Wednesday of Week 2

Wednesday was another busy day on the fifth floor of Rainbow. A seven-year-old sister of a patient was determined to beat me in air hockey. At first she couldn't, but when I returned from lunch, she was a new player. She must have went through some serious training while I was at lunch because she greatly improved and was able to squeeze out a win. Another patient asked for drawing materials, and together we drew. I was surprised yet delighted that she wanted the 3-D bird I made a few days ago that was falling apart. The four-year-old brother of a patient that I had played house with twice this week came back for more. This time we added Legos into the mix. We spent hours constructing several different pools with water slides and diving boards for the family to enjoy (shown below). Since he keeps forgetting my name, he decided that I should be called "dudie woodie" after I taught him the word "dude." The seven-year-old girl that also hung out in the playroom Monday and Tuesday was leaving that day, so she and I decided we had to go through her cycle of playing with the air hockey table, the toy kitchen, and the toy tractor a few more times. Busy days like these pose a challenge I did not expect when I started my project: balancing the time I spend with the kids. I have found it difficult at times to tell someone I have to take them back to their room in order to comfort other patients. Some of the kids, especially those who are siblings of patients, never really want to stop playing. They have too much energy for me.