Just Another Wednesday

It's story time! And when I say story, I'm not talking a fictional episode. I'm talking a real-life, Ted-venture. (That's our word for adventures with Ted, which is used frequently in our house, mostly to talk about community outings.) It's a bit long, so get comfy and settle in.

I will preface this story with my appreciation that folks were all acting with Teddy's best interests and safety in mind, and I very much appreciate that. I will also add that I thought the best Teddy story I'd have this week was the fact that he disappeared at his friend's house and was found in the bathtub fully clothed with the water running, but it's not. 

This story starts with me attending a quarterly board meeting for my non-profit organization, with me as the official recordkeeper. In case it's not clear, to take accurate minutes for a meeting, it's important to be in the meeting. Ten minutes into this meeting, I notice "Bus Company" calling me. 

That is not a call I can miss, so I step out to take the call. In talking with dispatch, I hear that no one is at our home. So, they are calling to check if Teddy can be left alone. If you're brand new here, you might not realize the answer to this question is either uncontrollable laughter or something that sounds a lot like "Duck no!" I opt for the more professional route, tell them he absolutely cannot be left on his own and that I need a few minutes to figure out why his childcare provider isn't there. 

I immediately call Dave and ask him to head home immediately because he's only 30 minutes away. I then call the supervisor for our brand new ABA provider who started the week prior. Thankfully she answers. I share that no one is at our home, which is confusing to her because she had just texted Teddy's staff member who was supposed to be at our house. She said she'd try to call the staff member and get back to me. She called back after not being able to reach the staff member and said she'd head right to our house to get Teddy off the bus in about 10 minutes. 

While I'm talking to her, the bus dispatcher calls me back again to report that AJ has arrived home. He asked whether Teddy could be left with the 13-year-old brother. My answer was unfortunately not but that we had another adult human who would be there in 10 minutes. He acknowledged this.

I returned to my meeting because it's impossible to take minutes when you're not there, knowing that I had a solution arriving in 10 minutes. When AJ text me while I was in my meeting, something about an authorized adult, I told him Dave was on his way home. I also missed a call from our next-door neighbor but wasn't about to miss more of the meeting when I had everything as fixed as possible.

And ... pause. Now that you've heard my version of events, let's transition to what really transpired in our cul de sac (as best as we can determine). 

Teddy's new ABA therapist arrived at our house and was present when Teddy's bus arrived. There was a brief exchange during which she confirmed she was Teddy's service provider. (For context, she was with me last week when Teddy got off the bus, and Teddy promptly grabbed her and pulled her into the house.) Teddy's bus driver would not release Teddy to her care as she wasn't Teddy's parent.

When AJ's bus arrived, and I didn't authorize for AJ to be responsible for Teddy, they moved Teddy to AJ's bus. This was because AJ was the last kid on his route, while Teddy's bus still had a handful of kids to return to their homes. (Keep in mind, my calls with dispatch never mentioned the fact that our childcare provider was there, that there was an adult present, etc. The calls simply were asking if Teddy could be left alone or in the care of his brother.)

So, now both Teddy and AJ are stuck on AJ's bus, which is sitting in the end of our cul de sac. We have Teddy's ABA therapist waiting, and then her supervisor arrives. The person we're paying to support Teddy is in our driveway/road while Teddy is stuck on a bus. I will say, though, that if you're going to make Teddy wait anywhere, a bus with his friends and then an empty giant bus are the absolute best places to make him wait. 

Just a boy who loves buses.

About 30 minutes after I got the first call asking if Teddy could be left alone, Dave arrives home. He's obviously focused on getting in the house, getting debrief, etc. So while he notices the 2 cars for the caregivers and obviously the bus, he simply wonders what happened to the bus that it broke down and was stuck in front of the neighbor's driveway. He heads into the house and is puzzled to find an empty house ... until both kids are released and head inside followed by the 2 caregivers.

And, that my friends, is apparently just another Wednesday night in our household. 

Oh, epilogue: After talking with the bus company this morning, there is absolutely no policy or list of approved or authorized people. They only need an adult visible in the window at the home to make sure the kid is not left alone for young kids or those with disabilities. We did confirm that any adult who is in our driveway there, stating they're there for Teddy, is able to take Teddy. 

Don't worry ... I'm sure that will lead to the next saga being the story of the time Teddy decided to work for UPS or Amazon.

Teddy goes to Camp

Yep, you read that correctly. And if you've ever watched the movie Ernest Goes to Camp, I'm pretty sure there were just as many adventures, just different kinds. We can only imagine how the week went exactly because we dropped him off Sunday afternoon ... heard nothing all week ... and picked him up this morning. 

No news is good news when your child is at camp, though it leaves quite a bit to the imagination. But we felt as comfortable as possible in leaving our non-speaking, adventurous, thrill-seeking child who likes to test boundaries and explore without limitations who takes a whole regimen of medications (mostly for seizures and sleep challenges) could be. 

