Conor and Brendan had a great Halloween! Conor dressed as a K-9 policeman, and Brendan as a pirate. The school events seemed to be the most fun for each of them, so the trick-or-treating down the block was almost a bonus. Our neighbors were wonderful, as always - one family even went out of their way to cross the street from their house to give Conor his treat before they left for the evening.

And for the first time, Conor really understood how to use his BigMac switch to say "trick or treat!" It was really amazing to watch. Of course there were moments of over-enthusiasm ("trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat"), but it seemed clear to us that Conor knew exactly what he was meant to communicate. What an amazing accomplishment for him.

Brendan had the best time going from door-to-door. He loved talking about the different decorations and remembered to say thank you, most of the time. He even helped Conor by pressing the BigMac switch for him, when Brendan felt Conor hadn't said "trick-or-treat" quickly enough!

Hi, I'm Kristen - the mother of Conor (4.5 yrs, clinical dx), Brendan (3 yrs, typical) and wife of Matt. I've been on the Angelman listserv for a short time, but thought it was about time I joined here too.

We live in IL, just north of Chicago, and had our AS diagnosis in March 2007 (though we "knew it" long before). Thankfully we are doing well - seizures under control and few other major heath concerns at the moment.

We learn something every day about Conor, or AS or PT or genetics, etc., etc., etc. And with all of those kernels of knowledge, things become less intimidating. Having communities like the listserv and the AS forum provide such wonderful information, assistance, and friends. We are just determined to watch and encourage both our boys to achieve all that they can.

This blog page is my way of sharing the day to day world of my 2 beautiful young boys. Their ups and downs and the many mischievous moments they share with me with daily. As many others know boys will be boys and there is never a dull moment at our house! Life IS worth sharing......... Stay tuned for more to come.