The Hour Disability Didn't Exist

It was an unusually warm January day. The world was bright and beautiful. It felt much more like springtime than it did winter. A little boy climbed a hill using his walker, a constant reminder of his disability. As I climbed the hill beside him I had no idea that a miracle was waiting for us at the top?

You see, there was an enchanted object waiting for us to arrive. Most kids take these magical possessions for granted, often leaving them out in the rain or lying in the grass where they drop them to lay forgotten until dad mows the lawn. Those kids don't see the magic of the object, to them it's just a common thing, something everybody has. Sweet G and I know that there is nothing ordinary about this thing because we know that the one waiting for us has the ability to make disability totally disappear.

Sweet G approached the item with the aid of his walker but once he turned loose and was safely seated, his disability faded away. It not only faded away for Sweet G, it disappeared from the consciousness of everyone on that hilltop. For an hour Sweet G was just a normal kid. My husband and I were just typical parents. We witnessed something that I had given up hope of G ever being able to experience.

You are probably wondering what was waiting for us on the hill that day. It was a bicycle, not a regular bicycle but a magical one. Someone special provided a hand cycle for children at Infinity Children Services to use. I have no idea who they are but I owe them a huge thank you because when he was on that bike something mystical happened. As he put his hands on the handgrips and started to pedal, he broke away from the bonds of his disability. 

We spent the next hour running back and forth in the parking lot on top of the hill laughing, cheering and forgetting that disability exists. For an hour Sweet G literally pushed his therapist aside and said, "I've got this. I don't need you." Giggles filled the air as my little boy sped back and forth in a small parking lot on a magical bicycle that has the ability to make disability disappear. For an hour he was simply a little boy having a normal experience with his parents.

Sweet G's passion for life outshines the darkness of his disability. He inspires me to overcome the challenges I face with dignity and grace. Sweet G has life figured out. He knows the secret to living a full and abundant life regardless of his circumstances. The world would be a better place if we were all a little more like my G. If a miracle cure was found today that would forever erase every trace of G's disability, I'm not sure I'd want him to receive it. However, I would like for G to have one of those magic hand cycles so that when ever he wanted we could make his disability disappear for an hour or two. ; )

Curious Eyes and the Pain They Cause

As the mother of a child with a disability I am pretty laid back compared to other special needs parents I have met. I try to be understanding when everyone in the checkout lines turn and stare at my family when we enter a store. The children who frequently stop dead in their tracks with gaping wide mouths are smiled at as I quickly navigate Sweet G around their curious eyes.

I try to tell myself that they look because they are curious and because we are such beautiful people that they can't help becoming mesmerized by our striking good looks. Well, I can't even convince myself of that one but the point is that I really do try to put myself in the position of the lookie-lou in question and move on with my life. There are times, however, when I have an experience that throws me off balance and leaves me searching for direction. Today was one of those days.

We decided to take in a family movie this afternoon. Sweet G asked to go see Cars 2 and since that is something he never asks for we wanted to take him for some special family time. We bought our tickets before entering the theater. Having arrived a few minutes before the movie was going to start we decided to get in line for some refreshments. As we stood there in line my husband says you may want to take G and go find us some seats. Initially I said, "Why, it doesn't look that crowded to me." J replied, "Well, it wouldn't hurt because all the handicapped section may get full." Not wanting to disagree, I turned and headed with Sweet G toward the theater.

As I rolled G into the theater and into the main aisle where the handicapped seating is located I couldn't believe my eyes. Every seat was taken by able bodied people. There wasn't one disabled person in sight. Oh, my blood started to boil. I just stood there with my mouth agape in disbelief. There was a woman around my age in the first set of seats with her young child. An older lady sat with a young girl in the second set of seats. The third set of seats held an elderly man with a small boy, and two wild unattended boys took up the last set of seats. I stood there for a good minute just looking at them all. Remember that I said earlier that we don't enter anywhere unnoticed. They all, with the exception of the two boys on the far end of the theater looked straight at me and Sweet G.

