Nick sings.
The doctors told us originally that Nick probably wouldn’t ever walk or talk. Yet not only did he learn to do both of these things, he sings. On the way home from church he was singing away and I captured a brief video of him singing...
Try saying “oh well.”
Nick is constantly my teacher. I want to share another valuable lesson he has taught me. Years ago, we noticed that whenever something bad had happened, Nick would say, “Oh well.” It might be when the stack he was creating fell over, or even...
Wait! Stop! I got on the wrong ride.
When I was a young mom, I was not naïve; I knew that life has it ups and downs. I expected a Merry-Go-Round, and got a Roller-Coaster. I thought that my life would go up and down, up and down, in gentle expected cycles of highs and lows. I...
Go Hawks! It’s Blue Friday.
Nick woke up today asking, “what day is it?” And before we could answer him, he yelled out, “It’s Blue Friday, Game Day.” Nick loves football and especially the Seahawks playing football. He knows that football...
Who are you connected to?
Last week we were at a family reunion in Ireland. We had a wonderful night with our relations. Nick had his picture taken with his 3rd cousin Gary Doherty. Gary is 5 months younger than Nick. Gary and Nick are both retired. During his career...
Some things don’t change.
Today I took Nick to his day program. He calls it school. The name really is Bridge of Promise and the program is based here in Carnation, WA. Nick loves it. They go on field trips and do group activities in the school room. There are...
Eat Dessert First, Life Is Uncertain!
In the early 1980’s there was a dessert place in Seattle, that had the marketing slogan, “Eat Dessert First, Life Is Uncertain!” Arden and I adopted this as a family motto. Circumstances always remind us that life is uncertain...
Complete focus.
We took Nick out to the Malin Hotel to see his favorite singer, Shunie Crampsey. Nick is typically predictable. Some of this is his autistic behaviors, some is his determination. When we go out in Ireland, he likes a specific beverage that he...
You can’t always count the cost.
In Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, Ireland, there is a large 767 airplane in a field. It is part of the Quirky Glamping Village. As you know, Nick loves planes and we were told we had to see it. He thought it was very funny. Over the weekend, we heard...
On the road again!
Nick woke up Monday morning quite excited. He didn’t even say good morning in response to me entering his bedroom. He started singing, “On the road again!” I cracked up. He knew that we were traveling to Ireland and understood...
Top Gun Mask.
In the fall of 2010, Nick’s seizures were out of control. Our epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy) was looking for all sorts of solutions including the usual medicine changes. Some of the factors used to manage...
Dad, You’re weird!
Most every morning Nick wakes up in a great mood. He sings songs and talks non-stop while we get him cleaned up to start the day. Arden loves to tease Nick when they are talking or singing. He will change words around or will completely ad-lib...