Caleb's National!!!

A few months ago Caleb got a call to be the National MDA Ambassador for Staples.  So we did a photo shoot, and hadn't really heard much.  Then Angel from the MDA sent me this and informed me that he was also selected to represent in all the Vons/Safeways nationally!!!  This was a huge surprise.  So, when you are grocery shopping, you can say you know that kid.  Also, look for him in Staples as you do some back to school shopping :-)

Caleb's ad.

Caleb in action at the photo shoot.

Caleb's Surgery

Caleb had surgery a couple of weeks ago to correct both of his feet.  Basically they were both set to be in a flat position to be much more conducive for standing, walking, and weight-bearing in general.  He still won't be able to walk independently, but he will be able to weight bear and assist with transfers for a much longer period of time.  Caleb is now in double casts and will be until early September, and is not allowed to stand at all until they come off.  After that, we'll have to build up his strength again - Swimming will definitely be helping us in that process.  Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery!

Caleb's feet before surgery.

A visit in the hospital from his best buddy, Collin (who is sporting a rad new haircut!)

Caleb's x-ray after the surgery... Yes, he has to get all those pins out :-/

The casts Caleb picked out.

Showing how incredibly adaptable he is, even in his sleep :-)

MDA Tailgate and Chili Cookoff

Back in June we got to attend the annual MDA Tailgate party and Firefighter Chili Cook-off.  Such a fun event!  Not to mention great food and drinks, too :)

YEE HAW!!!

Photo bombed!

Hanging with one of the Firefighters, who also happens to be an MDA Dad.

No day would be complete without a battle of some sort.  I think Caleb is attacking this poor cowboy with a whip :)

Helping to hand out the awards.

A Couple of Belts Later

 Caleb has passed 2 belt tests for karate and is now a yellow belt with a black stripe.  His next test he's supposed to break a board!!!  I've already learned to never underestimate him... If he's taught me anything it's that what I might think is impossible for him, he makes it possible.  He's out of commission right now for karate as he just had surgery on both his feet (post to follow).  Congratulations to my karate kiddo!

I did NOT fall off the face of the Earth...

But I did go into a bit of an emotional hole for a while.  

It is with regret that I must tell Caleb's followers that his Mommy and Daddy are getting a divorce.  Ultimately there were some significant issues in our marriage that could not be resolved.  Jeff and I are doing this very amicably and are finding that we can actually be good friends to each other through the process.  Caleb is handling all the changes really well, and continues to prove how adaptable and resilient he truly is.

Check Out the Latest White Belt!!!

Caleb's best friend, Collin, has been doing karate for a while.  Of course this meant that Caleb has been begging me to do karate as well - anything that has to do with fighting is SO COOL in his opinion.  One day last week Caleb's swimming lesson got cancelled, so we decided to go watch Collin's class.  The whole time there was a voice inside my head telling me we HAD to find a way to get Caleb involved, but I just couldn't figure out how this could work.  

Through most of the class I was disheartened as I watched the kids do so many things that there was no way for Caleb to do, even with adaptations.  Then, for the last activity the instructor would hold a pad in front of the kids' faces and they needed to hit it away with a particular punch.  He brought the class to the edge of the mat so Caleb could be involved, too.  In the middle of it, Caleb looked up at me with such bright eyes and the biggest smile, and said, "Mom, I'm doing REAL karate!"  That sealed the deal.  We would make it work.  

The owners/instructors have been so accommodating and willing to work with us!  They see how valuable it will be for everyone.  We are all so excited for Caleb, but he is definitely the most ecstatic out of everyone.

Happy Valentines Day!

Last weekend we got to celebrate Valentines Day a little early at Grammie Mumu & Papa Mickey's house.  We had so much fun hanging out with the family, making little pizzas, and decorating cookies/cupcakes.  Hope you all have a great Valentines Day!

You've Got a Friend in Caleb

I took this video of Caleb dancing the other day.  He was just so happy and joyful I had to share it.  The funny thing is that when he did the dance there was no music to dance to.  The song I picked was the first try; it fit so perfectly I didn't even try any others.  Enjoy!

Remember to pause the music on the right to hear the video better.

Firefighter Bootcamp

A couple of weeks ago Caleb was asked to be one of the Ambassadors for the MDA Bootcamp for the Firefighters - this is a meeting where a bunch of firefighters come together to learn how to "Fill the Boot" for the MDA.  This year Caleb wanted to be very "stylish" and where a tie :)  He helped by taking pictures with people, handing out awards, and was part of the entertainment - this year he told them 5 Firefighter jokes!  It was pretty cool to see my 6 year old standing up in front of about 150 people, telling jokes and loving life!

 Just a little reading before going off to work.

 Making a muscle; making a difference.

 Caleb posing with two other adorable Ambassadors.

Handing out awards.

Here he is telling his jokes!  

Make sure to pause the music on the right to hear the video better.

Disneyland

We decided to go to Disneyland over the holidays.  It was so much fun taking Caleb at this age - when he can understand that it's all pretend and not be scared by everything.  Of course we spent most of the day in the area of Star Tours - we rode that ride 4 times (thank goodness for wheelchair access!).  It was interesting trying to stabilize Caleb during the ride.  It was a 3-D ride where the entire cabin is moving around as if we're in a spaceship.  All he was given was a lap belt, so I was on one side of him strapping his body to the seat with my arm, and Jeff was on the other side of him holding Caleb's head with his hands.  Caleb absolutely loved it.

