Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Little Buddy overload and a crochet reef........

Are you ready for a bit of Little Buddy overload?  I hope so, we will start off with the saddest picture ever.


This is Little Buddy after his surgery this morning.  He is such a trooper.  He has a lot of blood on each corner of his left eye and he might be a bit bruised underneath, but that is it.  Other than being cranky coming out of the anesthesia he has been just fine.  By the time we got home and snuggled for one episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, he was up walking around with his walker and playing with toys.  Now he is taking a much deserved nap.


On Sunday we ventured to Great Explorations Children's Museum in St. Petersburg, FL.  The company where Little Buddy's Vision Teacher works had rented out the whole museum for 2 hours just for kids with vision issues.  Little Buddy had so much fun.  He had several favorite areas, the firetruck being a big hit.  I remember this truck when my older two boys were little.


He dove head first into the ball pit and came up smiling.


His absolute favorite place was the pretend grocery store.  He pushed the cart all around it for the longest time.  We could not put any groceries in the cart, he would have none of that!


There were several different areas to play music, a pretend veterinarian with stuffed animals to treat and a place where you could pretend to be a weather forecaster.  This museum opens one time a month specifically for children for special needs so they can take their time and not get trampled by other kids, it is a lot quieter too for those with auditory overload.  We will definitely be going back. 


I remember reading about the crochet  reef years ago.  I had never seen it in person as my boys were big by that time. 


I can't even imagine the amount of work that went into this.  The larger areas must be ten feet tall, and very wide.  It is really amazing in person.


I am not showing you much of the detail, but trust me it was fabulous.


There was even an area with everything in cream and beige, this is to depict very deep in the sea where there is no light and all the coral and animals have no color.


How fun to have an area where little ones can play with crochet sea life, none of the kids were playing but I sure was.

Hope you are having a good week.


35 comments:

Betsy said...

I'm so glad your little guy is doing well after his surgery. You're right. That is the saddest picture ever. He looks like he's having the time of his life though at the museum. That crocheted reef is amazing! I'm guessing it must've been a group of people that did that. I can't imagine one person doing all that work. Thank you for sharing this with us Meredith. I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday my friend.
Blessings, Betsy

Anonymous said...

So sorry Little Buddy had surgery, but I suppose it is for the greater good. Hope he heals up quickly.

That museum sure looks like fun. I LOVE that he loves firetrucks. I do too!

Claudia said...

I love my boy! He is brave and wonderful and we can't wait to see him! Love to you and Little Buddy and Max and everyone else.

xo
Claudia

CJ said...

Wow, that is absolutely amazing, what a wonderful creation. Glad Little Buddy had a good time there, and that his surgery went well. I hope he is all recovered very soon. CJ xx

busybusybeejay said...

little Buddy is such a star.Give him a hug from me.Love the crochet.Awesome.

Caffeine Girl said...

Little Buddy sure has gone through a lot in his short life, and he comes through it all so bravely. That kid has spirit!

It is so great the the museum offers a day for kids with disabilities. They get so overwhelmed in crowds. He looks like he is having the time of his life. Wouldn't you love to know what was going through his head while he was pushing the empty grocery cart around?

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Awwww .... he's such a cutie! And the crochet sealife is awesome!
S
xo

Karen said...

Cheers for LB that he is did so well in the surgery. I hope he heals quickly. The crochet reef is fantastic! The Crabby guy at the bottom is my favorite.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

What a brave boy! No surgery is fun! Love the museum and that crochet reef is awesome. Hope the rest of your week is wonderful.
hugs,
Linda

20 North Ora said...

LB looks great after his surgery. Praying for a quick recovery. That museum is fantastic. We use to have one similar here in Tulsa but it went under. The girls loved it when they were little. That crocheted reef is just unbelievable. Thanks for sharing.

Judy

gaia said...

I am glad Little Buddy is doing better and I hope he has a fast recovery.
The museum is awsome! Just something my Little Man would have loved.
Have a lovely week-end.
Gaia.

Christina said...

I am glad Little Buddy is recovering well, what a star. The museum looks like a great place to take little kids. I just realised that mine are getting too old now :-( The pretend vet reminded me of a vet school open day here where you can stick your arm into a plastic horses reproductive tract and try and guess what organs you can feel. This was a great hit with my slightly older kids.... xx

handmade by amalia said...

Glad to hear that Little Buddy is doing well after his surgery. Hope you're doing well as well - must have been stressful. And the reef! Wow!
Amalia
xo

Janet said...

So glad Little Buddy is doing well after his surgery, what a brave boy. The museum looks wonderful and what a great idea to have sessions for special needs children. The reef must have taken ages to make but it is amazing. I'd love to see it close up.
Love to you all and I hope Little Buddy continues well with his recovery. Janet x

Mrs. Micawber said...

So glad he seems to have bounced right back - he's a tough little guy all right.

Love the shopping cart photo. It's great that the museum hosts a special day every month - Mr. M knows a bit about auditory overload and can sympathise with that part of it. :)

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

So glad to hear he is doing well. The museum looks amazing! A great experience for the kids. And that crocheted reef. WOW! I'd like to see that up close.

