Happy Birthday!

19 years ago today, I found myself in the car at 2:00 AM driving my very pregnant wife to the hospital in a spring rain.  She woke me shortly after 1:00 to tell me that she thought that her water had broke.  Once we got to the emergency room, we discovered that, in fact, her water had broke, but she wasn't quite ready to deliver.  So they took her to a room, and we waited.

After a few hours, they made the decision to induce labor.  It took a while to get the dosage right.  At first, they gave her too much of the drug and her contractions started too strongly and too quickly.  So, they backed off on the IV and my wife was able to get a little rest before all the real fun would begin.  Around 6:00-7:00 PM my wife started pushing in earnest.  Shortly before 9:00 my son entered the world.

It was without a doubt the proudest moment in my life.  The entire time my wife was pregnant, I steadfastly declared that I did not care one way or the other what the sex of our child was going to be.  One he came out and I was told we had a boy, I have to confess that my chest stuck out a little bit further.

Over the years, it has been quite an adventure.  From birth to about 2 years of age, our son appeared to be completely normal.  He was hitting all of his milestone markers on time and in a lot of cases early.  Then all of a sudden around his second birthday things changed.  His progress became delayed. We got him involved in early special education classes where a specialist from the school system came to the house a couple days per week.  By his 3rd birthday he started taking a bus to a school for children with special needs.

In the intervening years, there have been a lot of emotions and struggles.  There was a lot of denials about the  final diagnosis of autism.  I struggled a lot at times.  You see, I have always been considered a smarter than average person.  I was a nearly straight A student, always made the honor roll, and participated in talented and gifted programs.  I thought, "How could my child be mentally delayed?  He has my genes."

A few years ago, we made the difficult decision to try to get him into a residential school program.  It was one of the hardest decisions we ever made.  Several of the struggles and challenges of adjusting to this decision have been chronicled here on this blog.  It has been one of the best things that we ever did for our son.  At one point, I always thought that my son would live with us as long as we could care for him.  Now we look to the day when he will graduate in 2015 and enter a group home.

Today, we drove out to see him to celebrate his 19th birthday.  We decided that we would throw a little pizza party for him, his dorm mates, and the dorm staff.  One year ago, we couldn't get him to touch pizza.  The only thing he would eat was chicken, bacon, potato chips and Cheez-it crackers.  In fact, my wife and I couldn't eat pizza in front of him because he would gag.  Today, he ate six big slices of pizza, more than my wife and I combined.  We even offered him boneless wings and he chose more pizza.

Even with all of the progress he has made, he still has a long way to go.  For example, he still has not gotten to the point where he will have a bowel movement on the toilet.  I never really liked changing his diapers when he was a baby, changing Depends now isn't any fun either. He still has several undesirable behavioral issues.  He will drop to the floor if he doesn't want to do something.  He still hits at people and throws his glasses.  It has been a struggle and will probably always will.  I wouldn't change a thing.

Everyday Heroes

Crest of the Order of St. Benedict (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are some people that if you passed them on the street, you would never give them a second glance or thought.  Ordinary looking people that do not look like anything special.  The type of person who you would never think would have a lasting impact on the world.  Sister Jeannette Murray was one of those people.

Sister Jeannette was a nun of the order of St. Benedict.  She was a member of the Saint Gertrude Monastery in Ridgely, MD.  Sister Jeannette began her career as a teacher, specifically in the field of Special Education. In 1960, she landed at the Benedictine School for Exceptional Children to teach kids with special needs.  It also happens to be the school that my son now attends and my nephew graduated from.

Sister Jeannette was a tireless advocate for those that she labeled "her kids."  Through her guidance and perseverance, the Benedictine School has become one of the top schools in the country, much less the state of Maryland, for children with special needs.  But the school is not the only thing that Sister Jeannette was a big part of.

As the kids grew and left the school, they still needed a place to go where they could lead productive lives.  So, the Benedictine Community also took a leading roll in establishing a vibrant open community for adults building several group homes and establishing a number of vocational programs for adults with special needs.  My personal favorite is the Busy Bees Bakery in Denton MD.  They make a mean pumpkin roll.