What do you think happened? Did the woman my age with a little boy close to G's age offer their seats? Maybe you think it was the older woman and her grand-daughter who surrendered their seats. Surely it must have been the elderly man who nobly sacrificed his seats for a child in a wheel chair. Maybe the young boys took notice and offered their seats. Who do you think did the right thing and moved out of the handicapped seating so a disabled child could sit in the seating reserved for individuals with special needs like him? If your answer was none of the above you are a winner! Not one person moved from their seat. I stood there amazed at the lack of concern those three adults showed by their complacency. They sat there looking at me and G until I turned and walked back out of the theater.

I returned to the theater with an usher who asked the first lady and her son if they minded moving. The woman very pleasantly said, "Oh, of course I don't." She quickly moved to another set of seats and I was able to set down and position Sweet G's chair beside me.

I could have asked someone as easily as the usher. I'm not sure why I didn't. The only reason I can think of is that I was so shocked by the lack of consideration those people displayed by their actions to first sit in a section intended for those with special needs, and secondly their choice to stare at us without offering to move.

As I talked to my husband tonight I described my desire to teach Sweet G to be kind and retain a Godly character yet be able to diplomatically stand up for himself. There are some things in life he will simply have to endure and the gawking eyes of strangers is one of them. I struggle with how to handle those situations. I have a hot Irish temper and once angered my tongue often speaks fire and death. I don't want to be a bad example to my Sweet G. He has a precious spirit that I don't want to corrupt but at the same time I don't want a lifetime of being treated rudely to cause him to become discouraged.

Life is a constant balancing act that leaves me struggling to decide the right things to do. I feel so unequipped to parent my sons, to be the wife my precious husband deserves, and to trust and forgive those who offend me. It isn't like I don't know what I need to do. I need to turn to my Lord and ask for guidance. Instead I wait until I have extinguished all my earthly ways of handling things and am at my breaking point. But you know what? That's okay. He understands, He knows me more intimately than I know myself and He loves me (adores me) in spite of all my imperfections. I just need to remember that sometimes blessings come as raindrops. It is then that I run to the shelter of my Saviors arms and there that I find answers and peace.




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Curious Eyes and the Pain They Cause

As the mother of a child with a disability I am pretty laid back compared to other special needs parents I have met. I try to be understanding when everyone in the checkout lines turn and stare at my family when we enter a store. The children who frequently stop dead in their tracks with gaping wide mouths are smiled at as I quickly navigate Sweet G around their curious eyes.

I try to tell myself that they look because they are curious and because we are such beautiful people that they can't help becoming mesmerized by our striking good looks. Well, I can't even convince myself of that one but the point is that I really do try to put myself in the position of the lookie-lou in question and move on with my life. There are times, however, when I have an experience that throws me off balance and leaves me searching for direction. Today was one of those days.

We decided to take in a family movie this afternoon. Sweet G asked to go see Cars 2 and since that is something he never asks for we wanted to take him for some special family time. We bought our tickets before entering the theater. Having arrived a few minutes before the movie was going to start we decided to get in line for some refreshments. As we stood there in line my husband says you may want to take G and go find us some seats. Initially I said, "Why, it doesn't look that crowded to me." J replied, "Well, it wouldn't hurt because all the handicapped section may get full." Not wanting to disagree, I turned and headed with Sweet G toward the theater.

As I rolled G into the theater and into the main aisle where the handicapped seating is located I couldn't believe my eyes. Every seat was taken by able bodied people. There wasn't one disabled person in sight. Oh, my blood started to boil. I just stood there with my mouth agape in disbelief. There was a woman around my age in the first set of seats with her young child. An older lady sat with a young girl in the second set of seats. The third set of seats held an elderly man with a small boy, and two wild unattended boys took up the last set of seats. I stood there for a good minute just looking at them all. Remember that I said earlier that we don't enter anywhere unnoticed. They all, with the exception of the two boys on the far end of the theater looked straight at me and Sweet G.

