Happy Birthday to the Best Big Brother

Nine years ago today, our dreams of becoming parents came true when AJ was born. With a little help from a lot of people, we celebrated his birthday quarantine style so well that he declared it to be the "best birthday ever!" I had reached out on Facebook to ask for a little extra love on his birthday, specifically cards to brighten his days. I intentionally said he didn't need presents but said that if folks wanted to tuck a dollar or two in the card that he's saving money for charity. The kindness and generosity of our family and friends means that he now has right around $100 to donate to the charities on his list. 

Happy 9th birthday AJ!

We still are quite careful regarding COVID and precautions, so that meant a birthday party with our two childcare providers replaced the usual gathering with all our family. Teddy was ecstatic to have both babysitters here at the same time and couldn't decide who he wanted to boss around with so many different options. We still did very small family celebrations, which spread the celebrations out to celebrate with each set of grandparents, and we have a virtual party planned to spend time with his cousins. There were a handful of masked visits, including much love from our myTEAM Triumph family. Masks might hide the smiles, but trust me, they were there for every visit. 

MTT friends surprised us with a cul de sac distanced birthday celebration. 

Today was an incredible day celebrating an incredible boy. We're so blessed to have AJ as our son and Teddy's big brother, and we're so grateful to all who made this day special for him. 

MTT Season Celebration

Tonight our home was full of friends made through myTEAM Triumph (MTT) to celebrate the end of the 2019 running season. For those who follow the blog, we got connected with MTT right when Teddy turned 3. It's a group that pairs able-bodied athletes with individuals with disabilities to give them the opportunity to participate in athletic events, most commonly runs although duathlons and triathlons aren't out of the question.

The group is so accepting and welcoming of all individuals and their families. We look forward to the start of training runs each year and realize when we attend the first one how much we missed it through the winter months. The season typically wraps up in early October, so we hosted a gathering to enjoy everyone's company again.

We had 4 captains with different personalities, abilities and disabilities, along with their families and a few of our regular angels and crew members. We had an abundance of food, but more importantly smiles, laughter and conversation. One of the angels brought a box of toys to share, so everyone had fun playing with "new" toys and even got to keep some of the toys.

This group is such a safe space for us, a place where Teddy is wholeheartedly accepted. He can grab anyone's hand and attempt to convince them to do anything, including climb into rather small waffle block creations for a grown adult. And they will. We all look out for each other's children, so we all get a chance to converse.

Heck, I even found someone to hang out with our boys for a couple hours Thursday to cover a gap since Dave will be out of town for work while I had a running event planned. And these are people who I'd trust because they have either raised children with significant needs and/or willingly spend their time every week volunteering with our Captains. They're solidly good people, and it is such a blessing to be a part of this organization.

Happy Dance

Today we got this e-mail from Teddy's case worker:

Hello Kerry,   Great News. The Family Support Team approved long term support funding for the Axiom Race Chair!   Everyone wants to see a picture of you and Teddy in action after you receive the chair  J  I will talk with Adaptive Star next week. 

And then I proceeded to do my happy dance. This means that we'll have a way to go biking next summer as a family because there's no way that Teddy would still fit in our pull-behind carrier because it was a squish to get him in there this year. This means that Teddy and I can go for a run on the weekend together or join the local running groups who do evening runs. We tried a few times this summer, but the running stroller I have is not meant for a large 6-year-old. It barely worked until the last run we did, which was our last run with the stroller, because Teddy learned that it makes a cool sound when he drags his foot on the ground. It also feels neat ... until he breaks his foot or ankle.

The Axiom Race Chair is essentially the same chair Teddy uses when he races with myTEAM Triumph. We can (and will) order a chair large enough that it should last Teddy for years to come because he's ridden in all different sized race chairs. The same chair can be used for racing as well as being pulled behind a regular bicycle.

This is such a blessing for our family!

Another Day, Another Race

One of the best parts of our summer is myTEAM Triumph, an organization that partners able-bodied athletes with individuals with disabilities. Teddy ran his first race with them shortly after his 3rd birthday, and we've loved every moment. Everyone is so welcoming and accepting of all our Captains. We've developed such friendships that others offer to take Teddy for periods of time at training runs or races or simply just take him to go exploring. 

Aside from the friendships, Teddy loves to run. He gets antsy waiting in his race chair before the race, but he loves when he's being pushed. He lucked out today and had the fastest team. (He came in second of the MTT teams because he walked across the finish line on his own.) He also had an angel who knows him from training runs, so not only did she push him for the race but then also wrangled and chased him back to where I was. 

Teddy wouldn't smile because he was too confused by the pace car in front of him.

Most often I'm running as one of Teddy's angels, but Teddy joined just last week for this race because they had an open Captain spot. So AJ and I spectated with cowbells. I helped push Captain Katie's chair while she walked across the finish line with her angels. Now that was something incredible to witness. Captain Katie worked for each and every step to cross the finish line, and her two angels supporting her were drenched in sweat by the time they crossed not only from the effort of running the race but also from supporting their Captain across the line. It was truly humbling to watch her effort and determination for the simple act of walking that we often take for granted. 

