Right There All Along!

Kids really are sponges sometimes.  You never know what they pick up on and most of the time you only find out in the most embarrassing moments when they regurgitate it out in public at a not so appropriate forum.  Personal experience, trust me!

If we underestimate neurotypical children, we are more guilty of doing so for disabled children.  I'm totally at fault for this despite the wonder that Bubby has been in my life.   Bubby is still considered non-verbal even though he has a few single words.  Many times these words need to be prompted for him to say it but he surprised me the other night and taught me a good lesson.

At church the kids learn songs each year related to the theme.  Because he has no voice of his own, I worked hard to find videos, learn and help him sign these songs.  He definitely has his favorites and Choose the Right is the one most often requested.  We've prompted him so that at the right time he is able to say 'choose' or 'right' (albeit a little delayed) which makes him happy.  We'd recently been learning a new song which talks about obedience to God.  The chorus is, "I will go,  I will do the things the Lord commands".  Pumpkin loves the song, it's got a catchy rhythms and melody so I was singing and signing it the other night when I decided to pause at 'go' and see Bubby's response.  Clear as can be he yelled, "Go!!"  Admittedly I was pretty proud, but it was a familiar word in his small repertoire so I moved on and paused at 'do'.  Lo and behold, he changed the shape of his lips and gave a breathy "do".  I was a little shocked.

There is something called receptive language and expressive language.  For example a stroke victim can understand everything they hear but their expressive language may no longer be there due to their injuries.  The word 'do' is not as concrete as 'go' and nothing Bubby has ever used before let alone been coached to use.  He has heard me sing the song plenty of times, but I have never paused to have him fill it it.  He was mentally singing along with me in order for him to know what was next.  Yes there was a delay before he said the word, but the delay was not any longer than typical (the time it takes for his brain to get his lips and tongue to move as he wants let along the breath to push out so the word can be heard) He was right there with me all along!

I had Bud film it the second time.  I wondered if it was a fluke, the words are rather similar, but sure enough he did again and has done it many times since.



It has made me wonder what I say about him in his hearing.  How often do I lower expectations, when is it reasonable to raise them and when do they become too high.  On the other hand, if I don't raise these expectations I'm doing him a disservice.  Frankly I know that when I don't raise expectations it's because it's harder - more work for me, more struggles but then there's the other side of the coin, there will be more triumphs and more joy.

I've always need to re-examine myself as a parent, my limited viewpoint and readjust to see more.  We all do for all our children but especially those with special needs.  As so many say, "Don't limit me!"

Do's and Don't

For years there have been things said to me from strangers and well meaning friends and family for which I  found myself devoid of words, either filled with outrage or utterly dumbfounded that such insensitivity could be said.  It's high time I write this post in the hopes it will save others the pain I have experienced from such comments. and hopefully bring greater sensitivity and understanding to all.

1.  DON'T  ask if doctors know if he/she will be high functioning or if he/she will be able to live independently one day.

First off, consider how ridiculous this question is.  Can anyone honestly accurately predict any persons potential?  How would you feel if I ask just how successful or independent you child will be 20 years from now?  Honestly I know plenty of neurotypical children who don't leave home by then, does this mean they have failed?  Perhaps you might say there are extenuating circumstances.  Well lets just call our child's struggles 'long term extenuating circumstances'.  And like all circumstances, things can change, there is always new technology and therapy, living aid centers. Remember, all children, typical and non, can change, they can grow and surprise us in ways we cannot see as a parent .  First and foremost they are a being with untapped potential, their 'disabilites' are not who they are, they are simply the struggles they will have to work on throughout life.

Bubbalicious is absolutely fascinated by the guitar.

2.  DON'T minimize a special needs parent's fatigue. 

You cannot begin to imagine how lonely it is for a special needs  parent.  There is more work, longer days, endless phone calls, paperwork and meetings.  This is just the physical aspect, consider the number of worries we might have, "Is our therapist a good fit?  Is the waitlist worth the change?  What new activities/innovations, etc are out that might help with his/her tone, speech, feeding, social interactions .... the list goes on and on my friend.  Then there is the financial aspect - how much, when is it due, what is really helpful versus needful.  What might need to be set aside for this child's future.   And then if there are typical children at home there is the guilt of not being able to be there enough, to give them typical life experiences because said sibling struggles with ....

