Looking For A Thrill?

The nature of business is a roller coaster ride of terror and joy. I swear I had no idea what I was getting into. I finally understand the drive and determination and obsession of entrepreneurs and business people. It's an excitement I have never felt before and sometimes I break into a sweat and lose my voice.

The way our company Answers In Motion and our product Thumball integrates running business with products for education and learning is a motivating mix for me.

Giving up being a full time speech pathologist for 22 years to become a business partner with my husband Gregg was no easy task. The educational system while gravely flawed(and often frustrating) is full of our country's most precious commodity, our children. Their honesty, curiosity and humor made every work day a great surprise. I miss seeing them each day very much.

The fact that designing, marketing and selling Thumball allows me to still see joy on the faces of children and adults as they share in a game of catch is priceless. That I get to do it with the man and children I love nearby is stunning.

I give thanks many times a day. I thank my friends and family for their support, then I give the booth attendant my ticket and get back on this rollicking ride I have chosen. They call this ride a scream machine for good reason!
Hands up, this is gonna be fun.

Thumball Reviews Rank High, Share Your Testimonials

An educational consultant from Texas called a bit out of breath to order an Icebreaker Thumball. It seems one of her students may have taken hers and she simply can't get by without one anymore, that is how essential her Thumball has become to her practice. She shared the testimonial below and recommends everyone get a Thumball carabiner to hold it in place so it won't "walk" away on it's own.

"The Thumball, has given me extraordinary results in breaking the ice.

The students just love it. I usually joke, that at no other time they would be allowed to throw a ball inside of a building unless they were in the gym so I encourage them to just have fun,while getting them to loosen up, while secretly preparing them to listen to me...I love it,it works...

So Thanks again...I could not perform my job successfully without it."

Gayla
Collegeville Station, TX

Can A Ball Make you Smarter?

An essential aspect of managing the challenges of a child having Special Needs is recognizing that the norm is not enough. We must get creative and behave like scientists trying different theories and putting them to the test. That is how Thumball™ developed into an effective tool for teachers and parents to use.

As a speech pathologist working with students having multiple disabilities including Autism and other communication disorders I needed to get attention, keep focus and maintain motivation so we could reach our individual goals. Thumball had a positive impact on all areas.

http://www.thumball.com

The challenges of daily life and learning are compounded when a children feels overwhelmed, unmotivated and isolated. Thumball engages players in a natural flow of toss and catch which promotes eye contact and social skills.

When a player lifts their thumb they get to respond to the panel under their thumb. It might be to name words in categories, answer questions about things they like or act out an emotion (18 designs available). What matters is that focus and attention are activated so the learning can take hold.

Students report feeling "smarter"' when they play Thumball and having "more fun in school". They show interest in others and build interpersonal skills. They expand their vocabularies and they learn to offer or ask for help with less reticence.

Schools are choosing Thumball as an innovative fund raising event. Parent Associations are motivated to offer a quality made product that is educational, fun and gets students moving. With the rate of childhood obesity steadily rising, cooke dough and candy bar drives are not the message they want to send to students.

Soccer Mania Thumball™for Teaching and Talking

There are so many soccer (football or futbol in most countries) clubs worldwide that the popularity and joy of the game can not be overstated. Once the first series of Thumball designs hit the market people noticed it is based on a 32 panel soccer style design. Requests soon came in for a Soccer Thumball and Soccer Mania was born.

Covered in all the key terms a player would need to know to play soccer, Soccer Mania is a favorite among coaches especially of the younger clubs. It gives children a chance to hear the position, plays and terms explained multiple times and to practice some of the moves.

Older students use it to talk about a time when they made a specific play, got a red card or scored a goal. It is also the perfect vehicle for older players to teach younger players how to play the game.
Some parents buy Soccer Mania Thumball so their child can learn the words at home and play with siblings.

Ten Thumball designs have crossed the pond and are now available in the UK and private futbol leaugues are interested in Soccer Mania Thumball. There are requests to make a custom Soccer Thumball with their team name, colors and player's numbers.

