Big Boy Haircuts

Haircuts are a big deal around our house.  Chasity has been cutting my hair for seven years and she is the ONLY one who has ever cut Clayton's hair (besides the neurosurgeons, of course).  It used to be that Clayton was the one who most looked forward to going to "Chasity's work," but I'm thinking Jackson's becoming fond of the place himself. 

I did hold him during his first haircut, but from the second one on, he's been a big boy and has been sitting in the chair all by himself.  Granted, he does get a little restless.

 And sometimes needs a toy or two to keep him busy. . .

But for the most part, he's a patient little fellow who enjoys the attention he gets from Chasity (and everyone else in the shop for that matter). 

My boys love Chasity.  I'm pretty sure she loves them right back since she kinda spoils them.  =)

(Notice the usual "I'm ignoring you, Mom" look???  I think I'll try to get that same look from Clayton when he gets his haircut this week).

Historic Arkansas Museum

Clayton toured the Historic Arkansas Museum with our homeschooling group last week and I was so proud of him!  HUGE THANKS to my mom for keeping Jackson, which I think helped a lot in letting Clayton remain focused on what was happening. 

I wasn't sure if he would even pay attention to the guides, because he has a horrible time with distractions.  But he only asked about Daddy and the truck one time and that was after I asked him to write on the chalkboard (and we all know he isn't a fan of writing!).  During the first session, the guide passed around several items used to bathe and dress in the 1800s and she handed most of them off to Clayton.  He looked at her funny at first, but took all the items, including soap and a toothbrush and a woolly coat.  BIG deal for a kid with major sensory issues! 

I can't help but say I enjoyed myself as well.  The boy behind Clayton (hidden for privacy) always volunteers to push Clayton for me, so I was able to sit back and just let Clayton be a part of the group!  I love those moments when I feel comfortable enough with the people we're with that I'm able to let go and watch him find his place in the world.   

Flashback Friday

Hmmm . . . you think he looks like his Daddy??!!

Last Stop: Family Reunion

Both of Brian's parents are one of nine children.  This makes seeing "everyone" a logistical nightmare for those of us who live 900 miles away!  When we were first married and had more time and energy, it was nothing for Brian and I to hop all over North Florida and South Georgia visiting aunts and uncles and cousins.  Not so anymore.  It's just not doable these days . . . that's why it's a good thing his dad's siblings get together each October.  We've not been able to attend these gatherings since Shawn and Clayton were born, but this year things were finally stable enough (the stars lined up!) for us to make the trip. 

 Brian and Clayton with Brian's dad and sister, Hannah.

Jackson took right up with his distant cousin, Rhett, who didn't mind at all entertaining a one year old!

He kept Jackson giggling forever just by running back and forth.  It's the little things that they love the most!  He also loved on Jan (Rhett's mom and wife to Brian's first cousin, Michael)--he "needed" her to hold him A LOT during this long afternoon.

And as soon as Rhett took a seat on this rock, all of a sudden Jackson had to sit there as well.  Monkey see, monkey do!

Clayton preferred (as usual) hanging out with Aunt Cynthia in the kitchen and around the fish frying.

 Brian, with more cousins.  And yes, those are my kids who won't look at the camera.

And Jackson with his first cousin and our niece, Emily.  Can't believe this little girl (who was our flower girl in our wedding!) will be 18 this month!!

I'm normally not a huge fan of family reunions, but I'm so glad we went this year.  We're hoping we'll get to this gathering more often now that Clayton is older and doing better.  Most of these people are the kind of people who you just pick right up with no matter how much time has passed.  I like that comfortable feeling!

Earning Your Keep

The whole time we were in the garden with Grandma, all I could think about was the story that Brian has told many times.  When he was little and stayed with her, the grandkids couldn't eat lunch until they finished shelling the peas they had picked.  Talk about another era!  I'm sure that practice would be in violation of some child labor laws these days . . . :rollingmyeyes: 

But I say it's those very lessons of hard work that have made my husband the go-getter he is today!  Thank you, Grandma!

Grandma

Last year, we surprised Grandma with our first visit in three years, and she was just as excited to see us pull up again this year.  We found her picking peas in the garden, and it was a joy to see her in her element.  She had just been released from the hospital days before (and ended up back there two days later), but when we saw her, she was just the same old Grandma she's always been!

Clayton is still talking about "sneaking up on Grandma" since she wasn't expecting us.  He wants us to tell the story over and over and we can't forget about Grandma's hat!  (He always loves a story that includes a hat!)

Jackson was mostly concerned about getting a hold of her cane.  He spent the whole time trying to take it away from her!  How do you explain to a one year old that your near 92 year old Great-Grandma's cane isn't a toy, but her support when walking?!

 He was briefly distracted by the bucket of peas, but it didn't last long. 

 He was back to the cane in no time.

