Jul

Mid Term Break

The week has flown past just like the North wind.

I have been on mid-term break, and Mom has made a huge effort to keep me entertained.

I take it this has been in between working, because there has been lots of rushing into the family room to sit at her laptop and smash out an email or two.

I think that Thursday and Friday were the best days ever. We hit the zoo and we had a birthday party for two of the mommies in our tea group.

Monday was a first for my Mommy, we went for a walk at Mushroom Farm Park. It is such a lovely venue, Mischa was very happy to be out the house. He goes a little stir crazy if he doesn’t get his 4-5 km walk a day. He’s really funny though as he pulls you along with his leash if he thinks you’re slowing down. I don’t have the tolerance to walk with him, so every now and then he would run past Mom and suddenly she would step on the leash dragging on the ground to stop him, and stop him it would! His ears flying around as he hits the breaks. Everyone laughs. Poor dog has to regain his composure and then pace himself again.

He met another tiny Maltese puppy and was extremely well behaved when he met her, her name was Zoe, and she barked and barked. My training is kicking in it would seem. While I played, Granny and Mommy took turns to walk and look after me. Such fun. I did take the girls around the course twice to make sure they knew their way.

We then hightailed it over to Pappachinos for lunch and a play. I was rather irritated to be told I was too big for the swing. This is the not so good side to growing up.

This week has been full of those conversations that my Mom refers to as enlightening. We’ve had the chance to reconnect and my work with Braam has been paying off big time. I looked my mother full in the face, while holding her face, just in case she moved it or got distracted. “Mom, I hate school, because you leave me there!” she was so happy that I verbalised it, after she regained her composure she asked me if I understood that teachers are at school and as you get to know things you need more teachers in your life, inside and outside school, and at the moment, until my brain understands how to read left to right, teacher Janine would be the best person for me. I would move on soon.

We had another in depth discussion… which involved my brain. “I can’t do it Mom, it’s just too hard” this was whilst writing my name. I presently write upside-down and back to front. Apparently it’s a very vestibular thing, and a lot of astronauts have the same problem. Mom is learning to read it, but strangely enough I can spell out words correctly. So everyone is very confused… anyway back to the hard part. “Mom it’s my brain damage, I just can’t do it.” Mom was mortified, of course the folks have never directly used this term, but doctors and discussions have been had in my proximity. Mom, just cried… then she remembered all the other things that have been told to her. “Jarrod, do you remember the kind doctor in Paris Dr. George? … “Oh yes Mom, in the strange hospital and his room had lots of things and I gave him a coin of Madiba”… (Lynn’s thoughts, I know technically there has to be damage, but really how does he remember all that detail) “Right JB, he said you had a beautiful brain. Dr. Lippert said that you had a very big brain with lots of gyri (folds in grey matter) and an excellent corpus collosum, those are all very important parts of the brain”. I started trying to say something and Mom stopped me…”JB do you remember you spoke words really early, like Doggie, or Oh Really, you’ve seen it on videos. After your surgery at 9 months you had to learn to speak again. That took long, then you had a stroke and lost your speech and had to learn again. If you didn’t have a really good brain, you couldn’t do that. Other people never learn to talk again after a stroke. Do you understand?” “Yes Mom I do understand. So I am going to try and try.”

(Mom’s thoughts… Wow this is intense, how did we get here?)

Tuesday we went to use my vouchers and birthday money… guess what I chose? Ninja Turtle Lego. We went to the Wimpy and a breakfast and then got some groceries. I then launched Mom into Lego hell as this was a couple thousand pieces. I noticed my two parents are very different at their approach to the building process. Mom involves me and makes me find pieces, but likes the pieces in front of her. She also builds with two hands very quickly. When I asked her why she uses two hands she says it’s the way her brain works. When it comes to patterns and planning, because she danced, she sees them quickly and her brain lets her use both hands if the pattern is symmetrical. Dad, uses a bowl and loves to plough through the pieces as a kind of therapy he says. For Dad it’s like Occupational Therapy and he likes to be left alone and get on with it. It’s exciting both ways.

