Having fun & Keeping busy!

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted anything. I'm in my capstone class and only have exactly 30 days until I complete my undergraduate program. YIPPEE!!!!! Can't wait to have my life back! Including spending more time with family, friends, and of course Kermit!

Danny is doing awesome. He had 2 really bad grand mals on his birthday which set him back for awhile. But he's recovered now and doing well. Kermit is anxious for mom to put away the computer and finish school so he can get to the mall! Pancake is 15 now and chugging along.  Kenny is working nights at the YMCA. Seeing him grown up is bittersweet. While I really enjoyed the cute things young kids do, I admire the way he is becoming such a responsible young man despite some of his challenges. Dad is chugging along, much like Pancake. As Danny would say, he still has to "Wooooork".

I've posted a few of my favorite pics over the last several months. The boys worked hard to get Pancake to pose for the camera. But she still hates pictures. She's just so old now she can't fight about it as much. lol   Kermit was a banana split for Halloween (which was a combined 50th b-day party for Wally). He was cute even if Kermit refused to wear the banana on his head! So he was technically a "split" for Halloween. He also helped dye Easter eggs, even if he couldn't eat one of them!

Seizure alert is great. Kermit really works so hard to help us out there. Last night he alerted Danny's asthma. He really keeps an eye on his boy. I promise the next post will not be months away. Remember, in 1 month & 2 days I will have my life back, college-free!

Busy summer.............

It's been such a busy summer. Kenny graduated in May from both Parkway & South Tech. We are so proud of him. School was definitely a struggle for him but it has paid off in the end. He now is in a VSP program doing grounds & maintenance work at Monsanto. Mom & dad have had a good time giving him advice on the trials & tribulations of the working world.

We moved Danny out of the MAAP program and back into the day program. There was a great deal of staff turnaround in the MAAP side and we really just wanted something more structured. He has been a lot less stressed so we know that we made the right decision for him. He gets to keep his OT & Speech therapies so that was a plus. He also may begin receiving PT soon as well. Over the past several years we've seen his balance become increasingly worse. The doctors believe it may be damage from the seizures.

We sure miss Loretta. She was Danny's respite provider for quite a few years. We always said she was Danny's first true friend. He really loved her as we did as well. I used to call her up and just say, "Danny needs his Loretta fix". We know she is resting peacefully at the Lord's feet but all the same we still miss seeing her.

Seizure alert is going great. Two weeks ago we were camping. Saturday morning we had been awake for about an hour and were getting ready to get Danny dressed and let him outside to play basketball. Kermit began alerting both of us. We decided to wait awhile to let Danny go play. After all, at the camping lot there are many areas for Danny to fall with all the rocks, concrete, and fire pit. About 20 minutes after his alert Danny had a grand mal. Kermit was able to keep Danny safe. Later that day, Danny was outside sitting by the fire pit with us. Kermit began crying and one of the campers said, "Kermit looks like he really wants to be with Danny". Within a couple minutes Danny had another grand mal. What an amazing dog! He is aiding us in keeping Danny safe from harm. These dogs are truly priceless.

Update

Time sure flies! I can't believe it's been over 2 months since I've updated the blog. I guess it just shows that we are fully acclimated to Kermit. We update this post with mixed emotions. Kermit is not attending the day program right now. But this is a temporary thing. We were actually the ones that made the decision to keep him home. The day program has been struggling with staffing issues lately. Everyday there were different people in Danny's room. Somedays there people with no experience with dogs. This was making it very difficult for Kermit. After talking with Jeremy, the head trainer at 4 Paws, about Kermit's behaviors we were able to get down to the bottom of it. Kermit had decided that he must be the top dog! He decided he was, as Jeremy said, "at the top of the pecking order". Everyone at day program misses him. His bowl, treats, bone, & mutt mat are still there so he is definitely going back soon.

Danny's seizures have been hit or miss lately. H recently had a span of 25 days seizure free which is awesome. But he's also had a few bouts of cluster seizures (multiple grand mals) which is keeping us confused. Cluster seizures are typically during sleep, so this has been hard to return to. After all, when Danny was a baby almost all his seizures were during sleep. But we will keep plugging. But when Danny gets home Kermit is there to help whenever way he is needed. He cares so much for his Danny boy. The picture is of Kermit comforting Danny after a seizure.

