Maybe not so normal

S3 is still doing well as far as his appearance and healing. However, he still is not eating or drinking very well. Sunday he didn't hold lunch (the mac and cheese) or dinner (fruit smoothie) down. Unfortunately for my Aunt Wrae, he was in her lap when he lost dinner. Monday he awoke with his eyes swollen shut. Luckily as he sat up he was able to see better but still through small slits. We gave him some anti-nausea medication and he was able to hold down some oatmeal and peaches. He then went for a wagon ride and then played in the toy room for an hour. Then it was back to his room for a bath and a FOUR hour nap! When he woke up I couldn't get him interested in eating so he drank the majority of a vanilla shake and a few fries and called that lunch. But it also stayed down. He played in the playroom for another hour and even got a visit from dad. Then he fell asleep at 6 pm and slept through the night so no dinner for him.

Each time after he sleeps his eyes swell shut and it takes a while for them to open up again so this morning he woke up blind again but soon his right eye was open a bit and he was ready to hit the road running again. Breakfast was only four slices of canned peaches, I couldn't get him to eat more or show any interest in his oatmeal today. He wouldn't even try the chocolate milk shake. But he also didn't get any anti-nausea stuff today so maybe he is still feeling queasy. The short story is that if he eats and drinks well at lunch, once he wakes up from the nap he is currently taking, then we can go home later today. If not, we are here until tomorrow. I'll write again in a little while to tell you about the great Halloween we've had here so far!

Back to Normal

The move to the med-surg floor took a few hours because we had to wait for an open bed. Once we moved to the new room, S3 got comfortable in his crib and he was off the IV, but it was still in his foot. He still had the pulse/oxygen monitor on his toe but he spent the rest of the day snoozing either in the crib or in Aunt Jen, Gma F or my arms.

Around 2:30 pm I went over to Jen's house to grab some lunch and to take a nap. I finally fell asleep and slept for an hour until I got a phone call that woke me up from Dave. I couldn't get back to sleep so I went to the hospital. S3 had woken up from a nap and he proceeded to stay awake for the next four hours or so but he finally went to sleep after he got drugs. It was an up and down night since they reconnected the IV so he could get some more fluids. During the night he would wake up because he foot got tangled in the tubes. Around midnight the nurse took him off of the IV because he had had enough fluid for the day and it kept getting tangled causing the alarm to go off. After that S3 would keep waking up because his pulse monitor would come off his toe and start beeping. So, he was doing well enough that after a few hours, around 4 am, we took the monitor off so he could sleep better.

S3 slept better for a couple of hours but then woke up ready to go for the day at six. But due to the time change it was really 5 am. Our nurse went and got him a toy and I turned a movie on for him and went to lay down and take a little snooze. About an hour later I wake up to him standing in his crib wanting to get out. So out I took him. First he sat in the rocking chair by himself. Then he got down and started rummaging in the cupboard with my things in it. He brought me my deodorant. What was he hinting at? Next he climbed up into my chair bed and sat there watching cartoons and drinking milk for the next couple of hours.

Once I could order him breakfast I did, but he didn't want any by the time it came. Soon both of his Grandmothers were there and they took turns holding him. Before grandma W came, grandma F and I took S3 for a wagon ride because he wanted a change of scenery. We went down to the cafeteria to eat and then as I went back to the room she took him for a lap around the floor. As they got back Grma W arrived.

Soon he was getting sleepy though and only wanted Mom to hold him. So I did and he started drifting in and out of consciousness. I thought he might be in discomfort. We let the nurse know and soon he got his meds and fell asleep soundly. By this time church was about to start so we all went down for the 30 min sacrament meeting. The ward there also gives blankets out to all the kids who are in the hospital that day so S3 got a new blanket - which is good since he later threw up on his old one. It was funny to go to church with no make up, having not showered and dressed in a shirt and jeans. But I was glad to be there and most grateful for the opportunity to partake of the sacrament.