No parent of a special needs child ever wishes to list the endless responsibilities - there's the nagging fear that says we aren't loving our child enough if we dare verbalize these things.  But if you find us rolling our eyes because you cannot find 5 mins to message someone or hop on Facebook, understand that 5 minutes inattention (we are not talking about being alone, that doesn't exist in our world) doesn't come without some serious repercussions.  When we say we are tired we are tired in ways you don't know exist.

3.  DON'T put us on a pedestal.

I hate hearing people say things like, "You're amazing, I could never do what you do."  because it's simply not true.  The challenge of a special needs child came and just as with all life experiences.  We simply find ourselves doing it or dealing with it because we have no other choice. (aside from just rolling over dying)  No matter what you see we feel the inadequacies daily, hourly at times.  Hearing such 'compliments' seem to only underline our failings to ourselves and worse, we feel less able to express our struggles in an already lonely place.

Whether it's a belief in a higher being (I personally call this God) or unknown resources within our species, we are all capable of amazing things.  It's just that some of us have been placed in these circumstances and we are simply trying to do our best just as I believe you would do.  In the end even if you still think this, don't express it.

Until we received Bubby's diagnosis of autism we never really understood why he loved to swing and spin so much, it fills an actual physical need for him

So what can you do. 

1.  DO learn  to listen. 

Frankly it's won't be comfortable to listen to a special needs parent.  You're bound to want to 'fix' things that can't be fixed.  Perhaps there is a new therapy or diet you've heard of, use words like, "Have you heard of ... Would you think such and such might help?"  but never push beyond that.  In all likelihood we've probably heard through our many online forums or we are budgeting for another expense or too overwhelmed with paperwork to get to that point. 

Just listen.  We don't need the 'bright side' pointed out to us or platitudes such as 'God only gives us what we can handle' .  We NEED a friend, one who will just allow us moments of grief, complaint and fear without judging or fixing us and our families.  When we find the moments of courage to really express these things to someone it means so that we are heard.

2.  DO find practical small meaningful ways to serve us.

"Call if you need anything," is nice and all but hardly helpful.  Honestly we are working just to get by the hours and each day.  Our schedules revolve around therapies, appoinments, we always need something but can't think of it in the moment or feel too abashed to ask. It's the endless little things that get to us.  I can't begin to tell you how much gratitude I feel when I'm chasing my child down for the millionth time that day when someone takes the time to reassure the siblings left behind, to talk to them and plays with them to make them feel special.  When people offer to watch my special needs son so I can shower longer than 3 minutes, or come over and look for ways to help put my house in order. 

I've had someone offer to take the kids while my husband and I take a vacation and I'll be honest, as sweet as this is, it is more overwhelming to me than anything.  The planning, the work, then dealing with the aftermath for a child who struggles just going to a different store let alone missing his/her parents for a day or two is too much.  It's rarely convenient to serve us.  The lack of consistent presence makes it hard to you to know our needs, for our children to be comfortable with you.  It does take an investment of time and an energy to REALLY BE THERE.  Those that have, truly become the village we love and feel profoundly grateful for.

3.DO try and get to know our special needs child as a child first.

Not all Down Syndrome children are always happy, not all autistic children are unable to socially engage.  They are each individuals.  Just because I have a girlfriend who loves shoes and make-up it doesn't mean all girls will be just like her. 

Getting to know this individual may mean you find yourself doing atypical things, whether it's lying on the floor with them staring at the patterns on the ceiling, repetitively playing with an object they enjoy or imitating a sound they find pleasing.  It will rarely be a question and answer format, eye contact or touch may often be difficult but it doesn't mean they don't want to make connections too.  The need to connect is innate in all living things and is especially deep and rewarding in those who are isolated whether by diagnosis, sensory overload or simply being misunderstood. 

The work that it takes to make these relationships grow, both with the individual and the parents cannot be measured.  I have tried to convey to those who have served me and my family how much they have a place in my heart, no matter how short the duration of our time together.  They carry and lift us and ease my burden and I am blessed to have them in my life.  They are my angels!

Missing Ms Kera

We have always loved all those who become a part of Eli's Allies.  They are our greater family, our eyes, our hands, our hearts.  Losing a member is hard especially when it's one we love so much!  Ms Kera is one of these and we feel keenly the loss.

