We're home, safe and sound!

Just a quick post to let you all know we got home safe and sound. It was a long drive, and with the time change it made it seem even longer.

We came home to a very sick cat. Charlie was very thin, and not eating. He was sick before we left and on antibiotics, but he didn't seem any better. Scott said he ate very little. I took him to the vet and he has Chronic Renal Failure (kidney failure basically). I've learned to give him an IV at home (for hydration) and he is on another medication for now. If he starts to eat soon, as he should once he begins to feel better, he may be okay. If not, well, I don't want to think about that now. This picture of him was taken about a year or so ago. He is so beautiful!

Olivia is doing great with her exercises at home, so far. Until we get the wall board up, she is improvising.

I promise I will post soon with the events of our last day at the Rehab Center, and some exciting results.

It's Sunday.....

and I'm super late with my Friday post, sorry! You're going to have to wait a bit longer :).

I will say our last day at the center was wonderful, fulfilling and sad. It's always hard to say good-bye. We've been in Madison since Friday afternoon, and it is beautiful here. We're enjoying our time with Steve and Barb, and enjoying what Madison has to offer (which is a whole lot that we could never cover in just one weekend, so that means we'll have to come back!)

We'll be home quite late tonight, and then off to work bright and early tomorrow morning. So, give me a little time, and I will fill in the gaps!

Our second last day here...

...was sure a full one! Olivia's appointment this morning was from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Today was the making of her DVD. It's 30 minutes long and goes over most of the exercises she learned, including the proper set-up, form, etc. She looked like a movie star being filmed!

Bob had to leave early today to inspect three stores on the East side of the state, so we got a ride there. We were planning on walking back to the hotel when she was done (it's exactly two miles), but it started to pour rain. Stef was kind enough to let me take her truck.

We went back to the hotel, rested and then went to Erberts and Gerberts for lunch with Margaret and Emily. The girls had their afternoon session from 1:30 - 3:30. Right after we got done eating the power in town went out, so they had to work with no a/c or fans. There are lots of windows, so it wasn't too dark in the building, at least. When they were done, we went to pick up the pottery we made last week. Olivia's is the fruit bowl. I made the small square bowl. I absolutely love hers, and I'm actually shocked that mine turned out as good as it did, considering I don't have one artistic bone in my body!

Of course, the girls wanted ice cream, so we took them to Culvers and then went back to the hotel. We had planned with the other parents for us all to meet at the pool at 5:00 so the girls could all spend time together. They swam and we ordered pizza. It was nice for them to all be together outside of the Rehab Center. We went up a little after 7:00 and after Olivia's shower, she spent time with Emily in their room. Bob and I went for a bike ride. Here is in front of the Post Office Mural.

Olivia's first appointment is at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. We actually get to sleep in a bit.

Wednesday's over

I can't believe it. Another day gone. Only two more days of therapy. We were at the center today from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. Olivia was so strong this morning. It's amazing how you can see her body becoming stronger. We then went back to the hotel until Olivia's afternoon session, which was from 1:30 - 3:30. Bob took the van today, as he had store inspections to do in the Madison and Milwaukee area, so Margaret took Olivia to her afternoon session. Since it was open gym, and they don't want parents there, I stayed back and did laundry. When the girls were done, Margaret drove and we took the girls to Belts Ice Cream and then to the bead store. Both girls chose to make anklets. They were so cute! Here is a picture of Olivia's, she went with the sea theme, frog, sea horse and sea shell.

After the bead shop, we came back to the hotel. Bob was back already, so the three of us and Margaret and Emily went to dinner together. We went to The Tokyo Steakhouse, which came highly recommended. It is within walking distance of the hotel, so we walked over. The place looks like a total dump from the outside, and we were told not to let that influence our decision to go there. I'm glad we didn't! The food was delicious. We chose a hibachi table, where they cook your food right in front of you. Our cook was great. He was talented and had a great personality. We ordered some sushi, and then shared chicken, steak, shrimp and salmon. It was really delicious. Be sure to pay close attention to the detail of the "man water squirter". It was hilarious.

We walked back to the hotel, and the girls wanted to go swimming IMMEDIATELY! They changed, and Margaret and I took them down to the pool. We sat outside while they swam, as it is so hot in the pool area. They swam for about an hour, when they discovered some strange matter on the bottom of the pool. Emily thought it was pieces of a brownie, and Olivia thought it was chocolate chips. Okay...you get the idea. They got their flip flops and went "fishing". What they brought up was not brownie pieces or chocolate chips. I don't think I need to say more. This was actually the second time this week this happened. A few days ago, this same type of matter was found floating in the hot tub. So again, they had to shut the pool down. They did test the water on the spot, and it tested negative for e-Coli and whatever else they test for. They still need to have the pool company come out tomorrow to take all the necessary precautions. So that was our excitement for the night. Here's the girls in the pool:

Showers this evening were a bit longer than usual, as we had to wash flip flops and bathing suits, just to be sure. Never a dull moment! Of course, Olivia is not tired, and we have another 7:30 a.m. session tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning will be her video session, where they tape everything she does and makes a DVD for her to take home. It will be interesting.

