We are going to walk over to Safeway in a few minutes to get food for dinner and for the afternoon of watching the 49er game. Maggie and I will be in and out of there before the rest of the crowds even wake up. The game starts at noon so we can add a walk in the park to the mix.
A walk in the park is mandatory this morning. I definitely need to do something with Maggie while I can because Maggie will not enjoy the football game. She does not care that it's the NFC Championship game and a trip to the Superbowl is on the line. It's too long, too fast and too loud for her. She doesn't mind baseball because she can actually see what goes on. Baseball is relaxing and allows for lots of time to keep Maggie engaged. We ask her opinion on balls and strikes and she cracks up. Football is too fast for that and, worse than the pace of the game, we are less interactive with her. Football requires closer attention. That does not please Maggie who firmly believes all attention should focus on her at all times.
I've mentioned before that Maggie really doesn't watch television at all. She can SEE it, but she really cannot process the movement of the screen. Generally if we are watching it she is using her dynavox to say "I DON"T LIKE TV." And I generally give her one of the following responses. "too bad for you, we do" or "yes, you've mentioned that several times." She laughs for a minute and then says "I DON"T LIKE TV" over and over again.
It's very relaxing.
We finally got a big flat screen TV at Christmas time. It was a gift from Steve to me. A gift I did not want because our old TV worked fine and because we could not figure out where to put it. The old cabinet that Steve handmade was not going to work because it was so deep. Where would we put it , yada yada yada.
Steve put it on the mantel, which I don't like because I think it detracts from our beautiful fireplace and it takes over the living room.
Despite my nagging and general lack of appreciation of the gift I have to admit, I really love the quality of the picture on this new set.
Even Maggie tolerates watching the new TV for a while. Because it's so clear and so big and out in the open, she can SEE it much better. The first day it was up I turned it on in the morning and Maggie sat there transfixed watching "Enchanted" and laughing at the appropriate places. That only lasted about 20 minutes, but it was a new record.
I do not expect Maggie to suddenly embrace professional football or the dreaded instant replays, but she will enjoy the cheering when they score, or intercept, or sack the quarterback. But she will only have to suffer through it for an hour because her nurse comes at 1:00 PM and Maggie will be the center of the world again and can ignore her embarrassing parents in the front room yelling at that infernal television.
So we are off to Safeway to stock up. Maggie wants earplugs.
Go Niners.
What a game!!!! Our bar was packed to the gills!! I watched from home in Marin with the whole neighborhood. We also have the big flat screen over the mantle. Superbowl is gonna ROCK!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGo Niners!!!!!