Hey, guys! My turn :) Sorry we've been gone so long; things have been really busy since school started, and I honestly don't think Kyle and I knew what to write about since we aren't together a majority of the time right now.
We have both been doing well, so now I'll give you an update on what I've been up to. I'm currently volunteering at the Children's Assessment Center in Houston as part of my child psychology class. It's sort of a safe haven for abused children, and I'm really enjoying it. Sometimes you can learn more from kids than you can from adults. These kids have been through a lot, but you would never know it. They are always smiling and making me laugh. If you need volunteer hours or are just looking for something rewarding to do with your time I really encourage you to look into the CAC.
I'll never forget what a little girl told me when she asked about my disability: "Well, everyone has a disability. Some are just easier to see than others." That's some 10 year old wisdom right there. We should all take note.
Other than that, I've just been busy with school and the usual. Now, if any of you guys have any questions for Kyle or me or ideas for future posts, please feel free to comment. For those of you that read the blog through Facebook, you can always shoot us a message. Again, we need ideas for posts, so we'd love to have your input. I would like to do question and answer posts, so ask away!
Until next time :)
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Kyle Update
Hey guys Kyle here. I know its been awhile since we've posted. Me and Katie have been so busy since she left to go back for school. And we both wanted to write posts together. So I'm here to give a little update on what I've been up to this semester.
As most of you know, I am in my last semester of grad school. It had't really hit me till yesterday when I found out my comps test is two weeks away. So keep your fingers crossed for me to do well. Mine always are ;].
I also have been very busy working and interning for two different jobs. At nights I intern in the athletic department working study. It can be pretty fun interacting with the various student-athletes. And yes I do get to see some of the football players.
My other job is working for the PATHS program in the Center for Disability and Development. The PATHS program certifies people to become direct support professionals (DSP) people with disabilities. Within the program, I am an assistant instructor since I employ DSPs through a Medicaid waiver program called CLASS. So whoever you vote for President, please keep in mind the candidates policies on Medicaid.
Joining the PATHS program has been a great opportunity for me. I have learned so much about advocacy and self-determination. Check out adapt.org and http://www.imagineenterprises.com/rickb_staff_bios.html for more info. Also check out paths.tamu.edu. Help spread the word about advocacy, self-determination, and the PATHS program.
Till next time, Roll out.
As most of you know, I am in my last semester of grad school. It had't really hit me till yesterday when I found out my comps test is two weeks away. So keep your fingers crossed for me to do well. Mine always are ;].
I also have been very busy working and interning for two different jobs. At nights I intern in the athletic department working study. It can be pretty fun interacting with the various student-athletes. And yes I do get to see some of the football players.
My other job is working for the PATHS program in the Center for Disability and Development. The PATHS program certifies people to become direct support professionals (DSP) people with disabilities. Within the program, I am an assistant instructor since I employ DSPs through a Medicaid waiver program called CLASS. So whoever you vote for President, please keep in mind the candidates policies on Medicaid.
Joining the PATHS program has been a great opportunity for me. I have learned so much about advocacy and self-determination. Check out adapt.org and http://www.imagineenterprises.com/rickb_staff_bios.html for more info. Also check out paths.tamu.edu. Help spread the word about advocacy, self-determination, and the PATHS program.
Till next time, Roll out.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
A Trip to HEB
Katie here, again!
Well, I was going to write about my amazing friends today but I'm going to save that for tomorrow because last night Kyle and I had our first grocery shopping trip!
First, a thanks to Kyle's friend and attendant, Shane, for taking us to HEB and helping us find some amazing deals.
I was super excited to make a shopping list. Kyle insisted that we didn't need one because we only needed like eight things and that he knew what we needed, but I made my shopping list anyway. All in all, the whole trip went pretty well. Nothing crazy happened. I'm starting to realize that I have a bad habit of muttering under my breath when I'm pushing Kyle, though. When people stand in the middle of the aisle or step right into our way, I always find it necessary to mumble some choice words in their honor. I don't think they can here me most of the time, so that's good. However, my second realization of the night was that my impatience makes me pretty hypocritical. I know that I probably stood in peoples' way like half of the time. Then, when people get annoyed with me, I have no idea why they're so angry and impatient! Funny how that works... :] I will definitely have to work on my grocery store etiquette for the future.
