The Transition Tour - Week of Jan. 26th

"And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings." ~Meister Eckhart

It was an eventful week in the Weatherford household.  Jane left for a business trip Tuesday morning during a snow event and arrived back home very late Wednesday evening.  She was in Orlando where the high temp was 53 degrees.  The very same day, Cam remained home since school was closed due to the winter weather.

The elusive ceiling track remote finally arrived at our home 9 days after it was sent on its way via UPS.  Midwest Patient Lifts is our Michigan provider and they even included a nice cozy blanket.

Cam and his mom made it to Mary Free Bed after school on Thursday to pick up his updated AFOs (ankle foot orthotics) which help keep his legs in alignment when standing.

Friday morning we were destined for a tour of the Transition Center.  The Center will serve as Cam's continuing education after he graduates in May.  

The program serves young adults from across the Forest Hills Public School district who have a range of abilities and developmental needs. The center focuses on preparing students for independent and community life, employment, continuing education, and recreation/leisure skills after school services are complete.  Cam was very impressed that the desk areas were all adaptable for his power wheelchair.  He always notices the accessibility aspect and he commented on each zone and function as it related to how he would use it.
Chris and Jane were excited to see how things were set up and they all left the building with huge smiles.

Cam's parents made a quick trip to check on Oma's cottage after dropping off their son at school.  Lake Michigan's ice coverage is 40% and it certainly goes out quite a ways until you can see the water.

On Sunday, our fourth adaptive ski lesson at Cannonsburg marked the "warmest" day yet with temps in the mid-20s.

We were all laughing about how our bodies have acclimated to the colder climate this winter.

The afternoon gave us our smoothest runs of the season and the sunshine definitely made it feel warmer than it actually was!  Chris and Cam now ride the chairlift every time together.  Even though the process still makes Jane a bit nervous, the guys have settled in.

Our volunteers Jim and his daughter Aliya have been such positive teammates every week.  Jim is an expert tether guide maneuvering Cam down the hill without any wipeouts!

Camology Quotes:

After Friday's tour, Cam was dropped off at school at the same time as Brody.  Jane and Brody's mom checked in with the front office.  Cam asked if someone could call his classroom. Jane asked Cam why he wasn't just going there, to which he replied:

"Because that would not be copasetic!"

Brody's Mom: "Do you even know what that means Cam?"

"Of course. It means that it is not really ok."

Brody's Mom: "I'm leaving now..."

Snowed In - Week of Jan. 19th

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” ~Aristotle

It was not a great week to be standing out in the cold Michigan atmosphere. We don't recall another winter week when Cam only attended school one day due to inclement weather!

Monday's MLK Day was a planned school closure, but the rest of the week was not.  Wednesday was the only actual day Cam rode the bus to and from the high school.  And truly, the declining road conditions warranted a closure mid-week as well.

Because of school not being in session on Friday due to frigid temps and more snow, Cam's scheduled IEP (Individual Education Plan) conference had to be held remotely via a video meeting.  With all of the attendees joining from their homes and screensharing, we gathered around Chris's large curved monitor so it was easy to see Cameron and his parents at the same time.  Cam actively participated in his plan, interjecting and commenting along the way.

On Sunday, we ventured out for our afternoon adaptive skiing.  Our volunteer team checked in with us on Saturday to be sure we would be participating due to the colder temps.  We told Cam it was his choice and he said we should go for it!  Chris and Jane told him that it would be his call when to head in if he felt too frigid.  Our family was all smiles even though we knew it may be more challenging to ski.

Much to our surprise, the conditions were great for our downhill activity.  Cam and his parents all used toe warmers to keep their feet a bit toasty and inserted hand warmers into their gloves.  We bundled Cam's legs in an extra blanket which was quickly covered in snow.

The high temperature was 16 degrees and Cameron didn't give up his time outdoors.  We all agreed it was good to be outside after the many snow days at home.

On the way home, Cam and his parents were all laughing when we saw that our temperatures were expected to be in the low 20s for the following few days.  Cam declared, "It's a winter heat wave!!"😁

Camology Quotes:

On Monday, Cam's district was closed for MLK Day but other districts were not.  However, some did end up having a snow day.  When we looked outside that morning, Cam commented:

"I bet the roads are not awesome today!"

