It was bedtime and the house was finally settling down for the night.
Most of the kids were in bed, and Chance had just put his implants away and was walking down the hall to his bedroom.
Chance's dad and I had a movie cued up and were just getting ready to settle in for some relaxation when we heard it.
A phone, somewhere in the house had suddenly gone off the hook.
We have five headsets and they are flat like remotes so they easily slide under things or inbetween coushions and get misplaced.
We set out to find the offending phone wondering all the while why in the world a phone was suddenly going off in our moment of peace and quiet.
Thankfully it was quiet or we might never have found the phone.
Chance's dad and I searched our chairs, standing up and doing that little swivel dance you do when you are looking for an item that could possibly be laying where you were just sitting.
No, it was not in the nooks and crannies of our chairs, it was down the hall somewhere.
Why? Did one of our children suddenly get the urge to call someone at 11:00?
Chance's dad wandered around and found the phone laying on the floor in the middle of the hall. Isn't that where everyone keeps their phone?
Chance had passed the phone, flipped it on by bumping it, and then continued on his way in his quiet, restful, minus implants world.
Obviously, Chance gets to dictate when his quiet time begins at night. That is quite a skill.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Chance's Superpower
Chance's deafness has proven to be a major benefit to his older brother this summer. No, Chance doesn't get special privileges at the water park or get free stuff at the amusement park.
What Chance brings to the table is much more valuable than that........Chance can read girls' lips. When they are out of the range of hearing for mere mortal boys, Chance has the ability to discern what passes between a girl and her friend if he can see their mouths.
It's almost like having a super power.
Chance and his brother saw a girl that his brother knows while coming out of the temple. She was going in as they were coming out. They exchanged greetings and Chance turned to look back as the girls went in and although she whispered it to her friend, Chance saw her say, "I like him."
Chance then turned to his brother and told him,"She told her friend that she likes you." Chance's brother thinks she is pretty attractive so this was welcome news.
So now we know what Chance's super power is. And his older brother has been made aware of a girl that likes him.
What Chance brings to the table is much more valuable than that........Chance can read girls' lips. When they are out of the range of hearing for mere mortal boys, Chance has the ability to discern what passes between a girl and her friend if he can see their mouths.
Chance and his brother saw a girl that his brother knows while coming out of the temple. She was going in as they were coming out. They exchanged greetings and Chance turned to look back as the girls went in and although she whispered it to her friend, Chance saw her say, "I like him."
Chance then turned to his brother and told him,"She told her friend that she likes you." Chance's brother thinks she is pretty attractive so this was welcome news.
So now we know what Chance's super power is. And his older brother has been made aware of a girl that likes him.
Sunday, August 04, 2013
Chance goes to scout camp
Chance left for a week long scout camp today. Scout camp is a great place for boys to spend time in nature, earn some merit badges and take a break from regular dental care.
I am so happy for him and know that he will create some great memories with friends like in years past. Who knows what may happen this year. Will Chance be outed again around the campfire and have the girl he has a crush on announced to all of the other boys by a friend? Will Chance stay upright and avoid passing out like last year? Who knows what can happen......a week sleeping in tents in the wild can create all kinds of unique opportunities.
I will miss Chance while he is gone. He is a bright spot in our home. But I love the scouting program and am glad that my boys get to participate in such an active troop. The leaders are amazing and are so dedicated.
I secretly packed a package of Oreos that Chance should find part way through the week as he digs deeper into his duffle back to retrieve such necessities as bug spray, mess kits and hopefully a toothbrush. (The boys have told me how some scouts ease up on their brushing hygiene at scout camp).
Chance even packed dental floss. All by himself. I am not under the delusion that the floss will be used every night, but I think brushing is a truly humane thing to do when you are sharing close quarters with a bunch of other people. I don't even want to know what morning breath is like when you haven't brushed for 4 days. Ick!
Chance has worked hard mowing and trimming lawns to pay for camp these last several weeks. He even has some spending money for the camp store.
When I was sneaking in the Oreos, I noticed that Chance packed a roll of toilet paper, paper and pencils to write with and the old towel I told him to take. Last time he took one of my good WHITE towels. I don't think it will ever recover.
Chance is in his back-up implants. They are the Freedom version. He put them on last night to make sure they were working well and had charged batteries for today. Chance noticed a difference between the way he hears in his old implants verses his new ones. He likes the new ones more. So do we. That is why he is out in the wilds in his old ones:)
A week later........
Chance had a great time at scout camp. We went up on the last night for the parents' night program. Chance brushed 3 times (4 once we got there and I asked about it). That number is really good considering that I took an informal poll at camp and found that many of the boys had brushed once...or not at all.
Chance is one step ahead of the game.
Chance shot arrows, and participated in the adult iron man relay. He swam against leaders and staff and did really well. I wonder how many of the leaders have been swimming every day for an hour and a half all summer.
Chance also drank lots and lots of huckleberry pop from the store at camp. It is good but VERY sweet. It is a good thing he brushed more than the average camper.
