Life With Max... At the Age of Thirteen

Max makes everyday worth living.

He says the most beautiful, warm hearted things. Like...

"Mom you should be a happy woman, because I accomplished a lot.

I vacuum my room, I did the extreme course and that is pretty much it."
or
"Mom when you have your clothes on you are ude and when you have your clothes off you are nude."

A couple of months ago after family prayer, Max told me I was a blessing from God.

Max will be fourteen in less than a week.
I have tried to figure out the best way to celebrate and I have come up empty handed. He really truly has no friends he can count on. He has never had a desire to call someone on the phone to have a get together. I take that back he loves talking to his friend Irvine who is a man who worked with Max when he was little.
He has never had the same wants and needs that my other four children had when they were 13-14. I want to throw him a birthday party with his friends, but I wouldn't know who to invite.
 He wants to have a Minecraft party where everyone dresses up like a Minecraft. I am not sure how to put that into action.
Breaks my heart to even think about it. I want Max to be normal, but he is normal in his own way.
He is a joy and a blessing.
I want him to experience life like my other four children did, but I know that isn't possible.
Here is a recap of his first year at being a teenager.
He has kept me on my toes,

with his activities in karate,

swim team, baseball, orchestra, scouts.

He earned the Town Council Citizenship Award given by
the Mayor John Lewis
of Gilbert. 

 He swam on the Special Olympics Gilbert Roadrunners swim team.

Max swimming in the relay.

Max bought the Gold in for his team.

He has been interviewed and will be in a commercial for

 Special Olympics.

Here is the officer who interviewed Max

Max and I went ice skating and he loved it.

Max went to his first hockey game and watched the Coyotes...

we both had a awesome time.

He got to meet the players and Mascot who visited us in the suite and signed his ticket.

 Eating pizza while watching the game.

 

  He is active in karate and has earned his green belt.
 

  

He has held two positions in Deacons Quorum, Secretary and First Counselor.

It warms my heart each Sunday to watch him show the Deacons the chart of where they are to pass the Sacrament.

He has sang the National Anthem at the Diamondback baseball game,

he has held a banner in a parade,

he has given the Special Olympic Oath at a Opening Ceremony and talked with the Mayor of Goodyear.
Max thinks the city of Goodyear always has a good day, week, and year because it's Goodyear.

Max and the Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord.

 

Max has been active in the School Orchestra and has been in several concerts one that was at the State Fair.
 

After they performed they went on the rides.
 Max is in the green swing near the pole

Max had fun driving the bummer cars.

He went on all the rides with Tabitha.

Max has played basketball with the Phoenix Suns on their court.

Max had first Viola Recital

Max was able to be in the Cultural Celebration for the Gilbert Temple. He came home many times wanting to close him self down in his bed with a blanket over his head and  playing Minecraft on his iPod.

He would say, "Mom I need to be strong and handle all the people around me.

It's hard mom, it's hard."

When I saw the pictures of the Cultural Celebration I noticed Max was alone, by himself. He is not able to carry a conversation unless it's on a subject 

he likes to talk about.

 
His clothes were wet and dirty from dancing on the field for the Prophet
at the Cultural Celebration.

He came home soaked to the bone. His hands were ice cubes.

This is what the field looked like that he danced on.

Never did I think Max would be where he is today. 
When Max was little he banged his head on the floor, screamed, climbed in the dryer, ripped the living room curtains down and the pictures off the walls.
He couldn't talk or express what he was thinking.
 The behavior that was the hardest to have him break was trying to stop him from pulling clothes off the hangers. 
There are many more behaviors, I could talk about, but they are gone now left our life.

I remember his first grade teacher refusing to him in her class. I guess he hit her, flip a table and threw a toy at another student.
 She missed out on a wonderful little boy who grew out of those behaviors.

The teacher that accepted the challenges with Max was Ms. Sheri. She was an amazing lady who helped Max develop. She ended up being his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teacher.
I never ever thought Max would be able to have the experiences he has had.
The therapies, behavioral specialist, hab workers, special ed teachers and his siblings and in-laws have been a wonderful strength in helping him develop
into an amazing young man.

When people would ask me how many children I had, I would always say,
 "I have two boys, two girls and a Max."

 Max has taught me patience.

He has helped me to see that even with disabilities
he has desires, wants and needs like everyone else.

Max spoke at a stake youth fireside on genealogy.
He did an awesome job sharing what genealogy means to him.

I always wondered if Max would ever say a word when he was little...

And now he can speak and express what he feels.

Never did I think that would happen.
He is a gift from God.