Hockey Hangout - Week of Feb. 19th

"It is not our differences that divide us.  It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences." ~Audre Lorde

This week, we introduced Cam to an old-fashioned slide projector.  He had never seen one and it had been stored in the cottage attic for many years.  We were unsure if it would even work.  Cameron's dad has the ability to innately figure out anything.  Cam was intrigued by the setup and it was fun to see the old pictures.

We were anticipating our Saturday plans.  Jane and her son were a bit concerned when Chris caught a flu bug and ended up staying home a couple of days.  By the weekend, though, he was on the upswing.  

For the third year, our local hockey team, the Grand Rapids Griffins (a feeder team for the Detroit Red Wings) has hosted a sensory friendly hockey game.  It is named "Hockey without Barriers/Sensory Friendly Game." This game includes lower music levels, no goal horn, no flashing lights, and dimmer lighting throughout the arena.  For Christmas, this continues to be one of our favorite family gifts.

Our evening began at the Consumers Credit Union restaurant, located right inside the arena.  The food is tasty and it makes for a very easy commute to the hockey game.  Cam highly recommends the pretzel bites and chicken pesto flatbread.  

We arrived at our seating area before the first puck hit the ice.  It's always fun to see the zambonis resurface the hockey rink.  When Chris and Jane stood for the national anthem, their son went into standing mode on his powerchair.  At the end of the first period, the Texas Stars had scored the only goal.  Our family scored some delicious treats including popcorn from a local vendor and one of Cam's favorites, peanut m&ms.  The Grand Rapids Griffins scored two goals back to back and the game was now 2-1.  Our local team ended up winning the game with a final score of 4-1!  It was a fun, memorable evening for us all.

We were all ready for a day of rest on Sunday and welcomed the opportunity to hang out together and relax.

Camology Quotes:

With Chris not feeling well, we tried to keep our distance for a couple of days.  Cam's nightly routine typically includes a hug from each parent.  He relayed the following to his mom in lieu of seeing Chris.

"Mom, I'm going to give you a double hug, fist bumps and high fives. I'm pulling out all of the stops for Dad! 

Fish Fry Season - Week of Feb. 12th

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." ~Swedish proverb 

“Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.” ~Benjamin Franklin

This week was a build-up of sorts, for Cameron.  Due to a barrage of questions regarding a weekend overnight camp in March, Jane arranged a visit on Saturday.  Prior to the weekend, though, the week was full of excitement.

Cam made a "pocket hug" heart magnet for his mom in art class at school.  The accompanying card read: "A heart from me to you filled with lots of love and big hugs too."

Chris surprised Cam's mom with a beautiful flower delivery on Valentine's Day.  That evening, we had made plans with Ms. Ann and her family to partake in the first fish fry of the season at JT's Restaurant.  Even though it wasn't Friday, we were anticipating the meal.  There is an interesting history...

German and Polish Catholic immigrants settled in Milwaukee in the 1860s and began the tradition of the Friday fish fry. During Lent, they didn’t eat meat on Fridays, instead eating the fish they caught in Lake Michigan. From 1920 to 1933, Prohibition prevented taverns from selling alcohol. To keep customers coming to their businesses, Midwestern tavern owners sold meals of fried fish.  Supper clubs rose to popularity during the 1950s and the fish frys became a tradition for many Midwesterners.

We were happy to spend our Valentine's eve with Ms. Ann, Katherine, Paul, Bexley, Sophia and Christopher.

Thursday morning, we were surprised to wake up to heavy, wet snow falling outside.  By the time, Cam and his mom made it to the end of the driveway, they were both completely covered in the white stuff.  Thankfully, it was short-lived and by the afternoon, the roads were clear once again.

After breakfast on Saturday, our family was headed to Indian Trails campground located close to Allendale, a 25-minute drive from our home.  The campground's parent company is IKUS Life Enrichment Services. Definition of IKUS \ˈī-kəs\ (v.) 1. To empower others by teaching with compassion 2. To give others joy, independence, and greater choices (n.) The mission of IKUS Life Enrichment Services is to help individuals with disabilities to discover their potential, experience greater freedom, learn new skills, and have fun in a safe environment.

