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS IN HAILEY"S FUTURE...Click on the link below to read

Assistance dog helps Ohio boy with cerebral palsy | The Associated Press | Health | San Francisco Examiner

Balloon Therapy!

This is a fun way to get those arms moving. I have to remember to do this more often with Hailey! This video was taken last year.
I actually got the idea of playing with balloons while going to a physical therapy appointment with my mom, they were trying to get her to move her arms by throwing a balloon. I thought wow, what a fun game to play with Hailey. So I went and bought a half dozen of balloons and this was the result, so exciting! We all enjoyed ourselves that night. Thank you Natalie for reposting.