What I have been up to since mid October….

by Kayla · Published January 7, 2020 · Updated June 8, 2023

most photos taken with phone….

Here are some more random things that I have been up to since my last post just like this which was mid October…

The day mom did my, Miss Kayla’s blog post just like this one, I went to Seaport Village with my peers from my adult day program; STEP. It was a lot of fun and so nice to be outside. I went shopping there for a purse for my cell phone. Yes, I have my own cell phone now so people can take pictures of me while enjoying life. Like I really need more pics of me taken… 🙂 I found a really cool mermaid purse and keychain with “K” for it. That way everyone will know its mine. 🙂

I, Miss Kayla had an appointment in Encinitas one afternoon so after I was done there the route to get home was horrific with traffic so mom decided we will spend some time at Target nearby and grab a bit to eat at a restaurant and by the time we are finished, traffic should be a bit better.. So we did just that. Here I am at a restaurant with mom. I even got to have some cheese from the mac n cheese. I don’t eat the noodles just the cheese and I LOVE it.

It was my best friends birthday and she loves cats so mom took me, Miss Kayla to Cubby store to get my friend a cat. I had so much fun as we also took the trolley from La Mesa to Build A Bear Store. Afterwards, we took the trolley part way back to grab a bite to eat at this new place mom hadn’t tried yet. We finally made it back to our car to drive home. I was so tired from all the fun shopping for my friends birthday. The following weekend I went to camp where I gave my friend her birthday present and she loved it!

I love having mom do my toenails and since Halloween was almost here, she did them for me. She actually did them a couple of times this year since we started so early. I was quite excited.

When mom drops me off at camp I am always ready to get out of my wheelchair and on to my bed there and I am usually out before mom leaves. Mom is always amazed at how fast I fall asleep there as I rarely take a nap at home like this. Sometimes i get all excited at first when mom puts me down here but am then asleep still before she leaves. We were celebrating my best friend birthday that weekend and Halloween. So much FUN!

And then when mom picked me up from camp..

Mom had no idea what to have me dress up as for Halloween. All of my favorites are for much younger girls so the sizes are too small and mom isn’t that good at making costumes.. So mom went through stores online to see what there was. I, Miss Kayla really wanted to wear a wig as part of my costume as I love getting all dressed up like that and its been several years since. So mom found a costume that she thought I would like but her nor I had ever heard of the character – Mel from the Descendents. So mom looked it up on tv and found it, a Disney movie and it was free to watch so I watched it. I seem to enjoy it. I reacted some to it but it’s not a favorite but I did watch it twice during the previous months to prepare so mom that that was good enough. I did like my costume as its really cool and enjoyed getting dressed up. I even got the best costume prize at my adult day program 🙂 which was a surprise. My teacher got a good photo of me as well.

That evening after dark mom took me trick or treating. I was really tired so I wasn’t too into it but I did enjoy being out and I did carry my bag. The rule still applies ever since I was three years old mom made the rule that in order to go trick or treating I had to carry my own bag and I do every year we go. 🙂

So here it was the end of October which means its time to make my new countdown for my next big adventure. Not sure why I don’t do these for my big road trips, but seem to only do them for my other big trips. Hmmm.. I will need to start doing them for all my big trips. So we were leaving on a cruise December 1st, 2019 out of Galveston, Texas but leaving to drive there several days before so a count down was needed. We counted down the last 30 days to the cruise, but used a different color for the last 5 or 6 days since we would be driving. I, Miss Kayla also had mom put our car on the day we leave to drive there. 🙂 So by November 1st, we needed this to be hung up so every day I could mark off a number. 🙂

Mom couldn’t decide on photo, sooooo…… 🙂

Some weekend or non program days I like to help mom fix breakfast in the kitchen. The blender noise kind of gets to me, so I am listening to that as I blend moms eggs, dash of milk and pepper. 🙂

Mom got word from a friend that fireworks were happening at Sea World this one evening, so we decided to meet up with our friend, go to dinner then go watch the fireworks. It was great. Only a few people were around watching them so we were able to get there a few minutes before they started and watch from across the bay. It was perfect for me, Miss Kayla as I don’t do well waiting around for them to start. It was an awesome show and quite long too. I only wish they were much longer but I will take what I can get. 🙂 I just LOVE fireworks especially when I am close enough to see them. Oh, you can totally see my lights on my wheelchair.. 🙂

Here is a short clip of the finale. Pretty cool, huh?

So you know how before anything special or a trip I always like to get my hair done.. Well, I had been sick and mom didn’t want to chance me going out and getting my hair done in a public place so mom did some streaks for me here at home. I like being able to stay in my wheelchair, have mom tilt me all way back to do some of the wash cycles and the last cycle she gives me a full shower so that is nice too as I love my showers/baths. But I still like to go out and get my hair done just like everyone else. I don’t know if I told you or not, but mom found us a new gal to get do both our hairs. Mom has gone a few times and the last time she went she talked to her about me and agreed. She is wonderful. So confident and just goes right in and cuts my hair. I haven’t had her do my streaks yet but someday I will. The only thing I don’t care for her is that we always have to wait for her – she is always late getting to work and always late doing previous clients. Mom doesn’t like arriving late and I don’t do well waiting which is why she always tries to book me first for her day. She is too good to change to someone else and so far its gone well – she cuts my hair so good and she is fast! Fingers cross. Oh and do you see the towel that is around me??? This towel belonged to my great grandparents. They had this towel set for many years and now we have this one bath towel and the handtowel.