We still have at least one more race left this season, Run with the Cops, next week. That's always a fun race with lots of lights, doughnuts and goodies along the way. It'll be extra special this year because I've roped at least one of my Moms Run This Town friends into being an angel. It's pretty neat to combine my love of running and my love of Teddy. 

#runlikeangels #MTTambassador

DreamDrive

We live in Wisconsin, which prides itself in the Green Bay Packers. There's tremendous support for the team, and the team makes itself a part of the community in various ways. I'm not sure how many other football teams have their fans come out to watch practice, lining up the entire way from the locker rooms to the practice field to cheer for them, wish them well, snap pictures and hope for an autograph ... oh, and loan them a bike. That's right. It's a tradition that kids line up with their bikes, no parents allowed inside the gates, hoping to have a player ride their bike across the street to the practice field. Kids ride along, run along and sometimes have really creative bikes designed for two people. It's a really cool experience that you won't find anywhere else.

Now, Teddy could care less about football because he has minimal interest in television, but he really likes people. AJ is a Packers fan, and we happened to have a connection who knows Teddy participates in myTEAM Triumph. I say connection because her husband works for the Packers organization, and he was willing to work with us to arrange a rider for Teddy's adapted bicycle.

Teddy thought Wes was pretty darn cool. I tend to agree. 

We had arrangements made for today, and we got a specific time to arrive to avoid having to wait in the heat. This was the only way we'd even attempt this because something like this would either be amazing with Teddy or an absolute disaster. There's absolutely no way we'd have been able to line up early with all the other hopeful kids and wait on the chance that someone would ride with Teddy. He wouldn't have lasted more than 15 minutes, much less the hour or more that we'd have needed to wait. We were able to hang outside the gate instead and sneak Teddy inside right before the staff closed it for all the players to come out (and trust me, even that 5 minutes was tough for Teddy to wait).

Teddy and AJ with our new favorite Packers player, Danny Vitale.

Danny Vitale is a fullback who's been making quite the impression at training camp this year. Today he made quite the impression on our family because he strode right up to Teddy, introduced himself and guided Teddy's bike down DreamDrive to training camp with AJ riding right next to them. I chased along snapping pictures as best as I could with an idiotic grin on my face because it was really cool, especially when I heard other fans saying things like, "Oh, look at that. That's awesome!"

Teddy loved the attention. And didn't look where he was going. 

See, Teddy doesn't care about the Packers. He doesn't get the concept of sports or professional athletes. As a family, we cheer for the Pack, so this was cool in that regard. Teddy likes people, so he made a few new friends today. But it was as much about creating visibility of kiddos who are different like Teddy who are still very much a part of our community. He's the kid with the knee-high braces that Mom made him wear today in case he was running or walking a lot to be part of this experience. He's the one who has the bike that costs more than probably any other kid's bike because it's an adapted bike that holds his feet into place, supports his core, theoretically allows him to steer and has a jousting stick for when he's driving like a crazy kid. And he's also one of only two kids who showed up wearing bike helmets because apparently bike safety is not a key factor in this experience. At least he has a really cool bike helmet that makes him look like the rough and ready kid he is. Poor AJ just looked like a dork. Whoops. At least he was a safe dork. (Gosh, I'm going to be in trouble when AJ reads this blog post. Sorry AJ.)

There's a cool picture of Teddy on the Packers web site from the DreamDrive today. You can check it out as number 16 of 17 pictures in this gallery.

Today was a really cool experience for all those reasons. I ducked out of work for an hour and got to witness an incredible experience for my kiddos. I'm extremely grateful for our connection, her husband who was so nice and for Danny being willing to work with us. And today wouldn't have happened without our amazing sitter Bri who is probably the only person outside of Dave or I who would be willing and able to wrangle two kids and two bikes to a very crowded Packers practice.

I'd be lost without Bri. She's amazing. 

We're pretty darn lucky.

#runlikeangels #mttambassador

Without a Word

Teddy is non-verbal, meaning he doesn't talk yet. He might, someday, be able to communicate with some spoken words. For now his primary means of communication is gestures and clapping. Clapping is Teddy's way of saying "I want." When that's combined with pointing, it's amazing how that's a complete sentence that paints a pretty clear picture of what Teddy wants.

Of course, knowing Teddy helps in understanding what he wants. If you're not complying with his suggestions or requests, then he'll take your hand or physically direct your body where he wants you to go.

Last week we did a different run with my TEAM Triumph and a local running group combined to introduce others in the running group to the amazing organization that is MTT. There was a park nearby, and Teddy managed to convince one of the angels who's in high school to go play at the park with him before the run.

This photo was from spring, not when it's nearly 90 degrees. Andy is on the far right. 

After the run, Teddy wanted to make a beeline to the park to play again. I told him that he could, but he kept looking at me and clapping. I told him he could go by himself because I could see him and sprint if needed. But he came back toward me, so I put my hand out to go with him. He went right past me to another angel named Andy, clapping and pointing to the playground.

Andy was an incredible sport, going to the playground to play with Teddy. That meant going down different slides and climbing different things. Andy drew the line, though, when Teddy wanted him to go down the tunnel slide because Andy was afraid he'd get stuck and have to explain that to the fire department.

