Wow...20 years...already?

This past weekend, I went to my hometown of Hanceville, Alabama to see my old pals and celebrate our 20th high school reunion.  Good ole class of 1992.  We were a great class.  We were pretty close too.  I think that is a plus when you go to a small school.  My graduating class had 75 students in it.  We knew everyone in our grade and many in the grades above and below ours.  We had a chance to be that close and develop those kinds of friendships.  My husband graduated from a much larger school than mine, with a class size at least 5 times the size of mine.  He played baseball and knew the players and had a few other friends, but that was it.  He didn't know even a quarter of his graduating class.  It was more like being at a junior college.  He had more opportunities and the programs he was exposed to where superior to those that we were offered, simply because of the size of our school.  But, he didn't experience what I did in school.  We talked about it and he is actually amazed that I know so many of my classmates.  We were kind of like a family in ways.  We took up for each other, fussed with each other, loved each other.  Like a family.

For some reason, 20 years ago, I thought it would be a great idea to be president of my class.  Not completely sure why.  I would love to say that it was because of my keen leadership skills or my vision for what our class could do to make a mark on the school and community.  No.  I think it was probably more because I thought it would look good on my college applications.  Seriously.  Isn't that pathetic?  Well, I should I have given it more thought.  I didn't think far enough ahead to realize that when you are a class officer at a small school, you are also on the committee to plan the reunions for the rest of your life!  I really could have used those keen leadership skills over the past few weeks as myself and a couple of close classmates put together our reunion.  We had help as the reunion neared, but the logistics were ours to plan.  Overall, I would say it was a success, but getting there was a little stressful.   For the record, getting people to RSVP is harder than pulling teeth.  Some were excited and responded quickly.  Then those that we had to "bug" a little.  We ended up with a good turn-out though.  A few of our friends were unable to be there because of other obligations and they were truly missed.

HHS class of 1992

Then there was the issue of giving a speech.  When you are president (or were?), it seems as those you are expected to say something "presidential."  But what?  That was the question on my mind for the weeks prior to the reunion.  What do you say to people you haven't seen in 10-20 years?  I even googled it.  Yes, I did.  There were no good suggestions.  Some suggested humor - not good at that. Others suggested something inspirational - not sure about that either.  And others suggested crudeness - uh, no.  So I started thinking about my life right now.  My family and I are dealing with autism on a daily basis.  God, through autism, is teaching us lessons that we may not have learned any other way.  We grow the most through the hard times, and well, autism is hard.  Really hard.  So I thought maybe I could share with them what we are learning about life through autism.  Then I realized there is no way I can stand up there and talk for that long!  So I just shared one little thing:  take in the moments.  In looking back on life, I realize that myself and maybe many others, measure life by the big events like graduating high school or college, getting a degree, getting married, having a child, etc.  But because of Luke's autism, some of those "big" events have been put into question, at least in my mind over the previous couple of years.  There are things that I sometimes wonder if he will experience.  My prayer is that he will experience those big events and more.  I know God is in control and His plans for my sweet Luke will come to pass.  I just sometimes have to be reminded of that when I get trapped in my "worrying" mode.  Anyways,  I shared with them about a moment that happened about 2-3 months ago:

        Luke was having a difficult time going to sleep and he wanted me in his room.  I knelt by his bed, bowed my head, and closed my eyes to communicate to him that it was time to sleep, not to play.  He proceeded to touch my face and as he would touch my eyes, he would say, "one eye", then "two eyes", then he touched my nose and said "nose."  I opened my eyes to look at him and as I smiled (because I just love to hear his little voice), he said "I love you."   Tears immediately filled my eyes.  This was the first time that he ever told me that he loved me completely on his own, unsolicited by me.  I have heard him say it before, but it was always in response to me saying it first.  He would parrot it back to me.  Of course, I loved it anyway.  But this was different.  He told me first.  I thanked God for that moment and asked Him to please let me never forget it.  I hope I never do.  


