Kevin

Wow, another child almost grown, I am always amazed that I have raised such wonderful, well rounded children, Dreau has achieved more in  his 19 years than some people achieve in a lifetime, he is doing what he always wanted to do, in a state clear across the country, he makes me very proud, but this post is not about Dreau, this is about Kevin, my 17 year old who is carving his own path, he is a clown, never serious about anything, except his faith, the child has a faith in God that puts me in awe, he stands up for what he believes in, always considers others before himself, never asks for anything spectacular, he knows that we are not wealthy, but he knows that he never goes without anything that he needs, and I think that his spiritual education is very much a necessity, he works hard for things he wants, he is leaving tomorrow for a trip with his youth group to Indianapolis, Indiana. He worked to raise the money for this trip, car washes and bake sales and selling candy. How good that must feel that he at 17 earned that trip thru his own hands, nobody handed him a check and said go have fun. He wanted this trip so badly that he did fundraising for an entire year to EARN the money for it. I pray that he soaks up everything he can while he is there. What a special gift that a 17 year old boy, no, young man, has such a deep faith that this is where he wants his life journey to go. I love you Kevin, and I will miss you!

Whirlwind

Wow, what a crazy time the last couple of weeks has been for me...after seeking answers to the mystery that is my son Keith, I finally pinned down the doctor and got the results of over 2 months of testing...Autism....not Aspergers, not any high functioning anything............what does this mean for us? What kind of life will he have? What obstacles will be in his way in life? Will he ever be on level with his age group? Will he be able to keep up in school and graduate? How did nobody catch on to this before? Sometimes when you seek answers, you are just totally blindsided to the results, I do know that I will do EVERYTHING in my power as his mother to make sure that he gets all the help he needs to be successful, there are changes that need to be made, he will succeed, even if it's in unconventional ways. He is my baby, the child that reminds me daily to slow down and remember that it could always be worse, he brings me flowers to brighten my mood, even if its a peepee flower, he always gets a smile from me for it. He is my " oh look a lizard" child. When he was born, I had so many hopes and dreams for him, and watching him grow into the 6th grader he is now, I am still amazed at how far we have come. The scars have healed, and he will never know how bad those early years were. He will always know that he is loved unconditionally. No matter where life leads us, he will never be known as " that autistic boy" he will be Keith who is not allowing autism to stop him! He is the kid that likes to "hang out" with his friends, never meets a stranger, has  compassion for others, loves to watch cartoons, and videos on youtube. He is a free spirit, and while he wants to feel like he is a part of the group, he wants to be accepted on his terms, he is not into changing who he is to conform... boy I think he is very wise beyond his years for that. He teaches me so much and doesn't even know it. I love you son... and I always will