Just a random photo from a few days after mom doing my hair.. 🙂

Something I, Miss Kayla want to share with you.. Not sure if I have before, but hopefully not. There are a few things that mom has taught me to do and every time I do them, she gets so excited. We are all about the little things, the little accomplishments because they are huge for us while they are very little for others. I can do these things that mom has taught me and when I lose the ability to which sometimes I seem to, I gain it right back in a short time.

1. I can inconsistently tell mom when I really really want out of my wheelchair by lifting my right up up in the air off my tray. Every once in a while I will lift my left arm a little bit with the right to intensify the demand. At othertimes, I will lift my arm up as mom removes my tray from my chair confirming I do want out. If I don’t lift my arm during the time mom starts to remove or is removing my tray that could very well mean I am really not ready to get out of my wheelchair yet. Not 100% accurate, but most of the time that is what it means. When mom puts my tray on, she will tap on the arm rest or tap my right arm to signify she is putting the tray on and I will lift my arm. Mom also says, “here is your tray when she is about ready to put it on or as she taps”. It is always important to prompt with verbal ques. Sometimes I lift it as soon as she starts to put it on – no tapping required because I am so ready to have my tray.

2. My glasses… I help mom take my glasses off and she won’t remove them until I do help unless I am asleep. Mom holds my glasses out after she removes them so I can put my head through the string opening to remove them from my head. I hope that makes sense. When I really want them off, I do it really fast and am really good at it. When I am not quite ready to take them off or if its not as clear I take a little longer to do.

I, Miss Kayla was feeling much better and the weather was really nice so we decided to go to the LA Zoo. Yay!

I, Miss Kayla really loves going to San Diego Safari Park as its nice and open and lots to see and my best friends; the Lorikeets and other exhibits that I enjoy are there and such but both mom and I really enjoy the LAZoo more (yes, me now too cuz I get to feed the giraffe) and people are much nicer. Its also the perfect size and I get to feed the giraffes and (more later). The San Diego Zoo has grown so much – not in size, they just crammed more in to the space that they have always had so its more crowded (more people, less space for people) and just not as pleasant as it used to be. Lots of cool animals, but I can’t really see 99% of them.

I LOVE to go on the patio swing at camp. Here I am waiting to go on the swing, I am on the swing and then inside my camp with some art work stuff on my tray. I like to help. 🙂 And then back on the swing. 🙂

Right before mom and I, Miss Kayla and Cubby left for our big trip I got to go to the mall in Chula Vista with my peers from my adult day program. Here I am in one of the stores we went into.

Off on our big trip (separate post for it)……. I can’t wait to share with you about our trip as it was just AMAZING…
So on our way home from our trip we stopped at Walmart and I, Miss Kayla got to buy a Christmas decoration for my place. Please meet, Mr Kevin. Mom was surprised that I choose a Minion but glad cuz she loves them. After I got Mr. Kevin I started seeing so many like Mr. Kevin – they are like everywhere.. Lol..

Pics aren’t all that great of me as I was moving a lot and so excited. Low light and me moving a lot just don’t mix well..

I love this time of year when everyone has their homes decorated and I get to go out strolling after dark to see all the pretty lights and decorations. I wish homes can do different themes every month so I can do this all the time. 🙂 Here are some highlights from almost each night that I went out. I missed a lot of nights this year due to weather and the fact that I was out of town.
Before we headed out one night to look at lights we had a friend over for dinner. I love helping mom cook in the kitchen and mom even made me, Miss Kayla my favorite yams using my great-grandma Judy’s recipe. They are the best! I hadn’t had them in a long time and I really enjoyed them. I should have mom make them more often. I freeze the leftovers since I am the only one that eats them.

So over the next couple of days, I decided to make all my peers and staff some pumpkin bread and fudge for Christmas. It’s been a long time since I, Miss Kayla has done anything like that before so I was excited to do this. I love baking and helping mom.

Oh and I love to sit in different positions in my chair. Mom let’s me for short periods. 🙂

Christmas night was stormy and chilly but we got a break in it and the wind died down so mom decided to take me out for a quick stroll in a neighborhood not far from us as I was having a rough day staying in at home. Some days I just don’t want to stay home and everything was closed so this was the next best thing.

One evening driving around trying to find out favorite neighborhood that is perfect for me, Miss Kayla we stumbled upon this little neighborhood with some unique and cool decorations we hadn’t seen before in other areas. After here, we did finally find our favorite neighborhood but didn’t get out as it was just too cold. We did go the following evening though. 🙂