He's My Quackeroo!

He makes me soooo happy with his little ways


The waddling walk as he heads toward the kitchen, to reconnoiter his beloved hash-browns.

Teeter-tottering on tiptoe, metronomic side-to-side, while grooving on Kipper the Dog or Sheriff Woody.

The squeals of writhing delight as l.d. closes in (yet again!) to gobble up his toes.  All of 'em.

The peculiar, sober, endearing stiff-armed hand-clapping (lack of fine-motor control at the wrists).

The little circle traced on the carpet when taking turns parading with the other kids while watching The Snowman Promenade.

Passing by the room with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer blaring.  All day.  In sweltering July.

Then Hark the Herald Angels and Jingle Bell Rock for a week in September.  It's Always Christmas with the Quackeroo -- tho he takes a brief break in January and February, to be fully-charged with Christmas Spirit by March.

His little ways.

Back in the mid-oughts, little dynamo was so weak, and the East Coast so oatmeal-onerous, that the brief visits were a blur.  On the first occasion, a stay of about a week, while l.d. collapsed on the bed, the Quackeroo would spend long stretches with the remote, trying to teach l.d. the "Donald's Duck" song -- from a videotape that'd he'd looped so many times it was only audible and visible intermittently.

It was thus quite slow progress, a bit like learning a foreign language, or the nuanced communications of nonverbal autistic kids.  After awhile l.d. could sing brief phrases -- most of the chorus -- and over a couple years pieced together most of the rest.  :O)

Eventually the song became one of our favorites, with the lyrics slightly  personalized.  On those days that l.d. could risk hoisting him up -- which he begged for often, raising his little arms -- he'd rest his head on l.d.'s shoulder and, very gently, pat l.d.'s back.

LOL!  Comforting little dynamo!

The greatest blessings God could have bestowed on a chump like l.d. were a good father and the love of such an extraordinary boy -- a young man, now.

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends have been special favorites with autistic children, especially nonverbals, for at least a decade.

It's been many years since the Quackeroo and little dynamo have been able to visit.  But we're never apart in our hearts.

Hope you enjoy this Christmas present from us to you.


Now everybody loves him
They love to hear him quack
And when we have to say goodbye
They ask when he’ll be back


He’s captured everybody’s heart
He knows just what to do
Now everyone calls him Donald’s Duck
But he’s my Quackeroo!