Chance did not pass out at camp this year. But he did get dehydrated. He lay down for a few hours in the tent after drinking water. His dad went up to be a leader for a few days and said Chance did not feel well and just did not look right the afternoon he slept. We have to convince that boy to drink more water when he is out in the wilds.
Some of Chance's fellow scouters lamented that they wished they had the ability to go into the tent and not hear anything. Ah, a bonus of being deaf.
Chance also did his wilderness overnight camp. Chance went up to a clearing, made a shelter from objects he found there, and then spent the night. I was wondering exactly how long it would take Chance to wake up in the morning and return back to camp since he would not hear the noises of morning. He also would not hear the things that go bump in the night up in the woods. Not hearing may have made sleeping in the wilderness in your handmade shelter a little easier. Just a blissful sleep full of woodland smells minus the animal noises and snapping twigs that go bump in the night. According to his scout leader, he came back about the same time as the other wilderness campers too.
That is good. I imagined Chance tired from his week of outdoor living sleeping in until the sun shone in his eyes or the morning was steadily heading to afternoon.
Chance came home tired, and full of stories to tell. He fell asleep the day he got home in his dad's chair just before his brother and some friends headed out to watch a backyard movie when it got good and dark. Chance missed the movie. He was kind of upset at me for not waking him up so he could participate in the festivities, but sometimes it is best for 13 boys who just returned from a week of scout camp to go to bed early and get some sleep.
Even if they want to party on.
I am so happy for him and know that he will create some great memories with friends like in years past. Who knows what may happen this year. Will Chance be outed again around the campfire and have the girl he has a crush on announced to all of the other boys by a friend? Will Chance stay upright and avoid passing out like last year? Who knows what can happen......a week sleeping in tents in the wild can create all kinds of unique opportunities.
I will miss Chance while he is gone. He is a bright spot in our home. But I love the scouting program and am glad that my boys get to participate in such an active troop. The leaders are amazing and are so dedicated.
I secretly packed a package of Oreos that Chance should find part way through the week as he digs deeper into his duffle back to retrieve such necessities as bug spray, mess kits and hopefully a toothbrush. (The boys have told me how some scouts ease up on their brushing hygiene at scout camp).
Chance even packed dental floss. All by himself. I am not under the delusion that the floss will be used every night, but I think brushing is a truly humane thing to do when you are sharing close quarters with a bunch of other people. I don't even want to know what morning breath is like when you haven't brushed for 4 days. Ick!
Chance has worked hard mowing and trimming lawns to pay for camp these last several weeks. He even has some spending money for the camp store.
When I was sneaking in the Oreos, I noticed that Chance packed a roll of toilet paper, paper and pencils to write with and the old towel I told him to take. Last time he took one of my good WHITE towels. I don't think it will ever recover.
Chance is in his back-up implants. They are the Freedom version. He put them on last night to make sure they were working well and had charged batteries for today. Chance noticed a difference between the way he hears in his old implants verses his new ones. He likes the new ones more. So do we. That is why he is out in the wilds in his old ones:)
A week later........
Chance had a great time at scout camp. We went up on the last night for the parents' night program. Chance brushed 3 times (4 once we got there and I asked about it). That number is really good considering that I took an informal poll at camp and found that many of the boys had brushed once...or not at all.
Chance is one step ahead of the game.
Chance shot arrows, and participated in the adult iron man relay. He swam against leaders and staff and did really well. I wonder how many of the leaders have been swimming every day for an hour and a half all summer.
Chance also drank lots and lots of huckleberry pop from the store at camp. It is good but VERY sweet. It is a good thing he brushed more than the average camper.
Chance did not pass out at camp this year. But he did get dehydrated. He lay down for a few hours in the tent after drinking water. His dad went up to be a leader for a few days and said Chance did not feel well and just did not look right the afternoon he slept. We have to convince that boy to drink more water when he is out in the wilds.
Some of Chance's fellow scouters lamented that they wished they had the ability to go into the tent and not hear anything. Ah, a bonus of being deaf.
Chance also did his wilderness overnight camp. Chance went up to a clearing, made a shelter from objects he found there, and then spent the night. I was wondering exactly how long it would take Chance to wake up in the morning and return back to camp since he would not hear the noises of morning. He also would not hear the things that go bump in the night up in the woods. Not hearing may have made sleeping in the wilderness in your handmade shelter a little easier. Just a blissful sleep full of woodland smells minus the animal noises and snapping twigs that go bump in the night. According to his scout leader, he came back about the same time as the other wilderness campers too.
That is good. I imagined Chance tired from his week of outdoor living sleeping in until the sun shone in his eyes or the morning was steadily heading to afternoon.Chance came home tired, and full of stories to tell. He fell asleep the day he got home in his dad's chair just before his brother and some friends headed out to watch a backyard movie when it got good and dark. Chance missed the movie. He was kind of upset at me for not waking him up so he could participate in the festivities, but sometimes it is best for 13 boys who just returned from a week of scout camp to go to bed early and get some sleep.
Even if they want to party on.
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