Best Smile I've Seen in 6 weeks!

Jaden gets a look in his eye...it's a look that I know all toooooo well-when he gives it you don't have to see any part of his body except his eyes...when "The Bouch" as I call him gives that look...his eyes just light up. It happens in sports--when he gets that look...I feel bad for whoever he is playing...(unless it's me!)...when he gets the look when he is wrestling with Luke and Chloe...I just KNOW what is coming...he has the same look when he performs in his school concerts or when he is practicing for a presentation at school...his eyes just LIGHT UP...it brings a smile to my face thinking about it!

Truth be told...we haven't seen that look in Jaden's eyes for weeks...ever since that AWFUL day at school when he broke his leg...the look has been gone...it's not that he hasn't had good days, because he has had A LOT of them...he has had fun...he has made the most of his situation...but that little something extra has been missing...

Today he went back to the doctor...his cast has been off for a week and his leg is just sooooo weak...when sitting in a chair he could lift his leg to be straight. He is going to physical therapy on Wednesday, but I just couldn't wait that long. So we went to "Daddy Therapy."

At first it was tough...I had him try to lift his leg from 90 degrees to straight...I had to help him for the first 8-10...then I started having to help him less...a little later we showed mom what he was doing...he did 20 this time (ok...it was more that 20 cause I just can't count! :) and I applied pressure to his leg and made him work for it...AND THEN IT HAPPENED! The look...that look that just MADE MY DAY! That little glimmer in eye..."The Bouch" was back! Something clicked in his head as he started to do these exercises...I gave him a goal for tomorrow...that I would be able to add weights (rocks actually!) to his leg and then lift those by the time I got home from work. THE LOOK CAME AGAIN...he said..."Dad, I want to lift 20 rocks tomorrow!" MADE MY DAY AGAIN!!

This is such a simple thing...something we all take for granted...simply lifting our leg...yet for my big man--it meant the world to him...for the first time he actually believes that he is going to walk and run again soon. (I'm thinking of waking him up for some midnight exercises!!!! ;)