An extremely HOT day 7!

I think the temperatures reached the upper 90's today, with what felt like 100% humidity. It was unbearably hot. Olivia and I tried to lay out this afternoon between her sessions, but we only lasted about seven minutes!

This mornings session was with Beth and Olivia was awesome! She worked hard, as always. Here is a picture of her in "prone on two stools". This is only her second time doing doing this exercise and remembered exactly how to do it. The proper way to breathe is a huge part of this (and all) the exercises.

This afternoon her session was from 2:00 - 4:00. It was too hot for me to do anything, so I just came back to the hotel. Beth told me she did incredibly well this afternoon, both with her one on one time with her, and during open gym. She learned another new exercise, which Beth said most don't get, as it is pretty difficult, but Olivia caught right on. I am really proud of her.

We couldn't decide what to do this afternoon, since it was so hot and then thought that canoeing/kayaking would be the perfect thing to do. We were going to go on Sunday, but the weather was too iffy. We went to Iverson Park, rented a canoe and a double kayak for Olivia and I from Nature Treks. We paddled down the Plover River for about 2.5 miles, which took us an hour and a half. It was a bit of a tough ride at the beginning, as the water was very shallow, and we had to get out of the boats multiple times and push them. Once we got past that part of the river, it was smooth sailing (paddling, really)! When we got to our destination, they picked us up and brought us back to the park.

We brought dinner back to the hotel, ate and then Olivia went swimming with her friend for about an hour. I don't know where this girl gets all her energy. Her morning session is from 7:30 - 9:30 tomorrow. She's going to be exhausted.

Day 6 (of therapy)

Olivia learned one new exercise today, and everything else was the same. She was there this morning from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. and again this afternoon from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Bob was there this morning, and watched the morning session for the first time. He was really impressed. It truly is amazing how with just a few adjustments and proper breathing, you can actually change the form of your body. Olivia is doing great with it.

This afternoon while Olivia was at the center, Bob and I went for coffee and to a book store. It was so hot today, it was not pleasant being outside. The humidity was so high.

After we picked Olivia up, we went back to the hotel. She wanted to rest, so Bob and I took our bikes and went back to the Schmeeckle Reserve. It was hot, but riding in the woods was bearable. It was beautiful. We rode a different path today, and I actually remembered my camera. Of course, we we're seeing any dear. We were just about done with our ride, so I stopped a took a picture of the garden. I had to take a picture of something, since I actually had my camera. Just as we were about to exit the trail, there she was. A beautiful doe! She was grazing, and came fairly close to us. I snapped a bunch of pictures, but with the sun they didn't come out too good.

We went out to dinner at a place called the Charcoal Grill. It was really good. Afterwards we went to Lowes just to walk around. There really is not a whole lot to do around here! I talked Olivia to climb into one of those shopping carts with the steering wheels for little kids. Of course, with her long legs, she couldn't fit into the seat, so she just hung her legs over into the basket. I pushed her around the store and we laughed. Bob thought we were crazy, but agreed to take our picture. The customers in the store, as well as the sales people who walked by us laughed. I think it was most excitement they've had in a long time!

After we got back to the hotel, Olivia and Emily went swimming and I took a load of clothes to the laundry room. I hope I don't forget to get them out of the dryer!

The weekend in a nut shell

Wow, it's Sunday night already. Bob came in Saturday morning. We got back to Stevens Point in the early afternoon. We Took a walk along the river, and of course saw more ducks. This mama had new born babies. She didn't seem too happy, but she did let me take a picture!


After we walked around a bit, we went back to the hotel. Olivia rested and Bob and I went for a bike ride around town. It was a nice ride. Before we went out to dinner, Olivia and Emily went swimming. It's really nice that she has made a friend! After dinner, we just came back to the hotel and turned in early.


Sunday morning, after breakfast we went out to Mullins Cheese . I thought they would have tours, but they didn't. I was able to get awesome cheese curds though. I love cheese curds. I love how they squeak when you chew them! We headed back to Stevens Point and went to the Stevens Point food co-op. What a neat place. A bit on the expensive side, but a nice place. The bakery was closed, so we'll have to go back during the week. I've heard the bakery is just wonderful. We shall find out!