Secondly, if you don't shop at HEB, you should totally give it a shot. Both Kyle and I are pretty cheap, and our heads were reeling at all of the great deals. Those little yellow coupons are paper gold. For real. We bought ice cream and got Oreos for free. No joke. AND, the HEB brand saves you soooo much money. Now that I've done my share of HEB advertising, I wanna talk about Tide Pods. Yes, Tide Pods. you just throw them in the wash before you put your clothes in. And that's it. No powder, no liquid. Pretty cool.
So, my advice for the day: Shop at HEB, try Tide Pods, and do your best to be more patient. All three will pay off :)
Well, I was going to write about my amazing friends today but I'm going to save that for tomorrow because last night Kyle and I had our first grocery shopping trip!
First, a thanks to Kyle's friend and attendant, Shane, for taking us to HEB and helping us find some amazing deals.
I was super excited to make a shopping list. Kyle insisted that we didn't need one because we only needed like eight things and that he knew what we needed, but I made my shopping list anyway. All in all, the whole trip went pretty well. Nothing crazy happened. I'm starting to realize that I have a bad habit of muttering under my breath when I'm pushing Kyle, though. When people stand in the middle of the aisle or step right into our way, I always find it necessary to mumble some choice words in their honor. I don't think they can here me most of the time, so that's good. However, my second realization of the night was that my impatience makes me pretty hypocritical. I know that I probably stood in peoples' way like half of the time. Then, when people get annoyed with me, I have no idea why they're so angry and impatient! Funny how that works... :] I will definitely have to work on my grocery store etiquette for the future.
Secondly, if you don't shop at HEB, you should totally give it a shot. Both Kyle and I are pretty cheap, and our heads were reeling at all of the great deals. Those little yellow coupons are paper gold. For real. We bought ice cream and got Oreos for free. No joke. AND, the HEB brand saves you soooo much money. Now that I've done my share of HEB advertising, I wanna talk about Tide Pods. Yes, Tide Pods. you just throw them in the wash before you put your clothes in. And that's it. No powder, no liquid. Pretty cool.
So, my advice for the day: Shop at HEB, try Tide Pods, and do your best to be more patient. All three will pay off :)
Monday, July 23, 2012
Thanks Everybody!
Hi! Katie here.
I have been so amazed by the number of people who are reading this blog and supporting Kyle and I. We have both always had great support systems, you guys have gone above and beyond this time. We both wanna say thank you to all our friends and family (and strangers!) who have been following the blog daily an showing their unending support. The comments and the input from you guys is greatly appreciated. I'm glad to know that you all love it.
I think one of our major goals in writing this blog is to keep friends and family in the know as to how we're doing and introduce them to a part of our everyday lives that they may not get to see. Of course we want to also connect with other people--both with and without CP--but you guys are really our inspiration.
Kyle and I have both been extremely lucky to have amazing families and friends. I am going to take this opportunity to recognize some of the people that have truly inspired and supported me through the years.
Of course, a big thank you goes to my parents. They have done everything they possibly could to make my life awesome. To my mom, for giving starers the stink eye. To my dad, for refusing to treat me like I have CP. Most of the time he won't even park in handicapped spots, which annoys me at the time but truly does give me insight into how he sees me-- as his daughter, CP or not. Although mom babies me, we all know she does it with the best of intentions-- and I really don't mind. My parents are two awesome people who came together in their awesomeness to create two awesome daughters. And for that, I will be forever thankful.
