GRRR!

I love my role as a caregiver to Scott.  He is a typically very good patient, without much patience!  When we wake each morning he says, "hi" to me over and over and over again until I give up and get up.  I say this with a smile!  We have a morning routine which involves brushing teeth, undressing and redressing, combing his hair, fixing and encouraging him to eat his breakfast.  Then we finish off the morning routine with with Leave it to Beaver and Perry Mason before he goes for his walk.  It is "ground-hog day" around here for those who are familiar with the movie.  As part of all of this, there is a tad annoying growl throughout the process.  It kind of goes like this.  Come in and brush your teeth--GROWL.  Take your socks off and I will give you some clean ones--GROWL.  Take off your pajamas and put them in the drawer (which is opened for him)--GROWL.  You get the picture!  I have started growling back which always brings a smile to his face and lightens the burden he carries because nothing makes sense to him and he doesn't know how to handle that.  I realized the other day that if I made a list of what he can now do it would be very short.  He can still button, he can put his belt on and usually gets it through all the loops, and he can almost still tie his shoes.  That doesn't seem like much but I am proud that he hasn't given up trying.  So growl if you must and I am going to be grateful that your bark is bigger than you bite!