We hope to hop the pond some day soon and see our invention on European soil. Play really is the international language of all and everyone knows what to do with a ball. Soon they will all know what to do with a Thumball...Toss, catch, respond to the panel under your thumb.
http://www.thumball.com

We are All A Part of History Today: Obama Thumball too

Millions have come together on the mall in Washington DC to share in the exuberance of this day. Inauguration Day may have never captivated hearts and minds in this powerful a way before. Give credit to great TV coverage but the spirit shining today is compelling and it is the man, our President Barack Obama who deserves the real credit.

A true coming together of humanity is happening and laying a foundation for more progress in relationships of every kind. Obama Thumball shares this excitement and is available at
www.obamathumball.com. Inspired by our new President and the perfect tool for teaching the tenets of democracy and the civics curriculum.

The task is huge and after the confetti is swept up the significant issues will be there needing attention. Today however should be a grand celebration because a new level of freedom and opportunity has been achieved. The pride of our country is beginning to be restored. Political fighting can be put to rest and we can all participate in our communities under President Obama and keep this enthusiasm rolling.

Obama Thumballs Traveling Across The Country

So much goes on in a typical day at Answers In Motion it can seem hard to find time to blog let alone the focus to choose a topic and make it interesting. All days are not interesting or easy or full of inspiration. That is okay though cause it makes the joyful days even sweeter.

For today the word at AIM is "The Obama Thumballs are in Alaska on route to Colorado!"
Only one week to Inauguartion Day! Hope, Progress and Change. This feels exciting and inspiring making me remember the elation of election evening.

The newest design, President Barack Obama Thumball is a way to keep the hope and vision of the campaign alive. A chance to discuss and integrate the plans for our nation under a remarkable new leader. Visit obamathumball.com
Share a piece of history with the toss of a ball, the lift of a thumb and the confidence that better days are to come.

Cutting Back Can Bring Things Together

Plenty of chat about the economy this holiday season and it starts on a somber note. People recognize they can not spend as much as in past years and initially it seems like a bad thing. Then they remark on how reducing the Christmas list had to be done and kinda makes sense anyway.

Sometimes this leads on to seeing the value in the gifts, the feast and the tree more because it was more dear to obtain. Others see that the holidays really are not just a consumer driven carnival after all (thank you Charlie Brown, Linus and all). Ultimately they see the season in a new way. New is good, different is useful and we didn't really need another talking snow globe any way.

Challenging the status quo and moving beyond the business as usual thinking can result in holiday surprises. Special foods taste better, shiny bows look brighter, snowflakes shimmer and our families sit a lot closer together when the heat is turned down. That is a cozy answer to a Christmas with more spending limits but no limits on family, love and time to share our hearts.

Educators Come Together for Education

We here at Answers In Motion have the opportunity to show Thumball at conferences and converse with the attendees. This was a stimulating month with our participation in the New Jersey Education Association convention in Atlantic City and then the American Speech and Hearing Association in Chicago.

Thumball created a stir because it provided teachers and therapists an instant lesson plan. Educators need things they can use quickly and easily and with a definite target goal in mind. The educators we met were appreciative of the goals and objectives provided on the web site for each Thumball. With 18 designs people had difficult decisions to make. Did they want to go with the Literacy Builders, the Emotional Intelligence route, vocabulary or social interaction Thumballls. Those having very specific subjects to cover went with Numbers and My ABCs which can be customized using the free activity sheets at www.thumball.com

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the dedication of our teachers, therapists and administrators. If there were one improvement I would like to see, it would be to remember we are all EDUCATORS first and our secondary titles like 6th grade Math, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, learning consultant while important should never overshadow our primary responsibility to guide a child to learn and instill the desire to always want to learn more.

Educators have become increasingly fearful about covering curriculum, focusing exclusively on IEP goals and constantly moving from subject to subject with out the time to transition meaningfully. They feel unsure if they can go global and teach all things within the context of a greater concept. Comments from supervisors like "Why were you reading him a story? I thought you were "speech". You have to do more speech activities."are disheartening to hear. If reading and discussing a book is not a speech activity then I spent a good portion of my 22 years as an SLP doing the wrong things.