So they continued playing, and Teddy kept asking Andy to go down the tunnel slide. Eventually Teddy convinced Andy, not once, but twice, to go down the tunnel slide.

It's amazing what Teddy can communicate without saying a word. He was able to convince someone to change their mind without a single word. That's pretty incredible.

And, honestly, so is Andy for being such a great sport!

#runlikeangels #mttambassador

MyTEAM Triumph Holiday Gathering

During summer Teddy and I spend most Monday nights running with myTEAM Triumph. We've been regulars the past 2 years at the training runs, so we've gotten to know many of the other regular captains, their families, angels and volunteers. The only problem is that we don't run through the winter months, which means we hardly see our MTT friends. 

It's taken a while to realize this, but Dave and I discovered at Halloween how easy it is to invite people over to our house during the winter months. Teddy has our entire house, which is Teddy proof, to play without any fear of him taking off (which happens often when we're outside) or breaking things (which happens at other peoples' houses) or getting into a lot of things he shouldn't (which happens pretty much every where). Our house is relatively easy to supervise Teddy whereas just about everywhere else requires constant 1:1 with a whole lot of redirection and physical wrangling.

So, we invited all the Fox Valley MTT group to our house for a holiday gathering. Despite the short notice, we had a total of 4 Captains and their families and 3 of the crew join us. We spent a couple hours snacking, talking, enjoying each others' company, sharing all our cool toys, snoozing in our comfy circle chair and playing cards. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon.

MTT friends who become like family.

AJ was the best host, getting drinks for people, handing out candy canes and sharing all the cookies and treats. We ended up with quite the spread of snacks, thanks to everyone's generosity. Dave set up the tripod to capture the entire group picture. We got to spend a couple hours with people who we see often but don't always get to have the in-depth conversations with since I'm usually chasing after Teddy unless he's strapped into the race chair. 

The host with the most.

One of the best parts of MTT is how accepting and understanding everyone is. Things that set us apart in the community, like taste testing every non-food item, are perfectly acceptable among this group. Toys that might be considered not age appropriate are really quite fun for a wide range of people, and that's perfectly OK. Teddy can invade people's personal space with no issues ... aside from us keeping the baby from being squished by a loving Teddy. (Even Teddy's gentle version is a bit rough for newborns.) Everyone keeps an eye out for each other's needs and steps in to help where needed, whether a helping hand, a supervisory eye or simply not being convinced to undo the child safety locks. (Nice try, Teddy.) 

Teddy loves babies almost as much as Ann. 

Simply put, acceptance is such a wonderful thing. Not being so terribly different is nice sometimes. In fact, I think 3 of the 4 Captains all have had mattresses lying directly on the floor in their bedrooms because it worked for them, Teddy included. Another Captain had his bedroom closet doors removed, which is exactly what we've done in Teddy's room because it's apparently quite fun to kick the doors when you don't want to sleep. 

We had a house full of people all day, with play dates for each boy this morning and this gathering this afternoon. House full and hearts fuller. 

Last Night was Special

Last night Teddy did another run with myTEAM Triumph (MTT), which is nothing extraordinary, although each run with MTT is special in its own right. But last night was extremely special, not because of the race, but because of the circumstances surrounding the race.

You see, Dave and I both were out of town for work, not getting home until late, so we couldn't make the race even though it started at 7:30 p.m. We were grateful for Dave's folks for coming down to watch the boys but weren't going to ask them to try to figure out how to get Teddy to a race with AJ in tow.

When I posted that we wouldn't be coming, one of my friends from work who also runs with MTT, Stephanie, offered to take Teddy to the race. She made it so easy to say yes, asking if she could pick up Teddy and bring him to the race. She made it sound like it was no big deal, almost like we were doing a favor to allow her to take Teddy, rather than the other way around.

You might not understand how remarkable this is. We are blessed with an incredible network of family, friends and co-workers who help us raise our children. I had a difficult time scheduling all the adventures for AJ this summer because so many people asked to spend special time with him. That doesn't quite happen with Teddy very often. In fact, only two times come to mind.

It's not that people don't invite Teddy places, but it's not for a solo, special time adventure. It's not that people don't like Teddy or enjoy spending time with him. It's a combination of who Teddy is with his needs and, quite honestly, the energy and strength required to keep up with him and redirect him as needed. He's simply a lot of work.

Don't get me wrong. There have been offers, but there's always a bit of guilt on our part because we know the effort required with Teddy is different than with AJ. So it takes someone essentially saying, "Can I ..." or "Here's what I'm going to do." That makes it easy to say yes and know that it's not a burden.

This makes me smile and gives me all the feels. 

Last night was incredible, even though we didn't get to be at the run or see the run. I heard Teddy had a fantastic time and loved all the glow lights and his cool doughnut medal (because why wouldn't a Run with the Cops give out doughnut medals). I know he had a wonderful time given his smiles when Stephanie brought him home, the look of joy on his face when he looked at Stephanie and the big hug he gave her before she left.

As I said to Dave last night once Teddy went to bed, "The best part of my day was when Teddy got home. Gosh, that sounds weird because that's usually not the case."

