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| We got the call at about six o'clock in the evening. It was from our son. His voice portrayed great haste, fear, and excitement. "Dad, the contractions are exactly one minute apart. I think it's time for the baby!" It was our son's first child, and he was unsure what to do. It was the mother's second. Why she didn't know is beyond me. My husband tried to portray as much calm as possible. "Are you at the hospital?" "No, we are still at home!" "Have you called 911? Is the ambulance there?" "No, Dad! Should we?" "Son, if the contractions are one minute apart, you guys should be at the hospital." "We're going!" And, with that finality our son is famous for, he slammed down the receiver. He had tweny miles to go to the hospital. We had thirty five miles to go. After hastily dialing a special code to our daughter's pager, we tumbled out of the house and flew down the road, after calling State Patrol for an escort. They were parked alongside the road, and waved as we sped along at nearly eighty miles an hour, *smiles* That was "schweet!" LOL We met at the hospital at six thirty. We had a brief consultation with our son, who looked wild and a little unkempt. His ear-length black hair hung loosely and disheveled. He had driven the whole way to the hospital in record time, as fast as if ghosts were chasing him, lol Mom was already in her room ready for the birthing. My husband was banished to the hall. My son took his position on the left side of the bed, and I took up the position on the right side of the bed. It was our job to hold the mother's knees and assist in any way she needed. There was constant activity and hubbub at the foot of the bed. Between contractions, I tried to reassure and comfort our son. Then I would try to encourage and say positive things to the mother. After about an hour of this routine, and with tensions building, the nurse announced that the baby should have been here, but it was as if he were waiting for something. My son looked up rather slyly, smirking through his dark lashes, "My sister has been telling the baby all along that he can't come until she is present!" The nurse gave him "one of those looks" and left the room. Our EMT daughter and a friend, a policewoman in town, had been at the rodeo when the call finally came through the pager. In times like these, knowing nearly every state patrol between home and the hospital served its purpose. They had sped to the hospital at speeds exceeding eighty miles an hour. When the girls recounted there break-neck speeds, it made me thankful for the mere eighty miles an hour my husband had driven, :) At eight twenty-five, our daughter (the EMT), flew into the birthing room, and stationed herself at the foot of the bed and slightly to the left, on the same side as her brother, to talk to the baby (and probably to secretly keep the medical personnel in line, lol). Then she confidently told the baby, "Okay, little one. Aunty is here. It is time to be born now." Almost immediately the doctor announced, "We've got a head! Push, push!" In the loudest voice I dared, without seeming obvious, I echoed, slightly over my right shoulder in the direction of the hall, "We've got a head!" Then my daughter announced in unison with the doctor, "We've got shoulders!" This time, almost embarassingly loud I yelled over my right shoulder, "We've got shoulders!" Within an instant my big, burly husband flew into the birthing room just as the baby was delivered! Our whole family was present at this very emotionally charged, circumstance ridden, miraculous moment. Here was a very vocal, nine-pound, hairy little bundle of baby boy who had a full head of hair on which the nurse placed one of those blue and white knitted stocking caps. In all the emotions following this birth, with all of the mixed feelings about the relationship between the mom and dad, amidst all the excitement of this glorious event, NO ONE had remembered to bring a camera. I was dispatched to the nearest K'mart to complete this very important task. As soon as I could exit that ER door, I made my way across the parking lot to collapse against the car. I needed a cigarette. When I returned with the camera, grandpa was sitting in the corner of the room, in a huge powder blue, overstuffed, upholstered easy chair cuddling the baby who was wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. He was surrounded by our son and daughter. Looking up from the bundle he cradled, with an ethereal gleam in his eye, Papa knowingly announced, “This boy’s a healer! He going to be doing a great healing work!” Papa retreated back to the world of new, soft babies fresh from Heaven, regaining that ethereal gleam. Our daughter promptly took the cameras and began flashing away. And so we heralded the birth of the Bunky into our lives. That was the evening of July 11, 1998. Little did we know that the crib we purchased for visits, and the stroller Aunty had purchased would be part of his entourage less than a year later when we would be his total world, and would be legal custodians of this Little One. He arrived in our hearts on July 11, 1998. He arrived permanently in our home in March of 1999. During this time I was still working full time, so grandpa and the Bunky had plenty of time to get acquainted. Grandpa, my hubby, spent hours on the floor working with this little angel, massaging his legs, exercising his muscles, teaching him to crawl. You see, our strapping nine pound grandson was only eleven pounds and four ounces when he came to us at seven and a half months old. It is still with difficulty that I think kind thoughts toward his mother, but I guard myself carefully, lest I taint this precious gift of God. It was Bunky's father, our son, who finally put an end to the neglect and abuse from the baby's