Developmental Vision Test

Today was Greyson's developmental vision test. Let me tell you how enlightening that was! He wasn't too sure of it at first and told the lady, and I quote, "Could somebody just kill me now!" She said quickly, "We don't won't that, then you couldn't go to camp." haha...I think it freaked her out. Once the testing started I was horrified at some of what was going on when he had to answer. It involved him reading numbers left to right that were about 5 inches apart in 2 separate columns. He had alot of trouble keeping up with which row he was on. Then he had to draw some shapes just as he saw them on the paper. He did that pretty well I think. Then....they gave more numbers, 2 columns far apart with sporadic numbers in the center and different spaces in between them. Kinda looked like a shotgun went off in the middle. He had to read left to right again, keeping his place, and then moving to the next row. Well....I have no idea where he started and/or finished but he did it like he knew perfectly well where he was. I know my mouth hung wide open the whole time, confused and bewildered come to mind. Last he had to identify all the letters and numbers on a sheet that were written backwards. He circled about 6, one of which was not backwards, and left about 20 more that were not circled. I am no vision therapist or rocket scientist but it did not seem good to me. So...here we are...patiently awaiting the outcome and what to do next to assist Greyson with his vision needs. Whew....take a deep breath....at least that is what I tell "beatle bug" when he is freaked out. Gotta go to MATI for martial arts...He is building confidence with that and swimming so it is one of our most important things now. Watch for him to be a CEO, doctor, lawyer, or computer wiz somewhere one day! :) Good night friends & family...we love you all and thank you for your support, love, etc...

Water Slides & Swimmin'

Greyson had a pretty good day. He has been a little sassy and disrespectful at times lately so we are seriously working on that. Otherwise things are going pretty good. He had a great day playing at summer camp and sliding on the water slide. Today was OT day and then swim lessons at 6:30. He did great at swimming again and swam all the way to the swim lane rope without holding his nose or touching the bottom. Go big man! I sat a talked with Sebastian's mom Elizabeth and found out she is an OT. Amazing how people come into your life that relate to things that are going on in your world. Weird stuff I tell you. And I will not go into it here...but there is much more to the story. I walked away with my mouth hanging open.

Swim lessons...

Greyson did great at swim lessons tonight. We are all very tired but he scored points for each time he went under water without holding his nose. He had enough points to get a new Star Wars Lego...imagine that. He is our hero! :) Seriously he is doing so well after very few lessons. We are extremely proud of him and he is even more proud of himself which makes me smile. Well...we are home and ready for bed. I cannot wait to snuggle up in my own bed. YEAH!!!!! I did not sleep alot while we were gone. I think I had visitors while I was away. Just some angels looking out for the family. Its all good. :) Well good night beatle bug fans. See you guys in the am for another fun day. I am soooo tired.

Last Day of Fun

I am posting a little late due to a poor Internet connection at the beach. Sunday was our last day of fun. I think Greyson and Cam were worn out and were opting to stay int he room most of the day. Michele and I finally made Greyson come out to play in the pool seeing no sense in staying inside while we were there. He came out after lunch and played int the pool with me until 4pm. Staying in the room playing video games and watching TV was not an option for him as far as we were concerned. He needs his exercise and some sun. Good ol' dose of vitamin D is good for everyone! :) After that we went up and took showers so we could go eat seafood on our last night. We found a spot and ate and then took the boys for putt putt. It was really fun but I wish we had a few a more days of sun & sand. Greyson wouldn't come play on the beach much with me without Campbell so we didn't get much time out there. I did walk and find quite a few sharks teeth for my collection...I love doing that. I am glad we all had a great time. Hopefully Cam's mom & dad are ok from their dose of the real Greyson. Overall he was great down there with a few moments of 7 year oldness! :) Both boys had a few a moments of that and that's to be expected. I have had my fair share of the "tourists trap - Myrtle Beach" for a while though. Note to self...I think we need to start enforcing no diary, sweets, sodas for Greyson too. That is going to be really tough but it will be worth it. Goodbye Beach...until next time.

