I have to preface this entry by explaining that my brother is special-needs, or as we commonly (and maybe politically-incorrectly) refer to as "handicapped". It's been a part of our life and we're not overly sensitive to it. We love him to bits and accept him and sometimes use humour to cope the ignorance of others. For example, my parents were tempted to buy a shirt for him that they found in a store that read, "I'm the bad thing that happens to good people". I can just imagine the looks we'd get if we took him out in public in that shirt! Anyways, my brother has been a great tool in teaching my kids to be accepting and understanding of people's differences. I never really thought about how it was perceived by Thing Two until she came out with a slew of funny questions:

Last Summer:
Thing One: Are dolphins or Grady Sizemore handicapped?
Me: No. What do you mean?
Thing One: Well, Uncle Matthew is handicapped and he doesn't talk. Dolphins don't talk and neither does Grady Sizemore, so I thought they might be handicapped too.

Last Week as we're getting ready to go to my brother's birthday dinner:
Thing One: Is this going to be a handicapped birthday party or do we get to eat cake?
Me: No, we get cake. What's a handicapped birthday party like?
Thing One: One where you just eat applesauce and peanut butter*

*My brother is allergic to just about everything under the sun and his favorite snack is peanut butter and applesauce!

This was meant to just be a "from the mouth of Thing Two" post, but as I'm writing, I feel compelled to mention how much I love and appreciate my little family. My mom and dad are the best role models when it comes to giving selflessly. A lot of kids like my brother live in group homes because they require so much care, but my parents both work and share the responsibility of caring for Matthew like it's second nature. You never hear them complain or act like martyrs. He's their son and they do for him just like I do for mine. The difference with mine is that one day, they will grow up and leave home to start their own lives. My brother will always be like a child for my parents to care for, but they do it happily. I remember my mom once saying something along the lines of her being so thankful that Matt was born into our family, so he could get all the love he deserves. And I think that love has shaped him into the sweet and lovable little guy that he is. I wouldn't trade him for a million un-handicapped brothers!