When we got back he was still asleep so upon hearing that the doctor wouldn't be by for a couple of hours because he was stuck in emergency surgeries, I headed over to Jen's to take a nap. Grandma W also headed back home to help Dave with the kids and get a nap herself. Fast forward three hours later and I am awakened by a phone call. The doctor only has a few minutes so he took off S3's bandages and says he looks great but to expect more swelling until tomorrow. Grandma F is taking off because she needs to go catch her plane but Aunt Jen is there. So, here I sit eating a quick lunch and updating you before I head back to the hospital.

Apparently while I was gone he slept a little while longer and then woke up. He was acting hungry so Grandma F ordered him some mac and cheese, green beans and grape juice. He wolfed down the mac and cheese himself but was not interested in the beans. He also enjoyed the juice. She then took him down to the play room in the wagon and he played there for an hour-walking around and climbing up and around. Then she noticed what time it was and headed back to the room with him. He was sitting on her lap and before she knew it he threw up all over the place. They got it all cleaned up and he had more juice and he threw up again- even more macaroni. But the whole time he was happy as a clam and was watching movies until the doctor came to take off his bandages. The only down side to this is that the drain isn't secured to his head so now he can pull on it easily. The doc said not worry because it is hard to pull out, but we could tape it down or restrain his hands.

Anyway, he is talking more and is back up to his old tricks, wanting to feed and water himself. I couldn't be more grateful for how well he is doing and how things have gone. The nurses have been fantastic. Luckily we have come during a "slow" period so they are very helpful. Last night the nurse even made up my recliner bed, linens and all, while I sat holding S3. Heck, the food hasn't been bad either!

Oh, one last thing. I finally got a smile from him this morning. I don't even remember what I did, but I was goofing off with him when we got back from our first walk and he just gave me this huge grin. It was great. He's already looking different, even though he is all swollen. You can tell his head isn't so pointy and his eyebrows are no longer arched but long and flat. It'll be interesting to see what he looks like when I get back now that his bandages are gone.

Puff Baby

S3's surgery went long but well. We arrived at 6:35 am and got him checked in. They did a mini physical and we got him into hospital garb. Then we went into the back room with the nurse where they gave S3 Veriset (sp?) to help him relax. Once that kicked in he gratefully accepted a stuffed lion and to be put into the wagon. They wheeled him away around 8:40 am with the anesthesiologist. Dad went to school and mom went to the waiting room.

Our nurse called me every hour to let me know how things were going. At 9:45 am she called to say they had just made the incision and all was going well. Before they could start the anesthesiologist had to put in not only an IV but an arterial line and a central line. He also had to put in a catheter and a special heart monitor on S3 to watch for any air embolism in his heart. S3 has very small and hard to find veins, as evidenced by the five times it took them to get his IV in when he had his cat scan. Thus it took awhile. The good part,for me, was that during the next hour they brought the hospitality cart around so I got a snack. Yum.

At 10:45 am Pam, our nurse, called to say that they had his forehead off and that he was starting to lose a bit more blood than they would like but he was still stable and doing well. I spoke with the neurosurgeon this morning and he said that S3 is one thick headed kid. Okay, he didn't say it like that. Because of his age, his head is very thick- it's thinner and doesn't bleed as much when they are younger ( 8-10 months is the prime time for this surgery) or as adults. But I think our family is also predisposed to be thick headed - in more ways than one. Also, they were planning on taking his forehead off all in one piece but it was stuck on really well and was bleeding too much so they had to cut it vertically down the middle and remove one section at a time. His dura (covering over your brain) also tore a little, but that is common and caused no problems and no long term issues.

The next call from Pam at 11:45 am let us know that they were busy reshaping his bones and that they had given him one unit of blood and were washing his blood to give him back his own red blood cells if he needed them. But, all was stable and proceeding well. David showed up around this time and stayed until we got S3 settled and he left around 4:30 pm to go back to the school and get some work done.

