I always thought you had to be six feet tall and weigh 100 pounds to be a fashion model. But today Elli got to be a fashion model for a class of fashion design students at a local university.
Elli's occupational therapist (OT) told me about the class a few months ago. The professors offer a summer class in designing for wheelchair-bound people, and this year they decided to design for children in wheelchairs. They asked our OT to talk to her families and see if she could round up some parents to come to a focus group discussion on the challenges of buying and dressing kids who use wheelchairs. They also asked if any parents would be willing to bring their children to the class 2-3 times to be models for the class as they worked on their designs.
I think the concept is so awesome that I couldn't say no. Just to hear that someone out there recognizes that this is a population with unique clothing needs, and that they are teaching designers to consider these needs... wow.
So last week I went to the focus group and shared some of the things we've run into. For example, our daughter is very skinny because she has low muscle tone and because her heart uses up most of the calories she eats. But while she's short for her age, she's still a decent height. So in order to get clothes long enough to cover her, I have to buy things that don't fit her around the waist and then take them in (or use a good ol' safety pin). She has a couple pants and a skirt that are so big around her that if I pick her up, she comes right out of them!
Today we all visited the class and they measured every possible inch of her. Elli loved it -- she had a great time telling the class how great her weekend was and being the center of attention. The professor had a great time playing with Sam and Anna too.
It was very physically challenging to help Elli stand up to be measured, so I'm pretty tired and sweaty. After a few minutes of crouching on your toes and holding a 30-pound child who has very little sense of balance or control, your feet and lower legs actually go numb. But the students were really cool and had some really fascinating ideas for clothes. One told me that she was planning a sort of two-piece coat -- the top half is like a poncho to go over the head and the bottom half covers the lap, with buttons or snaps to fasten the two pieces together.
We actually had a very busy day, so it's good to be back home. The three kids and I took Elli to her morning therapy program, and then I got some work done while the younger two played with the toys in my office. After we picked Elli up, we went further into town to have lunch with Scott. The kids LOVE to see him at work, and of course, he and I don't mind a little lunch date either! Then we headed to the university for the class. I think the kids will happily go to bed a little early tonight!
I made some decent progress on the cabinets yesterday. I have half of the lower cabinets refinished, and about one-quarter of the upper ones done. They definitely look glossier. I have more boxes to pack and store, and some more furniture to rearrange, but it's going pretty well. We're set to list the house on Friday. Everyone around here is telling me it's a "soft" housing market right now, but it isn't going to get any better and I know that God can sell our house fast if He chooses to. So we'll just have to do our best to make the house sellable and trust Him for the timing.
