What I was told about dance class...

[admin]

Natalee.........

As far as the horse riding lessons go.....let her go. We were at the last EPIRG camp in Colorado and we went horse back riding as a group. My son (Josh age 12) he was 10 at the time with a RBPI was on his horse and the horse got spooked and Josh fell off the horse right onto his right side. I was right behind him and my husband right in front. I lost it. I screamed my head off in panic. Josh was scared to death. Luckily he was not hurt just really sore. Well my hubby quickly calmed me down and told me under his breath that Josh had to get back on. I said no way. But I knew he had to get back on that horse or he would never ride again. It was the hardest thing I ever did to watch him get back on but for Josh it was the highlight of our weekend. He challenged himself. Our kids need to be given every opportunity to try anything they want. Shoot things can happen anywhere and to any child. Josh was at therapy when he fell and broke his BPI arm. Shoot I would have never dreamed that would happen but it did.

Good luck also finding a different clogging teacher. I would not want to put my child into a class like that that is not about teaching but about winning competitions. Thats crap.

Julia

[KarenHillyer]

Natalee
have you thought about Irish dancing classes for Logan?
In Irish dance class the arms are kept straight by the side for the whole time!
It's a lovely form of dancing and the dresses are fabulous!
Just a thought
Karen

[Kathleen]

The cheer leaders always needed to use their arms....

I am sure Angie was a great cheerleader... but I doubt if you will meet too many obpi cheerleaders..... they are rare........

Most of us adult/obpi can tell you we were turned down and not because we were ugly (modestly stated).... but arms up caused many adult/obpi to almost failed in gym classes.... check some of the older post from the "adult/obpi"
It was because of our arms!!!! that is the reality of life.............. at least the life of an obpi...

If you cannot lift or raise your arms to cheer...your are OUT.... discrimination no... just reality.

I wish I could have met Angie, but in 99 I still thought I was the only one with obpi!!!!!! and did not know that mine was considered severe either!!!!

I still think active sport are better for us... I love basketball, baseball, bowling, tennis (UGH...never learned to serve) swimming - did it all.... which was the point of my post...do the sport instead of cheering.... I had the ponytail and smile but not the arms... so I played the sports and took the dance lessons... and was never sorry... sorry if I offended any cheerleaders out there... so mary since you choose this line on my post - tell me...were you a cheerleader???????

Now please try some de-caff.......... I am having the real stuff....
Kath

[marymom]

hahaha, nope cheerleaders despised me,- my older daughter couldnt make the cheerleading team(wasnt in the "in" crowd, so when she was in high school- she was the first girl in our county to try out and make the football team (Travis Co Austin TX in 1989)
My next oldest daughter made the squad last year only to quit, the team she was on was like...grunge cheerleaders from, not heaven, and I was proud of her for quitting, there are probably alot of really great cheerleading squads to be on tho- Ive seen some at the Y and at my daughters gymnastics class that really look sports(wo)manly and I respect what they do now completely, but it was never a sport I identified with-
I was in band- flute again probably not a BPI opportunistic goal
yes, Im sure you are absolutly correct about the cheerleading thing, and I agree, waving arms is a cheerleader thing- Angie was cool tho- and ya never know where there might be an exception- I guess that was my point- but ok, I have to agree withyou- soccer might be alot easier to obtain- like the dance class- sometimes these things are not options, like Angie and cheerleading, sometimes they are ya never know-
You would LOVE Angie, Ill bet you were just like her when you were young(ok, without that whole cheerleader part)
I havent had coffee yet today, still buzzing from the iced mocha last night, omGOSH that thing cranked-

[admin]

Natalie If your daughter wants to ride-try it. Investigate your trainers thoroughly(my daughter is a riding instructer) My granddaughter has bp in her right arm. I bought her a pony before she was born but she has not wanted anything to do with him until recently. My daughter teaches in a manner that puts safety above all else and in 15 years we have only had one injury on our farm(an adult that fell and broke her pinkie finger because she would not let go of the horse. We have had many young girls ride here -some of them with emotional or social problems-you would be surprised how they bond with the other riders and the horses seem to almost be like therapy for them. a good instructer is the key ingredient. although we are giving up our business for now-we want to concentrate on alexs needs-my daughter hopes someday to begin a "handicapped" Riding program (I hate that word) that will be free for children like ours. Ps MY daughter used to show jump with a young girl that had both her legs amputated. good luck barb

[Natalee (Logan's Mom)]

Thanks guys, for your responses, I teared up on most of them. Like I said, there is no justice, even when we try to give these children a normal life. Kath, taking a cue from you, I think when Logan is old enough to understand (probably now, she is so smart and all knowing), I will be brutally honest with her about how life isn't fair, the prejudices and injustices that life sometimes brings. And that she is differently abled, not disabled, and can do it a different way. I don't think this lady was out to hurt our feelings, she was being, unfortunately, honest. Like I said, I wouldn't want Logan to be held back by another child in the class that couldn't do something, that's not fair to those children either. This is the only clogging class, will look into the Irish dancing, I haven't seen any advertisements here for classes but good idea about the arms to the sides. This injury is sometimes too depressing. Sometimes I feel like I am wallowing... sorry.
Thanks guys, Natalie

[admin]

When I read your post about what your dance teacher said it really made me angry. I am sorry that that dance facility is so shallow. My daughter Morgan has been dancing since she was (2)& tha main reason I started her so young was because of her injury. I wanted her to build confidence at a young age before the pressure of peers could rob that from her. Morgan doesn't have the straightest ballet arms but her smile, confidence & grace makes up for it. Also at Morgans dance studio one of the top dancers only has half of her right foot....we can not let anyone discourage us or our children from acieving what they desire...Please look around & find a new studio, this one seems as though it can only offer discouragement & won't allow your child to achieve their best. Good Luck & don't let anyone tell you what your child can & can not do.