Visitors

My parents try to take an extended vacation every fall if we are able to hours covered for assistance. Thankfully, everything worked out and they left last Wednesday for a ten-day trip. That meant the house was all to myself and had an extra bedroom. Therefore, my BFF came over with his son for a few days to visit.

John just moved back to the Midwest after living near Washington D.C. for several years. We've talked many times via webcam and messages, but it has been about six years since we've seen each other in person. This was also the first time I met John's two-year-old son, TJ, in person.

I have been around kids for extended periods at camp, but not as young as TJ. It was a fun experience getting to have him around for a few days. He didn't seem to be too scared about my chair, mouth stick, or me doing things while in bed. Other kids that have met me are usually a little unsure at first, but that wasn't the case for TJ.

He wondered around without batting an eye at my chair and chatted with me just like everyone else (my caregivers) that was around. Our group strolled down the street Friday afternoon to the park to play for a while. TJ easily rode on my lap the few blocks home and almost fell asleep before we arrived.

After TJ was in bed for the night, John and I stayed up and just talked about various topics and got caught up. After staying up to 12:30 A.M. two nights in a row, we hadn't solved all the worlds problems, but it was great having him to talk with again in person.

The visitors had plans at home Saturday evening, so they left about mid-morning after a four-day stay. With them living closer again, I hope to make it at least an annual event, but we'll see what God's plans are for that. As TJ gets older, I could see trips getting both easier and harder.

This week in the quad life has been great for looking back at times past and possible future activities. We'll see what comes after a week of having the house to myself.