Sadly, on Thursday, March 21, Sister Jeannette passed away, perhaps fittingly, on the day of the Feast of the Passing of Saint Benedict.  Thankfully, Sister Jeannette got to see the last piece of the puzzle completed before she was called home.  The Benedictine Foundation recently dedicated two new retirement homes for her children who are approaching that stage of life.

Sister Jeannette barely stood 5 feet tall, and I would hazard to guess that she didn't tip the scales at 100 pounds unless you slipped some rocks in her pocket.  Still, her impact will last well beyond her years on earth.  The Benedictine Foundation is on solid ground with a group of people who are passionate about carrying on the work of Sister Jeannette.

My initial interactions with Sister Jeannette were not positive.  My son was having a difficult time adjusting to the school when he first started to attend the school.  However, in the last year, Sister Jeannette told us how much he had grown.  She even went so far as to say that he was her "buddy."

Sister Jeannette will never be known like Mother Theresa but her impact on those she came in contact with will last as long as the impact that Mother Theresa had.  May you rest in peace, Sister Jeannette.  I am sure you will be continuously watching over your kids in the Benedictine Community from above.  God bless you for all you have done, especially for my son and my nephew.

The Times that Try Men's Souls

Having a big lunch with my son at the Golden Corral in Easton MD via dickster1961

Yesterday was one of those days that I always dread.  It was the day that my wife was going to take our son back to school after his break home.  Those trips are always a bit of a challenge getting him into the car for the long drive back to school, but they are especially difficult when the break home has been a long like his nearly two week Christmas break.

Monday night, I naively thought that it might be a bit easier this time around.  I was washing dishes in the kitchen when I heard him in the living saying that Stephanie (his teacher) was a pretty girl.  He then proceeded to tell me how many earrings she has, 4 which for some reason he notices.  Later we were sitting on the couch when he started talking about "The Morning Rush" on a radio station that broadcasts near his school.

I woke up yesterday and got ready to head off to work.  My son was up before I left the house, so we talked and I told him I would see him later, without bringing up the subject of school.  He seemed fine.  My wife usually tries to head out to school between noon and 1 pm.  When she gets him in the car and they are on the way, she gives me call to let me know that they are on the way.

I started to get a little concern that I had not heard from my wife as the clock moved closer to 2pm.  I was talking with a friend of mine in the office and told him that I was almost afraid to call home to check in with my wife.  Sure enough, a few moments later my cell phone rang.  Unfortunately, it was not my wife calling to tell me they were on the way to school but that for the past two hours our son had been hitting, kicking, and yelling at her.

I decided that I would leave the office early to see if I could somehow manage to get him in the car and take him back to school.  The entire drive home, I was praying that God would give me the patience to deal with my son and my wife, who was naturally upset and frustrated.  I also prayed that somehow he would help my son to be willing to get in the car. I arrived home around 3pm, and spent two hours trying to keep him calm and endure some hitting and kicking sent in my direction.

I was able to maintain a calm demeanor until my son exhibited a behavior that he had displayed at school but never at home.  My son wears Depends because he is still not toilet trained in regards to bowel movements, but does manage to urinate in the toilet.  The behavior that he now displays is that if wants to avoid doing something, he will urinate in his pants.  While laying on the couch, he told me that he peed his pants and needed a bath.  Even with the Depends, there was leakage onto the couch.

Finally, after two hours, I was somehow able to get him to get up and go to the car.  He did end up dropping to the ground twice between the house and the car, but he got up relatively quickly and got into the car.  So, around 5pm we started the nearly 60 mile trip to his school.  Once he was in the car and realized we were headed to school, he was fine, not happy, but fine.  We arrived at school just in time for him to have dinner.

After we got him settled and took care of all the assorted business, we headed back home.   By the time the night ended, we didn't get back home until around 8 pm. We will probably head back out to see him in a couple of weeks and take him out to lunch at Golden Corral and then go to Target so he can get some new CDs.  He is already looking forward to that.