So, I concluded my little speech by trying to tie it all together.  Enjoy the moments.  I wanted them to enjoy the moments of that evening.  I wanted them to be able to say that when the evening was over, they were glad they had put forth the effort to be there.  I think, for the most part, everyone enjoyed the evening and was glad to have been there.  Not because of anything I had done, but because they were genuinely happy to see their old friends and visit, even if it was just for a little while.

To complete the evening, a classmate, Sherrie, showed us her comedic skills and made everyone laugh as she handed out fun awards.  She did a great job!  Then, another classmate, David, compiled an amazing video from our old pictures and we shared many laughs and maybe even a few tears while viewing it.  It was a wonderful evening.  It made me miss my old friends.  It is sometimes hard when you live away from those you were so close to for so many years.  We laughed, we cried, we hugged, and we smiled for pictures until our smiles hurt.  I am so thankful for the time we had, growing up together and our time this past weekend.  Looking forward to seeing them all again! (But we will have to hire a professional planner for the next reunion!)

Who says you can't go home again?

Me and my dear friend, Christi

Me and my sweet husband

Me and old pal April

Me and the gals

my friends, Kathy and Penny

Mendi and Christi

Angela and Michael

Sherrie and Angela

great friends

So glad I went back home!

The Best Seat in the House

This really should have been posted last week but I couldn't seem to find the time.  I tried my best to get it done yesterday, but the afternoon took a downward spiral and by the time everyone was asleep, I was too tired to concentrate on anything but my head hitting the pillow.  So, this morning, I am going to share with you something that made me smile and still makes me smile.

Last Monday evening, Nathan invited me to be in a concert that he was having in the living room that evening.  Well, I was honored to be asked, of course!  His only request was that I had to write my own song.  He was writing his and I had to write mine too.  It had to be 30 words.  No pressure.  Luke was exempt because "Mom, you know he can't write so he can just do whatever" so says Nate.  Made sense.  If you check out the clips, you will see.  Luke did whatever.

The evening came and it was concert time.  I have to say it was so fun to watch them funny and creative and comfortable.  I say comfortable because Nathan is often uncomfortable around a lot of people.  He is quite the talker though and he can be very entertaining.  It is always good to see him have fun.  And he put a lot of thought into his little song.  He wrote about the Holy Bible and that it was the greatest book on the earth.  It was his idea, not mine.  He is a very thoughtful little guy. He came up with it on his own and did not ask for help from me.  I thought that was pretty good for an introverted 6 year old.

Luke is a different story all together.  He is my extrovert.  During the concert, he was expressive and creative and he was talking!  I could understand him.  It was music to my ears.  There was a time when I didn't know if he would talk.  Now, I can listen to him sing his "a,b,c's" or "Old Macdonald had a Farm" over and over and never tire of hearing it because I can hear his voice and understand him.  It is music to my ears.  If I can get the clips to post on here, you will see that he sometimes steals the show.  He loves attention!

Last Monday evening, I had the best seat in the house.  It was silly and fun.  I loved watching my precious boys.  I wanted to share a few clips.  They are very short, only 20-30 seconds each. They aren't the best but you get an idea of how the concert went.  (For the record,  there was some kind of video malfunction when it was my turn to perform so no clips of me will be available.  I know you are disappointed!)  So, for your viewing pleasure..........

Luke on the fiddle singing his "a,b,c's":

Nathan playing the maracas ( egg shakers) singing his original song "Holy Bible" (With Luke crashing - or saving-  the performance):

Now, Nathan sings his song:

Luke singing (sort of) "Old Macdonald had a Farm"

Last but not least, Nathan and Luke singing a duet....unplugged:

So, that was it.  Our grand concert.  We won't be going on tour anytime soon.... or ever.  It was simple but fun. The boys had a great time. We laughed together. These are the moments I want to remember forever.

A Half Marathon on Tamiflu, Walking Pneumonia on Hydrocodone syrup, and the Kitchen Sink

This is a pretty miscellaneous post.  My mind has been working in a pretty miscellaneous way.  This was written last night while my mind was going at 90 mph and wouldn't let me rest, mostly because of medication that I thought would help me sleep! Let me explain.

