December 20, 2005 - Mid-Morning

We have some housekeeping items to take care of before we post the update. First, is that we've updated the visit blog. If you are planning on visiting Mandy, please check out the visit blog and read the latest info. (The link is to the right). Second, some folks have expressed interests in having pics posted on the blog of them with the princess (or pics of the princess alone). We'd love to comply. Please send any pics that you have of her with or without you in it to everythingamanda@hotmail.com {NOTE: The only format that the blog accepts is JPEG, so please convert them to that format prior to sending.) And now, on with the update.

This is an excerpt from either Stacey or Lori's visit with the princess late last week (it came from Stacey, but was signed by Lori - so apologies if it's misattributed): "Jessica and I went to visit Amanda yesterday (Thomas Ann was there all day). We were able to take her to a Christmas Party downstairs. Santa was there with his reindeer (real dogs) and Amanda smiled really big when she saw the dogs. She got to hold and pet one of the "reindeer" and have her picture taken with Santa. We listened to some people singing and playing instruments and even some tap dancers! After every performance, the audience would applaud, and Amanda joined right in. After a while, we went back to her room where she kept trying to remove her back brace (she has to wear it whenever she is sitting up in her wheelchair). Thomas Ann told her she had to have it on and could not remove it, so the Princess flipped her off with both hands. LOL She has a long way to go, but she's making some amazing progress. I'm very proud of her."