I tried to spend at least a few minutes - several times a day - with my Uncle Dan. I struggled emotionally, but I'm glad I could be there. It was very difficult for me to see him laying in bed, unable to speak clearly or move freely. A prisoner of his own body, Uncle Dan still managed to smile & laugh over random things. True to his usual nature, his glass was half-full - even with one foot placed firmly at the gates of heaven.
During my final visit with him I had so many things that I wanted to say to him - so much more than the simple "i love you" I left him with - but the words escaped my mind & my emotions took over.
The pain I felt - as I walked out of his room knowing that I'd never see him again - was raw. It still is.
We arrived back home with an extra kid (my nephew Elijah) on Sunday morning. Elijah is spending the week with us & then we're going to spend a few days in Cambridge, VT (at my sisters) next week.
The kids are enjoying having their cousin here to play with. They spend hours playing games & swimming! It's especially nice to see
Kyle out of his room & away from his phone & music!
Speaking of his phone...
Kyle doesn't have actual phone service. We gave him one of our old phones which enables him to use the internet & text messaging. In the beginning he was only using the phone to listen to music via Pandora & YouTube but it didn't take long for him to discover that he could watch videos & play games on the phone, too. When he wanted to use the phone for those things he knew he needed to ask permission first - & for a long while he did - but then he became a teenager...
Before his week at Boy Scout camp he was playing around on his phone way too much. I was constantly having to tell him to get off of his phone & go outside & play. He had zero motivation to do anything more than just sit in his room, listen to music & play on his phone.
After camp (no phones allowed there, yay!) he fell right back into his usual routine - spending 95% of his day up in his room.
Since our trip to Vermont he hasn't been able to use his phone or spend multiple hours per day up in his room - which is awesome - especially because just recently I've been noticing him using poor language - which I feel is a direct result of him being on the internet. He doesn't even realize what he's saying until I point it out & tell him not to say specific words/phrases. Last night he was joking around with his cousin when I heard him say "This sucks balls, dog!". Say WHAT?! And so that was the moment in which I realized that a significant change needs to take place..because CLEARLY Kyle heard that phrase from the internet!!
When we return from our next trip I'm going to take away the phone - very cut & dry. He will be allowed to listen to music in his room via the radio but if he wants to use the internet his time will be limited AND monitored. I'm no longer going to allow him to sit in his room, by himself, playing with the phone for hours on end. Electronics - of all kinds - are influential & addictive.
We arrived back home with an extra kid (my nephew Elijah) on Sunday morning. Elijah is spending the week with us & then we're going to spend a few days in Cambridge, VT (at my sisters) next week.
The kids are enjoying having their cousin here to play with. They spend hours playing games & swimming! It's especially nice to see
Kyle out of his room & away from his phone & music!
Speaking of his phone...
Kyle doesn't have actual phone service. We gave him one of our old phones which enables him to use the internet & text messaging. In the beginning he was only using the phone to listen to music via Pandora & YouTube but it didn't take long for him to discover that he could watch videos & play games on the phone, too. When he wanted to use the phone for those things he knew he needed to ask permission first - & for a long while he did - but then he became a teenager...
Before his week at Boy Scout camp he was playing around on his phone way too much. I was constantly having to tell him to get off of his phone & go outside & play. He had zero motivation to do anything more than just sit in his room, listen to music & play on his phone.
After camp (no phones allowed there, yay!) he fell right back into his usual routine - spending 95% of his day up in his room.
Since our trip to Vermont he hasn't been able to use his phone or spend multiple hours per day up in his room - which is awesome - especially because just recently I've been noticing him using poor language - which I feel is a direct result of him being on the internet. He doesn't even realize what he's saying until I point it out & tell him not to say specific words/phrases. Last night he was joking around with his cousin when I heard him say "This sucks balls, dog!". Say WHAT?! And so that was the moment in which I realized that a significant change needs to take place..because CLEARLY Kyle heard that phrase from the internet!!
When we return from our next trip I'm going to take away the phone - very cut & dry. He will be allowed to listen to music in his room via the radio but if he wants to use the internet his time will be limited AND monitored. I'm no longer going to allow him to sit in his room, by himself, playing with the phone for hours on end. Electronics - of all kinds - are influential & addictive.
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