Being Disabled:Enjoying the good and Rollin' with the punches

Ive been looking back at my blog lately and I realized something. It's more of a journal of all the exciting things I get to do all the time. I thought maybe I should make a couple blogs a bit more personal. I have trouble coming up with blog ideas unless some exciting event has happend to me. However, I thought today I would like to tell you a bit more about myself and what my life is like living with Cerbral Palsy. I have it very good and its true when I tell you that I'm a very lucky girl,but today I would like to share with you the good things about being disabled as well as a bit of the bad. Here are my thoughts on having Cerebral Palsy. I'll give you 10 great things and 10 not so great things, just to give you an idea of wha my life is like. I'll start off with a positive, because its always nice to start of on a positive note 1. P- Having C.P makes me me- Being disabled has taught me a lot about life. I used to and sometimes still wish I wasn't disabled, but now for the most part, I wouldnt change who I am. I feel I have a diffrent outlook on life than able bodied peple. When you have a dissability, you try to hook up with other disabled people. Doing that has made me realize how lucky I am to have the mobility I have. Also, I think without C.P., my life would be very diffrent. I've had this condition all my life and it has become a part of me. I wouldn't change my life. I would change some things about it like I will mention here but not all of it. Never! 1. N- Being a little diffrent- Sometimes, I feel a little awkward because I am a little diffrent. I told you I like that, and thats true, but sometimes it's hard. Esspecially, around kids my own age. I'm not as good as having a good conversation with them as I am with adults. Adults seeem to be a little bit more understastanding and patient. Highschool kids are so busy in their teenage lives, it seems they don't have time for me. I do wish I was more like the other kids. It would make life a little easier. But who ever said life was easy 2. P- Having a wonderful family- I do have a wonderful family. I love them all. I'm very close to them all. They all pulling me back up when I'm feeling down. I love spending time with them. There very supportive and always are encouraging me. 2. N- Enough is Enough-Sometimes I get caught up in all the people I have helping me. Sometimes some of them think they know best. I'm not complaining. All the people I work with at school are wonderful, its just sometimes I have too many moms all fussing over me. I have to remember all the wonderful people I have in my life and leave no out, especially my family. 3. P- Having so many friends and people that care about me- I have an amazing support system, everywhere! At home, at school, and in my community! They all support all that I do. I love talking with people and really trying to get to know everybody I meet. Sometimes I think if I wasn't disabled, I wouldn't be so close to so many people. When I was little I used to say I don't have any friends because I wasn't as close to other children, but now I look around an realize that I have more friends than I know what to do with! Geez, what was I thinkin'! 3. N- Scaring children- I don't like it when I'm in the mall or downtown or something and there is a little kid that walks by me and they look really scared. I used to get frusterated because they were staring at me but then I started thinking about it. I'm bigger than they are and I am in a moterized machine that could probably run them over. I feel terrible. I love little kids but its hard for me to connect with them because of my differences. I get a lot of questions kids especially about why I am in a wheelchair and I usually say "oh something happend to me when I was born." That happend one day when my mom and I were downtown. We we in a store and this little boy came up to me. He was maybe 5 or 6. He came up to me and said "What happend? Why are you in a wheelchair" I said "Oh, something happend to me when I was born." Apparently I didnt give the poor kid enough information because his next question was "Did you fall off the table?" I was laughing so hard I couldn't answer him back. I usually get nervous about little kids questions but I gotta give this kid an A+ for creativity. So yes, getting stares from kids is hard but sometimes you can get some humour out of it, whitch is the way you always gotta look at things. Another thing is that I am not a mind reader. Nobody is. I have a preety good idea of what's going through a kid's head when they stare at me but you can never be to sure. 4 P- All the trips I get to go on and stuff I get to do- I've had some amazing adventures in the past few years. Ive gotten to go to the Paralympics to carry the torch. I've been to Ottawa to speak at the senate. I get to go to camp every summer. Without C.P, I probably wouldn't have had that many oppourtunities because I've had so many extra helpers that want to do special stuff for me. The big trips for me are memories to last a life time and are definetly an upside to having a disability. 4. N- Not being able to do everything others can do- I am able to do a lot of things independently whitch I'm very fortunate for but there are a few things I just wont be able to do, like getting up and going somewherre as easily as oothers can. That can get a little frusterating. I think it looks so simple, why should I have troubles with it. 5. P- Showing peaople what I'm made of!- The best part of being disabled is getting excited about and enjoying the little things in life. I love inspiring people. Some people worry about what I can and can't do and they worry for my safety while walking so I like to show them that I can do anything I set my mind too, because I can! 5. N- Being a goody two shoes- I don't know if this one is because of my disability or its just my personally but I do not want to be a goody two shoes. I'm afraid that people will see me and think that I'm a little sweetheart in a wheelchair. I haven't really done anything too terrible YET! Also, another thing to do with tis one is when I meet people for the first time and worry that they get the impression that I'm extreamly innocent. It used to bug me when adults were too nice to me but a few years ago I realized something. Most of them are nice people that just want to help and get to know me. For instance, a teacher at school is always very sweet to me. I didn't think much of it because she's a very sweet lady and is very caring towards all the kids at school, so I let it slide. Then when I was in her class I learned that she went through a similar situation that I am going through when she was little. See what happens when you wait things out! Miracles! 