Enough of my soapbox, I really just wanted to emphasize the wonderful time we had at both of these important events. Educators became educated on a huge array of subjects and by their attendace at NJEA and ASHA showed to students we all never stop learning. I am proud Thumball contributes in a meaningful way to improved focus, motivation and perhaps to a lifelong love of learning.

A Journey Starts With Just One Step

History making days are happening in so many wonderful and startling ways. First and foremost we have a new President-Elect and his name is Barack. He is married with 2 daughters and inconsequentially is a black man. That was tongue in cheek of course, this is a remarkable turn in our humanity's evolution. Even I just two years ago said something like...our country isn't ready for a black president and not a women either.

Although it thrilled me to consider Hillary or Barack as a true candidate. The campaign run by Obama and his dedicated staff was dignified and diligently focused. Barack exuded a presidential air early on and I marveled as it grew. I watched people like me and unlike me open up to a Democrat with new ideas. I watched news, read papers and felt truly involved in the direction of our country.

On Tuesday night I gasped, stared, jumped for joy and then cried at the wonder of this winner. I saw the world and my family come together and I felt deeply touched watching Barack like a mother watching her child mature and take on responsibilities and learn and succeed.

We are on a new road headed in a new direction, led by the most unexpected yet most prepared of leaders to improve circumstances so we can all live life well and participate more fully in our communities. Early congratulations to President Obama and his beautiful family and our country as a whole.

Our custom made Obama Thumballs were not accepted at the Obama headquarters due to security issues. It is disappointing that Barack did not get to see and feel these one of a kind Thumballs but no worries. Those who did see them loved them and helped to remind them why they were voting for him. We are so glad we did both, made the Obama Ball and voted for him. Hope you did too but if not you are welcome on board with love.

Slide Show

I learned something new! after a very frustrating few days I found out where to insert the HTML code so I could include a Slide Show of Thumball™ images. I think it adds value to my blog and gives readers a good overview of the Thumball™ product line.

Learning this new world of codes and posts and images is wonderful when it is not infuriating and turning me into a whiner. Fear not novices, I encourage all to consider blogging and surfing the fascinating worlds out here in Internet land. You will be surprised and you might just surprise yourself. Refresh the Page then Enjoy The Show!

Start 'em Young; Restart 'em Old

Our earliest Thumball designs included the classroom "basics". My ABCs, numbers, shapes and animals have come to be called "Early Learners". From the youngest ages a child can push, watch, touch, roll or hold a ball. The next stage is interacting with the ball receptively.

Without requiring any verbal response just ask the player to show, find or touch specific letters, numbers, shapes or animals. Maybe just show them 2 or 3 panels and have them point to the one you name. Go ahead and give them the answer at first. You are laying great ground work for future language skills to build from.

Now expand the concept and try: "Find the letter that starts your name."
"Touch the number that comes after 2."
"Find the shapes that have corners."
"Point to the animals that have tails."
You will see the pride emerge as they find what they are looking for.

Perhaps we misnamed this collection of balls, they are for all learners esp. those with learning challenges regardless of age. The biggest surprise of all has been seeing how older adults love playing with these Thumballs.

Interaction with the Thumball and the information on them helps those with Alzheimer's stay stimulated and assists in stroke recovery or for those with a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Roll one across the table and see what gets started at the senior center.

So revisit the Early Learners and play a word game, practice math drills, find the shapes in the room and describe your favorite animal in detail. Young and old can come together in play with some brain building thrown in for fun.

Test The Waters of Virtues & Values

One of our latest designs has people diving in to think about themselves and others in new ways. Virtues & Values Thumball™ is a unique experiment in self reflection and personal growth.

Initially counselors were the most excited about a Thumball covered in personal attributes. It is a non threatening way to encourage players to honestly evaluate whether they possess specific characteristics. Are you mature? Insightful? Organized? If yes, tell us how it serves you. If no, tell us if it is a problem.