Cameron took the initiative to request a weekend camp experience.  We signed him up for March 15-17.  Cam has always been inquisitive so his daily questions resulted in the need for an on-site field trip prior to the assigned weekend.  The Camp Director, Ms. Gretchen, met us in the parking lot.  We were introduced to Chef Scott and some counselors and campers.  We toured a cabin and the activity center.  It was quite chilly, so we didn't linger outside too long.  We were all impressed with the staff, setup, surroundings and peacefulness. We snapped a quick pic on our way out in front of the activity/dining lodge.  Our future camper was definitely happy!

Following lunch on Sunday, Jane and her son headed northward to visit cousins while Chris was on his way to snowboard at Crystal Mountain.  Cam and his mom had fun playing with the kiddos and catching up on activities.  We enjoyed a beef stew dinner, accompanied by homemade ice cream and brownies- such a treat!  

To cap off our day, the sunset displayed a beautiful setting for us just as we were leaving.

Camology Quotes:

We were all excited about the camp layout, the people we met and the overall vibe.  Once we exited Indian Trails in our van, Cam announced:

"Wow! They have camp down to a science!"

Adventures in Eating - Week of Feb. 5th

"Part of the secret of success is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." ~Mark Twain

"Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate." ~Alan D. Wolfelt

We were thankful to see the sunshine more this week and it continued to feel a bit like spring as we continued into February.  On Thursday evening, we welcomed a sweet friend, Ms. Vy, into our home for three nights.  She traveled by car from the New York area and is related to our longtime neighbors. 

Friday afternoon felt almost balmy outside and we convinced Cam to go to Cascade Roadhouse with us for dinner.  Chris and Jane had a gift card from our good friends Ms. Christy and Mr. Michael that they had given Cam's parents for their anniversary.  Cam and his dad split their favorite perch dinner.  With a "split" meal, each person receives 4 pieces of fish, lots of fries and separate coleslaw- what a deal!  A fellow high-schooler recognized Cam and said "hi" which added to our fun evening.  Afterwards, we made a stop at the Dollar Store to pick up some supplies for a crafting project planned for the next morning.

After breakfast on Saturday, Ms. Vy was ready to teach us all how to do glass etching.  We were excited to learn since she had shown us some of the glassware she had done and also gave Jane a special mug etched with a heart as a thank you for her stay.  The process was straight-forward and we honestly couldn't believe how easy it was. 

Then, later that afternoon, we entered into our second learning experience for the day.  Ms. Vy brought all of the ingredients for a homemade Korean dinner.  She quickly organized all of the food and taught us how to make wontons!  We even learned how to fold them so they appeared to be "party hats!"  Ms. Patti joined us for the feast and oh my goodness, we all devoured the delicious Korean spread.  In fact, we were so busy assembling everything, we neglected to snap any food pics, but we managed to grab one at the end of dinner.  Cam, however, was about to fall asleep after the filling meal.  Ms. Vy requested to read with Cameron that evening and he was happy to oblige.

Sunday morning, we said goodbye to Ms. Vy, hopeful that she will be able to visit us again.  Not only did we make sweet memories, she also left us with new skills.

After lunch, we made our way to Cannonsburg for our final skiing lesson with ASA-WM (Adaptive Ski Association of West Michigan).  It was much chillier than the previous Sunday, but we did feel fortunate to have one last round with our team.  We were all laughing trying to explain what the snow seemed like due to the warmer conditions during the week as well as the attempts at making "fake" snow.  Our leader, Jason, used the phrase "mashed potatoes" while Cam opted for the descriptive words "melted brownies."  For the very last ride up the chairlift, Chris asked his son if he could be the one to ride up with him solo.  Cam was a little hesitant, but agreed and was super excited when they both exited off of the lift together!  We thanked our Team Cam for their volunteering time and expertise.

Upon our arrival home, we fixed dinner and settled in to watch the Super Bowl.  Even though Cam only watched the first hour, he really liked the State Farm Insurance commercial where Arnold Schwarzenegger keeps saying "neigh-bah" instead of "neighbor" throughout the entire ad.  Cameron can definitely relate since sometimes others do not understand exactly what he is saying.  He declared it the funniest commercial!

Camology Quotes:

On the return trip from skiing at Cannonsburg, Cam commented, 

"I liked this season. It was not as many people and less chaotic."

The Big Meltdown - Week of Jan. 29th

"Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper in sinks into the mind." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

It is very uncommon for Michiganders to experience 40+ degree weather in the beginning of February.  As the week progressed, the temps continued to be mild and we saw the sunshine Friday afternoon.

