X-man unmasked

We were at my parent's house for dinner the other night and Mom's dachshund, the world's smallest hell hound, was barking. The sound of that animal just shoots right through my skull like a barbed spear. Tina spotted the look on my face, the look that says, "I can end this." She quickly pointed out to everyone at the table that I was about to snap. She knew that would calm me down because she just knows me. She then went on about how high pitched rhythmic noises drive me nuts.

She told stories about me battling with ceiling fan chains in the middle of the night and her father tapping a coffee cup while I was driving. I threw the cup out the window.

Then she told the family about the biggest offender:our microwave. She told them how I turn it off with 1 second to spare. But in my defense it beeps 4 times in 10 seconds. Each beep is pain in audible form. I turn it off for the sake of my sanity.

Then she popped off, "He even wakes up before his alarm so he won't have to hear it."

So much for being an X-man.

Don't care for the butterflies

I'm in Indianapolis tonight, Louisville, KY last night. My travel these days usually involves weekends, but since it's not like the old days I'm ok with it. I did my presentation for a customer's sales meeting and will be home tomorrow for Amanda's bowling night, which matters most.

Funny thing about travel. I always get the best rooms at the best rates when I'm only here for a night. When I have 3 days or more at a location I might as well be in my tool shed behind my house. But tonight, I have a suite at the Marriott in downtown Indy at a cheaper price than a Fairfield Inn by the airport. You just have to know who to talk talk too in this kind of situation, and my area salesman took great care of me on this trip. I'm kind of reminded of Mel Brooks from History of the World as Louis XVI, "It's good to be the king."

Anyway, to the airport in the A.M. and then home. It is one of the downsides of living in TXK, if we were in the DFW area or still in Houston, I would be home tonight. Of course there is the whole butterfly effect. If I never would have moved to TXK would I have Amanda? I can't imagine my life without her, so to hell with the butterflies, I'll be home tomorrow.

Sometimes I wonder

There are days where I wonder if I'm missing something because I'm on a different path. Being a parent of a special needs child really does make me a special needs parent.

Last night I watched the video of the Christmas play that Amanda was in last month. The school does a nice job of recording the production so the parents can actually watch, and not play cinematographer.

On stage were more than 100 kids who were reciting lines, singing and dancing. Amanda moved and danced some, didn't really try to sing, and mostly just had googlie eyes for the boy next to her. It was easy to see that Amanda was different than the rest of the kids. There is nothing wrong with being different, in fact she was the cutest one on the stage. But it did leave me wondering about the parents of the other kids.

Did these parents listen to there kids singing the same songs over and over again for weeks? Did they have to work the play into the rest of the family schedule because their other kids were doing other events?

We just have Amanda, so our world is isolated by her needs, abilities, and limitations, and while I don't begrudge her or anyone else these circumstances, I do wonder what it would be like to have baseball practice or scout meetings, camp outs and ski vacations where I had to work to keep up with a child instead of providing so much of her mobility.

Again, I'm not sad, just sometimes I wonder.

The way it is

Have you ever had a moment where one word allowed you to realize something you hadn't given any thought to before? Not quite an epiphany or even an eureka moment. Just a, "Well, crap, I never realized that until now."

It was yesterday morning. My family was getting ready for the day in my bathroom. The bathroom is quite large and we fit in it without difficulty and a lot of visiting goes on in the morning. Tina had finished Amanda's hair on her side of the bathroom and I was at my sink when she asked me if I wanted a particular hair product called "manipulator." I told her no. Then Amanda tried to say the word and it came out, "Many pooooooooh later." She has more than a speech impediment, but she is still understandable in most cases.

But I looked at her and I remembered something my father's younger brother told me when Amanda wasn't even two years old. He said, "You know, she is going to have a speech impediment. Just stick with it." This from a man who had what I would consider, normal and healthy sons.

Now the second thought which was almost simultaneous was about my mother's brother. He has a daughter who is nearly 30 years and has CP and other special needs. He has never spoken about it in regards to my own situation in any form other than one time that involved an inheritance issue.

For just a brief moment I mourned the missed opportunity. Then Amanda and I loaded up in my car and she went with me to make a sales call.

One of the reason's I blog so much about Amanda is I want people to know I am approachable about the subject. I'm accumulating a lot of experiences and even gathering some knowledge on the subject. If it can benefit someone else, I'm willing to share.
The more of us like that better off we all are.

Santa, we love that guy

Ah, Christmas!!!!!!!! It was a great deal of fun this year. Amanda loves Santa Claus. In fact she proclaimed in the grocery store as she was buying cookie dough, "SANTA MY FRIEND!!!!!"

Two years ago Amanda was up at 3:30 in the morning. I managed to keep in her in bed until 5 by answering the same question every 90 seconds, "Where Santa now?"

Last year she was up at 4:30 with a loud yell of , "Hey, I'm Up!"

This year she slept in, 5 a.m. She told me, "I'm not tired anymore."

Amanda doesn't ask for a lot for Christmas. But Tina explains it better than I do as to why she likes it so much. Tina says that Amanda just likes to be included. And that is a big deal for her. Santa makes a point of seeing her and that makes her feel special. In fact, if you ask her what she got for Christmas she can only tell you about the bath sponge, because Santa left that in her stocking.

Another upside to Christmas this year, besides the extra 30 minutes sleep, was that there wasn't any assembly required. I've assembled my fair share of toys, kitchens, Barbie jeeps (Not recommended for the visually impaired) and the what not. This year was easy breezy.

I hope every one else had a joyous holiday season. Now we are onto 2010.

A star is born

Amanda was in the Christmas play this year. She has been in plays before, but took last year off because she said it was too stressful, but this year the class requested that she be in it.

The name of the play was "Santa's Playlist, and it was a cute musical. The cast was made up of more than 120 5th graders dressed as reindeer, elves, toy soldiers, and 1 snowflake, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Woody the Cowboy from Toy Story, and the most precious baby doll you ever did see. I'm a bit biased because Amanda had the part of the baby doll.

The kids did a great job. They knew their lines, sang the longs and danced. Amanda was front row center and when she had to stand and dance two boys helped her up and down.

Considering she couldn't even see the audience I was very impressed with how well she did as the center of the background of the play.

What I love about her school and classmates is how welcoming and understanding they are of Amanda. But I think that has a lot to do with the way her dance instructor described her, "Amanda has it going on."

I just can't be more proud of her. She amazes me.

She does have her opinions

These exchanges between Tina and Amanda took place last week:

Tina: I don't want to talk on your phone anymore.

Amanda: I won't have it!

Tina: but,

Amanda: But Nothing! Talk on the phone.

Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Amanda is talking about a whole lot of things, but the flip side is, she is very demanding and critical.

Tina bought some presents for the teachers at school.

Tina: What do you think Amanda?

Amanda: Oh Mama, soooooooooooooo tacky.

Tina: They have chocolate in them.

Amanda: Mama, I want one.