At a little after 1:00 pm Pam called to let us know S3 had gotten the washed cells that they were busy putting the pieces back into his head. I asked her how many pieces there were and I guess there were four pieces. Once again she said he was doing well.

About 2:00 pm Pam called for the last time to let us know they were about to close him up and that should take about 30 minutes and then another 15 minutes to bandage him. Then the CFS (cranio facial surgeon) would come down and talk with us.

When the CFS came down shortly after 3 pm he said that S3 did great and that all went well. He said that S3's forehead will look more like a U than a V now and as he grows, it will flatten out more like a normal forehead. We go in for a follow up visit two weeks after we leave the hospital. Then back again in 6 months and once a year after that until S3 is 10 or 11 years old when his sinus are all finished developing. He also said that S3 had needed two units of donor blood and two units of washed cells but that he was doing great. They took S3 from the OR to the PICU (pediatric ICU). We thanked the doctor and then had to wait about an hour to join S3 in the PICU. He really didn't look too bad. His head wrap made him look like a boxer or wrestler with a helmet on and he was a bit puffy. He's puffed up as time has gone on but the discoloration hasn't set in yet. I'm taking pictures and will post them once developed.

S3 really hasn't wanted anything to eat or drink as he has thrown up all the apple juice we have given him. However, he seems to be holding down the two ounces of melted cherry slushie that I gave him right before I came to type this.

Last night his Aunt Jen, Uncle Regan, and Gma F came to visit him- not that he noticed. Once he was settled for the night I slept in one of the rooms they have for PICU parents. Then first thing after shift change I went into the PICU. S3 was sleeping but woke up soon and tried to get up so I could hold him. So we rearranged things a little and he sat on my lap and fell asleep for a couple of hours. He woke up and was uncomfortable. So he got more morphine and fell back asleep. S3 is doing so well that they are ready to transfer him out of the PICU and are just waiting for a bed, more specifically a nurse, to transfer him. They also took out his central line. His arterial line and catheter were removed yesterday in the evening. So needless to say he is feeling better without so many things poking him and hanging off of him.

About the grossest thing about all the things attached to S3 is what I dubbed the blood bomb or blood grenade. He has a drain tube in his forehead that runs down below his ear. The tube drains into a pressure suction bulb that looks like a flattened grenade. It's pretty "interesting" to watch it fill up with blood and plasma. Yesterday it was very dark red but today it is more watery, which is good. However, because he is draining so much, they will not remove the tube on Sunday as originally planned but wait until Monday or Tuesday. My hope that because S3 is draining so much his eyes won't swell shut and turn black and blue like they normally do after this surgery.

Well, I think that is about all. I have to have my cell phone off while in the PICU but once we get into his other room I will have it on. S1 and S2 are doing well and having fun with Grandma W, even if they do have differences of opinion. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I truly have had peace during this whole experience because of the blessings of the priesthood and the faith of all who care about us. I'll post more as I have the chance or as I try to remember things. I may have slept well last night but I am still exhausted!

Ready Set Slice

S3 is scheduled to go in tomorrow, Friday, Oct 27th at 6:30 am for his surgery. He is admitted at 6:30 am but the surgery doesn't start until 8 am. It's a five hour surgery so he should be out around 1 pm. After he comes out from the anesthesia they will then move him to the PICU for the next 24 hours. Sometime after he gets settled into the PICU, I will update the blog on his condition.

Right now S3 is enjoying rubbing his newly shaved head. I buzzed it all off this afternoon. He can't quite figure it out.

