Our Life is No Different Than Yours
Our life is no different than yours. Not really.
I have three boys. One is 8. He doesn’t say much. But he’s always listening. He hears everything.
One is six. He never stops talking. He seems to never be listening. Not ever.
And the baby, well, he never stops moving. He really loves kids. And fly swatters. And crackers.
Our house is loud. And so cluttered. Our toilets all need to be scrubbed.
Every counter seems to be sticky. We can’t keep up with the dishes.
We start the dryer again over actually putting the clothes away.
My husband lectures me about how I load the dishwasher. And I secretly wonder why I would marry someone who cares about the organization of bowls in a dishwasher.
There are always friends over. So many kids. We love it. Constant, nonstop chaos in here.
Hockey sticks, nerf guns, and wrestling sure can be loud.
Add in train whistles, humming, laughter and crying and well, it’s a real party.
Everyone is always hungry. Especially 3 minutes after eating.
And thirsty too. They use a zillion cups a day. Why does no one keep track of their cups?
I find wrappers hidden in the couch. And Capri Sun straws under chairs. And one sock. Always one sock. Where do the socks go?
I find the 8 year olds treasures everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Right now his favorites are post cards with animals on them, construction paper, train magazines and photos of babies and strangers who are on vacation.
This morning I found 12 photos from what I am guessing is The Grand Ole Opry. We’ve never been there before. I didn’t recognize a face in the photos. So that was weird. Sorry person that my son stole your photos…
For dinner we had steak. Two of them had pancakes. The third had lasagna. The 8 year old nonverbally negotiated a doughnut after. The other two snuck in the basement for ice cream.
Right now two are watching a movie about Santa Clause and talking about their Christmas lists.
The 8 year old is watching Elmo and organizing his treasures. He doesn’t seem to want anything specific for Christmas. He’s just happy to be included.
And the baby is dancing to the music on the tv. Two of the boys are doting in him. Teaching him funny things.
I’ve said ‘turn it down’ no less than 100 times today. Sometimes my husband and I are certain that sound is going to drive us mad. And after these little monsters go to bed we typically sit in silence for at least 15 minutes until one of us says…’should we watch something on tv?’
My husband and I are thinking about wine. And negotiating who gets to sleep in tomorrow. So far I am winning.
This is our Friday night.
I used to wonder what a nonverbal life looked like. I wanted a crystal ball because I couldn’t picture it. I couldn’t imagine a child who didn’t speak or play.
I guess because I didn’t know any. And honestly, I was scared. What would it be like?
Well, here we are. I’m guessing every house in the neighborhood looks the same way right now.
Our world isn’t sad. Or scary. There is no difference between any of the kids. They are all just kids. Doing what they like to do.
One just happened to say his first word at almost 9 years old. It may not sound like a word to people outside of our world but to us, it’s perfect.
He’s pretty amazing if you ask me.
I don’t know what age 16, or 25 or 49 look like. I can’t imagine it yet. I can’t see it. But if this is any indication, it seems pretty normal to me.
It seems pretty great really.
Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
