Farm fun...

One of the many, many ironic things about having a child with C.P is that it's not just the big, obvious things that you have to deal with like the mobility and vision problems. It's the little things. Like the fact that due to excessive involuntary contorting and muscle spasms, Elin cannot actually sit in anything. This renders her car seat and buggy practically useless, meaning every necessary trip out is a stressful experience at best and at worst an I'm-never-coming-out-ever-again kind of experience. As for trips out that are not necessary, they are extremely few and far between, with us having to psyche ourselves up beforehand for the juddering and screaming from Elin, which ceases immediately once human contact (i.e cuddles!) is restored. Frustrating is not the word, we have tried everything. Anyway, at lunch I picked Elin up from the childminder, and they had been to a farm. As I gazed with awe and wonder at the bravery of my childminder (who is amazing, but more on that another time) for actually taking Elin out voluntarily, I noticed Elin had a pink smily-face sticker on her t-shirt. It was given, said the childminder, for being good in the car, and even better in the buggy at the farm. I immediately developed a little lump in my throat and puffed up with happiness, that little sticker could have been a Nobel Prize as far as I am concerned. Achievement where Elin is concerned comes in tiny steps, but when it does come, my pride is as fierce as it is overwhelming :-).