Jacob the one who spent most of the other day watching the tube, had a similar experience! He is our youngest, as you can see in our pictures is in a wheel chair. He was born with cerebral palsy. He doesn't talk, but he does communicate. He doesn't walk but he is a go getter! I am so grateful for this little boy in my life. He teaches me something new everyday. Sometimes about him, sometimes about the world, and most often about myself!
I had to take Jacob to an overnight appointment at the hospital this week. We left Wednesday morning and had a 2 1/2 hour drive. The usual set up is for Mackenzie or Nathan to travel with us, someone to help care for Jacob when we are on the road. The other usual is for Jacob to be entertained with a video in our little t.v. Since there was only one recliner to sleep on in Jacob's room it was only the two of us going. So before we left, Jacob was fed and Harry Potter was put in for him to watch!
Let me stop to explain that I had not really asked Jacob if he wanted the movie, I just went ahead. I also hadn't really asked him if he was doing our No T.V challenge. He had been apart of it because I didn't turn it on, but I hadn't really taken it too seriously if he did watch something~special circumstances and all of that! But Jacob doesn't miss much! He catches everything that we are talking about. Even knowing this and being his mother for these past 10 years, I sometime forget to involve him in all of the decisions of which he should be apart!
So here we are driving down the road and Jacob pushes the top of the T.V down and closes it. I open it up thinking that he has hit it by accident. He squawks and closes it again. I explain to him, as I open it for the second time, that it makes driving difficult when I am have to keep "fix" the T.V and that if he closes it again I will have to keep it closed and he will be without his movie! He grins (his "yes" face) and closes the T.V. Then sits back and looks out the window. He was great the rest of the trip!
When we finally got all settled into our room at the hospital, the T.V was on. Jacob watched it for a bit while I was getting everything figured out. We had to leave the room so that Jacob could get his head covered in little electrodes and then wrapped in gauze to keep everything in place until the morning! When we got back to the room I laid him in his bed. I asked him if he wanted the television on and he stuck out his tongue (his "NO" face) so I tried to read to him for a bit but he was just to wiggly. The only way to keep him still and his head wrapped was to turn on the T.V!
The next morning, Jacob awoke and was stripped of his head gear! While waiting for the Dr. to come in, Jacob wanted nothing to do with the television! So I took him on my lap where we snuggled for a bit, read some books that he had chosen to bring with us (mostly Robert Munsch!) and I decided to have a little chat with my dear boy! I asked him again if he wanted me to turn on one of his shows.
He stuck out his tongue, in fact he stuck it out so much that I am sure that I was being yelled at!
I asked him if he was turning it off because he had decided to take the challenge too!
Big Smile!! In fact he giggled!
I asked if that was why he closed the T.V in the van. Another big smile!
So we snuggled, Jacob stole my nose and gave it back many times,(a new favorite game!) we read more stories and I was overcome with the power this wee laddie has to teach and the strength he has to be included in all that we do! I was also so grateful for the time we had together! One on One and quiet!
On a side note, while we were a way my dear husband
They played a game!
I am amazed at the way this is all going! I am grateful for the lessons we are learning about each other, ourselves and our strength! I love my children, what amazing beings they are!
I hope you have educational day! I plan to!
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