To my sister, Alli, who is my hero, my advocate, my reason for being me. She has stood up for me practically since the day she was born, even when she doesn't need to. She has slapped people, written school papers, and made school projects in my honor. She has been my worst enemy and my best friend. And she'll always be my sister. She has taught me more than she will probably ever realize. For those of you that know her, you know how much she loves me. She's the one who picks me up when I'm down and reminds me that there will be better days. Alli, no matter how much we fight, you will always be my number one.
To my brother Justin (Technically he's Alli's boyfriend, for those of you who are confused). I truly do consider you my twin, and I always will. You are one of the awesomest people I have ever had the pleasure of associating with. I swear. I don't think I've ever told a joke that you haven't laughed at (thank you). You know, growing up I would have been satisfied to be able to say that my sister's boyfriend is pretty cool because he makes my sister happy and is a half-decent young man. But I never expected to say that he is one of my best friends, my brother, and one of the few people that truly understands my weirdness. :) I will be honored to call you my brother-in-law one day.
To all my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents- you really are the best family a girl could ask for. To two aunts that I am especially close to-- My Aunt Sharon and my Aunt Dayna-- you both are just the bee's knees. :) And to my girls, Becca (my Macarena teacher), Haley (my partner-in-crime since the age of three), and Camryn (who has given me some of the best advice when it was most needed- and she's only 9) and the rest of my wonderful cousins.
And that's just the family. Friends, I'm coming back for you tomorrow.
I have been so amazed by the number of people who are reading this blog and supporting Kyle and I. We have both always had great support systems, you guys have gone above and beyond this time. We both wanna say thank you to all our friends and family (and strangers!) who have been following the blog daily an showing their unending support. The comments and the input from you guys is greatly appreciated. I'm glad to know that you all love it.
I think one of our major goals in writing this blog is to keep friends and family in the know as to how we're doing and introduce them to a part of our everyday lives that they may not get to see. Of course we want to also connect with other people--both with and without CP--but you guys are really our inspiration.
Kyle and I have both been extremely lucky to have amazing families and friends. I am going to take this opportunity to recognize some of the people that have truly inspired and supported me through the years.
Of course, a big thank you goes to my parents. They have done everything they possibly could to make my life awesome. To my mom, for giving starers the stink eye. To my dad, for refusing to treat me like I have CP. Most of the time he won't even park in handicapped spots, which annoys me at the time but truly does give me insight into how he sees me-- as his daughter, CP or not. Although mom babies me, we all know she does it with the best of intentions-- and I really don't mind. My parents are two awesome people who came together in their awesomeness to create two awesome daughters. And for that, I will be forever thankful.
To my sister, Alli, who is my hero, my advocate, my reason for being me. She has stood up for me practically since the day she was born, even when she doesn't need to. She has slapped people, written school papers, and made school projects in my honor. She has been my worst enemy and my best friend. And she'll always be my sister. She has taught me more than she will probably ever realize. For those of you that know her, you know how much she loves me. She's the one who picks me up when I'm down and reminds me that there will be better days. Alli, no matter how much we fight, you will always be my number one.
To my brother Justin (Technically he's Alli's boyfriend, for those of you who are confused). I truly do consider you my twin, and I always will. You are one of the awesomest people I have ever had the pleasure of associating with. I swear. I don't think I've ever told a joke that you haven't laughed at (thank you). You know, growing up I would have been satisfied to be able to say that my sister's boyfriend is pretty cool because he makes my sister happy and is a half-decent young man. But I never expected to say that he is one of my best friends, my brother, and one of the few people that truly understands my weirdness. :) I will be honored to call you my brother-in-law one day.
To all my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents- you really are the best family a girl could ask for. To two aunts that I am especially close to-- My Aunt Sharon and my Aunt Dayna-- you both are just the bee's knees. :) And to my girls, Becca (my Macarena teacher), Haley (my partner-in-crime since the age of three), and Camryn (who has given me some of the best advice when it was most needed- and she's only 9) and the rest of my wonderful cousins.
