AND HE READS.....

This doesn't surprise me.....he's on a roll now!!! Great job Trevor!!!

OH and Darren's phrase of the day: "Walk the path"

Ya know sometimes I feel like I am living that movie "Field of Dreams"...I mean if one day he says "If you build it, they will come" I will officially know that God has a true sense of humor:)

My Baseball Boys

THIS IS DARREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, this is a long video.....but probably one of my favorites thus far. I think when you watch it you'll see why:)

Trevor is certainly very talented for his age. He naturally loves sports and is innately competitive. The hard part is teaching him things like leadership, the importance of being humble, and ironically....the importance of being a good student on and off the field. Go ahead and laugh everyone...yes.....this is a "full circle' moment. SO about a week ago we were getting ready to go to bed and I was super tired "shock" and I think Darren was in bed watching a movie and Trevor was not ready to hit the hay quite yet. So I suggested that he get some books and we could relax and read some books together. Honestly I was just hoping that I could close my eyes while he looked at the pictures:) but he seemed interested in reading so I sat up and regrouped and began pointing at the words...simple words...his demeanor instantly changed. He got VERY silly and shy-like. I am thinking what is going on with this kid.....instant freak out flashes occurred:

"Oh god...does he have a learning disability...have I been paying too much attention to Darren that I missed it????????"

"Oh I am a terrible mom who hasn't read to her child and now he is severely behind!!!!!!!"

"Does he need a tutor at the age of five? Do they have such things?" Good lord how much is that going to cost????????"

and then it hits.....

"OH NO...he takes after ME!!!!!!!"

I broke out in a light sweat and tried not to expose my total freak out mode...and I collected myself. Deep breath, deep breath.....I then think I handled myself very well. I wiped the sweat from my brow and went into a deep discussion on the importance of being smart. Acting stupid isn't' funny...it's just stupid. We started breaking down the words and he struggled. He was trying so hard to please me......or be cute and funny....that he wasn't thinking. I can promise all that I drilled this concept into his little curly head:) and we talked about it a lot now and have made reading our new goal for the summer.

No rest for the weary around here, that's for sure. Darren is on the up swing right now. Lots of talking....even calls me Pam on occasion...HA! He started summer school and has surprisingly adjusted extremely well. There were a lot of new faces this summer and I was worried that he was going to be miserable....I even considered not sending him, but decided that wasn't the best decision for me. I love him dearly.....but to be with him 24/7 all summer was probably not the best for all. SO, hesitantly, I sent him and it has all worked out wonderfully. Who knew...

I will share one last story about Darren which I know I will NEVER EVER forget...and I am extremely happy that I had my mom as a witness. I had just gotten home from working with some clients and was sharing my experiences with my mom. My work right now keeps me very centered and I enjoy the challenge. It helps motivate me to try new things with Darren and also accept and recognize how far he has come. So as I was telling my mom this, Darren comes around me and I look at him and say" you amaze me" AND I AM NOT KIDDING WHEN I TELL YOU THAT HE RESPONDED WITH THESE EXACT WORDS

Darren: "Believe"

Me: "Believe?"

Darren: "I'm not broken"

Needless to say, my mom and I cried our eyes out. It brings tears to my eyes now. It was a true divine message that needed to be heard on that particular day.

So I will end this by saying......I do believe:)

Watch out Jonas Brothers!!!

Trevor got an exclusive opportunity to sing with THE Calabash Flash!!! aka Grandpap

TO GOD BE THE GLORY...check it out now

The Color Book

We, Amy (speech therapist) and I, have been working on labeling pictures in this book so when he pick it up yesterday and just started labeling independently....it brought tears to my eyes.

The hard work is really starting to pay off:)

T Ball and Talking

Yeah, I can talk now...Got a problem with that!:)

Big Hitter:) Go Blue Rockets!

Bikes, T-ball, Talking, and Everything Else in Between

Needless to say, we have been busy. Both boys are riding two wheel bikes. I find this shocking actually because I really did nothing to teach either of them. I literally took of the training wheels and Trevor rode down the street...WHAT??? only Trevor. But then a week later Darren up Trevor's bike and wanted to try. So...for a half hour I follow behind him carefully helping him maintain his balance. Half of Darren's problem was that he was being so careful...and riding very slow. Once he picked up the pace enough to keep his balance he was off and riding!!!! The love riding their bikes...trust me....it's the first thing Darren requests as soon as we get out the car.

