It'S lIkE rIdInG a BiKe...

   You know the old saying, once you learn to ride a bike you always know how. Well when it comes to a post traumatic brain injury that is not always the case, whether it's riding a bike or anything else you have known and have been able to do practically your entire life. 

    This July we were able to barrow an adult sized tricycle and a helmet thanks to some pretty awesome people. As usual, this was just another crazy idea I had that I thought we could try. With a little assistance, Aaron was able to get onto the bike. Within in minutes he was riding down the road all by himself and I was chasing after him! Steering and braking were a bit of a challenge but practice makes perfect right? We live in a small gated community with a long stretch of street that made this challenge a little easier. I even strapped Jasper in for a ride, against his will of course! 

     Aaron has definitely become an exception to many of the norms associated with what happens after a severe traumatic brain injury. So many things we were told he would never be able to do have been proved wrong time and time again. It has taken over seven years to ride a bike, among many other things, but I am delighted in every bit of progress big and small! There are so many things I never knew I could be excited about and thankful for. 

     A few weeks ago we went out to dinner, I turned around to see where he was as we walked into a restaurant. I thought he was right behind me but to my surprise he had stopped to hold the door for an elderly couple that was walking in behind us. You can imagine my surprise as Aaron always used to hold doors for people! Up until his accident he actually still opened the car door for me wherever we went! 

    "Have patience God isn't finished yet." Philippians 16

tOo MaNy CoOkS iN oUr KiTcHeN???

     For those of us who know us well, you know that Aaron and I were not very good cooks before his accident. Aaron could do Chili's, I am not talking about the soup, and I could do a nice big bowl of cereal any night of the week. The few times I actually remember cooking and enjoying a real meal at home together after we were married was our first Thanksgiving in Florida in 2007 and I thought you would enjoy the pictures documenting this once in a lifetime event, see below! 

Frying our first turkey, Thanksgiving in Florida 2007!

I honestly think this was the first and last time we actually sat at this table to eat dinner together!

    As I was saying, we are not top chefs! Even now, with our craziness, not much has changed. I never thought I would consider McDonald's one of the main food groups and I still love my bowl of cereal no matter what time of day it is! 

   We were just hanging out at the house tonight. I was wanting something sweet and Aaron was bored, pretty typical for the two of us lol! I had recently been to Walmart and got sucked into the fall aisle. I ended up leaving with a bag of orange and black chocolate chips along with other unnecessary fall themed items. 

   I decide to make cookies. Who better to assist me than the person who was complaining they were bored (well at least until he realized that the Ohio State game was on)?! I also thought this would be good therapy... I am pretty sure there are many days that Aaron probably wishes over and over that he hadn't married an elementary teacher! So here are just a few shots of Aaron actually cooking in our kitchen but don't worry I was supervising, I mean helping!

Adding the ingredients!

Mixing them up!

One of the best parts, licking the beater!

Team work...getting the dough ready for the pan!

Almost ready for the oven!

Mmmmmmmm!!!

     For those of you who might get some cookies, please note that Aaron DID wash his hands before, during, and after cooking! Who knew cooking at home could be so much fun!? Maybe next time we should try making dinner! 

   

LaSt LaUgH!

    One of the blessings is that we can pretty much find humor in anything these days...even sneaking into the women's bathroom together where there's no other bathroom for me to go in and help him! 
    Here are just a few things that have been said or have happened recently that have made for a good laugh! If you knew Aaron before the accident you know that he had a great sense of humor and he was very sarcastic! 

Me: (pulling into the rehab to take Aaron back one evening)
Aaron: Home Sweet Home!

Me: (sneezing)
Aaron: I think you are allergic to me

Me: (driving in a questionable neighborhood, car zooms down the road at our intersection) Drive it like you stold it!
Aaron: If you live around here you probably did!

Me: Dancing in the car. 
Aaron: That's all you got?

Me: (parked in the "doctor" spot at the rehab on the weekends)
Aaron: Dr. Royer 

mY aMeRiCaN iDoL

Before Aaron's accident, I wouldn't say we were big TV watchers. We were too busy living life (and both going to grad school) to actually sit down on the couch and watch TV. On occasion I would sneak in an episode of the Bachelor when he had something else to do, I would catch him watching Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother when I walked in from class. Of course ESPN was on first thing each morning and the TV was on for any major sporting event, especially if it involved Ohio State! 

There was a time where I 'd leave work by 4, drive an hour to see Aaron in Wauchula...somewhere between there I'd get take out for dinner and eat it in the car. I would get there by 6 and to make it worth the long trip I'd stay for at least a couple of hours. Most nights I would just crawl into bed with him when I got there. 

If you have ever been to Wauchula you know that the TV is the only thing we had to entertain ourselves at night. Aaron wasn't a fan of all of the crime shows and that was pretty much all that seemed to be on around 8-10pm in the evenings so we had to find something else to watch! 

This was the time when he was starting to whisper FINALLY, I was desperately trying to get him to talk and encouraging everyone who was visiting to do the same. I had become irritated trying to spell things from a print out of a computer keyboard, although Aaron was getting good at it! 

The therapists also told me to do things with him that he enjoyed before the accident. It would probably have been easier to stick with watching ESPN but I soon found out that American Idol was much more entertaining! 

We spent the rest of that season singing our hearts out, well I tried to sing and encouraged Aaron to join me! It became even more fun when the contestants performed "old" songs that Aaron began to mouth (and eventually sing) the words to. At this point we were still dealing with some major memory glitches as well so I was amazed at how much he remembered!

It wasn't long before we took American Idol on the road with us when we started being able to travel outside of the facility, I'd turn on some of our old favorites as loud as I could and sing along with Aaron! 

It's been almost five years of singing to the radio or American Idol together and it is still one of my favorite things to do with Aaron!

I couldn't think of a better ending to this blog than to share some of my personal favorite songs to hear Aaron sing: "Whoomp There is Is", "Fresh Prince of Belair" (theme song), "Baby Got Back", and my newest favorite..."Thrift Shop" lol!