Discovering the Beach

Jackson didn't quite know what to think his first day on the beach.  Once we got off the boardwalk, I put him down in the sand and he just wouldn't move!  It was like that all day--put him down, and he stayed in that exact spot until someone rescued him.  Almost like he didn't think it was possible to walk in the sand!  He was also a little overwhelmed by the sounds of the sea.  The waves were pretty high that day and when the water took away the sand under his feet, he had a small meltdown.  Brian was eventually able to get him to wade back out for a second and third go-round. 

Here he is waiting for a rescue:

We had to demonstrate how cool the sand was to dig in MANY times before he actually decided to investigate.  It wasn't until the second day that he decided that there were treasures to be found--this is when he started filling his pockets with shells.  By day three, he was an old pro. 

Meanwhile, Clayton was happy to hang out in the shade of the pier (perfect place on the beach for us!).  He spent his time watching the people walking by and the boats on the horizon. 

Brian waded out into the water with both boys, and even took a swim by himself, but I was content to keep my toesies dry--it was hot, but not hot enough for a dip in the ocean in October!  They all three even got in the pool, but that water was even colder.  I'm just not much into swimming past September!

First Stop

Our first stop on our trip was outside of Atlanta to visit my aunt and uncle.  They haven't lived there too long, and they couldn't wait to have some company from home.  We were more than happy to oblige!  David and Gail are like a second set of parents to me, so I love seeing them with my kids.  Clayton was happy to be helping Gail in the kitchen and Jackson was happy playing daredevil in their backyard.  (Yes, that is my husband encouraging him--totally out of character since he is normally the "helicopter" parent). 

They live in a beautiful part of Georgia, but the traffic!  Oh, the traffic we had to endure just to get to them!!  We'll definitely have to plan for better timing on our next trip.  Anytime but 4:30 on a Friday afternoon again!

Up and Running!

Our computer is finally working again!  I know there are more important things, but thank you, Jesus, for protecting that hard drive!  I have all of my stuff backed up on an external drive, but I was still having small panic attacks about the fate of my years of digital pictures.  Proves even more how important it is to BACK YOUR FILES UP!

We are finally back into the swing of things after our trip to Florida and Georgia.  It's been a bit nippy here these last couple of days, so it's hard to believe we were in our bathing suits on the beach just last week!

We spent the week at what's become our usual place, and although it's definitely not the emerald waters of the gulf, I've come to enjoy the Atlantic side for its unique beauty.  And for me personally, this trip was much more enjoyable than last year since I wasn't breastfeeding Jackson the whole time!  The only minor hiccup we had this year was a touch (or was it a hit?) of food poisoning.  Brian and I had a couple of days where we just had to grin and bear being sick away from home.  Wasn't fun, but we managed.  We were still able to enjoy the beach as a family and we got some much needed downtime.  Renewed our energy for the busy season ahead of us!

(Photo by Brian--most of you know I don't get up early enough for sunrise pics!)

Still No Computer

But at least I can suffer through typing on the iPad to check in. . . It's actually amazing what you can get done when you aren't surfing the net in your free time! I've spent all afternoon putting photos in chronological order and into photo albums (that I bought two years ago!). It feels great to finally be getting something done that's been on my to-do list forEVER!

Back From the Beach

We've been in Georgia and Florida over the past ten days and after a long haul last night, made it in this morning.  We've rested most of the day and even mustered up the strength for some trick or treating! 

I took a ton of pics over our trip and couldn't wait to get home to look at all of them and share, but we came home to a dead computer (EEK!), so it may be a while . . . I'm blogging from my mom's house and will be checking in soon.  Hopefully our computer problems are minor and won't last long!

What Do You Think He's Sayin'?

Since I had my hands full at the pumpkin patch (I only snapped six pictures while we were there!), I decided I'd get some at home.  But as you can see, my subjects were in their normal non-cooperative moods . . . Clayton was super mad at me and all he kept saying was "MY CHAIR!"  Jackson just wanted to chit chat.  I wonder what tid-bit he was sharing with Clayton at this moment?!

Pumpkin Patch

As per fall tradition, we took a trip out to the Pumpkin Patch this week.  This was the first time I've made that trip without Brian and I don't think I'll be doing it without him again!  Keeping Clayton happy while allowing Jackson to play and explore is just too much to do when I am surrounded by hundreds of school kids (and it didn't help that it was 80-something degrees!).  I am so glad I had some other mothers willing to help me with Jackson, but I always feel like I'm imposing on them and their own kids' good time.   

Clayton's only request was to ride on the trailer.  He could have done that over and over if time (and space) would have allowed.  About halfway out to the patch I realized I would have both kids with no wheelchair.  Not a good feeling . . . I couldn't very well leave Clayton on the trailer alone since he couldn't sit up and the hay would have had him gagging big time.  And once we stopped, Jackson was all about exploring the patch.  I followed him holding Clayton for just a bit, but finally had to let someone else take on the job.  Clayton is just too heavy to be carrying around these days. 