About a month ago, me and four of my super cool gal pals ran in the Gulf Coast Half Marathon at Pensacola Beach.  It was quite the adventure just to get there.  We started training in January and things went pretty well with a minor cold or two to interrupt a few training days.  About a week and a half before the race my training came to a halt.  My husband came home from work not feeling well and felt bad for a few days.  Then Nathan started coughing and spiked a fever the weekend before the race.  The next day, Luke started up.  I just wrote it off as one of those colds that kids get.  So much of it has been going around.  By mid week,  fevers were still there and the cough had not gone away.  I started getting congested and things weren't looking so good.  I was 4 days away from the race I had been working towards for three months.  I took the boys to the doc and because Luke was the last to develop symptoms, the doc wanted to test him for the flu.  I didn't even think it could be the flu.  They both received the flu mist vaccine in January.  Guess what?  They had the flu.  I was on my way there too.  I headed to an urgent care clinic and my test for the flu was negative at the time but because my exposure to it was so high, the doc gave me Tamiflu.  I told her about my race and, being a runner herself, she said I should be feeling better in a couple of days and should be able to race.  My stamina wouldn't be as good nor would my time, but I should be able to complete it.  So I listened to her and took my meds.  She was right.  I was tired from about 8 miles to the finish.  It was a very warm morning. My muscles were tightening up and my stride shortening.  I was hydrating at every water and gatorade station to keep going.  And I did.  I crossed the line. The clock said 2:26 and my official chip time was 2:2507.  It's not what I hope for but I will take it.  I finished!  At that point, I was just glad to finish given the circumstances of the previous weeks.

Since the race, I have been so tired.  It has been very busy around here with school activities, t-ball games/ practices, autism awareness events, etc.  But, I have been more tired than the average bear.  And, I have been having trouble with chest congestion and some coughing on and off since then.  I just thought it was allergies.  Finally, I went to the doctor yesterday, after a couple of rough nights of coughing with very little rest.  I now know why I have been feeling so bad.  I have bronchitis and walking pneumonia.  That explains a lot.  The gave me a steroid shot, a z-pack, and some hydrocodone syrup for my cough at night.  The syrup is supposed to make me drowsy, at least that is what the package says.  Instead, I was more relaxed, but could hardly rest.  My mind was so busy and I couldn't make it stop.  That's how this post came to be.  I thought if I could just write it down, get it out of my head, maybe I could sleep. Good luck on that one! On the plus side, it is helping with my cough.  On the down side, as soon as I get these thoughts out, new ones come to mind.  I think I could write a short book on miscellaneous ramblings right now.  No kidding!

Next: sports.  The t-ball season just ended this past week and it was a great one.  I will have to post on this separately sometime.  Luke made it through his first season and made really good progress.  It was a little rocky in the beginning but he got the hang of it.  I think he is going to miss it.  He likes to wear his jersey and he is proud to tell anyone who asks about his team that he is a "Ank-ee" (Yankee).  Nathan played on the Pirates and had a great year.  He made some really good progress as well.  He had fun and made some new friends which is what it is all about.  His team just missed being in the championship by one game.  They finished in 3rd place in regular season and in play-offs.  It was tiring but fun.  Maybe I will post more on this later.  Who knows? If I try the hydrocodone again, the post may come sooner than later!