6. P- My best friend Grace- I've talked a lot about Grace. She is my best friend. I've never met anyone like her, not just because of her dissability but because of the way we talk together. I talk to her unlike I've ever talked too any other kid my age. She inspires me to. She is quite physically handicapped, cant walk at all, but has a great attitude and outlook on life. I'm proud to call her my best friend. 6. N- Winter- Its hard in the winter time when there is snow on the ground for me to get out. I can't walk outside on my own and my wheelchair doesn't work in the snow so I can't go outside on my own. My parents work lots and I cant go out in the winter so unless they are home I am stuck inside. Today was the first day I've had my chair oout so that was awesome. I cant wait to be able to walk to and from school again. 7. P- My electric wheelchair- When I was in grade seven I got my first electric wheelchair. My mom and I thought it might hold me back from walking but it has opened a whole new world up for me. I can go places by myself. I dont have to hold my moms hand everywhere I go now, although I stll like too sometimes. I think it has been the biggest step towards my independence in the future yeat. 7. N- Feeling like a slow poke sometimes- I can walk preety well and I can do a lot of things myself but it takes me but sometimes certain tasks I do feel like they take forever. Even going to the washroom sometimes. I'll leave a conversation to go to the washroom. I only meann to be gone a few seconds but it will feel a lot longer. When I do the little things I need to do, it makes me feel like I'm missing out, but I want to do them myself. It makes me feel good. So, yes, time is a big issue for me but the fact that I can do things by myself means the world to me. 8. P- Not being in any pain- This is a big one. There are so many people out there who have a lot of troubles and who are in a lot of pain. I do not have any pain. I do get tired sometimes. I struggle but I do not suffer. To me there is a big diffrence between the two. I feel very lucky not to be in any pain. There are so many hurting out there. There's people lying in hospital beds day after day and I'm free from that stuff. Remember, however bad you have it, there is always someone who has it 10 times worse, so be thankful for what you have. 8. N-Pleasing everybody- I am definetly a people pleaser. I like to make sure everyones happy. I have a lot of people helping me, doctors and helpers at school. I have to do excersise and school work, and be independent. All these people want whats best for me, but its hard to do absouluty eveything your told. And yet, they do tell me I need to make my own decisions and guess what? That's even harder. I will live on my own one day and then I have to make my own decisions! Oh well! Practise makes perfect. 9.P- Having a good school system-- I love school. I get treated so well there. The helpers there will do anything for me. The're very adaptive and try ino integrate me with the other students as nuch as possibe. Not too long ago kids with disabilities weren't allowed to even go to school, or they were put into specaial institutions. Still, today a lot of schools aren't very accomodating I've heard from other people. Miy school is very accomodatingI love the schols in my school district. There awesome! 9. N-Worrying about the future- I'm almost done highschool and am worring about what the future has in store for me. Living on your own for anybody is hard but living on your own wuth a disability is even harder. I'm just schared I wont know what to do and how to advocate for myself. I'm scared of the unknown, but we'lljust wait and see what happens. There could be very exciting times ahead. 10. P- mobility- I am able to walk quite well like I said. I know people that can't walk at all and really can't imagine what that's like. I don't have to wait to be carried or wheeled somewhere, for the most part for short distances I can just go. I do have an electric wheelchair now but I still want to walk as much as I can snd stay strong. That is probably what is at steak for me the most, but as long as I keep working hard, I'll stronger annd stronger. 10. N- Guilt- This is the absoulute worst thing about my disability. I love my life and I wouldn't change it. There are so many people who have it way harder than I do. I feel bad about that. I also feel bad that I can't help people as much as I would like too. Sometimes people will be busy trying to get things done around me and I can't think of what I can do to help. I like feeling like I'm needed physically or emotionally or whatever. I just want to be there for my friends the way they are there for me. It's hard but I'll keep trying and one day I'll get to do something big for someone and it going to fee great! So, there you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly. ha ha. just kidding. I know this is not as bright and cheerful as some of my other blogs but I just wanted to talk about my life and get more into certain topics. I do love my love my life. I have an amazing life and I intend to live it one day at a time and keep on truckin it through. i'm going to have rough days but everyone has rough days. I'm going to fail but everyone fails sometimes. Wothout struggles in life it would be impossibe to appreciate the good, and there is a lot of good in life. I'll just take it one step at a time. So, like I said, I have trouble coming up with intresting blog stories other than events that happen to me, so if you have any questions or suggestions about topics that you would like me to write about, just comment below or on facebook or anything you like. Thankyou.

