Ice Skating

I shot this a few weeks ago when the kids and I visited Ice Den, a local ice rink which was hosting a fantastically fun "Christmas in July" event.

For you families new to the wheelchair lifestyle like we are, here's your proof that someone in a wheelchair can have at least as much fun on the ice as an able-bodied person.  I don't have better/more video footage than this, because the twins proceeded to passionately argue over who got to drive Kyle's chair.  Lauren's chair has been broken for six weeks, so this is life until Permobil and the State of Arizona decide to employ some common sense and maybe just MAYBE stock parts locally and maybe just MAYBE not require a doctor's prescription for a bad electric cable to be replaced on a little girl's wheelchair.  But anyway.  View and crack up like I did.



Surprised they let wheelchairs on the ice?  Don't be.  The Zamboni® weighs way more, sillies.

5.2 MPH

This happens all the time around here, but something about our favorite neighbor kiddo being a part of it today cracked me up.  They cycled through the house a dozen times, and this is only one of them.

Pro Pack Mini Remote for Wii -- Two Thumbs Up!

Kyle loves playing the Wii, but between the small size of his hands and the lack of strength he suffers from, thanks to his muscular dystrophy (SMA 2), I've often wondered if a video game system with a smaller game remote would be easier for him.  Then one day I came across this mini Wii remote ($27 on Amazon, $35 at my Wal-Mart), and thought we would give it a try.

We like it!  At first, he was hesitant to use it because of the black color (he's only four.  He doesn't care much for change), but now he prefers it.  I'm applauding this product on this blog without the manufacturer's knowledge or expectation for anything in return, but only to spread the word around the disabled community (or frankly, even the "parents of small children" community) that this mini Wii remote might be a good choice for you.  The mini version has all the same buttons and functionality of the full sized version, and is accompanied by a mini nunchuk, too.

Since there is no way for one to visually compare the size of the mini version with the full sized version until after purchase, allow me to help:

What I've tried to demonstrate in the last photo is how not only is the mini version shorter, but it's also slimmer.  The full sized version (white, in my photos) is not only longer but fatter than the mini version (black, in my photos).  The mini version also weighs less--possibly because it uses alkaline batteries instead of the rechargeable Wii battery, which must weigh more.  All in all, a great product for small hands or for people who struggle a little with the bulk and size of the standard Wii remote.  Two thumbs up!