Saturday Night - Almost home...

Toren had another good day today... last night ended with a trip to the succah, blessings and the eating of challah... Toren looked at it and said "I can't wait to bake with Rabbi Jonathan again" It took a lot of effort for him to get that full sentence out, but it was so very heartfelt. Toren is so determined, every day he makes progress.

Today he had OT, and stood up by himself for 10 solid minutes while throwing balls into a basket... he even picked up some of the ones he dropped - a seriously exhausting challenge given the state of his balance systems!

His jaw was so set during the activity that later in the afternoon he had increased muscle pain in the jaw...

He had a whole hour of speech therapy today and he really is making daily progress... he has so many skills that he has gathered along this 2 year (and then some) journey - and they help him face the struggle to find words, to deal with the frustration, and the asking for support. He inspires us, hugs us, and thanks us - daily.

At PT today he managed to walk a whole flight of stairs taking reciprocal steps going down - this is incredible - he is so aware of the journey ahead, and the distance he wants to travel... but he is very humble about the effort he is making, or the progress he has gained. It is touching... and makes us want to cheer even more as he conquers the mountains that which we take for granted.

I am writing this from my own bed in Saratoga... it was so hard to leave the kids in the city - but I know that Helaini will give Toren her utmost support and attention, she is amazing. Toren's continues to be seizure free on his exotic cocktail of anticonvulsants.... and this is a blessing. For dinner tonight he had a salad from a great salad bar by the hospital... it was the first time he has been able to chew something that crunchy... he was delighted... his eyes were shining and he said it tasted soooo good. He is looking forward to returning to home cooked foods.