weaning

We are weaning Jonathan.  OK, since he's ten, that requires some explanation.  Jonathan has been on 2 seizure meds for a number of years:  a liquid, and a pill that we crush into the liquid.  He's been taking them both twice a day for a long time.  But now that he has gone 3 years without any seizures or related symptoms (YAY!!!), the pediatric neurologist is gradually weaning him off the pill that he's been taking.  So instead of one pill twice a day he is taking half a pill once a day; and when we see her next week she will likely stop that one altogether.

We never noticed any particular side effects to either of the drugs Jonathan's been taking, but since he's going off the one drug, his behaviour is definitely changing:  he is a LOT more hyper.  Jonathan has always been very social but now he yells at, and often runs after, people going by on bicycles; he calls out to people walking past even if they are a block away; he goes up to people at church (not just those he knows), taps them on the arm and says hi.  It's a little disconcerting -- it's also worrisome because chasing strangers can be dangerous for him and them, not to mention being socially inappropriate.  (It might be kind of cute when he's ten, but not when he's fifteen or twenty!).  I said to someone that when I walk to or from school with Jonathan I do "interval training":  I walk very slowly while he stops to look at garbage trucks or laundry hanging on clotheslines ... then I sprint to catch up with him when he decides to run after someone.  Again, this is one thing when he's ten, but before long I won't be able to catch him.

So we're dealing with a whole new phase here.  It just seems that when one thing improves, something else crops up that we have to deal with.  We're hoping that the doctor will have some insight into this; we're also hoping that when the medication is completely out of Jonathan's system, he'll "normalize" somewhat.  But for Jonathan, what's normal exactly?  There's a lot to figure out.

hide and seek

This morning I left home at 7:20 to walk to the church for worship team practice.  It was very quiet:  only the occasional dog-walker or jogger was out at that time.  As I walked past what looked like a typical student house on Johnson Street, I heard this small bumping sound.  I looked, and there, in between the curtain and the window of the house, was a tiny girl -- probably under two years old, gently patting the windowpane.  I stopped and looked at her; she saw me, her face lit up with a smile of delight, and she waved.  I waved back and went on my way.

This brief moment of sweetness stayed with me throughout the day.  There was something almost magical about seeing this little person playing happily in an in-between space:  not quite inside and not quite outside either.  I wondered if maybe she was having a game of hide-and-seek with her parents, or if she was just up early because of the time change and had found this secret place to play.  I'll probably never know, and I may never see her again either, at least not in such a unique way.  But it was a precious shared moment that brought us both joy.

"Pageboys and Princes": guest post for Tim Fall

Today I have the honour of being a guest  at the blog of Tim Fall, a California judge who blogs with a lot of wit and wisdom about the Christian life and life in general. I've been following his blog for awhile and when I commented on a recent post of his, he asked me to write something; here's the result.

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When I was young I used to read a comic strip called “Prince Valiant.” I don’t remember any of the story line now, but I thought the Prince was very attractive with his pageboy haircut. I also liked his name: while for boys of my era “Valiant” probably meant a car, I liked the connotations of bravery, sacrifice, and fortitude...

Continue reading at Tim's Blog. Feel free to check it out -- and stay to read Tim's other posts too. They're really good!

a few pictures

I haven't posted too much lately; sorry about that (for all two of you out there reading, ha ha).  Here are a few recent pictures:

 Jonathan doing "yellow-blue-red" at Centennial Public School.  This activity never loses its charm for him; I wonder if it ever will!

 Suzie Allison works at Extend-a-Family summer camp and has been one of Jonathan's best buddies there.  Today was a P.A. day so Suzie came by for a visit that included some hot chocolate, some jigsaw puzzles, and even a little "yellow-blue-red." 

Jonathan made this tree craft at school.  I like the way the leaves are "blowing" around.

double-digit dude

Our big little boy is ten years old today.  Every day he wakes up with a smile and with enthusiastic anticipation of his favourite things:  jigsaw puzzles, Blue's Clues and Mr. Dressup dvd's, "yellow-blue-red" (see photo).  He knows how to take pleasure in the simple things of life.  Happy Birthday, Jonathan!  xoxo