Our kids have developed a response that they have shared with one another. It seems to be a response that begins at about age two and dissipates at around five. Therefore Ava has abandoned the response (for the most part) while Henry and Ella are full force in the throws of it.
"I just want to" is often heard around our house. They ask for things and receive the "no" response and instantly the "I just want to" flows seamlessly from their mouths, dressed lightly with the perfect amount of toddler whine.
There are times, however, when the "I just want to" response does not elicit a hidden eye roll from me or Lindsay. These times are actually accompanied by some distress on our part.
Ella watches Ava and Henry. She watches them closely. She is a bright two-year old and she knows what she wants. She is just now beginning to understand that her SMA prohibits her from doing many of the "things" Ava and Henry enjoy. Nonetheless, when her two siblings are excited about playing some game, or cruising effortlessly down the stairs to the basement, or throwing themselves recklessly onto the couch in the name of childlike fun, Ella wants to join in.
She "just wants to". It breaks our hearts every time. I suppose the heartache that accompanies her plea to engage in the behaviors that she sees Ava and Henry enjoying prompts us to eagerly find ways to accommodate her...sometimes with success and other times without.
I took Ella to Target. It was just me and her. The whole way there she talked of wanting to ride in the "big cart"...you know the one...it has a place for kids to sit attached to the back (see the pic above). She has never been able to or allowed to sit in the kid part of these carts...simply because she lacks the strength to hold herself up safely. For her entire life she has watched as Ava and Henry, with absolutely no hesitations, go back and forth from enjoying the "big cart" ride to walking/running down the aisles. Ella always was seated in the cart, wedged safely in the "old kid portion" of the cart. She wasn't even able to have her legs dangle for she might tip suddenly.
The entire ride there I kept telling her that we would look for a "big cart" but might not find one (it was my secret hope we wouldn't find one so I wouldn't have to say "no" to her...again). When we arrived there was one right there, just waiting for us.
"I just want to" she said.
I thought we might try it.
It worked. She sat in the "big cart" with no problem whatsoever.
She's quite the kid, our Ella is. All of our kids are...
The night before the "Target Trip" we were at a birthday party. Henry decided to play a game with Ella...I've never seen the game they were playing but was awestruck at how he took her under his wing and brought her to the world of play despite her being confined to a wheelchair. His ingenuity and compassion was tearfully evident. Ella is a lucky little girl to have such a big brother as Henry. I don't think I heard, "I just want to" once from her while at the party...both Henry and Ava made sure that she didn't have to sit idly by and watch, wish, or whine...
Enjoy the Henry and Ella "Wheelchair Fun" video...