You say Apple I Say Tomato

So, since tomatoes are currently more expensive than a gallon of gasoline ($2.50 gal vs $3.00 lb) I have not bought many as of late. Rather, I have hit up my friends with an over abundance of tomatoes from their gardens. Well, due to the rainy weather we have had, there are lots of green tomatoes and a few orange ones. I got a few orangy-red ones from my neighbor across the street. I brought them home and put them up in the windowsill in the garage where they would be out of reach of little hands and still be able to get sunlight to ripen up. Well, after school S1 went outside to play. I saw him running around in the backyard having a terrific time pushing toys around and such. Well, I was just getting dinner started when in he comes from the garage - with something in his mouth that was too big for it so he had both hands on it, trying to shove it in. It was orangy-red and I was alarmed as to what he could have found to ingest. As I got closer I realized that it was a tomato!

The little bugger had decided he was hungry and had spotted the tomatoes. He climbed onto my deep freezer in order to reach the tomatoes. I had put five up on the sill, but now there are only three! I looked around because I knew he was currently eating the fourth, like you or I would eat an apple (mind you that he won't eat raw apples-too hard for him to bite down on), but I could not locate the fifth anywhere. He apparently had already eaten it prior to coming into the house. The sneaky little devil. S1 loves tomatoes and pretty much any other food that is red. Of course he was a complete mess with tomato drippings and seeds all down his hands and arms so I thought it would be easiest to just clean him up with a bath. This definitely became the plan of action after further investigation uncovered that he had had diarrhea and because at school they hadn't put the diaper on straight, it leaked all the way down one leg and onto his new shoes! What a mess.

Also, this showed me that although we may not think S1 is very observant since he doesn't seem to fully comprehend everything around him or pick up on academic subjects, he in fact is fully aware and observant. He just ignores everything that he doesn't see a use for or isn't interested in. He also noticed the difference in the environment from just the day before. Such a funny boy.

Not Quite Getting It

S1 is a clever little guy. If he wants something, then he will figure out how to get it. However, often times we run into problems because he understands the big picture of what we are talking about, but not the intricacies. This morning was a good example of this. Dave overslept and was late getting to work. For this reason S1 was up while Dave was getting ready. Dave talked with him and spoke of how he was getting ready to go to work and that S1 would get to go to school and such. Well, I was up at this point as Dave was about ready to go out the door. S1 was still in his pajamas and was standing at the door. We went downstairs to get S1 some pants for the day. He carried them back up. I sat on the couch and told him he needed to get dressed. S1 handed me his pants and was trying to get me to help him get them on. He was a bit frantic as he saw that dad was dressed and was about to leave. So he came over to me and started pulling at his pajamas to try and get them off. As we were taking them off, Dave gave us all kisses goodbye (S3 was up too-very thrilled to get to see his father in the morning for a change) and headed out the door.

S1 broke down sobbing because he thought he was getting left behind since he wasn't ready. I felt for the kid because you could just hear his little heart breaking in his voice and I could see it in his face when he'd look up to me. I held him while he cried and patted his back and told him repeatedly that it was okay, that he was going to school in a little bit on the bus, he just had to finish getting dressed. Well, he just kept on sobbing. Saddest thing you have ever seen or heard. Fortunately, Dave came back into the house because he had forgotten something - I am sure that S1 thought it was him. I took advantage of this opportunity to shuffle S1 back to the bedroom to change his diaper, get the rest of his clothes and keep him from seeing dad leave without him-again. Before you know it he was happily sitting watching cartoons, fully dressed with a belly full of oatmeal, just waiting for the bus to come. And boy, you should have seen him take off out that door for the bus! He meant business.

I realized when he started crying that he had understood that Dad was leaving and that he would be going to school - thinking that he would be going to school via Dad. I think lots of times this is a source of his breakdowns/frustrations/whatever you want to call them. S1 gets the gist of what will be going on, but not the details, those go over his head. Then when things don't go how he thought they would, he gets upset/hurt, thinking that because it's not happening now, it's not going to happen at all. Poor guy.

