Bag of Tricks

Hi!

Wow.  Okay.  This week kind of flew by.

I am the deputy clerk of Grant Township, and we recently held an election.  Not sure if you've heard of one of those, but I have been keeping track of absentee ballots for months and helping people vote on November 3rd.   Maybe you voted in your own precinct.  Good for you!

Anyway, for my excuse, I had some post-partum exhaustion after that.  Whew!  Glad that's over on my end!  

I hope...

Other than that, nobody has sent me their story yet, so I will share a super happy one of mine.

Did I tell you that Brady P. found an amazingly wonderful young lady to be his aide/mentor/magician (whatever you want to call her) at the school???

Yes!  He did!

After I was going to ship us to Calumet, she magically appeared. And she is perfect.

Here is why.

She gets to his level, sees what he is doing and what he wants to do, and steers him to do what she needs him to do from there.  Joyfully.

BINGO!

Did I not just talk about that?

I have already seen great improvements in his penmanship, acquiescence to do math, potty training, overall studiousness and ability to stay on task.

Those are all great, right?  I mean, that's the point of school.

But here's where I see magic.

He is not exhausted when he comes home.  He is not resistant.  He is still full of joy.

Even though his is working harder at his desk and getting more done, he is not so tired.

What does that show me?  He is enjoying himself.  He is flowing freely throughout the day and learning and accomplishing as he goes.

I also saw this improve when my own methods changed with him.  We both have more energy!

Do you see what I'm saying?

Stress and resistance, whether it be a person at work or a student at school, drain a person.  It doesn't even mean it's anybody's fault.  Sometimes the issue is not always noticed, and therefore it is never addressed.

Even if you try to work on a home project and find yourself constantly troubleshooting, you will be more tired than if your project went smoothly.  Your productivity (the end product) is the same, but the amount of energy it took to get there is different.

See the parallels?  

Now, Braeden's job at school is a bit different than the other kids because he doesn't fall in line as easily.  He needs a helper for pretty much everything.  But when that helper comes with a bag of tools and tricks to meet him at his level and get him to escalate to the realm of the other kids, that is magic.

He does not resist, and he is not stressed out.  He is praised and respected.  He is assisted and adored.  Plus, his productivity goes up, so he has more to be proud of.

His new aide has lofty goals for him, and she knows how to help him reach them.  It is so beautiful, it makes my heart burst out of my chest and tears well in my eyes.

I am so grateful it worked out this way.  I just see so much expansion and so many possibilities for him.  Not that I didn't think he was on a good path before, but this certainly gives him a turbo boost!

And we get to stay home in our little town.

For that, also, I am grateful.

B's school picture 2020

In retrospect, I should have given him a haircut before picture day!

Your Turn!

Hey!

So, you gave me this idea.

Yeah, you.  The reader!

I have gotten quite a few personal messages and emails from you lately.  In a nutshell, those notes are thanking me for sharing the hard parts of life because often, you can't.

Well, guess what.  Now you can!

I would like to take this opportunity during this time in our history and this time where you feel the need to share, to let you share.

Share a story about something hard you overcame.  Share a story about a solution that you found that works in stressful situations.  Share about a pattern that you can't seem to get out of.  Share about your grief, pain, joy, gratitude, etc.

Just share it with us!

Anonymously.

Nobody needs to know it's you except you.

You can send me your story via email at amandak114 at yahoo.com.  If you don't want me to know it's you, then send it through a trusted friend's email.  If you don't care if I know it's you, hit me up on messenger, text or email.

But I won't tell anyone it's you.  

If you see that I published your story and you want to share that post on your social media, that's totally up to you.

I just want more people to let their voices be heard.  Because everyone's voice is important.

So share your story!

If I get a lot of stories, I'll string them out over the weeks.  If I get a couple, I'll put them all in one post.

The only stipulation is that you send me a true, heartfelt story or experience.  And if I suspect that it's foul play, I won't add it.  I have that liberty, you know.

