Standing Tall - Week of May 25th

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." ~Winston Churchill

Adults tend to over-complicate things.  Kids look at the simplistic aspect.  When looking for a new show on Amazon one evening,  Cam said "Mom, search on wheelchair."  And yes, a variety of shows, specials and a movie appeared.  Sometimes you just need to get back to basics.

On Thursday, we headed to Mary Free Bed so Cam could test out his new wheels and be fitted for custom seating and controls.  We've been through this once before so we knew the drill, but it was more exciting this time around since for the first time ever, Cameron would be able to use a sit to stand powerchair!  The appointment is roughly 3 hours long and measurements and button testing are performed.  Cam is very patient with the entire process.  From the time we had our first consultation, it was a little over 6 months for this day to get here.  In less than 2 weeks, we will head back for final pick up.

Saturday brought us to Brody Be's Cafe to hang out and hear a live band!  We thought it may be too loud for Cam, but he thoroughly enjoyed the music and declared it was just right as far as volume.  We were able to see Brody and his family as well as one of Cam and Brody's bus drivers, Mr. Jim.  Jim really missed the boys and their fun trips to school.  We're hoping he's able to have their bus route in the fall.

On Sunday, we were on the road headed to Oma and Opa's for beach clean-up duty.  So much wood had drifted in and dried grass, it made it difficult to walk to the shoreline.  Before working, though, we feasted on a delicious brunch, made by Cam's grandparents- homemade sausage breakfast casserole, Oma's famous coffeecake, and fresh fruit.

It was a picture perfect day, cooler by the lake, but the sunshine warmed us all.  To be rid of the brittle vegetation, Chris used a firepit to quickly burn the excess pieces.
We were actually surprised by the amount of beach since there has been so much erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline.  It is very unpredictable and in a single week it is not uncommon to lose six feet of beach.
The fresh water isn't nearly warm enough to swim in yet, but it sure does look inviting. 
Cam is always interested in learning new facts and one we looked up this week was the depth of Lake Michigan and where the name came from.  The deepest part is measured at 922 feet!
The word "Michigan" is believed to come from the Ojibwe word michi-gami meaning "great water."  We certainly look forward to balmy temps, sand in our toes, and some great warm water to play in!

Camology Quotes:

Cam is using video with Zoom and FaceTime calls on a daily basis.  He especially likes to test out calling his parents, even when they are in the same room.  On FaceTime, Cam likes to experiment with different effects, adding symbols and changing filters to change the look of someone.  He took this picture of his mom in black and white while they were connected.
"Mom, this is what you are going to look like when you are old."
"What do you mean, Cam?"
"You are black and white, like an old person."