And that's just the family. Friends, I'm coming back for you tomorrow.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Sandwiches and Superheroes
Hi everyone! Katie here. Basically, today's post is a recap of yesterday because it was definitely an interesting one.
We decided to order Jimmy John's for lunch because I've been bugging Kyle about it for like a week because I LOVE JIMMY JOHN'S. If you've never been there, it's a sandwich place and it is delicious. Kyle called and ordered the food to have it delivered to the apartment. Now... for a little background, let me tell you about the apartment door. Kyle has the door wired so that when he presses a button on the "clicker" the door opens automatically. The catch? You have 8 seconds to complete your mission before the door closes again. If someone else opens the door, they have to close it manually... Okay, now back to the story. So the delivery guy knocks on the door and I grab the money. As I'm making my way to the door, Kyle decides that I'm taking too long and opens the door himself. At this point, I'm standing directly behind Kyle (who oh so cleverly placed himself smack dab between me and the door), and the door opens to a delivery man who, by the look on his face, wasn't expecting a palsy to be behind the door. The look on his face read something like, "What is this creature??" So we all stood there rather awkwardly (Well, Kyle sat-- but just as awkwardly) for a few seconds. I decided that I should be the one to make the next move, since I had the money and seemed to be a little bit closer to what the guy was expecting when he knocked on the door. Now that I think about it though, he should have expected Kyle, considering there's a ramp outside the door, but anyways... I squeezed my way past Kyle, and just as I started to hand the poor guy his money, the damn door starts to close. I was standing on the outside of the door so it was basically closing and pushing me at the same time. I can tell by the look on the guys face that this is probably one of the hardest deliveries he's ever had to do as he attempts to hold the door open and mutters a slight "Oh!" But alas, a door wasn't going to stop me from getting my darn sandwich. Apparently I'm pretty strong, because I forced the door to stop closing with my butt. With more awkward stares, I hand Jimmy his money and he gives me my sandwiches. He asks if I want the change and I tell him to keep it, hoping this small token of appreciation will keep him from developing PTSD laced with palsy-phobia. I wiggle my way back inside, and the ordeal is over.
Later, we went to go see The Dark Knight Rises. This proved to be another adventure, as I really don't like to go to movies. You see, a lot of people with CP have a heightened startle response (which I have recently learned from another blogger ;]). This basically means that I jump a lot when I hear loud noises and stuff. Hence, the the movie theater is not my favorite place. So, Kyle asked his brother Corey to get me some ear plugs, hoping that he could still convince me to go to the movie. Once I got the ear plugs, I was still really skeptical because I tried to put them in my ears and they really didn't do much. Just as I was about to surrender to my anxieties and force Kyle to go to the movie without me, Corey saved the day! Apparently I was putting the earplugs in wrong. Once I followed Corey's instructions detailing proper earplug use, a solution was reached. So they really did work! And now I'm so happy because I can go see movies without having to worry. And I will always bring my lucky earplugs.
Just your average Friday :)
We decided to order Jimmy John's for lunch because I've been bugging Kyle about it for like a week because I LOVE JIMMY JOHN'S. If you've never been there, it's a sandwich place and it is delicious. Kyle called and ordered the food to have it delivered to the apartment. Now... for a little background, let me tell you about the apartment door. Kyle has the door wired so that when he presses a button on the "clicker" the door opens automatically. The catch? You have 8 seconds to complete your mission before the door closes again. If someone else opens the door, they have to close it manually... Okay, now back to the story. So the delivery guy knocks on the door and I grab the money. As I'm making my way to the door, Kyle decides that I'm taking too long and opens the door himself. At this point, I'm standing directly behind Kyle (who oh so cleverly placed himself smack dab between me and the door), and the door opens to a delivery man who, by the look on his face, wasn't expecting a palsy to be behind the door. The look on his face read something like, "What is this creature??" So we all stood there rather awkwardly (Well, Kyle sat-- but just as awkwardly) for a few seconds. I decided that I should be the one to make the next move, since I had the money and seemed to be a little bit closer to what the guy was expecting when he knocked on the door. Now that I think about it though, he should have expected Kyle, considering there's a ramp outside the door, but anyways... I squeezed my way past Kyle, and just as I started to hand the poor guy his money, the damn door starts to close. I was standing on the outside of the door so it was basically closing and pushing me at the same time. I can tell by the look on the guys face that this is probably one of the hardest deliveries he's ever had to do as he attempts to hold the door open and mutters a slight "Oh!" But alas, a door wasn't going to stop me from getting my darn sandwich. Apparently I'm pretty strong, because I forced the door to stop closing with my butt. With more awkward stares, I hand Jimmy his money and he gives me my sandwiches. He asks if I want the change and I tell him to keep it, hoping this small token of appreciation will keep him from developing PTSD laced with palsy-phobia. I wiggle my way back inside, and the ordeal is over.
