The Advocator - Week of Oct. 10th

“My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.” ~Stephen Hawking 

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” ~Christopher Reeve

An advocate is defined as a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause.  To advocate for someone is to "support or argue for."  Since Cam was in grade school, his teachers have always urged him to speak up when he feels something needs to change or things should be handled differently.  It's taken some time, but our 9th grader doesn't hold back anymore when he realizes if he's not vocal for himself, no one else may be.

This week, Jane attended parent/teacher conferences at the high school.  Cameron supplied a verbal list of things his mom needed to bring up.  One: "The handicap doorway I drive through in the morning after getting off the bus doesn't stay open long enough for me to drive through."  Two: "I would like things to work on every day after school with my tutor, Ms. Ann."  Cam did bring these up to his teacher which was confirmed during the time Jane had with her.  Cam's primary teacher told his mom she was impressed with his comprehension and daily schedule adherence.  She pointed out some things we can work on at home and talked about Cam's thankful manners and how much they are appreciated.  Jane's mom deemed it a successful meeting and gave her son a full report upon arrival home.

Saturday afternoon we had set aside time to meet up with Oma and Opa in Grand Haven.  After attending to a few things, we ventured out for an early dinner.  We tried JW's near downtown due to the favorable online reviews.  The entryway was a bit problematic for Cam and not very accessible, but the food was tasty.  

After our leisurely meal, we headed back to Rosy Mound.  Upon arrival, we all met up in the community room where another resident, Betty, was looking for others to play Rummikub with.  None of us had even heard of the game so it took a bit of time before we all finally acclimated to the rules and strategy.  We had such a fun time learning something new and rooting each other on.  Betty ended up winning and we all agreed we would need a repeat match another time.  

Prior to heading out, we took the elevator to the second floor.  Cam's grandma wanted her grandson to see the bird aviary located there.  It is a beautiful cabinet containing a dozen or so colorful small birds. Their chirps are quiet and they each have a tiny house within the cabinet along with greenery and other foliage.  The birds seem very content with their glass-walled home.

As we made our way to the exit, we thanked Oma and Opa for hosting us.  Every time we are there, it's a different experience and upon leaving, Cam always asks when our next visit will be.

Sunday was our day to relax and work on home projects.  One request from Cam's teacher was to send in a tray for Cam's powerchair to school.  Jane explained at the conferences that we had one but since the adjustments to Cam's chair, it no longer fit.  Of course, that didn't stop Chris and his son from completing some modifications to the existing one by removing the hardware and repositioning it.  Then, as a final task, they sanded the tray to remove the harsh surface where the bolts were in place previously.  

Once again, Cam and his dad completed the task in what Jane considered record time!

Camology Quotes:

Friday was a half day of school for Cam, so Jane took the afternoon off of work.  Mom and son finished lunch and then got on the road.  They stopped at Heidi's farmstand and then made their way to Brody's Be Café. Cam was able to watch and listen to Rachel interviewing a potential employee with special needs for one of the berista positions.  Cam talked about it on the drive home.
"She did a good job answering questions.  I don't think she liked that her grandma was trying to answer for her.  I hope she gets the job!"

The Fun of a Fundraiser - Week of Oct. 3rd

“No one has ever become poor from giving.” ~Mary Angelou

Our week was building up to the first big fundraising event for Brody's Be Café on Thursday evening.  

It also made us wonder...who started fundraising in the first place? 

Quick Fundraising History Facts:

• The Sung Dynasty ran soup kitchens in China in the 10th century. 
• In 1552, Roxelana, wife of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, opened a charitable complex in Jerusalem for widows, orphans, and the poor. 
• The Zulu tribe’s tradition of giving, in which givers and receivers are equals, was established in the 17th century. 
• The word “philanthropy” came into the English language in 1600. 
• In 1601, the Statute of Charitable Uses is passed in England, putting the responsibility to care for the poor on local parishes. The revolutionary thing about this practice is that the implementation of what we’d now call “programs” was done in the private sector, but overseen by the government. 
• Benevolent societies and charitable endeavors like schools, refugee relief, orphanages, and hospitals popped up all over the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. 
• The Salvation Army ran their first Christmas Kettle street campaign in 1891.

Modern fundraising started with the YMCA. Frank L. Pierce was tasked with raising money to build a YMCA in Washington D.C. In two years of campaigning, he raised $270,000, but still needed $80,000, and donations had stopped coming in. In 1905, Pierce partnered with Charles Sumner Ward. The two men created a campaign to raise the rest of the money, trying things that no one had ever done. 