Saturday Day 2 Beach Trip...

We woke up early and walked on the beach while Cam's family slept in. But then again...we always wake up early. 6 to 6:30 is Greyson's limit before we hear...Get up mommy, Get up momom! Oh well....maybe one day. We dug another huge hole and built a castle around it...well...I did. Greyson and Cam decided they wanted to play in the pool most of the day. I did get alot of people staring at me. So I'm a big kid...their just jealous! :) Greyson did come down and play some with me in my big hole with the castle around and we had a blast for a while....then it was back to the pool. I went walkking and
found around 30 to 40 charks teeth. I love doing that. Greyson was with momom so I finally decided I better get back and offer up some relief. we ate lunch and then went back to the pool to wear out the kids. We are getting ready to go eat and play a little and then it will be bedtime. They will be more than ready for bed tonight. Today was uneventful as far as any meltdowns etc...thank goodness. Greyson has been a pretty good boy today. I hope seeing him in all of his glory isn't too much for Cam and his family. Sometimes it can be alot to take in when you are not used to what is going on and how he responds at times. well...we are off to dinner. Will check in tomorrow with the final day of fun. Then its back to Charlotte and our family/friends. If you are reading this...we miss you guys! :) Thanks again for sharing our world!

Playing in the Ocean Ridin' the Waves

We got up early yesterday, Friday, and went down to the ocean to play. Greyson & Cam rode waves on their boogie boards and had a great time. We also dug a huge hole and tried to build a big castle. unfortunately the tide took it before we could get it to be any size. Oh well....that's what happens. :) After a short time we ended up at the pool to play until later int he day. We came back for some sandwiches and Cam and his parents went to the hotel restaurant to eat. We went to the pool some more until Greyson had one of his moments and we grabbed him up to go back to the room. They are definitely going to get to see the side of him they are not used to seeing. (i.e...the tantrums once he is too tired, or things are not quite going as he has planned, or he ate something he probably should not have...etc...) Hopefully they will not be traumatized by his moments of not coping well with the environment or whatever. We are having a great time but there are alot of people here. All the fun does wear the boys out pretty quickly though and we go to bed pretty early. We rise and shine early too thought because Grey's never has slept much past 6:30 regardless of the time he goes to bed. Gotta love that huh? Well talk to you later today hopefully. My computer would not log on last night so I am late again with my reports of our day. Thanks for visiting us and sharing a day in the life of Greyson's family.

At the Beach!

Well we are here. We came to the beach with another family to hang out for a few days. I was a little tired last night so I am giving my Thursday update a little late. Obviously since it is early Friday am huh? All is well and Greyson and his buddy Campbell are doing pretty good considering kids do get a little crazy with each other after enough time spent together. We are headed to the beach to build drissle castles and I will be sure to post pics and some updates later tonight. Bring on the sun n' fun! I could stay here...ok maybe not Myrtle Beach....but at the beach for weeks! Maybe somewhere with a little more solitude like Tybee Island. Very laid back....not so many tourists. But do not get me wrong....I love the beach regardless and I am happy to be away form Charlotte! Talk to you folks later tonight! hugs & kisses & all that....

Hump Day...OT & Swimmin'

Greyson and I hung out at the office again today. He did really well for 3 hours while I finished up some business there and then we left to get lunch and go to OT. He had a rough day at OT and was not really into it. His therapist did some deep pressure therapies with him but she said he did not seem to like it. Not sure what that was all about but....it may have to do with things changed a little in the OT routine and it may have thrown him off some. After OT we stopped by Susan's office and she gave us his goggles and a great book she found called, 'All Cats have Aspergers". What a great book! It is really cute book. A simple yet true account of how Aspergers individuals are characteristically. we came home and I looked it over while we waited for momom to come home. Once she arrived and showered we were ready for swimming lessons. Greyson did great tonight earning 30 incentive points towards new LEGO. He earned extra points for working on going under water without holding his nose. He did it alot after he was told he could earn 1 point for every time he tried it. He literally racked up 20 points in less than 10 minutes and got no water up his nose! :) We leave for the beach tomorrow with Campbell and his mom and dad. We are going to have so much fun! What a diverse group we will be...haha.