Thanks for my vouchers and money everyone!

Wednesday Mom kept me in bed with bad fevers, I was highly sensitive and didn’t want to go out even for ice cream.

We played in the sun in Mom’s room with the Lego she built and did puzzles and books, lots of books, thanks for all my presents again everyone. I was allowed to use my new cookbook, but as anyone knows I like to experiment a little. On Sunday, Mom finally turned my ‘experiment’ into play dough. Dad and I were quite impressed, because usually nothing can save my experiments except the dishwasher.

Thursday we fetched Gran, Tam, Aneesa and the 5 of us headed to the zoo. Mom called it her make it all happen for everyone day… Gran needed a day out, Tam wanted to spend time with me, Mom had a breakfast arrangement with Aneesa and we could be outdoors, have a walk (Mom’s need) and entertain me.

Well you would think I had never been to the zoo before. I grabbed my map shrieked with excitement, chose all the animals I wanted to see and honestly I would have run up and down the zoo if Mom had not just stopped and used Dad’s regroup approach. Breakfast was the regroup. We looked on the way to breakfast at the animals, mainly birds, tortoises and chimpanzees. There were hens and roosters begging for food, very pretty looking ones and I was thrilled with the roosters crowing and shrieked with delight which freaked them out, but I gave them some of my chips.

We headed up to the lemurs, elephant, buck in general, zebra, and finally the lions. They did not disappoint. On the way Tammy chose to do an official workout on her gluts by pushing the pram so I obliged by getting in the pram to make it harder for her. She tucked her elbows in and marched up the hill. Of course we made fun of her, just because Dad wasn’t there to do it. We took pictures. There was an awesome playground there and cotton candy (candyfloss) chip sticks, water, fun, lots of pictures and back down the hill till we found the dinky doughnuts. I was thrilled. We agreed that everyone was tired and needed a break so everyone was dropped off at home by 2pm.

While we were sitting on the bed recapping the day and me having a snack another interesting discussion got started. JB “Mom, you know when I was little, I was so sick?” “Yes my boy, at the hospital?” “No, when I was home already” I said. “I do remember” Mom said soothingly. “Do you know I was very scared the doctors and nurses would come to my home?” “Oh my baby boy, I am so sorry you felt like that, I wish I knew!” “Mom that’s why I have to sleep with you and Dad. I am too scared.”

(Lynn’s thoughts on the matter….I should’ve started saving for his therapy earlier, and if he stays in my bed till he is a teenager, I am moving out!)

Friday was all exciting and after going to visit Granny who was really sick, with a homemade soup and medicine package we headed off to Randburg for some fun with my friends. It was Claudi’s birthday and there was cake and soup and a jumping castle that Colleen had arranged. We got off to playing with little invitation needed from our Mom’s. Rachel unfortunately hurt her hand but after a few hours and a whole day of play we were all tired. I threw one mighty verbalisation (nice way to say temper tantrum) that I didn’t want to go. Mom explained, that she understood, but it is important to understand that good things end, so that tomorrow can by a good day too. We watched Germany beat France in the evening for the World Cup, which capped off the day. On falling asleep I announced to Mom, that I couldn’t wait for the next great day.

Saturday morning we hit movies to see How To Train Your Dragon 2; during the week Mom got me How To Train Your Dragon 1 because she said she wanted me to understand the context (what’s context Mom) or what happened first to make that there was a number 2. Back at home we happily played, read and basically kept ourselves busy.

Sunday we went to breakfast for a play and played games the rest of the day … we started cleaning some of the rooms and started getting ready to clean the storeroom downstairs. All good fun! I’m off to bed, ready for tomorrow. I think tomorrow is the day I write my name ‘independently’… then Mom owes me a huge toy. Bribery is great.

Here’s to a good week to you all.

Remember to smile, love and remember to dance like no one is watching.

Love,

Jay-Bee