“Mommy, mommy I saw the cutest puppy when I was visiting Cheria today.” “I love puppies. Did Cheria get a new puppy?” “No. They got an adult dog at the rescue place. The people there were excited when I signed up to take a puppy home. Did I mention he really needs a home?” “Emily, […]
Puppies and Dragons #raising a dragon in the 21st century — Dragon Tails and Scales
“Honey, I lost another one…”
“Okay, let me get my glasses on so I can find my shoes.”
“Why do you need shoes?”
“So I can help you find what you lost.”
“Are you okay? We don’t need shoes to find the word I lost just now.”
As I get older I cant tell you how many names and words seem to slip out of my brain when I need them. It’s easy to wonder: Do I have dementia? Am I at risk????
***
There are still soooo many things we don’t know about this condition. If anything it has broadened as a field of study.
It’s easy to get frustrated when mom, dad, auntie, uncle can’t remember me or cant remember how to put his or her clothes on. I want to fill in the blanks when they drop a word or when speech slows.
Diet ( a happy brain has healthy oils, low sugar, fiber) and activity play an important role as we age; this also being the case with dementia. Family members struggle because there is a new normal that isn’t their normal. It can be easier for an “outside” caregiver because we are not as familiar with the way that person was.
Beyond diet and activity it’s also important to engage. Not easy I promise but it is rewarding when you can “get in” to the world of an elderly person.
***
Dementia Case #1
What are we doing?
Well a man named Isaac Newton did it why cant we? I said as I started dropping a heavy item from one hand and a light item from my other hand.
“Look you better let me do it; you could get hurt.” He couldnt hide the chuckle.
“Okay Mr. D but first you have to predict if the feather or the rock will hit the floor first. ”
“What are these again?”
“They are finger puppets.”
Mr. C walked across the room making his finger puppet fly and made a bird call.
“This is strictly for scientific purposes you know.” He said as he looked over his shoulder.
“What do you wanna bet that my paper fighter plane can fly further than yours.”
“We will have to see after all this is science in the making. ” Mr C. said as he flung his paper airplane across the backyard.
We did a great job with my science curriculum the publisher will be pleased. No telling your family what we were doing.
***
Last summer as I was preparing lessons and activities for a Science curriculum ( we published for schools in E. Africa), I used Mr. D to help practice the science activities. We made bird puppets, demonstrated gravity with different objects, made and flew planes.
***
Welcome to Moondustwriter’s Blog. I am participating in the 2020 A to Z Challenge.
If you are participating how are you enjoying the challenge after the first “week’?
You may have an aging family member in your home.
How do you deal with your family member when they seem to be forgetting or losing a big part of who they used to be?
What are some of your challenges?
If you like dragons
Or
You have a child at home who likes dragons
OR
you are spending your day reading stuff and what the heck dragons are okay
“D” obviously for dragons – https://wp.me/pDORj-6fi
It’s part of a series of children’s stories that we were finalizing when we were invited to publish science curriculum for E. Africa.
You may watch what we do
I know your intent too well
who watches the innocent
wants a child to fall?
Too long the history
foul your jaded past
you ogle a prize
an ogre at best
I’ll continue my path
butterflies and ribbons
we play and we love
our celebration is living
I am sickened that there are people in our world who use others for their gain. Children are the most vulnerable and deserve to be protected against such evil.
Thank you to those who reach out to a hurting world and care…
Dragon’s Eye © moondustdesigns 2013
I’m breaking with my theme “Children” and poetry slightly for today. My pet dragon and his best friend Emily insisted. This is an excerpt from the book we are working on “Raising a dragon in the 21st Century.”
Today my class went on a cool field trip to the Air and Space Museum. There are really old planes and even a space shuttle. I imagined being in the cockpit of the Discovery as it shot into space on the back of a rocket. I was adjusting my space suit when…
“Look up there,” one of the students pointed. “That red airplane is moving. Do you think it will fall?”
“Those airplanes are well secured so they wont fall.” Our tour guide assured us.
“It’s like the movie Night at the museum,” another student said as we watched several of the airplanes rocking back and forth on their thin cables.
The tour guide stepped away from our class and got on her walkie. I saw her lips mouth “Is it safe for these children…”
Then I noticed the shadow of a dragon wing brushing against a plane.
“Drag,” I hissed, “get over there.” I pointed to the bathrooms as I stomped over to the corner out of sight. “What are you doing here?”
“Emily, when I heard you were going to a place where there were flying things I wanted to see them too. Not one of them will talk to me.”
“Hmmm. You thought you would find another dragon at the museum?”
Drag’s eyes got big as he nodded.
“Ohhh Drag, I’m sorry. All these things are machines. As far as I know, you are the only living dragon.”
“That’s too bad.” Drag made a face at the winged machines.
“Please stay right next to me until we get outside. Then I want you to fly straight home. No more touching airplanes. And you need to stay invisible.”
“Ok Em,” my dragon wiggled his eyes.
I giggled and crossed my eyes.
You can’t be too careful where you go when you are raising a dragon in the 21st century…
“Hi – If you are visiting from the A to Z challenge can you please not tell my papa you saw me. He get’s worried about my pet dragon and incidents and stuff I don’t understand yet.”
~ Thanks Em
Between big pages
turn little minds
fairies of every kind
watch the spark
imagination ignites
Dragons bright and dark
animals climb trees upside down
little boys’ arms are wings
no smile becomes a frown
knights get big and golden
kings big and small
words create a kingdom
giants from clouds fall
The dragon got away before I could get his picture but he left a clue behind in his big foot prints.
Never stop dreaming or imagining. By all means never stop sharing these things with a child!!!
Miss all of you. I have a morning of so I am writing after weeks. We are enjoying amazing times to teach and tell stories to Acholi children. These village children are so bright and are catching up quickly!!
Waving from Northern Uganda
Learning to live by the indwelling life of Christ.
Gud skaper noko nytt ved sitt Ord og sin Ande, vi kan ta imot det i tru og få oppleve at han gjer sitt verk med oss. Hans skaparkraft verkar konstuktivt i våre liv og skaper noko som er verdifullt for oss. Naturkreftene verkar nedebrytande, i fylgje entropilova, men Gud er Ånd og det som er født av hans Ande består. Jesu frelsesverk er fullbrakt og fullkome. Han er den siste Adam, som er ifrå himmelen og som for oss har vorte ei livgjevande ånd. Han gjev oss den Heilage Ande frå himmelen av berre nåde. Han gjev oss det evige livet.
Looking ahead, without looking back (too often)
Thanks for following a cowgirl on her crazy life journey.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. - Edgar Allan Poe
Hoping to make the world more beautiful
Books by author Diana Coombes
With previous posting of "Our World" on Blogger
my humanity in written form
Experiments in Creative Writing, and more ....
Poetry by Mich
FOR READERS AND ASPIRING WRITERS
Everyday musings ....Life as I see it.......my space, my reflections and thoughts !!
From Board Books to Clean YA
Cherishing the Past while Celebrating the Present
FROM ONE PARENT TO ANOTHER
Living life with dissociative identity disorder and complex ptsd
penned in moon dust 