I Advocate for Myself - Week of Jan. 12th

"A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence." ~James N. Watkins

The Michigan snow machine started up mid-week.  Chris left Thursday afternoon for a guys weekend at Crystal Mountain to snowboard.

Thursday evening, Cam and his mom made their way to CrossFit for the weekly Ability Athletes class.  Cameron and five other peers were present.  After the participants completed their 45 minutes, the parents had to take part in the final exercise they call "Bring Sally Up, Bring Sally Down" which follows the music of the same name.  Each time that phrase is sung, a squat down and then standing up follows.  Cam used the controls on his chair to transport himself into standing mode and sitting mode. So, even Jane had a mini workout at the end of the class.

Fortunately, Cam was able to make his way up the snowy driveway after school on Friday following bus drop-off.  Jane explained to her son once they made it into the house that afternoon, they would most likely be there until Chris arrived home early Sunday.  Sometimes, plans require modification.

Friday evening, Jane accidentally dropped the remote for Cam's ceiling track in the shower.  We quickly realized it is not waterproof due to the buttons not working after Cam had his shower.  Jane resorted to using a stepstool to access the manual buttons on the main compartment housed adjacent to the ceiling. That night after speaking to Chris, she followed his recommendation to place the remote in uncooked rice in a sealed container.  This would help absorb the moisture.  

Saturday morning, though, Cam's mom had to call for backup.  Neighbor and good friend, Mr. Steve arrived to assist. The remote had completely stopped functioning and two people were required for manual transfers.  

Due to Cameron's persistence, his mom was able to locate a service number to contact.  Jane forewarned Cam they would not answer on a Saturday.  To her (huge) surprise, a technician not only answered but also opened a formal case and provided some helpful advice for further drying out the internal components.  Shortly thereafter, our local Michigan company called us and we were able to order a new remote, which are now being made waterproof- imagine that!  After all of the craziness, Cam and his mom had fun with the karaoke machine and belted out a few songs.

Chris arrived home earlier than he had intended but needed to plow the driveway which was covered with snow.  

Sunday afternoon, we were ready for Cam's adaptive skiing outing. At Cannonsburg, we welcomed Jim and his daughter Aliya to Team Cam. Jim is an expert at tethering and guiding Cam down the slopes.  He is an Occupational Therapist when he's not volunteering.  Aliya is an expert skier and a junior in high school.  The conditions were the best for our winter sports and even though we were a bit chilly, we definitely had a lot of fun!

Sunday evening we were talking about the stressful moments over the weekend that we could now smile about.  Cam reminded us that he was advocating for himself when he insisted his mom call the support number. Jane was reminded that assumptions can be proven wrong and sometimes, instead of "mom knows best" it can be "son knows better!"

Camology Quotes:

Cam is observant. However, we all miss things.  When arriving home from school and driving up the driveway, he mistakenly declared:

"Mom, this is not my coat. I am wearing someone else's coat today!" 

"That is your new winter coat. It's just the first day you've worn it." 

"Oh, whoops. I guess I missed that."

Making Deals - Week of Jan. 5th

"Ring out the false, ring in the true." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

We were talking about who first started New Year's Resolutions. It cannot be attributed to a single person but there are some interesting past details.

The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions has very ancient roots—it wasn’t invented by any single person but evolved over thousands of years across different cultures. By the 19th century, the phrase “New Year’s resolution” appeared in print (Boston newspaper, 1813), and the concept shifted toward personal self-improvement goals rather than religious vows. Today, it’s mostly secular and focused on health, habits, and lifestyle changes. Examples of Victorian Era resolutions:  "Write more letters to friends" and "Spend less on frivolous hats." Popular Early 1900s resolutions: "Stop smoking cigars indoors" and "Learn to dance the waltz properly."

We had a good laugh about how resolutions seem short-lived instead of lifestyle changes for good.