Ms Kera evolved quickly from Bubby's babysitter, to running partner, teacher and coach to someone he insisted on taking to the door, giving a hug goodbye and watching her get to her car before going in.  (Such the little gentleman!). If you know him, you know this is a BIG deal!  Her influence extends to more than just him, Pumpkin squeals with delight when she comes, Bug-love races to get the door and Bud chatters non- stop to her.

I can't express how much we love and appreciate Kera.   it's so hard to really get to know him, it means more than words can say (especially to a mother) when someone goes beyond the job and grows to love him and help him reach his potential.  I loved how she found the balance between allowing him a break and pushing him to work a little more.   There was pride in her voice when she saw progress and I knew he was in good hands as I worked on homeschooling the oldest two.

She accomplished what an IEP AND preschool didn't do in over 1.5 years, he learned how to say his colors and correctly identify them, he says hello and goodbye,  his fine motor skills improved and she helped to re-engage him to interact with the world.  We will miss her dearly but wish her the very best as she embarks on this new adventure of school and career.  Once a member of Eli's Allies you are always a member of our family.  We love you Ms. Kera!

Innocent Beginnings

It began innocently enough. Kent and I watched a documentary "Fed Up" that focused how the diet of sugar was really the issue behind diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Since sugar intake, especially to our ADHD son was never really desirable, it just seemed like an easy given that they should watch it.  After it we came away with thoughts on seeking out 'real food' rather than 'food-like products'.

The fall festival Mortimer Farms gave Bubby the chance to explore the texture of mud!





Another morning we listed to the kids podcast Brains On.  It was a humorous and informative talk about farts (anything to catch their attention!) which mentioned that the majority of methane gas that harms our environment is actually produced by cows and the beef industry. It was a random fact I verified and lead to another rabbit trail and  to the documentary "Vegucated" which taught us that the government subsidies to the  meat industry has lead to unethical practices that harm the animals we eat, pollute our environment and make it cheaper for us to eat unhealthy diets compounding the health industriesproblems. As a family we decided to move to a vegetarian diet. The kids said they never like what I make anyways, so whether it was vegetarian or not it would make no difference! Got to love their honesty! We added to our vegetable intake (which was already shocking to begin with according to one of Kent's friends) shifted to lots of kinds of beans and egg meals.

More fun at Mortimer's.

"Conspiracy" has made the final shift. We've begun making our soy milk again, looking at ways to use it to make the yogurt we eat every morning and even try using nuts to make non- dairy cheeses.  The cream cheese we made from raw cashews and macadamias was happily injgested by everyone.


It took a lot of courage for Bug-love to feed the chickens herself but she ended up liking it.


Cracks me up, her kissy face so near a curious goat!

So suddenly the family that goes to a buffet and eat mostly meat and desserts (as my father would say - because we don't pay that kind of money for us to eat the cheap stuff!!) has suddenly stopped going out so much and become granola hippies!



Little man was a definite muddy mess after all the fun at the farm.

Having made new friends this summer with two kids who are from Honduras, we wanted to give the kids a more globally minded view of the world. We watched "One Dollar a Day" which left my children shocked with how different childhood is in many other countries. Then we watched "The True Cost" which elaborates how fast fashion has created sweatshops, destroyed the environment and our choices for what is cheap is costing humanity. Our discussion afterwards has prompted the kids to say they were okay with the idea of only getting one or two presents for birthdays or Christmas. They wanted to spend the money on experiences (like visiting our friends in Honduras) and on projects that might give back to others.




Within a few minutes my bug-love had come up with the idea of making blankets she could sell that the funds would go towards a set of books she could mail to her friend's classroom. She was so impassioned by this idea that she spent her Sunday afternoon learning how to use my sewing machine and seam ripper practicing n 'mini-blankets' from scraps of fabric I had left over. Kent and I were astounded by her drive and are curious to see where this will take her.




Threading a machine...



Education, true education should change you. Somehow in all the years from when I first crafted my philosophy of education in college with my naive ideology I had lost this vision in the onslaught of politics, standardized testing and curriculum. Here we are, homeschooling my munchkins and they showed it to me again, not in theory but in action. It's nice to know that the little bits of information can be made into lasting connections that are influencing our family's behavior. THIS is what drives me to homeschool!