Just another day in the life...

I had a meeting this am so Greyson went to Ms Cathy's to spend some QT with her. He has not seen her as much lately as he used to so I am sure he was glad to spend time with her. After that I picked him up and we have been hanging out together. We went to the office for a few hours and then headed to the house. I have been working on some things for one of our agents and I can do most of it from here at the house. Tonight we will head over to MATI for martial arts and then back home. Today has been uneventful due to him playing with LEGO'S and watching his cartoons while I have been busy working. He isn't happy with me saying he does not want to eat anything healthy. He knows we have started making moderate changes to his diet and some of the things, like the grape soda being taken away, he is not happy about. Its ok...he will find another vice. :) For now though...some things he will just have to learn to live without. It will be worth it to all of us in the long run.

No more Fanta Grape

This is going to be short and sweet as my head feels like it may sprout legs of its own and leave my body any minute. Greyson is home with me this week since Thursday we leave for the beach for a few days. He accompanied me to work for a few hours and then we came back home, had pizza and then went to PT with Mike Tanis. we came home again to hang out until swimming lessons. he did great again at swimming, but we need to work on the whole holding his nose thing. He would be swimming like a fish if it were not for that. So...that being said...practice will be in our future in the bath tub and in the pool. One bad thing today...mommy was reminded that Fanta Grape is not a good choice of drinks for Greyson. I caved and gave in to his request only to be reminded 5 minutes after the consumption of a few sips that it needs to be catorgorized as an illegal drug for kids! Ok...lesson learned. Stay away from the red, purple, whatever juices and sodas that have red dye....it effects a child like crack or something and lord knows I do not need that! well...enough of hearing about my stupidity for the day...good night all...my head says so.

Play Date with Anna

Greyson had a play date today with his best Girl buddy from school. She has known him and been in his class since kindergarten and her mother, bless her soul, was our best advocate with the school and other class parents. What a blessing they have been to our family and to Greyson. It takes a village...and it is important to stand up sometimes and speak out for what is right. Anna's mother spoke out for us to help other children, parents, and teachers alike understand Greyson's challenges. We got to have a play date today and it was nice since we do not get to see them alot now that school is out. We will be at a different school next year and Greyson will miss Anna alot. She was one of his best buddies and we think he may have a small crush on her. It's sweet and very innocent. They swam and then we went to help gather left over veggies from the farmers market to donate to the soup kitchen. After that we had Italian Ice and went back to Anna's to paint a little. Greyson had a really good time and hopefully we will be able to do it again sometime soon.

Once we got home we got stuff ready for Ms. Cathy's cook out. She was having a baby shower for Ms Audrey & Ms Leslie so we went over to celebrate their new arrival. We can't wait to see the little fella! We came home before 9pm so we could get Greyson in bed earlier tonight. He did not sleep too much last night at camp out and is exhausted. I can tell he needs some rest. So...that being said....Good night all.

Belt Test (Yellow) - MATI

Greyson had his appointment today for vision eval.....well...they called yesterday to remind us to be there....we got there at 9:45 and they seemed a little worried that they could not find his appointment...then...they checked his DOB and said have a seat. We waited 15 more minutes and were called back only to be told..."The girl you were scheduled to test with moved last week and no longer works here. Sorry...we will have to re-schedule your appointment for testing. "

Worked missed - $54.00

Summer Camp fun missed - can't put a price on that!

Fact that this office had no idea that the person they scheduled me to be testing with was missing until 10am when the test was to begin...PRICELESS!!!

What a bunch of yahoos! Maybe they put out an APB or organized a search party after we left! haha...doubtful....Anyway....he went back to camp for camp out night and all is well. We picked him up at 5pm for belt test and went to MATI for his test. He successfully got his new yellow belt! You go beatle bug! You are our hero and we love you so much! Check out how handsome he is in yellow! We took him back to camp to spend the night with our fingers crossed and went to eat with our friends. Mexican & margaritas! yeah.... Hopefully Greyson will do fine tonight and jump another hurdle in his world of challenges. Sweet dreams bug man...mommie & momom will miss you and we love you dearly.

