Learners Permits and Mushroom Houses

Austen is driving!

Yep. He has been seizure free long enough to get his learners permit. He even waited an extra 6 months..you know..just in case..

Am I scared?

Absolutely!

But I am also pleased for him. This is a fairly standard right of passage (so to speak) for many teens. A right of passage we never imagined possible for Austen.

Since he was 9, Austen has assumed he would never drive. When his brothers got their permits and licenses we would look at Austen and say..Oh sweetie..you know. And he would sigh and say..Yeah..I know..I can't drive. It's okay..I'll ride a horse. (or plane, bicycle, gyrocopter, etc. insert alternative options here)

His brothers and friends would always pitch in with

Aww..don't sweat it. We gotcha covered man. We'll take you wherever you need to go.

 When he was flying planes with Civil Air Patrol, Austen would contemplate how to design a car that could also have a co-pilot. After all, if you can fly with a co-pilot..couldn't you drive? But mostly? He just spent his energies and dreams in other directions.


Austen's seizures began to subside. Against all odds. And once we learned to control his brain swelling with diet? Well, then the dreaming of driving became more frequent. Austen cracked open the drivers ed.handbook.

Oh Austen..I would begin.  

Just in case Mom..just in case. I know it probably won't happen.

So here we are. Trying the unthinkable. Taking it one day at a time. I take a deep breath..and enjoy this sense of normalcy he has..even if it is just for a little while..My boy is armed with a learners permit..and boy is he using it!


Are you going to the store? I'll take you. 

How about the post-office? I'll take you. 

And he grins from ear to ear as he chauffeurs me around town.

But more exciting than the permit? Is his new /used car.

A blue,very blue on the inside, Mercedes. Who knows? Austen and Big B might even get it running by the time he gets his license. They spend several evenings a week on repairs.


But Austen is not the only one around here with new transportation. Bug has found a horse! Yet another of the new/used rocking horse variety. (also in need of repair) But really..who cares?!

Bug spends most mornings riding his horse in  our secret garden. Yup we are creating a secret garden

It's so secret, that I have posted it on facebook, and now I am blogging. Pssht. so much for secrecy around here! Actually, we needed a space on the back deck that was a tad more baby/toddler proof than what we have now. Hence the garden on the deck!


The older boys put up netting and a picket fence around the deck to keep Bug from falling off. Bug and I plant tomatoes, peppers, basil and mint in containers. Bug discovered the joys of mud! Wow..what a mess! Unfortunately, the garden is secret enough the plants haven't figure out they are supposed to grow yet.

But we're sure trying!

But no garden is complete without ..you know..a mushroom house.  Cody and Austen put together a mushroom playhouse. It was quite a fiasco, let me tell you.









 Meanwhile, Bug spies from the bookshelf as the boys build his mushroom house. In Bug's behalf.. he did try to help. The older boys, however, banished him from helping until they were almost complete.

Austen assures him that this house is for him. Check it out, dude. This is  going to be like having your own room. You're pretty lucky. I mean, really, this mushroom is almost as awesome as the tree-house!



Finally the house is placed in the secret garden.

                             
And so life goes on..here in the Texas Hills. We are having entirely too much fun!