We Are Their BEST Teachers and Advocates

I've debated for quite some time now whether or not to homeschool Bubby. There are so many aspects that worry me, whether I can organize myself to do it effectively without taking away from the other kids, will I have the resources at hand to help physically, emotionally, socially and academically, the list goes on. It's every special needs parent's load to carry and no matter what that just never really goes away.

It wasn't until I received the end of the school year 'gift' of a picture of Bubby at school.

I knew that he never laughed much for them, but I thought that it was his reserved nature. Looking at this picture it all became clear. He was sad, withdrawn and so terribly unhappy. I guess I should have seen the signs, how grumpy he was coming home, how disconnected and tired. I was battling the conflicting messages I was receiving from him teachers and aides, they felt he was adjusting much better this year, but on reflection I wonder if it just wasn't more of his being 'consigned to his fate' as Keila so often likes to say as of late. It was taking more work to draw him out even on the weekends at home, a certain sullenness that must have been hard to bear as a child - especially a child with no words express it.

So much of my summer has been spent researching, asking people, even attending part of the AFHE convention on homeschooling special needs. I mentioned it to all his therapists and they watched him carefully over the first few weeks of summer. Just three weeks ago all three of my therapists have said they've seen a change in him, a lightening up, a willingness to learn and engage. I saw it too, how much eye contact he would make, how playful he was again and his clear attempts at communicating his needs. It was as if he woke out of a depression of sorts and with it has come a growth that is leaps and bounds more than any IEP can truly measure. Despite my reservations it was clear to everyone that he would learn more and be happier here at home. My anxieties could not stand in the way of what was best for him, besides I have so often stated that with God all things are possible and now I simply had to put that faith to the test.

I love watching him listen to his music. His face takes on an expression depending on the mood and his movements have a certain grace that make me smile. He feels the music deeply. I've tried many times to catch him on my camera, but he freezes the moment he sees it so sadly these are the only ones I've managed that really capture how much music affects him.


In this next one you see him anticipating the change in music. He just makes me smile!

With all this, we decided to enroll him in music therapy. It seemed pretty crazy for the 5 of us to show up in a tiny room to bang on drums and sing with two other kids with special needs. It was a little harried at first but somehow my typical three have been good models for the others - especially tiny Pumpkin who loves to participate. Bubby has also settled down and often gets off my lap to jump and dance enthusiastically. I've learned how rhythm helps to calm many of the children and helps to 'order' the brain. It's all things I can add to my growing curriculum designed specifically for Bubby.

He has begun to want to play with others which is so encouraging. For the longest time we had a set of Frisbees that Isaac and I would throw to each other when the weather was cooler. Bubby must have remembered and often fished out a Tupperware lid and would throw it to the best of his ability. Once he figured out that if he gave us a turn he'd have a playmate he was all giggles and smiles. I passed it off to Pumpkin one day and though anxious as the slower pace of his sister, he allowed us all to take turns. When I had to leave to help one of the kiddos, they two continued the fun. This is what I captured on the camera.

Darned if all my kiddos aren't just so self conscious around a camera. She was laughing as loud as he was, if only I could have recorded without her seeing it!

It's not just with siblings I've seen this change, but also with other kids. One of our therapists told me of a special needs storytime at the Agave Library just 12 mins from our home. It was perfect, a smaller group with dimmer lighting and quietier place full of sensory toys, a visual calender of each activity they would do and a predictability that had Bubby at home quickly. At the end there is always some time to play with toys and friends and the circular sensory pads were his favorite. He'd lay them out like at physical therapy and jump from one to the next. This caught on with another typical kiddo who'd follow along and together, they'd laugh and clap for each other. It was all good until the other boy decided he wanted to move a pad. Bubby firmly pushed his hands away and then collected all his pads to play in another corner of the room. I reminded him to share and he grudgingly relinquished one for this little friend.

In addition I began researching water therapy. While Bubby does well with many textures, our main concern now is how he integrates all of this in doing a task. Our minds easily weed out unnecessary info like the feel of the breeze while still maintaining our focus on a task. We didn't know how well Bubby was doing with this and since water therapy gives a wealth of sensory feed back, it seemed worth the investment for an above ground pool for the whole family. Our physical therapist loaned us her large flotation device (fondly named Fishy) which Bubby loves to climb on and ride. It's working his core, arms and helping him with anticipating movement as he dips and floats. I often have him play other games like catching and tossing rings to each other or simply jumping and stopping according to instructions. It's been great fun for all of us and lots of learning for him.

