The Lodger and Us

"Gabh mo leithsc é al... Gabh mo leithsc é al.... Gabh mo leithsc é al....." I drove along perplexed.  99.9% of the time I understand The Lodger but there's always that 0.1% that will leave me completely at a loss. I'll ask him questions to see if I can figure it out and most of the time it works but not this time.  Due to PWS, The Lodger's speech is delayed. He can say all the words in the world now but he misses the last syllable of most words and some sounds are still difficult for him but he's working on it. This means that to the untrained and unfocused ear, some words sound alike. Just the other day he announced at breakfast "Mum, I'll help you" and I said, "Fantastic, superstar!" . His father and Auntie looked on aghast until they realised he said help, not hate! And just like everything in the world of The Lodger, practise and patience will get him there. However this particular time, on the drive in ...

It's 3am. It's beeping again. It might stop. It doesn't. How many times is this? Only 4. A good night so far. I head stumbling for the Lodgers room. He's asleep, oblivious to the constant monotonous beeping. I fix the strap back on his face and the beeping stops. For now. Time for a quick snooze before the next one. So far a below average night from the average 7/8 trips across the landing and the World Record of eleven but that was in the midst of a head cold so I'll allow him that. Him and his bloody beeping mask . But yet I am no more tired than I was before the Lodger, before his mask, before PWS. I'm trained. Self-trained, and for the most part self-taught, in the adventures of Prader Willi Syndrome. The beeping rules are simple. Beeping mask when we're awake not my problem. Beeping mask when we're asleep, very much my area. I don't know how we got to this agreement but it works. Possibly wifey enjoys the sound of consistent be...

2018 is the year of adventure for our family.  That’s how we’re selling it to The Lodger. Pirates have adventures. Pirates can do no wrong in the world of the Lodger. Adventures are a good thing.  Over the last few months, he’s watched as   the estate agent visited to have a look around the house. Why Mum? He’s watched as the man in the van put up a big sign in the garden. Why Mum? He’s watched as we manically cleaned the house before viewings. Why Mum? He’s watched as we started packing things into boxes. Why Mum? He’s watched as the boxes started to fill up the rooms and his toys started to disappear. Why Mum? Today, the Lodger entered the house for the last time today to see all our belongings gone.  He walked into the sitting room.  “ The couch is gone. The Christmas tree is gone. “ He walked into the dining room.. “Everything is gone.” He walked into the kitchen... “ Mum, o no. The kitchen...