Prison Break

Well, I think I've come up with a good costume for S1 - a prisoner's outfit. I am pretty sure that is what he feels like a good portion of the time since he is so often confined to the house and always looking for a way out. And last week he did have a successful escape. No, he didn't use a spoon to dig his way out. I was cleaning the gutters last week since they had enough debris that had decomposed to form soil and I had seedlings from surrounding trees growing in them. Well, S1 was at school while I worked on the project while S3 napped. I had been doing very well with closing the gate each time I came through. The last time however, I didn't. I had just finished getting off the ladder and throwing a bag of detris away when S1's bus pulled up. It had been raining the day before so things were still a bit wet.

I got S1 off the bus and into the house. S2 had a friend over playing. I told them they could all go down stairs to play or outside since S3 was still sleeping. Off they all went and I went to work upstairs. About half an hour later I thought, hmmm, I should check on S1 since I hadn't heard him in a while (S2 and his friend had been plenty noisy). I went down stairs and asked the boys if S1 was with them, I got no for an answer. So I went to check the backyard, and suddenly it dawned on me that the gate might be open. Sure enough, no S1 and gate wide open. I ran in and told my sister, who had just gotten home, to watch the rest of the monkeys while I did a quick check at the neighbors for S1. When that ended in vain I ran back to the house, hopped in the van and drove down the street about a block to a house with a really fun, open backyard (trampoline, sand box, play equipment and garden) to see if he was there. No luck. But that neighbor was out mowing his lawn and when I told him what happened he offered to drive around the neighborhood on his motorcycle to look while I went to the high school, which is a block from our house. So I called the police as I drove over to the high school. I gave them all of his info and where I was looking and hung up as I drove up to the high school tennis courts. I parked and when I got out I could hear the marching band - they rehearse on the far side of the tennis courts.

Okay, I'll stop here for some background info. S1 loves tennis courts. He loves walking along following the lines. Or he'll run following the lines. And if you've ever seen him run, you know that it always looks like he's about to collapse. Once we were visiting one of my mission comps and we went to a park. He was chasing a ball in the tennis court and tripped over the ball and got quite the road rash on his face and a swollen bloody lip. Anyway, when he escaped early in the morning last March (wearing pajamas but bare-footed), the police found him over by the tennis courts. So I followed my hunch that he would be up there again.

When I heard the band, I knew he must be close or that they would have at least seen him. As I approached I couldn't see him and I started to panic a little. Then the band switched configurations on the field and there he was - standing right in front of the sousaphones (marching tubas basically and his favorite instrument), jumping up and down flailing his arms conducting. Also standing behind him was the Vice Principal of the high school calling 911. Once he realized I was there, the VP let the dispatcher know that his mom was there and hung up. We spoke for a minute and then I tried to get S1 off the field - fat chance. He dropped down to the ground and refused to move. The band director, who is a friend of Dave's, said, "It's too bad that the only person who wants to be here has to leave." Everyone laughed - me too. It was getting overcast and rainy again.

I finally got a very muddy S1 up off the ground and over to the sidelines. He had obviously had fun in several puddles on his way to the band. He had mud splashed on his face, his previously white shirt was now a muddy grey and his navy pants were soaked and covered with some mud streaks. Other than being filthy, he was totally fine. I then called the police to let them know that I had found him. The police had dispatched an officer over to the house and he had spoken to my sister and checked out the backyard before deciding that I hadn't been totally derelict in my duty as a mother and he took off. I also called my sister, who had heard the news over the officer's radio, and my neighbor on the motorcycle to let them know that S1 was safe. After listening to the band for a couple of minutes, S1 refused to sit and listen because he wanted to go out and march with them. So, I picked him up and hauled him off to the house-crying the whole way. Even when we got home and into the house he was still crying. We sat on the couch and he cried on my lap for at least 15 minutes. He was so heartbroken. But I talked to him about how he couldn't go by himself, it wasn't safe. Also that we don't dance in the middle of the band.