Now teachers of every age, employee trainers, rehab facilitators, older adults and Boy/ Girl Scouts are appreciating the valuable lessons Virtues & Values Thumball™ provides. Each panel has 3 words beginning with the same letter and can be used to discuss yourself, another or a famous celebrity or leader.

I caught Thumball and found these 3 words under my thumb: S = Spiritual – Strong – Sweet. I am sincere in my spirituality and live it daily, I am not always as strong as I want to be physically or emotionally but darn I am sweet to others through compliments and care. I look for strength in others to inspire my goal of being a strong women, partner and parent.

Let's face it Brittany Spears was not exactly Responsible this past year and Wall Street giants were not Visionary, ultimately leading us into this financial challenge. If all goes well however Brittany will rise to the occasion and become Balanced and Dignified. The committee for repair of the economy showed they are Industrious working through the past weekend and we hope will be Victorious.

Virtues and Values Thumball™ shows us how to turn challenges into triumphs. It reminds us that we all have strengths and weaknesses regardless of age, education, geography or race. Take the plunge and explore yourself as the Empowered Person you know yourself to be and make a splash.

What Makes You Feel Free?

This question fascinates me. While many of us can discuss what makes us "happy" or can say what things we want, not many can identify what makes them feel free. Society's definition of success puts drastic limits on freedom or delays it until well into your sixties and seventies.

Our life here at Answers In Motion is very rich these days even though debt is high and Thumball sales come only in cycles. Starting your own company is not for the faint of heart but we chose it for a reason. We have realized all we ever wanted was freedom.

We set our own hours, make our own agendas, only sometimes have to answer to others and work very hard for 12 hours a day and yet we are free.

While managing accounts, creating and marketing new products, stretching advertising dollars I can listen to the music of my choice, break into a Grateful Dead dance groove or brew my own iced tea. I wear sarongs, bandanas, slippers and feel comfortable in my own skin and I feel free.

I am not motivated by obtaining more possessions instead I get to pet my dogs, call a friend or facebook the kids. I rub my husband's neck, the man who taught me well about opportunities, freedom and other wonderful things and then I get back to work.

We toss Answer Mania Thumball in the air and ask "Will freedom be our way of life?" and under my thumb the answer is revealed, "IT'S IN THE STARS". What does being free mean to you?

Thumball Goes To College

Thumball is making waves on campuses and with co-eds. At first they arrive on the scene and get casually investigated. Then they are used for juggling or extreme catch.

Eventually however the players read and think about what's on them and begin to play with interest. Then the fun starts and everyone is clamoring for more Thumball.

Icebreaker, Who Are You? and Meet & Greet Thumball are perfect for orientation and social events to get students interacting and feeling less awkward.

Emotion Mania and Move Your Body Thumball get grabbed up by drama departments and PE classes. Act out feelings, exaggerate movements and learn about body language. You couldn't refrain from laughing if you wanted to.

Category Mania Thumball can get competitive and surprises everyone by how challenging it can be to name things in categories quickly and accurately. Name as many flowers or birds or noisy things as you can and just try not to stammer.

Virtues and Values Thumball really inspires personal thought and reflection. Three attributes are revealed under your thumb and you decide if you have them, if you observe them in others or if you would like to have them. This activity changes with age and is appreciated by families, counselors and coworkers.

Catch Peace Thumball inspires students to learn more about world geography, languages and cultures. Find on the map the countries that speak Malay or Persian. Enjoy trying to pronounce the word peace in them too.

We are pleased to see Thumball's reach expand and whether they are used for learning and communicating or juggling and radical acts of catch it brings people together. That is our ultimate goal to come together and recognize our similarities and differences without the need for judgement.

Can a ball do that? We say "Yes". Now we just need to get the warring factions on our planet to play catch and maybe they will come together too.

