It feels as if we are learning about a "new" Kellen the last couple of months while still experiencing moments with the "old" Kellen. One of the things Kellen has always loved is swimming, yet it took us two days of trying everything under the sun to get him into the lake on this trip. Without cooling off in the lake, we were worried that he was going to overheat as the weather was over 100 degrees one of the days. Finally we decided to try taking him down to the beach first thing in the morning before any other people arrived. After about an hour of gently coaxing him and reassuring him that he was safe, he finally took baby steps into the water and ended up swimming with us.
This morning as we packed up to leave camp we reminded Kellen that on the way home we would stop and have a late breakfast at Apple Denny's, one of our favorite restaurants in Chelan. He seemed happy about the idea, yet when we got to the restaurant and had to wait for a table in a crowded little room with several other people, he got anxious. When it was time for us to be seated, he got "stuck" and wasn't able to come with us. I went ahead and followed the waitress and sat down while Sweet Husband tried to talk Kellen into coming to the table. After awhile, Sweet Husband told me that things weren't looking positive and we would probably have to get our food to go.
We had a short discussion and decided that we would try the "tag team" approach and switch places. As Sweet Husband sat down and perused the menu, I went to the lobby to talk with Kellen. Remembering that Kellen seems to need to "reset" sometimes, I asked him if he would like to go back outside with me. He readily agreed. We talked about what he wanted to order at the restaurant. I showed him through the window where his dad was already seated. I asked him if he would like to go sit down and he said "yes". The old Kellen has a great sense of humor. The new Kellen tends to shout a swear word or two when he is feeling extremely anxious. As we re-entered the restaurant the old combined with the new and Kellen said loudly. "SPAM!" Looking pleased with himself, he sat down and ate a side of bacon and drank a glass of Pepsi.
4 comments:
That is an excellent swear word - I shall use it in future. Thank you for the birthday wishes, Alice
What a great story. You two sound like pros at parenting him. Kudos to you!
Jodi, is the "resetting" like "Can we start again, please, Can we start again?"
I was just reading about a similar phenomenon in a book called Crashing Through, by Kurson, about Mike May, blind since age 3 and then given the chance to regain his vision . . . People who regained their vision (or got new vision) couldn't make sense of what they saw unless they could TOUCH it while they were seeing it for the first time. In this case, the touching triggered the necessary integration of info in their minds--or something like that. Perhaps Kellen being able to see his dad go in and sit at a table while he retreated caused something to come together for him, too?
Kellen, in being able to retreat, also got the chance to step back and look at his father role modeling what it is to sit in a restaurant, pick your favorite breakfast food from a menu, order (make a wish) and get the food delivered (wish comes true). THEN you get to savor the food . . . I, myself, love it when we eat out during a vacation, and I can order things I wouldn't ordinarily buy at the store---that feeling of being indulged is as good as the flavor of the food.
SPAM is great! We still say COWABONGA!!! Tell Kellen!
Chris and Vic
From the Sunday, 7/8/07, New York Times Health section, on the ability to genetically engineer perfection:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/books/review/Saletan.html?_r=2&ref=health&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Chris and vic
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