This whole experience taught me a couple of things about S1. First, he does have a memory, at least for those things that are important to him. You see, the Saturday before this escape, Dave had taken the boys up to the high school to watch the band rehearse. So, I believe that on Saturday, S1 recognized where he was from his adventure last March and on the day of his escape, how to get there from his trip with Dad. This gives me hope that one day he will be able to find his way home if he does take off and we can't find him.

Second, S1 knows what he wants. So he went to go get it. The tennis courts will always be there, the band is a hit or miss proposition. This is good because it means he can be motivated if we can figure out what he wants.

Third, S1 can be a creature of habit. It doesn't guarantee that everytime he escapes he will take the same path, but, it is comforting to know that he PROBABLY will. So, next time I won't call the police until after I check the high school. If he is not there, then I can panic. Now, I don't hope there will be a next time, I just know how clever S1 is and how fallible I am.

Fourth, communication is key. At the beginning of the school year I went up to the high school and spoke to the principal there. I gave him our family's info, S1's info and his picture so that if S1 did end up there, or wandering in the parking lot, they would be able to get a hold of us or at least know who he is. Well, this information obviously did not trickle down, or if it did, didn't stick with the VP. Maybe I'll have to go back up there and make sure they still have us on file. I know the police do!

Also, after everything was over I was a little miffed that Dave's friend hadn't called us when he saw S1 alone at the band rehearsal. I know it's not his job, but come on, help us out a little. Turns out that he and his students had been debating about whether or not it was S1 or not, as none of them know S1 very well. Finally the students said, "Naw, it's not him." So the VP got involved. However, if it ever happens again, they now know!

So, for Halloween I guess he'll be an inmate since that is a much easier costume to make than a sousaphone.

I Want to Share Myself

Today as we were getting ready for preschool, I reminded S2 what the letter of the day was and that he needed to find something to take to sharing time that started with that letter. He thought for a second and said, "Well, I want to take, um, I want to take, um. Mom, I don't want to take anything to share today." I asked him why not and he replied, "Because, I am going to take me. I start with (letter of the day) because my name is (s2). I am going to show myself." I had to chuckle as I thought this was pretty clever for a four year old to come up with. Maybe one of the other kids did it the day their name and letter were the same. But I still found it very amusing.

As far as Halloween goes, S2 has decided that he no longer wants to be a skeleton, but he also doesn't want to be a pirate. Now he wants to be a spider! I told him that was okay but he needed to be sure because once I made him a spider costume he'd be stuck! One more thing to do before S3 goes into surgery.

Get Away Mom!

S1 might be non-verbal, but his actions sure do speak volumes! He used to have respite once a week. Someone would come and pick him up and they would be gone for three hours. Sometimes they went to a park where S1 could roam free. Other times they went to the mental health center where S1 could make things or play around other children, do water games, etc. Occasionally a trip to the pizza parlor or McDonald's. But, his worker quit the first week in September. For the workers to be one on one with kids they have to have and pass background checks. Unfortunately, it is the middle of October now and none of their new employees have passed their background checks yet. So, S1 goes crazy not being able to get out without mom. Since it is taking so long, they started a Saturday group. Two workers pick up three boys and take them, along with a third worker, to the center to play. Well, last Saturday was the first time they did it. S1 and I were standing outside waiting for them to come. S1 was actually tired of standing so he was sitting playing in the pea gravel in our driveway.

When the car pulled up, you could see the light go on in his mind. Instantly he knew what was happening. As the car came to a stop, he ran straight to it and started opening the door. I helped him get in and as I was doing up his seat belt he leaned forward, gave me a kiss and not only waved bye bye but SAID bye bye. As these two workers were not familiar with S1, I spent a little bit of time, leaning through S1's open door, talking to them, letting them know of his likes/dislikes, allergies, seizures, etc. The whole time I was trying to do this, S1 was pushing me away from the car and trying to close the car door. It was if he was saying, "Okay, mom. Enough already, I get to go play. Just hurry and close the door!" He had a blast while he was gone. They played at the park and got lunch at McDonald's. I don't think he really paid much attention to the two other little boys he was with. Not a big surprise. They were both around his age, one autistic and the other with a different pervasive personality disorder. He was so happy when he got home. I am sure he will be thrilled to go again this week.

