Her First Graduation!

Adria walked down the aisle in cap and gown for the first time on Friday. And then walked across the stage to receive her first diploma. I'd like her to get used to this :)

It was adorable. These 24 little preschoolers in blue caps and gowns-The Woodbridge Raiders Preschool graduating Class of 2014! And high school graduating class of 2027...

As Adria confidently made her way to the front with no tripping and just a big smile on her face. I was so proud of her. And right behind her was one of her best friends, Katie. The teachers and phyiscal therapist have told me that these two girls are so close, maybe it has something to do with the fact that they are the 2 shortest kids in the class but I think it's much more than that.

They are kindred spirits, understanding that they share some challenges other kids don't.

Adria is holding hands with her good friend Katie on Field Day (just a few days before graduation).

Katie is a triplet and the tall girl beside her is one of the three.

But Adria has lots of friends. There are some wonderful children in her class that she's gotten to know this year, and I know she'll miss them over the summer. 

Her preschool really is special. The program is provided by our local public school specifically to help developmentally changed children get ready for kindergarten. I think about half of her class was children who had speech, behavioral, physical or social delays. These were the kids who rode the bus to school. The other half were "normally developing" children whose parents brought them.

With three incredible teachers, this learning environment seemed to work great for all the children. And on graduation day it was beautiful to see the progress many of the children had made since the start of the year! Adria's greatest physical improvement is her ability to now take a few steps up and down stairs without holding onto a rail. It's rather impressive.

Adria was excited about graduating, but when we told her it meant that school was almost over, she nearly cried. She's looking forward to kindergarten already.

Here she is walking down the aisle!

Little Pre-school graduates

The kids performed 3 songs and dances for we proud parents. Cute!

Waiting patiently for her name to be called and receive her "diploma."

Paper outlines of the children were taped to the wall with notes.

Her's said "Adria's favorite part of preschool was the art interest (area).

When she grows up she wants to be a mom."

She loves her Grandma Outten.

She was so thrilled to see Grandma and Grandpa there for her "show".

And equally excited that her Granny Seely was at the graduation.

Mommy and her little graduate

So excited and proud! You go girl!

Little sister was excited for Big Sissy too! Sisterly love

School friends showcasing their accomplishment.

Our family

Our fuzzy but precious family ;)

The graduation was only 30 minutes of fanfare and we did not throw a big party afterward, but there was something very special about seeing our little girl walk down that aisle by herself and completely confident. That little baby I cried over and prayed for as I carried her inside of me and wondered what her life would be like with spina bifida...that little baby just graduated from pre-school and is growing into a strong and very capable little lady. I love this girl! And I look forward to watching where life leads her.

Congratulations Adria Mychelle Seely!

I want to Remember...

They grow up so fast.

It's an overused phrase that almost drives me crazy every time I hear it. I know! At least I think I do. My girls are just 5 and 2. Precious and innocent. Way before I'm ready, they will be 17 and 20. I will shed tears of joys remembering these special years that I am living. I will shed tears of sadness that these years are past.

Pictures will help me recall their adorable baby teeth smiles and delicate features, but there's so much more from these years that a picture won't tell. It is the simple things, that I'm afraid will be forgotten. It is these things that I want to remember.

I want to remember how Johanna picks dandelions and clover flowers then puts them behind her back and runs up to me with a big grin and shouts "Prise Mommy!" Her attempt at the word surprise is adorable.

I want to remember how much she loves "I keme" (ice cream) and jumps around excitedly when it's pulled out of the freezer.

I want to remember the scent of Adria's hair as she snuggled on my lap at church this morning and the barely audible whisper, "You're the best Mommy."

I want to remember how much they laugh when they are playing (and not arguing). These giggles that just erupt from their little pot-bellies.

I want to remember how Johanna asks for "Daddy lap" every night just before bed. She snuggles onto his lap with her "manket" (blanket) and milk. It's their special time while Mommy tends to big sister's needs.

I want to remember the sunny spring days we set up a table in the backyard and painted egg cartons to make craft flowers for a bouquet and wreath.

I want to remember the mornings when I sleep in and two faces covered by wild brown hair peek over the side of my bed.

