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04 Jun 10 - 01:19 AM (#2920276) Subject: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: catspaw49 Karen and I would like to announce the graduation of a special kid that many of you have helped to raise. When I came to Mudcat, Tristan had just started school. Pretty early on a lot of you offered lots of great advice which we really needed. One day, worrying over how he would ever learn to ride a bike, we found some special training aids available only in England. Within two hours of posting the problem, Gervase had already bought and paid for a set and was having them shipped. Mudcat has always been a special place. So this past weekend he graduated........THREE PICS He has done well in all his SE classses and is a hard worker out at the job sites. He will be contnuing along in the postgrad program for another year or two. We only get this one bite at the education apple and we need to take advantage of it. Tris can do some basic addition and subtraction and can write his "boilerplate info" very legibly and has OVER 200 sight words giving him the ability to read some short phrases.. His life skills are excellent and he is very well liked by all who meet him. He functions at about a 6 year old level overall but he has some special skills where he really shines. I thank all of you for every ear you have given me and every piece of advice that was given. And I thank all of you for caring for our special lad and the interest you have shown over the years. Karen and I have but one thing to say........ Thank You Pat and Karen |
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04 Jun 10 - 01:29 AM (#2920280) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Gurney Congratulations to Tristan! Know how you feel, 'spaw. Our son was just capped. |
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04 Jun 10 - 02:03 AM (#2920286) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: GUEST Congratulations Tristan, well done! Cheers JennieG |
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04 Jun 10 - 02:17 AM (#2920290) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Sandra in Sydney I'll second that! & congratulations to the proud parents & brother, too. sandra |
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04 Jun 10 - 03:22 AM (#2920309) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: katlaughing I am so glad you started this thread, Pat. It has been wonderful to follow your progress with Tris and to see him functioning so well. You and Karen have done something really special in the way you have always advocated for and loved him. You are really special folks, as is Tris. Here's that great smile of his on those trainers Gervase sent over, w-a-y back when: Click. Congratulations, Tris! Goodonya, Pat and Karen! And, Michael for wearing nice clothes...ah, teenage angst.:-) luvyakat & Rog |
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04 Jun 10 - 03:51 AM (#2920327) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: VirginiaTam Absolutely wonderful... Thanks for sharing your Tristan with the Mudcat family, Spaw. |
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04 Jun 10 - 04:07 AM (#2920331) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Bonnie Shaljean Congrats & best wishes! Lovely to see the photos - thanks for letting us in on them. |
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04 Jun 10 - 05:17 AM (#2920352) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Leadfingers Looks to me that you have done a grand job draggiung him up Spaw ! Congrats |
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04 Jun 10 - 06:02 AM (#2920362) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Morticia Can't believe how grown up he is......*sniff*. He's made us proud. |
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04 Jun 10 - 06:07 AM (#2920366) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: gnu CONGRATULATIONS TRISTAN!!!!!! |
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04 Jun 10 - 07:34 AM (#2920399) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Bill D Good for him!...(and you & Karen). I enjoyed meeting Tristan a couple years ago, and it's great to see him doing so well. |
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04 Jun 10 - 07:38 AM (#2920400) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: jeffp Wow! Well done to all concerned. You deserve to be very proud. Jeff |
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04 Jun 10 - 07:53 AM (#2920406) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: jacqui.c Congratulations to Tris and to his family (nuclear and extended) for making sure that he had all the opportunities possible along the way. |
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04 Jun 10 - 08:02 AM (#2920411) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Janie Congratulations, Tristan!. Ya' done your family right proud! |
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04 Jun 10 - 08:03 AM (#2920413) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: SINSULL Congratulations, all! Both your boys are young men now...and quite good looking. Tri and Mike's early photos are on my fridge. Hard to believe it is graduation time. Love, Auntie SINS |
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04 Jun 10 - 08:53 AM (#2920451) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Tinker Congratulations to the whole family..... I remember when "we" considered buying him his own fire truck.... |
