Shoes till spring?

In what is being described as Toronto's 'non-winter,' the kid has yet to don his winter boots and we've hit February!

Boots are always a challenge for Ben because he can't wear his orthotics in them and they don't have a lift to even out his unequal legs. So walking is precarious, particularly in icey and snowy conditions.

We've only had 12 cm of snow since November -- far below the usual load of 56 cm we get -- and what snow we have had has been light and quickly melted. In fact, we've had more rain than snow this season and the streets and sidewalks are bare.

Ben takes a cab to school but has to get up and down our 29 stairs, which is already an effort in well-supported sneakers.

I cheer every morning we wake to clear streets and no boots and wonder whether our record will extend through to March.

In other news, Ben's cab driver told me yesterday that he's no longer using his walker at school (the cabby carries one in his trunk, and we have another one that rides in our van -- kind of like an extra kid!)

Here are a few interesting links:

I had Asperger syndrome. Briefly. in the New York Times.

The big bad

One day at a time: Parenting adult special needs

Caring for a sibling with developmental disabilities can be a lifetime commitment