Two months ago, Josiah entered the hospital wearing size 12 shorts.  He had a couple of size 10’s that fit him also.  Yesterday, I noticed the shorts he had on when I arrived were zipped, but the snap at his waist was unsnapped.  He tummy was just too pudgy for it to close.

I took them off and put a larger size on him, a pair with an adjustable elastic waist band hidden inside. (Who ever came up with that ingenious idea is my hero.  We get so many more months of wear with just the simple addition of a piece of elastic and a couple of buttons sewn in.  Fabulous!) They didn’t fit him either.   Read more…

On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description.

Starting today, I’m joining in on the fun.  But, since I chose to preface my picture my explaining Wordless Wednesday, I guess this first one will be Wordy Wednesday. Only this time.  From here on out, Wednesdays will be wordless.  Maybe.  You never can tell with me.

Miles and miles and miles I go, not too fast, but not too slow. To see my boy so far away, each and every single day. And on that drive I sing a song to make the trip seem not so long. Sometimes I dance there in my seat, I wave my hands, I tap my feet.

When other cars go whizzing by, I stop my dance, at least I try. What would they think to see my show? Quite frankly I don’t need to know. And so I pause to look the part; a focused driver, alert and smart.  Today I think, what else is there, to pass the time from home to here?

Learn something new? A book on tape? Flex some muscles? Get in shape?  Text a friend?  Say a prayer? Daydream about a hammock chair? Plan a meal?  Plan a cake? Use cruise control for goodness sake. Call my sister?  Call my mother? Call my daughter?  Call my brother?

Think about the things to do, when I get home at half past 2?  Listen to a speaker speak?  Drink some Spark if I feel weak? Wipe the dashboard with a tissue? Dwell upon a family issue? Charge my phone? Scratch my head? Contemplate a book I’ve read?

Pass the cars in the fastest lane?  Honk my horn?  Be a pain? Take a short cut?  Stop to shop? Hail a Taxi? Race a cop?  Praise God for great Houston weather? Stop this nonsense altogether?

An hour there, an hour back, maybe I should grab a snack? Now don’t you laugh, this much is true. I’ve thought it over through and through.  So many options for which to strive.  The best one yet?  I should just DRIVE.

Today was my scheduled surgery day.  In April I had a total knee replacement of my left knee. This morning I had planned to have my right knee replaced.  Obviously, that didn’t happen. When Josiah was admitted to the hospital for a long term stay, it just made sense to postpone it. There is no way I would be able to visit him every day while recovering. There is no way I’d be able to mess with his ‘perfect’ little world while he’s in the hospital, if I were laid up in bed, popping Vicodin.

Messing with his perfect little world is exactly what I’ve been doing lately. Every day I drive nearly an hour to see my boy. Every day I bring something different with me; more clothes, a new balloon, some additional snacks. Today I brought a very detailed schedule.

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Yesterday was the 6th annual Buddy Walk for our local Down Syndrome group.  Perfect weather, great turnout, fantastic fundraiser.  Just one problem, our buddy wasn’t there.  While Rick and I donned matching T-shirts and took a leisurely stroll around the park with all the other teams, Josiah’s Joyful Jumpers were not so joyfully missing their favorite jumper.

Josiah has been in the hospital 5 weeks already.  I just learned they intend to keep him for 3-4 weeks more. He went in 3 days after school started and may not be home until Halloween. When you think of it like that, it really puts things into perspective. That’s a LONG time. It’s so incredibly hard to have him so far away from home. I do not like this one little bit.

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