I want to remember how Adria asks me every day if I have to work, and when I don't she gets so excited about me driving her to pre-school to be a "drop-off" instead of a "busser."

I want to remember flying kites together in the back yard on that crazy, windy day.

I want to remember the warmth of Mother's Day morning sitting on the boardwalk eating breakfast sandwiches and listening to the sounds of the ocean. Too bad we couldn't stay long since I had to work that afternoon, but it was wonderful.

I want to remember Adria standing in Granny's kitchen tonight confidently giving us all a preview of a song her class will be performing this Friday at her pre-school graduation.

I want to remember tiny, squirmy fingers and toes so excited to be painted pink or purple.

I want to remember cramming into bed with the two girls every night to read a story then sing a song. And as I turn out the light and turn on the lullabies, they both shout "HUGS Mommy!" even though I already gave them a good night kiss.

These are the simple, beautiful things I want to remember.

Trust me, it's not always rainbows and butterflies. There are many tough days and trying times, but I want to make sure that those things never crowd out the wonderful memories we are making today.

Beyond You...A Perspective on Leadership

Inspiration.

It's a wonderful thing to receive it by listening to the wisdom and experience of others. Especially when those individuals have a major impact on the world around them.

On Friday I had the opportunity to participate in a worldwide event called Leadercast Live. Locally, a couple hundred people from the business community gathered at Crossroad Community Church to listen to a telecast of leaders sharing what it means to lead BEYOND YOU. They spoke to a live crowd of over 6,000 in Atlanta, but apparently there were about 130,000 people like us tuned into the broadcast at locations across the globe! It was an entire workday devoted to listening to leaders.

Leadercast has been around for several years, and its mission is to “create leaders worth following.” This was my first awareness of it, and I had no idea what to expect when my boss asked if my co-worker and I wanted to attend. It’s been a while since I’ve attended anything like this, but I’m always up for any extra inspiration I can find. It’s so easy to get complacent and unmotivated in work and life, so times like these can serve as jolt to awaken your spirit and rekindle a passion in your heart. The theme of this year’s Leadercast was…

BEYOND YOU.

Effective leadership requires us to look beyond ourselves and consider the larger community around us – to focus outward, rather than inward.

This powerful message and the inspiration I’m about to share is not just reserved for business leaders, managers and CEOs. Most of us are leaders in some capacity. Whether we are a parent leading our child, a Sunday School teacher, a community volunteer or an assistant little league coach, we are a leaders. People are looking to us as an example. Own that role. Live it well. And here’s some advice on how to do so from some of the great leaders I heard the other day.

(P.S. It’s ok if you’ve never heard of some of these people before…I had not either.)

ANDY STANLEY

Pastor and Founder of 5 Atlanta churches with 36,000 attendees each Sunday. Best-selling author of 20+ books.

"Beyond You Leaders: Leaders who Fearlessly and Selflessly empower leaders around them, as well as those coming behind them."

"The Value of a Life is always measured by how much of it was given away. At the end of your life, they will not celebrate your achievements and possessions. Instead, we celebrate generosity and selflessness."

"If your leadership isn’t about you, it will live beyond you."

DR. HENRY CLOUD

Clinical Psychologist who built a large healthcare company and Leadership Consultant with nationally syndicated radio show and over 7 million books sold.

"You build trust to the degree that people feel connected to you." People need to understand that you understand them.

He spoke about two different CEOs of large home building companies. One complained that his job had no meaning while the other felt his job had great purpose. The latter said he could always picture the birthday parties and the kids playing in the cul-de-sac of a piece of land, long before it was ever developed. He loved "Creating Spaces for Lives to Grow."

As someone who's been selling in the new home market for years, I greatly appreciated his perspective on the job. So much of what we all do is about our perspective.

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU

Human Rights Activist in South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1984), Presidential Medal of Freedom, and friend of the late Nelson Mandela.

"You are you because of others." We are all closely connected and have the opportunity to influence those around us.

I thought the best part of Tutu's presentation was not in what he said, but in his laugh. It's light-hearted and regularly escaped from his mouth. Though he is well advanced in years and has witnessed some terrible atrocities, he maintains a carefree and optimistic outlook that radiates joy. We all LOVED that laugh!!!

