The Never Normal

I got to see Boo twice this week, which was awesome, and he was a happy kid both times, which was even better.

On Thanksgiving Day my mom had home-made all kinds of traditional dinner dishes and then, as she has been doing for several years now, portioned it out into containers for Andy and for me.  She’s an awesome woman and grandmother and mom, and I sometimes can’t believe what she will do for the people she loves.  Her heart is big, and full, and loving.

She even makes her father’s stuffing (my “poppy,” who died in 1999)  – an amazing and difficult concoction of deliciousness I can’t even begin to describe.

Andy brought Jonah up around 11:30am – Jonah’s always begging for “grandma’s house?” and so this was indeed a grand occasion.  We even had a beautiful day, for it had snowed the day before and there were 8 inches or so on the ground, white still newly-clinging to the branches and bushes against a happy blue sky.

Because we had our dinners packed up to eat later, my mom had also made sandwiches for our lunch.  Jonah, however, likes to search every compartment, cabinet and crevice for different and unusual food choices- especially at grandma’s house.   There was bacon in the freezer, cooked pieces my mom makes a few at a time and then stores away for later.   Once he saw that, Boo knew what he wanted.   If you listen carefully at the very end, he comes over to me and says “and the boobie,” evidently intending to fish down my shirt.  Not happening, kiddo.

He even got to see a train, on a car ride a few minutes after that video was taken.  Sometimes it’s not until I watch videos of Jonah that I realize his level of functioning (both below, above, and beyond others) and can see how very different he is from other children.  I don’t spend a whole lot of time with kids in general, and when I do, they seem like mini-adults or special other creatures who act and look like strange little beings with superskills.

This video from yesterday is an example, too.  Jonah listens to and likes what he likes, without shame or any concept of cool and uncool — none of that “these songs are for toddlers and I’m going on 13.”  I love it.  It’s all very loud; Jonah likes his music cranked.  In the video he says he wants black soda, but quickly decides to try and thieve both mine & my mom’s white sodas.  Having succeeded in making off with mine, the fun begins.

Oh, he is a funny, sweet little boy when he’s happy.  Lately he has been exploring a little more music but definitely has his favorites (his current favorite song is Prince’s Sign of the Times and he asks for it over and over by announcing its track number.

In this video from yesterday he’s jammin’ to Third Base.  He looks like a little gangster, silly Boo.

He hasn’t been great in school lately – more aggressions.  The school called me last week and said they were going to have a meeting about Jonah and whether or not it might be better to transfer him to a different classroom.  The concern is that he’s bright, and bored, and needs more to keep him occupied.  You shine like the sun, my son!  We’ll work together to get you the best schooltime possible.

We have a special relationship, Boo and I, for I am also unconcerned these days with what’s cool, and we rock and sing and love together.

(I think he knows his mama is a little nuts).

Which brings me to my great winter experiment, by which I use neither heat nor lights.  I think I should start a new blog (or maybe a heading under this one) where I discuss things not Jonah-related.  So if you see a new tab up on my main page, that’s why.  If I had all day to write I would make five or six separate blogs about all kinds of things….

So anyway, for today I’ll just keep it here.  I have turned my heat up to 55, having been warned that it’s the lowest temperature at which I can set the thermostat to keep my pipes from freezing.  To be honest, though it is growing colder, I am used to it somewhat and I think I’ll be able to stick it out through the winter.

And I have added further restrictions to my self-imposed experimental wintertime lifestyle: I unplug nearly everything before going to bed or when going out.  I limit my use of paper towels;  if it can be done with a dishcloth, I use that instead.  I take hot showers less often (2-3 times a week instead of once a day) and set my washer on cold water.  No more using the dishwasher.  I’m selling my movies, books, cds on amazon and e-bay in favor of going to the library. (My precious books are the hardest things with which to part).  I get 10 minutes of space heater time during which I get dressed in front of it.

I’ve even caught some media attention from doing this, while trying to get press for Modest Needs.  Once they find out I’m living like this, that becomes the big story – which is fine with me.  At least I get them to mention Modest Needs as an organization helping people stay self-sufficient.  If my “strange & kooky” lifestyle helps that along — by selling papers or getting people to watch TV, I care not.  It all feels quite normal to me, this austere lifestyle I’ve chosen.  It’s not for nothing that Laura Ingalls Wilder & Dick Proenneke are my heroes.  Anyway I should be in the January issue of 518 magazine and also the Bethlehem Spotlight newspaper, thus far.

Call my crazy.  I don’t mind.  This kind of crazy doesn’t hurt anyone and helps me prioritize, to stay mindful of what really matters.

My precious boy and me, with grandma watching o’er in the background.  (I’d include more pictures of Andy but he doesn’t like it).

Over and out for now, peeps.  Time to work. And on Friday, courtesy of Tim, I am flying out to Indiana to see him and the Quarryland Men’s Chorus perform an off-book (memorized) intense holiday concert.  My Tim has a solo and one of the best voices in the choir.

How proud am I?

“They love each other…”