Ministry of Funny Walks

Well, the school run major juggling act is so far so good! Yesterday, we even managed the mile long walk to school in the morning. The clue has been to leave William in the cot with books, dressed and ready to go, until the last minute and then put him straight into the buggy. The girls are enjoying the "Weetabix week" as in the advert so are having me dream up different toppings each morning. This has been greatly helped by the family organic box we are getting again. We have done plain with milk, apple, banana, yogurt. Tomorrow is strawberries. With William in the cot, the girls get a bit of "Mummy time" to discuss the day ahead too. Quality "Mummy time" is in very short supply at the moment and the girls, especially Hope, are feeling it. At least they will get some at the hospice at the weekend while William is being looked after.

Ellie is very excited about being in the juniors now. The girls are at the same school at the moment and, today, the problems with that began to emerge with each running out of school telling tales of each other's faults in various playground squabbles and fallouts. They were swiftly told to keep their noses out of each other's business. Let's hope the novelty soon wears off. I'm sure it will as Hope, in year 6, will soon tire of year 3 playground politics.

Meanwhile, William had his orthotic appointment today. He had is walking analysed and, as in the sitting posture, it seems the main problem is hyperflexibility and low muscle tone, globally throughout his body but particularly in his lumbar and pelvic regions. They are going to give him Piedro Boots to help him feel more stable and supports for his lumber and pelvic regions. He has a very strange, wobbly gait and walks in his toes a lot, partly because he has a foot deformity (ped cuvus?) but mainly because he has developed this is a strategy to make his legs feel stronger. He is such a little fighter. Many children woud just not walk if they felt wobbly and unsafe but he is developing ways to make himself feel a bit better - all be it ineffective in some ways as he keeps falling but the way he walks is very funny. However, this is causing his achilles tendons to tighten. He falls so much when he is tired we can only let him walk for short periods and may be advised to use a soft crash helmet when he is particularly wobbly. He managed several falls, including a spectacular thump, putting his teeth through his lip, while being assessed.

Still, he gets around as this picture of him setting the world to rights with his special friend, Adam, shows.