While the deer were looking forward to finding treats in our backyard, Cam was looking forward to exercise class at Cross Fit.  The Ability Athletes class moved to Thursday evenings to save Saturday for other activities.

Friday was the first Unified Basketball game of the season.  Chris attended with Cameron's team and the match finished before dinner.

Saturday's agenda included putting together a new desk for Chris. Cam was set up with the directions.  He guided his dad along and at one point, they briefly disagreed on the screw type in one of the steps.  As they continued along, Chris realized his son had been correct in his insistence and he had to disassemble some parts prior to re-assembling once again.  The curved monitor looks especially cool on the new desk and now father and son have matching pieces for their desk areas.

Sunday marked the first of five sessions for adaptive skiing at Cannonsburg.  The program is through ASAWM (Adaptive Skiing Association of West Michigan.  Cam was fortunate enough to have one of the veteran instructors guide him down the hill.  Chris snowboards and Jane skis alongside their son as "guards" along with other volunteers.

Cam's latest favorite phrase is "How about I make you a deal..." which leads to a statement about how he thinks something should go or a negotiation that will bring him to his own desired outcome.  

For his first ski session of the season, he was a bit hesitant.  Prior to heading out to Cannonsburg, he told his parents "How about I make you a deal. If I wipe out today, I definitely do not want to do adaptive skiing next year."

Fortunately, for us all Cam remained upright for each of his runs.  His mom, however, did have a small wipeout when she hit a patch of ice.  As she told her son, it would not deter her from continuing to ski this season or the next one!

Camology Quotes:

Chris has learned how to ride with Cam and his equipment on the chairlift at Cannonsburg. A new employee handling the lift greeted each of the skiers and we all noticed, especially Cam, who commented to his dad:

"It's good they can be so attentive and still do their job!"

Bring on 2026! Week of Dec. 29th

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." ~ Maria Robinson

C.S. Lewis said, "There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind."

Cameron was feeling good for his last week of winter break.  A scheduled haircut on Monday had Cam styling once again.

On Tuesday, a sweet surprise awaited us...in the late afternoon.  Our friends from upstate New York appeared at our door.  Not only did they show up bearing Christmas gifts, but they also brought all of the ingredients for an amazing dinner.  Gifts included handmade ornaments, kitchen scrubbers and smoked jerky made by Drew. A historical book about World War II and the Japanese soldiers was given to Cam by Drew and Jack. Vyanna, along with her mom known as Nana taught us how to assemble the wontons and eggrolls.  Nana made the pinwheels with her expert folding technique.

We taught the family how to play our new favorite game, Uno Flip.  This led to a great deal of laughter and a few marathon rounds.  On a subsequent evening, we embarked on a lesson in handmade spring rolls.  All of the ingredients are lined up on a tray for assembling and the rice paper is dipped in lukewarm water prior to adding the pre-cooked chicken and vegetables.  A light sauce is used to complement the filling and there is no baking.  We all deemed this one of the 'cleanest' meals we'd ever tasted.

The backyard deer made an appearance as well during the snowy day.  We were so happy we were able to spend quality time with our friends over the course of a few days.

Cam rang in the new year with his parents at home.  Chris surprised us by revealing that he had created a Family Trivia game based on Cameron's blog!  He casted it to the tv and we played for quite some time.

Cam was successful in winning a few rounds, although his dad did have the upper hand since he was the creator.

On Saturday evening, we were excited to meet up with our friends, Matt and Jill, for dinner at a local restaurant, Vitale's.  It was a very cold night. Jill brought her service dog, Tarzan, a golden retriever who is so well-behaved.

We shared tasty appetizers and Chris and his son shared a delicious pizza for their dinner.  We had such a good time.  

All of us agreed, though, that our next planned outing will take place at Cam's house where everyone can hear each other more easily.

Camology Quotes:

Cam's parents enjoyed multiple days off during the week.  Perhaps that is why his parents slacked off a bit. When Cam announced on Alexa for assistance, Jane appeared, but Chris did not.  When Cam's dad finally came in the room later, Cam informed him:

"You're oblivious, Dad. You are hearing only what you want to hear!"