Ducks

I'd like to submit photographic evidence that my ducks were in a row. One time. At least for a bit.

That's me and 6 ducks in a row!

This was made possible in part by our Huckleberry Hiker, which allows us to hike with Teddy (down a rocky, steep, trail and through river crossings, as was the case with this hiker). It helps when the most unpredictable duck is strapped quite literally into a chariot that I'm pulling. But still, it counts as ducks in a row!

Family Photos

Last weekend we spent the weekend at our land with all our big kids, otherwise known as the Bigs or our adopted children. These incredible young adults aren't really our children, nor are they really technically adopted in the legal sense, but they are indeed our big kids ... an extension of our family.

Teddy is the catalyst for all these relationships, as most of our Bigs are caregivers (past or present) for Teddy. Throw in a few COVID bubbles, friendships fostered among the Bigs, and somehow we're all family. We now have 3 adopted daughters and 1 adopted son (who happens to be the biological brother of one of our daughters, so we're treated to some authentic sibling bickering, too, at times!). Add one long-term boyfriend to the mix, and we had 5 extra humans at our land last weekend, all of whom both our boys adore. 

This makes my heart so darn happy. They fill spaces in our lives that we didn't know were lacking. They choose to spend time with us, and they genuinely seem to enjoy hanging out with us. Plus, we're past all that teenage angst, drama and hormones with the Bigs. 

So while you might expect our family photo to look like this:

The reality is the one that is more accurate and complete is this:

S'mores

Teddy has never liked s'mores. He has attempted them and handed them back to us, made faces and refused them. 

So, we've adapted and given him deconstructed s'mores minus the marshmallows, which were clearly the culprit because the kid devours chocolate, graham crackers and peanut butter. (Hey, peanut butter is a s'more staple in our household.)

It's not that he's entirely against marshmallows. He's eaten them on occasion plain, and he definitely loves rice crispy bars. I think it's a texture thing with melty marshmallow, so we've just adapted and it's worked just fine ...

... until the other weekend when he kept trying to make a s'more. Since Teddy doesn't talk, there's always a little bit of trying to understand if our interpretation is correct. At first I thought he wanted a deconstructed s'more, but he clearly wanted to cook a marshmallow. So we did that and made a s'more. 

And he shocked me by eating it. (He still kept holding out his hand to have me wipe off the extra marshmallow stuck to him, so I think there's still a texture thing he's not completely loving.) Then he proceeded to make a second s'more and eat it.

His first-ever s'more that he actually ate!

He repeated this the following weekend, so it's safe to say he now enjoys s'mores. 

We joked it was peer pressure because we had a friend along the first weekend devouring s'mores. It's neat, though, to see him enjoy something in a new way and be a full part of the campfire experience.

Guess Who's Back?

... in school, that is.

Teddy's back, tell a friend. Oh wait, his best friend is in his class and rides his bus, so his friend already knows. 😉

All smiles for the first day of school!

Teddy is in 7th grade (ummm, how is that possible) and loves being back in school. He was so darn excited about the prospect of:

1. Going back to school
2. Seeing all his friends
3. Specifically seeing his best friend Mikey every day
4. Riding the bus
5. Going back to his after-school programming

And as I type this, I hear endless giggles as he works with his new at-home provider we have 2 days a week. So that either means that's going great or he's being silly doing things he shouldn't (or both, because that's also a valid possibility.)

Thus far communication from school has been good, which is so refreshing because we've worked hard last year to get into a good routine. The bussing has been a challenge, with him being picked up late every day (and therefore arriving late to school), and today he magically arrived home 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. So unfortunately we're the squeaky wheel calling the bus company every morning after the bus is more than 10 minutes late and calling the special education office who coordinates the bussing. While we don't like to be the pain, we also know how hard it is for Teddy to wait for the bus and how disruptive it is for him (and us) when he's picked up late. 

Aside from that hiccup, the one thing that's been on my mind last week is the inherent value we bring as humans to the world. It was on my mind as Teddy headed back to school, and so many people were so genuinely happy and excited to see him again. It's not because Teddy is a star student, super helpful in the classroom, leading by example with class participation, excelling at academics, etc. In terms of what society often values in productivity (being a productive member of society), Teddy doesn't check those boxes. But he is inherently valuable as a human being for who he is. He is enough (and if I'm being honest, some days more than enough). 

It's something I'm trying to convey to AJ, who struggles with his self-worth being tied in his grades, productivity, etc. It's something I think most of us struggle with, but it's so easy to see in Teddy. His presence, who he is, is what people value in him. It's why they're excited to see him. It's a pretty cool thing and yet another way I learn from life with Teddy.