Lucia Speaks!

For the past week, I've struggled as to whether or not to tell this story. It is just too unreal.  Too amazing.  I've been hoping I'd get more evidence to support my wild imagination or maybe it was just too good to be true.  Anyhow, here it is.....  

Poor Candy, she had a back ache and didn't want Lu to leave her. 

Last week, Mario "Babo" took the whole family to dinner at White Fence Farms.   A funny little place with a petting zoo that the girls really enjoyed.   We were a bit nervous to go as Candy seemed to have hurt her back and was struggling to walk around the house.   We decided to go anyhow hoping that Candy would get some rest while we were gone.   After a huge chicken dinner and massive accident in Scout's pants, we packed up the girls and headed home.  We pulled into the garage and Jules started unbuckling Scout from her car seat and I ran into the house to check on Candy.   Jules and Scout soon followed me in and we all gave the dogs a little love.   Then I realized I had left Lucia in the van!

Scout, you seem to be walking a little funny. 

It was only a minute or two but I sprinted to the garage to rescue our little girl.   I opened the rear door and started pulling the ramp down.  Then it happened as clear as day.  At first I thought Scout had escaped, followed me to the garage and started to call my name.  "DAD.......DAAAD, DAAAAD!!!!"   I looked for Scout and couldn't figure out how she got in the van.  Then I realized what was happening.  Lucia was calling my name!!!   She sounded EXACTLY like Scout.  I opened the side door and looked at Lu.  She looked me right in the eye and gave me another, "DAD!"

All I could think to say (or scream) was "Say it again Lu! Say it again Lu!!!"  I unhitched her wheel chair as quickly as I could and rushed her into the house.   "Lu say it again for mom, say it again!"  Well, she didn't.... I explained to Jules what had just happened and she just started laughing.....and laughing with tears....and laughing.  It was so great.

I've been thinking about this everyday (almost all day) since then.   She knows who I am!  Was she really looking for me?  Was she scared that we left her in the van?  If she can say Dad, what will she say next?  What does she think about as she clasps her little hands together listening to all we have to say and do?  "DAD", it was just perfect.  So much intent, so much concern in her little voice.   Out of no where, from a girl who almost never makes a peep.  

Man oh man, what I would do to hear her call my name again.  Her silence and her little cries and sweet noises.  We love her sweet voice, but words?  Incomprehensible!!

Nothing better!!

Happy Easter!

The wheels on the bus

"The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round, all day long" is the song Scout and pretty much our whole family has been singing for the past few weeks...all day long!  Well today the wheels on the bus rolled up to our house with a little Lubird riding high!  A big yellow bus.  "The driver on the bus says move on back" "The kids on the bus go up and down".  School buses are filled with kids talking about their day, smelling like kid sweat and cafeteria food, carrying on, laughing, reading a book, passing notes, sitting with friends.  Some despise riding the bus, some love riding the bus, some don't have a choice and some, well some kids don't ever get the option to ride the bus because they are too sick or medically fragile, some of these kids are good friends of Lu's.  I wasn't sure if our Lu would ever ride a bus but with a toddler at home always napping around Lucia's pick-up time, I was ready to explore this option.  So, after working out a few details and a couple weeks later, here she came, home on a big yellow school bus "the horn on the bus goes beep beep beep", riding with peers, holding her sweet hands, crossing her legs in her pink stingray wheelchair looking out her window.  Riding the bus is an experience most kids take for granted or don't think about as being a privilege,  but it really is a pretty cool deal.  You get picked up, hop on and don't need to do anything but enjoy a ride and get off at your school, then you go home, taking a complimentary, pretty brainless ride, no parents barking, usually with friends!  Well I know it's not always that easy and I know so many kids that will never get to experience riding a big yellow school bus with friends...they were born with too many special medical issues.  So this was a really special moment to happen to our Lu.  I sat outside our house anxiously waiting.  I imagined her being uncomfortable, crying and no one there to help her, or her not being securely fastened and uncomfortable, BUT she was none of those things.  She was totally secure, totally content, and she even has a special assistant who will ride with her, a great lady named Shay.

Hello Mr. Gregory and Mom!

Our bird can ride a bus!  Our Lucia can ride with friends on a bus and have a similar experience to some of her peers...it's a tearfully happy moment to witness.  Yay Lu.  We love you and your special chair and special lift and specialness about you all around.  Thank you Miss Shay and her driver, Mr. Gregory for being so cheerful and sweet with our Lu.  Getting to be a a part of the wheels on the bus going round and round is a HUGE deal.
Here are the videos of the first ride!

click here for Birdbus1

Click here for Birdbus Part 2