Later, we went to go see The Dark Knight Rises. This proved to be another adventure, as I really don't like to go to movies. You see, a lot of people with CP have a heightened startle response (which I have recently learned from another blogger ;]). This basically means that I jump a lot when I hear loud noises and stuff. Hence, the the movie theater is not my favorite place. So, Kyle asked his brother Corey to get me some ear plugs, hoping that he could still convince me to go to the movie. Once I got the ear plugs, I was still really skeptical because I tried to put them in my ears and they really didn't do much. Just as I was about to surrender to my anxieties and force Kyle to go to the movie without me, Corey saved the day! Apparently I was putting the earplugs in wrong. Once I followed Corey's instructions detailing proper earplug use, a solution was reached. So they really did work! And now I'm so happy because I can go see movies without having to worry. And I will always bring my lucky earplugs.
Just your average Friday :)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Date Night: CP Edition
Kyle here again. Katie doesn't know I'm writing this and I figured I'd try
to give everyone an insight into how me and Katie go on dates (with each other
of course). So in case you didn't know our one year anniversary is little over
a month away. And we have been on a lot of dates during that time. Our dates
have ranged from your typical dinner and a movie, to attending an Aggie
football game (Whoop!). Each date has its own obstacles. But it’s the
opportunity to go out by ourselves that we cherish the most.
So as you could imagine, every time we go on a date it’s an adventure. First, I have to plan out ahead of time if I need my attendant to dress me up extra fancy for the date. Secondly, we are limited to the places we can go. I mean, a couple can only go to Chili's so many times (though I could never get tired of the molten cake =]). So the only ways of transportation are walking/rolling, or having Katie ride on the back on my chair. Then, she can't wear a dress because she is afraid to moon everyone from me speeding down the sidewalk. And I know she loves to get dressed up and wear dresses. Lastly, we are limited to the variety of dates we can go on. We're definitely not the couple who's gonna go hiking our mountain biking anytime soon (though that would be a pretty cool TV special). But all that really matters is that you have your loved one next to you no matter the date.
As I've been writing this, I had an idea. Wouldn't it be pretty cool if there was a charity whose mission was to provide disabled individuals assistance on going on dates? I know I'd definitely sign up for the transportation to and from dates. Let me know if you think I'm on to something.
Roll Out (I think that will be my new sign off).
So as you could imagine, every time we go on a date it’s an adventure. First, I have to plan out ahead of time if I need my attendant to dress me up extra fancy for the date. Secondly, we are limited to the places we can go. I mean, a couple can only go to Chili's so many times (though I could never get tired of the molten cake =]). So the only ways of transportation are walking/rolling, or having Katie ride on the back on my chair. Then, she can't wear a dress because she is afraid to moon everyone from me speeding down the sidewalk. And I know she loves to get dressed up and wear dresses. Lastly, we are limited to the variety of dates we can go on. We're definitely not the couple who's gonna go hiking our mountain biking anytime soon (though that would be a pretty cool TV special). But all that really matters is that you have your loved one next to you no matter the date.
