BIG DECISION

Sign for the show

The Chickadee team - Josie on the far right floating

Start of the routine

"Jackie O" in the car coming home from therapy

Hi All, Today's word of the day for Miss Josie is Unbelievable. Przemek could not believe how well she did. He didn't expect to top yesterday already. My warrior does it again. She even stood using 2 canes!!! It is remarkable that she can hold herself up. I will definitely get video of it tomorrow. I didn't see it when she originally did it but she and Przemek were so excited to show me that see did it for me at the end of her workout. YEAH JOSIE!! She is so proud of herself. On the way home in the car (our 50 minute drive) she kept saying "I'm on canes now oh yeah". He hopes to have her taking small, controlled steps by Friday.

Chickadee practice was this morning. Above are some cute pictures of practice at a small snippet of the start of their routine. More to come from the performance this weekend...

OK, now onto our big decision...We are going to move to Michigan for 3 months from the end of August until Thanksgiving. There are so many deciding factors that went into this decision but most importantly it is absolutely the right thing to do for Josie medically and physically. Our window is closing on the opportunity for mobility. We are kind of at the now or never part. It would be a shame to work this hard for all these years to "almost get there". She is ready and willing now. The ultimate goal is to get her independently walking. Using canes would be a very close second and nothing to be ashamed of. We also need to get her to transition herself SAFELY like from the couch onto her canes, in and out of her school chair, etc. We will be here for more than standing her up and letting her walk. I am so confident that we have made the right decision. When they first approached it with me (on the first Friday we were here) my gut reaction is that I was not staying in Michigan for 3 months. I thought 6 weeks was a big enough commitment. I disregarded it at first. On Saturday I told my mom about it(the voice of reason...she was sure to say no) surprise she agreed so I had to "think" about it. At church on Sunday is when the first time she lit a candle to Mary and asked her to help her walk. I looked up at Mary and said OK I am willing if you show the signs. That next night we were at a dinner with our cousins and the Superintendent of Grosse Pointe schools heard about what we were thinking about and agreed to send a teacher to the house everyday to school her and by Tuesday night Jeanie had found us housing...OK Mary I am listening. I have spent the past few weeks trying to iron out details of our lives and start to organize being gone for 4 1/2 months total. We did it so that is why I am finally settled with this decision. Oh by the way, if any one wants to rent an adorable little house on Crown Avenue in La Canada for 3 months please let me know!! I would love to rent it while we are gone.

I continue to ask for your support and prayers for Josie during this time. She needs all the strength she can get. She wants this so badly that I will go to the ends of the earth to help her. Our best, Jenny and Josie

This is the beginning part of the routine. The song is the part in Peter Pan where the croc is coming.