Long Weekend Ends, Back to School

Yesterday marked the end of the Memorial Day weekend and back to work.  It also marked the end of my son's long weekend home from school.  Normally, his visits of a mixed bag.  It is always good to have him home, but he is a lot of work.  As much as I hate to admit it, I sometimes look forward to his returning to school so things can return to what is the "new normal" around here.  Don't get me wrong, I love having him home and I am sad that he has to go back, but I am also somewhat relieved.

Due to his disabilities, there is a lot more that has to be done compared to when he is away.  When he is home, we usually have to prepare special meals for him because he would only eat certain foods.  Then there is the issue of his still not being toilet trained.  It is not easy to clean up the dirty Depends of a young man that is 5'10" and 145 pounds.  He also has a tendency to take over the television and my laptop whenever he is home.  We have had computers that he could use, but they are older and slower, and don't work too well, so he often sits with me and we play games and watch videos on mine.

As this past weekend came to a close, there was the usual sadness that he was heading back to school.  However, the sense of relief was not as strong.  Some of the past issues that make having him home so difficult were not as intense.  First, after taking him back from his April break he began eating a much wider variety of foods at school.  We were determined to try to keep up the wide variety of food that he had begun to eat at school.  We made sure to prepare a plate of whatever we were eating and give that to him first.  He ate most of what we put in front of him and we only occasionally had to supplement with chicken tenders when he hadn't gotten enough to eat.

Another thing that made this past weekend better for him was that we bought a new desktop computer for him to use.  When he had his First Communion at school nearly two weeks ago, he received over $100 in gifts.  The next morning, I found a basic computer for less than $300 that would provide him with everything he needed to do the things he likes on the computer.  This consists primarily of watching videos on YouTube and listening to music.  Only occasionally did he want to sit with me and do something together on my laptop.

There still were the other issues that we have to deal with.  His toileting is still a problem.  He usually is OK with urinating in the toilet, but the bowel movements are a problem.  We go through a lot of Depends and wipes whenever he is home.  Often, and sorry to be graphic, we have to give him a bath after a bowel movement.  Bathing is another area that he is not able to do on his own.  And of course, for the most part, when he was home the television was on whatever he wanted to watch, which isn't really that big a deal because I usually only have it on for background.

Since he turned 18, his progress once back at school has been remarkable.  In the past 6 weeks he has made a number of improvements in some of his problem areas.  Previously, he only ate chicken wings or tenders and salty snacks.  Now, he is eating a wide variety of proteins and vegetables.  He even ate ice cream, which he had never eaten, right before he came home.  He is starting to take his medications without having to have the pills crushed and mixed with food or drink.  If he continues progressing as he has recently,  I am sure that some of his other issues will be conquered soon as well.

It is funny, as my son was growing up and it was becoming painfully obvious that he would not have a "normal" life, I was determined to keep him with me as long as I could.  I have a friend that I used to work with who also has a special needs child.  We both talked about how we would want to care for our children because we weren't sure how we could trust anybody else to do it.  I no longer have that fear.  My son is 18, and at the age when a lot of kids are starting to thing of going to college and eventually getting out on their own.  Now, I can see the possibility of him moving on to a group home when school is over and I do not fear it as much as I did.

Once Lost, Now Found

Image via WikipediaA lot of times, when I watch the news, there is no real connection to a story being coverage.  I might sympathize briefly or have a thought about a story, but soon I don't give it another thought.  Then there are stories that I connect with on a more emotional level, even though I may have a personal relationship with the subject matter.

I tend to really connect with stories about kids.  Stories about special needs kids, especially kids with autism tend to get the most emotional responses from me.  It brings a tear to my eye when I hear stories about the girl with Downs Syndrome who gets named homecoming queen or the autistic boy who finally gets to play a few minutes in a high school basketball game and lights up the scoreboard.