If you read other stories and are compelled to write something short, you can always add an anonymous comment.

Okay, well, hopefully you will hear from somebody else besides me next week!

This is you... waiting to burst!

Love and Connection

Hey!

I hope you're doing great.

We are pretty darn great ourselves.  We are!

I just went back and read a couple of the dark posts I wrote this spring.  Looking back, I still find them useful.  I mean, I teared  up as I remembered how low I was feeling, but I think that the wisdom I found to share is still valid.

You can scroll down and find them if you want, but this week's post is to update you because I got a chance to reflect even more.  For months.  And with lots of new learning under my belt.

Just a quick recap: when school stopped indefinitely on March 13, 2020, I knew I had a big job to do.

No longer would I send my child to school where qualified people would prompt him to read, write, learn science, add numbers, see other kids, receive specialized therapies, etc, etc.

I would have to do that all with him.

Alone.

So at first I tried.  I tried really hard.

And it was good.

But the expectations never stopped.  They just kept becoming more and more with virtual school and isolation and me and him and him and me.

I thought I had to keep up with all those things.  I thought he needed physical therapy, speech therapy, fine motor therapy, reading, writing, getting outside, and everything all at once.

Truthfully, he benefits from all those things.

But I could not do it all.

And I felt like a failure.

Do you know what he really needed in those times?

It was really only one simple thing, and, in my despair, I put on the back burner.

It was love.

It still is love.

Know how I know?

Because I am focusing on that now.

Love and connection.

I was so frustrated with feeling frustrated with him and myself, that I started reading this book called Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham.

In all honesty, I am not even done with it yet.  I will finish it at some point, but I already feel like I have made big changes in our relationship.  Big changes where we laugh so hard together everyday.

We snuggle genuinely.

We kiss and hug.

We talk about things.

The biggest thing I have changed is my mentality.  I am focusing on our connection.

Our life is no longer about what I want him to do or what other people want him to do.  It's about what he wants to do and how we need to do it so he learns best.

Before you think I'm raising a spoiled brat, I assure you, I'm not.  Just the opposite.  He is polite.  He is becoming patient.  He is becoming independent.  He is becoming more helpful.

He is truly amazing, and so is our relationship.

I have changed my mentality from dictating my authority (and getting frustrated when it doesn't work -- which it doesn't on a daily basis), to observing him.

I pay attention to what he is doing in the moment when I need him to do something else.  Then I use what he is doing (or wants to do) to motivate him to do what I need him to do.

It is life-changing for us both, and it is truly beautiful.

I would recommend Dr. Markham's book to any parent.  Or even any non-parent who wants to relate better to other people in general.

She also has a website called AhaParenting.com.   I just checked it out.  What I like is that she divides ideas for coaching your child into the child's age group, so you can read what applies to you now.

However, I'm a real sucker for brain development talk, so I like to read from the infant stage on.  I try not to dwell on all the times I screwed up when B was a baby (cuz I was really stressed out!) because people's neurological pathways are always changing with the input they are given.

It only took a couple months for me to notice big changes in how he responds to me.  He puts more trust in me and enjoys doing things to help me out -- sometimes without being asked!  I mean, what a miracle!

In turn, I am more peaceful with myself.  More creative to troubleshoot (because that's a huge part of parenting) and more patient to wait for him to respond in my favor on his own accord.

That is seriously magical.

I'm all for it.

Well, hey.  Thanks for making it this far down the page.  Here's a cute pic of my Wee Man wearing Grampa's glasses a couple weeks ago.

You take care, and be patient with yourself!

Guinea Pig along the Montreal River

Hi!

This is Guinea Pig.

You haven't met me yet, but you will get to hear about my adventure today.  I'm in all the pictures.  Cuz I'm so cute an' all.

Anyways, I'm a good friend of Braeden's.  I chat with him while he goes on the potty, keep him calm at the doctor, make sure he eats his oatmeal and sometimes help with homework.  I can be very busy.

