A Great Day with My Brother

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Okay.

I always seem to start something like this with the word “Okay,”

Okay. So, you want to know about Jason and I, Ryan? I am his 12-year old    brother. I love him. Why?

Here’s one day of LIFE OF A RYAN AND JASON.

Wednesday:

6:00 AM

Jason wakes up. I’m still sleeping.

6:46 AM

Jason gets on the school bus. I get out of bed.

7:31 AM

I get on the school bus.

3:45 AM

I get home from school. Jason is already home. Jason says, “Hi, Ryan!” I love to hear him say that. He says it differently each day. Sometimes he says it loud and clear, and sometimes he sort of mutters it, as if he doesn’t want to be bothered. He uses funny voices, like really deep and in a slow, snarky “Sti-cky ta-pe” way.

The sticky tape is from a Dora the Explorer episode, when Dora gets some “sticky tape” out of her backpack. Jason repeats the phrase in his classic “Sticky tape” voice.

5:23 PM

Jason and I eat dinner. His favorite foods include macaroni and cheese, shrimp, chicken, steak, and pretty much every other kind of meat. He also likes some fruits and veggies too, such as pickles and Caesar salad.

5:40 PM

I put on my swimsuit, to get ready for water therapy. Jason is ready too! He is very excited to “Dunk him”

By “Dunk him” Jason means to get in the pool, and shove my head under water. Usually after doing this he laughs while saying “again, again!”

5:58 PM

We leave the house for water therapy. Water therapy is therapy in water. It helps people who can’t walk, like Jason, by teaching them in the water, eventually moving to the solid earth.

6:15 PM

Water therapy begins. Jason and I get in the pool. I get in because I am his helper.

Another one of Jason’s favorite pool games is “Follow Ryan”. This is pretty self-explanatory. Jason follows me around the pool, and when he catches me, he plays the “Dunk Him” game.

The last game he likes to play is “Ryan, Jump!!!”. Again, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Jason literally begs me to jump in the pool. Much to his disappointment, nobody is allowed to jump into the therapy pool.

7:00 PM

Water therapy is over. We walked back and forth, and Jason had fun. He played pool basketball, and the “Dunk Him” game. I think it was great, and so does Jason.

7:10 PM

We leave the therapy place, to return home.

7:20 PM

We get home.

7:40 PM

I sit with Jason, watching “The Price Is Right!”. I enjoy it, even though Jason has seen it a gigamillion times.

8:00 PM

It is Jason’s bedtime. Jason has help from Dad to get upstairs. He throws a ball with my dog, Sidda. Then he walks across the hall to his room. He goes into the Jack & Jill bathroom, which I share with him. He has to brush his teeth.

Jason can’t use his right hand very well, so the following is very important. Jason reaches out, and uses his right hand to turn on the faucet. Next, he uses his left hand to pick up his glass, and fills it up. Once the glass is full, he uses his right hand once again to turn off the water. He’s only learned this recently, so his slow cognitive ability is clearly improving. I am very proud!

Now he sits on the edge of his bed. He got some surgery last April, and since then he has to wear braces to bed.

There are two braces. One goes on his arm, the other goes on his leg. Jason tries to take the arm brace off (Like a rascal, dad says), so Dad has to put a sock and Duct tape over it. While Jason gets his braces on, I read a book to him. One of his favorites, a Dora the Explorer book.

Finally, Jason counts to three, and Dad picks him up and plops him into bed. Goodnight, Jason.

8:30 PM

My bedtime. It’s time to go to sleep. I’m exhausted after this exciting day!