I promised something special for tonight’s Signing Time Weekly Chat.  We chat every Wednesday night from 7-9pm Mountain Time.  

Here it is!!!  A sneak peek at one of the new songs from our upcoming Baby Signing Time release.  The song is called Strollin’.  You will only be able to view it for a limited time this evening.  Come chat with us!

Baby Signing Time Strollin

I am happy to share that the Signing Time Foundation is one of the featured foundations of the day, TODAY on GoodSearch and GoodShop.  GoodSearch will give 1 cent to the non-profit of your choice (hopefully us!) for every internet search you do, every single day.

Goodshop is even better!  When you shop on-line a portion of your purchase price is donated to our foundation and it costs you nothing!  All it takes is a few extra clicks.  I could not believe how many online partnerships Goodshop offers.  If you buy tickets and travel from Delta or Travelocity, a portion can come to us!  If you send flowers, shop clothing retailers, send gifts… please visit www.goodsearch.com and select The Signing Time Foundation as the foundation of your choice!

Look for our Signing Time Foundation logo and link in the upper left-hand corner of your screen on www.goodsearch.com and www.goodshop.com today!

If you haven’t figured it out, there are a lot of things we love to do, we love the beach, we love to camp and hike.  When Aaron and I were first married we talked about moving to Alaska for a year or moving to Hawaii for a year and we talked about how great those adventures and experiences would be for our family, when we had one.  Aaron and I had checked out Kauai and looked into moving there when Leah was almost one.  Shortly after Leah’s first birthday we realized that she was deaf.  We still pursued Hawaii and talked to Easter Seals about early intervention.  We would have to island hop for audiology exams, hearing aid issues etc.  We asked if there was a deaf community and were told, “Yes!!  There are about 14 people in the deaf community.”

Aaron and I shelved the idea, realizing some things may need to be put off so that Leah could have all she needed.  When Lucy came along it seemed like her physical limitations might also limit some of our family activities.  I hated the idea that there really is not enough accessibility in many places for her.  

At one point, I made a secret promise to myself on Lucy’s behalf.  I would never be the one to limit our activities because of her wheelchair.  

As Leah shared in her recent post, we kicked off Summer with a family (and extended family) trip to Cancun.  We left for Cancun the day after we got home from the Emmys in NYC.  Cancun was great! Lucy parasailed with Aaron.  We sat on the beach and played in the waves.  Aaron went scuba diving, Leah snorkeled.  Lucy does not like putting her face in the water and still struggles with controlling her breath so a snorkel for her could be disastrous.  I came across an ad for a glass-bottom boat ride and I thought it would be perfect for Lucy!  She could see the reef without getting her face wet!  I called for more info and it sounded good.  Very, very, very last, I told them I had an 8 year-old in a wheelchair.  I was placed on hold for awhile and they came back and told me it would not be possible for us to go.  The boat is not really a glass bottom boat, it is a submarine.  We would load from the dock onto a speed boat first, and it would take us out to the submarine waiting in the ocean.  We would have to transfer from the boat to the sub and then down a series of stairs to our seats below the surface.  When the tour was over we would transfer back to the boat and then from the boat to the dock.  

I hung up and thought about what they had said.  There was no room for a wheelchair and we could not transfer the wheelchair.  Could I do this myself?  Could I carry her?  Could I do it without Aaron?  It would be scheduled on Aaron’s scuba day, which I KNOW he would cancel for Lucy - I kept my concern to myself.  I tossed it around in my mind for hours.  If Lucy knew I was concerned, she would insist she did not want to go anyway.  Lucy is almost 50 pounds and I would be committing to carrying her for 5 hours and transferring her 4 times!  I decided that I could do it.  I called back and made our reservation, this time I didn’t say anything about a wheelchair.  

The night before our submarine trip I dreamt that we arrived for the adventure.  I was carrying Lucy on my hip.  The guide looked at me and said, “Are you crazy?  We have to walk 6 miles to the boat!”  In my dream I frantically asked others if I could borrow their stroller for the 6 mile trek.  I think that might qualify as a nightmare.