But today, I went on an adventure with Amanda (Braeden's mom) and her true love, Craig.  We went to the mouth of the Montreal River.

Check me out!

I mean, check it out.  Wink.

On our way to enter the fancy Montreal Falls arch!

She put me in a branch over a cliff!  Not funny!

I got stumped.

My beauty accents the beauty of the leaves.

One of my favorite pics of the day!

Finally, we made it to the bottom falls!

I needed to rest on a burnt log, so you could see Lake Superior.

Can you see me in those giant cedars???

I had to wear my rain hat at the first elbow in the river.

Shhh!  We're hiding on Craig in the woods!

I think I look good in yellow.

But I look ravishing in pink!  Can you spot me?

I found some mushrooms!

The next falls up!

It looks tiny here, but it was like 30 feet high.  And noisy!

I just had to pose with this scenery.

A legendary view (sans moi).

Mount Bohemia, Mount Houghton and Bare Bluff in the background.

Alrighty then.  Maybe I'll see you another time.  Braeden really liked my pictures.  I hope you liked them too!  Ta ta!

Crusading Through the Unknown

Hi!

I suppose by now you are curious about what the heck is going on.

You are not alone -- I am too!  Ha!

Have you ever tried transfering schools for your child with special needs during a pandemic, and the school you are trying to transfer to stops in-person learning?  

I don't recommend it.

There are so many variables and unknowns at this point, that I still don't know what we are going to move forward with.  However, there are some things I have learned that I am darn sure of.

1) I will do whatever I have to do, talk to whoever I have to talk to, move wherever I have to move, etc, to make sure that little Brady P. gets the best therapies, helpers and resources, so he can thrive.  This is about thriving.  His potential is vast, and I want him to shine.

2) I cannot control everything.  Sometimes I just have to put all my desires out there and then sit back and wait to see what is going to happen.  It's so hard to make a decision when circumstances are rocky.  I have to let go.  I HAVE TO!  Or I don't sleep at night, and the day feels heavy,

3) Once I set my intentions for the big picture, things fall into place.  At least they are starting to!  It seems like if you can pave the way for your dreams with your mind, then the universe knows what you want, and you start to notice the opportunities that pop up.  You are already paying attention to the things that will serve you, so you can grab opportunities easier.  It's so wonderful.

4) My family is amazing.  It seems like once we started this idea of getting Braeden into a school with more resources for his needs, my friends and family were very supportive.  Not just supportive, but helpful.  We have suddenly built this "team" and seem to be in a group effort with the same end goal.  We are all on the same page and are willing to do whatever we have to in order to make sure that little Swizzley boy can thrive.  It's very powerful, and I am grateful.

5) Honesty, openness and communication are so key in moving any process forward.

6) We are all connected.  Do I really need to say more about that?  We are all connected.  Every person on this planet.

Brady P. is doing great.  They other day, he sat down with his homework sheets on the floor and started answering the questions all by himself.  ALL BY HIMSELF!!!  

Usually this is a massive effort by me and Homework Panda, but not yesterday!  My parents applauded (my mom is helping out as his school aid for the week) and I gave him a big hug.

What a man!

We are so proud.

It's those little things like that that are big in my heart, and it makes moving forward with the best of intentions through the unknown all worth it.

Even the biggest hearts get tuckered out

Run, Run, Run!

Hi!

I haven't forgotten about you.  Things have just been super busy in my life.

I don't know how much to reveal yet, but just know that we are great and working on some changes.  All good things!

I hope you are great in your own life, too!  

I think the fall colors are about at peak, so make sure you get a good eyeful!  Here's a pic from Lake Manganese from a few days ago.  Totally not cropped or enhanced... you'll have to squint (or click on it)!

Take care, and stay positive!  Realistically positive, please.  You know, just working in a positive direction.  Xoxoxo!

No Boxes

Happy Thursday!

