Kintropy In Action

Our family went to the taste of Oregon festival this weekend. The whole family loaded onto the Max and we headed downtown. We met our day nurse downtown at Portland city center where to my surprise a show on electric vehicles was being held. I am very interested in electric cars so this was exciting for me. While were waiting for my brother in-law and nephew, the nurse set Hannah at the edge of a fountain there and let her play in the water. She was mesmerized.

Then we walked about 4-5 blocks to the waterfront where the Taste of Oregon was being held. My Dad was in town on business so he was going to meet us at the festival. We found a sandbox at waist height that would be great for people in wheel chairs and adults tending to young children. My nephew, Gabriel and yes, even, Hannah were immediately playing in it. This was a first for Hannah because I’m usually leery of the cleanliness of public sandboxes or they are overwhelmed with children flinging sand. It’s a bad idea for someone who breathes through a hole in her neck to be around flying sand. This was a great place to try it because there wasn't a lot of kids around and it was easy on the adults back to keep her from harms way.  Hannah wasn’t sure about the sand as her nurse buried her feet and ran her hands through it. Gabriel was focused on trying to build a tower like the one Gandalf was imprisoned on. (Yes I know he is young…..He finished the Lord of Rings movies this weekend) Their cousin was trying to dig with a shovel that other kids kept absconding with.

We met up with my Dad at a stage where a band was playing great music that the kids loved. We then proceeded to the wine tasting area. My brother in-law and I tried a few while my Dad and Robert talked. Gabriel played around a big tree and the nurse took Hannah to a table to start her tube feeding. It was in great view of the stage we were just standing at. My nephew started dancing with his father in that area amusing Hannah to no end.

We walked the rest of the grounds with one or two of us wondering to try food. Hannah the nurse and I wandered off only one time to suction her doing the whole outing. Oh there was one other new experience for Hannah. She is really insistent on using the potty and not her diaper anymore. I anticipated this and brought a bottle of vinegar and a portable child seat that fits on a regular size toilet seat. Nevertheless, it took two of us and the seat fell into the Honey bucket port-a-potty but we succeeded.

On the way home on the Max we sat next to a gentleman in a wheelchair who used his head to control it. We had a conversation with him about Harry Potter books and how people talk since Gabriel kept saying he talked weird. The gentleman had some type of muscular thing going on and had to pause in the middle of words and turn his head at regular intervals.

Robert said, "We all talk funny. Your sister uses a Passy Muir to talk. I talk funny. You talk funny. What is more important is that you listen to what people say."

I said "You should also realize that what a person has to say is important and worth listening too."

The gentleman nodded profusely in agreement and said "Yeah!"

--Mom