At the park

We went to visit Wood End Playground tonight, for some climbing, sliding, swinging fun. The park was built by volunteers (including my hubby), and is largely handicapped accessible. It even has a picture communication board for non-verbal kids! It is a fantastic resource for the community, because it serves both the typical kids and kids with special needs. Here's Hollis loving riding in the swing set and going a little bit goofy!

Article in NYT - Epilepsy Surgery

Here's an article in the New York Times with an interview of Hollis's neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Madsen. I love that even in the interview, you get a sense of how much of a "teacher" he is: he spent a good deal of time with us, explaining the structure of the brain, what each area does, and the details of how the surgery is performed. We are so fortunate to have people like him on Hollis's medical team.

3 weeks!

We're hesitant to say things like this, because we're a little superstitious, but Hollis hasn't had any seizures for over 3 weeks, since her hemispherectomy! This is as long as she's ever gone without a seizure in her entire life! She is still on her meds, and still has the Vagus Nerve Stimulator running high, so it could be the combination of everything, but we're thrilled with the outcome, any way we get it.

In Frog Pond, Boston Common

Hollis had a ball at Frog Pond on Boston Common. There were lots of tourists today, in addition to the regular local visitors. It is fun to live near a city where so many different people from all over the world flock to, because you can forget living here that it really is a tourist destination.

Cards from school

Hollis received some beautiful, hand-made cards from her classmates at the Northshore Education Consortium. They have pretty butterflies and flowers, just like our yard! She just lit up when she saw them.

Hollis has been going to school at the Consortium since she was 3 years old. The school specializes in intensive services for children with multiple special needs. I give all the folks at the Consortium a lot of credit for what Hollis is able to do today. They work hard with kids that have the most difficult challenges, and they do it with sensitivity, dedication and love.

A new trick, not so nice

Hollis came up with a new trick today, and wasn't too cute. She likes to rub her forehead on our cats, Emma (a very furry Persian) and The Boy (grey and white tuxedo cat). She's especially fond of The Boy because he doesn't take off when she's around. Emma is wiser than he is, and hides whenever Hollis is present, because she realizes Hollis will chase her around the house.

So, Hollis was being nice, rubbing her forehead on his fur, and then I hear the most bizarre "meow" out of this cat I've ever heard before: I turned to find my daughter BITING the cat's tail. She quickly acknowledged that this was not pleasant for either party, she with the mouthful of fur, and Mom yelling that it's not nice to bite anyone! The Boy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so he hung around for some more abuse, because at that point, Hollis was mad about being told what to do, so she started pushing him around. He finally got the point and ran off in a huff. My poor cats.

So tired...

Hollis still gets very tired after a little bit of activity, though her stamina is getting better. She generally gets about 14 hours of sleep a night now, and takes a 2 hour nap during the day. Poor kid! Here's a video of her tucking in for a nap: she's singing the "Bye-bye" song she does every time she tries to communicate she's ready for bed.