This morning as I snuggled in B's bed to wake him up for school, I asked him what he thought the weather would be like.  His room was dark from pre-dawn and the cave I turned it into, so he only had his intuition to go on.

And his preferences.

Weatherman Brady P. forecasted that today would be sunny, warm and calm.

That is pretty desirable.

It's also what I believe he would choose for everyday of the year.

He was pretty close though.  Today is sunny and calm.  Not very warm -- chilly in the 50's actually.  But sunny and calm.

So I'll give him that.  My little meteorologist.

I really like having him in my life.

He is so unique and has a spin on reality that makes his presence and ideas a breath of fresh air.

He definitely does not fit into a box, though.

No, siree.

There is no box for him.  At least not from what I have seen.

Even in our own home, things change on the daily.  Especially in my own mind.  

When I grew up, I often heard the phrase "because I said so."  Many adults said that.  It was supposed to be the end all of phrases, so the grown-up could have their way without a good reason besides that they are an adult therefore they are superior.

I still despise that phrase.

And, honestly, I will never say it because it is moot.  It doesn't matter if "I said so" or not.  There has to be a darn good reason behind why I asked something of anyone.  It has to have a meaningful, fair reason.

And if I would ever say that to my own son, he would not even understand its meaning.  He tests my reasoning all the time.

There has to be a reason for everything or he becomes confused or rebellious. 

And along those lines, he never asks me "why?"  So, in a way, I don't have to use that phrase because I am never asked why.  

Yet!

But as we go throughout the day, each task needs to have a reason why we do it, or he won't do it.

Unless it was his idea.

For instance, when we get home from school.

"Mummy, eat a popsicle?"

"Well, Braed, today is Tuesday.  We have homework on Tuesday, so after a couple pages of homework, you can have a popsicle."

"No, Mummy, no homework!  Just popsicle."  He smirks.

"Sweets, if you want to have a popsicle, you have to do your homework first.  It's a homework day!"

"No, Mummy."

"Okay, Mr.  Let's go up and get homework panda friend (a stuffed animal he picked to do homework with him.  I do the voice.) and do a couple pages of homework.  Then you earn your popsicle.  Maybe you have a phonics page in here!"

"No, Mummy, no homework!!!"

Deep breath for mom.

"Braeden.  Listen.  Would you like a popsicle?"

"Yes."

"Okay.  First we will do a couple pages of homework with panda friend.  Then you can have a popsicle.  Are you ready?"

"Yes, Mummy."

Okay.  There.  I got him to say that he is ready to do homework.  Now homework has a green light for Brady P.  Now we can move on with life.

Oy!

If I said, "Braeden, you will march upstairs and do your homework because I said so!" I would have a little boy flopping on the ground screaming, "No, Mummy!  No homework!!!"

I know this because that's how he acts when I want him to do something he does not want to do.  

Unless I give him a reason that he agrees to or a reward.

Daily life is troubleshooting, but that's parenting.

I am just trying to pay attention to how I can get him to act on his own accord while still getting him to do what I need him to do.

Rewards are helpful.  Punishment is a disaster.  Patience is never ending.  And love is a priority.

Thanks, Brady P. for forcing me to pay attention to your needs, so we can figure out how to meet in the middle and both get our way.

It can be absolutely exhausting, but I still prefer it over man-handling my child and screaming at him.  That will never work for us, and it would make me feel like a horrible person.  

I tried it a couple times and immediately thought, "Why did I even do that?  Now we both feel awful.  And nothing got accomplished."

So, looking-him-in-the-eyes-with-a-smile-while-I-try-to-explain-the-process-until-he-agrees, will be my strategy.

Until he changes his way of thinking again!

Because he said we could wear wigs during our last dance party.

I know, we are weird!!!

All Smiles

Hey there!

So... I just had a cool transformative-type thing happen.  I need to let it settle a bit before I can even begin to tell you about it.  Whatever form that may take!

Just know that all is well.