Kenny has been looking for a part-time job. No success yet, the market is tough out there for kids his age. Kevin & I figure the worse case scenario is that we will have a long Kenny-do list for the summer! LOL We can't believe he has only 3 months left of high school. My how he grew up so fast!

Great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kermit began attending the MAAP program with Danny the week of Thanksgiving. We are so excited and also grateful. The staff have been so patient with Kermit as he transitions into his new role. It's pretty confusing for Kermit. After all, not only the staff but the participants as well are all adults. Kermit has to learn who exactly is in charge? Some of the staff have been around dogs, some have no experience at all with dogs. We still have some kinks to work through of course but are confident in Kermit. He is such a smart dog and really does aim to please.

Perhaps the thing we've noticed the most is the almost immediate improvement in the bonding between Danny & Kermit. Being together all day seems to really be having a positive effect on their bonding. The bonding is so important to promote and enhance seizure alert and assist. The closer they are and the more time they spend together, the more Kermit can do his job in helping us to keep Danny safe and free of injuries.

Good times

This summer we bought Danny a bulldog for riding down at the camping lot. 4th of July weekend we did our best but just couldn't get him to take a ride. But then labor day we coaxed him in a different way. We told him the bulldog was the only way he could get to grandma & grandpa's lot! Low and behold, that's all it took. And once Danny road in it he loved it (just as we had thought). Danny's loving his new ride! Kermit is still unsure about this sort of ride being safe enough for his boy. Kermit can be a baby at heart so we think he's concerned about his lack of desire to ride on the bulldog. But we don't let on about it. We let Kermit as
sume that we believe it's all for the good of Danny and only Danny.

MAAP is going great! They work a lot on Danny's speech and it's starting to show. He's really trying to use his words more to express his wants and needs. The staff are just so wonderful at the center. It has been such a blessing for Danny as well as us. We were so fearful of Danny leaving the school system and entering adulthood. But it has really been truly amazing. It's actually been a good change for Danny and more suitable for a 22-year old young man.

Friday Kevin & I visited several of the companies that contributed to our fundraisers. They were so excited to meet Kermit. We could never thank the over 300 people who helped us fundraise for Kermit. But hopefully all those involved know what a difference the help of Kermit has brought to our entire family. I have no doubt that in several years we will be able to take Danny on these types of visits more often. With the help of MAAP and Kermit the sky is the limit.

Update

We've been really busy lately. We are still actively fundraising for Danny's cousin's mobility service dog. It's been tough but we know we'll get there.

MAAP (Midwest Adult Autism Project) is going great. The staff work so much with him. They are in the process of setting some goals. They work on many things, such as parking lot safety, hygiene (Danny hates to brush his teeth), and speech therapy. These are just a few of the many things they work on.

The picture is of Danny's new adult-sized stroller. It took about 2 years to get the stroller, it was quite a battle as anything is when you're asking for help from the State. Kermit is so glad to get back to the mall as is Danny. We took our first walk in several years throughout the neighborhood. These moments make it worth the fight. It gives us a little more sense of 'normalcy' in our lives.

Danny & MAAP

Danny has been attending the MAAP program for 2 weeks now. The move has been bittersweet. While it's bitter because we miss the friends we've made at the day program, we have new friends and opportunities for Danny in the MAAP program. The new program is designed to set specific goals for Danny. They work daily on areas Danny struggles with. The main one is his expressive language. They are trying to improve Danny's use of his words. They are also trying to get Danny to be more receptive to having his teeth brushed. He's having a lot of dental issues and his reluctance to brush his teeth is no doubt a part of the problem.

Kermit will hopefully be in the program soon. There are several participants who are afraid of dogs. They are trying to calm these student's fears before trying to bring in a huge dog like Kermit. With the way Kermit's skills are improving we are eager to see Kermit attend all day with Danny soon. We are hoping the MAAP program can help Danny with tethering, which is something we have not mastered on our own.

The top picture is how Kermit loves to ride in the van or truck. He is so funny. He has chosen his own seat. He will even run to the other side of the van and wait for someone to open his door! Kenny usually just sits in the back now rather than disappoint Kermit. But we still refuse to consider his spoiled! We figure it's just that stubborn bloodhound personality coming out in him! LOL