Monday, October 12, 2015

Planting flowers

Kimmy examining some of the dug up worms.
Living next door to me is a special needs girl, Kimmy*. The situation she lives in is very complicated and not a very good one from my perspective. However, in their own way, her family does what they think is best for her. This means they withdrew her from school and let her spend her days playing video games. However, Kimmy also visits me almost every day and during her visits, we chat a bit and read a book or two together. Sometimes we play hide and seek.

I have been yearning to do many more hands-on activities with her, but for reasons too complicated to explain here, I can't. However, I did get a chance today when we planted flowers together. Kimmy came over just as I was getting ready to plant some pansies and I asked her if she wanted to help me plant or to read. She chose planting and I was surprised because of all of the things she tells me that she doesn't like to do.  But she was a willing helper. I didn't realize that planting a flower was such a complicated process until I started to teach Kimmy.

This is what we did.
1. Place the plant where we wanted it to go.
2. Clear away the mulch
3. Dig a hole for the plant without mixing the dirt with the mulch.
4. Measure the hole to see if it is the right size
5. Take the plant out of the pot without damaging it. (Squeeze the sides and push the bottom.)
6. Separate any roots that are starting to get root bound.
7. Place plant in hole and fill dirt around making sure there are no pockets of air.
8. Replace mulch or protect plant as we called it.
9. Water around the plant and not on top of it. (The ground was wet, so we didn't water the hole.)

Kimmy was a quick study and corrected me on any steps I forgot--like the time I was talking about what was on the pizza I had for breakfast and forgot step 8.

But the most fun Kimmy had was with the earthworms. I explained about how they were good for the soil (a new word for her) and we examined them. From then on, she was very excited every time she found one. She said that she couldn't wait to tell her family that she found three worms and she wasn't afraid of them. We also collected acorns and pebbles we dug up that she took home with her.

We both had a great time digging in the dirt and it was a wonderful way to spend a lovely fall afternoon.

*Kimmy is 16 and reads on a first grade level. However, she has many other special skills.





12 comments:

  1. That's really lovely, live and learn, that the two of you have some time together. I imagine it enriches her life, but yours as well.

    Reading about your day made my heart happy.

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    1. Her situation also frustrates me, but I do feel like I am making a difference even if it is in a very small way. But she also makes my life better as she shows me the world through her eyes.

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  2. What a sweet story. I'm quite sure that Kimmy is grateful to have you in her life!

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    1. It's interesting that she approached me and started to come over on her own. She rarely comes out of the house and we had only seen each other a few times over the years. But here she is a regular visitor and everyone is benefiting.

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  3. Congratulations to you for being there! Our most important gift is our time.
    I do volunteer work at a day facility for adults with special needs. I have never been anywhere else where I felt so good and wanted. The participants are delightful and joyous for every new opportunity. If you would like to email me haljam3@gmail, I will be very happy to share some things that are simple to do and have already been tried.

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    1. Thanks, Anne. I'll send you an email and give you a little more of the situation and you may have some tips for me. It

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  4. You've mentioned Kimmy before and I always enjoy hearing about her. I'd be frustrated, too, that she has been pulled out of school ... but somehow I don't think it's coincidence that she lives next door to you. What a beautiful, innocent friendship the two of you share!

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    1. It is a friendship and we enjoy each others company. And maybe you're right. It's not a coincidence that she lives next door.

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  5. I'm glad she has such a kind neighbor as you, to show her another world out there.

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    1. I think we're lucky to have found each other. I also spent a lot of time with her older brother who was my son's best friend for many years. Then they parted ways as her brother took the path of drugs and crime. He didn't have any developmental disabilities, but he did live in the same family mess.

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  6. I too have a special needs neighbor and a discussion he and I had the other day made me think of Kimmy. I wondered if she still visited you. She is very lucky to have you near by. From you short description of what I am sure is only part of what goes on in her life I would have to agree her home situation could be better. My neighbor, while still in school, stays in his room most of the time with his video games too. When he comes out he has a hand held game that goes with him every where. The few times he's put it down is when he comes over here wanting to help in the yard.

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    1. As I do somethings with Kimmy, I think of your neighbor boys who come to visit. It happens all to often, but it's a shame when parents who have major problems pass them onto their children. Actually, you probably know more about that than you want to Lois.

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