FREEDOM CONCEPTS TANDEM BIKE   

A while back I did some research to find a bike for Josiah.

It had to be just the right bike. 

We had tried other bikes over the years but Josiah didn't 'take' to any of them.

At the age of 11 he was still trying to squish his much too large body into an infant carrier on the back of my bike, just so he could ride.

This boy was so passionate about riding on a bike he would push open a double garage door by himself.  

Then he'd attempt to climb up into the infant seat.

For a long time, Josiah and I rode with me up front and him in back, his knees hitting me and my legs hitting him with each rotation of the pedals.

He did not care.

When Josiah gets revved up, when his energy level is through the roof, when he is so wired that he can't sit still, he needs an outlet.  

It has always amazed me Josiah understands that.

He seeks a release.

He either wants a ride in our van or a ride on a bike.  Both activities help calm him.

When I realized biking would help calm Josiah and also wear him out I started searching.

I did a Google image search for a disability bike and found the perfect one.  

That was in 2012 when Josiah was 10.  

Then last summer, when he was 11, Rick, Josiah and I went to the Abilities Expo in Houston.  I was stunned to see this very bike on display there.

We met James Wall from Freedom Concepts Inc., the company that manufactures these bikes and he encouraged us to try it.

So right then and there we took a spin all around the George R. Brown Convention Center.

We were surprised at how easy it was to pedal and steer.  I wanted to take one home that very day.  

James told us about Variety (a children's charitable organization) and sent us over to their nearby booth to talk with Amanda.  Amanda gave us a packet to complete and information about Variety.

We filled out the forms and mailed them away, knowing that without assistance from Variety, there was no way we would ever be able to acquire a bike like this for Josiah.

In December of this past year, we received a letter from Variety with an offer to grant close to half of the purchase price of the bike.  Incredible!  We were so thrilled.

A month later, James contacted us and said they had a bike in San Antonio that needed some replacement parts.  They could refurbish it for Josiah and our out of pocket expense would be considerably less than it would be for a brand new bike.

The bike was repaired, pieces replaced and it was all set to go.  The only hitch was the bike was 3.5 hours away in San Antonio.  Shipping it to us would be expensive.  Renting a truck to pick it up would be cost prohibitive as well.

Fortunately, friends of friends responded to a request on Facebook.  A huge thank you to those responsible for connecting us to those who so generously donated their time and truck(s) to drive Josiah's extra large bike from San Antonio to Houston.

Now, Josiah has an amazing bike that he adores. He rides up front and I ride in back.  No ones knees or legs are touching anymore.

We feel incredibly blessed and couldn't be more grateful.

Here's to daily bike rides around the block and hours and hours of uninterrupted sleep at night!

Well what do you know?

After months of Josiah sleeping relatively well, we are back to partying til the wee hours of the morning.

This boy just does not sleep at night.

Seems no matter how tired and lethargic he may act during the day, once 8 pm hits, he comes to life.  

The sky gets dark, the world begins to settle down and Josiah revs up.

From that point on, it spirals out of control.

He starts out slowly, making vocalizations and bouncing on his knees all around the house.

And by about 1 in the morning he works himself up to a frenzy.  

His arms start shaking, his body begins to vibrate and he is in his own little world.

Last night he actually had both legs ramrod straight up in the air with both arms out at his side, head tilted back just shaking.  

Laughing, hysterically and shaking.

When Josiah gets that intense, it's best to keep your distance.

One never knows what will happen next.

If we could just create a boundary line around his room maybe with some bright colored duct tape and teach him to stay 'in the zone' when he's out of control, it would help tremendously.

If we had borderlines that he knew he just could not cross, I'd place one at the entrance to the kitchen and another at the entrance to our bedroom.

It would probably take weeks of training to shape his behavior, to teach him 'Do Not Cross the Yellow Line' but it would be worth it.

It's just not safe to have the boy roaming around the house in a frenzied state especially if the rest of the household happens to be sleeping and hasn't clued in yet that he's up and about.