It was a really nice day. Warm with sunshine on and off. When we got back to the hotel, it started to drizzle and Bob and I thought it would be a great time for a bike ride. Olivia didn't agree, so she rested, when we went out. We went out to the Green Trail at the Schmeeckle Reserve, which is directly across the street from the hotel. It is absolutely beautiful. We took a quick ride through there yesterday, and I nearly got knocked off my bike by an owl! Seriously! That bird flew right in front of me and landed in a tree. Of course I didn't have my camera! I called Bob back and he was able to see it. It was absolutely beautiful. We watched it fly away and continued on our ride. Today, we didn't see any owls, but the deer were abundant. Of course, again, I forgot my camera. This time I was able to get a picture with my phone. It's not too great, but this dear just stood and stared at us. They seem to not be afraid of people at all.


We ate leftovers tonight and will be making it an early night. It's back to the Rehab Center, bright and early tomorrow morning at 7:30.

Five days down...

I can't believe it, one week is completed. It's amazing how much Olivia has learned. She is so glad it is the weekend and she can sleep in!

This afternoon when the girls were done, we went to Appleton, which is an hour away to go to the mall. Yes, the closest mall is an hour away. Everyone said how nice it was. It was okay. Nothing special, but something to do. Afterwards we went to downtown Appleton to an Italian restaurant named Victoria's. Stef, one of the therapists recommended it, so we gave it a try. The food was good (Olivia and I split Eggplant Parmesan, which was a huge portion, enough for four people, really!). The decor, was very Italian. Tacky Italian. Old school Italian! Murals all over the walls, 1960's chandeliers, etc. It was interesting. I'm glad we went there, as it really was good and unlike anywhere I've ever been!

By the time we got back to the hotel, everyone was tired, so we're just chilling out. We need to leave tomorrow to pick Bob up. He flies into Madison and is being picked up by Steve L. who lives in Madison, and is going to drive half way to meet me. Madison is two hours south of Stevens Point. It will be nice, as we'll have lunch with Steve and Barb where we meet, and then head back to Stevens Point.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Day 4

Four days down, six to go (of therapy that is). It's hard to believe tomorrow is Friday already. Bob will be here on Saturday!

Therapy went well today. It's hard for Olivia to get up in the morning and be there at 7:30, but she's managing! Tomorrow she gets a tiny break. We don't have to be there until 8:00. She gets a whole extra 30 minutes!

Here's a picture of Beth working on de-rotating Olivia, in the prone on knees position (or something like that, I can't remember all these terms). It looks painful, but really, it's not! This is the first time she's been in this position. It can also be done hanging from the bar, which she liked better.

After her morning session we went back to the hotel and stayed there until it was time to go back at 1:00. It was a gloomy, rainy morning. I dropped her off at 1:00 and drove around for a bit. I found a hardware store that was going out of business, so I went in and looked at all the...well...tools! I didn't buy anything, but will take Bob back next week. I think they had some pretty good deals there. I then went to the Goodwill store. It was a nice one! I was there for only a few minutes when Olivia called and told me she had a tummy ache. I went back to the clinic, and she was fine. They had her lay down and she felt better.

When the open gym time was done, we took the girls to The Art Village, and they spent time in the create your own pottery studio. I even did a piece! They had a lot of fun (I did, too) and we are looking forward to getting our creations back next week after their fired. I'll post pictures then. Here's a picture of three of the girls.

When we finished up there, we went to the grocery store and came back to the room and cooked dinner (yes, I brought an electric double burner, a frying pan and cooking utensils)! We had turkey burgers with sauteed onions and Wisconsin Swiss Cheese. They were yummy! We smelled the whole place up! After dinner, Olivia and one of the other girls went swimming for about an hour. I don't know where they got the energy. The other girls mom and myself sat outside on a little patio and talked. It was really nice. They are super nice people from San Antonio, Texas. Everyone here is so nice.

Day 3 (already!)

I can't believe it's Wednesday evening already. Time goes so fast. Today was great. This morning Olivia has an hour and a half of one on one with Beth, and then from 1:00 - 3:00, it was "open gym". This is a time for the girls only (parents must leave) to work with each other, on their own and with the therapists. Olivia enjoyed it.

While Olivia was in open gym, I walked for about 45 minutes on the path around the river then drove around a bit. I was a little early getting back, so I went into a thrift store right around the corner from where the Rehab Center is. The store just opened last week, and it's a pretty cool store. I was talking with the owner, and I found out she just moved her from Rochester Hills and opened this store. It really is a small world!

