Pajama Day

One of the big treats at school is Pajama Day. All of the students have the option to come to school in their PJ's. Mallory gets so excited!

Mallory's New Ride

Most of you know that we receive case management for Mallory through OCCK in Salina. Our case manager, Lisa, helps in finding resources that make life for Mallory easier. And let me tell you......Lisa is on the ball! She serves on AMBUCS in Salina and told us about their Amtryke program. This program gives bicycles to children with disabilities. The bikes are customized to each child's individual needs. We completed the application and sent it in. To be honest, I was excited but a little concerned about how Mallory would respond to a bike. Physical challenges tend to make her very frustrated. Well, Mallory set my fears aside. Today, was a BIG day for Mallory. She received her Amtryke. Lisa delivered to the school in conjunction with Mallory's physical therapy session.

What bike wouldn't be complete without a helmet?!? I'm going to let Mallory decorate it with High School Musical stickers.

Laurie, Mal's physical therapist, was very instrumental in getting the application submitted. She also helped to get Mallory properly fitted to her bike.

Starting from Left to Right-

Laurie (PT), Me, Amanda (Mal's Para), and Lisa (case manager/AMBUCS rep)

Of course the smiling girl in the middle is Mallory!

Mallory was so excited to receive the bike. She immediately started pedaling it up and down the hallways at the school. In the past, I could get her to pedal maybe 1 or 2 revolutions on a traditional bike. All of the boys in Mallory's special ed class room got to watch the events unfold. While Mallory was biking down the hall, several classes came by to cheer her on. It was a great day! One that I won't soon forget.

One last thing, AMBUCS has done tremendous things for our family and many others. Please consider supporting your local AMBUCS.

Mallory's Doctor Appt

Monday, we met with a developmental pediatrician in Wichita. It's been an 18 month long wait. We spent 1 1/2 hours at the clinic. Dr Kerschen spent most of the time interviewing Mallory and me. I was tickled at the fact that she carried on a conversation with Mallory. She basically wanted to understand "a day in the life of Mallory Walter". She then wanted to discuss our concerns.

I listed them as follows:

1. Sleep (did anyone doubt that this would be top on my list?)
2. Behavior (mainly attention span and the inability to stay focused)

She immediately recommended a higher dosage of melatonin for sleep (we are actually doubling the dosage). She is going to research meds for behavior. I was very pleased with the visit. We go back for follow-up on December 18th.

Mallory and I spent the rest of the day in Wichita. She got to pick where to eat lunch (Chili's). We then spent a good hour at Toys-R-Us. She had fun telling me what she would like for Christmas. We stopped in at Kohl's and grabbed a few items on sale. It was a day well spent!

All grown up.....

It seems like over the last month, Hannah has grown by leaps and bounds. Even though she is the youngest, we've always known that she doesn't consider herself the baby of the family. It is so fun to step into "Hannah's World" and see what is new and exciting.

Rock City

Todd has been very busy with class and work lately. About the only time we see him is as we are hurrying out the door every morning. Quality time was needed so Todd decided to take Matt & Hannah to Minneapolis on Sunday to see Rock City. Matt drug his feet about going, but had a blast once he got there. Hannah, on the other hand, was so excited to go but pouted the entire time they were there. The afternoon was a great opportunity for the kids to hang out with their dad before another busy week began. Plus it gave Mallory and I a little time to hang out as well.

Lazy Day

Mallory really likes to listen to her I-Pod Shuffle. She camped out on the couch the other evening and ended up falling asleep. Some of her favorite tunes are from Camp Rock, High School Musical, and Taylor Swift. I absolutely love it when she sings along to Rock Star by Nickelback.

Matt & Hannah just chillin' on the couch after a long day.

Dedric's Birthday

Did you vote?

Matthew drew this picture at school yesterday. It's nice to know that he leans towards the humanitarian side. The election has intrigued him. They even got to vote at school. Matt came home and said that he voted for "the gray-haired guy".

Prayer Request

Since it was so beautiful last weekend, my sister (Brandy) decided to take Maxton and her dog to the park. It's not far from their home, so she grabbed the wagon and off they went. On their way home, just 3 blocks from their house, two dogs left their porch and pursued them. My sister's dog took the brunt of the attack. The dogs owners tried to call the dogs off to no avail. My sister was able to keep Maxton and herself from getting hurt. Her dog, however, was severely injured. After a lengthy vet visit and major vet bill, her dog is recovering. When my sister called the local police department to report the incident, they informed her that nothing is done until there is a second offense. My sister is now pursuing a dog ordinance change that would require some sort of action on first time offenses. My sister and her son were very lucky that they were not injured. Please keep her in your prayers as her dog heals and she pursues clarification and possible change with the local dog ordinance.

Halloween Pics

Matthew wanted to be a soldier.

Hannah could not decide on a costume. After debating on

4 different ones, she settled for the doctor scrubs.

Hannah would not hold still for a picture, she was too focused on the candy!!


Matthew and Mallory are never this close to each other, without some sort of an attack.

Mallory enjoyed being a chef.

Yummy!

Jackie recently gained two infants at Daycare. Mallory loves to play with them and feed them. Of course, by the looks of the picture, more food ends up on the face than in the mouth!