Monkeying around at the zoo

We have been having a great little vacation with my grandparents in Calgary. Like I said, we don't get out here much and it's nice for us to come here and help them out a bit. We have had to get a few things done with them and we feel great being with them and helping them out. We don't get to see them so its nice to soend some quality time with them. We are getting a few fun events in though. A few days ago we went to the Calgary zoo! I haven't been there in a couple years so it was nice to do something a little diffrent. The main reason we went to the zoo was because there was a new exibit there, the penguins. That was the big excitement for everyone there. Everybody was in line to see the penguins! We've never seen a penguin before so it was preety cool. They were in a big room that looked like an igloo inside and then they were there on the snow and there was watere there for them to swim in. We got to watch them dive in and out of the water. They were really cute and reakly cool to watch underwater.My sister got a video of them under water. There was a lady talking, giving a little speech about them but we were so fasinated by the penguins that we weren't listening! ha ha! The penguins were deffinetly the highlight of the day but we did enjoy seeing some of the other animals too. The lions were preety cool and all the wild animals that you wouldnt normally think of seeing. We saw a hipppoin a big tank of water. You'd look in and see a big gray lump in the water and then you'd see that it was a hippo! That was pretty exciting! We did see monkeys. They were exactly the highlght of the trip but I think my title of this blog is very fitting, dont you? I thought the zoo was very neat! I think it would be a great place to bring little kids. I want to go with little kids next time, but I think I'd get to into it and be too loud, making the kids make all the noises of every single animal. I do think the zoo is a very educational place for kids though. It's a great place for everybody. All sorts of people like coming to the zoo. We had a great day, and my family didn't leave me in the monkey cages or anything so it's all good! ha ha just kidding! I can be a bit of a monkey sometimes. We had a lot of fun with all our animal friends. It was a good day to just monkey around at the zoo.