I don't know, it just left me with such a blah feeling.  I get all pumped up for these events and then leave feeling so deflated when they don't work out perfect for us.  It's such a let down when you realize (AGAIN) that we just can't do things like everyone else does them. 

It Just Keeps Growing and Growing and . . .

Just to show my long distance readers how crazy Arkansas weather is, here's what Brian pulled from his garden last week.  Only in Arkansas can you have a garden that is still producing well into October! 

Invasion of Space

It doesn't matter where Clayton is these days, Jackson is there on top of him.  This invasion of personal space used to only happen where Clayton was in his "blue chair" (pictured above), so I would relocate him to the couch or chair or his bed for a break from Jackson.  Those days are over!

Jackson's decided that laying on the couch with Clayton is just as comfy.  And sitting in the regular chairs with him isn't half-bad either.  So wherever Clayton goes, Jackson is soon to follow.  Clayton is constantly begging me to "come move him,"  "move Jackson," "Momma! Move him."  Jackson, on the other hand responds to none of the discipline he is receiving for this and seems to be quite content using his brother as a jungle gym and snuggle buddy. 

Now it's not always that bad . . . Clayton is always interested in Jackson's boo-boos and when they sat together yesterday, he got a chance to inspect them up close.  And Jackson was happy to oblige.

I hope they find more moments like this in the closeness.  I'm praying that sooner than later Clayton gets used to sharing his space.  After all, Jackson just wants to love on his big brother!

He Loves Books

And I love that he loves them . . . the only time he is still for more than a few minutes is when he has plopped down in front of the bookshelf and slowly pulled out each book and inspected it.  He's holding his current favorite in these pictures.  He loves to stare at the dog in the book and growl at it.  It's pretty adorable. 

We've started the tradition of reading books at bedtime and he thinks it's the neatest thing.  I just think it's neat that he sits still that long!

So Exciting!

A couple of weeks ago, I took a gamble and called the Make-a-Wish Foundation. I wasn't sure if Clayton actually qualified for their program, but wanted to give it a shot after the summer that he had. After my initial conversation with them, I felt sure it wouldn't happen, but they called last week and told us Clayton was indeed approved for the granting of a wish!!!

The ball has been rolling pretty fast since that phone call.  Volunteers from Make-a-Wish spent lots of time here on Monday night.  They had several questions for Clayton, and as usual he kept trying to change the subject on them!

"What's your favorite color?"  "Tell Daddy I want to drive his truck."

"What's your favorite TV show?"  "Where's Daddy's trailer?"

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"  "Tell Daddy let me go to that school to get the trailer."

You get the gist . . . but when it came to the all-important question, he actually gave them the appropriate answer:  "What's your #1 wish in the whole world?"  "ride on Bill Gaither's bus!"  And from then on, it was "tell them I wanna ride on that bus." His official wish will be to meet Bill Gaither and the Homecoming Friends, watch them sing and RIDE ON THE BUS.  He was supposed to give two "back up" wishes, but we told them he pretty much had a one track mind and it was Bill Gaither or nothing!  Let's hope Bill comes through! 

Baby Blues

Heavenly Wheels

I am still knee deep in the study of Esther by Beth Moore.  And last night as I read the study guide/notes, I couldn't help but get chills.  Beth had started this day's notes out with a commentary on the death of her friend, Lee Sizemore (who, by the way was the innovator of "video-driven" Bible studies--good idea, Lee!).  Lee had been wheelchair bound for over twenty years, and Beth had imagined that upon his death he had taken his first steps in years and sprinted to the throne of our Lord.  She writes, "at the thought, I recalled an email I received from him a few years ago.  He and his wonderful wife, Myrna, were going through the Daniel series and were perched in front of session 7.  Lee wrote, 'You just read Daniel 7:9.'

As I looked, 'thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.  His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.  His throne was flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze." Daniel 7:9

Beth continues, "You might want to read those last five words again.  Captivated by them, my friend Lee continued, 'I had no idea God's throne is the holiest of wheelchairs!'"

I had to wipe the tears from my eyes as I read this story . . .

Bible Quizzing

Clayton had his first Bible Quiz Meet this morning and overall, it went very well!  He has been in Bible Quiz class for the last month and we've been working diligently on memorizing scripture.  The meets also consist of many questions regarding their Bible stories (this year from 1 and 2 Samuel).  Clayton is still essentially guessing at his answers, but I feel like after he gets the "lay of the land" he will begin to truly participate.  (If it's like everything else he does, once he learns the routine, his elephant memory will have no trouble recalling the details). 

Mr. Chip is his personal assistant during the meet.  As the proctor reads the questions, Clayton has to decide if the answer is choice #1, #2, or #3.  He tells Mr. Chip which number to pull and then Mr. Chip displays his answer. 

Clayton kept asking him "all done?"  Clayton's main concern the entire meet was getting back on the church van.  The quizzing was a necessary evil he had to do in order to get a couple of hours on the church van!