eSpecially Ben

2009 TMNT, Superman, Froggy 2010 The Karate Kid Year 2011 - The Star Wars Year The stress of coming up with costumes for Halloween stresses me out every year. As the kids get older they have more ideas and take more responsibility deciding who they want to be and how to get that certain look. Ben's costumes need to be simple -no masks, hats or anything he can take off and eat. Before I had a chance to even think about Ben's costume, Logan came up with an idea - Professor Xavier from the X Men. Professor X is in a wheelchair and is one of the most powerful superheroes in the X Men comic book and movie series. He wears a dark suit which is easy enough to find and very Ben friendly. Logan wants to shave Ben's head to finish off the look, but that's not happening! Many people have mentioned that there are sites for creative Halloween Costumes for wheelchairs - here is one:  Halloween Costumes If you have other sites, please send them to me. Or even bet

Ben played in our county's Special Olympics Bocce Ball Event yesterday. Lots of athletes, teachers and volunteers were in attendance. The highlight for Ben was having his brother, Logan there. Logan played hooky from school to see Ben participate. On the way home, Logan made a few observations about kids with special needs - "some are like zombies and some are just normal." He decided that Ben was medium. We also talked about what Logan's friends at school say about Ben. Logan could/would not give me details about their questions, but he said that he answers their questions and then tells them a little about Ben. I asked Logan if he would ever want to meet with other kids who have brothers and sisters with special needs. Incredulously, Logan said, "Why would I want to do that?" I told him about  programs where he could talk about any feelings he may have about having Ben as a brother. His response, "No Mom. I like Ben." I guess that answer

No, I did not mistype the title of this post. The jury is not out anymore, I think Ben would rather be a spectator than a player in this sport. When he is in the dugout, he looks longingly at us sitting in the stands. When he is in the outfield, his complaints reach us from across the field. Just three more games and Ben can put in for retirement. Although, I am not giving up on Ben's athletic career. One friend whose 14 year old son, Ryan, plays baseball on another team is having the time of his life. He made a home run last week and it was all I heard about from Logan. However, there was a time when Ryan played soccer and was so disinterested in the sport. His mom thinks his age has something to do with the change in interest. This gives me hope! Perhaps maturity or a change in sport may help Ben's perspective. We will just have to wait and see.