I get a different kind of tear in my eyes when I hear stories about bad things happen to kids, especially to kids with special needs.  I grieve for the parents and loved ones of that child.   Whenever anybody harms any child, I have a visceral, angry reaction.  There is no such thing as cruel and unusual punishment for anyone that hurts a child.

For most of the past week, my local news has been following a story that has ultimately triggered both sets of emotions.  Robbie Wood, a young boy with autism, wandered away from his father while on a hike at North Anna Battlefield Park.  As the father of an autistic boy, I know how panicked we have gotten when our son wandered away from us in a shopping mall and been out of our sight for even a few moments.

Over the next six days, the news reported on the number of volunteers who would meet each day at Kings Dominion to search for the missing boy.  Over 6000 volunteers participated in the search.  As every day passed and Robbie was not found, I was slowly starting to fear the worst.  Finally, yesterday, they found him lying near a creek, cold, wet, and shivering but in good shape.

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending.  Robbie was taken to the hospital and given fluids, warmed up, and reunited with his family.  Worry and fear have passed and given over to relief and happiness.  Would that all such stories could turn out this way.

Related articles

• Assumptions and Autism: My Child Has Empathy (blogher.com)
• Autistic boy found alive after several days missing in woods (news.blogs.cnn.com)
• Autism in the News - 10.24.11 (autismspeaks.org)

Chrome City Ride X-Part 2

Back on July 31st, I posted some pictures and a bit of information about the Chrome City Ride event at my son's school.  It was a really good time for everyone involved.  However, more importantly, it was a fundraiser for the school foundation.  In addition to the work at the school, they also provide for group homes for those that age out of the school and other programs for those with disabilities.

The foundation had set a goal to raise $100,000 for this year's event with part of the proceeds to go to help build two senior center homes for the aging adults with disabilities.  I received an update from the foundation that they have thus far raised $104,500 for this year's event.  I thought I would take the opportunity to post that update and share a few more of my pictures from the day.

June Break

Well, on Father's Day, we picked up our son for his two week June break from school.  Since he is on an extended school year program, he gets a couple weeks off in June and a couple weeks off in August unlike a lot of kids who get the full three months off during the summer.  With his special needs he really needs the year round schedule so that he retains what he learned during the year.

We already had a busy two weeks planned for him while he was going to be home from school.  I have mentioned before how much our family enjoys going to Bowie Baysox minor league baseball games.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for my wallet, the Baysox are only in town for four games during the entire 17 days he is home from school. 

I will be taking off this Friday and Saturday night from my pizza delivery gig in order to go to all three games this weekend.  Friday and Saturday nights games will all feature a post game fireworks show.  The Baysox always have a top notch fireworks show.  On Sunday, it will be a meet the team day, and the team has arranged for my son to throw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.  He is pretty stoked about it.  Finally, we will also be attending the Baysox July 4th game for more fireworks before break ends.

The other day, we were going through a bunch of the papers that were sent home with our son.  One pile of papers was all the work he had done in class since his last break.  There were also a few awards.  He won Student of the Week honors just before the break.  He also won an award for "technical achievement" for his computer typing skills.  The Aquatics Department of the school gave him a certificate for being the most improved swimmer in his class.  Awesome work.

Then there were all of the other fun things in another packet that we have to get done before he goes back to school.  There is the list of supplies and clothes that need to be bought and brought to school after the break.  It has been a while since his last haircut, and he is getting rather shaggy.  He needs to get another physical from our family doctor.  While the haircut and physical are hard to get his cooperation on, we usually can get those accomplished.

However, the last thing that we need to get done will be the most difficult, a dental exam.  We had to try to get one before he started the school in November.  We got him into the office, where he promptly dropped to the ground and refused to get up.  He eventually got into the dentist chair and they were able to do a visual exam, however, we were not able to do a cleaning or x-rays.  So that one will be a real adventure.