And here are a couple fun pics of Brady P. that just happened this last week.  Our town really has a lot of great depth and character.

A cucumber in the garden

When your neighbor is a T-Rex!

 I hope this Wednesday finds you well!

XOXOXOXOXO!

So... Need a Job?

Hi!

I want to let you know that Blogger, the platform I write this blog on, has changed its interface for me.  What does that mean for you?  You are experiencing weird fonts, sizing and formatting.

Once I publish lately, some of the things I typed, aligned and formatted change.  Not sure why!

I just wanted to apologize for any goofiness you see as I try to figure out how to compensate for all those changes.  Thanks for your patience.  Now you know I'm not losing my mind, just losing control during the interface from typing to publishing.

Onward!

Brady P. started school!  First day, baby!

In the actual school!

I don't really have a lot of information to relay about it at the time except that it will take some adjusting for him.

AND...

The school is looking to hire an aid for him!  Could that person be YOU???  You already know Brady P.  It's just a matter of getting here and working school hours 5 days a week or so.  If you are interested, call Miss Jill at the school!  Pleeeeease! (906)289-4447.

I am in a rush, so I will leave you with this picture of my wee man before he got on the bus yesterday.  

He is proud!

Have a wonderful day!

My little poser

Mushrooms, Cars and Hot Sauce

Hi!

This is Braeden.

Me and Mummy went on a hike tonight.

It was super fun.

I wanted to play hide-and-seek on the trail, but Mummy said we should find mushrooms.  She called, "Ready or not, Mushrooms.  Here we come!"

And then we looked along the path for mushrooms while we walked.  We found yellow ones, orange ones, brown ones that looked like poop, purple ones with water on top, white ones, tiny red ones that were hiding and some with spots.

I even found one all by myself way down on the side.  It was a reddish-pinkish one.  Mummy was proud.

Sometimes we found one cuz Mummy hid behind a tree.  I was being a zombie, so she ran away and then she would hide cuz she was scared.  When I find her I have to say, "Mummy, it's just me!" and I give her a hug so she's not scared.

I like to be a zombie and chase her through the woods. She really gets scared and hides.  I like it cuz I get her every time.

Sometimes I get to sit outside in the front yard and watch the cars go by.  I see motorcycles and trucks and jeeps and vans and campers and four-wheelers and bicycles and puppies and lots of people.  

I like to say hi and wave to the people.  Sometimes I go pet the puppy if Mummy says it's okay.

There are a super lot of cars that go by.  Sometimes a horn beeps and I wave hi.  They must really like to beep at me.

Also tonight we had green beans from the garden and chicken nuggets for dinner.  I dipped mine in ketchup and Mummy had a sauce, too.  I swirled one of my nuggets in her sauce and my mouth started on fire!

It was so hot!  I tried to wipe it out with my hand, but Mummy shouted, "NO!" and she wiped the rest of the sauce off my hands, so I didn't put more in my mouth.  

I drank some juice cuz Mummy said.  It felt a little better, but not really.  Then I took a bite of green bean and it felt a little better, but not really.

She told me to each a couple more bites of chicken with ketchup, and I would be okay.

I pointed to the red stuff on her plate, and she said, "That's hot sauce."

"That's hot sauce," I said, once I could talk again.

"That's hot sauce." I said again.

Cuz I don't want to dip my chicken in that ever again.

T-shirts Don't Lie

Hi!

I have to ask.

Do you have someone with Down syndrome in your life?  I ask because, well, it's really hard to understand the impact of it unless you do.

Then again, maybe that's why you readthis blog!  So you can start to understand.  

Or maybe you read it for the camaraderie because you do have an extraordinary person in your life.  Lucky you!

Let me tell you about a couple t-shirts I bought for full-price online.  This is important because, for one, I don't really like to wear t-shirts.  And for two, I don't like to buy things unless they are on sale or second hand.  

But when these shirts came into my inbox, the words on them hit me so hard that I ordered them (each at different times) right away.