Water Slides/Martial Arts

Greyson had a great day at camp playing in the water all day. I picked him up in time to come home and get ready for Martial arts class which he loves. This is his last night with his orange belt and tomorrow night is his test for his yellow belt. After class we ate at Lancaster's BBQ and he won this bunny in the claw grabber machine. Ok so the darn thing cost several dollars of trys...what's a mommy to do?
He has camp out night at summer camp where they stay overnight at camp tomorrow night. We will pick him up to go to belt test and then take him back to spend the night. Keep your fingers crossed for us. He stayed all night last year, cried some but managed to make it through the entire night without us. You see...that is quite an accomplishment for him given that he needs deep pressure sensory stimulation and we figured out that is why we cannot seem to get him out of our bed. He needs to be smashed in between us or cocooned up in the covers even though he is sweating profusely and about to burst into flames! Go figure...Thank goodness for the OT as they will help us through some of this. Anyway....I digress....we will see how he does this year at camp out. Hopefully he will make it through with flying colors.
He also has developmental vision testing tomorrow. That will give us answers as to where to go with his vision therapy to strengthen his eye muscles. He has some issues in that department and it has effected his reading. Once we can get started working on it though he should be fine. He is proud of his new glasses but I think he is having trouble adjusting to using them. He isn't quite sure about them yet but he will get used to it soon enough. Well its bedtime and my big man is sooo tired. he played hard today with his buddies so he needs to get a bath and go to bed. When he goes to bed...we go, so it isn't easy, short of getting up in the middle of the night, to get things done. One day I will have this whole dang scheduling thing down pat...until then....night, night! ;)

Oh..one last thing...did I mention his allergy tests show he is allergic to cats...of which we have 2 and dust mites, of which I am sure we have well over a gazillion! Well one cat is a millimeter away from death...she is somewhere between 22-25 years and a skeleton...poor Carly. Anyway...It was sad because when we told Greyson he cried and said....I can't love my cats anymore! We told him he can love them as long as we have them...that is as long as there are no SEVERE allergic reactions. There have been none so far so hopefully he is fine. How do you tell a crying child they can't love their animals when they have not been adversely affected by the allergy so far? Well...you don't...sometimes you make executive decisions for the good of the psyche and this was one of those times. Hug those cats and squeeze em' good sweet boy. They may be the last cats we ever have! :( (yes...I am a huge cat lover)

OT Day with a dash of Swimming

Greyson had OT today with Ms Krissa and things went well. We received his evaluation from his first visit there and it was very informative. He is behind some in alot of developmental areas but it is nothing he cannot overcome. They have a plan to help him do just that and we will be doing things at home to reinforce his therapies there. We also picked up his glasses today and I think he is very proud. They do make him look quite handsome. I played a trick on Michele and told her I let Greyson pick out his own glasses...then I said they were cat eye rims with rhinestones in the sides. She was not happy exclaiming, "Why would you let him do that!" Of course I was kidding....but she was not amused...mainly because she knew it was a possibility that he would do something like that...haha he actually did pick his own frames but they are not anything crazy...thank goodness! Later this evening we went to his swim lesson. He so loves swimming now and he is becoming more and more confident. He is going underwater...kicking....moving those arms...(well we are working on the arms!)... and having a blast! We love you big man...show em' what ya' got buddy!

MATI & Race Night

Greyson had a great day swimming with his summer camp buddies. He used his new goggles and went under water to look at all the things he could see. He also told me he could hear alot of loudness under the water! haha After I picked him up he couldn't stop talking about his goggle swimming day. It was so cute. We hurried over to his martial arts class afterward where he did great. He has a belt test on Friday for his yellow belt and he is getting excited about getting a new color belt. He finished martial arts and we changed so we could head out to the Bandelero Racing night at Lowe's Motor Speedway with Cam and his mom & dad. That was really fun but Now I have one tired boy on my hands. It is now almost 11pm and we are just heading to bed after getting a shower and building a Batman Lego. Got to have your priorities in order! :) Goodnight all...sweet dreams beatle bug...