To celebrate that bright light, we decided to take Cam out to dinner Friday evening.  We chose one of our favorites, El Centenario, for a Mexican dinner.

Saturday was a busy day for our fam, albeit with separate activities.  Chris had signed up for volunteering for the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair Sports program to assist the skiers at our local resort.  It was very chilly in the morning, but the sun appeared once again in the afternoon.  Jane and her son made their way to Grand Haven for a long visit with Oma and Opa.  We first picked up lunch at Panera to celebrate Opa's Feb.1st birthday.  

After enjoying our lunch in the dining area and meeting some friends of Cam's grandparents, we made our way to the library.  Cam requested to relax in the room with books and puzzles, complete with a fireplace.  Jane had brought some photo and memorabilia for Oma and Opa to look through with Cam.  We enjoyed a walk outdoors and saying hi to many of Oma and Opa's friends.  We were thankful for the sunshine to drive home in.

The sun remained on Sunday for our adaptive ski lesson with Cam.  The snow seemed to be melting at a rapid rate, but the ski slopes still retained most of their base.  Kurt joined our team to fill in for Jason and expertly steered Cam down the hill.  None of us could believe how mild the weather was.  For the first time ever, our son enjoyed skiing in 50 degree conditions and didn't wear his gloves for the entire 2-hour outing!  

One of the highlights of our afternoon was meeting a ski patrol dog name "Lola" serving to provide comfort and care to skiers and snowboarders feeling nervous, apprehensive or hurt.

Many people wonder how Cam is able to get on the chairlift and how he actually skis down the hill.  Two videos show each operation in action 😎  After experiencing the disappearing snow this week, we are holding out hope for one last Cannonsburg lesson next Sunday!

Camology Quotes:

It always feels good to make someone else smile.  At Cam's swimming therapy session, the therapist talked about a potluck they had at lunchtime. She told him that Cam's PT had made the best pulled pork and she needed the recipe.  The minute Cam saw his PT, he told him, 

"Ms. Mandy really loved your pulled pork.  She's going to ask you for the recipe!"

Adapting to Skiing - Week of Jan. 22nd

"If I can do this, I can do anything!" ~motto of the ASA-WM

Before Cam's first time hitting the slopes this season, he had an unexpected snow day on Tuesday.  A combination of freezing rain, snow and sleet produced a weather advisory until 4pm.

On Wednesday, the roads were clear once again and school was back in session.  Cam finished up tutoring with Ms. Ann in the early evening and had a quick dinner.  Jane and son were off to power soccer practice since Chris was a bit delayed with a meeting.  Cam's mom had to laugh that on her "watch" the front guard came off the chair and two other dads were enlisted to assist with positioning it back in place.

Once Cam's dad arrived at practice, all of the background information was provided as he explained the entire situation during a break in the action.

We were anticipating our weekend activity at our local ski resort, Cannonsburg.  Their opening day was very delayed with Thursday, Jan. 18 being the first official start of their season.  There have been years when they have opened in November!  Our delayed snowfall definitely affected their options.

Thanks to Mary Free Bed Wheelchair Sports program, we learned about the adaptive ski organization a few years ago.

Adaptive Ski Association of West Michigan (ASAWM) is a volunteer organization located in West Michigan, working to provide opportunities for people with a variety of challenges and disabilities to enjoy snow sports. The organization was established in the early 1980s as Cannonsburg Challenged Ski Association (CCSA). CCSA started with only ten students, one outrigger, a bamboo pole and one sit ski, and has now evolved over the years into a professionally trained organization with a full range of adaptive equipment, ready to serve a wide variety of needs. In 2022, the name was changed to Adaptive Ski Association of West Michigan (ASAWM).

Sunday was our first session after two cancellations due to the lack of snow.  Our team leader was Jason, who was with us last year in the same position.  Jessie, a med student and lifetime skier was new to ASAWM and excited to be a part of it all.  Chris completed the official volunteer training to be assigned to Cam's team as well.  Jane was allowed to ski with the team as an extra blocker.  

The ski Cam uses is referred to as a bi-ski.  When lifting up the back, the spring holds it in a vertical position to allow movement onto the chairlift.  Cam is in the middle of the chair shown in the picture.  Jason is skiing behind Cam in the picture guiding him down the hill.  Cam leans left or right depending on the turns.  The milder weather was a welcome relief for the skiers, but the conditions were not ideal.  The slopes were more slushy than fluffy and even with that aspect, we all had a great time.  Cam had a couple of spills, but neither were major and the picture of the whole team was immediately following one of those wipeouts.  On our drive home, Cam told us, "I was nervous at first, but then I really had fun!"