I think he's famous for this laugh, here he is in Indianapolis last fall...laughing. You can't help but join in! 

LAURA SCHROFF

Former Advertising Sales Executive and Best-Selling Author of "An Invisible Thread"

She met an 11 year old boy who was begging on a street corner in 1986. He was hungry and living a desperate life, she took him to dinner and a relationship began. Today he is out of the slums and living successfully with his wife and 7 children. Their story became a NY Times best seller for 36 weeks.

"When you give kindness and expect nothing in return, you can receive the most valuable blessing of all. - Act on a Beyond You moment."

"We can teach people to be kind, but we must live by example."

Her book is named from this Chinese proverb...

LAURA BUSH

Former First Lady of the U.S. and Education Advocate

"Children aren't very good at listening to their elders, but they never fail to imitate them."

RANDALL WALLACE

Screenwriter of "Braveheart" and Director/Producer of other popular films

"The heroes are here. We are the heroes who must save the world."

There were a few additional speakers who shared including Award-winning journalist Malcolm Gladwell, CEO of an $80 Billion company Bill McDermott, and Best-selling author/speaker Simon Sinek.  It was almost too much to soak in during one 8 hour sitting, but the time was well worth it.

Now if I can just remember and apply even a fraction of what we heard, I'll be doing good. At the end of it all, the message came through that the only real way to have a lasing impact in leadership and life is to look Beyond Yourself and invest your time into the people around you. Good stuff.

You might laugh, but one of my dreams is to be on a stage like that someday and have something profound or at least interesting to say to a large crowd. We shall see.... For now I need to focus on more basic life skills like how to keep track of the van keys!

Welcome Class of 2027!!!

She confidently sauntered into the front door of the elementary school with her polka dot headband, navy blue dress and tights, pink heart leg braces and Minnie Mouse high-top sneakers. Some of the teachers saw Adria and exclaimed, "Could she be any cuter?" That's my girl ;)

Yesterday afternoon was her scheduled time for Kindergarten registration and screening. The school staff handed me a packet upon arrival. At the top it said...

WELCOME CLASS OF 2027!!!!!

Yikes! I've barely gotten my daughter registered for kindergarten and they're already making me think about her graduation day!!! 2027 sounds so futuristic, but I know it'll come all too soon. I hope it takes its time getting here, and I hope the years treat my daughter well.

I didn't know what to expect at this Kindergarten screening...this definitely not the first time she's been tested, but it is a first in many ways. First time preparing to send a child to kindergarten. First time our daughter will be away from both of us for about 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. First time either my husband or I will get first-hand experience with public school.

Neither of us have ever attended a public school. Adrian was home-schooled all through-out his 13 years of school, and I attended four different private Christian schools as well as being home-schooled for 5 years.

We have decided to give it a chance and send Adria to Woodbridge Elementary School. She has been attending their afternoon pre-school program this year and has just loved it! We've been very pleased with the teachers and her overall experience, so this helps give us confidence that she will succeed in this learning environment. Plus, the public school system should be able to provide the special services that her needs require, such as physical therapy and a nurse to assist with catheterizing.

For her, we believe home schooling would not be a wise choice. She is incredibly social and thrives on the daily interaction with other children her age.

Adria outside the entrance to Woodbridge Elementary School on Tuesday.

Naturally, I have some reservations and concerns about what she'll be exposed to in public school, but that's where I'm hoping good parenting and prayer kick in. The good news is that the school district is making big changes for the coming school year and her entire school will just be K to 2nd grade instead of K-4. I like that much better!

After we got our paperwork, Adria lined up to get her picture taken. She was stubborn and frowning at first, but a few tickles got a smile out of her. I was somewhat amused to notice how much shorter she stood when taking her picture than most the other children. She just doesn't seem short to me, but then again she is in the 1 percentile range for her height at her age. That is somewhat related to her spina bifida.

Adria acting bashful as they take her Kindergarten registration picture.