Flying with myTEAM TRIUMPH

Anyone who loves planes probably knows about Oshkosh, Wisconsin because of Air Venture. Air Venture is a week-long celebration of planes and all things aviation that takes place here, which turns our tiny airport into the busiest airport in the world and draws a half million people each year. Although we've never went, we certainly enjoy all the cool planes and tricks that we can see while driving around town. (And this year AJ got to spend a whole day there exploring with his uncle.) Part of the festivities include a 5k race, which partners with myTEAM TRIUMPH. 

Team Teddy all smiles before the race.

We decided that since the race was at 7 a.m. that we could sneak in a quick run before heading over for my Grandpa's 96th birthday and dad's retirement party. I'm so glad we did because this was one of the races that I think Teddy enjoyed the most, simply because of the scenery and his awesome angels.

Normally crowds are cheering for all the myTEAM TRIUMPH captains, but there weren't many spectators for this race, even at the finish line. Most of the people we saw seemed a bit confused as to why on earth there were a bunch of people running that early in the morning. That's because we ran right through where people were camped with their planes, so they were waking up to nearly 1,000 people running around them. We got extra perplexed people in the beginning when Teddy's team was leading the race. 

Mindy sprinted ahead to take a few pictures.

See, Teddy had rather fast angels this time around. Our angels included Mindy and John, a mom and son who drove up from Milwaukee and spent the previous night just to do this race with myTEAM TRIUMPH before cross-country season started. How's that for commitment to make a difference? John is a senior, who was reluctant to share his race pace with the group and said he'd be good with 8- or 9-minute miles. My response to that was that I'd prefer closer to 9-minute miles, so I could keep up. His usual race pace? 5:45-minute miles. I think Teddy would love to fly with him at that pace.

I love that John wanted a post-race picture with Teddy.

Our other angels were Hannah and Angie, friends who were taught by the mom of another Captain years ago. They were amazingly sweet ladies who pointed out different planes and other exciting things to Teddy as we ran.

Team Teddy crossing the finish line.

Usually we only have 3 angels per Captain, but Teddy gained a few extra angels because another Captain couldn't make it. He absolutely adored the extra attention and loved all the sights along this race. It's always so amazing to me that people will give up their time to race with Teddy and our other Captains. I loved their curiosity about Teddy, their acceptance and their support. 

Fun memories and medals!

I definitely hope we can catch this race again next year!

Party All Night 'Til the Break of Dawn and Then All Day

Welcome to my life.

I'm quite terrified for our upcoming vacation given Teddy's current track record for sleeping at his grandparents' houses. You might recall Easter or any example from my parents' farm. If he sleeps this poorly on vacation, I expect a very stressed family.

So this past weekend we headed to De Pere for a wedding rehearsal and left the boys with Dave's parents. We headed back to their house around 10 to sleep there until the alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. for Teddy to participate in the Bellin Run with myTEAM Triumph.

Well, the Teddy alarm went off at 2 a.m. instead. Teddy woke up, and instead of falling back asleep, he decided he was wide awake. Dave took him for a drive to keep him from waking the rest of the house and hopefully reset him to allow him to fall back asleep. One bright note from their hour of driving is that Teddy knows where our sitter in Green Bay lives. He recognized where we exit for her house, began pointing and making sounds until Dave drove past her road. Since he doesn't talk, it's often hard to know what he knows, but this was pretty obvious and neat to know.

Unfortunately, that drive did not calm Teddy down, so I took over shortly after they returned and booted Dave to bed. (Dave was the best man at the wedding that day, so getting some sleep was pretty important for him.) Teddy and I played in the basement, although he was upset to be down there instead of upstairs by all the people, went for a drive, attempted to lay down a few times and then went to pick up donuts for all the kids once it was 5 a.m. When we returned, AJ and one of the cousins were awake and excited to see the donuts. Teddy was just happy someone was finally awake to play with him. Teddy ate a quick breakfast, and then we headed off to the Bellin Run, a 6.2-mile race.

Teddy was in a really good mood, considering his early morning. He enjoyed the run, smiling and making friends with two angels who were new to us. I've run the Bellin a number of times but enjoyed the opportunity to spectate to watch all the crazy fast runners as well as a bunch of the myTEAM Triumph teams cross the finish line.

When we got back to my in-law's house, all the cousins were awake and ready to play. I sent Dave back to lay down for a bit because he wasn't feeling well. After he came back downstairs, I decided to try napping for 20 minutes before showering and getting ready for the wedding. But then Teddy's cup went missing, which meant I ran to the store to buy another one since there are only a few cups that he can drink from easily. Dave managed to get Teddy down while I was gone, so at least Teddy got a much-needed 2-hour nap.

The wedding went well, and Dave's folks kept the boys until right before dinner. Teddy wanted little to do with sitting for dinner but enjoyed exploring the hall. As soon as dinner was done, I let him free from his chair to explore. He put on 2 miles (seriously, 4,000 steps) during the 2 hours after dinner. He loved the freedom to run all around the reception hall, grabbing random people to try to take them places and sitting at tables with people who I didn't even know.

Teddy's new hobby? He'd like to be a wedding crasher.

Once the music started, he began dancing in his own goofy way. He definitely loves music and likes to dance. Dave got a short video of Teddy dancing, but you can see the video ends when Teddy beelines to Dave to have him join our dance party.

