Skip to main content

BeniLeaks

When it rains, it pours at our house. In the midst of the scramble for a wheelchair (the sweet tale in my previous post does not portray the heartache of finding a chair for Ben), we developed yet another issue:

On the Sunday after Christmas, it rained miserably. The roof over Ben's room (and Logan and Sean's) is a shed roof, meaning it has a very gradual, almost flat roof. We have known for about four years that replacement was imminent. About two years ago, we made a temporary fix. In my grand plan, when the accessible bathroom was built, this roof would be replaced. Over the past couple of months, I noticed bubbling on Ben's wall when it rained and in the weeks before Christmas, I saw damage on the ceiling from water. It did not look good.

That same Sunday, the sun came out and it turned out to be a pretty day. I was thankful that the rain had not made the situation in Ben's room worse. Boy was I wrong. About 5 o'clock, I checked on Ben, and water was pouring down from the ceiling, just above his desk and computer. I grabbed Ben and yelled for Ryan.

With a nail hole to relieve the pressure of the water and a bucket to catch the stream, we were able to contain any damage. Although, it quickly became apparent that half of the ceiling's dry wall was filled with water. To my untrained, non-construction eye, it looked like it would cave soon. With Logan's help, we got the computer, books and other items out of the room.

More than a week later, Ben is still sleeping on the couch, or in our bed when he manages to throw Ryan and me out. Incidentally, I write this post at 4am because said thing just happened.

I did not want the other boys traipsing through the wreckage or breathing in the dust and insulation so all three boys slept in the family room while the worst of the clean-up was completed. It is an old house and to get to Logan and Sean's room, you have to walk through Ben's room to get there. For the boys, it was just another adventure sleeping in a different room, one with a television. They were sad to put an end to the Scooby Doo marathon when Logan and Sean were able to go back to their room.

Carpenters have replaced the boards around the outside area so a roofer can come in and do his job. In the meantime, Ryan tore out the ceiling and the wet insulation and replaced it all. Ben has a newly painted room awaiting him. But as I know better than anyone, construction takes twice as long as anticipated.

With Ben's furniture, clothing and books scattered throughout the house, dry wall dust coating every surface and college playoff games being missed because of work to be done, Ryan and I remind each other that "this too shall pass." It could have been a lot worse if the ceiling had fallen in while Ben was sleeping or while we were away. It was lucky that it happened when it did.

Ben has tried numerous times to get to his room. We have explained the situation, but it is apparent that he misses his boy-cave. By the time this posts, I am hopeful, he will be back in his own bed.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Parenting an Adult Child with Disabilities

  "Parenting an Adult Child with Disabilities" is a series on eSpeciallyBen. As Ben approached 18, it was clear our role changed as parents. We needed to help Ben transition into adulthood. These stories are meant to assist other families who face, or will face, some of the same challenges. Talking About the Future Guest Post - Matt Wilson Legal Guardianship, Medicaid and SSI Researching Group Homes Questions to Ask at a Group Home Visit Referral Packet for Group Homes Getting Assistance from a Care Manager From Group Home Placement to Discharge Reaching for Independence

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

After my post, Brotherly Love , I received an email from a reader who reminded me of this song. I knew the song, but had never really thought about the words and the meaning behind them. I looked it up and thought others might see the lyrics in a new light.   He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother The road is long With many a winding turn That leads us to who knows where Who knows when But I'm strong Strong enough to carry him He ain't heavy, he's my brother. So on we go His welfare is of my concern No burden is he to bear We'll get there For I know He would not encumber me If I'm laden at all I'm laden with sadness That everyone's heart Isn't filled with the gladness Of love for one another. It's a long, long road From which there is no return While we're on the way to there Why not share And the load Doesn't weigh me down at all He ain't heavy, he's my brother. He's my brother He ain't h

ABC's of ABA

A few weeks ago I attended a workshop presented by a behavior therapist. As it turned out, I went to a conference on the same topic over a year ago. I will describe what I have taken away from these methods in my own words - but please take a look at the links I have provided below. After I learned about this, life with children made a lot more sense to me. Not that this is earth shattering material, but it helped me to better understand the hows, whats and whys of behavior in children, and occasionally husbands. I am in no way an expert in this - just a parent who wants to share a behavior strategy that has worked in our home. I hope to inspire others to explore it further.  Any errors in information comes from me and cannot be blamed on the presenters. Also, you may have seen ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis - connected most often with Autism - please do not let this deter you if your child is not autistic. I use these methods with all my children, none of which are labeled au