What do you think happened? Did the woman my age with a little boy close to G's age offer their seats? Maybe you think it was the older woman and her grand-daughter who surrendered their seats. Surely it must have been the elderly man who nobly sacrificed his seats for a child in a wheel chair. Maybe the young boys took notice and offered their seats. Who do you think did the right thing and moved out of the handicapped seating so a disabled child could sit in the seating reserved for individuals with special needs like him? If your answer was none of the above you are a winner! Not one person moved from their seat. I stood there amazed at the lack of concern those three adults showed by their complacency. They sat there looking at me and G until I turned and walked back out of the theater.

I returned to the theater with an usher who asked the first lady and her son if they minded moving. The woman very pleasantly said, "Oh, of course I don't." She quickly moved to another set of seats and I was able to set down and position Sweet G's chair beside me.

I could have asked someone as easily as the usher. I'm not sure why I didn't. The only reason I can think of is that I was so shocked by the lack of consideration those people displayed by their actions to first sit in a section intended for those with special needs, and secondly their choice to stare at us without offering to move.

As I talked to my husband tonight I described my desire to teach Sweet G to be kind and retain a Godly character yet be able to diplomatically stand up for himself. There are some things in life he will simply have to endure and the gawking eyes of strangers is one of them. I struggle with how to handle those situations. I have a hot Irish temper and once angered my tongue often speaks fire and death. I don't want to be a bad example to my Sweet G. He has a precious spirit that I don't want to corrupt but at the same time I don't want a lifetime of being treated rudely to cause him to become discouraged.

Life is a constant balancing act that leaves me struggling to decide the right things to do. I feel so unequipped to parent my sons, to be the wife my precious husband deserves, and to trust and forgive those who offend me. It isn't like I don't know what I need to do. I need to turn to my Lord and ask for guidance. Instead I wait until I have extinguished all my earthly ways of handling things and am at my breaking point. But you know what? That's okay. He understands, He knows me more intimately than I know myself and He loves me (adores me) in spite of all my imperfections. I just need to remember that sometimes blessings come as raindrops. It is then that I run to the shelter of my Saviors arms and there that I find answers and peace.




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Just What Every Little Boy Needs

Today was Sweet G's short therapy day when he only sees his physical therapist, AKA "the mean woman." G loves her dearly and because of that she bears the brunt of his jokes and abuse. Her job and what it requires G to do is the most difficult physically of all his therapy. G's legs are the most affected by his cerebral palsy, therefore that is the most difficult and taxing on his body.

Therapy has been ramped up, so to speak, since his tendon lengthening surgery. We are requiring much more from him and he is seeing his PT twice a week instead of once. The surgery has given G so much more range of motion and has eliminated the muscles fighting each other for control. It sort of evened out his muscle tone by lengthening and therefore weakening muscles that have been stretched tight preventing normal movement.

As I wrote in my post a couple of days ago, G has made remarkable progress lately. Today I asked his therapist if we could try him on a bike the clinic has. The bike is a regular bike but has these amazing training wheels that give it perfect stability like a trike. We thought that by adding straps to the pedals and changing the seat to something with a back and straps it might work. Boy were we ever wrong! We put G on the bike, he sat up and said, "Let go, I can do it all by myself." He had no problem balancing on the regular seat or keeping his feet on the pedals. There was a problem with making it go. His trike is adapted to become hand cranked and he has recently learned to ride his plasma car which propels when you wiggle the steering wheel back and forth so it took us reminding him a few times that wiggling the handlebars does not make it go. He did try so hard to make it move. We were shocked when he stood up on the bike and started saying, "I'm a big man and I can stand up by myself." As if those things weren't enough he had to kick things up another notch when we were about to dismount the bike. I noticed that he only had his hands lightly placed on the handlebar so his therapist asked him if he could clap for himself. He steadied himself, took his hands off for a brief second a couple of times and then he took them off completely and gave himself a round of applause. There were a lot of happy people in that gym today.

