In the Studio | Painting Charlie

5 years ago, I created a painting of my son. It was a painting just for me - an image to remind me that no matter what medical challenges my son would face, no matter what I was called to do as his mother, that I - in the face of this huge duty - would also remember to keep making art.

And it worked. This visual mantra worked so well that I ended up making a career of it. And for a while, I stopped working on the painting because other things took its place. So it was important to me, that the first piece I attend to in my new studio space was this one. Today, I'll varnish it and hang it in my space!

It Takes a Village | Crowd Funding for Charlie

We've just launched a crowd funding campaign for my son's handicapped accessible van!
Please watch the video below and check out all of the details HERE.


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A LITTLE ABOUT MY SON, CHARLIE: 

Charlie Greenman was born on August 4, 2010. It was soon discovered that he had suffered two strokes in utero. He has since been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy - all complications due to stroke.

When Charlie came into the world, doctors told us that Charlie would probably never walk or talk. As of this summer, Charlie is doing both and showing no signs of slowing down. This is due, in part, to the excellent physical and occupation therapy Charlie receives.

THE SITUATION: 

However, a new conundrum has come up for our family. Charlie's efforts to be mobile require all sorts of assistive equipment. We need space for both his wheelchair and his gait-trainer when we travel.

Also, Charlie has just hit 50 pounds and is in the 90th percentile for height. My husband, Jack and I carry him everywhere, lifting him in and out of wheelchairs, gait-trainer, grocery carts, chairs and cribs. But the most difficult transfers take place when we need to get Charlie through the car door and into his car seat.

THE SOLUTION: 

A handicapped accessible van for Charlie! We have just purchased a used Toyota Sienna from a neighborhood family. There is plenty of room for his equipment, but the best part is that it's already adapted for handicapped accessibilty. A new, fully adapted van, would have cost in excess of $60,000. We feel very fortunate to have found a used one in great condition for $26,000. 

But now we're in a bind - one which so many families of special needs children find themselves. We simply do not have the financial resources to pay for both Charlie's life changing therapies and also cover the necessary cost of his handicapped accessible van.

 THE GOAL: 

We're hoping to raise $26,000 for Charlie's new ride. Every dollar we receive goes directly towards paying down our car loan and allows us to continue our monthly payments towards Charlie's many therapy treatments.

THANK YOU to everyone for your past, present and ongoing support of our son, Charlie! Our family could not do it without you.  And a special thank you to Kenna's Kids for their amazing support for Charlie over the past three years.

Visit our Go Fund Me site to donate and share our story on social media.
For more information about Charlie, visit HelpCharlieHeal.com.

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Full disclosure: Go Fund Me takes 8% off the top of your donations, 

while Paypal only takes 3% in fees. Charlie's Paypal donation button is below

if you prefer that to Go Fund Me.

Thank you for all your love and support!

Fallen Log Postcard Holder

Texas has already seen its share of storms this fall and our neighborhood is littered with fallen tree limbs. So this weekend, my son Walker and I set out to harvest some of these limbs for a little craft project: photo and postcard holders. The idea came from Amanda Soule's book, Rhythm of the Family: Discovering a sense of wonder through the seasons.

Walker, 6 years old, was very keen to use a real hand saw. We picked out a few lengths of wood and cut them into small and large lengths to be used for our holder. Then we cut a 1/2 inch score into the top of the branch to hold the photo. After some light sanding (a job that Walker really got into) our holder was ready to display photos and postcards.

Not only was this a fun and short project my kiddo thoroughly enjoyed, it was also a great opportunity to explore our neighborhood, notice the flowers and take in some autumn air. These little holders will make great Christmas gifts as well - hand made with love by a proud six-year-old.

The Upsee

Like most 3-year-olds, my youngest son, Charlie, is desperate to explore his world. And like most 3-year-olds, he is very vocal about his displeasure when his desires are stifled. But unlike his peers, Charlie's frustration is compounded by the fact that he has Cerebral Palsy and is unable to walk or talk.

In an effort to aid Charlie's mobility, my husband and I have invested a great deal of time and money in procuring all sorts of adaptive equipment for our son. Charlie has a wheelchair, a gait trainer and an eclectic assortment of leg braces. But we're really excited about our latest purchase - a simple but genius device called the Upsee. The Upsee is a walking harness designed to help non-ambulatory kids ket up on their feet.

For the past week, Charlie, my husband and I have all been learning how to use the Upsee. Charlie was apprehensive at first, but after a few attempts, he was off to the races. I cannot express my glee and delight at seeing my gorgeous boy upright and meeting the world head-on. This new piece of equipment is a game changer for Charlie and for our family.