Yes, I can officially say that Darren is talking. I used to hesitate in saying so because it was just some words and not always understood by all. But I can honestly say that he has found his voice. He is pointing and labels things like clock, tree, circle, fan, and certainly any food items. He is even doing 3 word phrases....his favorite being...I want gum! 123 go! one more time! 2 more minutes:) When I say I love you.....he says "so much". He is seriously trying to repeat just about everything...he even attempts to sing parts of the song Poker Face...hahaha To say that we are thrilled with this new stage is an understatement. We feel blessed. It is so exciting watching him discover and connect. Mind you....he is still Darren...feisty as hell...but he is truly coming into his own.

Trevor and his team, The Blue Rockets, are enjoying their season. They currently have 2 games a week and will continue until the first week of June. Trevor is doing great. I on the other hand am so bothered by the new version on T-ball. Don't even get me started:) I am just a big believer that sports are an easy way to teach young kids simple life lessons. When you get a big hit, you should get to run more than one base. When one team scores more than the other team....they win. I know...it's just t-ball...they should be just having fun. Do you that as a kid I used to hate when my coaches would say that??? You can teach the kids to work hard, practice, play well and win. Trust me, that's fun. AND there is nothing wrong with losing! Again, a teachable moment....ANYWAYS....he enjoys it and is doing very well.

Let's see...what else....ummmm Oh the business! Things are going very well. Sports camps are a big hit! We finished our first 8-week session and have started up two new sessions on Mondays and Thursdays. Trevor and Darren attend both and we are really enjoying them. We have a great team of people working the camps and all of the kids are reaping the benefits of that. Things have progressed quicker than expected, but it's all good, not complaining:)

I will try to get some video of Darren talking and Trevor playing T-ball for the next post!

April 2nd.....World Autism Awareness Day

Did everyone know that there was such a thing as "World Autism Awareness Day"! Well, now ya know:) Perfect timing actually because I have been debating recently with this question: What is this autism thing all about?

I obviously watch Darren and feel like I know that kid inside and out. With the company I have been able to meet new children and see autism in a different light. It may sound strange, but I find autism fascinating. I am perplexed by it. I am intrigued with it. I am not sure how to deal with it.......but it's ok to me. There are some things in this world that you just can't understand...Autism is one of them. There are things in this world that you can't prove....Autism is one of those things. THAT is not what bothers me about Autism. It is the differences in each child that make me wonder what this is all about. How come there are kids that have words....like hundreds of words...and then lose them???????????? WHAT? How come there are kids that never have words??????????? How come there are kids that are really sick and have major digestive issues?????? How is it there are kids that don't have those issues?? Why is it that some have "conversational" speech ? Why can't the others? SERIOUSLY the spectrum is HUGE! Way too big as far as I am am concerned. I feel that in the long run....Autism will be broken down into MANY different categories:

Those who had speech and lost speech

Those with a large gap between receptive and expressive language

Those with no expressive language

Those with HIGH expressive language and no social skills

Those with some social skills and little expressive language

Those with extreme behaviors, yet are highly intelligent

HONESTLY...the list could go on and on and on. As every typically developing child differs....so does the autistic child. So I will from this point on...focus on what I know to be true.....from a personal perspective.

These children are a blessing. These children are so smart and intuitive.......even beyond our comprehension. They are sent here as a challenge and a gift. A challenge to the norm.... a gift for those with ability to be willing to accept. They are a reminder that life can be rewarding if you continue to fight. They are a blessing to those that take on the challenge...if you can love and provide structure for these kids......you will reap the benefits above and beyond your expectations. I believe that God gives you ONLY what you can handle......parents of children with special needs are given an assignment from the get go....not to say the everyone else at some point isn't given their "assignment" because I believe that everyone will experience a major life challenge. Special needs parents just get the advantage of knowing early on.

I, on this day of awareness, don't want anyone to feel sorry for Darren or our family. KNOW that he is a blessing in our lives. An unexplainable gift. I can not imagine my life without him. I can't imagine the person that I would be...or the person that Trevor would be without this remarkable child. In 5 years....he and I have learned SO much. I have been challenged more than ever....and I can't imagine it any other way. So I say, be aware, accept the differences in all children, and be supportive of those you love.

THANK YOU to all that have supported us. Thank for understanding that it hasn't been easy. Thank you for accepting us as is. Know that we appreciate you all!