Water, Water, WATER!

So this entry is dedicated to one of Dawson's first loves- H2O.

How do you encompass, and properly explain how much water means to kids? Of course Dawson is no exception. He has always loved water- splashing, swimming, wading, drinking, soaking- and tommorow, he'll do it all over again.

If the weather's cold, he'll stand at the sink- shirt off of course, and take his Nemo characters through the regiment of reinacting different scenes from the movie. When the weather gets better, it's time to pull on the rubber boots and check out the latest mini lakes that have been created (that's him and Sylvia, exploring together).

Of course, the biggest joy for him has always been to pull the trunks on, and actually go into the pool. There is no secret to how therapudic water is. The pressure on a person's body does many things, including a secure feeling around them, allowing them to regulate their movements better, and have better impulse control. We are blessed to have family and respite workers that are willing to get wet with Dawson in the pool, the puddle or the sink, and make him truly happy. They are the heros that give him an opportunity to be in his element. Thanks everyone!

Of course, most of us love water too, but for kids that have disabilities, it's a whole new level of appreciation for what it can do, and the way it leaves you feeling. Now, where did we leave the towel? -t

A Great Easter!

First of all a big shout out to all the friends and family members that read this blog from time to time. Hope your Easter went well.

We had a great weekend. I think that Dawson enjoyed the nice balance of family and friends- but not too much! He really does enjoy his cousins, and finds pleasure in the people around him- just like anyone would. He has a limit though, and I think that we were able to read him well this weekend. This resulted in a good memory- it's not always that way.

I would like to say a special thanks to the aunts, uncles and cousins that were so encouraging and gracious to us on Sunday night, in spite of not having brought Dawson with. You showed a lot of understanding, and it resulted in a nice and relaxing evening for Sylvia and I. Many times, people are suspicious of us when we don't bring him with, not trying to understand the reasons. Thanks for being there for us in so many ways.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week, and God bless. -t

Easter with Dawson

This Easter, as with most holidays, we will have decisions to make. When do we take Dawson to Church- He doesn't understand why there's no Sunday School, and usually gets angry over that.
Which family gatherings should we go to (kids, crowds, babies, etc.)- and how long should we stay if we do go?
These are a few of the things that any family with kids with disabilities deals with every holiday. Above all, though, we're praying for a weekend where we can tangibly show him the meaning of Easter, and give him a better chance to grasp the concept of a Savior that loves him.
Happy Easter!-t

ALIVE!

This entry is strictly spiritual, and I make no apologies.
Jesus is alive!
You may have heard it in church years ago, or some guy shouting it on the street, but let me say it again, Jesus is alive!
This Easter weekend, we will be hit from every angle, with every sort of commercialized take on the bunny, or the egg or just simply chocolate. The truth is, all of this is utterly meaningless without the knowledge that there is something much greater to Easter than these things.
We believe that Jesus Christ took the punishment that we should of had, and he shed His very precious blood to pay for it. But all of that would be meaningless, had he not had victory over death, and risen again. We have a RISON SAVIOR! This is why we do not carry crucifixes- He is not on the cross anymore. The cross is empty- but more importantly- so is the tomb! We are not bound by a religious- driven order to pray a certain number of times a day, or to make ammends with the gods. We are invited to feast with the King Himself, and to have direct dialogue with the Lord of lords. We have a personal message from Him in the Bible, and follow our lives after it.
This Easter, I pray that your time will be more than the usual, and that you will celebrate life- yours, your family's and above all, Jesus Christ's. -t

He will meet you wherever you are

It was neat to hear and read about the way God worked in Dawson's heart while I was gone. I am continually amazed how even though he seemingly cannot grasp the concept of spiritual things such as remorse or grace, he still shows evidence of them by the way that he dispays joy, or the way he appreciates prayer. Will he ever realize the full extent of prayer, or the saving power of Jesus? I don't know, but I must say that I don't think I will either. And the thing for me as a parent, is to make sure that I can model and teach him about a God that is bigger than his comprehension, and that He can do anything. Really, that's all any parent should want- no matter the child. Enjoy your weekend.-t

We miss Daddy

For those of you who don't know, Terry has been on a business trip since last week Saturday. He returns tomorrow evening, which makes him gone for 6 full days. Dawson and I haven't talked a whole lot about it, but just before bed tonight, I commented that Daddy was coming back tomorrow. That must have triggered the emotions that he was feeling towards missing Terry.

He had a miserable time falling asleep, when he usually falls asleep instantly. I lay with him, I massaged him, I did everything I thought I should do. Eventually, I sat with him on the side of his bed and held him in my arms. I began talking about Terry and that he was on an airplane and he would come back tomorrow. I then prayed a short prayer for Terry. I began hearing Dawson whisper, so quieted down and listened, "Amen" "Amen" Dawson was repeating. I finished off the prayer, and Dawson's breathing INSTANTLY became shallower and his head dropped a bit in my arms. I held him for several more minutes, and he peacefully fell asleep. He missed his dad! How awesome! Yet how difficult to explain this to him.

I was so touched by Dawson's reaction to our conversation and prayer. God really does work in these little guys' hearts. What an awesome God we serve who gives us wisdom how to work with our kids, but also who is the God of peace. Have a peaceful, blessed night!

Incredible Intelligence

Our boy completely floored me today. He was happily eating his Rice Krispie cake after supper today when, all of a sudden, he started listing words in alphabetical order - correctly! It started "moon, nighttime, orange juice, Piglet, quilt, Rabbit, sun, Tigger, umbrella, valentine, wind, xylophone, yellow, zero" and so life went on as normal...in his mind.

I sat there, stunned! You see, Dawson has a book that teaches the sound-letter correlation using Winnie the Pooh characters. The real text goes: "M is for moon - shining at night, N is for nighttime - when stars look so bright." and so on. Here, our 5 year old selected the most important words in the text, and listed them in the order they are found in the book. And the book was laying-closed-on the shelf in the living room. Incredible!

This is similar to his photographic memory of movies. Often, when watching a movie, he will line up his teddy bears in a certain order, and we wonder why. Looking at the TV screen about 5 seconds later, we see the characters in that exact order. Then he shuffles them around, and we check the screen again, and sure enough - that's the new order they are in for this particular scene.

Maybe we are raising the autistic savant we initially (incorrectly) thought went with all autistic people! A little fact of interest. 20% of autistic people are savants, but 80% of savants are autistic. What a priviledge to raise him! Wonder what God has in store for this little guy! -s