A Thumball in the Hand is Worth 2 in the Bush

The new Thumball™ designs are in our hands and they look gorgeous. Okay a ball is rarely called gorgeous but these really are. The colors are more vibrant, the texture is sleek and smooth, the printing is perfect! Oh and did I mention the new packaging? It is also bright, colorful and sleek. Our mascot Shnoogie is on the new package and he is there as a quiet yet powerful advocate for peace, love and understanding.

It was a long wait but we are so pleased with the end result. All the designs are going to be popular and meaningful and fun. Our initial response shows a big demand for Move Your Body. Used to get our bodies in motion it is fun and beneficial for all ages. Use Move You Body Thumball™ to act out movements like in charades or do reps and it becomes a fitness exercise. Players act out the verbs and then build on their language skills by combining them with adverbs. So now we are not just walking we are doing it slowly or quickly or crazily.

Learning in action.

We hope this new collection will spread our scope and reach more audiences. Now there are 18 designs with more sets and kits in the works. Check out the website for more details. Get ready to meet and greet, move your body, talk virtues and values, tell the tale and discuss parts of a story. We hope you will find Thumball gorgeous and worthwhile whether in your hand, on your desk or in the classroom and if there are two in the bush by all means go get them.

New Thumballs Designs Have Hit US and UK Shores

We have been anticipating the arrival of our five new Thumball designs and finally they are here. Well almost here. When products are shipped overseas they arrive but you can't have them just yet. There are Procedures. Customs has taken a liking to Thumball and they like to inspect each and every shipment just for the fun of it. This delays things and costs money but hey what doesn't cost time and money?

In England Thumball is doing a bit better and our shipment is arriving at our International warehouse as we speak (so we hope). Imagine! We are doing business internationally and that is exciting. We will do our best to get those Thumballs into the hands of the British masses as soon as possible.

Any day now Move Your Body, Meet & Greet, Virtues & Values, Parts of a Story and Tell The Tale will be in our hands. We will play, laugh, discuss, move, think and share the experience with each other. Looking forward to that gives me more patience and less stress.

An email broadcast will go out the day our shipment reaches New Jersey. Share the fun.

Our Business is A Ball

Where did this company, Answers In Motion start anyway and why are people calling me an entrepreneur (I hate words that rhyme with manure)? I don't want to forget why I do all this. Business has been very business-y (not fun) and I need to go back to that day when a small stuffed ball and a sharpie got together and created what would later be know as Category Mania Thumball. I love the photo we have of the hand made original, the first prototype and finally the finished product.

Students love games and when they get to play them in the classroom they really feel they are getting one over on us. This keeps them focused and actively participating and that is why a game can teach more in less time if presented with limits and a zero tolerance policy for out of control behavior.

So when I was working as a speech therapist with multiply handicapped second graders I needed to keep their interest. Once I allowed them to at first pass a ball to each other, then to roll it and finally to toss it I had their attention.

Now they were asking me, "Hey what are these words doing on the ball" Now they were told to keep tossing until I said STOP and that player should life their thumb off the ball and read the word found there. It was a category term and now they were challenged to name examples of "Vehicles or Fruit or Occupations".

So there you have it the origins of what is now a real business offering 18 Thumball designs. The most remarkable thing about a game of Thumball is how intently the players focus on each other which increases the amount they are learning.

Other learning games I had tried were effective but the players only learned on their own turn and then tuned out. Not so with Thumball all my students were actively learning for the entire length of the class from the ball, their teacher and their classmates.

So Category Mania Thumball will forever be my favorite because that is where it started. It lends itself to every age and ability. A younger person might only name 1 or 2 items in a category. The older more capable might name 5 or 6. Then add a challenge by tossing the Letter Mania Thumball and getting a "D" and then Category Mania and get "Furniture" and now they must name an answer beginning with that letter. (I like dinette or davenport but there is always dresser). This skill called word retrieval is essential to language development.

If a category ever seems "too hard" for the age group use it as an opportunity to discuss it and research it. Some say "My 6 year old students don't know any European countries." and I say then let's teach some. Even our youngest are aware of countries like England or Italy and so we can locate a world map and show them the rest.

