Carson's Life

Today it hit me how different of a life Carson is going to have living in an Adult Family Home.  This isn't our permanent solution, but we'll be here for at least a couple of years.  Plenty of time to influence his upbringing and create memories here that he will actually remember.  This morning he shared breakfast with a 90-year old Japanese woman.  Plain old cheerios but they smiled at each other while they ate and they had somewhat of a conversation with Carson's baby gibberish.  It melted my heart and made me question, how many other toddlers are doing this?  Probably a few, but not many.  I know that it will make his life so much more rich having empathy early on for our elderly.  Maybe that's why Josh has such a tender heart for the frail as well, because it started so young?  Besides panicking over dropped pills Carson might pick up and eat (I have become religious about sweeping and vacuuming) there really is no negative to this situation.  Josh and I both get to parent Carson.  That's another thing most toddlers don't get, both parents.  While I still do the majority of the "mothering" such as providing comfort, Daddy is here to go rough house and play outside with the water hose.  It makes me unbelievably happy that we have a way to not only support ourselves but be stay-at-home parents. It's not easy by any means, but well worth it.

Carson also has other sources of attention.  When he gets bored with us, he goes into the living room and hams it up for the grandmas and grandpas.  Thankfully everyone here loves children.  It seems to be good for the young and old alike to be together.   One of the grannies here, Josh's actual Grandma, can get a little unsteady but she also likes to wander.  Well whenever she starts to walk, we walk with her a ways before sitting her back down.  Josh and I were busy and I just here "mommy, mommy, mommy"  over and over in a very loud and anxious voice.  There Carson was standing in front of Grandma Allen pointing up at her slightly bouncing up and down.  He had positioned himself in a way so that she was unable continue walking.  He was alerting us that she was up and needed assistance.  It really amazed me.  When he helps me put the ladies to bed at night, he grabs gloves from the drawer and puts them on as we walk to their room just like mommy.  I couldn't have a better little helper.

I hope as time goes on he continues to see this living situation as an adventure like he seems to do now.