So, I bet you can't guess where we went when therapy was over! If you guessed a bike shop a mere three blocks from therapy you are right. I thought that might be best since he kept insisting we borrow the one from the clinic. When I told him we couldn't he replied simply, "We can bring it back before anyone misses it." After all every little boy needs a bike.

Just What Every Little Boy Needs

Today was Sweet G's short therapy day when he only sees his physical therapist, AKA "the mean woman." G loves her dearly and because of that she bears the brunt of his jokes and abuse. Her job and what it requires G to do is the most difficult physically of all his therapy. G's legs are the most affected by his cerebral palsy, therefore that is the most difficult and taxing on his body.

Therapy has been ramped up, so to speak, since his tendon lengthening surgery. We are requiring much more from him and he is seeing his PT twice a week instead of once. The surgery has given G so much more range of motion and has eliminated the muscles fighting each other for control. It sort of evened out his muscle tone by lengthening and therefore weakening muscles that have been stretched tight preventing normal movement.

As I wrote in my post a couple of days ago, G has made remarkable progress lately. Today I asked his therapist if we could try him on a bike the clinic has. The bike is a regular bike but has these amazing training wheels that give it perfect stability like a trike. We thought that by adding straps to the pedals and changing the seat to something with a back and straps it might work. Boy were we ever wrong! We put G on the bike, he sat up and said, "Let go, I can do it all by myself." He had no problem balancing on the regular seat or keeping his feet on the pedals. There was a problem with making it go. His trike is adapted to become hand cranked and he has recently learned to ride his plasma car which propels when you wiggle the steering wheel back and forth so it took us reminding him a few times that wiggling the handlebars does not make it go. He did try so hard to make it move. We were shocked when he stood up on the bike and started saying, "I'm a big man and I can stand up by myself." As if those things weren't enough he had to kick things up another notch when we were about to dismount the bike. I noticed that he only had his hands lightly placed on the handlebar so his therapist asked him if he could clap for himself. He steadied himself, took his hands off for a brief second a couple of times and then he took them off completely and gave himself a round of applause. There were a lot of happy people in that gym today.

So, I bet you can't guess where we went when therapy was over! If you guessed a bike shop a mere three blocks from therapy you are right. I thought that might be best since he kept insisting we borrow the one from the clinic. When I told him we couldn't he replied simply, "We can bring it back before anyone misses it." After all every little boy needs a bike.

Triathalon

Recently Sweet G participated in a triathalon for kids that is held annually in or hometown. It was a very tiring but wonderful experience for us all. Typically the kids do everything independently but they have a special heat for children with disabilities and they are allowed any assistance necessary. For Sweet G that included someone to swim with him; someone to transfer him dripping wet into his wheelchair; someone to dry him and put his race shirt, socks, AFOs, and shoes on his still damp body; someone to wheel him through a crowd of cheering spectators; someone to put him onto his trike, and put his helment on; someone to walk alongside him and steer the trike as he hand pedaled; someone to carry his walker to a designated spot on the running course; someone to transfer him from the trike back into the wheelchair; someone to run while pushing him; someone to help him transfer out of his chair and into his walker for the last few yards of the run; and someone to cheer him on when he crossed the finish line.

For G there were several someones. A therapist swam with him, his Dad picked him up out of the pool, his brother along with his Dad and I dried him and dressed him, his Dad pushed him through the screaming fans as his brother and I followed, Dad put him on the trike, we all took turns helping him guide the trike, I carried the walker to the designated spot, Dad transferred him to his chair, his brother loaded the trike in the car, his physical therapist pushed him through the run and transferred him to his walker so he could finish the race independently, and we were all there (along with many others) cheering as a proud little boy crossed the finish line. His biggest concerns during the race were if his brother captured him "drowning" (face going underwater) on video and trying to find out what kind of snacks Ms. Beth had waiting at the finish line. That boy is a corker.