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04 Jun 10 - 10:12 AM (#2920492) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Rapparee Congrats to all of ya! Everyone deserves it, cuz raisin' boys ain't easy all by itself -- ask my mother. Good for Tristan! |
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04 Jun 10 - 11:04 AM (#2920521) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Catherine Jayne Congratulations Tristan! |
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04 Jun 10 - 01:50 PM (#2920639) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: ClaireBear Congratulations! Tristan should be very proud -- as of course should you, Karen, Mike, and all Tris' vicarious MudParents. I wasn't around for the early years, but I've loved reading the good Tristan news in your posts over the last decade (especially this one about Uncle Dave and the fire helmet). This is icing on the cake! Cheers and bear hugs Claire |
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04 Jun 10 - 02:04 PM (#2920649) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: catspaw49 It was a good day and one that neither Karen and I were ever really expecting but as he has his entire life, Tris has done more than we ever expected. The only focus we ever applied to him was happiness. It may have been gas, but we swear the kid was smiling when we first saw him at only a few hours old. We let that thought, his continued happiness, be the only guide that mattered. We have never put Tris in a situation where he became frustrated. A lot of people told us to do things which we knew he wasn't ready for or not needed at all and we continually refused. In the past few years as Tris has bloomed and become the "star" of his class we get these wonderful compliments implying we did something great with him. We didn't. We only did what he wanted and only when he was ready to handle it.....in other words we just went with the flow or took the easy way out. Whatever it was, Tris is a polite and very happy young man with skills he was never expected to have. What else could we have asked for? Thanks to all for the Congrats.....I read the thread to him and he kept asking, "For me?" LOL Spaw |
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04 Jun 10 - 02:36 PM (#2920671) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Cats I have worked with these kind of kids all my life and each one is so very special and each and every thing they do and succeed at is a real bonus and means so much. Well done. Be proud and celebrate |
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04 Jun 10 - 02:51 PM (#2920679) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: MMario We only did what he wanted and only when he was ready to handle it..... And have you read any of the reports on rising suicide rates among young adults becuase their parents *DON'T* do this? Constantly pressuring their kids into things the children don't want or are not ready for? Sometimes the "easy way out" is harder. Anyway....congratulations to Tris and the whole family... |
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04 Jun 10 - 04:25 PM (#2920748) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Dave Swan Congrats to the kid! Nice work Pat and Karen and Michael. Now that he's a graduate, having achieved a much higher level of education than necessary for the gig, I guess we have to cut him into Lane, Fielding, Patterson and Swan, Layabouts for Hire. Lane, Fielding, Patterson & Son and Swan? Patterson squared? This will require new stationery and sweatshirts...... |
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04 Jun 10 - 04:32 PM (#2920750) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: fat B****rd Congratulations all round. |
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04 Jun 10 - 04:48 PM (#2920764) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: SINSULL Shouldn't that be Patterson and Father, El Swanno? |
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04 Jun 10 - 04:57 PM (#2920771) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Rapparee You know, when I first read the title of this thread I thought it meant "Special Edition".... |
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04 Jun 10 - 05:55 PM (#2920807) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: catspaw49 Well......He is Rap, now that you mention it! Spaw |
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04 Jun 10 - 06:04 PM (#2920813) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: wysiwyg Good parenting always shines through. What does Tris want to do next? ~S~ |
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04 Jun 10 - 06:30 PM (#2920838) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: ranger1 Congrats, Tris! Pat, thanks for sharing this and all the other wonderful stories about Tris with us. I read them to my neighbor, and we both get happy tears when I do. |
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04 Jun 10 - 07:45 PM (#2920907) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Dharmabum Congradulations Tris ! I guess your next task is gonna be to try & teach yer old man how to behave himself! Spaw;You & karen have done a helluva job. DB. |
