TBT--Just deal

Throw-back Thursday, this post was originally published on 10-OCT-2012. It's about the time Abby became Boo's advocate. For real. As in stand up for her sister to adults. This was probably one of the first times I realized that Abby was a warrior sister.

Boo had a tough week, so far. This weekend was wonderful, visiting my parents. The girls were spoiled for the short time we were there. Even though we were only gone for a couple of days, it was enough to mess with Boo.

To add to her difficult week, yesterday not only did she have to travel 3+ hours to Children's for a GI check-up afterwards she had to take Abby to an orthodontist appointment. After spending 12+ hours in the car driving home from being spoiled, to spend 6+ (round trip) hours in the car then have to pick up Abby and just to sit in another waiting room for Abby was a bit much to ask of her.

While in the orthodontist waiting room, Boo was....shall we say....exuberant in her joy over a book of puppies.  I don't think the receptionist or the other families in the waiting room have ever experienced such exuberance. I was just happy that Boo was in the stroller (although I had a funny moment when I imagined their experience of an unconstrained Boo). Rather than being embarrassed I was so proud at how Boo was labeling the things in the book. Okay, I was embarrassed at the volume of her expression. But I was proud too :)

When it was time to leave, I asked if there happened to be a handicapped entrance/exit. Abby and I had to carry Boo's stroller up 5 steps to enter the office building. The look of utter surprise from the receptionist face was priceless. Turns out, the building is not handicap accessible. Something that would not have occurred to me pre-Boo.  Now we are lucky, I could have either carried Boo into the building or she could have walked. But that would have meant that Boo would be racing around the office (as would anyone after spending so much time in a car seat). So instead, Abby helped me get the stroller up and then down the stairs.

As Abby and I were carrying Boo's stroller back down the stairs she commented on how Boo was so loud, she could hear her way in the back of the office. I asked if the doctor said anything about it, here is Abby's reply:

They asked if the person making all that noise was Boo and I said yes.  Then they said, wow she is really loud. I told them she was special needs--just deal with it.

Any embarrassment I may have felt faded in that moment.  Abby is right, we have to deal with their building not being handicap friendly and they just have to deal too.