Dave's folks came to pick up two exhausted, dance-weary boys around 9 p.m. Dave and I stayed until the end (since that's the expectation when you're the best man). It really was a fun wedding, but I was so ready to go to bed when midnight arrived. I do believe that's the only time I've ever been awake for 22 hours, and I'm good with that remaining the only time in my life.

But the next day, Teddy managed to sleep until 7 a.m. He had enough energy to explore and enjoy a dairy breakfast before heading to our house for a (remarkable, yet needed) afternoon nap.

This kid loves his tractors!

Track Superstar!

This week Teddy participated in an inclusive track meet with myTEAM TRIUMPH and Xavier High school. This was the third year the event has been held, where the entire track team participates as angels for MTT captains. The meet consisted of different events, including 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and different relays. No hurdles, though. I wonder why?

Teddy's team had 9 angels. Trust me, AJ counted, and he should know since he spent every possible moment with Teddy's team. There was time for the team to get to know Teddy and work on a sign to cheer for Teddy throughout the event. AJ helped them design the sign, sharing that his brother is kind of a tornado. AJ helped Teddy draw a tornado and then proceeded to add quite a few details to the team's poster. (Then he spent an equal amount of time explaining the poster to anyone who would listen.)

So proud of the sign he helped Teddy's team create!

This was such a fun event for the captains because they got to fly on the track. Normally MTT events are at least 3 miles if not 26 miles, so the pace isn't always that fast. This, on the other hand, was sprinting distances with a group of young, energetic and competitive angels.

Teddy almost always was looking behind his chair. Goof.

AJ enjoyed the entire event, cheering his heart out to the amusement of all the other parents around us. Teddy loved the attention from his team and only escaped once or twice. I basked in the glory of watching my kiddos in their element and enjoying the incredible experience.

We've done a number of events with MTT, each special in its own way. This was among my favorite, largely because of how much AJ enjoyed the event while being an incredibly supportive big brother. His only complaint when we left was, "I wish we had more time to play with the angels."

Team Teddy with their unofficial team manager AJ.

It's also so neat to see an entire team of high school athletes embracing captains with a variety of disabilities, including at least 4 captains who are non-verbal. Those who were angels for one young man who uses sign language were trying to understand his signs. I saw other young athletes discussing roller coasters with another captain. It's such a great, non-threatening way to embrace diversity and inclusion.

As an added bonus, Teddy was featured today with a half-page photo in the local paper, along with one of his angel athletes. Kid is a celebrity.

From Wobbly First Steps to Finish Lines

I've talked before about myTEAM TRIUMPH (MTT) and our experiences with the amazing organization. Today was Teddy's 8th race with the group, if I'm counting correctly. As much as I would have loved to be running the half marathon ... or even running as one of Teddy's angels in the 5k ... healing my stress fracture allowed me to fully soak up the spectator experience cheering for Teddy.

Teddy in this picture is as large as he feels all the time.

It's awesome at the start of the race, as the Oshkosh 5k introduces each MTT captain by name. But it's absolutely incredible at the finish line to watch Teddy walk down the chute to cross the line with his angels holding his hands (because otherwise who knows where Teddy would end up). Everyone is cheering, people rooting for Teddy yelling things like "You're almost there!" or "Great job!"

There's two reasons that struck me today about why this is so dang special. The first is that I know some people in life will see Teddy as somehow less than other people. People will say mean things about him and to him. When he races with MTT, he's a celebrity with people cheering for him and rooting for him! He's an inspiration, not an invalid. I heard one other parent tell his son before the race, "This is all for you, buddy." As parents, we want our children to be loved, accepted and embraced for who they are. MTT gives us that opportunity.

The second is ironically it was two years ago today that we captured Teddy's first independent wobbly steps on camera. He managed to walk three steps, looking like he was completely drunk. We celebrated those steps because they confirmed what we'd always hoped but never could assume ... that Teddy would learn to walk independently. I watched that video today in amazement of how far he's come. He may still resemble a bull in a china shop most of the time and occasionally a belligerent drunk when he is tired and uncooperative. But he can walk anywhere he pleases and navigate uneven surfaces, ramps and hills. He can stop, start, fall down and get himself back up without assistance. He can even run. He's learned to jump. It's incredible the progress he's made and continues to make.

Oh, and he sat on a (fake) cow today. He was quite pleased with himself and Ms. Christina, who is his partner in those types of shenanigans.

Kids were not supposed to be on this cow. Teddy's a rebel.

Race Weekends are the Best!

A year ago was Teddy's first race with myTEAM Triumph (MTT). Since then, he's crossed the finish line 5 times with angels by his side, including the Fox Cities 5k this weekend. Although he was still plenty distracted by the cheering crowds of people, it's amazing to me how much his walking has improved throughout the past year. He also has become well known among MTT where so many people know him. He can get away with just about anything because he has them wrapped around  his finger.

Case in point, there were three big motorcycles by the MTT group that immediately caught Teddy's eye. When I told him that they weren't his motorcycles and that he couldn't ride them, one manly biker said, "Oh, yes he can. He can ride on the gray one." So Teddy (and AJ) spent some quality time driving a motorcycle both before and after the race.

Teddy and AJ both enjoyed riding the chopper.

