Ice cream strikes again...

Sometimes, you just have to laugh, right? Just now, Grant and I came in from swimming. He took his trunks off. I told him to go get dressed as I went to change. I walked back into the den to find him kicked back drinking the rest of his shake that he had gotten earlier in the day - in the buff. I sat down on the other end of the couch thinking, "I really should make him go put some clothes on. Nah, in a minute." I was enjoying the rest of my shake when Grant let out a yelp. I thought he had seen a bug or something until he let out a second yelp. I looked up to see that he had spilled his shake all over himself... and yes, nether regions included. No wonder he was yelping! I stood him up, grabbed his blanket to stop the rest of the shake from running down inside the couch. I went and got a towel to wipe Grant down with and to clean up the mess on the floor. No, I didn't get mad. I was giggling too hard. The look oh his face was priceless! Now he is in the tub and here I sit, still giggling as I type this. What can I say, but OH THAT BOY!

Ice Cream!

It is fun to think back to when the apraxia journey first began and how far Grant has progressed since then. Bear and I were talking about one such instance yesterday. A few years back, she and I went to McDonalds with Grant. We ate and let him play. When it came time to leave, Grant said "i-peem" which was Grantanese for ice cream. I went to the counter to ask one of the clerks if he could have a kiddie cone to which Grant said sternly, "NO! I-PEEM..." I tried explaining to him that is what I was getting as the clerk handed the cone to me. It was then that he again said "no" and pointed at the menu and started jabbering something that I couldn't even begin to understand until I looked up at the menu board and noticed the picture of the ice cream shake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. I turned to Grant and asked "you want an ice cream shake?" To which he giggled, squealed, jumped in the air and shouted "YEAH!" Oh that boy!

Apraxia Awareness 2014

The second annual apraxia awareness day took place on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Like last year, I made awareness ribbons and passed them out. Emailed the media and told anyone who would sit still long enough about apraxia. CASANA launched an intiative to have apraxia awareness day recognized not only in the whitehouse but in each individual state. Another apraxia mom, Danielle, got the ball rolling in Oklahoma and received a response. Senator A.J. Griffin drafted a resolution declaring it Apraxia Awareness Day in the state of Oklahoma and invited apraxia stars and their parents to be present in the gallery while the resolution was read into the record. Of course I jumped at the opportunity! Our little group decided to have matching shirts made. So on the 14th, Grant and I dressed in our blue apraxia awareness shirts, went to speech therapy and then headed to the capital in Oklahoma City. I explaine to him on the way up that this was a big day and that we were going to meet some important people. Upon arriving at Senator Griffin's office, we were treated so kindly. She and her secretary were so patient with our little apraxia stars. We took photos and then headed to the gallery. We sat and listened while the resolution was read into the record. Even though it was difficult to understand at times, due to the sound system, it was still touching. Then Senator Griffin recognized us in the gallery. That is when the most amazing moment of the day happened. All of the senators present that day, stood, faced us and gave us a standing ovation. Our little stars who are so often looked over or pushed aside for being different or difficult to deal with were BEING HONORED! They were being recognized for their hard work and perserverance. A moment I will NEVER forget! Since that day, more amazing things have happened. I had the opportunity to be interviewed by the local newspaper. Grant's story was on the front page! Because of that article, another apraxia mom from McAlester got in touch with me. We are support for each other and are working together to further raise awareness.