2011 Winter Games

                                   Ready to hit the slopes!

                          Coach Mike helps AJ master the gates

                               AJ "The Red Dragon" Maynard

                         AJ won a Bronze Medal in the Giant Slalom
                              and a Silver Medal in the Slalom!

Lately, AJ is all about recipes.  Just about any food that's put in front of him prompts the usual questions of, "How'd you make that?" and, "What secret ingredient?"


We were at a restaurant, and there was an advertisement on the table for apple pie.  I asked him how to make that and he launched into a dissertation about sugar and bowls and stirring.  


I asked him what the secret ingredient is in apple pies.  He very seriously replied, "Apple Trees."  Huh.  


I asked how you cook it.  According to his recipe, it's baked in an "oven" at "One Hundred Frisbees".  


Delicious.

Mechanics

AJ and I were out running some errands today.  Upon exiting from the store, we got in the car and when I turned the key....nothing.  Not a click, not a buzz...zilch.  


*&^@!$#!!


AJ has an immediate solution.  "Car broken.  New one.  Store."


Uh...yeah, buddy...let's just walk on over to Walmart and pick one up.


So...since the thing is nothing but a big paperweight at this juncture,  I decide I can't break it any worse and open the hood to explore.


I ponder aloud what might be wrong.  He offers, "No power.  Lightning storm."


Since there's not a cloud in the sky, I highly doubt the car was struck by lightning while we were in the store.  But, the young man makes a good general point....since not even the clock is working, it's gotta be electrical.  


The only part of the electrical system I know I can get to (or even identify) is the battery.  Checking that, sure enough...a loose cable.  I have AJ help me get some tools out of the trunk and he looks on as I tighten it up.


I turn the key and...Tah-Dah!  Starts right up.


He's grinning and obviously very impressed with what we've done.  He proudly proclaims, "Mom.  We're a GENIUS."


Indeed we are.

Lots of great things AJ has learned over the past few years seem to all be coming together functionally for him this school year.

Whenever we do any kind of written homework together, I always tell him to write his name on it when he's finished.  Apparently giving credit where credit is due, since I help him, he seems to feel obligated to write my name on it, too.  He's learned to spell "Mom" on his own, a wonderful accomplishment.  But it always seems that the "o" in my name is a little shaky.  

Tonight I realized that it's because he always spells it:
Mm.

First Shave

AJ and Grandpa went shopping for a new razor today and Grandpa taught him how to shave.

He seemed to get the hang of it and is looking handsome!

Champion

A.J. started downhill skiing this winter.  It's been frustrating for him, but he's stuck with it. He started the season unable to make all the way down the hill without falling...even when he had two coaches propping him up on either side.  By the end of the season, he was able to make it all the way down without any assistance at all. 


The course at the State Winter Games was much more difficult than he had seen at the Area Games.  He practiced and practiced, but making those gates was a real challenge.  During his competition run, he fell about halfway down losing his poles and a ski.  He was determined to finish.  He struggled and struggled, but finally retrieved his poles and got his ski back on.  He started down the hill again.  A few yards from the finish line he had another wipe out, this time losing both skis.  He wasn't going to give up.  It took him several minutes, but he finally got those skis back on and crossed the line.  I met him at the bottom.  He was clearly frustrated and had tears in his eyes (he never cries).  But he wasn't giving up.  He headed straight back up the hill, telling me, "I not cheat!  I try again!"


I don't think I've ever been as proud of him as I was at that moment.

Listening to Coach Mike

Getting his Award Ribbon

Having a blast with Bailey at the Dance!

Looking Cool in the Team Jersey

Girlfriend?

At Basketball practice tonight, 15 yr. old Savannah (who also has Down Syndrome) confessed to me that she thinks AJ is "cute" and that her Mom teases her about him.  Savannah's mom had shared with me a few weeks ago that Savannah has had a crush on him for some time.  This girl is absolutely adorable.


On the way home from Basketball I told AJ, "Savannah told me she thinks you're a cutie."  His mouth fell open.  I told him, "She likes you."


He's now grinning from ear to ear.  Absolutely beaming, he tells me, "That's so cool!"  


He thinks for a few seconds and then asks, "Can I talk to her?"


I told him that....yeah...that would be a good start and that I'd point her out to him at Swim practice on Saturday.


He looks out the window, pondering the situation some more and I hear him say to himself, "Huh.  Girlfriend."


Oh, boy...let fun begin...

He's Back!

AJ was in the hospital with H1N1 and pneumonia and hasn't been to school in 10 days.  Thankfully, despite the scare he gave everyone, he's recovering nicely.

When I told him last night that he was going back to school for part of the day today, he was thrilled and immediately told me they were having a party for him. I asked what kind of a party and he told me, "Donuts".  (?!)  As I highly doubted that his teacher was in any way prepared for the party he had planned for himself, we had to stop and buy donuts and cider on the way in to school this morning.  He couldn't have been more pleased. 

I think he knows what a lot of us tend to forget.  Celebrating the fact that you are alive and planning a party for yourself because of it is simply the right thing to do!