mother. She spent one year in jail for her abuse and neglect, and is forever a registered offender. We later found out that she was the one who had diabolical, bizarre plans for this child. For his honesty and for turning in the situation to the police, our son was eventually rewarded with six years prison time. But, that is another story, perhaps another page in this saga of transitions, *sighs softly* By the end of May Nana was severely injured at work, and by August I was able to be home full time. What an exciting adventure this has been. This Little One is so characteristically like our two children, yet uniquely different at the same time. Nothing that worked for them, works for him. We are playing by totally different rules. Our old energies have had to change. Perhaps if we had changed these old energies over twenty years ago, we could have been even more supportive to our children. Even though we encouraged their independence, in hindsight I believe some things could have been done differently. Bunky carries the stature and attitude of a king. He is now full of self-assurance, bravery, wisdom, as opposed to his condition when we received him; and knows exactly who the boss is, or at least who he thinks should be fully in charge, lol On more than one ocassion I have commented that he wakes up running, and hates to stop long enough for sleep. He is a bundle of endless energy and unrelenting curiosity. Grandpa had given the Bunky a wonderful start. His play time with our grandson reminds me of something I have recently read: Teaching Bunky has been a challenge. He will NOT tolerate direct orders. He has to think that it is his idea, lol It was not until I read the above book that I began to fully understand his gifted specialness, and how to support this very old, new Little One, this emissary of Love. What is written on this page is not meant to cause him embarassment when he gets older, as we observe and discover and transcend each of his transitions. It is my heart's desire, that in sharing with you this peek into our window at our dear little Indigo, that it will give you hope and inspiration. Hopefully, you will leave a note in our guestbook, and together, these magical indigo teachers and all of us caregivers/parents/parent figures/students, can make a difference with loving each other and sharing. The world can never be the same. Following is a poem I wrote last year for his birthday. (Please keep in mind, lol.....it is only the third poem I have written) Full of mirth, full of play Full of laughter, runs all day, Kisses the kitty, chases bubbles Plays with cars, hates all troubles, Hunts for airplanes in the sky Looks in your soul right through your eye Watches for the moon most every night And when he's angry it's a dreadful fright. Loves mooches and hugs, And picking up bugs..... Will sit in your lap if you read.... Loves throwing the ball to the dog in the yard, And riding his red-wheeled steed. Plays music with Papa, the casio And gathers wish flowers to blow, The guys they love eating And Indian drum beating And singing the songs that they know. He loves taking car trips And picking his lips And licking off chapstick, Cherry Every day with him is sunshine..... He makes our lives so merry! We've seen learning to talk and learning to walk, With his very first step we were there We've been there with love every night, every day And been there for every nightmare...... He loves playing in the pool And acting the fool As he dances and prances around He spins in a whirl all giggles and fun And collapses in joy on the ground He's discovered the slide, And flown in the swing As he stretches his legs to the sky At the end of the day he is all done in And finally gives up with a sigh! A warm bath and cuddles And splashing in puddles Where he emptied the glass on the floor One more story at bedtime One more mother-goose-rhyme And he'll fall asleep like a cherub To get up in the morning for more! Happy Birthday to our little miracle of a grandson whom we adore, and who turned three years-old on July 11! This child is such a joy! He is indeed a miracle child, and every day we are eternally grateful for his progress and development. What can I tell you that would help and inspire you? What can I say that would explain the very special, unique qualities that are inherent to this Little One? These are very special traits he has brought with him to bless and teach and share with us. Perhaps it would just be best to share little vignettes with you, kind of as parenthetical thoughts, lol ** Sabbath School Class -- He absolutely CANNOT sit still! He would rather be helping the teacher with the flannel board, or touching the other children. He is especially patient and tender with the babies, wanting to guide them and tell them what to do, lol. At first we made several trips to the bathroom, because he would not "obey" like the other children. Saturdays became a battleground, at least for me because he would not "conform." It just wasn't fair to any of us! He loved the children, they loved him, but he couldn't sit still long enough to finish out the class. We stopped going, because we were all learning the things that were least effective. ** Sunday School Class -- We located another church where we enjoyed the fellowship. They had no program for three-year olds. The class he did enjoy, and had children five to seven. He enjoyed the kids, but, again, he would rather run around. Although he enjoyed the craft projects, he hadn't learned to "sit still" like the other children that had been in school. My husband and I had quit the "church system" years ago, but were looking for ways Bunky could socialize with children. Bunky was just fine, lol It was the system that didn't fit him. ** Touching -- We are a demonstrative family. We love hugging and kissing. Bunky is