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05 Jun 10 - 07:16 AM (#2921183) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: catspaw49 Tris is out and about and more active than ever around Bremen. Living here in this old sort of throwback village has allowed him a lot of freedom that he wouldn't have in many other places. He's out with the street department guys a lot and Steve (the boss) takes him on the recycling truck as well as along while plowing the village streets in the winter. He has been allowed to ride the garbage truck and help out on its weekly rounds which he loves. Every crew from the railroad to the tree service guys who work here regularly know him not to mention the dozens of just plain folks that he helps out because he just loves to do it. I could go on and on...... He's also working at school and is transitioning into the adult MRDD programs so things are looking pretty fine for the boy in the future. He has made a lot of opportunities for himself that none of the MRDD jobs programs could have gotten for him. And he even likes to help out Mom and Dad too! RE: The Fire Helmet-----A few months back there was a fire about a block down from us and Tris stayed well back as he knew to do but had to come home and get his fire helmet first. He came home absolutely filfthy. One of the guys does mowing and is cutting our grass this summer and he told me that Tris had been out of the way until they went back to the firehouse where he got himself involved in the equipment clean-up and as per usual, he worked hard and did a great job. Jason asked where he ever got a Captains helmet and I had to explain this place and ElSwanno.....I think he charged me extra that mowing for having to listen.................... Spaw |
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05 Jun 10 - 08:42 AM (#2921203) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Amergin That is wonderful, Pat! I feel like I have known him almost his whole life, with all the lovely stories you have told about him over the years. Congratulations, Tris and the rest of the Spaw clan! |
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05 Jun 10 - 10:24 AM (#2921234) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Wesley S WOW - Now THATS good news. No one appreciates hearing it more than me as you well know. Continued success to Tristan as he makes he way through life. You've really made my day. All the best - Wesley |
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05 Jun 10 - 02:58 PM (#2921366) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: KT Congratulations to Tristan! And of course, to Spaw and Karen and Michael! What a happy, and satisfying time this must be for all of you. I love the pics I've seen of Tristan on his bike and in his graduation attire. Makes me think to myself, "I'd like to know that guy!" For now, I'm glad to at least know of him. KT |
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10 Jun 10 - 04:22 PM (#2924910) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: catspaw49 Again our thanks to all of you who have chimed in AND.....I have one other piece of good news! I haven't been at my best with some other problems going on but today in the midst of trying to arrange a number of things, we got some WONDERFUL news! After what seems like forever working through the red tape we were finally able to get the County Developmental Delay Board, two other agencies that work with them, and the Village of Bremen mayor, manager, and council members, to get together and now TRISTAN IS OFFICIALLY EMPLOYED AT THE BREMEN STREET DEPARTMENT.....at least for a summer job which is what we were after. He'll be working three hours a day, Monday thru Friday.....and he is on Cloud Nine at the moment. Part of it is under an unpaid training program and the rest is a paid internship. I love it when a plan comes together.........even when it takes awhile. Spaw |
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10 Jun 10 - 04:39 PM (#2924926) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Dave Swan That's great news man, just great. Now watch while he smokes the full time staff. "Slow down kid, you're killing us" D |
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10 Jun 10 - 04:42 PM (#2924930) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Janie WHOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! |
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10 Jun 10 - 05:39 PM (#2924969) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: gnu Great stuff! |
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10 Jun 10 - 06:18 PM (#2925011) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: katlaughing Wow-O-WOW! That must feel so gratifying...after all of the years going through all of the red tape etc. to make sure he was always happy despite the authorities and to have it all work out to this is just wonderful! |
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10 Jun 10 - 06:36 PM (#2925035) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: ClaireBear Hey, congratulations. That is wonderful to hear! |
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10 Jun 10 - 07:40 PM (#2925075) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Herga Kitty Just great to catch up with this thread! Kitty |
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10 Jun 10 - 08:09 PM (#2925091) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: Tinker Wow... great work on the transitional program. And once again it's something he loves .... you've accomplished an amazing feat. Congratulations. tinker |
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11 Jun 10 - 05:42 PM (#2925759) Subject: RE: BS: Special Ed. Mudkid Graduates!!! From: ranger1 YES! Go Tris! |