Day 477 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Regina was feeling a bit better this morning so she headed to work. It appears that her office solved the "feeling better" part as she came home feeling worse than before. This bug just does not want to pass. Tomorrow is another day!

Grayson was very aware and active today. He helped me with chores around the house this evening, assisted me in the dinner prep, and even put some things away in his room with only small cues (Grayson, where do your shoes go?). He also helped me make his bed before climbing in it for the night.

Let's pray that Regina feels better tomorrow!

Pax!

Brant

Day 476 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

With Regina still under the weather and in bed for another day, Grayson had to keep me out of trouble again today. We got up and went to church this morning and enjoyed seeing our old friends. After church we had lunch and did some shopping. Grayson was good company on our travels today.

This evening we had a house full over for dinner – all the kids plus their significant others. I grilled some steaks and paired them with broccoli and baked potato for a relatively quick and easy meal for a group of young adults. We had fun and it was good!

Pax!

Brant

Day 475 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson and I were on our own for the day. Regina is under the weather and we decided that we should let her sleep. I felt a little guilty taking time this morning catching up on some bill-paying and other responsibilities while Grayson read a book in my office here at home. It is best to actively involve him in something, but I was so behind!

"We" finished paying the bills and filing papers and shredding trash with personal information. I had Grayson vacuum up the small amount paper bits on the floor from changing the shredder bag. Then I showered Grayson and we took off to run some errands. We were gone a few hours and he was most pleasant company. We wandered around stores looking for some things then went to the grocery to look for inspiration for dinner. We found inspiration in some baby back ribs, one of Grayson's favorite foods. I wish I had taken a picture of Grayson after eating his fill of ribs tonight. He looked like he stuck his face in a bowl of BBQ sauce! He was sure excited to have ribs again.

Pax!

Brant

Day 474 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was a good day for Grayson. He was active and alert and he had some productive therapies at the clinic. He was also a bit on edge, so it was easy to agitate him today.

He was more verbal again today, but "more" is still way below what we would like. However, "more" is still way better than "less"!

The week is over – have a great weekend!

Pax!

Brant

Day 473 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It was a long day followed by a long, but productive, night of meetings at church, so I will be brief!

Grayson is heading into the weekend with a head of steam. He has been more alert and more verbal for a couple of days now. The only downside to this is that he gets agitated more easily and has difficulty laying down and going to sleep at night. All in all, I'll take alert!

Pax!

Brant

Day 472 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson woke up slow and sluggish this morning, but by this evening he was alert and chipper – and a little bit more verbal. He had a good day at the clinic, and one of the few days per week where he gets a ride home. Regina got an opportunity to spend a few more hours in the office instead of on the freeway this afternoon!

When I arrived home from work I grabbed Grayson and we took Lauren to church for bell rehearsal before running to the market for a few items. We swung back to church to pick Lauren up before heading home. I assembled a fast dinner and everyone was eating by 8:30 PM. We watched a bit of American Idol before heading Grayson off to the shower then to bed.

A rather uneventful night in our journey!

Pax!

Brant

Day 471 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson was quite alert all day today. Starting from the moment he woke up, he was bright eyed and a bit more verbal than he has been in the past few months. At one point this evening he was with me prior to a meeting at our Boy Scout Council Headquarters. He spent the longest time looking at pictures on the wall of Scouts at places that he was familiar with from his years in Scouting, now almost a decade ago – Camp Chawanakee, Camp Makualla, Camp Whisett and the National Jamboree. He identified many places verbally for me as I asked him what the pictures were – Gettysburg, Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, Jamboree patch trading, the climbing wall at Camp Chawanakee – he really has quite a memory of these places!

Grayson was particularly wound up this evening before bed, and it took quite a while for him to wind down and go to sleep. Several times the alarm went off as he exited the room. There seems to be a correlation between the alertness and the inability to fall asleep quickly. We'll take alertness!

Pax!

Brant