Seriously, this camp through Easter Seals is specifically designed for campers (both kids and adults) with disabilities to enjoy a full camp experience tailored to their needs. The application for camp was incredibly thorough, and then there were countless forms to complete after he was accepted to camp. We even had to do temp checks the week prior to camp in an effort to prevent any illnesses from coming into camp. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a flurry of smiling staff and had the 3 counselors assigned to Teddy come greet us and walk us through the check-in process. (He wasn't staffed 3:1, but he got their full attention until another one of their campers arrived. There were 3 counselors assigned to Teddy and 2 other boys, so he had plenty of support and supervision.) Check in included another temp check and quick medical screening, meeting with counselors, spending time with an on-site nurse to review his medications and medical needs one more time and then finally hauling his gear to his cabin. Oh, and I signed a waiver to allow him to do a ropes course ... just in case. (Turns out he just wanted to watch the others and didn't want to join in the fun.)

Teddy was teaching his counselor how to play piano during check in.

And because we weren't sure what to expect, we brought all the gear. Loads of diapers (apparently 2 more packages than needed), extra clothes, his chair in case they needed to travel long distances or go for late-night walks to calm down for bed and 2 bean bags just in case they were needed as landing pads for his bed. We were told upon arrival that they could place his mattress on the floor as well. We lost one of his crocs on the way to unload his belongings, but someone found it before we left, so all was well.

(Fun fact: When we picked him up today, he was missing 2 chewy necklaces and a chewy toy. But he inherited a fake plastic mustache (weird!), a pair of shorts 2 sizes 2 small and a pair of socks. I can only imagine trying to keep everything straight when the campers can't do it themselves or voice whose belongings are theirs, even with everything labeled! Heck, I know what it's like with lost and found at a traditional camp!)

Before we left, the camp director came to us and said, "I know I've only known Teddy 10 minutes, but I already love him! He's so much fun!" And then she proceeded to show us a selfie of them. We heard pretty much the same report when we picked him up today, hearing about his smiles, giggles and his ticklish nature. 

While it was weird to have Teddy at camp, we tried to make the most of it with a few meals out, a couple nights camping, some hiking and biking, a waterpark visit and time at our land relaxing, reading and working on projects. AJ commented on how weird we were (especially me), but I told him this was simply us less stressed. It was such a wonderful week for us with memories made. 

We hiked to Devil's Door at Devil's Lake, definitely not a Teddy-friendly hike!

As for Teddy, we won't know the full extent of his adventures. But I know he had so much fun and was so tired from his adventures each day that sleep wasn't an issue! He got to go swimming, play on playgrounds, eat s'mores, dance party fun and field trips that included tractor/wagon rides. His counselor said he had a great week, and the camp director showed us a bike that he commandeered (that she has no clue how it got on camp grounds) and had a blast riding. 

We're all so glad for this experience and looking forward to next year! (Even if it was a really rough return home because he's extra tired, and we're all feeling all the emotions of coming back from camp ... it's just so much fun it's hard to leave and adjust to real life again.)

Respite

Last week we had the opportunity to enjoy a bit of respite in the form of a backpacking trip with only AJ for a couple days to Pictured Rocks in Michigan. This trip is an annual tradition for us, with this being the 6th time we've went in the past 7 years (darn you COVID in 2020!). 

It's incredible to watch AJ transform on these short trips as we all truly relax and enjoy life without the daily stress and challenges that come with living with Teddy. A highlight this year was watching AJ create a lounge chair out of sandstone slabs propped in the middle of the river. He spent probably close to 2 hours creating this masterpiece and relaxing in it, knowing there would be no guarantee the waters wouldn't claim it overnight. (It did survive until morning, so he got one more relaxation break there!)

Hiking and camping are my happy places. We have so many family memories that I cherish, but hiking and camping are difficult to near impossible with Teddy through the years. That's why this trip is so incredibly special because we get to do things we love without being fully responsible for care 24/7. 

We're grateful for our village, particularly our one sitter who has spent lots of quality time with Teddy including mornings far earlier than she enjoys, to make this respite possible.

I can't help but share some of my favorite photos from the trip. And we're already looking forward to next year!

All set to hike in to our campsite!

I'm not sure how many more years we can all squeeze in one hammock.

AJ is relaxing in his chair.

We hiked to Spray Falls with AJ, first time since he was 11 months old!

This is my happy place.

Simple Joys: Bus Rides

 One of Teddy’s favorite things in the whole wide world is busses. (Other favorite things include tractors and water slides.) Earlier this year he won a free bus ride pass, which might seem like an odd prize for a 9-year-old like Teddy, but it was a great opportunity for a fun adventure this summer. His sitter took him to the bus station, and they simply picked a bus to ride for the entire route. He was so excited to actually get to ride the bus. I say that because he’s excited to simply see a bus and watch them at the bus station.

Teddy invited (directed) Sigrid where to sit.

They rode the entire route, and then they switched buses for another loop. Although Teddy is usually a constant bundle of energy and motion, he was content to stay in his seat the entire ride. He did check out other seats when the bus stopped, but he always went back to “his” seat for the ride.

They both had a great time exploring together!

It was such a simple, fun adventure that he got a bus pass for his birthday. His grandma has already taken him on several rides, and he is just as excited each time. He doesn’t need a destination, just to ride a bus.

Teddy was in his happy place.