He's still quite a monkey, he's figured out how the baby proofing stuff works and taught his sister as well! Our island has become their favorite place to hid and obviously everything inside had to go!

The other things that makes all of this homeschooling possible is our Kera Forrest, our newest respite worker! We were terribly sad to lose Ms. Marni, but so happy to have Kera. Incidentally Kera is Marni's sister. The transition has been a breeze thankfully. He was gigging and playing with her this morning which will make her job so much easier. I'm hoping to develop a learning schedule of sorts for her to work with him. Interspersed with doing Geminii, shapes and colors there will be lots of play and games all geared to helping him in all areas of therapies. Weekly therapies and almost daily visits with Kera in addition to our own work makes for quite a team. We are so grateful for our blessings and resources!

With all of this I can't wait to see how he blooms and grows this next year. We grow right along with him! I remember when Isaac was first born how terrified I was about being a parent. Time and experience have taught me that we are inspired as we desired to help these little beings in our care because we love them so much. We really can be their best teachers and advocates as we trust that inspiration/instinct/gut response that we feel they need and find the courage to push for it. Doors open along the way, the team grows and life is richer for it!

Father's Day and 41 Years

June is insanity for me and more so this year between my dental surgery and prepping for Bubby's hearing test. I just can't get things done properly so it's all rather piecemeal and late. Thankfully nobody seems to really mind (either that or they don't bother me because they see I'm on the verge of losing my mind)

For Father's Day, Kent and I took the longest waking break from our kiddos in years and went out for lunch and to see Newsies at the Gammage Theater. It was so nice to calmly eat our meal, fresh and hot, to talk without interruptions or just be silent. Sometimes it's the small things I think we miss most. It took two weeks but I finally got to making Kent's favorite Chinese foods, savory green onion pancakes, potstickers and Chinese broccoli. It was neat to have Keila helping me. I had to work hard on my OCD neurosis to not try and fix every lopsided, malformed potsticker she attempted. It was the effort that matter and one day, with time and practice this will be easy for her.

We are so grateful for our Baba who does so much for our family!

Crazy girl helping with all the food prep!

The trip to see Newsies was really all I counted for for my birthday but Kent surprised me with a cake that evening. I also had a chance earlier that day to visit with an old friend I hadn't seen in well over a year. The evening was topped off with some quiet me time swimming laps - 800 m - not bad for a woman in her 41st year!

This little guy totally gets birthdays now and was vigorously signing 'cake' when we began the singing!

Life is good, my blessings are many. May the next year be just as sweet if not sweeter!

Rides, Horses, Lizards and Fun!

I'm Chinese. I grew up in a very Chinese household. Education was everything as evidenced by the universal jokes that all Asians Americans can relate to; a letter grade of 'A' is adequate, 'B'stands for bad, C is catastrophic and D is disowned and finally F; forgotten forever. Heck, even nonasian knew this which is why I was once asked the reason for me being in the regular math class rather than the AP class. My reply, "I'm the dumb Asian in the school". (in reality my parents weren't as academically hard on me due to my 'yellow brain damage' But that's another story for another day)

Grades meant a great deal, they reflected your intellect, your hardworking and projected your future and what parent didn't want the best future for their child. Once I became a teacher I realized how illogical this really was. Grades today reflect how adequately suited you are to a system that values certain traits - traits like neatness, following directions, orderly and outgoing. Those who learned differently or who had traits less valued struggled within this system because their intellect and skills were not measurable or considered valuable. As a result you were labeled as difficult, slow learner, poor listener, shy or withdrawn

A trip to the fair! Thank heavens for Ms Marni who made this possible. We got to test out Eli's responses to the rides and stimulus and Isaac had a lesson on physics that he didn't entirely enjoy but won't be forgetting soon. On the other hand, Keila couldn't get enough!

The ironic thing is that as future teachers we were learned in college that there are other types of intelligences (emotional, kinesthetic, etc) and taught to look for these to engage the children. In the meantime class loads grew bigger, standardized test became more important and as a teacher I was just staying afloat with the kids that fit well into the system. So much of literature even in recent years reflects this, such as Quiet by Susan Cain which talks about the strengths of introverts rather than the more egregious extroverts. Books such as these remind us that all personality types have gifts to offer especially when it is not so obvious and we as a society miss out when we select for certain traits.