• Pierce and Ward engaged a publicist for their campaign and used corporate donations to pay for advertising 
• They purposely kept their campaign short, capping it at 27 days 
• They created a “campaign clock” to measure the time passing. It worked very well. Pierce and Ward raised the money, and by 1913, they were working internationally, running multi-million dollar campaigns using the techniques they’d developed.   

Brody's Be Café non-profit organization sold tickets online, provided drinks and food, and a professional auction!  Cam was in charge of oversight duties, audio/visual with Chris and greeting people.  Jane had printed posters, created bidder numbers and the registration list.  Fishbeck, where Chris is the IT Director, was a sponsor for the event and Cam's dad made the cool lighted café sign that a couple was lucky enough to win in a giveaway.  The evening was incredible, watching over 150 people in our community support the mission of providing employment to individuals with different needs and abilities.  This non-profit cafe's motto is "We believe everyone belongs and we can work beside one another." At the end of the event, everyone walked away with a "Thanks a latte!" cookie.

Oma and Opa arrived on Friday to stay with us overnight and attend Cam's last baseball game Saturday morning.  We woke up to a cooler weekend and everyone was bundled up for the WMML field.  The wind was brisk and we are quite certain the concession stand may have run out of coffee and hot chocolate.  Patti and Steve arrived to surprise Cam as well.  The sun appeared briefly during the medal ceremony and Coach Mark was just as excited as each of the players.

Following the game, our family unit with Cam's grandparents made the short drive to Logan's Roadhouse for lunch.  Although we waited quite awhile for our midday meal, we were seated next to the fireplace and college football appeared on every tv in sight.  Our food was delicious and we bid farewell with thanks to Oma and Opa for being with us.

We were on the road again driving northward to attend our first Canadian Thanksgiving celebration.  Canadian Thanksgiving is observed on the second Monday of October.  The holiday in Canada started in 1859 when Protestant leaders called on the colonial government to create a day for giving thanks.  

Coco's husband, Max is from Canada and Molly's husband, Jude is as well.  Even though it was still chilly, the sun shone
brightly on Lake Michigan in the mid-afternoon.  The turkey baking in the oven smelled wonderful and as we visited with everyone, the evening arrived too quickly.  We all sat down around 7p to dine on Thanksgiving mainstays.  Delicious desserts followed the feast and the entire setting was so relaxing.  Before we knew it, the 9p hour was approaching and it was time for our fam to get back on the road to GR. 

Cam was especially proud of himself as we headed out and said, "I was really patient, wasn't I? I did not keep asking you when we were leaving."

Camology Quotes:

On the night of the fundraiser, the auction was held in the church sanctuary right across from the café. One of Cam's duties was to be certain people didn't bring any food or drink inside.  Perhaps next time, he'll need a whistle.
"People are not listening.  I keep telling them.  We need a sign!"

A Day for Victory - Week of Sept. 26th

"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory." ~Mahatma Ghandi

We are seeing glimpses of fall headed our way.  Some leaves on certain types of trees are hinting at different hues of red and orange.  The temperature took a drastic dive dipping from 81 to 61 overnight.  Our clothing changed from shorts to pants.  Even the wildlife we typically see running around in our backyard are relaxing more.

Cam has learned to advocate for himself more and more the older he has become.  This week, he arrived home after school one day and explained that in P.E. class, he was just sitting on the sideline and not really feeling involved.  After an email and open communication, the equipment he had used in middle school was found at the high school and he was back in business, exercising with his classmates.

On Friday evening, we were working on the Brody's Be Café upcoming
fundraiser event.  Cam successfully navigated both of his parents handling separate activities.  To celebrate the end the week, we dined at our local Cascade Roadhouse and sat in the outdoor area since the weather was still mild.

Saturday was a double-activity day for Cam.  First up was the West Michigan Miracle League baseball game.  Brody was dropped off at our house in the morning and rode with us to Rockford.  The boys were paired up with volunteers from the Hope College SIBS sorority.  Victoria and Kinsey were Cam's buddies.  As an added bonus, some elementary school teachers arrived to watch their former students play.  Ms. Barbara taught Cam and Brody for K-2nd grade and Ms. Kathy was their teacher for 3rd-4th grade.  They didn't even check with each other about attending a game and both were there on the same day!  It's important to note both Ms. Barbara and Ms. Kathy hold a very special place in our hearts as they continue to keep up with the boys year after year.

