14

October 19, 2000 (I don't have any infant pictures, really, it was such a stressful time the camera was the last thing we thought about!)

From cool dude....

to cool dude....(a night out at the movies)

The man wants a pirate costume - the man gets a pirate costume.

And.....never-ending pasta at Olive Garden (which may be his last - more on that in another post).

We feel pretty lucky to have him.  I can't believe he is 14, in some ways it has been a long fourteen years and in others it has flown by.  8th grade - 14 years old - I never would of pictured us here all those years ago when we didn't know what his future would hold.  We still don't in lots of ways, but we have a more clear picture of the path, and it isn't a bad path to be on.

But I can say that about all of my kids - they are all unique, different, and on a path they set for themselves.  Ethan is no different, he just needs us along for the ride more than the others :-)

I love it that he still believes in Santa and gets excited about Christmas twelve months out of the year.  I love it that he is super happy when mail comes and a card has HIS name on it.  I love it that he is always sooooo happy to see you - and it doesn't matter who "you" is - a teacher, a friend, the bus driver, the secretary, or even a total stranger he just met.  He is a good example to all of us.

So Happy Birthday, Big Man.  We love you!

Riding "Special" Style

Yes, we are still here.  And today was Area 6 Bicycling Special Olympic style.  Area 6 is from Batesville, but they came to Searcy and even though none of the Searcy teams came, we decided to take Ethan out of school and let him participate.  I mean, really, the bike shop family doesn't come to the bike ride?  That just wouldn't be right!

The day was cloudy, on the verge of rain, and was just right!  Ethan rode the recumbent because the three wheel trike just didn't seem cool enough, plus we thought he could go faster on the recumbent.

It took a while to get organized.  Some of the teams from up north took a while to get here.

Yes, I thought I had other pictures,  namely the one with his medals, but I am having technological difficulties at the moment.  We will aim for another try later.

I was impressed with some of the riders!  One girl with Down syndrome was all decked out in her spandex and biking jersey - she looked really good!  She rode her two wheel bike like a pro, I was super impressed.  She was adorable.

On another note, I win the "Mom of the Year" award because I planned ahead and brought numbing cream to Ethan's doctor appointment at the Down Syndrome Clinic.  Who knew they had a clinic in Little Rock??  Not I!   But I found out from a nurse at my school and I signed Ethan up.  It took almost 6 months to get in, but it was worth it.  I LOVED the doctor there and all of the other specialists.  They will help guide us through the transition of adolescence to adulthood.  I found out that many children with Down syndrome have active imaginations, so Ethan is in good company.  Also, that rash he always has....well, he will always have it.  Apparently children with Down syndrome have a skin regenerating problem, so now you know.

This is Ethan with the cream on.

And this is Ethan after painlessly donating many vials of blood to be tested.

It was a l-o-n-g afternoon, but well worth the time....plus Ethan got a Sonic cheeseburger for his efforts, so life is good!