7/7/11

A day with my littlest boy


I spent the day today hanging out with Silas in the City.   Si had an audiologist appointment scheduled so I took advantage of the situation, and my mother, to create some alone time for him and I.   Aili is still at camp and the other two spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa.  My hubby tagged along last minute because he needed to shop for farmer stuff.   He dropped us off down town for the afternoon while he did his man shopping.

It doesn't take much to entertain my little country boy.  As we entered the mall his eyes lit up and he ran for the escalator like it was a ride at Disney land.   We rode up and down several times...and if that wasn't odd enough, I snapped a picture.   I happened to have my tiny camera in my purse so I decided to capture our day together.  As we pulled ourselves away from the thrill ride he exclaimed  
" I LOVE the mall, Santa lives here!"
I had to explain that Santa only comes to the mall at Christmas time...he was rather disappointed.
 I think Christmas was the last time we were at the mall. 

We shopped the clearance racks and bought some really "awesome" blue and black "Dawg's" shoes for Silas to wear proudly the rest of the afternoon.  FYI they are really "bouncy".  He discovered this by hopping through the store.  Maybe he'll like them so much he'll actually keep them on his feet. 
We then picked out $5 summer shoes for the rest of the kids.  Silas thought it was great fun. 


We made our way to the food court where the choices are as endless as the excitement.  
It is a virtual culinary heaven.   We decided to share a "fmoovie" and "fwen fwie"

As we left the mall and made our way over to the audiologists office we came across a sidewalk sale (some sort of city folk party).  A free balloon ,  a bouncy house, and a moment spent dancing next to the outdoor band nearly made us late to his appointment but it was worth it.

Those are some rockin' dance shoes!

After our stroll through the street party...we walked another couple blocks to his appointment (as briskly as a four year old intrigued by absolutely everything possibly can ).   Coincidentally the audiologists office is in the same building as Social Services.  The baby post office where I pick up and drop off babies like little packages.  It was even on the same floor. 
 I assured Silas that we were doing neither one today (he's still convinced that we adopted him from Mexico).

Silas, although quite poorly behaved in the waiting room, was wonderfully cooperative and brave as his hearing was tested.   I am happy to report that his hearing is fine (even after having chronic awful ear infections throughout his infancy)
I am not  happy to report that my son's apparent ability to not hear my voice is due to my poor parenting....and not a problem with his ears.  
His horrid speaking skills aren't due to a lack of being able to hear either.  I guess we're back to the drawing board with that too. I am glad that it's not something permanent like his hearing that is the problem. 
 His vocabulary, use and understanding of language is extensive but somewhere between his ears, brain, and tongue he can't quite form his thoughts into the right sounds.  


The audiologist gave him a whole pack of Lifesavers which he scarfed while we waited for Dad to pick us up.  
It was a gorgeous, hot, summer day spent with a little boy that I don't spend enough happy, one on one time with.
I felt bad that we didn't have time to do "fun stuff" today.   By the time we drive to the City, do some shopping, buy groceries and go to an appointment it's time to make the 2 hr trip home again.   

Although it didn't take long for me to realize that Silas thought this was the "fun stuff" (I think it dawned on me as we rode up the escalator for the second time)  so I made an effort to squeeze every bit of fun, conversation, and interaction into our afternoon.  
We discussed traffic lights and city buses.  We admired curbs and tall buildings.   
We rode every escalator we  passed.



All that walking and excitement tuckered him out and it was a quiet ride home...
which gave my hubby and I some peaceful conversation time.


(the bugs bunny band-aid on his head is covering a "butterfly" bandage which is covering a hole he made in his head with the mean end of a belt.  Lesson learned: When flinging a large belt around like a lasso make sure the buckle stays far away from the side of your head.)

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