DH+DS in D.C. => Life in the big city

[tgrimes]

Dh is in washington dc with Theo, they went for a couple days befroe they go to see my daughter in Virginia. When I talked to him last night on the phone, he was so animated, he sounded fired up about going to see things, he told me he was going to the big point (monument) and lincoln memorial.
I thought he would enjoy getting around on the subway, and be interested in metro maps and such, but hubby said he really hates it.
Anyway, last night he sounded so excited about going up in the 'point', and when they got there they stood in line for an hour :eek: to go up, then when the elevator operator started talking about 'hold on, cause it's not like a regular elevator, it goes fast and it can get bumpy...' Theo said forget it, i'm not going up. Hubby said he was so dissappointed at first, he did everything he could to talk him into it but no-go. Reminded me a bit of the time he wouldn't get on board the boat for a homeschoolers boat trip we hade prepaid for four tickets for :( .
Anyway, I was talking to hubby about it later and he said he wasn't so much dissappointed they didn't get to go up, but more like he had a picture in his head of them doing this together, and so it was more like a 'lost' opportunity, he thought.
Anyway, I know Theo, and would be willing to bet that somewhere on the way home, probably around south carolina, he will let out a big sigh and look out the window and say:
"Ohhh...I should've gone up that point! "

[milivica]

Theo said forget it, i'm not going up. Hubby said he was so dissappointed at first, he did everything he could to talk him into it but no-go....

....Anyway, I know Theo, and would be willing to bet that somewhere on the way home, probably around south carolina, he will let out a big sigh and look out the window and say:
"Ohhh...I should've gone up that point! "


*ack OMG it makes me nuts when Vince does that!

BTW, your husband is impressive, he totally did the right thing in SO MANY ways.

[tgrimes]

what, he does that "I shoulda" thing?

[tgrimes]

UGH - now the last couple of times I talked to dh he was real frustrated sounding, theo won't get on any transportation now without exhaustive patience.
I hope this trip doesn't turn out to be a disaster.

[peglem]

Oh no. Things like that happen a lot when we take Allie anywhere. Wish I had some quick advice you could give your husband. Big problem with Allie on road trips (we don't even try to fly or use public transport) is using the bathroom. She gets very agitated in the car when she has to go, but its so hard to get her into and through the little stores that have restrooms. She's fine once you get her to the bathroom-its the voyage, not the destination that bothers her. Then when she finishes her job- getting her back through the store to the car is a chore also.

The only thing I can think of is some kind of "fidget" device. Something he can use to distract himself from the anticipation/anxiety. I'm sure Mili will be along to identify the core deficits that are causing this- let me guess: self regulation, lack of referencing your husband for reassurance. ummm...what else?

[tgrimes]

Big problem with Allie on road trips (we don't even try to fly or use public transport) is using the bathroom. She gets very agitated in the car when she has to go, but its so hard to get her into and through the little stores that have restrooms.

Ha ha! I know how you feel... theo hates public restrooms. He doesn't even like to pee.. last trip he was the only person in the car that held it all the way from NC to Florida. :eek:


The only thing I can think of is some kind of "fidget" device. Something he can use to distract himself from the anticipation/anxiety. I'm sure Mili will be along to identify the core deficits that are causing this- let me guess: self regulation, lack of referencing your husband for reassurance. ummm...what else?

Yeah, just what hubby was talking about last night - he said he wanted to leave first thing in the morning to head for my daughter's apartment, just so they could be around two tvs and a game system.
Back when he had planned his vacation time, my daughter thought she would be in port (she's in navy), but it turned out she wouldn't be in for a couple more days. So the choice was they either stay at her apartment (with her boyfriend), or at a motel for a couple days till she got back, so he decided a few days in dc would be good.
So, yeah. If thye are headed there today, they will both be able to fidget, and dh will probably be ready to play some games after all this too.
We both love that 'guitar hero' game, anyone else play that?

[Isabelle]

same thing after being on drugs, he needed to go, shaking his bum but couldn't move, no matter the motivations: coke, macd...so his father had to take him physically screaming all the way to the washroom, people giving him the dirty looks and that's how we ended our trips to Florida together as family. before drugs i will announce a pit stop and marching like the indians in peter pan i would take them to use the washroom in record time.