It took Eli a bit to relax but once the spinning rides started, he was having fun, even if he only gave reluctant smiles and giggles to Ms. Marni.

Just before his first rollercoaster!

After I quit teaching I began to look at things a little more objectively. Did I just want to know that my kid had master certain skills and could regurgitate it back in paper? Did these grades honestly reflect his/her intellect or rather how well they fit the system? What attitudes were taught with regards to learning, failure and success? Did I truly want them to be a product of that system?

Now in all fairness the same education system can work for some - just not for my two oldest. They have grown to believe that failure was shameful rather than a learning opportunity or a step moving toward success, that being smart meant you had to be better and quicker than others and that knowledge had no real application. Kent and I wanted their confidence or success not to be found in letter grades but rather in discipline, good teamwork, constant learning and applying and then never giving up.

Sorting, cleaning shells and looking through a classification book.

These are some of the reasons we've made this change. I honestly don't know if I can teach my children these things, but I do know that in the years we've been in the system, despite high grades, praises from teachers and fellow students- my children haven't learned it and when things don't work, you fix it. Only time will tell and with each child it will be their own story.

In the meantime I've begun experimenting with different things. We recently made a field trip to a lady in Black Canyon City who owns 3 horses she uses for equine assisted therapy. I had actually looked into this when we started working through Bug-loves anxiety but most places charged so much for the program it just wasn't something we could justify in our budget. This lady was different, no matter the number in the group she charged for the cost of a bale of hay ($18.50) for two hours where you could do ground work (no riding) with the horses and in the process learn a great deal about yourself and how you work with others.

Prior to going we watched a video or two on YouTube (love the Internet!) about others who had experienced equine assisted therapy. I had little notebooks for the two to journal and draw what they think the experience would be like. Kent took the morning off and I had respite watching the younger two and we drove out for a two hour experience.

Catherine was wonderful and so accommodating. We had some quick introductions and filled out a paper to help her understand our personalities so she could find a horse that fit us. Biscuit was just like Isaac, energetic, friendly and playful. We tried to get Biscuit to stand still or to weave through barrels but found that incentive was what drove him. He had to know what was in it for him and as soon as he heard the horse cookies fall, he was easy and quick to get to task. Lady Bellam was different altogether. Cookies would not tempt her, but security, affection and a sure sense of direction did. She was much more like Keila.

Isaac has a fear of animals, especially large ones and it took quite a bit of convincing to even get him in the corral with the horses (Rita's ice was promised - the power of incentive!) He learned how to communicate with the horses decisively and clearly once he could set aside his fear. That empowered him in some ways so that he began to relax a little more and watch us work with the horses.

As long as I stayed by Keila's side she was an eager learner. Both she and Lady would try and anticipate what I wanted and if I should hesitate or communicate badly things went awry. On the other hand, when I did well, they both followed beautifully. By the end Lady would keep pace with me no matter how I changed things up and stop the moment I stopped.

Biscuit took me by surprise and began to tickle my neck. Such a playful fellow!

After the two hours I came away with a few thoughts. First off, I'm not always good at communicating what needs to be done. Giving that direction gently first, then a little more persistently and finally firm but calmly does a great deal. For my oldest I need to help him see the benefits behind the task and empower him with a level of control. With my daughter I began to see that her anxiety stemmed from anticipating what everyone else sought of her. I needed greater patience when a task was not completed correctly and make sure my instructions are clear and my mood calm because she could read those emotions like a book.

We got to hear about the horses and their stories which helped us to understand their particular responses to the environment. King George had a particularly sad story and Kent took to that horse a great deal. Really the lines between animals and humans is a fine one and you couldn't help but come away feeling more sympathy for all of God's creations.

Keila really enjoyed the experience and was highly motivated to write it in the journal I provided. We even read Black Beauty by Anne Sewell in the days that follow. Isaac hates writing but he sure loved to hear me read to him.

Teacher appreciation posters that the kids helped me put together.

This little fellow got stuck so we took a closer look and helped him out of his little predicament.

Backyard fun. The little pumpkin wants to be just like big sister, even if her feet can't reach the pedals.

Soccer drills with Baba.

So it's quite an adventure of sorts. At the very least we are making memories and having fun together and hopefully along the way they are being taught, especially in the things that matter most.