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."