Princesses in Banff Springs Hotel

Right now my school is on a two week vacation for spring break. I've been a very busy girl with all my events going on and school on top of that so it is nice to have a bit of a break. Right now my mom, my sister and I are in Calgary visiting my grandparents. They are getting older and we don't get to see them too too much so we thought it would be nice to visit them and help them out with a few errannds and stuff. However, before we arrived at their house, we got to spend a night at the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel. I think its one of our favorite family hotel that we go to. We all went there once in 2002 for my Grandpa's 70th birthday and once more a year or two after that. We feel in love with the beauty of the hotel and wanted to go again. So, we took a detour to Banff. It's a cute little town. I loved walking around and going into all the little shops and things. I have told you about my bugaboo trip right? Well, the people that sponsored me to go up there work in Banff. We went to see their office to see if there was anybody we could talk to about what a fabulous tie I had up there and too thank them for sending me and the other students up there. They were all in a meeting and couldn't see me so we might try again when we are on our way back home Fingers crossed! Anyway, the best part of being in Banff was definetly just walking around and hangung out in the hotel. It's just like a big castle. Its known as the castle in the Rockies. You could walk around in there all day and feel like your in a palace visiting the Queen. You coulld easily get lost in there, but we love walking around in it. My favourite spot of the whole hotel is sort of like a big ball room. It looks like a room where you would have a royal ball at an old fashioned castle. There is even a throne and torch lights like the olden days. Its a bit creepy but I like the modernness of it all. The big room makes you feel like dancing the waltz. We were in that mood so bad that we made my sister put on a show for us. We just spent the night taking pictures and exploring and then watching a movie in our hotel room! We really felt like princesses in the rockies! Thankyou to our friends The Bruns who made it possible for us to spend another night at the gorgeous castle in the Rockies What a great girls night!

Lett the races begin!

After the opening ceremonies for the Paralympic skiing races the events started the next day at Panorama.  On Friday, the day before our schools got out for spring break, I got to skip school and see the races.  Does that sound like a good deal or what?  My friend Spring, who is also in a wheelchair and lives in town camwe to ski with me.  We were hoping to actually ski the race, but the  coordibnators were preety strick about that.  However we got to sit right on top of the slope the skiiers got to go down and got to watcyh from there.  We were treated like royalty!  We got the best seats in the house iI think.  We got blankets and cow bells to cheer them on and everything.  Thes skiers are preety couragous.  Lots of them were blind.  We were saying that most of us probably wouldn;t even want to be near a mountain if we had lost our sight but there they were!   They skied standing and they had someone in front of them as a guide.  We think there crazy but there doing it!  Wow!!  We saw some sitskiiers too going down the hill.  I am working on sking with two outriggers, getting close to becoming independent, so these guys were inspiring for me to watch.  We got to watch Josh come down.  He did have a little whipout but he kept on going.  These guys do not give up!  They keep going and going!   It was an exciting day.  i loved being there, and, like I said, missing school for it wasn`t so bad either!  When the evet was over, we skied down, had some lunch, and watched a bit of the closing ceremonies.  It was cold outside   and snowing hard so Mom and I left before they ended.  It was a great afternoon up there!  Paralympic skiers I think you impressed the whole town of Invermere by what you did.  You inspired us all!  Congratulations and we hope for the best for you in your further ski tournaments. 