As much as I loved that, I loved even more that three rough and tough bikers were angels for a first-time captain who couldn't communicate verbally and needed assistance drinking her juice. They took amazing care of her and made sure she had an awesome time, including getting the local police department to flip on the lights and sirens for her. One of them said, "We may be fat and we may be slow, but we sure know how to have fun!" Those type of moments are what make MTT so special for everyone.

Team Teddy is all smiles at the Fox Cities 5K!

Another example of Teddy having people wrapped around his fingers it that not only did he get to explore the back of the MTT truck, which he loves, he also got to "drive" the truck. He honked the horn with his head when he was trying to press on the gas ... that child!

Teddy is ready to drive the MTT transport truck!

Teddy crossed the finish line with his Aunt Lindsay and Uncle John (who ran despite the heat and injuries). He also had an angel named Kevin, who jumped in at the last minute when more angels were needed. Kevin was a great sport keeping our pace and causing my brother to tell him there were support groups to help people like him ... because he's already ran marathons in 18 different states. One of the neat things was we discovered Kevin had been in a costume the night before at the kid's run ... and we have AJ's picture with him!
 

Kevin & AJ from the Kid's Run, which Teddy also did.

Kevin also was volunteering on the half marathon course the next day and told us he'd be wearing a T-rex costume. I guided Kevin across the group of runners, so my MTT team could get our picture with Kevin in costume. So Kevin was a key part of our weekend whether in or out of costume.

Kevin with Team Tom for the half marathon.

I always say I don't know how the next race will be able to top the previous with MTT because it seems like each race is so special in its own way. All I know is that I'm so grateful our family is a part of this organization!

One of the Reasons Why I Love MTT

I know I continue to write about MyTEAM Triumph, but the organization and people associated with it have become part of our lives. If you're curious why, here's just a few of the reasons:

1. Teddy, and all the other captains and angels, are welcomed with open arms and are accepted for who they are.
2. The other parents of captains get it. Last night I showed someone the Yi Home Camera we use in Teddy's bedroom. She said that his bedroom setup looks identical to her son's bedroom. That's not so often the case when your child's bed consists of a large mattress directly on the floor. 
3. Teddy loves the trailers and trucks that hold all the racing chairs.
4. Someone shut his vehicle doors because he said, "I know Teddy well enough to know it isn't fair to him to leave my doors open." They understand Teddy's desire to explore, are comfortable with it and help me limit the temptations for him.  
5. Teddy loves the racing bicycle.
6. Every time one of the women sees Teddy, she scoops him up for a hug or lets him climb in her lap. She's even sat on the ground, so she could hug him when there wasn't a different place to sit. 
7. It's safe. Not in the sense that Teddy couldn't get hurt somehow because he's Teddy. But we won't be judged for any of Teddy's non-typical behaviors (like licking everything).
8. Teddy loves pushing the other captains.
9.  There's a woman there who adores Teddy, and the feeling is mutual. She scoops him up for big hugs, twirls him around and occupies him while I chat with other people.

I'm sure I'll continue to share our MTT stories in the future, but I'll leave you with these pictures someone shared from last night's run, along with their captions from Facebook:

 Omg I seriously love captain teddy. Kerry Blondheim ur son smile is just amazing ❤

 Love ur sons adventerous soul

Bellin Buddies

If you're familiar with our family, then you know about myTEAM Triumph (MTT) and I Run 4 (IR4). Both are non-profit organizations that aim to build relationships and foster inclusion through partnering athletes with people with disabilities. MTT focuses on in-person relationships within local communities, and IR4 takes advantage of technology to build an online community. Both have had a tremendous impact on our family, and this past weekend combined the two together for  the first time.

Teddy's running buddy Heather, from IR4, made the (extra) long drive (thanks to horrible traffic) from Michigan to our house in Wisconsin. She and her husband Steve had volunteered to be Teddy's angels through MTT for the Bellin Run this past weekend. That meant they both fundraised a minimum of $100 (to cover entry costs for themselves and ensure captains like Teddy can race for free). They took time off work. Then, after spending most of Friday driving here, they got back in a car at 5:30 a.m. to head up for the race.

Captain Frumpy Face Teddy

Teddy was a bit sleepy, which actually worked out well because he wasn't trying to escape from his race chair during the pre-race preparations. (He was in his chair longer than usual because there were a record 41 MTT teams, which required a bit extra coordination.) He perked up about a third of the way through the race and realized he could play with the balloons we had attached to his chair. (I'd definitely do that again because it let the runners passing us from behind know Teddy's name to cheer for him.) Teddy got stopped by Davon House, one of the Green Bay Packers, for a photo opp (that unfortunately didn't turn out but was still pretty darn cool). He loved every sprinkler we went through, which was quite a few. Teddy shared a freezie pop with Heather. (It was so hot that several people along the route were handing out freezie pops out of their Midwestern hospitality and generosity. We passed up the free margaritas, though, because we thought we perhaps shouldn't tarnish Teddy's and MTT's image.)

