"Mommy, I eating my boogers!!"

My little Reese...5 yrs old...has struggled his entire life with physical and verbal delays. He has been in some sort of physical, speech, or occupational therapy since he was 17 months old. He is such a fighter. And even through all those really hard days, trying to teach him how to communicate without progressing into a meltdown, I have developed a special bond with that little guy.

Those of you who know Reese know how unpredictable he can be. He will embarass me in just about every situation, by calling a stranger a 'butt' or by eating his boogers in public or by declaring to everyone within earshot that he has to go 'poopies'...

Often, his way of thinking is very unconventional. Consequently, he gives our family many laughs with the crazy phrases he comes up with. I tend to hang onto every word he speaks (both out of anticipation for what he may come up with now...and out of fear for what he may come up with now!)

His latest phrase...which is something most kids come up with at around 3yrs of age (remember...he's 5) is that everything happened yesterday.....or more accurately 'Lesterday.'

His birthday was back in October. But he tells me, "Mommy, I'm five! My birthday was lesterday!" and "Grandma, Santa came lesterday."

Such a cute little phrase for a little guy who is trying so hard to catch up verbally.
I'm so proud of him. Most people don't know how to respond to Reese. He looks like a normal, cute-as-a-button-kid. So, they don't realize, when he's frustrated and starts hitting his ears real hard, or when he's FIVE and still potty training, that he's actually a 'special needs' kid. Yup. He rides the little yellow bus and everything.

But that's my Reese. My Reesey. The sweetest, most affectionate, and most headstrong of all my kids. My sweet sweet boy. xoxo