Spreading His Wings

When I asked my niece, Cassie Franklin what was new with her son, my grandnephew, Lucas Iverson, she reminded me that this year, Lucas is 13 years old!! He is officially a teenager, and I must say that I am stunned!! That just seems impossible to me, He should be 6 or maybe 10. Ok, I know that I’m being ridiculous, but sometimes it just doesn’t seem possible that a kid could be as grown up as they are. Lucas is an amazing young man, is a number of ways. He has Down Syndrome, and that make life more work for him. To say that it is more difficult would be wrong, because Lucas just keeps plugging along, and he is a successful young man.

Lucas is very sweet, and with the help of his younger sister, Zoey, Lucas came a long way toward independence. Lucas has a heart of gold, and he loves his sisters. Now, he is going to be going to middle school, where he will be learning a lot more on life skills and how to function in life. These are important skills for Lucas, as they are for any child. Lucas is becoming more and more independent lately and learning how to self-entertain. These may not sound like great strides for most kids, but more Lucas these are amazing steps. He is becoming more of a little man and not a boy. That is another thing that I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around. The possibilities for Lucas are endless, just as they are for any other child, and I love seeing him spreading his wings and flying a little bit. Lucas is obsessed with stuffed animals…and his little baby sister, Alicen. He is becoming quite the babysitter and entertainer extraordinaire. His love of stuffed animals makes him a great entertainer for Alicen.

Over the years, Lucas’ health has been a struggle, but now, with changes that his mom, Cassie has implemented in his diet, like the removal of dairy and pork, he is feeling much better. He is off of his supplemental feeding juices and is independently drinking out of the glass. These are great strides for Lucas, and we are so proud of him. This year, they are having a coffee shop birthday party for his birthday, and they took him to the circus this last week as part of his birthday celebration. Life is a looking very sunny for Lucas and his family. Today is Lucas’ 13th birthday!! Happy 13th birthday Lucas!! Welcome to teenage!! Have a great day!! We love you!!