Teddy flying with his MTT (and IR4) Angels

Each race with MTT has been incredible in its own way. This race literally flew by, even though it's the first time Teddy's done a 10k instead of a 5k. I've done the Bellin more than 5 times, and this was by far the most fun I've ever had doing the Bellin. I think my PR (personal record) from last year will stand for quite some time because I don't see myself running the Bellin again without Teddy and MTT. Not only did Dave and AJ join us, but we also had both sets of grandparents cheering on Team Teddy. (And his speech therapist found us before the race, which is remarkable considering that we were among 13,000 people there!)

The rest of the weekend spent with our family and Heather and Steve was equally awesome. After Teddy took a much-needed nap, we  headed to the waterpark in town. He led Grandpa through all the sprinklers in the kiddie area while the rest of us watched in amusement. AJ loved the lazy river, and so did Teddy, especially all the sprinklers. We went down the waterslides a few times, which is Teddy's favorite part.

This is one of my favorite photos of the weekend!

It was incredible to meet Heather, who's basically a celebrity among our family because of how supportive she is of Teddy. Now Teddy knows there's a person behind the photos I show him when Heather shares pictures with us. Teddy adored her and was a bit infatuated with Steve (probably because he convinced Steve to give him a piggyback ride). This weekend reaffirmed our desire to get to Michigan to meet my running buddy Luke and AJ's running buddy Miss Bridget. We'll see ... we already started plotting doing the Detroit marathon in 2018 as a relay team of running buddies!

Get in Line

I'm glad my mom was in town last night. She popped over for a quick, purely social visit instead of me abandoning her to watch our boys, which is usually the case. She arrived in time to head to the weekly MyTEAM Triumph training run with Teddy and me. My mom's been at two of Teddy's races, so she's familiar with MTT. Last night gave her the opportunity to witness firsthand how amazing this group of people is.

Teddy's angels are the folks in the neon green and bright blue shirts.

I was planning to run with Teddy, which is usually the case. Instead he ran with two of his angels from the Oshkosh 5k, a husband and wife duo. That gave me the opportunity to (nearly die because my co-angel flies faster than me) spend time with another captain. We were the first team back, so I got to watch Teddy's angels run him back to the meeting area. I heard the woman say that she got to hold his hand for half the run because he kept putting his hands on the wheels. It wasn't a complaint. It wasn't "I had to hold his hand. He's really not safe." It was, "I got to hold his hand."

Then, after Teddy's angels complimented Teddy's smile and his personality, they asked if he already has all his angels for the Bellin Run, the next run he's doing. I explained that his running buddy from Michigan from I Run 4 is coming to be his angel, along with her husband. Someone else joked that they'd need to get in line.

After I shot them down on that opportunity, they asked if he liked bike rides. They said they'd love to take him for a bike event if we thought he'd enjoy that. Unfortunately, the bike event they had in mind is when we're on vacation this summer, but how amazing to want to include Teddy in something that isn't even a MTT event!

The icing on the cake was when I finally pulled Teddy away from the large truck that stores all the race chairs. (Well, that was the worst part of the night for Teddy. His highlight was when I finally let him explore the truck after the training run.) When Teddy's angels saw how much he liked the truck, the guy asked if he liked all big trucks, including fire trucks. He said that when his work does their open house this fall, we could see about getting Teddy to come through if it worked for all our schedules.

Me blocking Teddy from the truck. He was determined.

This is exactly what MTT is about. It's not just racing and competing and giving our captains the opportunity to fly. It's about building relationships with others and helping those with disabilities become more fully included in their communities.

But if you want a shot with Teddy, I guess you have to get in line. He's a pretty popular dude.

Except when I need someone to watch him while I'm working or out of town. Then my mom somehow gets that first-in-line spot. ;-) Thanks, Mom!

The Rest of the Story

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey on the radio, often waiting in the farm truck to hear "The Rest of the Story" before heading into my grandparents' house for lunch. If you're not familiar with Paul Harvey, this was a segment where he would tell, in his gravely voice, some unknown details that really made something special.

With that preface, read the rest of this blog post in a gravely voice.

I shared earlier this week how a stranger stopped in his tracks to let Teddy cross the finish line ahead of him at the Oshkosh 5k. It was incredibly touching because this person was about to be the second place winner of the entire race, and he gave up that moment to help Teddy celebrate his finish.

Well, last night was a celebration dinner at a local restaurant for the myTEAM Triumph captains, angels and volunteers to share our stories and experiences from the race and build upon those relationships. The person from MTT who coordinates everything in our area said she hoped we could make it because she had a surprise for us.

It turns out she was able to locate the man who let Teddy cross first, stalked him a bit as she said, and invited him to come meet with the group. So we were able to meet Andy and thank him in person for his act of selflessness. The folks from MTT gave him pictures from the finish as mementos of his race day.

Meeting Andy showed what a remarkable person he was. First, I can't imagine being invited by a group of strangers to come meet them at a restaurant and actually showing up. Second, he treated both captains who were there as individuals, interacting positively with both of them. Third, he wanted absolutely no recognition and didn't think what he did was a big deal at all. He was amazed by how many views the video had received online.

In fact, he thanked us for letting him meet Teddy. He said that when he saw Teddy about to cross the finish line, he didn't want to take away from that moment. His direct quote was, "You could just see the joy in his face when he crossed the finish line."
 

Thanks to Christina from MTT for capturing the meeting of a true angel and Captain Teddy.