My mind then went to my boys, where it so often ends up.  The school year is coming to an end for Nathan next week.  On May 25, he will be graduating from kindergarten!  Sniffle, sniffle :,) Getting a little teary already.  I think back to when he was born so early and those early weeks of his life.  We didn't know if he would even make it home with us from the hospital.  He was so sick.  God had different plans.  He is doing so well.  He is a bright, inquisitive, energetic little guy.  He is healthy, funny, and has the memory of an elephant.  Seriously.  It's scary.  He remembers numbers and dates like I haven't seen before.  He remembers the names of kids he met at the park 2-3 years ago that he only met once and maybe threw the ball with a couple of times.  I remember the occasion but don't ask me their names.  Ask him though.  He knows.  He is amazing.  Then there is Luke.  He will be going to school throughout the summer but I think back to this school year and how far he has come.  He is amazing too!  He is a happy little fellow for the most part.  He has friends, smiles a lot, has a contagious laugh, and gives the best hugs.  He is talking so much too!  Much is still unintelligible, but we can understand so much more now!  He is working so hard.  He has a program that he does with the teachers at school and then we carry over at home.  Things such as assembling puzzles, replicating block designs by looking at cards, recognizing letters of the alphabet, repeating 2 syllable words, and identifying common objects and parts of objects in pictures.  Right now, he is working on identifying parts of a computer including the screen, mouse, and keyboard.  He is also now able to identify parts of a sink including the faucet and hot/ cold knobs.  So there, I just threw in the kitchen sink!  Or in this case, I think it was a picture of a bathroom sink.  Same thing.

Hoping to rest now.  Thanks for reading my ramblings.  I will let you know when the book comes out :-)

Project Outreach does it again!

On April 20, Project Outreach (P.O.) held an Autism Awareness Assembly at Spanish Fort High School.  The director of the program, Scott Parks, asked if I would speak as part of the program and give a parent's point of view about autism.  Seeing as how I have a child with autism and I have a point of view, I agreed.   People need to know, right?   But, what will I say?  How do I fit our story neatly into a five minute spot  ('cause our story has been anything but neat.)   Will it matter?  Who will listen?  What if I cry?  How many people  will be there?  What if i mess up?.....Yea, those were the kinds of questions swirling in my mind.     Public speaking makes me so nervous.  It definitely puts me out of my comfort zone.  Autism has a way of doing that.  I think I have permanently relocated out of my comfort zone!  But then it occurred to me: those questions were really all about me.  I have always said I would help in any way I can because autism shook up my world.  But, I have hope.  Others need hope too.   So I had to rethink this whole presentation thing.  It really wasn't about me at all.   It was about something bigger.  Like awareness.  Like understanding.  Like compassion.   It wasn't about me.

So that morning, the boys and I, along with my mother and mother in law,  headed across the bay to help spread autism awareness.  I had packed bags for the boys that held their favorite books and colors to keep them occupied during the assembly (because you just never know what to expect). When we got to the school,  we couldn't help but notice the big red puzzle piece spray painted on the front lawn by the words "Autism Awareness Week."  These kids were serious about autism!  Students from P.O. led us down the hall to the gym where the assembly would take place.  As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the big, bright, impossible-to-miss signs on the walls.  They were all about autism. They were full of facts and stats.  There were puzzle pieces hanging from the ceiling. There were signs made by each grade showing their support for the autism community.  I was blown away!

 
The presentations by the students were equally impressive. Several spoke about what autism means to them and how it has changed their lives. Then there were the videos.  y usually get me. I fought back tears as the very first video played at the beginning of the assembly.  It was all about autism stats and the challenges kids with autism face.  It reminded me that my son is 1 in 88 and that we have many of these challenges ahead.  It was powerful and I admit, I couldn't watch it all because I knew I would cry.  Autism gets to me like that.

My part of the presentation came about half way through the program.  I was nervous. Even the night before I just kept staring at a blank piece of paper wondering what I would say.  I finally scribbled a few notes before going to bed.  And I have to tell you, I love how God uses our kids to remind us of His truths.  Nathan knew I was nervous and wanted to encourage me.  He reminded me of Joshua 1:9 which states: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage for the Lord your God is with you."  He said "Mom, don't worry. Jesus is with you wherever you go." My precious son used the same verse that I have been using to encourage him when he is afraid.  I was both humbled and grateful for that gift.  And I was encouraged.  So, it was my turn.  I stepped up to the podium and placed my messy, scribbled notes in front of me.  I picked up the microphone, looked up at the audience and began to speak.  I wish I could tell you exactly what I said because I honestly don't remember. The words just came out.  I never looked at those notes.  I guess I just had them there to make me feel better.  I found a couple of faces in the crowd that appeared receptive and kind.  I just spoke from my heart and told our story.  I think it went well.  And those bags I packed for the boys, well, they helped.  The boys did great for the entire hour of the assembly.  I was a proud mommy :-)