When we got back to the hotel this afternoon, the gal at the desk asked me if we wouldn't mind changing rooms. We were on the first floor and they are renovating the rooms. They are finished with the second and third floors and are now working on the first floor. There is tons of drywall dust, paint fumes, etc. and they are moving closer to our room, so the manager thought it would be best if we moved, since we'll be here for quite awhile. So, it took three trips, but we moved everything up a third floor room. The room is nicer than the other one, since it is freshly painted, new carpet, drapes, etc. It was more work than we wanted to do this afternoon, but I'm glad we moved.

We walked across the street to Subway for dinner, came back and sat in the hot tub and are now watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 on t.v. We'll be going to bed early tonight, as Olivia's first session is at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Hopefully, I have pictures to post tomorrow.

Day 2.....

Another day gone by. Today was much of the same. Olivia met with Beth in the morning and Stef in the afternoon. In between sessions, there was a group meeting focusing on abdominal work (sit ups are actually the worst thing you can do for your back), and the proper way to do general everyday chores like vacuuming, sweeping, laundry, etc. It was very informative.

We rode our bikes to the afternoon session and went for the most incredible ice cream at Emy J's afterwards. So much for the few calories I burned riding my bicycle.

We ate in this evening and Olivia is now soaking in the hot tub. It's going to be an early night tonight. Her first session tomorrow is at 9:30 a.m.

Day 1...

This morning, bright and EARLY, 7:00 a.m. to be exact, Olivia had her first visit at the Rehab Center. Beth spent an hour with her taking measurements, measurements, and more measurements! She tested her flexibility, as well as other things.

After she was finished with Beth, Olivia spent an hour with Stef, one of the P.T.A's who started her with her stretching and exercises. We were finished at 9:00 a.m. and had to be back at noon for a group session. We went back to the hotel for a short while and then went back to downtown Stevens Point and walked around a bit, shared a light early lunch and then sat by the river and watched the ducks before it was time to go back to the center. It was a gorgeous day. Sunny, a slight breeze and 80 degrees.



How cute are they!

We went back to the Rehab Center at noon for an educational session. It was nice, as we got to meet the other girls/families who will be here for the next two weeks. There are four other girls. One from Texas, one from Colorado, one from New Jersey and one from Louisiana. They range in age from eleven to sixteen. During this time, Beth talked to us basically about anatomy and the proper way to move, sit, bend, etc. It was very interesting and eye opening. It's no wonder my back always hurts! When we were done with this session, we had an hour before Olivia's next P.T. session. It was so beautiful out, we decided to walk back to the river and just chill. We kicked off our shoes, and enjoyed the sunshine!

After relaxing for about half an hour, we were getting restless, so we thought we'd walk around and look at some of the Stevens Point Downtown Murals. They are really cool! These are two of them:

We then went for Olivia's P.T. session, which was with Beth. She went over everything that Stef taught her, plus a bit more. Olivia did great. When we were finished, Olivia was exhausted and all she wanted to do was get a manicure. So....we found a nail place. Aren't they pretty!

We brought pizza back for dinner and now she's resting. Her first appointment tomorrow is not until 10:15, so she'll get to sleep in. I'll probably still be up at 5:30.

We made it!

We're here! Olivia and I left our house at 7:00 a.m. this morning and arrived in Stevens Point at 5:00 p.m. With the time change, it was an eleven hour journey. We stopped at Panera Bread in Kalamazoo for breakfast, and then drove to Aurora, IL, where we spent an hour at the Chicago Premium Outlets. It was a beautiful day, and it felt great to walk around. We had lunch at Jimmy Johns and then finished our drive. From Aurora, IL to Stevens Point, WI, it took us four hours. Not bad. All in all, the actual driving time was just a bit over nine hours.

Our hotel is definitely sufficient. It's a Comfort Suites. It's clean, has a kitchenette, nice pool and whirlpool and small workout room. It's conveniently located to the Rehab Center and directly across the street from the Green Circle Trail. I'm so glad we brought our bikes!

We drove around Stevens Point after we unpacked the car. Directly across the street from the Rehab Center, which is located in downtown Stevens Point, is Riverfront Park, which surrounds the Wisconsin River and is absolutely gorgeous. We walked a short way along the walking/bike trail, and then went and explored the town a bit more. We found another park, which is also along the river and rents canoes and kayaks. This is something we definitely want to to. We'll save this until Bob arrives here next weekend.

Well, tomorrow is an early day. Olivia's firs appointment is at 7:00 a.m., so we really need to get some sleep.

Lots more to come.