Just another day at therapy

**I think I have the video working.**

Tuesday is our big therapy day. At 8:30 in the morning, Matt and I pack up Krassimir and Tsvetomira...and Gloria, Evania, and Rinnah (so Matt can get his work done) into Big Blue, and I make the four mile drive to the therapy center, aiming to make it into the lobby by 9:00.

Tsvetomira has one hour of physical therapy, and then we spend an hour in the waiting room giving her her morning feed, and coloring and kindergartening (Rinnah).

Mira appears to really enjoy her weekly physical therapy visit. She's not exactly smiling in this photo, but spends much of her time with a very attentive, contented look on her face while Lori's working with her. Here she is doing some weight bearing.

 Krassimir starts with speech/feeding therapy for a half hour, and then joins us in Tsvetomira's therapy room where he plays for a while before his one hour occupational therapy session.

Krassimir built a block tower with four blocks today!! See the pleased look on his face!

 At 11:00 we head home, and get everyone unloaded into the house, usually by 11:30. That gives us a little bit of time to tackle random tasks (laundry switched? grammar or science with the 4th and 6th graders? catch a few emails, or make a few phone calls?) before lunch, which needs to wrap up at 12:30 so Bogomila and I can get into the car (I can't get her in and out of the van myself) and get to Reuben's school to pick him up so he and Bogomila can make it to their physical therapy appointments by 1:00. Reuben is again seeing Brian, his Favorite Person in the World, for physical therapy once a week.

Among other things, Reuben and Brian spend time every week biking. Reuben isn't very motivated, and likely will never be riding a two-wheel bike on his own, but the benefits from a PT standpoint are still great - it works his core, and gives him a great chance to improve his skills in balancing. It also encourages him to engage in many movements simultaneously - pedaling, balancing, holding on - and the ability to multi-task physically in this way has plenty of carry-over into safe navigation when he's on just his plain old two feet. Brian has a belt around Reuben's waist, and a hand (or two!) on the bike, but Reuben's doing a lot of the work himself, too. Today Owen made the four-mile bike ride to the center to watch Reuben and Bogomila's sessions.

  I don't have a photo of Bogomila today, but I DO have this video. It's a little bit long, but I didn't want to short her since I've got the rest of the Tuesday crew up! The highlight of this one for me is the four steps she takes without Lori holding her. Bogomila is holding the wall, but isn't getting any support from Lori!

I arrive home from the therapy run in time to feed Mira, and most weeks Tuesday is our day to take some combination of the kids to the library. But not today.

*Later that same day*

Here's Krassi stacking up a pile of whatever he can find on the kitchen floor while I'm making supper! I suppose we can call that carryover??

Tuesdays are a little bit nuts, but there is so much direct benefit that these four get from these times that we can't help but be grateful for the back and forth (and for a vehicle big enough for everyone and their chairs). (And that the therapy center is only four miles away!!)