Life with Wheels

Things are different now. Since Maya's horse-riding accident, we have reverted to an earlier stage of parenting. Maya can no longer dress herself or move about independently (although she becomes more accomplished every day); we have a wheelchair parked by our front door (and hanker after the all terrain three wheeler buggies that she had when she was smaller); we attend physical therapy sessions twice weekly so that Maya can learn to walk again. There is less time to work on our blog at the moment: although that will soon change! But here are some reflections upon life with wheels....

1. Distance changes. We can't pop out to the shop for that extra pint of milk or take a quick stroll down to the park. Getting out of our second floor apartment means getting Maya to the top of the stairs, putting on her shoes for her, supporting her as she hops down each stair (a great improvement on carrying her up and down!), unfolding the wheelchair and getting ready to go... This means that our outings are special - planned out like a military operation and feeling a little bit like a holiday. 
2. Wheelchairs work like supermarket trolleys. You can run really fast and then hop on the back. You might get the occasional disapproving look from a grown-up, but it makes me and the girls laugh!
3. Beggars don't ask for money from people in wheelchairs. Me and the girls can walk anywhere in Boston without anyone trying to canvas from us, beg from us, or ask us for anything. I think that people worry that misfortune might be contagious, and people tend to give us a wide berth (or that might be because of the manic laughter and our occasional outbursts of speed). 
4. Posh hotels couldn't be nicer. 'Caught short' on a recent outing to Boston, we approached the doorman of the very grand Copley Plaza hotel if we could use their rest rooms. Not only were we escorted through to a private bathroom, but the girls were given free goody bags filled with toys, games and sweets. They are going to be so disappointed when we return to the normality of the public conveniences. 
5. The elevators attached to public subway stations are not nice places. Really not nice. Really really really not nice.  
6. Maya has privileges at school. She is allowed to ride in the elevator. Her classmates take it in turn to ride with her. She's suddenly Miss Popularity 2012!
7. There are many different kinds of zip cars. On the days when we can't access our wonderful neighbor's Highlander and the thought of the subway elevators is too horrific to contemplate (see 5), we hire a zip car to whizz back and forth to school or to the Children's Hospital in Boston. The girls love the chance to ride in different vehicles and there is something quite cute about the fact that the cars all have their own names and personalities described on the zipcar website. We get quite jealous when we see our favorites being driven by other people. It will be a blow when we return to our pedestrian ways...