Swimming Part 2

This dude is one serious swimmer....he even wore his goggles into the shower to test them further...Then he promptly did the Pepsi Max dance for Michele and I where you bob your head to one side like the guy on SNL. He had some hip action going too...what can I say, too funny!
Greyson did a great job at swimming lessons tonight. He has really taken to the water and is giving it his all. We got some goggles for him so he does not have to worry about the water in his eyes. That seemed to preoccupy alot of his time when in the water so we are hoping he can concentrate on his swimming more. He does everything his instructor asks of him which shocked me at first. He is so proud and we are extremely proud of him as well. His confidence is building with each thing he adds to his list of accomplishments and it is a joy to see. I believe there is nothing he cannot do...some things will just be much easier than others. Well that's ok....he has great cheerleaders. :) 2016 summer Olympics...get ready for Greyson Griffin-Roberts...World Record holder in swimming!

Cruising the Greenway & Peeing on the Bees...

We took Greyson on the Greenway again yesterday to ride bikes and we had a blast. Poor Michele is my hero for pulling him on his new half bike behind hers. I tried it for a short distance and thought I was going to kill us both. It was quite amusing and if I had video I would be glad to share. Unfortunately for you guys...there is no such video. We stopped by Lynn & Diane's to grab them up for the ride. Diane came along but they had plans and she left us in time to go home and clean up for the fun. Greyson loves riding behind momom and gives her a real run for her money leaning left and right to look at everything they pass. It is a great show when riding behind them. :)
We stopped at one point to rest and let Greyson relieve himself...but he chose a nest of yellow jackets to go near. He thought it was funny to see them flying out but we grabbed him up and took off. Thank goodness none of them got him or he would have been terrified and ruined from riding from then on probably. After the ride we went to lunch at Jason's Deli for salads. Greyson brought along his Mickey D's and we enjoyed our break. The rest of the day we spent relaxing and playing in his little pool out front. It was a wonderful day and soon we were eating dinner, watching a little TV, playing Legos and then it was off to bed. Goodnight big man...

Outdoor Fun & Cookout

Today Greyson Michele and I went to the YMCA outdoor water park to play and practice Greyson's swimming. he had a great time and did really well in the water. He getting more and more confident in his own abilities and even went underwater while I counted for him. That was huge even if he did hold his nose. he can swim a pretty good way on his own without touching but he still needs to strengthen his muscles. That will come along with more practice but overall he has improved by leaps and bounds. As always he is on Greyson time. he has always done things when he is ready and never sooner...ever! you can try to encourage, excite, cheer...whatever method you chose and he will not be effected until he is good and ready to accomplish whatever task is at hand. Swimming is finally here for him and he couldn't be more excited. Well...so are we. after swimming and a great picnic lunch we headed home to get ready for Steph & Shawn's baby shower cookout. We all had a good time visiting with friends, eating Mr Jimmy's wonderful grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and finally sharing some gifts with the new little baby boy that should be here sometime in mid August. Greyson played hard with a new friend Nathan and was so worn out. we stayed late and it started to show in Greyson's behavior towards the end of the night. He was very clingy to me, had a few small tantrums about us playing with him and soon was ready to go home. He was a rag doll in the car and crashed as soon as his head hit the pillow. Sweet dreams big man....

Beads & Buddies

Greyson had one of his best weeks yet at summer camp. Here he is with Mr. Nick, the director, and his best buddy Campbell. He got a special bead from Ms Kate today at bead ceremony for sportsmanship. She said he has done sooo much better since last year in making sure he is a better sport when playing games. That has been one of his challenges so he has been doing alot better with it and really working on learning what it means to be a good sport, win or lose. He still has moments but we do so appreciate the camp counselors and the LITs in helping him with his social skills. Keep up the good work big man...you are doing great and mommy & momom are very proud!