When it was all over and we were driving away he said, "Well, I guess I won that one." I suppose he forgot being passed by a little girl on the bike portion and the girl going around him two yards short of the finish line! Everyone in his heat received medals which is probably why he thinks he won and afterall it is appropriate since they are all champions.

Triathalon

Recently Sweet G participated in a triathalon for kids that is held annually in or hometown. It was a very tiring but wonderful experience for us all. Typically the kids do everything independently but they have a special heat for children with disabilities and they are allowed any assistance necessary. For Sweet G that included someone to swim with him; someone to transfer him dripping wet into his wheelchair; someone to dry him and put his race shirt, socks, AFOs, and shoes on his still damp body; someone to wheel him through a crowd of cheering spectators; someone to put him onto his trike, and put his helment on; someone to walk alongside him and steer the trike as he hand pedaled; someone to carry his walker to a designated spot on the running course; someone to transfer him from the trike back into the wheelchair; someone to run while pushing him; someone to help him transfer out of his chair and into his walker for the last few yards of the run; and someone to cheer him on when he crossed the finish line.

For G there were several someones. A therapist swam with him, his Dad picked him up out of the pool, his brother along with his Dad and I dried him and dressed him, his Dad pushed him through the screaming fans as his brother and I followed, Dad put him on the trike, we all took turns helping him guide the trike, I carried the walker to the designated spot, Dad transferred him to his chair, his brother loaded the trike in the car, his physical therapist pushed him through the run and transferred him to his walker so he could finish the race independently, and we were all there (along with many others) cheering as a proud little boy crossed the finish line. His biggest concerns during the race were if his brother captured him "drowning" (face going underwater) on video and trying to find out what kind of snacks Ms. Beth had waiting at the finish line. That boy is a corker.

When it was all over and we were driving away he said, "Well, I guess I won that one." I suppose he forgot being passed by a little girl on the bike portion and the girl going around him two yards short of the finish line! Everyone in his heat received medals which is probably why he thinks he won and afterall it is appropriate since they are all champions.

Reading and Writing, Arithmetic Taught to the Tune of an iPad?

Today was a good day. The sun was shining as a warm breeze blew. Sweet G and I sat at the kitchen table doing school with the back door open letting the glory of springtime fill the house.

I am amazed at the progress Sweet G is making since we bought the iPad for him. He sits and "plays" on it for hours. Today he worked on two new apps we bought over the weekend. One of the apps helps with phonics. The iPad calls out a word, gives three boxes for the child to put the correct spelling in, and calls the individual sounds of each letter. This has always been a very difficult thing for G but today he amazed me with the ease he displayed while using the app. He also played with an app using sight words. It has 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. G worked through the first list today and loved it.

G also worked on a math mastery app. He was practicing adding one to the numbers one through ten. This has been a difficult area for G also. I noticed that as we were playing it together that G kept looking up. I knew what he was doing immediately. He was using the hundred number chart to get his answers. Some may think that is cheating but I don't. He is learning to use tools to assist him. I didn't tell him to do it, he just made the connection and saw what adding one means.

Teachers in the past have said he is incapable of doing any of this work. Psychologists have given us some very bleak predictions as well. Independence was one of the main goals of the school system for G but they were never able to help him achieve it. A $1,000.00 piece of technology has opened up the world of learning to G. Independence is no longer an issue. I tell him which activities he is assigned and he completes them. He always goes above and beyond what I have planned for the day.

G never fails to watch a Brain Pop video. Most of them are far more advanced than he needs but he watches them and he learns. Yesterday he watched one on autism without me. He told me afterwards that they talked a lot about brains. Today the video was about Maya Angelou. He learned that she read one of her poems at President Clinton's inauguration, that she had a hard childhood, and about the effect segregation had on her life. G made the connection of Maya Angelou and segregation to the movie, Driving Miss Daisy, that we watched on Saturday. "That's why the man couldn't use the bathroom at the service station isn't it Momma?"