Then they took her down the hall without me to ask questions. About 30 minutes later, she reappeared, somewhat winded from her long walk down the hall. The teacher who had worked with her seemed genuinely impressed. She called her "Little Smarty" and reviewed her results with me.

Adria knew all her letters both upper and lower case, numbers 1-10 (easy...), shapes (including octogon), colors (though gray almost stumped her) and more. She was very pleased and congratulated Adria on being well prepared for Kindergarten!

I hope this does not come across as bragging, because it is really my gratitude for how well Adria is doing. It did not surprise me at all that she did so well, she's known most of those things for a year or two now. But it just reminded me to be thankful for these little yet huge blessings. I know how hard some parents have to work with their children to reach these achievements. Especially many parents of children with spina bifida.

Spina bifida is not something that specifically impacts cognitive ability, however many children can have learning challenges due to complications that can arise from spina bifida. Adria is fortunate to be performing so well.

Once again, I am humbled to be her mother and ever so thankful for every prayer ever said on her behalf. Thank You!

Look out for great things from the Class of 2027!!!

Please Touch Museum and Tyler Park

As a family, we very rarely go on week-long vacations and when we did, it was usually to visit with our family who did not live near us. That said, we are strong believers in the importance of dedicated family time away from home once in a while, mostly in the form of a day trip or weekend excursion. It had been a while since we'd taken the girls away for a special adventure. Last week was Adria's spring break from pre-school, but I had to work all week so we did not go anywhere other than a festival in Milford. Instead, I rearranged my work schedule this week, and we pulled her out of school on Friday for a fun family outing.

We headed two hours north to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. It was a gorgeous day that tempted us to go to the Philadelphia Zoo instead, but that was quickly stifled when we saw the ridiculous number of school busses lined up outside the zoo. The children's museum was just down the road in an impressive historic building called Memorial Hall. Apparently this structure was built in 1876 to house exhibitions for the first World Fair held in the U.S. on the centennial celebration of our country...Impressive. For a while it was an art museum then had other recreational use.

Now, all 156,000 s.f. are dedicated to a highly entertaining children's museum providing education through play specifically for children under the age of seven. Perfect! On May 14, the Please Touch Museum will celebrate it's 5th Birthday in Memorial Hall.

We enjoyed the four hours we spent at the museum on Friday and thought we'd share some pictures and tips for the visit, if you haven't had the chance to go yet.

Tip 1: Bring a stroller if you have children under the age of 4. 

This will come in handy to keep all of your kids' stuff accessible and reign them in when necessary. The museum is only two levels, but it's sprawling and their little legs might get tired (yours too!). Great news is that the museum is quite stroller friendly and is designed to be accessible for children of ALL abilities! They even have special programs and training to assist children with special needs if desired.

The museum is only two levels, but our double stroller came in handy to get around. 

Tip 2: Bring lots of money or your credit card. 

Just like most large zoos or museums in major cities, there is a price to pay for great fun. The price here is $17 a person, only children under age 1 are free. There is free parking along the street in front of Memorial Hall, but we did not realize that and ended up paying the $8 to park. For a family of 4, you're looking at over $70 to get in the door. If you live anywhere nearby and think that you might return again in a 12 month timeframe, it's probably worth getting a $150 membership. I heard one dad say that he got a good deal on "Living Social" too. In my opinion, it was totally worth the splurge to watch the girls have so much fun!

The grand entrance and ticket counter

Tip 3: Bring both parents if you have 2 or more children

There are dozens of exhibits and hundreds of little kids running around the museum. And your children will see different things that interest them at the same time. For your sanity and a more enjoyable experience, make sure Daddy or grandma or auntie or a single friend come along to support children being adventurous!

Adria walking through the Alice in Wonderland maze.
Daddy was somewhere else in the maze with Johanna. 

Johanna riding the boat in Fairytale Land. It moved when she steered.

Tip 4: Visit during a weekday instead of weekend if possible.

The crowd level on Friday was just right. There were plenty of children running around, but it wasn't too crazy and we even had a few exhibits to ourselves. This made it enjoyable so the girls had plenty of opportunity to experience all the museum had to offer. I imagine that weekends can get pretty crowded and not so pleasant, plus it brings in the older children and could be more intimidating for pre-schoolers.