However, the highlight was DEFINITELY the Jedi training!  Caleb got chosen, along with about 25 kids, to train to be an honorary Jedi.  Caleb took his training VERY seriously, imitating the instructor's every move.  Then up from the floor rise Darth Vader and Darth Maul!  The kids then got to battle them - Caleb got to take down Darth Maul.  Then the Darth's left, but there were still 2 Stormtroopers left on the stage.  The Stormtroopers quickly realized they should get out of there because they were totally outnumbered.  So they start running out of the area, and who's the ONE KID brave enough to chase them down?  That's right, Caleb was the only kid who chased down the Stormtroopers!!!  One of the Jedi Masters had to step in front of his wheelchair to stop him.  I just about died laughing at the irony.

 So excited on the tram!

 Disney Holiday tree.

 Daddy and Caleb in front of It's a Small World.

Jedi training.  Caleb didn't miss a single second of his directions.

 Learning some of the moves.

 Taking on Darth Maul. 

We loved our family day at Disneyland!

Here's Caleb talking about his Jedi training.

A Love Note

Caleb has a new love interest.  Her name is Beatrice and she rides the bus with him every day.  She's an older woman, though - 4th grade.  Apparently he tells her, "I love you," and her response is, "You're not my type."  I guess she's into guys her own age and is in love with another 4th grader.  Ahh, young love. Anyway, Caleb came home from school on Friday and said, "Mom, I want to make a card for Beatrice to tell her I love her."  So here it is.

 Awwwww.

 OK, so they battle together (typical Caleb move).

 Then she uses the Force on him, causing him to drop his lightsabers.

Then she cuts his head off!  How romantic!!!

Unfortunately, I had to break the news to Caleb that he can't give the card to Beatrice because if she takes it home her mom might think he's somewhat.... DISTURBED.  He learned that when making a love note, it's pretty important that nobody dies.

Caleb Swimming, Yet Again

Caleb has been doing such an amazing job with his swimming lately.  It never ceases to amaze me how agile he is in the water.  He has become so smooth in his movements and strong with his strokes.  Pretty astounding to watch.

Here he is from another viewpoint.

Check out Caleb's Moves

One day Caleb said, "Hey Mom.  Check out my awesome moves!"

So, of course I grabbed my camera for you to enjoy his awesome moves, as well :)

Halloween

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!  I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last post!  I've got some serious catching up to do.  Here are some pictures from Halloween.  We were a Superhero family... with a twist :)

 I made some pretty sweet pumpkins this year - above is Anakin and below is the Republic symbol (Star Wars, of course).

Caleb Sitting Up!

A few days ago when Caleb woke up I heard him moving around a bunch.  Then I heard him call to me, "Mom!  Can you come here, please?  I have something to show you!"  When I walked in the room and saw him, I stopped dead in my tracks.  My jaw dropped, and tears immediately came to my eyes.  He was sitting up in his bed just looking up at me with the biggest, proudest grin.  Before this moment he had never sat up on his own.  For the rest of the morning he showed each one of us individually how he did it, narrating his every move.

Remember to pause the music on the right to hear Caleb better.  Enjoy!

1st TOOTH!

On Monday Caleb lost his first tooth!!!  We were on our way to the Dr. (Caleb had the flu) and he was munching on an apple.  The tooth that had been pretty wiggly for a while was suddenly just dangling there, so he pulled it out.  Then he, of course, had to show everyone in the Dr.'s office.  It was pretty cute to see how proud of himself he was.

Saying, "Thank You."

This year, in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we decided to say, "Thank you," to our local Firefighters by visiting some of the stations and bringing them cookies.  They were all so happy to see Caleb whizzing around in his wheelchair and loved the cookies.  Caleb took his challenge coin and challenged almost every firefighter.  There were definitely a few that didn't have their coin, so Caleb will be owed quite a few drinks when he turns 21!

50's Day at School

I got a text from Caleb's wonderful aide the night before at 9:00 saying, "Don't forget tomorrow's 50's day."  Well, of course I had forgotten!  Kylie and I quickly brainstormed what he should wear and we came up with this outfit!  Turned out pretty sweet, if you ask me :)

Love the tough-guy look!

This one cracks me up every time I see it!  I love the cheesy grin as he's looking off into the distance.

2011 MDA Telethon

We got the privilege of participating in another MDA Telethon.  It was different this year because it was only 6 hours long on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and Jerry Lewis has retired.  We always have so much fun helping to raise so much money - this year $61 million was raised!!!

The 2 Calebs - they have become such good buddies and are already talking about spending the week at camp together next summer.

Caleb with Angel and Alex - two of his favorite MDA ladies.  And, yes, he still LOVES hair!

Getting ready to go on camera :)

Lightsaber battle with Ashley.  No event is safe from lightsaber battles.

Making a muscle with one of his favorite Firefighters, Angel.

Lightsabers on camera.

Making a muscle with some of the most amazing moms I know.

Me, Starla, Melva, and Kim.

Ring, ring, ring, ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching.

Being presented with a Firefighter challenge coin from one of the Fire Chiefs that has been touched by Caleb.

After our on-air interview.

Getting ready for some more on-air time.