Skip to main content

a budding ornithologist





We like to blame Trevy for our anti-social ways, but the truth of the matter is...


we just aren't cook-out-party people.


We're spend Memorial Day somewhere quiet and peaceful people.


Like nature hiking, for instance.





It was exquisitely peaceful and joyful.


At one point I asked Jonathan if it was weird that I, literally, feel myself healing from the inside out when we're hiking. He assured me that he'd recently read and article that agrees with me. Not that I need science to have my back, mind you.





Barely had we started down the trail when we heard the very distinctive call of the red-winged blackbird. Trevor immediately identified it. He delights in birds. As we walked I shared with him that science is the study and observation of the world God created for us to enjoy, like birds. I taught him the big science word for people who love and study birds, Ornithologist. 


Can you say that big word, I asked.


His attempt was speech challenged adorable.


You're an Ornithologist, I informed him.


I know, he grinned, I love birds! And with that he skipped ahead to puddle jump with his "bunny foo foo powers". 





My heart squeezed. 


I don't know what the Lord has in store for Trevor's future.


I don't know if he'll ever read past a Kindergarten level...


or do math figures at a level that would allow him independence...


or speak in smooth grammatically complete sentences.


But I do know that intelligence exists in different forms and this little boy can identify a variety of birds from the very first note of their song.


**photo credit goes to his sister, who is a budding national geographic photographer**




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

a different kind of muscle — guardianship process

  To all the parents who have walked through the guardianship process — my heart is with you. Our paperwork is prepped and ready to submit this week. He turns 18 on April 3rd. I've been thinking about this for a year now, but only just mustered the energy to move forward — the loom of his birthday my propellant. Overwhelm has paralyzing effect. I'm struggling to recall the last time I didn't feel overwhelmed. It struck me how all these years of walking through disability beside Trevor should have made me stronger and yet... I suppose it's a different kind of muscle being developed.

No, I don’t know him personally

  I’ve had several emails today asking if I know Mike W. of Marissa’s Bunny personally.    Trevy’s blog was linked on her site.  Although it’s not now.     I’ve posted here and there at his request.  Because…well…we’re a community.  Us IS families.  And Marissa is wicked cute.  Her daddy has a way with words.  Also who wouldn’t want the world to know about an iPad give-away?    But aside from that…I know about as much as you do.    We’ve never met in person.    Our only communication has been cyber.    I’m a ginormous sap and as such would love to believe that all is right.  That the sweet, beautiful families who were promised iPads will be getting them tonight.  Tomorrow at the latest.  That no one has been lied to.  That the personal thank you for your generosity email I sent him on behalf of other IS families I’ve grown to love and was thrilled to learn w...

the great answer hunt in the land of Infantile Spasms

If I've said it once... I've thought it a million times more. How it's like the more I research...and discover...about IS. The more blurry everything becomes. For every answer found. A dozen questions are unearthed. Remember our whole ARX saga ? Yeah...that threw me for a loop. So much so...that I never went on to post the end of the story. Thus far... See...the unbelievable in the world of genes happened. Because this is IS-ville after all. After Dr. Genes sampled Trevy's ARX gene on a whim...a whim which revealed an unkown (meaning the first time this specific change was found) mild mutation...she proceeded to send Toby's blood off to mad scientist central. With assurances that this was totally unnecessary . She was convinced that Trevor's ARX mutation was the underlying cause of his Infantile Spasms. And that Typical Toby...would prove to be just that. Typical...at least in all areas mutate-able. And yet...Toby's ARX blood sample revealed THE SAME MIL...