"There is no place like home"

I left early for a good reason. First, I believe I gave myself a hairline fracture with my big toe. From there I clearly was only thinking about my toe. Heading up to the passenger deck on the ferry, I didn't look onto what floor I parked on (deck 3,4,5) was I in the whale, crab or sea-lion section? I did not know. The time I found my van, we were unloading. It reminded me of the time we lost our keys but to find out that one of our children hid the keys while we searched everywhere, cars were being loaded to go back the other way. It was stressful. During my drive looking for the hotel, I was momentarily lost. Finally our arrival at the hotel consisted of hobbling, I was the hobbler pushing my daughter, hanging bags off my arms, and off the wheelchair - then my second trip was the cooler of food. Try pushing a wheelchair, carrying a cooler with a hobble. It wasn't joyful. We both relaxed, had dinner and for some reason, I stubbed my big toe again. It's like a sore thumb, it sticks out! The bleeding began again, and I was onto my third sock. Fitting my big toe (acting like a sore thumb) into my little Toms wasn't working, so I had this bright idea from a friend to go to Walmart to buy slippers. Pouring rain, my daughter and I went shopping for slippers. The funny thing is, I decided to push her wheelchair and pull a cart while hobbling through Walmart. It was an interesting sight, especially when I slipped on one bright blue slipper! I ended up Easter shopping. My cart was loaded (not because our children are receiving tons) but because we have a lot of children. While pushing and pulling outside in the pouring rain, hobbling in a furry bright blue slipper, a kind lady asked me, "Do you need help?" I laughed. "Not the help you're offering!" I think I'm funny, if anything - entertaining! Next up, Wednesday.

I decided I like my own town. It's simple, there is clearly a North and a South direction on one main highway. Then you can go West one way and turn around and come back to the East. When you're in the city, who knows where North, South, West and East is! I can't follow the ocean nor the sun because I can't see it through the tall high rise buildings! There is streets that are labelled the same but are located in different places. I was lost every time I went somewhere. There was no easy way to purchase a coffee and I was surprised not seeing any Tim Horton's or drive-thru's. The city is dirty. I didn't like seeing fruit stands sitting outside while hundreds of cars pass every hour. The little buildings connected together were dirty. I did get lost ending up driving East Hastings. Amazing how many drug deals that were happening in broad daylight. It's very sad. The whole lost experience honestly just reminded me that we are isolated on our cozy little Island. Not that there isn't places that look the same, or drug deals going on. It's less populated and confined where my home is. After our daughters first feeding assessment, I attempted bringing her to the Planetarium. Of course being lost - we missed their last show. So we ended up checking out the Maritime Museum instead. It's awesome if you're into ships. On our way back (lost again) I felt so good to realize I was going South instead of North, because finally realizing this, turning around would once again put me in the right direction! I have never received so many honks as I have had these past few days! No one liked the fact that I was going slow enough to read my next turn on the street signs two blocks ahead of me! I need a GPS! To conclude Wednesday, the team of professionals mentioned that our daughter was lucky to have us. Meaning such caring parents, 24/7 care for our daughter. I immediately responded, "We are lucky to have such a special daughter, (she's our gift) and has taught our whole family compassion for difference, she deserves only the best" I get teary eyed speaking on how special she really is. Very honoring for me to be her Mother.

Thursday was a 6am start. Our medical technology is amazing! Have you heard of a video fluoroscopic swallowing study? It is an xray that video tapes you swallowing food mixed with barium. Barium makes your food show up on the xray. Very interesting. Watching and learning about our daughter's feeding and swallowing issues was fascinating. She looked like a little dinosaur in the video, very cute. I learned a lot. We also now have a wonderful specialist that specializes with Cerebral Palsy and tone management that offered to follow our daughter. He was "awesome" We know our daughter's future consists of a feeding tube eventually, her diagnosed reflux will be managed with medication and we're going to document everything, every fever, daily food and liquid intake, our daughter is going to be well looked after! After the tests, and consulting appointments we left with some conclusions, many answers and a brief outlook into her future. Education with anything is definitely key to success. I do feel better inside constantly learning about our children medically, physically and mentally. On the ferry, we met another little boy in a wheelchair where they both interacted with each other. It was very cute. Now it's Spring Break............lost within my days, I'm now wrapping my brain around what our break will look like. I love being home, I love this Island. It's truly an Island, slower paced, less populated and my type of comfortable. Just like the city is beautiful in many ways. We all reside in areas we love and appreciate - so I completely understand there is nothing like home, and what's good for another isn't always good for someone else. So the hustle and bustle of a city can be more attractive then dodging horse manure every ten steps around here!

"No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home. - Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.