always ready to offer hugs when we ask, and is always free with his mooches. We have taught him when he needs a hug, to ask. He won't, *laughs out loud, winking* He asks for a "touch" instead, *wide grins and chuckles* If the cat has an owie, he wants to touch him. When we pass by people in the store, there are certain ones he likes to touch. We have attempted to explain to him that some people don't like to be touched, but to no avail. We went to the library recently, walking side by side to the door. There was a lady approaching us who had a very sad face, like she might really be weighted down with burdens. We started to pass by quietly, but Bunky would have none of it. Nearly yanking me off my feet sideways, he jerked and pulled me, saying, "Touch, touch!" He reached out and grabbed her hand, and gave her his famous bright-as-sunshine smile! That woman lost fifteen years of sorrow, and her smile reflected Bunky's sunshine. I swear she walked lighter as she left, *smiles softly in remembrance* Even now he is playing gently with a buggy-wuggy he has had all day, touching him and holding that bug ever so lightly. ** Languaging -- As a typical baby he was saying his "dadas and mamas" by age five to six months. The abuse was so devastating to him that he quit talking! When he came to stay with us we were known as Papa and Nana. Oh he could communicate, that was no problem! Pointing is a marvelous tool, lol And, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his intelligence! He could make up his own words! Case in point: He knew what the difference between juice and water. Would he say "juice" or "water?" Oh, no! *giggles* He called it "JU-WA!" (pronounced joo-wah) Another instance: I often rock him and sing/hum to him. My humming consists of na, na, na, na! Needless to say, music became na-na. What was he to call me? He settled that right away! I became TaTa, lol Dogs are "whoo-whoos" since they bark so much! Now, don't get too upset, because he knows the correct words! I have asked him! During the first six months we had the county nurse, and an early childhood training "teacher" coming to visit with us, to help him along. The "teacher" brought a toy so small that it got stuck behind his teeth, and he panicked. Papa and I had to pry it out! Bunky NEVER trusted her again! We shall not discuss how Papa and Nana felt! She never came back to our house, at our request! He is developing just fine, in his own way! Why, his daddy said "boid" for "bird" until the second grade, LOL For this reason we have not been overly alarmed at his slowness in language development. Just think how smart this Little One is to figure out his own language! ** Blowing Mooches -- Bunky has added a new dimension to butterfly kisses, which he shares freely with many people. In fact, he is fast becoming famous for his "blowing mooches." Not EVERYONE gets one, only special people. Oh, wait.......I didn't tell you what was so special about his mooches that he blows to people! This child lights up from the inside out, then he blows his mooch, ACCOMPANIED by a hug! He hugs himself, smiles, and throws it out to the one receiving the mooch! - -Very, very special, and his own creation! ** Self-Image -- One of the most precious things I enjoy seeing is the confidence this Little One exudes. He lo-o-oves bubble baths, and DOES NOT like getting dirty. One day, while fixing his bubble bath, I had called out to him to get his clothes off. When I peeked into the living room to see if he was ready, he was standing in the middle of the floor, rubbing the palms of his hands over his tummy and chest saying, "Bunky pretty!" Having struggled with my own self-esteem, this is a glorious site to behold! He is such a wonderful child! When people tell him how beautiful/pretty/handsome he is, it is often needful to remind him to say thank you, for he already knows it within himself, yet there is not an aura of conceit connected with this knowingness! Now, to figure out the balance in teaching "manners." LOL ** Potty Training -- Now, first of all we don't believe in forcing the children to give up their foolers, wean from the bottle, potty train, etc. If they do it when they are ready, it will empower them. We followed this philosophy with our children, and now, with our grandson! Bunky showed no interest whatsoever in using the potty, even though he had his own special chair, and even though he was introduced to the concept. Two years old came and went, age three was fast approaching. He was not interested. He HATED dirty, wet diapers, and would pull them off, if he had the chance. Then another little miracle happened. On June 28, 2001 I heard a plaintive voice calling from the living room, "TaTa, pee-pee!" From that day and NIGHT on, Bunky was potty-trained! On July 4th we went to a demolition derby and were gone from home for six hours. He never had an accident, and have had few since. The few times that an "accident" occurred happened to be when he didn't feel well, and he was so-o-o disappointed that he was wet! We never scolded him, yet encouraged him to try again. ** Moon and the Sky -- Are there first moments you never forget? One day Bunky was in his stroller, and we were walking across the parking lot at the store when he pointed up, way up, and asked, "Whas zat?" It was my delight to explain that it was the sky. Ever since he was old enough to notice his surroundings, he has been enthralled with the moon. Many a night we have had to go outside just to see the moon and stars. He has been troubled when the "moon was all gone," and he couldn't see it! One evening not long ago he announced, quite matter-of-factly, pointing to the darkened night sky, "Ta-Ta, Bunky far-away, kinkle kinkle tars. Wins groken! (as he pointed to his back) Far-away home!" The next second he was back to playing. Last week, while