The first says, "Down syndrome Mom: If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart."

I bawled the moment I saw it.  It was, and still is, perfect for my life.  

People often see me and tell me that they don't know how I do what I do.  They are often amazed at my situation.  

Or... something.  

I don't really know how people view me and my son.  I just hear what they tell me sometimes.  Often they say nothing directly to me, and that's just fine.

They can see what they see of us.  They can see that "my hands are full" as I leave my groceries on the end of the checkout counter while I tell the cashier, "I'll be right back!" because my son just got mesmerized by the automating sliding doors and decided to run out of the building.

Or they hear me talk about the three different kinds of therapy that he needs to have in order to even have a chance of catching up to the other kids.

But the kicker is the latter part of the t-shirt.  

"You should see my heart."

Because it bursts at the seams with love.  The grammies and grampies know this.  The aunties and uncles know this.  The community members know this.

Brady P. makes your heart burst with love.

He walks out of his room in the morning, closes the door behind him and greets me with a huge "Good morning" smile, a hug or a joke.  What a way to start the day!

We sit at the picnic table in the yard to eat dinner, and each time he hears a car horn, he shouts, "Hiiiiii!" so loud that it's embarrassing.  Even more so when he stands on the bench waving his arm shouting, "Hiiiiiiiiii!" to a car alarm.  And he does it more and more because I absolutely crack up.  What a ham!

And he gives me sweet kisses on all the parts of my face and says, "I love you, Mommy," and my heart absolutely melts as we embrace in a hug.

He is the sweetest, most loving person I have ever met.  His depth of caring and compassion has taught me to deepen my own.  It's like he's an angel and a human at the same time.

"You should see my heart."

It is so full.  

I would not trade my experiences with him for anything.  And I have never wished he was different.  He's perfect for me and our family and our community.

The other shirt says, "I am a Down syndrome Mom.  What's your super power?" With an S in the Superman emblem.  

I know it seems a bit haughty, but it's true.

When your child has Down syndrome, they don't just walk.  They don't just talk.  They don't just pick up a crayon and draw.  

Without support, love and encouragement, they really are not designed to do too much more besides love people and want to eat sweet food.

This may be a bit generalized, but in my experience with many other parents, it's true.  I mean, decades ago, people with an extra 21st chromosome were thrown into institutions where they were expected never to amount to anything.  

ANYTHING!

Then people started working with them.  Started giving them the love, support, encouragement, therapy, repetition and community that they need to thrive.

People realized that our extra chromosome friends could learn.  They just need extra help.

You know, I have never really thought about it in that way before, but in that regard, I am helping a small body of a person become what society can deem a worthy human being.

That sounds absolutely horrible.

But that's the way people used to think!

And Brady P. did not get put into an institution where he still can't walk or speak or know all the colors or the alphabet or how to count to 10 in 5 different languages or be able to name a dinosaur for each letter of the alphabet.

No.  He did not go to an institution

He came to be with me.  And our family.

And he can do all those thingsI mentioned.

He is amazing.

So that, I suppose, is why the parent of a person with Down syndrome can wear a superhero shirt.

Because it's true.

Thanks for listening.

Have a wonderful day!

Represent!

What to Choose...

Hello!

I might just be able to get here every other week for a bit, and that will be okay.  Sorry for any inconvenience it might cause.  I know you look forward to Wednesdays just for this post.  

Ha!

How are you doing?

Really!  How ARE you feeling?  Overall?  In everyday life?

I just want to remind you that, no matter how you are feeling right now, you are worthy.  You are worthy of love.  If you can freely give love to others, you deserve love freely from others.  

Unconditionally.

We all do.

That's why Brady P. is here.  To remind us of that.

Please don't let fear consume your life.  There is too much beauty and love out there to focus on something to be afraid of.  

There are two ways to act: out of love or out of fear.  Seriously. Those are the only two ways to make a decision!