Soccer Star

AJ played in his first Special Olympic State Soccer Tournament this weekend. He had a great time and did really well! Here's a few pictures:



And some video (He's the one in yellow that starts out with the ball):

Solar System

For years now, when asked what he did in school, AJ usually replies with a rather vague "Nothing" or "Lunch".

Not one to give up, when he got off the bus today, I asked him, as I do every day, what he did at school today.

I got an enthusiastic, "Planets. Pluto and Saturn."

I was impressed. And, indeed the lesson plans sent home from school all week have said that they are learning about the solar system.

So, while we were out for a bike ride, I was asking him to name the planets for me. He again named Pluto and Saturn. I asked him to name another planet. He thought, and then told me "Moon."

I kept pushing, asking for him to name one more planet. He thought for a long, long time and then excitedly exclaimed, "I know! Animal Planet!"

Fossils

AJ is really interested in dinosaurs right now.

We've been out roaming in the woods behind the house the last two afternoons, looking for treasures.

Today, much to his delight, AJ found a good portion of a DINOSAUR skeleton including the teeth and head. It appears to be a Deerosaurus, that were known to roam these woods during the Triassic and Jurassic periods. He loaded it all up in a grocery bag and hauled it back to the house.

He wants me to put it back together...like the "museum". Near as I can figure, it's one of those half-spined, no-necked, one-legged Deerosauruses.

We're definitely gonna need Grandpa.

What Is It?

Despite my best efforts, AJ continues to refer to a "Skunk" as a "Stunk"...which really makes a lot more sense if you think about it...

Anyway, as we're driving home, we pass a "stunk" that has been hit by a car. This of course leads to animated comments from AJ about how terrible it smells, how disgusting it is, etc.

He asks, "What a Stunk?"

I reply, "What do you think a skunk is?"

He ponders and replies, "Cat with smelly medicine."

It's Not Halloween Yet....

I woke up one morning to the promise of a hot and humid Michigan day. I decided to wear that jumper that hadn't been pulled out of my closet in quite some time. Keep in mind, the dress code at work is pretty casual and I very rarely wear a dress....

When I came down the hall, AJ looked me over, patted me on the head and commented seriously, "I like your costume."

Interpretation

AJ often substitutes words and language he knows for lyrics of songs...it makes me giggle to myself.

But today...I had to laugh out loud....

Right now, he's stuck on the soundtrack from Jesus Christ Superstar. He was singing at the top of his lungs in the car on the way home from school. I was very amused to find out that, according to AJ's lyrics, Jesus was "King of the Shoes."

And, to think....all along I was lead to believe Jesus was Jewish.

Shrinking?

AJ's on a huge growth spurt.

This morning, he snagged me in the hall and gave me a hug. Suddenly, he put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me away to arms length. He put his hand on my head then over his head, measuring.

Grinning, he announced, "You're shorter again!"

Pet Names

AJ has never quite caught on to the Mister and Misses thing. Despite everyone's best efforts, he simply calls all of his teacher by their last names. Sometimes, however, he just can't quite remember the whole last name.

AJ's regular ed teacher caught me in the parking lot the other day. Her name is Mrs. VanHoe. With a smile, she was remarking how it makes her laugh every time he addresses her.

He simply calls her Ho'.

I told her that I was sure he means it affectionately!

Can you believe it?

He's TWELVE!!!

"Said"

AJ and I were doing his reading homework. He buzzed through reading the assigned 'Max' worksheet three times with lightning speed with the exception of stumbling over the word "said" each of the three times it appeared on the sheet.

When he was done, I told him that I had a test: "Find said."

He pointed twice at what seemed to be random. I thought maybe he didn't understand what I was asking.

I repeated "Find said."

Again, he pointed twice at what seemed to be random. I was puzzled at why he was so confused.

I told him a third time, "Find said."

He pointed twice and it hit me that he WASN'T pointing at random...he was pointing at the quotation marks!

Persuasion

I was tucking AJ into bed the other night. As I lean over to give him a kiss, he lets loose the biggest, loudest fart you've ever heard....and proceeds to giggle hysterically.

Not being a boy, I don't find it nearly as amusing as he does, immediately back away, say a distant goodnight from the doorway and make a quick exit.

He desperately tries to persuade me to come back:

AJ: "Mom. Hug"

Mom: "No way."

AJ: "Mom...c'mere. Kiss."

Mom: "Nope. Go to sleep"

AJ: "Mom. No more stink."

Mom: "Yes it does. Goodnight"

AJ: "Mom. Hug. Please."

Mom: "Nope!"

AJ: "Kiss!"

Mom: "No way."

AJ: "Mommmm......be friendly!"

Eye Exam

AJ needed his eyes checked. I suggested to the doctor that he use letters rather than pictures since he has become quite proficient in identifying them over the last year.

AJ was a willing participant, with the small exception that he took his eye exam "phonetically". Rather than saying the name of the letter that was being shown, he said the sound the letter makes and gave an example of a word that begins with that letter. The doctor said he'd never had it done quite that way before!