Jon’s teacher just phoned in with a tale of Jon’s day. Usually she sends it home in a book that we exchange news and notices in, but today demanded a phone call.

He got 100% on his spelling and reading tests, and has moved on to the next book and typing list. Super.

But wait, there’s more. Jon called for a bathroom visit (known as “Health Care” at the school) just before lunch, and since he was there while the rest of the school stampeded–well, mostly roll-peded– to the cafeteria, the school halls were like a ghost town. His teacher decided that now would be a good time for someone to practice wheeling his own chair.

Now, Jon is not known for wheeling. He refuses to do it for us and will do little practice at school, but has been observed to do it from time to time in cases of extreme–um– desire. One of our first visits to the wheelchair clinic saw Jon, bored with the discussion, wheel towards an unexplored exit by expertly slaloming around a number of people and two wheelchairs parked in the centre of the room. Many slack jaws. The other night at a booklaunch he suddenly pulled a 180 on Mom and headed for the door, perfectly aligned. There was the time at school when he and a classmate “disappeared”…but I digress.

Anyway, today was practice. Jon slowly made it to the cafeteria under the heavy encouragement . He made it and dug into a big lunch. And given that they were late for lunch, the teacher allowed him to stay a little later…meaning the halls were once again clear! And off they went to the library, about another 80 yards away. After library, hey! The halls were clear again. Jon wheeled back to class, at the far end of the hallway, looking a wee bit tired.

Today was Picture Day, and just as he arrived at the classroom, the class got the call to go for their photos, in the enclosed courtyard all the way back near the library. The teacher swung Jon’s chair back around, facing the long hallway. At which point Jon looked up and groaned “Oh god.”

His first epithet. (At which point they reassured him that they’d push, he didn’t have to do it again.)

Jon’s return to school this year has been great. He has the same teacher this year as last–Tami, the first teacher to really click with him and see his potential. So, there is no transition to speak of, and no burden of trying to communicate all the subtleties of Jon’s situation to a new person with his or her own plans for teaching. Jon hit the ground running, back to all of the computer work and reading exercises that he left in June (in fact, we worked on reading and typing in the summer). So he’s very happy.

On Thursday, his bus arrived and I got on the bus to greet him and assist the driver as she unstrapped his wheelchair. Jon greeted me with a long list of what he did at school today–a paragraph where he’d never given me more than a sentence before. Wow. He was really communicative. Clearly, he was on top of his game.

So we got him inside and we got him a snack. We discovered that we still had some Doritos (pretty much his favourite junk food) from last week’s party and gave him a small bowl.

Since he was so on the ball, I tried something I do from time to time: weasel in a little extra reading time. The TV was on, Jon had a mouthful of chips and I suddenly produced the large-type booklet I print up of his school reading program. The title page reads “I find a baby monster“. Jon, mouth full of chips, studied it with full concentration, scanning it carefully. Then, he read to me: “I…am…eating…nachos!”

I fell over laughing. Jon went back to relaxing. Message received, loud and clear.

We borrowed a walker from Jon’s school for the summer, but due to an unfortunate incident early in the summer (Jon hit his legs on the adjustable bolts jutting from the frame) and the overwhelmingly popular cycling, we didn’t get to use it as much as he does at school. Still, he and I have been out the past two days (note the foam pads over the bolts).

Today, the Snowbirds passed overhead (part of the Canadian International Air Show) as we walked today and Jon froze and made a small noise. I expected terror, but as the deafening roar passed over, I heard a stream of awe-filled, testosterone-fueled chortles.

Maybe next year we’ll find a spot to try to watch them. It will require a lot of concentration for Jon: they move so fast, and out-of-sync from their sound. So maybe the enjoyment just comes from moments like this…

It may not be a sustainable exercise plan for adults, but Jon cycled up Logan hill on his trike to the Danforth, and over to Caffe Demetre, for one of their thick milkshakes (which he consumed entirely on his own), and then home. Round trip 2.5 km (over one and a half miles)!