Either you are hoping for the best and being your best in order to create the best outcome for all those involved, or you are holding back something due to fear.

Once I learned this (from a Gary Zukav book, I believe) I test it daily.

It has held true.  You can only act out of either love or fear.  Even if you say you are acting out of "rationale," your decision has to be either for the good of others or purely self-serving -- the latter is fear-based.

I don't know if I talked about this before, but it sure seems like a good time in our lives to bring it up again.

You don't even have to agree with me.  But you can test it as you go about your day!  If you find that you disagree, please tell me!  And if you find that it's true, and it has changed how you view life and make decisions on a daily basis, please tell me!

I don't know if you can tell, but I really want to help make a difference in this world.

I want you to be your best self, so I strive to be my best self.  I am trying to lead by example.  Remember, I am not perfect, and that's why I like to share my imperfections with you.  So you know I'm human too!

We all are!  

We're allowed to make mistakes! 

We're allowed to have hard days!  

We can only act according to the best of our ability in any given moment.  It is when we consciously make a decision to do the wrong thing even when we know what's right, that we feel negative repercussions.

It's true.  I test that out often too.  Instant karma, man.

But the consequences of doing the right things are amazing.  And the more you do the right thing, the better your life gets.  The more opportunities come your way.  The more your prayers are answered.

At least from what I've noticed.  That's why I'm telling you!

So test your choices for a bit: love or fear.  Ask yourself, "What am I choosing right now?  Am I being my best self?  I am I doing the right thing?  What if somebody was watching me do this right now?"

I'm not going to lie.  Often times, the right thing is the harder thing.  It takes more energy.  But what do you want to do with your life?  Move forward with the momentum of positivity or get stuck by doing the easy/convenient things that don't always get you anywhere?

The choice is yours, my friend.

Have a wonderful day!

Brady P. Tells You What

Hi!

This is Braeden.

I am good.

I am really good.  I have a super good life.

Mommy and Craig love me and I get to play with other kids.  I get to flip my turtle and go for hikes with Mom.  My mom is sweet and she loves me and I love her.

Daddy and Kelsi love me too.  I get to go swimming and drive excavators with Daddy.  I get to play with my little brother Cedar and snuggle with my puppy at night.

I get to eat berries right from the bushes.  Not thimbleberries though.  I give those away.  I just like raspberries and blueberries and bilberries.  They are so yummy.

I get to play outside a lot.  I am getting good at hitting my ball off the tee with a bat.  And pitching to Mommy.  She can hit it far.

I like when it's sunny outside.  Sometimes it's rainy, but that feels nice for a little bit.  Then it gets sunny again.

I get to pee in the bushes.  I am learning how to go pee in the potty, but I like to pee in the bushes better.  Then I can aim on the leaves and watch them wiggle and get them wet.  I am good at aiming at leaves.  There is one heart-shaped leaf that I like to pee on in the yard.  I get it wet every time.

I have a really lot of love to give.  I like to give hugs to show love.  When I see a person walking who looks like they need a hug, I go right up to them and give them a hug.  My mom shouts, "he's going to hug you!" like they might be afraid of me, but I just get good hugs back.  

It's a good way to feel another person's heart.  People love my hugs.  I mostly hug my friends, but sometimes I see a person who I don't know their name, but I feel like I know their heart, so I hug them to see if they remember mine.  I like when they look at me and I can see it in their eyes that they know my love.  They smile a really nice smile.  Sometimes with a tear.  They say it makes their day, and it makes mine too.

I like to eat ice cream.  It is so yummy.  I would eat ice cream all day long, but Mommy won't let me.  Sometimes I have to finish my schoolwork first or listen to Mommy before I get ice cream.  She says it's a treat, not a food.  Sometimes we eat it together.  Craig said that if I go poop on the potty, I will get ice cream no matter what time of day it is.  I did not poop in the potty yet for a while, but I still think about ice cream.

Okay, I got stuff to do, so bye!

Sky diving in his dreams