Senior Connections

Friday the 13th - surely something crazy would be in store for today right?? Well, what was in store for us was certainly something that we'd never done before.

BACK STORY: A few months ago, we joined an organization called Senior Connections that pair a Sr with a "friend". To join, you have to commit to about 1 hour per week with your Sr. Could be visiting, could be helping w/ housework, could be taking on errands, etc. Well, our situation is a tiny bit different. Our Sr, Herr Steffek (he is German, but has lived in the US for ~40yrs), did not 'technically' request to be part of this organization, nor did he request a family to visit him. However, the social worker at the retirement home where he lives contacted Sr. Connections saying that he would really love visitors, but would never ever request it. Enter the Counts family. I have no idea what he thinks about why we visit him, but he does seem to enjoy it. The boys are generally terribly behaved, and he finds that amusing. It really is like they enter that retirement home, and the devil swoops in and makes them temporarily insane. It's been managable however, and we've gotten good feedback from others about our visits. So we'll keep going unless he asks us not to. The best visits are when it is nice enough to take him outside and let the boys run around the courtyard, or the visit when just Zach and Art went and they walked (Z rode his bike) w/ him in his wheelchair around the block.

So today, the organization, Sr. Connections, had a luncheon for all their Seniors and their Friends. I was not sure what we would tell Mr. Steffek about this and why we where there, but he did not seem to care; he just wanted to get OUT. So there we are, in a large room filled w/ Srs and their Friends, plus Zachary, Wyatt, and one other little boy about Wyatt's age. Our boys were controlled chaos, but did spend most of the time running up and down the stairs in their stadium seating area. They were a *tad* loud during the presentation on massage, but other than that did, well, ok I guess. No one seemed to be TOO irritated by them. I finally had enough of it though, and left w/ the kids after an hour, shortly b/f the massage presentation was over. It was best. So not a failure, but certainly not a slam dunk of an outing.

The few moments we could get the kids to sit still: Counts Family w. Herr Steffek

Art escorted Herr Steffek in the bus provided by the home, to and from the luncheon. Art asked him a few times if he was enjoying it or if he wanted to go back, and he certainly did NOT want to go back. I think he mainly tolerated being there, but it was better than being cooped up in the retirement center I guess. He does seem to be enjoying our visits more and more.