Bothering the Boys

I was excited to have the boys home for Thanksgiving weekend, both for my husband and me, and even more so for Maggie. She is leading a pretty boring life these days with her two brothers gone. She revels in the energy that the two of them bring into the house. There is something going on every second and she laughed all weekend.

The only time it is quiet when the boys are here is in the morning. They sleep until noon if I let them. Well, Tim does. Eddie sleeps in, but not as long. Also, he is a man on the go so he often has somewhere to be in the morning. Thanksgiving morning they were snoozing. Maggie and I were in the kitchen “cooking”. I was preparing the turkey, stuffing it, getting it in the oven, peeling potatoes (regular and sweet) etc. Maggie was sitting in her wheelchair pulling everything she could reach and actually hold onto out of the kitchen drawers and throwing them on the floor. The dishtowels are the easiest, but she has progressed to rolling pins, metal bowls, heavy lids to pots etc. I have removed everything breakable or dangerous from that area. She has free reign.

We play this game regularly. I get my stuff done in the kitchen and feign outrage every time something hits the floor and she laughs her head off. I do an exaggerated routine of picking it all up and putting it all back where it goes so she can do it again. She is entertained for a long time this way. With so much prep to do on Thanksgiving, it was a win win.

Unless you are college boys trying to sleep in on Thanksgiving.

I never gave a thought to the boys. It did not really dawn on me that they could hear it all the way upstairs, and frankly, if I had thought of that I probably would have done it anyway. It is almost impossible to keep Maggie entertained without sitting next to her and holding her hand to keep from pulling the trach out. I had stuff to get done.

Eddie came down first and looked at Maggie and said “what do you think you are doing? I was trying to sleep.” She just looked at him as if to say “Bonus!!” And laughed for about 5 minutes. Later Tim came down and said, “Jeez, mom, how many things are you making. You’ve been using every pot in the house.” Not me, dear, talk to your sister. He put his fist right next to her nose and said, “What’s the big idea?” She was laughing so hard I almost had to turn on the oxygen.

Not only did she get to throw the pots and bowls, she got to be the annoying little sister.

Truly something to be thankful for.