It was an incredible evening that left my heart so full. Not only did Teddy get to meet Andy, but we also got to spend a bit more time with two of his angels and others who fully embrace Teddy and our family. 

So there you have ... the rest of the story.

At least until we convince Andy to run as an angel for MTT and get him to be on Captain Teddy's team for an event. Then I'll write another post with the same title.

(And Dave called me weird for quoting Paul Harvey. I think he's the weird one. Who wouldn't quote Paul Harvey?)

Race Days are the Best

Teddy completed the Oshkosh 5k today, which was his third race with myTEAM Triumph. I've written about MTT in the past here and here. Short summary is MTT is an incredible organization that partners angels with captains like Teddy who otherwise wouldn't be able to participate in these type of athletic events.

When I saw a call for additional captains, I signed up Teddy since we were around this weekend with me registered already for the half marathon. I'm so glad we did because today was one of those days that makes my heart so full and so happy.

Teddy and I got to see the MTT support van with Teddy's smiling face!

A few captains were unable to make the race because of rather cruddy weather, barely 40 degrees with the threat of rain and gusty winds, so Teddy had several extra angels. He absolutely loved all the attention!

Teddy loved having all the extra angels today!

I had hoped to catch up to Teddy because the 5k ran the same first mile as the half marathon, but his team was too fast. No wonder, they were the first MTT team to cross the finish line. In fact, they were so fast (with their head start before the 5k started) that only one 5k finisher crossed the finish line before them. The person who was about to finish in second place stopped to allow Teddy and his team to cross. When Teddy's angels attempted to wave this person past to his 2nd place finish, he insisted in walking across with Teddy.

Notice the man in blue cheering Teddy across the finish line!

I didn't witness it because I was somewhere on the half marathon course, but from the snippet of video, pictures and descriptions from my family and the MTT organizers, it was one of those magical moments.

Teddy thought his trophy was pretty cool.

So thank you to the man in blue who let Teddy finish ahead of you. Thank you to his enormous team of angels who made the day special for him. Thank you to his angel Sheila for the two autographed children's books that she authored and gave to Teddy. Thank you to my family for cheering on Captain Teddy. Thank you to MTT for making days like this possible.

Your Smile is Worth 1,000 Words!

One of the best experiences for our family this year was becoming involved with myTEAM TRIUMPH (MTT). This non-profit organization matches Captains with disabilities with Angels who push and pull them for runs, bike rides, triathlons and just about any endurance event you could imagine. There have even been solo angels who've partnered with Captains for a full Ironman, which is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.

Teddy and I participated in several training runs throughout the summer, and we both had a great time each week. Everyone was extremely welcoming toward Teddy, I got to share one of my hobbies (eh, it's still weird to call running my hobby even after seven years) with Teddy and AJ had some quality time with Papa. Teddy was a Captain for two different 5k events, one with friends and one with strangers.

Teddy walked across the finish line for both events, and MTT captured a great photo of Teddy at the second race. MTT posted the photo of Teddy with the quote, "Your smile is worth 1,000 words!" on its Facebook page yesterday, and it's one of the most amazing graphics:

This makes me smile every time!

Teddy's Second Race

Less than two weeks ago, we decided we'd be sticking close to home this weekend, so I checked to see if there were any captain/angel spots still available with MyTEAM Triumph for the Africa Hope Run. Teddy immediately got a spot as a captain, and I found out this past Monday that I could join his team as well.

Dave and I headed to the race with Teddy bright and early this morning. His angels were a mother/daughter-in-law combo, along with me. They were great with Teddy, interacting with him and getting others to cheer for him along the course.

One of the neat things was Teddy practiced his high fives this race, starting with giving one to Captain Jacob before the race. Then a race volunteer asked for one, and Teddy lifted his hand all by himself for a high five. (If I sound excited, it's because we've been working on that hand motion for a long time in OT!)

Celebrity Captain Ted giving out high fives.

The best was Teddy climbing out of his chair with his big smile to finish the race. He walked holding his angels' hands with me in front to try to keep him focused. (But, Mom, there's all these people over here! I could just walk here and see them all!) He was more focused than his first race, but he gave high fives and smiles to people along the way.

It's amazing to watch all these individuals come together to participate and celebrate. There was a large group of students who came to be angels, and that group was all at the finish line cheering for Teddy when he crossed.

So happy to be walking across the finish line with his angels!

We talked with a few younger captains, likely middle-school age, and it was neat to hear what they've done with MyTEAM Triumph. I loved how one of them approached me about Teddy, "Can I ask you what he has?" I thought her question was such a thoughtful way to ask. She gave me the option not to talk about it or share Teddy's diagnosis. She didn't ask what was wrong with him. I'm sure she's gotten many appropriate and inappropriate questions through the years, so she's learned what she likes to hear.

(Funny sidenote: A 7- or 8-year-old asked Dave at swim class why Teddy needed his wheelchair. Dave's reply started with, "He has a genetic disorder ..." Dave's still working on age-appropriate answers.)

Although we didn't have our own cheering section of family or friends because we did this last minute, Teddy certainly had plenty of folks cheering for him and had an amazing time!

My favorite picture of Captain Teddy!