sherriknits

I was about 6 when Tyler was born. I remember Dad explaining to Becca and me that he had Down Syndrome. At the time I didn’t really know anything about that sort of thing, or how different it was from someone who did not have Down’ Syndrome. I think that if I ever had the choice to change it I probably would not. Tyler has been a great joy throughout the years. More recently he has started really enjoying a lot of the same sorts of movies that I like, so it gives us something in common. He likes to go to the theatre with Brittany and me whenever there is one of “our” kind of movies out… things like Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, or Narnia. Basically if it is anything nerdy, we will both like it. Luckily Brittany likes that stuff too, because she has to come with us! He likes to sit in between us if he can, a few times he has succeeded in being in the middle seat. He has even given himself and me alter egos of his favorite characters. He is Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk.. while I get to be Superman, Batman, Wolverine, and The Punisher. Brittany is always just “the girl”. In fact, when I made this picture below he didn’t care for it because I am Superman, not him: This is us last year when we went to go see Spider-Man 3: Here he is pretending to be Optimus Prime in Transformers:

When he first met Brittany he liked her a lot… he thought she was his girlfriend! He also didn’t know what her last name was C****, so he always just called her Brittany H****. It went in line with the rest of the family: Mom H***, Dad H****, Ben H**** etc., then Brittany would say, “What about me?” and he would shrug and say, “Brittany H****”. As you have seen in one of my mom’s previous posts with Tyler getting his haircut, Brittany and him have become good friends. Now that Brittany and I are getting married Brittany really will be Brittany H****. This is strange to him, because when Rhianna and Rebecca both got married to their husbands they had their names change. Now that I am getting married, naturally, my name should change too! He didn’t quite understand it at first that because I am the guy my name stays the same and Brittany’s changes to ours. He’s figured it out by now though! He, and Brittany and I as well, are all excited for when the two of us have a house so he can come visit and do all the things we all three have in common. A few days ago Rebecca had a post that had pictures of Tyler that he had taken of himself one time on her camera. One time he did the same thing on my camera: One of my favorite things about him is all the phrases that he has and that all of us in the family can quote it and the rest of us know what we’re talking about. “Sure is,” “I knew that,” “You’re fired!” “1, 2, 3 Tickle!” and of course… “Dad’s bottom!” The last one has been an inside joke in the family for a very long time, and probably won’t be forgotten for a while. It’s funny how some things stick. Brittany always tells me that she thinks it’s great to have him around all the time because he keeps the family young. He really does too! Everyday he does goofy things that we all laugh at; he has such a great sense of humor and it’s always a blessing! God really picked the right family for him, we love him a lot and he loves us and we mesh perfectly!

Tags: my life