Afterwards, there was a reception and time to talk with some of the members of P.O.  They had great questions for me about Luke and autism.  They flocked to the boys and began interacting with them.  It was a lot for Luke at first but he warmed up and was giving out hugs before it was over.  I think Nathan especially loved the attention. He was surrounded by pretty high school girls who wanted to know all about him.  I loved that he smiled and laughed with them.  Although he can be rather shy and quiet at times, he loved their attention and when all was said and done,  he said "that was fun."

It really was fun.  I was around some amazing young people who really care.  Some of them even want to work with special needs kids when they get out of school.  It was so encouraging to be around them.  I wish this program could be in every school.  The need is there.  When I was in school many years go,  I had never heard of autism. Now, it is everywhere. It's not going anywhere either. So much of it is still a mystery.  But our autism kids are here and they are growing up.  Programs like P.O. and people like Scott Parks give me hope for my son and his future. Luke is growing up (and too fast I might add!) and I pray that he will have friends like these, who truly care about him for who he is and who won't try to limit him because what he has.

Lovin' the 80's, Lovin' the Little Tree

Do you remember the 80's?  As I write this, I realize that some readers weren't even born yet which makes me feel pretty old. I loved a lot about the 80's. The music, the tacky fashion ( minus the shoulder pads - yuck!), the big hair(love that Aqua Net), the family sitcoms.  I listened to big hair bands like Bon Jovi, Def Lepard, and Poison.  I loved Hart and Chicago too. Oh, and Bryan Adams, Tears for Fears, and Duran Duran too.  The list could go on. Thank goodness for Pandora.

Did you watch The Cosby Show or Growing Pains? Or maybe Full House or ALF?  Maybe you liked movies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles.  Personally, I had a crush on Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains.  Yes, I did.  I admit it.  If you were a teen girl in the 80's, you can admit it too.  Come on. You know you did!

Earlier this month, I had a chance to visit the 80's once again.  "A Night at the Ezell House" was a 80's themed fundraiser for the Learning Tree and it's programs which includes Woody's Song and The Little Tree preschool (Luke's school).  It was held in a beautiful historic home in downtown Mobile.  There was some delicious food provided by Wintzell's Oyster House, Spot of Tea, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Pollman's Bakery and Twist Cupcakes to name a few.  There were over 50 silent auction items in all price ranges, including a stay at the Grand Hotel, tickets to see the Mobile Baybears and gift cards to fine restaurants,  which made everyone happy. On the courtyard,  The Wes Loper Band played and did a great job.  They aren't known for being an 80's cover band but they belted out the hits.  They had everyone singing and having a good time.  I am a fan!  The night was a success!  We raised $8500 !

The cool thing about it though wasn't the food or the music, even though they were great.  It was the fact that parents came together and worked very hard toward the common goal of helping our kids. ( And we had a great time too!) We see the impact that these programs are having on the lives of our children and our families and we know that we simply must help because that is just what we are supposed to do.  Really, we have to help. Not because we are forced to but because we are compelled to help. We want to help. That's what you do for your kids, right?   I have joked that "fundraiser" is my new middle name because it seems to be all I do these days.  But that's ok. It's for my son and his friends. They need it. Their school needs it. Why wouldn't I work hard to help them?   It's for their present and their future.

I have put away the neon accessories, at least for now.  But I look forward to the event next year. If you couldn't be there, then you missed out!  Mark your calendars for April 5, 2013 at the Ezell House . Come join us! We will do it again and it will be a blast! And thank you for your prayers and financial gifts to help Luke's school.  I have been completely overwhelmed by your generosity, your support and your love. Thanks  again!

Hello April!

Well, it's finally here! A month of blue lights, blue hair extensions, fundraising events, walks and runs all in an effort to increase awareness of autism. April is designated as Autism Awareness month but now, I am aware of it every day.