Camology Quotes:

Jane shared some exciting news about dear friends in North Carolina.  When she said in passing that Ali was working as a nurse now, Cam mentioned that his mom did not tell him when she graduated from nursing school and passed her boards. Jane apologized to which Cam responded with: "I respect that, Mom.  We all forget sometimes."

An Honor to Give - Week of Jan. 15th

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" ~Martin Luther King Jr.

"Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

Cameron's district had the day off of school for Martin Luther King Day on Monday.  We were relieved because more snow had arrived overnight and the snowfall continued throughout the day.  Jane and her son sported their University of Michigan National Champions 2023 sweatshirts acquired from our local Costco.  Cam wanted to keep his PT and swim therapy appointment Monday evening.  The roads were slick and Cam reminded his mom to drive extra slow.

Tuesday, it was clearer but some school districts were still closed.  And sure enough, Wednesday morning we received the alert at 5:30am for school closure.  This is actually 15 minutes prior to Cam's normal alarm time on school days.  Our high-schooler was able to go back to sleep until almost 8am.  

The roads were fairly clear by the afternoon, so Jane and her son embarked on a little mission they've been trying to complete for some time.  We've been wanting to donate Cameron's old AFOs (Ankle Foot Orthoses) to a local organization.  Through Cam's current physical therapist, we learned that Pediatric Orthotic Specialists accepts the old AFOs.  After lunch, we brought our big box into their office.  The receptionist explained that they send the AFOs to Jamacia and the Philippines for doctors to reuse them.  

Cam was able to be in school both Thursday and Friday with cooperative weather.  Our driveway is a bit long and winding in the weather elements but Cam does a great job navigating.  His amazing bus driver, Ms. Christy, also takes it upon herself to assist in any way that she can if he gets stuck.  Cameron heads up the long trek solo and always stops to wave to Christy to let her know he's aok.

The weekend included a visit to Oma and Opa to help alleviate that feeling of cabin fever due to all of the blustery winter weather.  Chris and Cam successfully installed new hooks in the closet and then Jane and her son helped Oma with some organizing projects.  It was a productive afternoon and Cam's grandparents escorted us to the door. and we all exchanged goodbye hugs. We briefly saw the sunshine on our drive back to Grand Rapids.

Over the weekend, we finally framed and hung one of Cameron's digital media projects.  It was our collective favorite and after displaying it in Cam's bedroom, we all agreed it looked just right in its spot on the wall.

Even though the snow had us stuck inside a bit this week, we were happy to be able to venture out for our AFO delivery.  As we were leaving that office, Cam wisely said "I give back to my community and my community gives back to me!"

Camology Quotes:

Many times, Cam will ask for verification of information.  He will question its source and validity.  When his dad told him at 5:30am that Wednesday was indeed a snow day, his quick response was:

"Mom, can you check your phone too to make sure?"

His IT Director father laughed and indicated: "Instead of 2-factor authentication, it's 2-parent authentication!"

Snowmageddon - Week of Jan. 8th

"Snow was falling so much like stars filling the dark trees, that one could easily imagine its reason for being nothing more than prettiness." ~Mary Oliver

 "A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky- unbidden- and seems like a thing of wonder." ~Susan Orlean

It typically seems that a switch is flipped in Michigan when the first big snowfall arrives. After experiencing the lack of the white stuff when our Arizona family was in town, we assumed our big winter weather was inching closer.

Monday evening, we watched our Michigan Wolverines become National Champions!  The game went very late so it was the first thing we mentioned to Cam Tuesday morning.  Tuesday night, we watched the flakes fall and Wednesday morning, a snow day was declared for Cameron's school district.  It was the first one of the year.  Thursday, everything went as planned, but a winter storm warning was making headlines.  Out of caution, they cancelled school for nearly every district in our vicinity.  We received the cancellation notice for Friday at 3pm on Thursday.  That was definitely the earliest we have ever seen the closure announcement.

As it seems to go with most extreme weather events, we didn't see any snow until after 1pm on Friday.  Cam began to wonder why they had shut everything down, but then the storm was upon us.  Since we were essentially stuck inside for the weekend, we made the most of it.