He is one smart little boy. There is so much potential just waiting for a way to come out but trapped somehow. $1,000.00 is nothing compared to the cost of most of G's technology needs but just look how much it has already accomplished. I am excited about the things that little boy is going to do! Lord, use him to confound those who look at him and only see limitations. Glorify yourself through the achievements of our Sweet G.

Reading and Writing, Arithmetic Taught to the Tune of an iPad?

Today was a good day. The sun was shining as a warm breeze blew. Sweet G and I sat at the kitchen table doing school with the back door open letting the glory of springtime fill the house.

I am amazed at the progress Sweet G is making since we bought the iPad for him. He sits and "plays" on it for hours. Today he worked on two new apps we bought over the weekend. One of the apps helps with phonics. The iPad calls out a word, gives three boxes for the child to put the correct spelling in, and calls the individual sounds of each letter. This has always been a very difficult thing for G but today he amazed me with the ease he displayed while using the app. He also played with an app using sight words. It has 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. G worked through the first list today and loved it.

G also worked on a math mastery app. He was practicing adding one to the numbers one through ten. This has been a difficult area for G also. I noticed that as we were playing it together that G kept looking up. I knew what he was doing immediately. He was using the hundred number chart to get his answers. Some may think that is cheating but I don't. He is learning to use tools to assist him. I didn't tell him to do it, he just made the connection and saw what adding one means.

Teachers in the past have said he is incapable of doing any of this work. Psychologists have given us some very bleak predictions as well. Independence was one of the main goals of the school system for G but they were never able to help him achieve it. A $1,000.00 piece of technology has opened up the world of learning to G. Independence is no longer an issue. I tell him which activities he is assigned and he completes them. He always goes above and beyond what I have planned for the day.

G never fails to watch a Brain Pop video. Most of them are far more advanced than he needs but he watches them and he learns. Yesterday he watched one on autism without me. He told me afterwards that they talked a lot about brains. Today the video was about Maya Angelou. He learned that she read one of her poems at President Clinton's inauguration, that she had a hard childhood, and about the effect segregation had on her life. G made the connection of Maya Angelou and segregation to the movie, Driving Miss Daisy, that we watched on Saturday. "That's why the man couldn't use the bathroom at the service station isn't it Momma?"

He is one smart little boy. There is so much potential just waiting for a way to come out but trapped somehow. $1,000.00 is nothing compared to the cost of most of G's technology needs but just look how much it has already accomplished. I am excited about the things that little boy is going to do! Lord, use him to confound those who look at him and only see limitations. Glorify yourself through the achievements of our Sweet G.

Karaoke King

One thing I love about my Sweet G is his gregarious personality. He is not the least bit shy in front of a crowd, in fact that is usually when he is his boldest which scares me to death. I just never know what is going to come out of that cute little boy because most eight year olds haven't mastered the social skills expected when speaking in front of a group and Sweet G is at the top of his game when he has a captive audience. In fact, he has been performing for his therapists, his fellow patients, and their parents for years now. He loves to be cheered and is not shy about telling you he expects it.

Tonight we made plans to meet some great friends at a local Mexican restaurant that has Karaoke on Saturday nights. The evening started out pretty much like many other times we have taken G there but everything changed the minute our friend D sang his first song. Sweet G went wild! He started requesting songs for D to sing for him. G eventually asked D's daughter E to sing "Look It Up" with him. This is when the panic started rising in me. They took the stage and someone handed G a microphone. My heart was pounding because we all know that one of two things happens when you give a kid a microphone; they either freeze up and won't make a sound or they cut loose and totally embarrass their parents. The song started and all I heard was E as she sang the first few bars of the song. Then slowly G began to sing some of the words. His eyes met mine as he sang his favorite line in the song, "The word is easy, look it up, And you'll see a picture of that piece of trash Ridin' 'round in your pickup truck". A huge grin covered his face and I knew he was hooked and that I was headed for some good stories and some wonderful memories.