Two years ago, I wasn't aware of autism. I mean, I knew the term and knew that I didn't want my child to ever have "something like that" but I didn't really know about it. I didn't know anyone who had a child with autism. It's really amazing how much you can learn in a year and a half and still be perplexed that this disorder continues to be mysterious on so many levels. But now that my child has "something like that," I am learning as much as I can about how to best help him. I have to be seen and heard for his sake so, for those that know me well, that means getting out of my comfort zone. Not easy for me, but necessary for him.

My husband and I desire, besides providing Luke the best possible care and therapy that we possibly can, to educate our little corner of the world about autism. I hope we have done that, even if just a little. We don't know or understand it all, but we do know firsthand what it is like to deal with it on a daily basis. A saying somewhat common in the autism community is "once you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." That statement is so true. If every parent of a child with autism blogged about their child and their challenges, every blog would be so unique, just because the challenges are so varied in each case. Again, I didn't know that a couple of years ago. My exposure to autism was "Rain man." Unfortunately, that is also the only exposure many people have had to autism. Not all of our kids are geniuses. But some are. Not all of our kids have behavioral issues. But some do. Not all of our kids are nonverbal. But some are. Not all of our kids are mentally retarded. But some are. Not all of our kids are savants. Yes, some are. The stereotypes could go on. The spectrum is so much bigger than I ever imagined. I want people to know that.

Now, more than ever, awareness is key. I guess at one time the saying "ignorance is bliss" applied to me. It didn't seem that important - until it hit home. Knowledge really is power. The power to speak up and bring about change for our kids, our future. With that knowledge comes responsibility. The responsibility to be seen and heard when it matters. The responsibility to seek out the best treatments for our kids. The responsibility to educate others because ignorance really isn't bliss. This past week, the CDC released the latest findings regarding the incidence of autism and the numbers are jaw-dropping. One in 88 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and the number for boys is even more alarming at 1 in 54. Based on this, the chances of you knowing or having a child in your life affected by autism are high. And please don't forget, these numbers represent real people. They are not just statistics. They are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, grandchildren, loved ones. So, get educated. Know the signs. Get the facts. Be aware. It doesn't just go away because we don't know all about it. Turning our heads away doesn't work.

So, would you like to know what to do? There are many simple things you can do to help increase awareness.
* Go to my blog and check out the "signs of autism" tab. Or, just google autism. (Remember, knowledge is power!).
* If you are in Alabama or in another state looking at autism insurance reform, call you legislators and urge them to support this because it is much needed to get our kids the therapies and treatments they need covered by insurance companies.
* In Alabama, go to your DMV and buy a commit to purchase autism tag before November. It costs $50 with $ 41.20 going to the Autism Society of Alabama. (They have to have 1000 commitments before the tag goes into production.)
* April 2 is World Autism Awareness day and many famous buildings will be "lighting it up blue" to recognize it. So, you too can light it up blue! Buy a blue light bulb. There are blue bulbs at Home Depot for $1.99 specially marked with Autism Speaks. (Ours is already lit up outside our front door to welcome April.)
* For the ladies and some brave fellas, get a blue hair extension. When people notice your extension, it gives you a chance to increase awareness wherever you go. Check with salons in your area. In Mobile, Bombshell Salon is offering them for $12 and the proceeds benefit The Learning Tree and it's programs, which includes The Little Tree (Luke's school). I will be sporting one soon!

April is a very busy month for our family. Autism is always with me and my family though, no matter the month. Luke is an incredible little boy and he is surrounded by love. God is teaching us so much through Luke. We have been blessed with so much love, encouragement and support and we are thankful for it. If in any way, you have learned anything about autism from my blog or other sources, then please pass that knowledge along. It can only help our kids who deserve to be given the opportunity to thrive and it offers them the best chance at a purposeful, productive future. People need to know!

Thank you!

Play Ball!

