So today was our big visit with Charlie. We got up and took a drive through a very scenic part of CT to get to the safe home...only getting slightly lost. When we got there Charlie came out to greet us in an orange and gray striped shirt with gray sweatpants on. And of course blinking tonka truck sneakers! We went to the play room and just hung out and played with him. We thought other kids would be there, but it was just us, him and his safe home worker. At first, he was stand offish to Gabe. Made sense since he has had zero male role models and the men that have been in his life have been abusive to his mom. But he warmed up to Gabe after Bev asked Gabe to help her with something.
He has very blond hair and blue eyes...which he told us were blue (knows his colors). He is chubby with spikey hair. At one point he looked at Gabe's hair and I swear he was thinking, "your hair is spikey like mine!"
We played with cars and play-doh and a school bus. It was clear that he has learned a lot of colors and shapes but not many letters and that someone used to read to him because he asked Gabe to read him a story, pulled his chair right up next to him and put his hand on Gabe's knee.
He followed directions really well and put his toys away even though it was killing him to do so. There was no yelling or defiance. No throwing of any toys...other than the silly Mr. Potato Head glasses that he has no use for.
We showed him a picture of JP on the cell phone and he looked with very caring eyes and asked if we could bring JP to visit next time.
As we left the visit, he ran out into the parking lot. Bev asked him to hold her hand and he said no, so she grabbed Gabe's hand and Charlie said.."noooo, I want to", so we all walked across the parking lot holding hands. Then he ran away from the safe home worker. (hee hee)
So, we are going to go see him again, maybe Sunday evening if they will allow it, in a different type of setting, maybe with other kids around.
Until then...
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