Learn more about the Upsee HERE.
Learn more about Charlie and his journey HERE.
And if you have questions about it, please don't hesitate to contact me!

MAY is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month

Hi dear readers. This is my kid, Charlie. Charlie is three years old. He likes jazz, fresh air and hugs. Many of you know him, but some of you don't. He had a stroke before he was born. About a week before I delivered, Charlie had a massive hemorrhage on the right side of his brain. The stroke affected his motor skills, cognitive and language development. He has since been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Hemiplegia and Epilepsy.

But we were lucky. Charlie presented signs of his stroke immediately and we were able to locate the bleed and begin the hard work of helping him attempt some kind of recovery. Many children who have strokes at such a young age go undiagnosed for months, even years. Why is this? The answer is simple. People don't think that babies and little children can have strokes. The fact is that 1 in 4,000 children will suffer from a stroke.

So, in honor of Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month, 

Charlie would like to remind you that...

Learn more about Charlie by visiting his website: Help Charlie Heal. 

Learn more about pediatric stroke by visiting the Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association.

This Moment

I'm joining with Amanda Soule today for her Friday segment called {this moment}

In Amanda's words: A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Help Charlie Heal

Listen When Children Speak

One of my main purposes for simplifying our household consumption and embarking on the radical homemaking path was that it would free up precious time and space for me to be present with my two sons. The gift of unobstructed time and space and the togetherness it facilitates is essential to our survival as a family.

I have lots of conversations with my eldest son, Walker. He's a pretty chatty guy with lots of ideas and questions. In fact, I've been journaling our conversations for the past three years. The pages of my journals look like mini scripts, cataloging our interactions. Some of them are hilarious and some of them are heartbreaking.

Every night before bed, Walker spends a little time with my husband and I cuddling and chatting about the day. It's such an important part of our life that we included it in our family manifesto. Our evening cuddle is a great way for my husband and I to check in with our son, hear what thoughts are rattling around in his brain and assure him that we're always here for him. This weekend, when my son began expounding on his ideas of LOVE, I asked if I could film him and share his thoughts with others. He agreed and the video below is what followed.

If you'd like to share Walker's thoughts on LOVE with your community, you have his permission. When I told him that I wanted to put this video on my very public blog, he said, "Maybe if you share our video, people will see it and remember that everyone deserves love."

Mindfullness

Happy Monday! One of the unexpected gifts of radical homemaking and this new journey of simplifying my home's consumption, is that I have more time to notice my life. Sounds silly, right? Because I am not at the grocery store every week, running long errands while grabbing a Starbucks on the go, or heading out the door with my kids every time we want a little entertainment, I have more time to take notice of my home, my children and my marriage. My inner metronome has slowed down and my enjoyment of everyday moments has skyrocketed.

Yesterday morning, my husband snapped the photo below while I was holding my son. The astonishing thing to me about this photo is my state of being. Charlie is frequently relaxed and content, but I am usually bopping about doing some odd thing or another. A slower family rhythm is the unexpected bi-product of simplifying our household intake. Turning down unnecessary work, looking to home-bound activities for entertainment, making food from scratch and reigning in our budget has allowed me to be more present with my children and mindful of my own needs. While I was holding Charlie, this thought came to me: 

Hold your babies. 

Love them for who they are right now. 

Expect nothing.

I have shared the following image before on this blog but I think it bears repeating. It was originally compiled by Karen Maezen Miller for Shambhala Sun magazine. My husband cut it out and tacked it to our refrigerator in 2011. It's been up ever since and I read it everyday. It seems closely aligned with my Radical Homemaking journey, so I want to share it with you here.

Read more posts about my
radical homemaking journey HERE.

Winter at the Dallas Arboretum

The Arboretum and Children's Garden is our favorite place in Dallas for a family outing. Winter is especially wonderful because parking is plentiful, people are scarce and the plants and trees are laid bare in all their start beauty. This particular day was crisp, cold and clear - the perfect weather for photos.

My House in December

The house is decorated for Christmas and the weather in Dallas is supposed to take a turn towards freezing tomorrow. I love this time of year!! I've included some photos of the house below, but first don't forget to enter the Octavia Bloom giveaway. One La Maison Boheme reader will receive a $60 dollar gift certificate to spend in the Octavia Bloom Etsy shop! To enter, click HERE.

And, since I'm a proud Mama who just can't help herself,

 here are some photos of my six-year-old trimming the tree.