watching a movie the scene changed to one of twinkling stars. I admit that I could not resist asking if that was where he came from. With a huge sigh and a voice barely audible, but plainly, and fairly "grown-up" he whispered, "Long ago." That was the end of that conversation. Amidst hugs and mooches we dissolved that conversation into play. [In my attempt to recount this tale, I questioned the Bunky, reading to him what I had written. I asked him if Bunky's home was far away with the stars. For a toddler whose favorite, and practically only word is "no" -- he looked at me, almost sympathetically, and said quite clearly, "Yes, Ta-Ta." This is the FIRST time he has given me a straight "yes" answer.] These special "memories" do not occur all the time, and we cherish them when they are shared with us. Bunky loves playing with cars, trucks and airplanes. He adores music, playing the casio with papa, and singing. He likes watching movies with us, and one of his favorites is Fantasia. Swings and slides excite him, and playing in the park he finds irresistible. He is constantly trying to lead the other children, and warn them not to fall. We have enjoyed each of his changes, and look forward to the adventure of his life transitions. One last note -- Sharing these things is not meant to set me up as a paragon of motherhood, or grandmotherhood! We shall not recount the many nights that Nana cried herself to sleep because she had "failed" to make the best choice. Or we shall not dwell on the times she got frustrated and yelled and screamed when she shouldn't have. There are times when Papa and Nana would argue that the Bunky would holler, "Top!" [for "Stop!"] It was not until I read the book, INDIGO CHILDREN, that I had more understanding of the spiritual battle taking place especially concerning this Little One. For a long time we have known that we are all on a spiritual quest, and having Bunky with us has demanded that we be our very best. One situation comes instantly to mind. At the time he came to live with us, Papa and I were smoking. After fifteen years of abstinence, we had picked up the habit during some tumultuous times with our son. Bunky, all of eighteen months old, and with a limited vocabulary, would always comment, "Yuk, yuk!" Papa couldn't even light up a comforting, old pipe without this gentle admonition from our grandson. We promptly gave up smoking, AGAIN, *chuckles* Indigo children are special in demanding that we be genuine and that we be our best. Bunky is quite an inspiration to that end! He has entered our hearts during some very trying times in my life. He is a joy and a wonder! Praise be for this little miracle! Please visit the links below to learn more about Indigo Children. INDIGO CHILDREN HOME PAGE ~~lists camp facilities and schooling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE INDIGO CHILDREN ... EXCERPT The Indigo Child is a boy or girl who displays a new and unusual set of psychological attributes, revealing a pattern of behavior generally undocumented before. This pattern has singularly unique factors that call for parents and teachers to change their treatment and upbringing of these kids to assist them in achieving balance and harmony in their lives, and to help them avoid frustration. In this groudbreaking book, Lee and Jan answer many of the often-puzzling questions surrounding Indigo Children. 1. Can we really be seeing human evolution in kids today? 2. Are these kids smarter than we were at their age? 3. How come a lot of our children today seem to be "system busters"? 4. Why are so many of our brightest kids being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)? 5. Are there proven working alternatives to Ritalin Throughout this work, they bring together some very fine minds (doctors, educators, psychologists, and more) who shed light on the Indigo Child phenomenon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INDIGO CHILDREN Have strong self esteem, connection to source Know they belong here until they are told otherwise Have an obvious sense of self Have difficulty with discipline and authority Refuse to follow orders or directions Find it torture to waiting in lines, lack patience Get frustrated by ritual-oriented systems that require little creativity Often see better ways of doing thing at home and at school Are mostly nonconformists Do not respond to guilt trips, want good reasons Get bored rather easily with assigned tasks Are rather creative Are easily distractible, can do many things at once Display strong intuition Have strong empathy for others or NO empathy Develop abstract thinking very young Are gifted and/or talented, highly intelligent Are often identified or suspected of having ADD or ADHD, but can focus when they want to Are talented daydreamers and visionaries Have very old, deep, wise looking eyes Have spiritual intelligence and/or psychic skills Often express anger outwardly rather than inwardly and may have trouble with rage Need our support to discover themselves Are here to change the world - to help us live in greater harmony and peace with one another and to raise the vibration of the planet ~by Wendy H. Chapman |
| I Tried to Teach My Child with Books; He Gave Me Only Puzzled Looks. I Tried to Teach My Child with Words; They Passed Him by Often Unheard. Despairingly, I Turned Aside; "How Shall I Teach this Child," I cried? Into My Hand He Put the Key, "Come," He Said, "Play with Me." ~author unkown~ . . .Little Ones' intent to play. They will teach us the innocence in their hearts that embrace unconditional love. They shall inherit the earth with this love. (INDIGO CHILDREN, The New Kids Have Arrived, pp 124-125; by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober) ~used with permission~ |
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| Updated: 12/2007 |