A Year Of Lasts

My sons Andrew and Austin

                              
This is the last week of summer before my last baby chick starts his last year of school.  Andrew, in the picture above with Austin and I, is starting his senior year in high school.  It is a bittersweet achievement.  You moms know what I mean!  Andrew did great his whole kindergarten year.  A half a day of school worked perfect for him and his life plan.  But time marched on and he started first grade.  When he came home after his first day of a full day of school, he informed me that going to school all day was not for him and he only wanted to go for a half day.  "Oh buddy," I told him, "you have a long twelve years of school ahead of you!"  Who knew those years would fly by so fast!

Austin attended his last year of school a year ago.  He is officially in the class of 2007.  However, in the special ed program in our school district the kids can attend school for an additional four years.  This is what we decided to do with Austin.
 

Austin at school

Change is very hard, if not virtually impossible, for autistic kids.  This past year has been very difficult for Austin.  He doesn't understand why he cant go back to school and he doesn't have the ability to verbalize this.
Austin will say    "Kids....  Centennial?"
Centennial is the name of the high school he attended for eight years.
I say   "Yes buddy the kids are at Centennial."
Austin says   "Me....  Centennial."
I say  "I'm sorry buddy. Your too old now."
And Austin will walk away.

We have this conversation a couple of times a week.  I wonder if Austin thinks that if he tells me enough times that he wants to go back to high school I will finally say yes.  Or maybe he thinks I don't understand what he is telling me at all.
 
 Attending school wasn't just getting an education for Austin.  It was his work life and his social life. He worked every day for eight years in the high school cafeteria cleaning tables. His class took field trips to movies, restaurants, the mall, etc.  They went bowling and attended baseball games. They held social get togethers such as dances with other high school special ed classes.  He knew all the special ed teachers and kids and they knew him.  For your average high school senior, saying goodbye to high school means saying hello to a bigger world.  For Austin, saying good bye to high school has meant a much smaller world. 

Austin and his friend Chad

As Andrew starts this last year he is excited to finish and say good bye to high school.  He will play his last high school football game, go to his last homecoming dance, write his last high school essay,  and say goodbye to his friends.  And that is how it should be.  I'm excited for Andrew and proud of him.  His world will get bigger after this year of lasts.  I will cheer and applaud at graduation.  Austin will be there too.  And hopefully, Austin will also begin to say good bye to his high school years.
.    

Goodwill Hunting


One of Austins favorite things to do is go to Goodwill or Deseret Industries.  I really dont know why.  But I have my theories.


Austin at Goodwill in Reno



When my children were younger they were all involved in youth sports.  With three kids all playing different sports at different age levels our saturdays were hectic to say the least.  Sometimes we would start with a game at 9:00 a.m .which meant that child had to be at the field at 8:00 a.m. which meant we would leave the house at 7:15 a.m.   We would finish the day with a game at 4:00 p.m. and be home by 7:00 p.m.  We went to every game for every child unless there were time conflicts.  And if we went, it meant Austin went.  The poor guy has logged more hours at soccer fields, basketball courts, baseball games, lacrosse games, volleyball courts, and football fields than many a parent.  No wonder he's exhausted!



Austin found a book he likes

Austin didnt just sit and watch the games like his mom and dad.  Oh no, he paced and flapped. He logged more miles than any of the kids on the field or courts! 

But back to Goodwill.  I think Austin is burnt out on saturday sports for his brother and sisters.  He just wants to relax! 





Austin with a Winnie the Pooh book.  One of his favorites!

So every saturday Austin and I make a trip to Goodwill.  If either of his sisters are around they will join us.  First Austin heads to the books  He will go through the books and pick out one to look at. He only ever picks one book for the day. Disney stories, Winnie the Pooh, and Teddy Ruxpin are some of his favorites. He will look at the book for awhile.  I'll say "Austin, do you want me to buy that book for you?"  It never fails, he will always answer "No".  Then he will put the book back on the shelf and he will head over to the video section and the process will repeat itself.  We usually spend about an hour at each store. He never wants to bring anything home.  He just wants to look.  Maybe he knows that if he leaves the books and movies at Goodwill they will be there next time he comes in. 

Saturdays now belong to Austin. Goodwill and Deseret Industries have replaced soccer and basketball.   Life is Good!   Life is Flappy!

My Flappy Life

Welcome to my flappy life!  I have been blessed with four wonderful children  Each is special and unique in their own way.  First came Ashley.  She has grown into an amazing women.  She is married to her best friend Loa and they are starting out on their own adventure through this life. Next came Austin.  I'll come back to him.  Drew and I were then blessed with another daughter, Alyssa.  She is attending college, working and experiencing everything a young women her age should.  Last but not least came our baby boy Andrew.  He is a senior in high school this year.  He is no longer our baby.  At 6 foot 4 and 250 lbs he has outgrown all of us!  Now back to Austin.

Austin is my special blessing.  Austin is autistic.  How can I put into words the blessings that this special boy has brought into all our lives. Please understand that I still refer to Austin as a "boy" and as my "child".  He is now 22 and technically he is a young man.  However, he will always be my boy. Unlike my other children who will grow up, get an education, get married, have kids, and find their own path, Austin will always be with Drew and I.  He requires daily care to help dress, shower, brush his teeth, etc.  You get the picture. He is my greatest challenge and my greatest blessing.

One of the classic symptoms of autistic children is flapping.  Austin will "flap" as he walks.  He throws his arms up in tandom as he steps, he doesnt swing them from side to side opposite each stride like a "normal" person would. And when I say he throws his arms up, I mean he throws his arms up all the way above his head.  He does this with each step.  This is actually quite physically draining to do, I have tried it! Austin will pace and flap for hours!

On a website that carried all sorts of crazy things there was a  collection of t-shirts for autistic kids.  I found Austin a shirt that had a picture of a bird on it and it said: "I get flappy when Im happy".  I love that shirt.  Austin does get extra excited and "flappy" when he is happy.  So now you know where the title of this blog came from.  My life might be flappy but I wouldnt trade it for any other kind!