A day of accomplishments and moving forward.

From middle school to high school.

From elementary to middle school.

From Wolf to Bear.

Receiving my mother's pin.

His teacher reports he loved delivering 

his handmade bookmarks.

One of my favorite activities.  
Helping my children make appreciation gifts.

Thinking today of how to honor our fallen.  Not just today, but everyday.  This youtube video says it all.

Okay, 

this is getting really fun!

Stars in Her Eyes. By Dr. Linda Barboa with Elizabeth Obrey

In good company...

What is it they say about boxes and kids?

The same thing they say about cats and boxes.

Thanks to my sweet daughter who has grown

up to be a wonderful woman.  Honoring her mother by a nomination  Wishing I could read what she wrote.  I am sure it included some humor, maybe overcoming mistakes, apologies and continuing to try.  Well, then maybe I don't want to read it.  I did make a grand effort to teach honesty.  Love you, your sisters and brothers.  You each make your parents proud.  Whether I go further in this contest I know I have received the best prize.  A child who respects her mother.  And, a mother who respects her daughter.  Love you Nicole.

It is so wonderful to see him doing things he used to do.  It is like he just picked up where he left off 4 years ago.  We still have a long way to go, but I have seen an increase in interest.  Revisiting things that he used to love.  Mr. Potato Head, computer games and of course reading.

Troop 420

visits a FIRE STATION!

Great night at Dynamic Strides.  Love this place and these people.

Love that SMILE!

And laughter.

It is amazing, 

dare I say a 'miracle'

how performance night turns out perfect!

What an incredible group we are a part of.  I love Art Inspired Academy, Elaine Hall's Miracle Project and all the volunteers.  Thank you Abilities First for your roots in this troupe.  We had an incredible night where Nathan's smile could be seen from the back of the auditorium and Chase nailed Happy Scat Blues with the help of the harmonica talents of George Hunt.  Everyone performed at their peak tonight.  What a talented and dedicated group.

Springfield Cardinals at the Miracle League game.  Pictures to come.
Someone forgot to put a card in her camera.

Continued gains....playing games....

Thinkin' this treatment 

is doing some good.

It has been a very long time since he has played a game at home.  Let alone request to play completely unprompted.

If you notice the board he is the yellow.  

He won!  By a lot!!

May the 4th Be With You

today

for tomorrow is the return of the 5th.

Not even a month since his I.V.I.G.

And...

Nathan has not read like this since his first regression at age 7.

HE WILL BE 12 IN AUGUST.

Game on!
The rain held off.  The boys finally opened the season.

UPDATE:

He smiled at me and kept looking at me...

I wrote a sentence in highlighter and Nathan traced it. The para told him to write his name and he wrote an N. Then she said each of the next letters and he wrote each one! All capital letters. All pressing hard with a pencil.

..."Go glue this on your paper.” He went to his desk, got out a glue stick, glued it on, and put away his glue!!!!!!

...came back for more food for him because he quickly ate everything you had packed. 

In PE, Nathan RAN his laps—first time. When shown to do the side step, he imitated the teacher and did it. When instructed to walk backwards—he did it!

What an incredible week we had.  Didn't see it coming, but the implications may be miraculous.  Even though the neurology team made it clear not to let our emotions of hope get out of control.  
Life is real.

But, hope is good.  Hope keeps us going.  Hope is why I made the call to report Nathan's regression.  Or really just the thought that it may be a regression.  After the call we headed up to St. Louis Children's Hospital.  

My thought was just to update a few people of the events.  But, my list kept growing.  Those who have deeply rooted concern, effort and feelings for Nathan.  They want to know.  They hope for the best always.  

To make a long journey short.  I called the head neurologist of Nathan's team at St. Louis Children's hospital to report his laughing spells and 'all nighters'.  When she returned my call she told me to load up the car, they are expecting Nathan in the E.R.  We jumped in the car and started the journey.  
He was a brave young man.  Was patient as his EEG was being hooked up.  Best they had ever seen getting an I.V.  Over 2 & 1/2 days in our room...  
So what happened while we were there is the team reported that Nathan had a positive test for "Antibodies to Brain Endothelin".  This test is positive in individuals with regressive autism and those with Landau Kleffner.  Nathan has not been diagnosed with Landau Kleffner.  He is not showing the seizure pattern to be diagnosed.  The hopeful part is.  With this correlation of LK and regressive autism.  Recent research is showing that one of the treatments for LK is having a positive impact on individuals with regressive autism.
Nathan had his first IVIG treatment while we were there.  They watched him very closely and we are watching for improvements.  If this treatment has a positive impact on him we should know in the next 3-4 months.  It takes some time.  But, we have already had some positive feedback from those who didn't know he had the treatment.  Hoping for some language, but will be elated if we can just stop the regression.

                                                           

Field Trip Day!

 With the 2nd grade to Smallin Civil War Cave

With Miss Ashley.