Hard to imagine we could ever sleep through the noises and the commotion he so enjoys sometimes, but we've learned to do just that.

Most often however, Rick and I tag team through Josiah's sleepless nights.  

We take shifts and try our best to calm him and help him fall asleep.

He seems to do much better with Rick than with me.

For some reason, Josiah becomes a Sumo Wrestler when I enter his room.  The last few nights, he's been in attack mode.  

He dives on top of me, lunges for my hair and has even scratched my face and neck while laughing hysterically as if he's enjoying the 'game'.

I do my best to defend myself but as I've mentioned before this kid has super human strength. 

The best mode of defense is escape.

So last night, I instituted a barricade.

As soon as I freed myself from his grip, I made my escape.

I pushed past his over sized bean bag chair that I had initially sat in seconds before the attack and squeezed through the double doors.

Then quickly pulled the bean bag into position to block him from following me out the door.

He tried repeatedly to get past it but it's just too big and heavy for him to move (at least for now).

I was free.

I stayed close by in the living room so I could hear him.

Eventually, around 5:30 am, Josiah fell asleep.

I'm totally loving this barricade idea.  Keeps him in, me out and ideally, allows Rick and I to get some much needed sleep.

However, a couple of hours later, when it was time to wake Josiah for school, we discovered he had a full pull-up that had spilled out into his pajamas.  

He was messy and his room was stinky.  

Josiah was however, sleeping!

Poor kid.  At some point after I left his room, he needed my attention and my help in the bathroom.

But how was I to know?  

It's too risky for me to stay in his room with him when he's as hyper as he was last night.

It's also not fair for him not to have his needs met.

So, I've got this one figured out.

May take me a couple of weeks to gather the materials.  And, I may have to watch a few youtube videos to get it just right.

But, I'm determined.  

Josiah's just needs a small addition to his bedroom.

Josiah does not speak.

He doesn't have to.  He communicates quite well with his behavior.

He lets us know what he needs much of the time and has learned effective means of communicating without words.

When he wants a drink of water, he stands by the kitchen sink and hopes we notice.  Or, if a cup or water bottle is near by, he picks it up and brings it to us.  

When he does not want the food presented to him at meal time, he throws it to the ground, plate and all.

We have learned to use a lot of plastic around here.  We've also gotten really good at grabbing bowls and cups and plates mid-air.  

When Josiah wants to go outside, which he frequently does, he sits on the small stool by the back door and waits.  Or, he brings us his shoes. 

Occasionally, if we've forgotten to lock the back door, he just leaves.

That is never a good thing actually, because if we've forgotten to lock the back door, we've also probably forgotten to lock the gate.  

As soon as Josiah gains access to the back yard he does one of two things.  He tries the gate and attempts to leave the yard.  Or, he heads straight to the air conditioning unit behind the garage to 'play'.

The string toy or beads he undoubtedly has in his hand get shoved down through the small crevices at the top of the unit creating a delightful clanging, banging sound as they whirl around for a few seconds, before landing on the concrete below.  

Josiah plants his face down on the metal surface, staring intently at the excitement inside.

It only lasts for a few seconds, but it keeps his rapt attention much longer than that.

It's never a good thing to let your child 'play' with an air conditioning unit either, so we deter him as often as possible.  

Lately, Josiah has been conveying a brand new message.  

Last week he was sitting on the couch.  I was on one side of him and a caregiver was on the other side.  He took my arm and pulled me up to stand.  

Then he got behind me and pushed me ever so gently away from him and signed 'finished' with just a little too much enthusiasm.

I got the message.  He did not need me or want me in his personal space.  The caregiver however, was permitted to remain.  

He really likes her.

Later that day, Josiah took Chandler by the hand and walked her to the front door.  He opened the door, pushed her out on the porch, slammed it shut and walked away with a slight grin on his face.

When she came back in, he pushed her out again. 

Apparently, Josiah has decided we are no longer necessary.

He doesn't have to tell me twice.  My job here is done.   

