Hanging out with Adelle

As many of you know, I hang out with my friend, Adelle, every week.  Adelle is 18 years old and has autism.  Because of the autism, Adelle has difficulty sorting out and following social "norms". But the longer I hang out with Adelle, the more I wonder, what is normal social behavior?  When I'm with Adelle, we sing at the top of our lungs, clap our hands, throw our rock fists in the air and we don't really care who hears.  Adelle talks to herself in public and speaks in a friendly way to anyone nearby.   Adelle loves to eat sugar and carbs and other food that is bad for you.  She wants to be friends with everyone.  She's sent Facebook friend requests to everyone at Manhattan High.  I tell her she needs to only send those requests to close friends and she says, yeah, they are!  If she wants to bounce in a bouncy house or be sprayed down by the fireman's hose at the zoo, or play at the splash park squealing with delight when the buckets dump on her head, who is to say she's the one in the wrong because it isn't "normal"? Maybe we are the ones who have it wrong.  

By the way, I had Adelle read this and she smiled and gave me permission to post it.  

Joel and Mike

I am really enjoying having the boys here.  They appreciate the meals and the Mom and Dad time.  It's so nice not to have to worry about them!

Some highlights:

One of the first nights here, it thunder stormed.  Mike had never experienced one and Joel misses them.  When the storm was winding up, Mike and I sat out on the patio.  We moved inside for the biggest part then after the lights went out, we went back out and sat on the patio.  Several of Joel's other friends joined us and the guitar was brought out, also.

One night we played Settler's of Katan on the back deck.  

We drove through the scenic bypass listening to great music, Springsteen... On the way to the lake.  And Shari was there!

Yesterday Joel and Mike came to Eisenhower and had kids play test their game then talked to the computer classes.  It was so fun having them there!  Some of my favorite kids really got into it.

Last weekend Leah came home and we had fun.  Found Joel some shoes at R and R thrift store.  

Of course we went to Chipotle and nephew Jon joined us.

I enjoyed watching the boys work together on their game.  They collaborate well and the process is interesting.  

It's great that Diego hasn't had to be in his kennel much and the boys help in training him.  Mike encourages him to give kisses.  Oh well.  

Today I caught a cicada to show Mike.  He'd never seen one.  

We've been to orange leaf several times.  Love that stuff!  It's easy to please these guys.

Sorry I haven't taken more pictures.

Pringo Dingo at Home

Joel, who has been without a place to live in LA for over five weeks, ran out of money.  It's been so hard as a Mom to have him be homeless.  He is putting in tons of resumes and working with his buddy, Mike on finishing Paparrazzi, the video game that will be released on Playstation 4 when it is done.  There are several more exciting things happening right around the corner for Pringo Dingo games.  So after praying for him and asking others to do the same, it came to us to have both he and Mike come to Manhattan for awhile to work on the game.  

Last night, I went to Wichita to pick them up at the airport!  I stopped by and had dinner with Leah (German food at the Breadbasket) and did a little geocaching and went for a walk then picked them up at 9:20.  We went back by Newton so Joel and Leah could say hi.  Leah and David and his family have purchased a super cool store in downtown Newton, Prairie Harvest, and were doing inventory.  Prairie Harvest is a natural foods store and gift shop.  It sells local and homemade and health food items, novelties, and even has a small natural foods cafe.  It is so fun!  I want everything in there!  I really like their natural peanut butter.  They make the peppernuts that they had on the tables at the wedding.

We got back to town at midnight.  I like having Mike here, too, and it will be fun to share Kansas with him as he's never been here before.  We are looking forward to thunderstorms tonight and then Lake Wabaunsee tomorrow.

Right now, there is game designing going on in the room along with a fantasy football draft. I'm surrounded by males, Joel, Mike, Scott, Andy, and two male dogs.  Time to make everyone a snack I suppose.