MOM

I WAS RT. ABOUT GETTING SICK—I WAS “OUT OF COMMISION” THE NEXT DAY. & AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, I THINK I’M BETTER, ONLY 2 HAVE THE FEVER RETURN & FEEL AWFUL. MY KIDS HAVE ALL HAD IT, & FELT BETTER & WENT 2 SCHOOL A FEW DAYS, ONLY TO GET ANOTHER FEVER & STAY HOME. THIS CYCLE LASTS ABOUT 2 WEEKS. I HIT 2 WEEKS ON WED. I’M EXPECTING 2+ WEEKS OF “FUN.” (IF U CAN’T TELL, I’M BEING SARCASTIC.)

I RECENTLY HAD A FRUSTRATING DAY. LUCKILY, I WAS REMINDED HOW MUCH I WAS LOVED BY MY GIRLS…TWICE, OUT OF NO WHERE, FIA JUST NEEDED HUGS FROM ME, & SEVERAL TIMES, SHE THOUGHT OF WAYS 2 JUST SIT IN MY LAP & CUDDLE. (IT OFTEN INVOLVES FOOD! SHE LOVES 2 EAT!) JESS LOVES 2 TELL ME STUFF, & BOTH GIRLS 2GETHER, MADE A “WE LOVE MOM” PIC & MOTHER’S DAY STUFF 4 ME. HOW AM I SO LUCKY? I CAN’T BE YOUR ” NORMAL MOM.” THERE’S TONS I CAN’T DO. BUT, APPARENTLY, WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT I WILL & CAN DO! (LIKE, AS I WROTE THIS POST, & DIDN’T WANT TO INTERRUPT MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, I SET IT ASIDE ANYWAY, 4 AN HOUR, 2 DEAL W/A SIBLING ARGUMENT! & WOULD U BELIEVE THAT THE DAY I WAS GETTING SICK, I PLAYED SOFTBALL W/JESS: SHE HIT & RETRIVED THE BALL, WHICH SHE PLACED IN MY LAP, & WE RAN THE BASES…MY GOAL WAS 2 TAG HER, B4 SHE MADE IT HOME.) WHAT WAS NEAT WAS THAT I COULD DO THIS, EVEN W/STARTING 2 FEEL SICK, & A HURT FOOT, THAT WOULD/VE MADE ME LIMP…BUT, IT WAS WARM OUTSIDE, & SINCE I EXPEND THE SAME ENERGY 2 SIT IN MY W/C INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE WHERE I WAS ROLLING!

IN THE FOREIGN FILM, “THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY” (ABOUT A MAN WHO WAS LOCKED-IN, & I DON’T NECESSARILY RECOMMEND IT, AS SOME1 WHO’S SUPER MODEST & THERE IS NUDITY 3X’S, UNESSECERILY, I THINK, BUT IT WAS “CENSORED” 4 ME, SO I KNEW WHEN 2 CLOSE MY EYES & WAS DUBBED IN ENGLISH, SINCE I CAN’T READ SUBTITLES), HE MENTIONS HOW THOUGH HE HAD LOST THE RIGHT 2 TOUSSLE HIS KIDS’ HAIR & SUCH, THE KIDS WERE HAPPY 2 HAVE ANY INKLING THAT THEIR PARENT WAS THERE. HOW TRUE THAT IS…WHEN EVERYTHING IS TAKEN AWAY, KIDS R JUST SATISFIED 2 BE W/U, SPENDING TIME W/THEM!

BAGEL

THERE IS AN ILLNESS THAT’S CIRCULATED MY ENTIRE FAMILY. I FEEL IT STARTING. IF I CAN FORCE MYSELF 2 REST, I MAY BEAT IT, BUT IT’S SO UNLIKE ME 2 REST! SO, I’M DETERMINED 2 POST B4 IT HITS!

NOTHING HAS REALLY SEEMED SIGNIFICANT 2 POST, BUT MAYBE U’D FIND INTEREST THAT ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I HAD MY 1ST BAGEL, IN 4 YEARS! &, EVEN BETTER, AFTER THE INTIAL TASTE, I FED IT 2 MYSELF (THE CREAM CHEESE IS IN A ROLLED-UP BAGEL, SO IT IS MESS-FREE).

FEEDING MYSELF IS NOTHING NEW: I DID IT AWHILE BACK…BUT I HATED IT—MORE FOOD WAS ON ME, THAN IN ME. THE WRIST STRENGTH & CORDINATION R , SO NOW, I LOVE FEEDING MYSELF!

HAD A BAGEL AGAIN 2DAY, BUT I GET WEAK WHEN I DON’T FEEL GREAT, SO IT WAS SOOO HARD 2 EVEN LIFT MY WRIST!

DINNER

JUST A NOTE, BECCAUSE I DID 1 OF THE COOLEST THINGS EVER, ON WED. NIGHT—USING MY ARM SUPPORT & FINGER FOODS FROM ARBY'S, I FED MYSELF DINNER! BUT WAIT! THAT'S NOT ALL! I DRANK WATER 2, USING MY NEW CUP W/A STRAW! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?

GRANTED, I HAVEN'T MASTERED THE STRAW, & CAN CHOLE IF I GET A BIG GULP, ESP. SINCE I TILT MY CHAIR, ESP. 4 FLUIDS, BUT HEY, IT'S A START!

SO EXCITED!

TALKING

IT IS SAID, U USE 10% OF YOUR BRAIN. MOST OF THAT 10% IS DEAD, IN MY BRAIN. SO, I'M JUST "RE-WIRING" THE 90% THAT'S UNUSED. THAT TAKES AWHILE, BUT THERE'S HOPE I CAN LEARN.

SO, SHOULD IT COME AS A SURPRISE, THAT THE KIDS RECENTLY EXCLAIMED, "SHE'S LIKE A BABY! (I WONDERED HOW THEY WERE JUST REALIZING THIS!) SHE'S LEARNING 2 TALK AGAIN!"

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I SAW MY BRO. AT MY PARENTS. AS I PASSED HIM, I THOUGHT "HI," & “HI” JUST POPPED OUT. MY DAD HEARD, & HE & MY BRO. WERE THRILLED.

LUCKILY, IT WAS A GOOD SPEAKING NIGHT, SO I COULD FILL REQUESTS 2 REPEAT "HI" & SAY BYE (ALTHOUGH, I'VE HEARD ME SAY "BYE" BETTER B4).

THEN, MORE RECENTLY, JESS ASKED IF APRIL WAS SPELLED W/1 OR 2 L'S—WITHOUT ANY HESITATION, I ANSWERED W/A VERY CLEAR "ONE." JESS WAS SHOCKED. I WAS SHOCKED SHE UNDERSTOOD ME! I OFTEN RESPOND W/O THINKING (THINGS LIKE "THANK U," "FIA," "YES," "NO," "I LOVE U"), BUT AM RARELY UNDERSTOOD, EXCEPT, SOMETIMES BY MK. (THE FAMILY ACTUALLY MOCK HOW I SAY "I O U." I LOVE 2 BE TOLD, "I O U 2!")

SO, JESS REQUESTED I SAY "ONE" AGAIN. IT WAS TWICE AS HARD, & DEFINITELY LESS RECOGNIZABLE WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT SAYING THE WORD—SO, I TRIED AGAIN. STILL NOT AS GOOD, BUT BETTER ENOUGH 2 SATISFY HER.