How's this for some non verbal communication of my own?

Our little guy turned 12 a couple of days ago. 

Twelve .

Just a few short years ago we were bringing Josiah home from the hospital as a new born, with both of his eyes patched, not really sure what life would look like from that point on.

Then in the blink of an eye, he's 12, on the cusp of becoming a teenager and growing facial hair.

When did that even happen?  

When did this little guy grow to be a mini man?

When will he start shaving?

How is that even going to happen?

I watched him in the tub this morning, trying to figure it out.

Hair cuts are so overwhelmingly difficult for Josiah, how will we ever attempt shaving whiskers?

Will he be the only kid in 6th grade sporting a moustache?  The only one in 7th grade with a beard?

I thought about wax strips.

You know, the kind you warm up with your hands, adhere to your skin, then rip off really fast.

Of course, we'd have to attempt this while Josiah sleeps. And then, we'd only get one shot at it.  Rick and I would have to work in unison, each applying and removing wax strips with synchronized precision.

Otherwise, Josiah would be awake in a heartbeat and we'd only get one side done.

Then, he would be the only kid in 6th grade with half a moustache.

Maybe it just makes more sense to let his facial hair grow.

I can't imagine a razor coming in close proximity to Josiah's face and all going well.

First there's his incessant bouncing, then the sheer terror of something new and different happening, not to mention the strength with which Josiah vehemently opposes anything he is not on board with.

Yeah, I think shaving is highly overrated.

Josiah may only be 12, but quite honestly, something like this may be a good look for him.

Before I even open my eyes, I know it's 3:31 am.

Josiah has entered our dark, sleepy bedroom.  

Happens lately, just about every night.

OK, so some nights, it's 3:30 and not 3:31, but seriously, we JUST turned our clocks back an hour.

Shouldn't that impact this even a little?

Josiah has been (knock on wood) sleeping so very well for so very long that I shudder to think this is becoming a new pattern.

Yet, I know it is.

He enters our room in various ways.  

Sometimes he is quiet and stands motionless by my side of the bed.

Sometimes, he barges in, swinging the door with great gusto, laughing as he enters.

Sometimes, I hear him bouncing on his knees even before he makes his presence known.

Occasionally, I'll hear the water in my sink running.

Doesn't matter how he wakes me.  When I open my eyes and look at the clock, it's almost always 3:31 am.

It's 3:31 am when he realizes he is wet and needs me.

So, we make our way to the bathroom.  Josiah gets a fresh pair of pj's, clean sheets if necessary and a kiss on the cheek as I tuck him back in his bed.

I'm well aware as I exit his room and make my way back to my own, Josiah will most likely not fall back to sleep.

His day has begun and he is ready for some fun.

None the less, I snuggle under my blankets and hope I am wrong, praying for a few more hours rest.

Most often, as happened this morning, Josiah bursts back in our room, full of energy and bounces wildly on our bed. 

This is the point when I'd like to gently call out, 'Josiah is awake.  Please come get him.  He may want to go for a ride.'

As if someone working the night shift will come running and say, 'Yes ma'am, I've got him. Go back to sleep and don't you worry about a thing dear'.

Rick and I are the night shift.  We are the day shift and the sick shift and the holiday shift.

So in those moments when I really want someone else to handle it, I simply pretend I don't hear him.

There, I've said it.  I hesitate to write it but it's out now.

If I am sleeping more deeply than Rick and he hears him first, he almost always jumps up to take over.

You've just gotta love that man.  

In my imaginary world, if the night shift is on it, I am free to keep on sleeping.

Josiah stays up until it's time to really start our happy day.

This morning, my 4-6 hour, full focus, mental energy drink only lasted about 30 minutes.

I trudged through the morning, a wee bit grumpy doing my Mommy jobs.

Josiah was full steam ahead the whole time.

Then, shortly before his bus was to arrive, just as I sat to tie the laces on his tennis shoes, his eye lids began to droop.

Josiah will be a little late to school today.

He fell asleep just outside my bedroom door.