Paralympic Skiing Opemning Ceremonies

The Paralympic ski team that came to my school started their games this week.  Monday night was the opening ceremonies and I got invited to the dinner to hand out the racing bibs to the athletes.  My mom
, my aunt and I got to go for dinner together at Panorama Ski Lodge to watch it.  It was pretty exciting for me to see all these wheelchairs all over the place.  I was in my own little world!  Josh Dueck was there and I went up and said hi to all the athletes.  The only downfall was most of  the athletes were from all over the world.  They were cute boys there but most of them couldn't speak English.  ha ha!  It was still pretty awesome.  One of my friends I met in Whistler on my big Paralympic trip was there.  She helped set me up a spot on the stage to hand out the bibs.  There was a ramp to get all the wheelchairs up onto the stage.  I had to get my wheelchair up the ramp and kind of maneuvered to the very back of the stage and practised handing out the bibs.  There was a certain way I had to do it.  The ceremony was great!  Tere were a few speakers who went up on stage to say how great the games were going to be.  They told the athlete's  they were proud of they were of them and how excited they were for the next couple days.  then it was my turn to go up there and hand out bibs.  I was on stage.  The coordinators were on the floor beside me.  They passed me the bibs and i got to pass them to the athletes.  |It was amazing!  there were so many athletes from all around the world!  Every time I would hear an athlete come up from a different country, I would jump and get all excited.  It was pretty incredible.  There were people with no arms or no legs and the all were just so energetic and excited.  They were very inspiring. Most of them could walk before but the got into an accident.  You'd think a tragic accident would keep you down but they find out a way to adapt the sport they love to do with their new needs, and they just keep doing what their doing.  That really sends the message never give up and follow your dreams to me  Laren Woolsentcroft was the host.  She was at the Paralympics when I was there.  She has an amputated leg and arm.  She is one of my Grandma's friend's granddaughter  We didn't get a chance to meet her in person at the Paralympics but we did here so we were pretty thrilled with that.  Our middle school in town has a ukuleles group called the Silver strings.  They came out to play a couple songs.  They do really well and the teacher is very dedicated to helping the kids with music.  I haven't heard them play in a while, so I was excited to hear them!  They were great!  We got to stay for dinner which was spagetti and a brownie for dessert, which is one of my favorite meals so that sure topped the fantastic night!   I love going to events like that!  It's exciting and inspiring for me.  It opens up my world, as my mom says.  She's right!  Many exciting opportunities ahead!  Go athlete's go!  Let the games begin!

Ski buddies

Ever since Grace and I went skiing on my birthday in January, we've been wanting to set up another date.  We've been having a hard time sticking to the plans with the weather not being so good and stuff like that.  Anyway, on Sunday, the weather was great and everything worked out so Grace and I finally got to meet up.  I was excited to see her!  We haven't seen each other  in a while so it was nice to catch up again.  We met in the Panorama lodge and got all suited up in our sit skis and hit the slopes.  We had a great day!  We both were screaming going down the hill.  You could hear Grace especially.  Shes confined to a wheelchair and doesn't have much mobility, so skiing is quite a thrill for her  Grace has started a sit ski program in her home town of Fernie B.C.  She's working really hard on getting all the funding for sit skis and volunteers.  I'm proud  of her. Shes really working hard on getting something going to give her something to do in the winter and improve the winters of other disabled individuals in her town too.  Our volunteers were really good for her to talk too.  Ever since I first started skiing in grade seven, the people that started it kept it growing and growing  and now we have a whole program so I  think that's very inspiring.   They were good for Grace to talk too.   We got to go up the chair this time.  I don't think we went up last time so that was fun.  It was a great!  Later we went out for dinner to talk and catchup.  It was a great day with great friend as Grace said.  Thanks to all the volunteers that came out to help us out and make this possible.     You made our day!

Sisters biggest fan

I've been a very busy girl lately.  There is always a new exciting event happening with me lately.  I'm having a hard time finding time to blog.  Anyway, about two weekends ago, I was in Kimberly watching my sister's basketball tournament. Natalie is very involved in sports and works very hard to develop her strategies to become a stronger player each game. She loves sports and she's committed. She hates missing practise. She's an awesome player. I dot get to watch many of her sporting events but this time her game was on a weekend when my mom was off work so after school on Friday we drove up to Kimberly with my aunt. The game was held at Selkirk school. We stayed overnight which was fun, just me, my mom and my aunt. A girls night. The game started pretty much as soon as we got there Friday night. Our Invermere girls have come a long way not just in their basketball but volleyball and soccer too. They do great. They've really grown as a team. My sister is an awesome player. She's very focused. This game I watched I got to watch her score a basket which was awesome. I practised my cheering. I think I'm getting louder. Natie said she could hear me cheering so that was good. I'm proud of my sister. She really wants to do better in her sports and wants the whole team to succeed game yesterday and the day before were great. They didn't win them but the last game they came darn close. They did awesome! We were talking to the coaches at the end of the game and they said the improvement from the day they started playing has been amazing. I told my mom that if I could walk I would play basketball. Mom said yo have to be aggressive. I said I could be aggressive! Watching my sister play games feels great! Sometimes when your disabled you get so caught up in stuff with appointment, and special events and it hard to make sure both kids get to do stuff. That's what I love about our family. Were multi-functioning is what I like to call it. We all suppotrt each other and bring each other up. Natalie's an amazing sister. She's my best friend. She helps me and hangs out with me and isn't jealous of all that I have or anything. I love her!  Anyway it was a great weekend.  I really had fun and got into watching the game! Great job Invermere Lakers!  You played some awesome games and I was glad to be in the crowd cheering you guys on!  Go Lakers go!