Vera said...

As I always say, Little Buddy is such a character!! A wonderful character! No such thing as overload with pictures of Little Buddy. Glad he cam through the surgery ok. That museum looks like an awesome place!

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

What would we do without a Little Buddy story? Glad he made it thru surgery ok and had fun at the museum. Glad he enjoyed himself and the crochet reef is cool! I liked the big off white/tan crab, I think it was. That would take alot of work from many hands to create that scene. It is so worth it.
I bought yarn this week and intend to work with it. NOT let it sit, untouched. Nope. Bought some yarn to make a throw for a wedding gift. Better start soon! Hugs and have a good day!

Teresa Kasner said...

Aww.. poor little guy.. but I'm glad he went through the surgery well and the pain didn't linger. You were so right to take him places to take his mind off of it. I just loved the crocheted sea life display! I bet you were totally inspired by it! I loved the crab and lobster.. I hope you have a relaxing weekend. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Danette Bartelmay said...

Oh Meredith! I hope Little Buddy is healing beautifully ... He is the sweetest.
I love the pictures of him in this fabulous museum. How wonderful that they have a whole day each month for special needs children. I love that.
And that crocheted area!!! I am speechless...
It's too good to be true.
Hope your upcoming weekend is a good and restful one,
Danette

Amy at love made my home said...

Glad you had a good time at the museum, the reef is amazing. I do so hope that all is well with Buddy and that he is recovering well from the surgery, hope that you have a good weekend together at home and that he is soon back to his normal perky self! Hugs to both of you! xx

Toni said...

It looks like such a wonderful day! :)

elns said...

Oh LB is the best trooper! I'm so glad he's doing well. I love the happy childhood photos of him at the museum. It's nice to know they put a day aside a month for children with special needs to really enjoy it. Makes me feel good about the world. I've seen the reef before in pictures, but it still blows me away.

Blondie's Journal said...

What a cutie your little guy is, Mere! His big dark eyes and sweet face melt my heart. Not sure what he had going on with his eye but I hope it's all good now.

We have a children's museum nearby that's very interesting, fun and interactive. Never been but my daughter has taken her little nieces and nephews and they absolutely love it.

Happy Weekend...nothing planned here but it sure sounds good! :)

Jane

Kris said...

Poor little guy! Looks like you made up for it though at the museum. That crochet reef was amazing!! I always love a Little Buddy post!
XO Kris

Jo said...

Wow that is a complete sensory journey! Colours, shapes and textures to explore, what a great idea. Glad he is feeling more chipper. Jo x

Vicki Boster said...

Meredith- I dearly love reading about your precious boy. Sometimes I go back through your blog and enjoy reading about his remarkable progress. What a lovely opportunity for him to visit the museum at a special quiet time-- so perfect for him...

The crochet reef is truly amazing- I would love to see that in person. Thanks for the awesome photos!!

Love
Vicki

kathy b said...

all I had was my iPad and phone on vacation. NOW i can see the reef is crocheted. WOW>

Joyful said...

It's great to see Little Buddy doing so well and being such a trooper through his surgery. He is so resilient. I like the museum and think it's a great idea to have a time set aside for special needs children.

Suzan said...

The crochet reef is magnificent!!
Enjoyed the over load of Buddy!! do pray that the surgery is a success!! He is looking soooo grown up in these photos!!
Flagler College- Your son will love it!! I grew up in St. Aug so attended all the local schools AND the college when it opened. You can ride a bike anywhere and everywhere!! He'll love the beach!! The quaintness!! The history!! The teaching staff! The ambiance of the town! And the warmth vs OHIO :-}}} They should have a good swim team!! Growing up - I swam for the YMCA and we competed all the time with the Ponce Swim team! HAha - of course it wasn't a College back then - it was the Hotel. Plus - he'd be a lot closer!!! Excellent education as well!!

Jo said...

I hope Little Buddy is now on the road to recovery, bless him. He really is a little trooper. It looks like he enjoyed his day out at the museum, so many hands on exhibits, it looks fabulous, and that reef is spectacular, so much work must have gone in to making that.

Gracie Saylor said...

One of the things I am learning through your stories about Little Buddy, is that there are amazing resources available to help him and others like him with special needs. While I know that those resources are not available everywhere, it is encouraging and inspiring to see that they are available for him, and that you are able to use them, Meredith. The museum crocheted reef is " wonder full!" I am with Little Buddy in his enjoyment of walking behind a shopping cart :) For me being flat footed and some arthritis in my knees I feel like the cart helps me to walk with a more even graceful gait....however unlike Little Buddy I find it great fun to fill my shopping basket with supplies! I'm glad his surgery went well. xx

HollyM said...

I hope Little Buddy is recovering well. That museum looks fantastic and the crocheted reef, wow!
For some reason, I don't think I got your comment on my blog in my emails. I just read about your conversation with trees.im glad I'm not the only one!

Acorn to Oak said...

He's such a cutie and it looks like he had a ton of fun! :-D

mamasmercantile said...

Just catching up so hopefully Little Buddy is well on the road to recovery by now. The museum and crochet reef display look amazing, such a great sensory journey.