This past Saturday was a day that I both looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. It was Jamboree Day at Mim's Park. The opening day of ball season. It was a very beautiful but very long day. It was also a much anticipated day at our house. This year, not one, but both boys are playing t-ball. This is big. Nathan played last year and had a good time. Even with just one child playing, Jamboree Day is long. But now, Luke is playing too. This is new for us. This is big. Our child with autism is playing t-ball with typical kids. So Jamboree Day is even longer this year and full of all sorts of uncertainties. How will Luke handle all of this? How will we handle this? Will he make it through the game or will it just be too much for him? I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know. Am I nervous? Is this scary? Am I afraid? Yes, yes, and yes. Goal of the day: try to have fun... and survive.

Our day started early: 7:15 a.m. Luke's team had pictures made first thing that morning which was a good thing considering that his team, the Yankees, are in white pants. It may be the only time we have a picture with his pants so white! Then opening ceremonies began at 8:00 a.m. All the teams were called out on the field, the national anthem was sang, then "play ball!" was announced on the speaker. Well, so far so good.

Luke's game started at 9:15 a.m. He was excited, I think. Sometimes it is hard to tell. He went out on the field with Roger. Great thing about the 4 year old league is that parents are welcome on the field (and needed) to help instruct the little ones as each hitter comes to the plate. Luke mostly stood there with Roger and watched as his team mates tackled each other to get the ball and by then, the runner had long since made it to first base. He was more of an observer but that was ok for me. He was out there and he wasn't crying. When it was his team's turn to bat, he waited patiently for his turn, then went out there, and with instruction from Coach Shawn, he hit the ball! It was a pretty good hit too! He ran with a smile on his face to first base. He eventually made it all the way around the bases. Success! It was great to see him participate! He looked so happy. Then, he had to go back on the field. He was growing tired and I could see Roger was having to work more with him to try to get him to stay on the field. By then, it was almost 10:00 a.m. and the activities of the morning were wearing on him. He made it to the dugout with his team but by the time it was his turn to bat, he had basically had enough. He cried and cried. He kept saying "pee-sa" over and over. I couldn't figure it out then I looked outside the fence and saw Nathan drinking a Capri-Sun and realized Luke wanted one too. I tried to bribe him to go bat while I got his drink but it was no use. He was too upset and tired to continue. He finished the game sitting in the shade, watching his team, and drinking a Capri-Sun.

Next, I hurried off to fulfill my one hour obligatory concession stand duty then back to the field for Nathan's team pictures at 11:15. Luke was happy playing with Gran and eating snacks so attending to Nathan's team schedule went a little more smoothly. We had a short break which meant grabbing a quick lunch then back to the field by 1:30 for Nathan's game. Nathan did great and his team looked great. It was neat to see the progress he has made since last year. He had a good time and his team "unoffically" won - since Jamboree games don't count on the schedule. We were almost finished with the big day. Nathan told me how tired he was after the game. "Yes! We can go home and rest!" or so I thought. He reminded me that he still had one more thing to do that day: go to his good friend's birthday party. I should have previously added that Nathan had been sick most of the week prior to Jamboree and woke up at 5:00 a.m. that morning crying with an ear ache. I thought for sure we were done. Everyone was tired. But, we had just one more thing.

We went home long enough to change clothes and then headed out again for the party. Nathan had a great time with his friends and I am so glad we went. It did not matter that I was ready to fall out on the floor at Pump It Up. I had a chance to sit for a while and visit with friends while my big boy had fun with his friends. It was nice. So the day is over, right? Almost. We got home, got the boys cleaned up and into bed. Then, I headed back out to borrow some ear drops from my sweet friend just in case an overnight earache came back to haunt us. She saved me a trip to an urgent care clinic and 24 hour pharmacy. (Thanks Hope!). Then I crashed into bed. Ahhhhh....

We made it through the day. It was a long day filled with new memories and new possibilities. Luke is playing t-ball and making new friends. Nathan is playing t-ball even better than last year and he is making new friends too. Roger and I are once again out of our comfort zone and we are learning more about life and ourselves through the simple (or not so simple) game of t-ball. Maybe we will make some new friends too. Here's to a new season!