Watching and Waiting

October 22, 2017

Well, at least we started the day an hour later than we did yesterday.  Hallelujah...maybe I nodded off and almost broke my neck siting on the couch tonigh; but you know, whatever.

Bradley decided today it would be fun to try bouncing on my bed.  He stands there and watches himself in the mirror and he moves his body up and down.  He hasn’t figured out how to jump yet.  My boy can’t figure out how to jump, on the bed, or the ground.  So he stands on a mattress that has give and bends his knees and body up and down to simulate jumping.  Maybe someday.

So with all the gunk we’ve had in our house, with everyone feeling better we decided to take the family to Red Robin (yes, yum!) and have a nice family lunch.  Too bad there are too many stupid TVs in the place.  My kids are trying not to stare at the them; but well, distracting for sure.  So I ask them each what they have going on this week, they both look at me like I’m crazy.  Although I know the family schedule because I keep it, I like to check in with them to see how their day to day looks.  I asked Sydney about her History Quiz tomorrow, she tells me about the original colonies.  I ask her what they are, she groans and tells me she’s not into that right now.  Hmmm...   Anything from you Madison?  She had a tiny more to say, but then I asked her about her ASL class, and then it got interesting.  She is so expressive and gets so animated when she gets talking in sign.  I love it!  I know that she is technically two months out of her first semester of ASL, but it is a College course and that one semester counts as a year of language.  She took a year of French last year, and if you compared her almost perfect score in French to her work in ASL (which is also perfect or close too) I would say she knows more ASL.  She could hold a conversation with someone almost completely in sign because she can finger spell what she doesn’t know, but holy moly, she knows so much!  I am really thrilled and proud of her!  She will take ASL II  next semester and I am excited to see where she goes with it.

Anyway, we went through her signing stories while Bradley worked his way through half of the Pretzel bites and cheese.  Filled his tummy to nice and happy, then fell asleep on his arm before his Mac and cheese could arrive.  So while we ate, he slept.  Then when we were done eating and looking to pay, he woke up and pointed to his Mac and cheese, and French fries, and all of his Mandarin Oranges.  Truthfully, he woke up ready to eat and did a pretty nice job of making a dent in his food.  Then while we decided to walk around the Mall and work our lunch off a bit.  Bradley chose to use his Red Robin balloon to whack his Dad and Madison, Sydney was too quick and stayed away.  We quickly had to remove his weapon when he came dangerously close to taking aim at an innocent bystander.  He raised his arm and Dad snagged the balloon right out of his hand before he could start that downward swing...it’s like his parents can read his mind!  Good grief!

After the bedtime routine tonight, he laid on a pillow on the couch and fell sleep almost instantly, his hand gripping mine while he fell asleep, and stayed that way until I had to pull my hand free so he could be carted off to bed for the night.

Yes, when he isn’t allowed to freely eat every popsicle in the house and he is told No...he can be vocal and heartbroken, making sure everyone knows he has been sorely wronged.  And I admit that there are moments in the day that are a bit trying in their intensity, and honestly, noise level.  But, I watch him trying so hard.  I watch him trying to master impulse in a moment where he is overwhelmed by the possibilities around him that are not allowed to him along with all those things that are allowed.  He grabs and pulls and for some reason he feels the need to constantly throw laundry on the floor.  I don’t know why, I know it is confounding and frustrating...but he still chooses to do it.  He’ll even begrudgingly help pick the laundry up and put it back...but he can’t seem to help himself.  And yet yesterday, he helped me load and start the washer and dryer.  And I try to redirect him and keep him engaged, but sometimes he just can’t have what he wants and that can get frustrating, and sometimes loud.  Sometimes you just have to hug him tight and bring him back down with lots of kisses to make him start giggling, tickling of his toes, noses, butterfly kisses and even a taps on his nose...whatever it takes to turn the train around and send him back down the correct track.

And then at the end of the day today, he holds my hand as he falls asleep.  He isn’t the easiest boy, he isn’t the hardest either.  He’s just a little boy trying to make sense of a really confusing world.  And I just love him for all he is and all he isn’t.  I just love him.  So you keep working on your jumping Bradley; someday, you’re going to leave the ground and surprise yourself!  And I can’t wait to be there and watch the wonder on your face as you suddenly figure it out!  We’ll keep doing laundry together and someday you’ll sweep it into your drawer and not the floor...I just know it.  And you’ll be there to see the wonder on my face when I see you finally figure it out!

Okay not always enjoying the Challenges, but hey... living the Challenges all the same.

Day 22 in the books in the 31 For 21 Challenge.  See you tomorrow Folks!