Chris and Bruce visit from Chicago. Josh's college buddies visit during Thanksgiving Break.

Nat, Josh,  and Chicago cousins, Chrissy and Bruce 

We all enjoyed having Chrissy and Bruce stay with us for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Chris and Bruce went to Sharp Rehab with Josh and observed his occupational, physical and speech therapies.  Bruce quizzed Josh on world landmarks like the Blarney Castle in Southern Ireland and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.  I have all kinds of flashcards and games to stimulate the brain.  Chris and Bruce are pretty good at world landmarks since they have travelled so much.  I was impressed! 

Bruce fixed up Josh's truck which was very nice of him!  He got the back driver's side window replaced from a mobile glass company that came to our house.  That was great.  He also painstakingly washed Josh's truck which was filthy dirty.  Thanks, Bruce!  You're a peach! 

Josh continues to drive me crazy with the "Where's Dad?" thing...  he just won't accept the fact that he's gone...  I think Josh has read the obituary a hundred times over and he still asks, "Where's Dad, Mom?"  I was reading in one of my brain books that sometimes when there is a traumatic event and then a subsequent brain injury that the traumatic event will be erased from the memory for a while until the brain heals itself.  For example, if a child was molested, then grows up and has a brain injury, the molestation is erased from the mind until the brain heals.  Who knows what's up with Josh?  Last night when Josh was asking about his father, I decided to show him a bunch of pictures of Jerry when he was little.  Josh was checking out the pictures and then said, "Mom, I miss Dad and really want to be with him."  Isn't that just pitifully sad???  I tried to lighten up the conversation and said, "Well, Josh, don't kill yourself!"  Josh then proceeds to laugh his ass off for two minutes straight.  He always seems to find humor in things.  It gets a bit embarrassing if we are out somewhere and Josh starts with that crazy laughing....   Yesterday all his buddies came over and they started looking at crazy clips from You Tube and Facebook .  Josh was laughing so hard tears were running down his eyes.  He was hysterical...  His buddies like to rile him up andget him to start with that crazy laughing....  One of Josh's buddies, Shane, says to me, "Paula, can we take Josh out?"  They don't understand that Josh is not the same Josh.  They keep saying, "He looks great!"  It's true....Josh does look great, but he still has a long way to go mentally....  For example, it would be nice if he knew  what he did ten minutes ago...  that's a start....   He continuously asks me, "Mom, when am I going back to college?"  I say, "Josh, do you think you're ready for college?"  He says, "Yeah!"  I say, "Okay, then, tell me what you did this morning..."  He says, "I don't know."  Then, he cracks up laughing for five minutes.  Real college material...  

Chrissy and I were trying to get Josh to figure out what his Facebook email address was and his password.  Josh did manage to remember his AOL email and password but we couldn't get into Facebook.  It's funny how Josh says he doesn't know this or that, but when you prompt him, he'll figure it out.  For example, with his AOL email, we typed in one of his screen names and although he said, he didn't remember his password, he typed it in spontaneously.  It was cool.  I will not tell you what his password is since it is rather graphic....  typical Josh...

Last night Josh was on the computer and sent an IM to one of his girlfriends asking her to have lunch with him.  He told her to call his cell phone.  I get a call this afternoon from Dana saying, "Oh hi Mrs. Mendell...Josh asked me to lunch and told me to call his cell phone...but it's no longer in service..."  Of course, Josh has no recollection of having sent an IM to Dana...  it's all so crazy! 

Today we golfed again at that small par three.  John, the pro, was telling Josh which club to use and Josh, of course, wanted to use the wedge since it was only a 90 yard hole...  Josh thinks he can do what he did before, but he obviously can't...  After arguing for a few minutes, John finally said, "Okay, Josh, use whatever club you want..."  Josh then proceeds to hit the ball 30 yards and cracks up laughing really loudly for a full two minutes...  I'm wondering when the laughter is going to change to frustration...  That's what all the experts are telling me.  I can't wait!

Thanksgiving dinner was yummy.   I cooked an organic turkey !  Josh was amazed that it was Thanksgiving.  He keeps asking if it is summer...  his sense of time is all messed up...  Hopefully soon, he'll stop asking what day it is and what month it is....

 

Josh's buddies visit during Thanksgiving break - Jason, Weston, Mikey, Shane and Dave.  Josh enjoyed seeing all his brothers!

Tonight I let Josh go to Pick Up Stix with his buddies.  They really wanted to take him, so I let them...  I was actually glad to see Josh go off with his buddies, but I warned them not to get any crazy ideas...  They were cool and Josh returned home unscathed....  he had fun.  That was sweet of his buddies to take him, don't you think?

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  We missed you, Mike, Angie and Tyler!  Hopefully we'll see you soon!!