Back to School, Turning 6, Aqua Therapy and First Carnival Ride

Back to School

I often hear that “kids grow up so fast.” You really don’t realize just how fast until you watch your own kid grow up. James went back to school last week as a 1st grader and we don’t think he was quite ready for that first day of school. Here his before school picture, wide awake and ready to go:

 

James lying on a colorful patterned blanket wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, holding a sign that reads “FIRST DAY OF 1st GRADE!” with a cartoon‑style border. The moment captures a cozy, celebratory snapshot marking the start of first grade.
First day of 1st grade

 

And here he is when Stacy picked him up after school…wiped out!

 

James asleep in a red car seat, wearing glasses, a blue shirt, and a red neck pillow. The head is tilted back with the mouth open, and the beige interior of the vehicle and a window view outside frame the quiet travel moment.
Wiped out after the first day of school

 

It will probably take him a few weeks to get used to “working” all day long, but hopefully he’ll get there. He does have a good teacher this year. I met her once before school started, but Stacy has had more interaction with her and describes her as a “wonderful, caring, talented, loving, awesome soul”. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that we don’t have a nursing problem like we did at the end of the last school year and James can be in school with this awesome soul.

 

Turning 6

James lying on a colorful patterned blanket wearing a gray T‑shirt decorated with three yellow Minions and a large number “6” with Minion eyes, with his head resting on a pillow featuring cartoon animals.
James turned 6 a week ago

 

In case you missed it, James turned 6 last weekend. Check out his birthday party post here.

It’s weird, but sometimes it feels like it has been a long six years with all of his medical issues. Other times it seems like the years just flew by. Did he really just turn 6?

 

Aqua Therapy

Two adults in an indoor pool supporting James and another child who are floating with inflatable neck rings and additional body floats. Each adult holds a child steady in the water, creating a calm, assisted aqua‑therapy session with gentle movement and shared support.
Aqua therapy

 

Stacy found an aqua therapy program at a hospital about 40 minutes away that she started taking James to once a week. Aqua therapy has several benefits that we hope will help James, including:

  • Improving muscle tone
  • Improving cardiovascular functioning
  • Improving flexibility
  • Extending range of motion
  • Reducing muscle spasticity
  • Relieving joint stress

He’s only been to two sessions so far. I think it’s too early to tell if it’s helping or not. Stacy said that it’s a heated pool, so it has to be pretty relaxing for him.

 

 First Carnival Ride

Our town has an annual carnival over Labor Day Weekend. For a couple of hours on Saturday morning, the first day of the carnival, it is open to only those with special needs and disabilities. This year we went with James, and we thought he was old enough to go on his first ride, the Ferris wheel. As you can tell from the picture below, he didn’t like it too much. We don’t know if it’s because he’s scared of heights like his momma, or if he was just uncomfortable.

 

James and Stacy seated together inside a Ferris wheel gondola, Stacy wearing sunglasses and a black shirt with uplifting words while holding James hand. James wears a green cartoon T‑shirt and khaki shorts. Safety signs are posted on the gondola, and the view below shows grass, trees, people walking, and parked cars, capturing a quiet moment of connection during the ride.
He didn’t like the Ferris wheel too much

 

He calmed down shortly after we got him back in his stroller.

 

That was a really short post. Hopefully I’ll have more to share in the next one.