One Dad’s Year in Review

As the year winds up, it seems like everyone is doing a Year in Review for 2011.  And what a year it was.

It was the beginning of married life for . And the end of the line for , , Kim Jong-il and Voldemort. 

It was a time of growing unrest, with Time magazine’s Person of the Year being "The Protestor." (What I protest is when they don’t pick an actual person for this honor. But, I digress.)

Mother Nature generated numerous headlines, with many affecting my family personally. 

Locally, we had the . And in June, our family was one of many here that endured the consequences of after the big storm. 

Some events from around the world hit home with us, too. The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last spring occurred uncomfortably close to where my wife’s family still lives. Thankfully they are doing well, though many others were not so fortunate.

And Hurricane Irene tore through the Outer Banks only two weeks after we were there on . The memories of such a beautiful place made the sights of the destruction even more vivid.

But the most meaningful events of the year for us are not the ones that made the big headlines.  They are the things that happened to us here at home – the changes we experienced, the milestones that our son achieved.

Our own big events

As anyone with children would likely agree, kids grow up fast. Time seems to pass more quickly each year, no doubt due in part to seeing our children change almost before our very eyes.

Looking back, for us, 2011 is the year that our son became less of a little kid and more of just a kid.

After always being small for his age, and seeming like a little child in ways well beyond his size, our son is suddenly growing up. He now tips the scale at 60 pounds, so physically he isn’t so tiny anymore. But, it is the non-physical aspects of his growth that strike us the most.

Kai has become more independent. It shows in the things he can do on his own now, things that have taken longer in coming than with most kids who do not have autism. Kai can now do things like put on his own gloves, and buckle his own seatbelt. He learned  and to .

He’s also more independent in terms of his attitude and words. He expresses his own opinions, sometimes quite harshly. Though it is not always pleasant, we welcome his independent spirit and improved ability to articulate his thoughts.

For some, these things may sound ordinary. But when you weren’t sure if your child would ever be able to do some of these things, it is momentous.

In years to come, I probably won’t remember who Casey Anthony is, or that 2011 was the year that Oprah quit her television show.

But I will always remember that it was quite a year for my son.

I can’t wait to see what 2012 brings.

Happy New Year, everyone!