Teacher strike

As most of you probably know, B.C. teachers have been on strike since the beginning of September. Students have still been attending school ever since the fall but things have been cut like after school events such as feildtrips. Then it went to fase two where teachers left at the same time as the students so they didn't have to be stuck at school doing work while all the kids had left. They could be home with there families just like everyone else. The government continued not to meet the teachers or students needs, whitch I will talk about later. This resulted in a full out strike. The last time a strike went on was in 2005. It lasted a whole two weeks. Luckily this one is going to last only three days but it is still quite a bit of time to have to catch up on work when we come back. This strike effects everyone, especially grade 12's who want to graduate. The want to get through their work as fast as possible so they can move on and go out into the world and do something with their lives. It also effects the teachers. They love to teach and they love kids, but it is hard to be at any job when working needs are not being met. They dont want to strike. They would rather be at school with us kids but its the only way they can be heard. This effects parents of young children who work and have to pay for extra daycare time because the schools can't provide for them. The strike even effects me personally. I love school and my teachers. I love to learn and be with all my friennds. But what school does for me the most is it gives me something to do everyday, especially in the winter. I have trouble walking and I use an electric wheelchair, but I cant use it in the snow. So, unless my mom or dad is off of work, I'm stuck inside. School gives me something to do. See, this strike is affecting everybody and those wonderful teachers at our school dont deserve this. Thats why, last block on Friday, students across B.C walked out to protest and stick up for the teachers. The issue was important to me so Iwent too. I felt like a rebel. I had never done this before. I was skipping school, protesting, and practising civil disobeideience whitch is something I learned about in Social studies but never thoght I'd get a chance to practise myself. I got to be a rebl. I am no longer a cute kid in a wheelchair. i am a rebelious protester. So, i got to stand up for my teachers and be a rebel at the same time. The two things I've always wanted to be. It was great! It was a bit overwhelming at first. We had a few people who wanted to protest against us and I have never been a real part of something like that, so it was a little scary, but I was glad and proud to be there. You should have seen all the kids out there. Our teachers would have been very proud. They had signs that said things like, "My math teacher has enough problems to work out" and "My cooking teacher has enough on her plate. It was amazing and all the kids really wanted to be there. I was very proud to be part of the D.T.S.S student body that day. These teachers deserve all the support they can get. They do so much for children's future. This strike is not for money. Teachers want smaller class sizes and up to three kids maximum in every class that have a dissability. This is so the teacher can get the best teaching experience, not having to focus on so many kids, and the students can get the best learning experience. They can get more help fron the teacher and more one on one time. The special needs children reason is why I went to the protest on Friday. Some classes I don't have an aid and have to get extra help from the teacher packing up my stuff. I feel bad because teachers have another class coming and they have to get ready. They shouldn't be helping me. I love my teahers! They deserve support! Teachers especially in D.T.S.S. They try to meet every students need and work very hard. They deserve so much more. A big hand to all the highschool kids who came out to suppport the teachers. I was nervous to come down but i knew I was in the right place. Go teachers go! i hope everything works out! You guys deserve it!