As I've been writing this, I had an idea. Wouldn't it be pretty cool if there was a charity whose mission was to provide disabled individuals assistance on going on dates? I know I'd definitely sign up for the transportation to and from dates. Let me know if you think I'm on to something.
Roll Out (I think that will be my new sign off).
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Why Katie Inspires Me
Kyle in the house!! So I'm completing our series on why we think the other inspires us. If you are curious what we do on a Wednesday night, Katie is playing the Sims (she is always creating new families). And I'm watching Restaurant Impossible. I have been addicted to the Food network this summer. I know, I know. That's crazy coming from a guy who is a sports fanatic. But the shows are soooo good! And they make me hungry =].
As Katie posted earlier, we both think each other are pretty awesome (thats for you Mrs. Strang). I mean living with CP is no easy task. But Katie makes it seem so effortless. She never lets her disability get her down and she always has a smile on her face. Come to think of it, we both smile ALOT. Whether she is helping brushing my teeth or feeding me (after she sneaks in a few bites before me), Katie is always smiling. Why is she smiling? Because she is the most caring person I know. I am one lucky guy when it comes to having Katie help take care of me. As you may know, I have the more serious symptoms of CP. So that means, I need more help to be independent. And Katie never hesitates to be the one who gets to help me.
Since Katie pegged me as being the laid back social butterfly of our relationship. I would say she would be the smart and opinionated one. Katie is a genius. She is no slouch when it comes to school. Katie loves to learn. To her, the world of academia is one place where CP can't touch her. When she tells me all the assignments she has as a psychology major, I go "say that in English please". Which I'm sure she does the same when I talk to her about sports.
Warning: Don't mess with Katie. She can get pretty fiesty when it comes to matters of living with a disability. Like the time we went to go have lunch on Northgate. And recently there has been ALOT of construction in that area. So here we are trying to cross the street and we can't because the construction workers have blocked the ramps. And before I can say anything, there goes Katie yelling at the workers to unblock the ramp. Which I am pretty sure they didn't understand a word she said. I love the fact that she can be so passionate when it comes to making the world more disabled friendly. I think it creates a special bond between us because we can be advocates for each other.
So thats just a few reasons why Katie inspires me. I couldn't write them all because I would be here all night (mostly 'cause I type really slow). Ok. Back to our nightly programming of Famly Guy.
As Katie posted earlier, we both think each other are pretty awesome (thats for you Mrs. Strang). I mean living with CP is no easy task. But Katie makes it seem so effortless. She never lets her disability get her down and she always has a smile on her face. Come to think of it, we both smile ALOT. Whether she is helping brushing my teeth or feeding me (after she sneaks in a few bites before me), Katie is always smiling. Why is she smiling? Because she is the most caring person I know. I am one lucky guy when it comes to having Katie help take care of me. As you may know, I have the more serious symptoms of CP. So that means, I need more help to be independent. And Katie never hesitates to be the one who gets to help me.
Since Katie pegged me as being the laid back social butterfly of our relationship. I would say she would be the smart and opinionated one. Katie is a genius. She is no slouch when it comes to school. Katie loves to learn. To her, the world of academia is one place where CP can't touch her. When she tells me all the assignments she has as a psychology major, I go "say that in English please". Which I'm sure she does the same when I talk to her about sports.
Warning: Don't mess with Katie. She can get pretty fiesty when it comes to matters of living with a disability. Like the time we went to go have lunch on Northgate. And recently there has been ALOT of construction in that area. So here we are trying to cross the street and we can't because the construction workers have blocked the ramps. And before I can say anything, there goes Katie yelling at the workers to unblock the ramp. Which I am pretty sure they didn't understand a word she said. I love the fact that she can be so passionate when it comes to making the world more disabled friendly. I think it creates a special bond between us because we can be advocates for each other.
So thats just a few reasons why Katie inspires me. I couldn't write them all because I would be here all night (mostly 'cause I type really slow). Ok. Back to our nightly programming of Famly Guy.
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