Before long you will have the chiefs bead necklace like Mr. Nick! :)

Blue Water & Bubbles

Greyson had an excellent day at camp. Mr Nick said he did great listening and following directions at camp. Greyson said he practiced his swimming and even put his whole head underwater. The swimming and head underwater is a huge accomplishment so we had a reward dinner of pizza and cookies to follow. After that we all went on a bike ride around the neighborhood and now he is playing outside with the other kids. they are blowing bubbles and jumping rope. Ok....he isn't so much on the rope jumping but he gets that honest as I am quite the "spaz" when it comes to that. :) I am really proud of him and how he is coming along. He is such a handsome guy & so sweet to his friends. He gave them all a bottle of bubbles to blow so they could all play. Well that's about it for today...no major things happening today. Just fun and happiness from a sweet boy.

Craziness...Flash & Boom

Well...we had alot on our plate today. It started with me finally getting my teeth cleaned. I know people....don't even say it! :) Greyson so honestly tells me they are yellow so I guess I need to invest in the Crest whitening strips! haha... Anyway...as soon as I got done I picked him up at camp, rushed him up to his OT appointment and we were off! He started with his regular therapist today, Ms. Karissa and I think he really liked her. They did some writing exercises, worked on his upper body strength by doing the zip line and landing in the pillow pit, and then jumped on the trampoline while dodging a big exercise ball for some help with finding his "center". He loves it all and never wants to leave even after 50 minutes of it weekly. I just sat in the lobby trying to put our next appointments and commitments in order. My to do list if you will. I may need shock treatments when the summer has ended to get me back on track. :) After OT we headed home for some r&r. We were not there long before we had to go to Greyson's hair cut appointment...he still has some curls girls...so don't panic. After that we were headed to pick up momom for his swimming lesson when I got the call that they had canceled them. Needless to say an unexpected change like this can rock the world of an ASpergers kid....and it did. He started screaming, slapped himself in the face about 4 times....screamed for me to be quiet and not talk and that he hated me...it's all part of the challenges we face. You can not take anything he says personally because he NEVER means it. He just does not have the skills set to express the sadness and frustration he feels when things get disrupted in his world. It makes me sad to see it. We got home and he was still a little out of sorts so I said, "Can I talk to you?"..."No"...."Can I give you something special?"..."yes"...I hugged him tightly and he sad quietly, "thank you". I told him I knew he was sad and explained that they could not have swimming when it was lightening because it was not safe. He does well when you can make sense of things for him. Once he understood the reason he could not be at swimming he moved on with things. He just needs our unconditional love, our understanding and our patience. That last one comes hard for me at times but I am doing the best I can. Each day I think it will get better....my patience and handling his challenges. Well that's it for the day...on into the night we go to await what tomorrow will bring.

Vision Test Day

Today Greyson had his vision tested and we found out he needs reading glasses. We also found out that he has some developmental vision issues and will have to be tested further to see what therapies will best suit his needs. The doctor feels that his vision problems are somewhat responsible for the fact that his reading is below normal. It is a battle to get him to read or to even read to him. He finds no fun at all in reading and I am hoping we can turn that around some once he gets his glasses and therapy starts. He did great at the eye doctor though and afterward I rewarded him with a trip to the outdoor water park at the YMCA. we stayed a while and he sported his old man sunglasses that he had to wear due to his pupils being dilated. He was looking so cool I tell you! :) What a guy...we went earlier in the day and got a new Lego that he built all by himself. He loves his Lego's especially Indiana Jones and Star Wars ones. they seem to have taken the place of our massive Thomas the Tank Engine collection that we played with in the early years. Well today marked another day of answers and another step to providing the therapies needed to helping Greyson find his way in the world. Tomorrow is another day...but for now...one day at a time. By the way guys....Greyson picked the photo for his vision test blog. haha He is obsessed with the new movie coming out... 'Chihuahua'

YMCA Swimming Lessons...

