"Can I call him?"

Grant just said to me, "Can I call him?"  him meaning Joel.  I've not heard him use the word 'him' before, so it definitely caught my attention!  Usually, he would say, "Can I call Daddy?"  So this is so cool that he is starting to use appropriate pronouns.

Yesterday, he helped himself to the little bit of leftover coffee and came to me with his coffee mug in one hand, "I like coffee!"  I asked him, "Why do you like coffee?"  And he quickly sweetly "Because it's tasty!" 

We are still working on words that end with T.  For many months he has been making a /k/ sound at the end of any word that ends with T.  It's been rather frustrating, to say the least, as it doesn't seem like we have been making any progress specifically in this area.  After talking with his speech therapist, we are trying a different angle and I am hopeful we will see progress soon!

We had VBS a month ago at our church.  The past two years I have been with Grant's group, but this year I helped in the kitchen with snacks.  I was excited for him to be on his own, but a few days before VBS started I began to be anxious and wondering if I made the right decision to not be with him.  Finding out who his leaders and helpers were going to be help calm my thoughts, but Monday morning I was filled with anxiousness again after leaving him with his group.  I was anxious he would misbehave, not participate with his group, not be understood by his helpers and peers, pick his nose incessantly, have a potty accident, be obnoxious.  I could go on.  It really was hard to leave him with his group - and as anxious as I was a few days leading up to VBS, I had no idea the feelings that would overwhelm me as I walked away from his group leaving him at the mercy of his helpers and leaders.  So I prayed. I released him to the Lord.  I prayed for his leaders and his helpers, for his peers, for him to have a great time and to behave.  This helped calm my heart.  And I was there the whole morning, so really, why was I so anxious?  I could check on him just about any time throughout the morning!

The week went really well and I was thrilled when he received the 'best boy' award on Thursday morning.  Both of his adult leaders told me he was really good, and that he was overall one of the better behaved boys.  Wow.  Boy, did this make me proud!  I am with him always, so I know just how rotten he can be, but I also know how sweet he can be at the same time.  I am so thankful that he had a great week.  He loved every minute of VBS!!

Other new things for Grant:
- He is playing with toys that he has had for months, if not years, that he has pretty much cared less for: his Buzz Light Year, his garbage truck, his tool bench.  He has been appropriately playing with toys intentionally, and it's so neat to watch.
- He continues to engage Kate and Joel and I: "Please play wif me" he will say. (Like right now as I am typing!)  He doesn't want to play in his room by himself anymore, as he has done for so long.  He wants and desires interaction, which is way cool, too!
- He is trying to read.  He will make up words for the pictures and "read" a book.
- He has been dressing up wearing his Buzz Lightyear costume...and you can tell that he is seeing the fun in playing dress up, and not just putting something random on (like a Cinderella skirt) just because sister is.
- I'm trying to teach him how to use my phone and allowing him talk to people on the phone.  He loves talking to Nana, Daddy, Aunt Christina, Uncle Daniel, Aunt Jenni, and anyone else who will listen to him. So, if you ever want to call and talk to Grant, he would absolutely love it.  He will talk your ear off, so consider yourself warned. :-)

In July, I was cleaning out a closet upstairs and came across picture cards that we used to use for communicating with Grant.  I haven't thought about those cards in a LONG time.  When I found them, I showed them to Joel and we both just shook our heads.  Wow.  What a long ways we have come.  Praise Jesus that our son can talk to us using words.  Praise Jesus for how far Grant has come.  This makes me completely humbled and hopeful as the same time. He has come so far; think of how far he can go!