Molar Mystery

My oldest came home today with someone else's ice pack, and a tooth in his lunch box. I didn't know that he had a loose tooth, he never mentioned it. Not that he would... mind you, he dosen't chat alot. But then again, most kids with Down Syndrome & Autism don't have normal chatty conversations, especially in Junior High. So I held out the tooth, and I said to him "Is this your tooth?", and he said "tooth". I know, not alot of information, but that's how it is...usually one or two words and he finished with his part of the discussion. So of course I did what any mother would do, I said "open your mouth, let me see if this is your tooth?", and he then gave me an emphatic "NO!" and he was off. End of conversation, he would have none of my prying into his business, or his mouth. I began to suspect that it could be somebody elses tooth, so I dropped it and quickly washed my hands. It's one thing to hold your own kids tooth in the palm of your hand, and quite another to hold a strangers tooth. After closer inspection of the tooth, it appeared that it was not brushed regularly and I know that I've been overseeing the brushing of my little darlings teeth and they are pearly white, so I am beginning to suspect that this indeed is someone elses tooth. It would have been really nice if the teacher had sent me a note home saying "Junior lost his tooth today at lunch and we put it in his lunch box", but that would have been too easy. My plan of action now, is to sneak into his room tonight after he is sound asleep, pry open his mouth and shine my halogen flashlight down his little throat so that I can count his teeth and look for the proof that this is or is not his tooth. Wish me luck and tune in tomorrow to find out the answer to this riveting mystery! Good night.

Cleaning Up Popsicle drips

Is it me, or has this summer flown by? I seems like just yesterday we were eating Popsicles by the pool. Oh, I guess that was yesterday. I was just settling into a routine and all of a sudden it's time to hit the stores for school supplies! I'm not really the shopping type. I don't mind going alone, maybe with a Cafe Mocha in hand as I browse, but I have to have a list, a mission a purpose. I don't like to go shopping for the sake of shopping. School starts on Monday so I unavoidably had to head to the stores with the kids. Yes, I took the whole circus to shop for school clothes and supplies! We bought clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, notebooks and other miscellaneous school supplies. My daughter likes to pick out her own clothes and most of the time we'll both like the same things. Every once in a while, what I thought looked darling on her, would make her eyes roll back in her head and she'd dash back into the dressing room as if I'd asked her to parade around in a clown costume. My youngest, the inventor, was yet another challenge. Everything bought for him had to be red. It sounds simple but nearly impossible to do. My oldest, and you'd think he would be a little help but he 's not (he has Down Syndrome & Autism), was busy picking things off of the shelves and adding them to the pile of clutter in the basket while my back was turned, causing me to have to go through every item at the checkout counter to make sure it was meant to be purchased. What's more incredible about his antics was that he was in a wheelchair. Yes, it seems he can reach any store shelf with ease, darn those wheelchair accessible engineers. This wheelchair has really been a lifesaver, it folds up and I can toss it into the back of the car. He likes it too, and he rides around in style, sipping on refreshments and snacking on what ever I've packed for him. After a long day shopping, he's the only one who's not dog tired. We got it for him, not because he couldn't walk, but because he could easily wander off from us in public while my back was turned. He also had this bad habit of sitting down where ever he was when he was tired of walking. That was fine when he was little, I'd just pick him up and carry him, but I can't manage 100+ pounds on my hip now. We are now officially ready for school to start. I am finished with the shopping and ready to move on to other intellectually stimulating activities, like cleaning the Popsicle drippings from the inside of my freezer. I hate leaving summer behind, it was really fun.

He called a child

It's summer time and the ice cream flows freely around our house, especially on hot afternoon's like today. I've just finished dishing out the cold creamy stuff to my three. My oldest, however was not interested in joining us for "Cream". He was dancing around outside of the laundry room door ( I keep it locked, lol, and that's another story), because he wanted the DVD player inside, which is in time out at the moment. He was very grumpy, because he wasn't getting what he wanted, and he was on the brink of an all out melt down about this DVD thing. After I had the bowls of ice cream ready, I told my other two at the table to sing the favorite song...(that would be the Happy Birthday song). I knew if they sang it, my little "Grumpy Gus" would break out in a big smile and run to where the singing was going on, because he knows that ice cream or cake is being served. Sure enough, we hadn't gotten a few words into the familiar tune, when here he came, happy as could be, with all of his frustrations and grumpiness forgotten, running at full tilt towards his bowl of ice cream. It reminded my of how Jesus told his disciples (Matt. 18:1-4) that unless they changed, and became like little children, they could not enter the kingdom of heaven.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?". He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 1-4.

I wonder if they knew what he was talking about at the time. The first time I read it, I did not have children, and it's full meaning was lost on me, until I experienced motherhood. My oldest, was born with Down Syndrome & Autism, so even though he is a teenager (14) he is very much a child and will always be...and that's how God created him. He gets frustrated, grumpy, angry, stubborn and pitches a fit when he doesn't get his way, but he has the heart of a child. He forgives, he forgets his troubles and moves on. He will never get puffed up on his own accomplishments, self righteous or any of the stuff that trips the rest of us up. He doesn't get bogged down in grown up worries. He is happy to be who he is, loving, laughing, trusting his parents to take care of him, just like we should trust our Heavenly Father to take care of us. Wouldn't it be great if the Happy Birthday song brought us running with a smile on our face to our Heavenly Father, knowing he has something special for us, maybe cake, maybe ice cream, maybe heaven!