No, I am not talking about a video game. Last week, after weeks of asking, I let my oldest "push the button" and give me my shot in my leg. Talk about being proud! She had asked to give me the shot when I was taking my Avonex. I told her that would be awhile but when I had to switch to Rebif, with the auto-inject, her wish became more realistic.

So last week, I set up the needle in the Rebiject, my younger daughter rubbed the alcohol on my leg (so as not to be left out - she's 3, I do have my limits), and then while I held the Rebiject in place, my older one pressed the button. She didn't get it on the first, or second, or third tries. Number 4 was her number. Of course when she tried each of the times, I braced for impact. And when she actually did it, it hurt, like normal. Then I started breathing out heavily and she said, "Mommy its hurting you, take it out." How cute is that?

I know people that have not told their kids about their MS. The symptoms are very subtle/non-existent so why worry the kids. I hear that reasoning, but my husband & I took a different route. Both of my kids were born years after I was diagnosed.  And both kids know I have MS. They have known it always. For me, MS and the MS Society were there before the kids were born.  We never even thought to hide my MS from them even though it would be very easy to do so because I have very little or very subtle symptoms. So after the girls were born, they just started coming to the MS events with me. One woman (who I met at an Explore the Challenge Walk meeting 5 years ago when I was holding my then 2 month old) said that my kids think MS is one big party. They go to all of the Walk-MS, Bike-MS & Challenge Walk-MS events and it is kind of like a party. People come up to them and know them from knowing me. We started an annual tradition in 2006 at the Bike-MS lunch. The girls go around to the participants and give them lollipops and say "Thank you for riding." They like doing it. The older one has to miss soccer this year and I thought she'd be upset about the soccer practice, but instead she thought she was going to miss the bike ride this year and was upset about that.

I think that their exposure to MS is a good thing. As they have gotten older, they are getting exposed to people living with MS that can't walk, or walk with some assisted device. But it isn't scary to them. Because I think they are learning empathy at a very young age and that can be really good.

Two days ago, I woke up feeling somewhat fatigued (which I have been blessed not to experience very often). My husband told my older daughter to let mommy sleep a little more. When I did finally drag myself out of bed, I was greeted to a bowl of cereal - my favorite kind - without any milk so it wouldn't get soggy. Now there's empathy for you  - and she's only 5 ½ and the 3 ½ yr old is right behind her - not to be left out. They make me feel so happy and proud.