A little later in the night D and his daughter E went up to sing a duet. Before we knew what was happening G unlocked the brakes on his chair and headed for the stage as fast as he could roll. He stopped, looked back and said, "Daddy, help me get up there cause I'm gonna sing with D." G didn't ask if he could join the group. He just rolled himself right up beside them and the man running the Karaoke handed G a microphone. They were singing "Back to December" by Taylor Swift. It was amazing. Sweet G sang almost every word. He sang on key and even put in the oooo's that D and E left out. I was so proud of my little boy. He sang all those words from memory.

We have been told in the past by some experts that G has an IQ score that is well below what we know is possible. Anyone would know that the score he was given is absurd if they had a single conversation with him, but we are just irrational parents that can't see their child's limitations. He is a very intelligent and talented little boy. The problem that the psychologists have is that they can't understand what doesn't fit into the little box of what they think is normal.

Sweet G is not normal. He is not ordinary. When God created G he took something ordinary and gave it a little extra. G is extraordinary, out of the box, bigger than life, moonbeams and sunshine, with a lot of glitter on top. Oh, how I love that boy! My shining star came wheeling back to our table glowing with pride as everyone in the room cheered for him. If you ever need something to smile about just come see G sing Karaoke. I think he plans on making regular appearances from now on because I overheard him telling the man who owns the Karaoke equipment to get the song "Raymond" so he can sing it the next time he comes. ;0)

Karaoke King

One thing I love about my Sweet G is his gregarious personality. He is not the least bit shy in front of a crowd, in fact that is usually when he is his boldest which scares me to death. I just never know what is going to come out of that cute little boy because most eight year olds haven't mastered the social skills expected when speaking in front of a group and Sweet G is at the top of his game when he has a captive audience. In fact, he has been performing for his therapists, his fellow patients, and their parents for years now. He loves to be cheered and is not shy about telling you he expects it.

Tonight we made plans to meet some great friends at a local Mexican restaurant that has Karaoke on Saturday nights. The evening started out pretty much like many other times we have taken G there but everything changed the minute our friend D sang his first song. Sweet G went wild! He started requesting songs for D to sing for him. G eventually asked D's daughter E to sing "Look It Up" with him. This is when the panic started rising in me. They took the stage and someone handed G a microphone. My heart was pounding because we all know that one of two things happens when you give a kid a microphone; they either freeze up and won't make a sound or they cut loose and totally embarrass their parents. The song started and all I heard was E as she sang the first few bars of the song. Then slowly G began to sing some of the words. His eyes met mine as he sang his favorite line in the song, "The word is easy, look it up, And you'll see a picture of that piece of trash Ridin' 'round in your pickup truck". A huge grin covered his face and I knew he was hooked and that I was headed for some good stories and some wonderful memories.

A little later in the night D and his daughter E went up to sing a duet. Before we knew what was happening G unlocked the brakes on his chair and headed for the stage as fast as he could roll. He stopped, looked back and said, "Daddy, help me get up there cause I'm gonna sing with D." G didn't ask if he could join the group. He just rolled himself right up beside them and the man running the Karaoke handed G a microphone. They were singing "Back to December" by Taylor Swift. It was amazing. Sweet G sang almost every word. He sang on key and even put in the oooo's that D and E left out. I was so proud of my little boy. He sang all those words from memory.

We have been told in the past by some experts that G has an IQ score that is well below what we know is possible. Anyone would know that the score he was given is absurd if they had a single conversation with him, but we are just irrational parents that can't see their child's limitations. He is a very intelligent and talented little boy. The problem that the psychologists have is that they can't understand what doesn't fit into the little box of what they think is normal.

Sweet G is not normal. He is not ordinary. When God created G he took something ordinary and gave it a little extra. G is extraordinary, out of the box, bigger than life, moonbeams and sunshine, with a lot of glitter on top. Oh, how I love that boy! My shining star came wheeling back to our table glowing with pride as everyone in the room cheered for him. If you ever need something to smile about just come see G sing Karaoke. I think he plans on making regular appearances from now on because I overheard him telling the man who owns the Karaoke equipment to get the song "Raymond" so he can sing it the next time he comes. ;0)