Since he has been home, I have lost control of the television in the evening, I am using my computer to download and burn CDs and DVDs for him, and I am spending a lot of time with him sitting next to me playing Panda Pai Gow Poker on Pogo.com.  He loves it when we lose hand or guess wrong when trying to predict whether the hand is a win, lose, or push.  It is nice to have my time to myself when he is at school, but while he is home, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Spring Break

Image via WikipediaThings don't usually work out quite this way.  One of my son's favorite activities is going to Bowie Baysox baseball games.  He has the best time there.  So when he went away to school, we anxiously awaited for the Baysox schedule to come out to see how well they coincided with his breaks from school.  Unfortunately, the two schedules do not line up very well at all.

For us, due to my work schedule and commute, going to games on the weekends works much better for us than during the week.  My son came home Tuesday for Spring Break, and the Baysox are going to be on a road trip starting today.  So, the only two home games scheduled during his Spring Break were Tuesday night and last night.  Both nights the weather forecasts called for rain, possibly severe at times.  That is a forecast that makes my son, well, freak out.

We had watched the forecasts closely for several days leading up to games.  We wanted to get him to at least one game while he was here, preferably both.  As we got closer to game days, the forecasts were looking more ominous, especially for Wednesday night.  While we know forecasting the weather is not an exact science, there is a reason for the old saying that April showers bring May flowers.  For that reason we were hopeful that we would get at least one game in.

When I left for work on Tuesday morning, it was raining.  Thankfully, it ended by late afternoon.  I was able to get out of the office on time, and even though the commute was more hellish than usual, we were able to get to the game on time.  The skies were overcast, and it was somewhat windy, but the rain held off and we were able to see the game on Tuesday night.

We got up yesterday, and they were still calling for a chance of some severe thunderstorms.  My son does not handle thunderstorms very well at all.  I have come home during thunderstorms in the past and found in him hiding in the bathroom.  Thankfully, the rain and the storms never materialized.  In fact, the day was absolutely perfect for baseball, and we were able to get both games in.

When I started this by saying that things don't normally work out this way, I meant that normally it would have rained one or both nights.  My son has been disappointed more than once by rain delays or cancellations.  Plus there is some truth to the old saying that if you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans.  Still, I think the Good Lord looks kindly upon and holds a special place in heaven and his heart for kids with special needs.  He surely blessed my son these past two days.

Happy but Busy Days

Today is one of those happy days.  I took the day off from work to go pick up my son for his scheduled long weekend home.  When I stuck my head in the door, the smile on his face lit up the room.  It looks like he has trimmed down a bit since being at school.  His teacher says he has been eating three meals per day plus snacks.  It is just that he has been a lot more active at school than he has been at home.

Work has been hectic for quite a while, and it has been well over a year since I have taken any significant time off for something besides the office being closed for a blizzard or last year when I had the flu for a week.  So, during this long weekend, I will be taking off work the whole time he is home.  I am thinking about getting a basketball so he and I can shoot some hoops while he is home.  We also will try to go to Dave & Buster's for skee ball and maybe a visit to Hooters while he is home.  However, it will not be all relaxation while he is home because we have a lot of errands to do with him. 

Today, we scheduled an eye doctor appointment for him to get new eyeglasses.  As usual, he didn't want to cooperate with the exam, but the doctor was able to get enough of a reading to adjust his prescription.  With his job at school, he receives a paycheck.  We have opened a bank account for him, but he needs a photo ID card.  Tomorrow we are taking him to the MVA to get that.  Friday morning, we have an appointment with the DDA (Developmental Disabilities Administration) to discuss benefits and transition services for when he gets older.

On a personal note, I am still doing pretty well with my dietary goals.  Yesterday, I had an appointment with a sales rep who I had not seen in several months.  He said I was looking good and that he needed to do what I was doing.  When I told him that I had pretty much quit drinking alcohol and eating junk food, he replied "never mind."  Tomorrow, I have a doctor's appointment to discuss my blood pressure medication and I guess to talk about a colonoscopy.  I checked my blood pressure a couple times in the last week, and it has been running 115/75 so he should be pleased.