This little village house was one of several areas exclusively for children under age 3

Tip 5: If you get there early, visit Ground Floor first, then come back up to the First Floor.

When we first walked into the museum, we were greeted with a huge atrium and a giant sculpture made of toys that resembled the Statue of Liberty Torch. This is going to be fun! The natural tendency was to head immediately to the right where a crowd of children were playing with an expansive water table. Daddy wisely suggested we pass by that and come back later. It was hard on the girls to walk past that, but it was much less busy downstairs and the water table was nearly empty when we returned a couple hours later.

Atrium and Statue of Liberty torch sculpture

Johanna happily playing with the water table toys later in the day.

Tip 6: Bring your own drinks and snacks, maybe even lunch.

The museum does have a cafeteria with drinks and snacks as well as pizza and sandwiches, but they seemed open to visitors bringing their own food. Plus, there are plenty of places to sit and eat. We were thankful for our snacks, but we did buy lunch, and my mozzarella-tomato-basil panini was quite delicious. Daddy and the girls enjoyed their pizza too.

Eating lunch in the impressive cafeteria...and yes, Jo is trying to get my iPhone.

Tip 7: Come prepared to play and imagine with your children! (And drink extra caffeine ahead of time)

There are really so many wonderful exhibits and things to see, it's difficult not to rush children along to see the next play area. But this time is about them and what they enjoy. They might be fascinated with the lily pads and bird's nest area that does not thrill you, but this day is about THEM! Still, we were able to see and experience most everything in about 4 hours, and we were all rather exhausted by then. Here's a peek at some of our adventures for the day...

Adria and the nest she built for a duck and hugging a...what is that thing??

The girls favorite place to play was the replica Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Johanna trying out the replica MRI, her big sister Adria had many MRIs when she was a baby.
In fact, Johanna is the only one in our family who has never had an MRI, but she was definitely fascinated.

Daddy and Adria making music on bamboo pipes in the jungle.

The charming, historic carousel inside the museum. (This was $3 extra per child.)

Johanna LOVES the carousel

Adria is afraid of sitting on the horses, I guess it's because she feels unsteady,
so we ride carousels in the seat most times.

Girls behind the wheel...frightening

Astronauts in the space room. Daddy helped the girls launch foam rockets at circles dangling from the ceiling.

Johanna loved slamming the launch button!

Not sure what these were, but I liked the randomness of them.

Adria baking in the supermarket.

Grocery shopping!

Children could pick out all kinds of food off the shelves and visit the meat counter and bakery.

Daddy even served as the check-out clerk for Jo-Jo.

You could easily make this a day trip, but we had plans to meet up with some friends on Saturday.

After all the excitement of the children's museum, we stayed overnight in Langhorne, PA - just down the road from Sesame Place. Originally, we had thought about going there for our get-away.

That night, the girls and I got a sneak peek of Sesame Place amusement park. We were just driving by when I pulled in and the security guard said we could go in and take a look around since we had never been there before (except once when I was little). I thought that was so nice of him and just 20 minutes gave us a great chance to scope out the park. It's largely a water park full of Big Bird, Ernie and all the lovable Sesame Street characters, but most of the rides seemed more geared for children a few years older than our girls. We might wait a year or two before we make it a trip. Although Adria wants to go there next weekend...haha!

The sun setting after our 20 minute visit to Sesame Place

In truth, we have our friends Doug and Ruth to thank for inspiring us to get away for a couple days. Ruth planned a birthday trip for Doug and invited Adrian to join him for a day of disc golf at an incredible course in PA at Tyler Park. We met them there on Saturday, and while the guys played 36 holes of disc golf, we girls enjoyed a leisurely walk along the river. Happy Birthday Doug!

If you look close, you can see Adrian and Doug playing disc golf in the background ;)

The girls enjoyed having Ruth to help them pick flowers, and I appreciated her help pushing the stroller!

And of course, this is what happened on the way home Saturday night after two FULL days of activity. Right before bed last night Adria asked, "So what are we doing tomorrow, Mommy?" Church and rest was today's activity.