Flashback! Here is Ashton on the first day back to school during September 2012.

Ashton had just turned 6 years old, was entering 5K (5 year old Kindergarten) and was still wearing 24 month sized shorts. Needless to say, he was a tall and very thin boy back then. He was also wearing one of his then favorite shirts, it stated “Mr. Fix-It” and had a robot holding multiple tools on it.

During his first year of 4K during Fire Awareness Week he decided that he wanted to grow up to become a Fire Fighter. He must have started rethinking things during his second year of 4K. I am not sure if having all the other anxious kids push in front of him instead of waiting their turn when he struggled to climb inside the cab two years in a row had anything to do with it or not. Eventually, one of the fire fighters saw that he needed help and lifted him in.

Ashton was very intrigued watching an appliance repair man who came out to repair our front loading washer during this time. That is my first memory of Ashton saying that he wanted to be a “Fix It Guy”. Ashton had been a lifelong fan of Bob the Builder and his noisy play hammer was among his favorite toys.

Ashton was having a great start to his third first day of school that morning! He was able to use the bathroom unassisted (a new milestone the spring of 2012)!! He was able to get his pjs off himself and get partly dressed himself too!! He is walking good!!! He is able to carry his backpack with his binder inside (had trouble in the past carrying backpack with just a folder inside)! He is able to carry his lunch too (new this year as only ½ day school the past two years)! This is all a BIG deal to a boy with Duchenne. So happy 🙂 to see Ashton have this chance to be just a regular little boy. Don’t know how long it will last 🙁 but he has overcome so much already. Here’s hoping for no injury, no surgery and not having to struggle to start walking again this school year as he had the each of the previous two years.