Today Greyson started swimming lessons at the YMCA. I just couldn't believe that they allowed this cat to take lessons too! Anyway....He did great and so did the cat! (ok...just kiddin for all of you folks who do not know me) The cat really did not do well at all.
Ms Angie already had him kicking his feet, moving his arms in freestyle method, and blowing bubbles. Major accomplishment there! We were so proud of him and he gave us alot of thumbs up from the pool. He loved it and can't wait until he goes back later this week. We meet with the instructor ahead of time tyo give her a heads up on some of his challenges but it seems he did fine. He exclaimed the other day that this was the best summer vacation ever...(not that he has had too many). haha...I think he is really doing well and coming along fine. He had a great day at camp and was looking forward to going to the blue waters pool tomorrow. Unfortunately he will be with me due to an appointment. This one is for an eye exam and will help determine weather he needs a developmental vision evaluation. we have been to alot of appointments lately and hopefully this will taper off soon. I have a dry erase board on the front door to keep up with it all. It is crazy, but then again...I am too. :)

Pool Party July 5th

We had a great time with all our pals at Cindy & Sam's farm & pool. Greyson swam almost all day. He has to wear his life vest as he cannot swim yet. We start swimming lessons on Monday so I hope that the great folks at the YMCA will be able to help him learn to swim. We will see. It still makes me a little sad to see him around regular kids since his differences and challenges are quite apparent to me. He hangs around all the other kids yet he keeps to himself and just plays nearby. He so wants to be apart of what is going on but it is obvious that he just doesn't always fit in. He seems totally unaffected by that though so that is good. We just roll with it because I know in time he will be just fine. This is our normal and he is just Greyson no matter how you slice it. He is a sweet and loving boy that just is a little misunderstood at times.
Later in the evening at the farm we cooked out and then they shot off fireworks over the pond. We had a wonderful time and are glad to have such great friends to hang out with. Well...we had so much fun and Greyson crashed once we returned home. He was sleeping in the car on the way to the house with his eyes open which made Michele and I laugh. He looked like a bobble head doll poor guy...he was exhausted!

Neighborhood Fireworks...

Last night was interesting...Greyson was a little keyed up. I think due to eating mac & cheese. He had been pretty calm all day until consuming that and then he got a little crazy. We did not go uptown due to the rain but the neighbors put on a pretty good display for him. I think the noise was a little much for him though. He sat on my lap nearly the entire time. At some point there was one too many booms in a row and he hit the door exclaiming we should go inside now. We followed and went to bed not long after that. Now he claims he wants to see some BIG fireworks...we will see. Today we are off to Cindy & Sam's for a great cookout, some swimming in their pool and fireworks later by the pond. There will be alot of other families there and kids for him to play with so it should be fun. Hope the thunder storms hold off until the day is done...

Happy Camper....

Greyson has been doing so much better at camp. Being there seems to boost his self esteem along with calming some of his behavior. He respects Mr Nick and the counselors and I think that is quite helpful in his learning how to behave appropriately in certain situations. One of the counselors was freaked out on Wednesday when Greyson refused to eat lunch. They had spaghetti noodles which he will not eat. Jonathan offered to put cheese on them to make them like mac & cheese but Greyson claimed..."It's not the same." He and Jonathan went round and round until Jonathan finally called me. I had to explain that he has Aspergers and to him...It just really isn't the same because he is so literal & black & white in his thinking. I got a laugh out of it though and explained that even a pb&j sandwich cut in triangles instead of squares will get the same response from Greyson. When I explained that to Jonathan I think it helped him to understand. Thursday they had end of camp week and bead ceremony. Greyson got 2 extra beads! They all get a swimming & an attendance bead but the counselors give out special beads to kids that have been exceptional. He was so proud to get 2 extra kudos given to him and we placed them on his bead necklace. I am really proud of him and his counselor even thinks his entire frame of mind has gotten so much better since school has let out. I think we are headed in the right direction but we will have to stay vigilant in helping him with his challenges. He is a great guy and we love him dearly...the great little entertainer keeps us laughing each and every day. I wouldn't change a thing about him....