Surgery Update

S3's surgery is scheduled now for Friday, October 27th. My mom, Christine, will be coming out earlier in the week to pretty much stay for as long as I need her to. My MIL, Debbie, will also be out the weekend of the surgery. So, S3 will really look like a monster for Halloween, no costume needed! He'll still be at the hospital anyway.

S2 wanted to be a pirate for Halloween, but he has changed his mind now and wants to be a skeleton. We are still negotiating on that one and are trying to get him to be a pirate again. After all, he is only four and doesn't need to be scary.

S1 doesn't care what he is for Halloween as long as he gets to eat lots of candy!

Let me, help you, help me

So, since I've got S1, people are often reluctant to ask me for help. This drives me nuts. If I feel too stressed, I will simply tell you no, sorry I can't right now. But call me again. They feel like I have so much on my plate with a baby and with S1, but I need to give too!

I do have a lot going on and consequently I often need help, especially those times when Dave is gone a lot. When I am the one always asking but never giving, it makes me feel bad. I have a lot to contribute.

Today I was talking with a friend who had left me a message earlier in the day. Her husband has been at boot camp for the past three weeks and they have three kids ages four and under. Almost needless to say she was at her wits end this particular day. She's usually very mild mannered but she was unable to maintain her composure while we spoke on the phone when dealing with her two year old son. Now, if you've ever had a two year old, and you've been with them 24/7 as their primary care giver, you know how draining that can be. Anyway, I told her just to come over and I would make dinner and she could just relax and our kids could just play. She was reluctant and didn't want to add to my burden. I seriously had to convince her that it was alright, that if she came over my family would actually get dinner before 7 pm. I knew that no one was in any danger, just trying to save a friend's sanity and her children's tender feelings.

Anyway, they came over, the kids ran amok, we talked while I made meatloaf, squash and a salad. She brought an apple pie she had made the day before. So we had a very delicious meal, the kids got worn out so they could go home, bathe and go to bed, and she had some time to decompress. It makes me laugh how sometimes people are so reluctant to receive help, after all, this is the same friend who watched S2 every week while I volunteered in S1's preschool class and has watched the boys for me on numerous other occasions- I owed her one, two, more than I can remember! I was glad to have a chance to serve.

All I Want for Christmas is a Convertible

S1 is smart for someone so cognitively challenged. He sure knows what he wants. As I was sitting eating my dinner, S1 was looking at an advertisement we had received in the mail. I was wondering why he was so fascinated by it. Then he kept bringing it over to me. I finally realized that he was pointing to a one inch square picture of a man driving a convertible. I said, " Oh, you wish you could go for a ride in a convertible, huh?"

My mistake. He immediately started to pull on my hand to get me to take him for a ride. I told him no, that I was eating dinner. Around this point Dave comes in and asks S1 for a hug. S1 walks over, gives him a hug and thinking he's "paid" the piper, takes Dave's hand and heads for the door. When Dave doesn't budge, S1 goes into the living room and comes back with Dave's shoe and hands it to him. Because we all know you can't go anywhere if you don't have your shoes on. When it is made clear to S1 that Dad isn't taking him, that mom will when she is done eating, he leaves the room again and comes back with my keys and hands them to me. I spent the rest of the time eating my dinner with one hand while S1 pulled on the other, the entire time clutching the ad. When we finally went out the door he dropped the ad. It was a short trip to Hollywood Video and he loved running around in there, all of the neat isles and good reverberation for his voice. This time there was an added bonus, a chair on wheels left unattended that he enjoyed pushing around.

No matter what you say of S1, he is very observant. You may think he is not paying attention, but you are wrong. He is just checking everything out and if he is not interested, then he doesn't recognize it. That makes everything fun.