Related articles

• Home for a Long Weekend (dickstersrandomthoughts.com)
• Healthy Eating Doesn't Have to Be Hard (webmd.com)

Mardi Gras Night

Most Saturday nights, I am out delivering pizza to the local residents.  Tonight, however, was a special night.  Tonight, we had the opportunity to attend Mardi Gras Night.  It was a fundraiser for an organization called Opportunity Builders, Inc.

We had a great time.  Can you tell from my picture here that I had a couple of brewed beverages?  The night started off with a few hors d'oeuvres and a live band.  When you entered the event, they gave you a coupon for $50000 in chips to play casino games.  They had blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and slot machines.  I spent a good hour playing blackjack.  I broke about even, so I guess I did OK.  If you went through your free chips you could spend your hard earned cash for more chips.  It was a fundraiser after all.  At the end of the night, for every $25000 in chips you turned in, you received a ticket towards a raffle.

There were also two auctions during the night.  In the early part of the evening, there were several lots available for a silent auction.  I bid early in the evening on a four pack of Bowie Baysox tickets and an Outback Steakhouse gift card, but got so caught up in playing blackjack that I never went back to see how high the bidding got on the items.  The evening ended with a live auction and drawing of the raffle tickets from your casino winnings.  The live auction items are well out of my price range, and unfortunately, I did not win any of the raffles.

The reason we were able to attend the event is because my in-laws, through one of their companies, were a big sponsor of the event and had a table.  Earlier this week, I posted about how my son had started working in one of the programs at his new school.  Our nephew, graduated from my son's school last spring, and is currently working for OBI.  It is the next step in the transitional process for kids like my son.  I tip my Mardi Gras hat to organizations like OBI and companies that contract with them for work.

Related articles

• 5 tips for actually enjoying Mardi Gras (gadling.com)

Update on School and My Son

It has been three weeks since I have written an update on my son and school.  There were a lot of things going through my mind that day as we took him to his new school.  I was concerned about how difficult it would be to try to explain to him that we would be leaving him that day and not seeing him for two weeks.  To describe his eating as picky would be a severe understatement, so there were major concerns about him eating while he was out there.

Surprisingly, getting him to the school was much easier than I anticipated.  Saying goodbye wasn't, and I don't think he understood when I told him that I would see him in two weeks for Thanksgiving.  With me being the worrier that I am, I called the school every evening to get an update on how he was doing.  The initial reports that we got that first week were encouraging.  He tried a couple new foods like hash browns and some salad.  His teacher said he was adjusting to the schedule and working well in class.

At the time, I considered writing a post about my adjusting to his being gone.  When he is here, he basically dominates the television.  It is rare that I get to watch what I want on television, when I want to watch it, and without interruption.  Then there is the issue of buying him all the food that we buy special for him.  In addition to the benefit he would get from being at the proper educational facility, there were benefits to me in terms of my personal leisure and savings on the weekly grocery bill.  Still, the bottom line was that I missed him immensely. 

His first weekend at the school was a bit more difficult for him.  He prefers to stay home on the weekends, and watch TV, play video games, and surf the internet.  The school plans a lot of weekend outings and activities, which he shows no interest in.  They do have socials where they play music and have dancing.  He really enjoys and looks forward to those.

When the second week of school started, he had a difficult time getting back into the routine, but had a another good week of classwork.  Towards the end of the week, he started to have a lot more difficulty, especially in the eating department.  By the end of the second weekend, I was extremely worried because he had basically stopped eating and drinking entirely.  It became a concern at school as well, as they had us pick him up a day earlier than the original Tuesday pick up date.

He has been home almost a week now.  As soon as we picked him up, he started drinking again, and he has been eating his usual fare since he has been home.  Tonight, he and I went out to Watkins Regional Park in PG County, MD to see the Winter Festival of Lights.  It has become something of a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for the two of us.  As we were driving home, he looked over at me and said, "No school tomorrow, Daddy."

