My family has a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van as our transportation method. Due to my disability and the size of my wheelchair, I can not fit comfortably in most vehicles. With this van we were able to customize it to my needs; being able to add an electric wheelchair ramp, taking out the back seats, adding wheelchair tie downs (to keep my chair from moving), and a seat belt to be able to strap me in. Due to the size of the van (it is HUGE) not many people are able to drive our van confidently, therefore I am limited to the amount of people who can take me out. With this being said, I am so happy to say that my brother Ben is now capable of driving our van! We were able to go on our first outing just my brother, caregiver, and I. We went to the movies and saw The Jungle book. We've also been able to go to Dairy Queen! Its been so much fun and I am so glad that now my brother will be able to take me out more often, and I will be able to spend more time with him.
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Northshore's Bus Barn I think the bus barn would be a great place to work at. I would enjoy giving back to the bus drivers and cleaning their busses. I do think though it would be difficult for mobility due to me being in a wheelchair- it would be hard to move around on the bus (sweeping, cleaning windows). Molbak's I think Molbak's would be an okay place to work at. I would enjoy greeting customers as they come in to shop, and I think with assistance I could water the plants so they don't dry out. Depending on the weather though it is hard for me to be outside when it is very cold and wet, so I would need to be inside during those days so ensure I stay healthy. Northshore Senior Center I think working at the Senior Center would be a lot of fun. I would be able to interact with all the residents and make them laugh by telling them my jokes; I think they would really enjoy that. The only downside to working there for me would be that there wouldn't be a lot of people my own age to interact with. Party City I think I would enjoy working at Party City a lot. I would enjoy being a greeter and telling them a joke as they come in. I also think if I had assistance with programming my device I would be able to assist customers with finding items for their party. I would have to make sure though the store I'd be working at would have a lot of space between the aisles so I would be able to maneuver my wheelchair. I love the beach. I like watching the waves. I don't like listening to the waves. I like the smell of the ocean. The ocean is stinky and salty but not fishy.
"Kindness is Contagious Week" organized by ASB/Leadership and our counselors. This has been a great concept for WHS. The ASB will also be decorating the common areas of WHS with "zones" such as high five zone, compliment zone, smile zone, etc.
It started off Monday with Kindness Challenge #1introduce yourself to two people you don't know and Kindness Fortune Cookies passed out at both lunches. Tuesday Challenge # 2 was to smile at someone you did not know Wednesday Challenge # 3 was compliment someone Thursday Challenge #4 was a speed meet activity at lunch, kind of like speed dating, but this was to be able to meet new people you don't know Friday Challenge #5 Dress to feel Confident Day (PJ's, Business attire, workout gear, etc.) I really liked this concept they did at WHS. It was a great way for students to interact with other classmates they don't know, and maybe had wanted to talk to them but didn't know how. So this opened it up to be able to do so and not feel any pressure. Having a disability sometime makes doing fun things a little more complicated for me. Having someone who knows how my power wheelchair works, can drive our van and operate a lift, and are able to help me with food or personal care can make the difference between being active and having lots of fun things in my life or being stuck at home a lot. I am really lucky to have a few excellent friends besides my family that make it possible for me to do all kinds of fun stuff. These people are my V.I.Ps and I want to tell everyone how really important they are to me! I of course have my Mom and Dad that do lots for me and I have been blessed by lots of great people that are paid to help with my personal care. These people are all great but I am also very lucky to have more people to do fun things with, like my friends Christy and Kevin. These two people are totally up for going places with me and have made it possible (even on short notice) for me to do some really fun stuff. Here are a few examples of things I got to do because of my VIPs. #WinterJam2015 Concert Just last night I was able to go the WinterJam Chrisitan rock concert in Tacoma. It was so fun and was a very last minute plan. I found out on Thursday that my church youth group was going and put out a text to see if anyone of my VIP crew wanted to go with me. Without someone to get me there and be able to help me get in and around the venue I wouldn't have been able to go. Amazingly both Christy and Kevin said they could go. I wound up going with Christy and had an awsome time. I didn't get home until midnight! Skillet put on a great headline show but Christy and I both really like the band For King and Country. #CampKorey I wrote in a previous post about how much I liked going to Camp Korey. The first year I went, my VIP Kevin went for the whole week with me. It was really great to have someone with me that knows how all of my tech works and who totally gets what I need when I tell him. Camping with Kevin was crazy fun. Its great going new places with Kevin because he is so easygoing and treats me like any other guy. I think people see how Kevin acts around me and it helps them see me and not just my disability.
Welcome to my Blog! What a great time of year to start sharing my experiences as a teenager in the great Northwest. One activity lots of kids do in the summer is going to camp. Summer camps of all kinds in the beautiful Pacific Northwest give kids a chance to meet new friends, try new outdoor activities liking fishing or archery, and generally get away from everyday summer life at home. For kids with disabilities these types of experiences are especially valuable because it gives us a chance to explore what we can do and build more common experiences with other kids. This year I was able to have this summer camp experience at Camp Korey. Camp Korey used to be a dairy farm in the Carnation area but today is a really nice camp for kids with disabilities to go and have great outdoor experiences. One of my favorite things at camp was the food. They grow a lot of their own vegetables and the food was amazingly fresh and so yummy. I also got to do archery practice and go fishing which was really fun..
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Authormy name is Alex and i am a Graduate of Woodinville High School and am currently attending a school to work internship program through Northshore Schools. I have cerebral palsy. I use a communication device to talk, write, and study. Overview
this is a blog about life, faith, sports, jokes, disability awareness, dreaming big, assistive tech, restaurant reviews, clubs and life in general. Archives
June 2017
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