Peace and quiet

This guy.

He might just be the most wearying, frustrating, 2 year old enigma.

And the most cuddly, lovable little guy.

He is always moving and it usually involves spinning, running, and/or banging. Just last week, as I picked him up from childcare at church I was asked what to do about all of that banging. I promised the caregiver that if she could figure it out, I would make it worth her while. I also patted my back; I figured that if she couldn't stand it after only a few hours, then I must be doing pretty good for not committing myself to the Funny Farm after more than a year of banging.

A few days ago, Mr. Victor came to us with his older brother's headphones. The Good Doctor and I decided that the unspoken sibling rule stating that anything left on the floor was open season would qualify in this situation so we got him all set up.

The result was nothing less than miraculous.

He sat.

Quietly.

He barely moved.

His breathing slowed.

The best part? He was tethered to the computer by that short cord connected to the headphones. He was right by our side, easy to supervise, yet not banging anything onto our bodies or the furniture around us.

We immediately looked online for a pair of headphones that he could call his own; cheaper than brother's but could withstand a visually impaired 2 year old with sensory processing disorder. We didn't find anything that fit the bill.

But last night, at a consignment sale, I found something that I thought might do the trick. And for the price - even if they only lasted a week, it would mean a peaceful, centered child at less than a dollar a day. Into the bag they went.

And this morning, onto his head they went.

Miraculous.

He sat.

Quietly.

He barely moved.

His breathing slowed.

And he was tethered to Isaac's tablet so he could be supervised but without jumping on the couch or banging anything on his brother.

His music of choice? Depends. Raffi. Johnny Cash. Newsies. Maybe even Elmo's World to switch things up. His tastes are eclectic and it doesn't matter because it means a bit of silence for the rest of us.

Ahhhhhhh.