Brody's mom grabbed lunch for the boys and picked up her son.  Our family had a couple hours of relaxation before heading over to the South Christian football field for event number two.  

Victory Day is the day when South Christian players, coaches and cheerleaders team up to work with special needs children and adults, giving the participants a chance to score a touchdown against the Sailors. A professional announcer calls the play-by-play as the participants head down the field and they have their name announced for the touchdown.  Cam was paired up with two seniors Jake and Josh.  Jake was reassigned to another player and Josh became the main dude hanging out with Cam.  Josh talked Cam through the plays and it was so cool to see them chatting.  Josh told us he was heading to Calvin University for pre-med next year.

The bleacher stands were full of fans and supporters and the marching band played from the sidelines. Ms. Amanda, her friend Laura and Ms. Amanda's extended fam through her husband were all there as well.  Ms. Mary, Ms. Brooke, her husband and kids were cheering just as loudly as anyone else.  Cam was super excited to see them all!  

After each person had scored their touchdown or cheered, a medal was presented individually to all of the players.  The weather couldn't have been better and clearly the warm sunshine was a victory as well!  After all of the festivities, we treated our football player to dinner out at Peppino's. In a rare occasion, our family experienced restaurant meals two days in a row.  Sunday was a movie day and relaxation as Cam and his mom watched two movies they'd never seen, but shared the name title: "Yours, Mine and Ours" released in 1968 and 2005.  Both were entertaining and Cam especially liked the kids and all of their antics.

Camology Quotes:

One morning this week, Chris informed Jane and Cam that he had actually gotten up one hour earlier than he needed to by accident. As he told the story and we were all laughing, Cam said, 
"Ha! A day in the life of Dad."

Here Comes The Bus - Week of Sept. 19th

“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don't really even notice it, so it's part of everyday life.” ~Bill Gates

Matt Mullenweg said that "technology is best when it brings people together."  

Nearly 4 years ago, Cam talked to his mom about the need for Dean Transportation (his school bus company) to have some kind of app so we would know when the bus is about to arrive.  After multiple phone calls at different times, we were always told that the bus company wouldn't be able to invest in the application due to funding.  As you can see from the picture taken outside of our front door, we have a very long driveway.  This week, much to our surprise, Cam's bus driver handed us a sheet of paper with instructions to sign up for a free app called "Here Comes The Bus." Dean Transportation had purchased a package to use the software.  It was difficult to tell who was more excited about the news, Cam or his mom!

Friday was a half day of school for our freshman, so we had pre-scheduled a wheelchair parts repair for the afternoon.  

Saturday's plans included a day with Brody, Cam's best buddy.  Brody was dropped off around 9am and the boys were scheduled for an 11am WMML baseball game.  The weather was rainy in parts of Michigan so we had a few Cam Fans cancel out.

The first fan to arrive was Stephanie, a para-pro aide the boys had in school from 5th grade through 8th grade.  Needless to say, the freshman buddies were excited to see her.

With each game, the lineup is changed and the coach will determine who is last up to bat.  The final few batters who round third base and head for home are greeted with a makeshift person tunnel to cheer on the kids.  Coach Mark placed Cam at the end and he experienced the human tunnel as he made his way to home plate.  The pure joy on Cam's face was matched by his best friend cheering him on!

From elementary school, Ms. Cris (an aide in the boys' classroom) and her family attended the game too.  Cris' daughter, Mary Jo, has hung out with Cam multiple times over the years.  Mary Jo even took Cam and Brody to the Lowell Fair before.  They continue to come out to a game to cheer on these guys every year.

The baseball game ended at 12p and there was an earlier request for a Culver's lunch.  After Cam and Brody finished their chosen Culver's items, we decided it would fun to watch a movie.  

The new Pinocchio movie on Disney+ was the pick.  It's no secret to anyone who knows Brody that the live action Lion King movie is his absolute favorite.  

After watching Pinocchio, Disney+ informed us on the screen that since we had just watched our movie, they would recommend we see The Lion King next!  It was a good five minutes before we could stop laughing. 

We said goodbye to Brody before dinner and settled in for the evening. 

Jane drove over to the airport after Cam was in bed.  Cousin David flew in from Texas and was staying with us for the night.  

Sunday afternoon, we all traveled north to drop off David at his cottage.  He and Cam had a nice ride talking about life and listening to some of David's clarinet and trumpet music from his band.

