Oct 31, 2013
Well trick or treat everyone! Happy Halloween! I must confess that I am not a huge fan of this so called holiday. In fact this year I went as far as trying to bribe my kids out of it. I said "Can't I just buy you guys a few bags of candy, we can rent a movie and call it a night?"
But alas, they turned down my offer and I once again found myself in one of those party stores, staring at the same costumes I have stared at for oh so many years, thinking "really is this all there is?!"
Now please be aware that the first year I took Josh trick or treating he dressed up as a ghost at 5 years old. Oh how the people stared to see a little ghost at their door with a cane! They would open their door with a bowl of candy in their hands and a huge smile on their face and then looking at him the smile would turn into a look of confusion. They would look to me and I would just smile then they would look back at Josh and hold the bowl in front of him waiting for him to take a candy. I would take Joshs hand and direct it to the bowl where he would then have to feel EVERYTHING inside the bowl before finally choosing his treat. As the night wore on and Josh became more comfortable and familiar with the routine he began to get bolder and bolder. He would say "Trick or Treat" then he would say "What is your name, I am Josh!"
Then came, "what kind of candy do you have? I like chocolate. Do you have any chocolate?"
And if they said "No" he would quickly respond "well can I come in and maybe we can find some in your kitchen or something else I might like."
Please understand this was said as a question but the little bugger was already making his way into their house as he was asking.
Of course I stopped him and at every house explained that we could not go in to the peoples houses, but he would say "Well why not? Don't they like me?"!
Now there were those few who bought his little manipulation hook, line and sinker! And sure enough, before I could drag him away the owner would say "Well I guess you can come in!"
"NOOOOOO!" my thoughts would scream inside my head! But it was too late, he was in and stomping around their living rooms, asking if they had stairs he could climb, or a dog he could pet!"
It was a long night!
The next year he wanted to go as a dog. Oh but not just ANY dog! NO! Josh wanted to go trick or treating as a GUIDE DOG! Yes, a guide dog! A blind guide dog with a cane, no less! OY VEY!
Again another long night of explanations and me apologizing for my very cute but very pretentious son who seemed to know no personal boundaries!
This year my 16 year old daughter was hellbent on being able to dress up one last time and go trick or treating even though none of her friends are going. So she decided that she would take her brother trick or treating this year. He had wanted to be a pirate or a dog, but after some gentle persuading by his big sister, Josh left the costume store with his Batman costume which nicely compliments her new Batgirl costume that she had been wanting. I will go with them tonight as will daddy, but tonight we are going to be spectators to all of the maddness!
I will be driving them to a neighborhood away from our own, just to give the people that have already met him in previous years, a break. Look out everyone, here he comes!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHAT "SEEING" IS?
October 8th, 2013
How do you explain what seeing is to a child who has never seen anything at all? This has been my challenge and dilemma for the past 9 years and I am still no closer to having the answer. Josh was born totally blind and wears 2 prosthetic eyes. We found out at 6 weeks old that his optic nerves never developed so he has literally never seen shadow, light, NOTHING!
Josh has always known that he was blind and that most people can "see". He didn't understand it but would simply say things like, "I can see!". How do you argue with that? So we didn't. I mean, Josh does see, just not the same way most of us do. When his sister Hannah would draw a picture, Josh would be the first one to put his face near it and say, "Wow Hannah that is great!" When Josh was 5, he put his face up to mine one evening at the dinner table. I said, "Um, Josh what are you doing?" to which he responded, "staring at you!" and he laughed. I couldn't believe that he had just made a joke like that! Then one day when I said out loud, "I am so tired", Josh responded with, "Mommy, you don't look tired to me." Josh even has a favorite color (silver) and yes, he does dream. As I have mentioned before there is the most special comment of all when he says, "Mommy you look so beautiful today!"
And so I try to explain the concepts and things that we take for granted. Try explaining the clouds, the moon, stars, or planets to a child who has never seen the sky. The other day we were watching TV and Josh asked me if Robin Meade was on (morning newscaster for CNN's sister network HLN) I told him that she wasn't there today and that someone else was doing it today. When he asked me who it was I told him her name and he said "How do you know?" to which I responded, "I can see her." He then said, "No you can't! The TV is not like a window that you can see through Mom!"
One of my favorites is when he will come into my room and say "Guess what I have in my hand?" and I will answer him, "It's a teddy bear". He becomes stunned and says, "how do you do that?!"
But the very best is when he will put one of his big playground balls under his shirt or stuff his pockets with his toys on the way out of the door to go to school and I will say, "you can not bring those with you." His response is always, "how did you know that was there? I thought I could sneak it by you!"
How do you explain what seeing is to a child who has never seen anything at all? This has been my challenge and dilemma for the past 9 years and I am still no closer to having the answer. Josh was born totally blind and wears 2 prosthetic eyes. We found out at 6 weeks old that his optic nerves never developed so he has literally never seen shadow, light, NOTHING!
Josh has always known that he was blind and that most people can "see". He didn't understand it but would simply say things like, "I can see!". How do you argue with that? So we didn't. I mean, Josh does see, just not the same way most of us do. When his sister Hannah would draw a picture, Josh would be the first one to put his face near it and say, "Wow Hannah that is great!" When Josh was 5, he put his face up to mine one evening at the dinner table. I said, "Um, Josh what are you doing?" to which he responded, "staring at you!" and he laughed. I couldn't believe that he had just made a joke like that! Then one day when I said out loud, "I am so tired", Josh responded with, "Mommy, you don't look tired to me." Josh even has a favorite color (silver) and yes, he does dream. As I have mentioned before there is the most special comment of all when he says, "Mommy you look so beautiful today!"
And so I try to explain the concepts and things that we take for granted. Try explaining the clouds, the moon, stars, or planets to a child who has never seen the sky. The other day we were watching TV and Josh asked me if Robin Meade was on (morning newscaster for CNN's sister network HLN) I told him that she wasn't there today and that someone else was doing it today. When he asked me who it was I told him her name and he said "How do you know?" to which I responded, "I can see her." He then said, "No you can't! The TV is not like a window that you can see through Mom!"
One of my favorites is when he will come into my room and say "Guess what I have in my hand?" and I will answer him, "It's a teddy bear". He becomes stunned and says, "how do you do that?!"
But the very best is when he will put one of his big playground balls under his shirt or stuff his pockets with his toys on the way out of the door to go to school and I will say, "you can not bring those with you." His response is always, "how did you know that was there? I thought I could sneak it by you!"
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