The day of the trip, my mom, my sister Emilie and her son Zak decided to come too.  The tour bus picked us up from the hotel.  Lucy thought it looked like an airplane inside.  When we arrived there was a long line.  Mom stood in line and I sat Lucy on the counter until we were up.  We made the first two transfers and the sub ride was a blast!  We saw sea turtles, schools of fish, coral reefs and so much more!  The ride ended just in time, as most everyone felt a little sea sick.  We transfered back to the boat without a hitch.

It may seem like a little thing, but secretly I was really proud of myself.  

I just HAD to share this article Leah wrote for The Sign Post - The Signing Time Monthly Newsletter.  (You can sign up for our newsletter on the Signing Time Home Page.) Not sure how I feel about her sharing our parasite experience in Mexico LOL but I just didn’t have the heart to go over her head and edit it out.  Don’t you just love the honesty of kids?

The Best Summer of My Life

by Leah Coleman

When school got out I felt like screaming! I had not felt like this in a long time, not since last summer. The older kids on my bus broke into a chorus of “Happy Birthday” like they did on every half day. ANNOYING. When I finally got off the bus I ran home, but I don’t remember what I did after that.

Let’s just fast forward to Cancun, Mexico! Everybody was packing for Cancun, a bunch of my cousins, my Grandma Linda, and Grandpa. Eighteen of us were going for a week! On the plane, Maddie (my cousin) and I were listening to my I-pod and signing along and I mean it, not singing, but we were signing along. It was so funny because we would sometimes mess up and break into a chorus of giggles. When we finally arrived it was hot and humid, we caught a bus to the hotel, on the way Alex and I were playing hand games. When we got to the hotel, we all checked in. Alex and I were chasing each other around the lobby until my mom stopped us. Can’t we kids have some fun?

We all swam every day. I got a bad sunburn. Alex and I played ping-pong, pool ball tag, and had a lot of fun.  My dad, my cousins, uncles and aunts and I went to a fun place called Xcaret. It was so fun!!!! We went swimming with dolphins, swam in an underground cave, my 5 year-old cousin Owen thought sharks were coming to get him so he screamed for the first part. We went to a butterfly cove and there were so many butterflies there. I went on a 60 foot long rope bridge, but this bridge was not an ordinary bridge there were only 2 ropes and 2 small logs. The logs were holding the ropes, one above the other. The bottom one was for your feet and the top one for your hands, and you climb along on it and scoot your way to the other side, but be aware cuz’ the water under you has alligators in it! Just kidding!! I tried it, but the first side was tricky and I fell in the water. I tried again on the other side and made it! My armpits were so tired and sore. The rest of the week was fun too.

Finally bye-bye Cancun, Mexico and hello Utah, U.S. When we got home, we realized a few of us might have gotten parasites. I was miserable. My mom and I went to the chiropractor, ate healthy food, yogurt, and medicine then we got better!

My family went to Park City, Utah for Lucy’s Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida Reunion. Lucy had a special surgery when she was a tiny baby, still inside my mom! Each year we get together with other families who had the same surgery.

While we were in Park City, my mom and I started talking about getting a bunny for a pet and once we got home we did! But we got two!! Lucy owns Snowball, 11 month old, lop eared bunny and I own Wyatt, a 9 week old, baby lionhead bunny!!! For years I have asked for a pet and my mom says, “You can have any pet you want when you are 18 and move out!” I am glad I didn’t have to wait that long!

Then my family and I went to Flaming Gorge for 3 days and 2 nights. My deaf friend Skye and her family came too and brought a boat and tubes!! On the 2nd day Skye’s dad took us tubing and Skye and I both wanted the same side so when the time came and her dad untied the tube I jumped in a bit too early and fell off the tube into the water, but luckily I still got that side! Skye’s dad drove like crazy and flipped us over after a crazy ride!!! I was screaming like a girly girl!! But it was a blast!

What a summer! And it’s not even over yet!