Tomorrow is the day we are supposed to take him back to school.  They are having a Christmas party.  When we picked him up last week, he talked about coming back to school and going to the party.  However, based on his response coming back from the Festival of Lights, I have a feeling we will have a difficult time tomorrow.  More importantly though, is the eating.  This time, he is not supposed to come home until just before Christmas, almost four full weeks.

I am not sure what will happen over the next four weeks.  The one thing I know for sure, is that it will be another four weeks of worry on my part.  I am not sure what will happen if he stops eating and drinking again.  He obviously needs to drink and eat.  He also needs to adjust to his new situation.  My son, even with his disability, is a bright child.  If he thinks he can continue to manipulate the situation and get to go home by not eating and drinking, he will display those behaviors.  Pray for us.   

A Question For Parents

Throughout our lifetimes, we take on a variety of roles. There is no role that I take more seriously or is more important to me as my role as a father. Since my son has special needs, it may cause me to look at things differently than most parents. I hope not. I saw something while driving home the other night that kind of bothered me. Maybe the other parents out there can let me know if I am off base.

As I said, I was driving home from work the other night. Up ahead, I saw a car pulled off on the side of the road. A young boy, probably about 8-10 years old, was walking away from the car towards the woods. At first, I thought he just had to take a leak. Soon, I saw him start to vomit. Poor guy. I felt sorry for him. Especially since he was out there all by himself.

As I got closer and passed the car, I could see the mother casually waiting in the car and pouring the remains of a can of soda out the window. My initial reaction was one of dismay. For the life of me, I could not understand why she was not out there with her kid to lend support or comfort. Am I wrong to feel that way?

Kristen Pass & Hope

Every time I turn on the news I see all the bad things going on in the world. The country is in economic turmoil. We have two Presidential candidates that really don't have a clue as to what is really going on with the every day American. It is easy to get discouraged.

If you look hard enough, you can find something good. One of the good things is the story of Kristen Pass of Laredo, TX. Kristen is an 18 year old girl with Down's syndrome, and last week she was named her high school homecoming queen.

As the father of a child with special needs, the story touches me deeply. Not just because a young lady with special needs gets to experience something she will probably remember for the rest of her life, but because it gives me a feeling of hope that the future isn't all grim. These high school kids saw beyond the superficial and selected a homecoming queen based on her personality and friendliness.

Below is ABC news coverage of the story. As the story says, she hasn't taken the crown off since she was named homecoming queen. I dare you not to tear up when watching it. Congratulations, Kristen and God Bless. Don't ever take off your crown.

Joe Biden Can Kiss My Ass!

As the parent of a 14 year old boy with autism, I know all too well the joys and definitely the challenges of having a special needs child. I worry everyday about what will happen to him when he gets older and my wife and I are not around or can't take care of him. There is nobody who can question how much I love my son.

By now, we all know that the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee is the mother of a baby boy with Down's Syndrome. She is also the aunt of a child with autism. During her acceptance speech, Palin pledged to the parents of special needs children that they would have an advocate for their kids in the White House. We also know that Palin is an Evangelical Christian and for that reason does not support stem cell research.

So now we have Joe Biden with the following quote. “I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy, because there’s joy to it as well, the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect. Well guess what folks? If you care about it, why don’t you support stem cell research?”

How is this anything but a direct attack against Sarah Palin and her moral and religious beliefs? John McCain has come out as being in support of stem cell research. Palin is the one who is opposed, and Palin is the one who has spoken of helping parents of children of special needs.

There are two things that piss me off here. First is the attack of somebody's beliefs that are not political in nature, but based on morals and religious code. Second, and maybe even more important to me personally, is the implication that parents of children with special needs don't care as much for their kids if they do not agree with Joe Biden's political policies.

Personally, I would support limited stem cell research under very controlled and specific conditions. However, I fully understand and respect anybody that is against stem cell research for moral and religious reasons.

So, if I ever have the opportunity to meet Senator Biden, I will gladly turn around, drop my drawers, bend over, and tell Biden to "KISS MY ASS!"