We visited more cousins after the drop-off before heading back to Grand Rapids early.  Cam never forgets to remind us when it is a school night and when his nightly routine should begin.  Even though his parents are bound by their own work schedules on a daily basis, we always tell our punctual son that he truly has an "internal clock" that works overtime.

Camology Quotes:

The "Here Comes The Bus" application proved a bit challenging to set up.  On the sheet of paper it indicated that Cam's student ID would be used to register.  Jane inputted the number and it wouldn't advance to the next screen.  Cam was convinced he knew why.

"I.T. is blocking it, Mom, because it is my student ID.  You can't authenticate it."

As it turned out, Jane neglected to turn the sheet over where a different ID number was shown specifically for Cam.  She did confess her self-inflicted frustration to her son and told him why it was important to look at things more closely, especially when in a rush!

Fall Festivities - Week of Sept. 12th

"The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience." ~Emily Dickinson

"Every new experience brings its own maturity and a greater clarity of vision." ~Indira Ghandi

We don't have any shortage of wildlife around, but Chris was quite surprised
when he almost stepped on a snake while walking into the house.  He had to bring it in to show Cam and then Stella was curious.  Cam's dad seemed a bit perplexed that no one in the family was scared of the small reptile.

Early in the week, Cam started coughing a bit and didn't quite feel himself.  He requested a pickup early from school and stayed home the next day.  We had a puppy visit from our friend Mary.  Her dog, Jada, had two Berna doodle pups and she wanted them to meet Cam.  The adorable dogs loved running into the grass, sniffing everything.

By Friday, Cam was feeling better and was relieved about his negative covid test.  Chris was volunteering at a charity golf event for Lori's Voice that afternoon.  Jane and her son drove to the course in Marne after dinner.  They saw their friend, Erica, who recently received her Trak chair, able to travel over nearly any surface.  We all thought it looked so cool and Erica showed us the controls.

Upon waking up on Saturday morning, Cam declared he was feeling normal again.  His WMML baseball game was scheduled for 10am and it was truly a perfect weather day to play ball.  Brody was back in action and the boys had a great time on the field together.  The video scoreboard shows each player's picture when they are up to bat and the cheering is always present for each and every kid. The Aquinas Girls Softball team were the volunteers for the day.  Cam's helper, Ellie, snapped a photo of our group including Brody's mom and grandma.  Prior to leaving the ballfield, we solidified our plans for that evening.

Cam and his best bud Brody had purchased tickets for the Homecoming Dance.  Neither of them had formal dates, but they wanted to go and hang out with their friends.  We had received communication from the boys' teachers that there would be over 1,000 kids there.  Dressing up was a requirement.  

We all met at Ucello's for an early dinner.  The delicious meal was capped off by a chocolate cake dessert.  We arrived at the dance a little after 7:30p.  It was scheduled from 8p-10p.  

After a short photo op, the freshman boys made their way inside. Cam's parents and Brody's mom drove to a nearby restaurant.  When we arrived back at the high school before 10p, we saw Brody outside.  After parking and walking up, we asked him where Cam was and he told us he wasn't sure.  Cam headed out the door in short order, cracking up because they had been looking for each other knowing it was about time to be picked up.  When Jane asked her son if it was fun, he loudly responded, "Yes!"

It was a late night to bed and a bit of sleeping in the next morning. After a few hours, we packed some things for lunch and headed to Grand Haven, excited to see Oma and Opa.  The sunshine was abundant and we planned a picnic lunch in their courtyard.  

With all of the accessibility, Cam wants to visit more often.  We're pretty certain this would be just fine with his grandparents!

Camology Quotes:

Cam and his parents are actively involved in the community, volunteering for non-profits and serving as board members.  We were surprised and excited to see Cam's picture appear with one of our favorite local broadcasters, Tessa. Tessa moved to west Michigan a year ago and the longer commercial introduces her to our local viewers.  In fact, the photo appeared long enough for Jane to snap a picture of the tv.  When she showed Cam the next morning, he took it in stride.

"I remember that night and I like that picture. I'm glad they used it."

Baseball Begins - Week of Sept. 5th

"Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different." ~C.S. Lewis

Everyone typically remembers at least one school picture, whether it was favorable or not and perhaps a memorable outfit or two?  

In some online surfing, we discovered that School Photographers of America has done extensive research with national archives. They came to the conclusion that the first organized company to formally facilitate school photography traces back to 1922.  