Chris and his son decided it was time to try making homemade french bread.  The process took some time between mixing, kneading, rising and finally baking.  The end result was tasty.  We all agreed though, there would need to be some modifications in any future french bread making endeavors.

Cameron was put to work outside, helping clear the sidewalk since it's a bit too narrow for the plow.  The very cold temps didn't keep us out for long, but it did feel good to feel the fresh air.  Cam is also getting used to his new Koolway Sports "KoolMitts".  We ordered them from the company in Canada that makes custom winter wear for individuals needing adaptable clothing.  The insulated mitts have an opening for the joystick on Cam's right hand as well as zippers on the side for easy on and off.

Indoors, we watched a movie and finished some tidying up still left over from the holidays.  We were also experimenting with screencasting video from the iPhone and realized that it made a copy image, almost appearing like a tunnel.  Sometimes, you just need to find ways to amuse yourselves.

Outside we watched the deer huddle together under the trees blanketed with snow.  It's good they can keep each warm, much like our own family inside.

Camology Quotes:

This week's Camology centers around a story told by Chris from his Friday workday.  While welcoming new employees, he noted that one of them was wearing boots with a metallic tip at the point.  He commented that she was lucky to be wearing her "steel-toed boots."  

Another employee asked if Chris was a dad.  At this point in the story, Cam commented:
"Ha! Dad, it was a 'bad dad joke'!"

Score in 2024! - Week of Jan. 1st

"And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been." ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Waking up to 2024 included a delicious breakfast made by Chris.  

As we said goodbye to 2023 and welcomed January 1st, Jane suggested they take down all of the holiday decorations.  Cam and Layna weren't too sure at first, but finally agreed it would be a fun project.  The cousins worked together as the bins were brought up from downstairs to put everything away.  Chris hoisted Jalayna on his shoulders to reach the tippy top ornaments. 

In just a couple of hours, the living room appeared much more sparse as the Rose Bowl parade became our backdrop on the tv.

The first day of 2024 was also the day of the 110th Rose Bowl.  The much-anticipated football game was scheduled between No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Alabama with kickoff at 4pm.  Michigan came out strong and by halftime, held a small lead.  We ordered Smoky Bones delivery in honor of the big game and our neighbor, Dave, joined in our festivities.  It was an exciting match up, with ups and downs.  As the clock expired, we were headed into overtime.  The final score was 27-20 with our Michigan team victorious!  Our family proudly displayed our U of M shirts in anticipation of a win.

As we headed into the final couple of days with Grandma Sue, Uncle John and Layna, we made the most of our time.  The cousin duo was not able to complete the chicken tenders/donuts challenge, so it is to be continued during their summer visit.  However, they did have the following conclusions:

• Detroit Wing Company beat out Cousins for the chicken tenders and onion rings.
  
  
• Cindy's Donuts beat out Sprinkles for the donuts.  Layna's favorite is glazed and sprinkles.  Cam's favorite is chocolate frosting and Grandma Sue indulged in their delicious apple fritters.

Layna took over nightly reading time with Cam which was fun for them both.  Grandma Sue found a favorite afternoon spot in our lower level.

Wednesday evening, Chris and Jane treated brother John to dinner downtown.  Amanda stayed to hang out with everyone at home.  

As our visits have now become more frequent with Chris's family, we feel that undeniable connection with each of them.  

Listening to stories about John and Chris when they were younger has become a favorite activity for Cam and Jane.  Even as adults, we laugh as the brothers challenge each other in little ways, tease each other and share many traits that are exactly alike.

None of us expected to see such a strong friendship form between Cam and Jalayna.  They are supportive of each other, make each other laugh to the point of their eyes watering and both are big fans of chicken tenders and donuts!

Thursday morning we said our farewells, trying not to be too sad since we know they will visit again this summer.  Each of us commented at different times throughout the weekend that it was too quiet.  After all of the activity of extended family visits, our home seemed super silent. 

Michael J. Fox is quoted as saying "Family is not an important thing.  It's everything."  Time spent with all of our extended family definitely speaks to that phrase.

Camology Quotes:

Cameron absolutely appreciates others sharing his own opinion.  It seems he truly prefers the affirmation.  Lately, after making a statement about something, he immediately follows up (in a persuasive, nice tone) with the phrase:

"Don't you agree?"