Cam's school pic was taken at his freshman orientation.  The photographer noted that Cam was one of the happiest kids he'd ever seen.  For the past few years, we've chosen the digital download option versus ordering the printed package of photos. This week, we received the email with his school photos. It's fun to look at the different backgrounds and we print our favorites at home.  

Oma and Opa arrived on Friday to spend the night.  While Cam's parents enjoyed a date night out, Ms. Ann and Cam's grandparents had a fun evening staying in.  They dined on a pot roast meal and tasty ice cream for dessert.  Together, the crew watched a Disney+ show called "The Wizard of Paws" which follows a pet prosthetic engineer who customizes prosthetics for animals of all sizes.

Saturday morning, we were all ready to watch Cam play ball!  The West Michigan Miracle League is located in Rockford, Michigan and its mission is to provide kids (and adults) who have physical and cognitive restrictions an opportunity to play baseball.  There are 6 kid teams and 2 adult teams most every season.  

The coaches choose which "team" they will represent.  Coach Mark is a big Notre Dame fan, so Cam is part of the Fighting Irish team with his best bud, Brody and Mark's son, Carson.  The volunteer helpers for the day came from Hope College Girls' Softball team.  It was a beautiful sunny morning and our 10am game time kicked off the first game of the day.  Cam had two great hits with the batter box and everyone was excited to be back on the field.

Prior to leaving for the game, Cam generously offered to treat everyone to lunch from Culver's!  He had received a generous birthday gift card from Auntie Karen and insisted on using it.  Oma and Opa are almost bigger fans of the Wisconsin franchise restaurant than Cam.  As our ball player always says when partaking in a Culver's meal (directly from the commercial), "Welcome to Delicious!"

Camology Quotes:

Stella, our cat, has been a part of our family for 16 years.  She clearly acts as if she controls our household and her meows have even seemed to become more demanding in her later years.  When Cam is going through his nightly routine, she typically hangs out lounging on the floor in his room.  Jane went in to check how things were going and Cam announced the following:

"Stella is minding my business.  She is not minding her own business, she is minding mine!"

The Moving Crew - Week of Aug. 29th

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” ~Walt Disney

Beginning a new week brings unknown possibilities.

Monday afternoon, Cam and his mom just made it up the driveway after his bus dropped him off before a deluge of rain poured over our neighborhood.  After the drips subsided, our deer friends made themselves comfortable in our front yard right outside our dining room.  It always strikes us as funny that they seem oblivious to activity inside our home.

The week went by quickly with Cam's schooling and his parents working.  When Friday came, we all had a day off- Cam for the long Labor Day weekend and Chris and Jane to move furniture for Cam's grandparents.  The day was warm and sunny.  After the furniture was brought to Grand Haven via Chris' truck, Ms. Ann and Cam drove the van to meet us at the new apartment.  As the bed was being assembled late in the day, things weren't connecting correctly.  Oma walked in and immediately noticed the cause of the issue...the headboard was facing the wrong way!  After a quick readjustment, the moving crew was back in business although Cam continued laughing about the entire ordeal for quite some time.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Opa was thoroughly testing out the recliner just to be certain it was in the proper location and ensuring the comfortability level.

Our crew tasks were completed a little after 5pm.  We drove a short distance to an older family favorite restaurant, Russ'.  Cam ordered chicken tenders (they were out of perch, his first choice) with onion rings and steamed vegetables.  The rest of us picked out our favorites and everyone shared desserts.  The ride back to Grand Rapids was full of laughter, reliving the moments of the day.

After sleeping in a bit on Saturday, we packed up for the cottage to spend the afternoon with cousins and Cam's grandparents.  

We all had lunch together and then headed for the shoreline.  

Although we didn't go swimming, it was still good to have beach time and family time.

As we gathered our things to head out, we felt sprinkles.  Once we were in the van, the rain found a steady rhythm.  We decided to spontaneously eat dinner at a mexican restaurant in Whitehall before we began our journey back home.

The Labor Day weekend unofficially signifies the end of summer in Michigan, but we still like to think summer has a bit more gorgeous weather to squeeze out before fall officially arrives.

Camology Quotes:

Cam had his yearly doctor visit this week. While the nurse was taking his vitals, he asked her:

"How do you know what the numbers are for my blood pressure without having them showing?" (i.e. digital readout)

The nurse went on to explain how she listened for the first beat in her stethoscope to provide the top number and the last beat heard is the bottom number.  Jane thanked them both since she couldn't have adequately provided the same response herself.