Every time our family plays we come up with an answer we had never thought of or a new way to play. Sometimes we name an item and have the player find the category word it belongs to on the Thumball within 25 seconds. Sounds silly but we like silly and as a mom I like anything that gets my family laughing. As a speech therapist I like anything new and interesting that expands vocabulary, improves communication, stimulates active learning and enriches problem solving skills.

So name a toy that begins with "T" that people learn with and never get tired of playing. Hmmmm......your guess is as good as mine.

An Entrepreneur? Give Thanks for the Terror

Blogs are wonderful but like most wonderful things it takes focus and discipline. I posted less in August than expected but I am on a quest of self forgiveness so this gave me a chance to express it.

As we wait for our first shipment of Thumballs made under the stricter European standards (CE), for half the shipment to go to the UK establishing us as a worldwide company and for the new designs our customers asked for I take a moment to reflect. The past 4 years since the pivotal dream, literally a dream that urged me on to manufacture our product I am amazed. Defining ourselves as entrepreneurs has been exhilarating, enlightening and terrorizing. Gregg and I have taken a bigger risk than we ever thought possible.

With my husband's tenacity and business sense we have created something that was not there before and that is stunning. There are more reasons not to do this than to do this unless you want some real excitement. Now my goal to make Thumball™ a household word like Frisbee™ or Magic 8 ball™ or Duncan Yo-Yo™.

I believe Thumball™ is truly beneficial and powerful in a surprising way. One toss of an Icebreaker or Who Are you Thumball and you can be communicating with someone you may never have spoken to in your life. One toss and the playing field is evened whether for students having autism, learning disabilities, ADHD or for diverse employees brought together for trainings. They may have all seen each other and even nodded politely but actually engaging in verbal interaction probably not.

So it is time to give thanks for those that believed in our dream. Family members and friends willing to work on our project and attend the trade shows with us and watch our dogs when we went on the road, thank you.

We have businesses to thank for their orders and support including;
Trainer's Warehouse, S & S Worldwide, Nasco, Self-esteem shop, Marco Products, Courage To Change, Self Help Warehouse and recently added to The Speech Bin catalog.

Of course our independent toy store retailers gave us an early start as well and we are grateful for them. There are so many others and we appreciate all of you. Thanks to our customers who ordered through the website or sent a PO from a school or business.

I don't always know where a blog post will take me as I write it. This foray led to thankfulness and that is a great place to go on any day for any reason. Giving thanks gives back every time. I am thankful for this journey the good, the bad and the terrorizing.

Camp-O-Rama

I am at the point of preparation for a week long camping trip that I start to wonder what we are doing this for. It feels as if we are bringing everything we own so I wonder why not set up the backyard tent.

I will post upon return to share details. I already know that a day or two in clean air and a float down a river will make me forget all about the prep. Let's face it that is why we keep camping.

I confess I love it. The campfire is so nostalgic and we talk as a family and with our friends like never before. Even the rainy days stuck in the tent are amusing with cards, backgammon, 20 questions and our all time favorite Thumball.

Category Mania is chosen frequently as we all get better at naming words faster and thinking of more interesting answers. Instead of chair, couch, table for kinds of furniture we answer second hand, Chippendale, French provincial.

We have created a new product to compliment the Letter Mania Thumball. A camping scene printed on write-on, wipe off paper. This kind accepts any ink, crayon or marker, even Sharpies and it will wipe off. We will be doing a test run of the let's Go Camping: 4 of A Kind game on this trip.

I am imagining the early morning sounds of the birds and then the people getting up in all forms of disarray. I can smell the coffee and it never tastes better than out in the woods sitting at a picnic table. Next the aroma of fresh pancakes and bacon and happy campers ready to sit and eat.

With 2 children in college these family trips are changing and becoming less frequent. I think I will keep packing and keep praising our life so blessed. If my husband and the kids wants to take the TV I will agree because after all this is vacation and while they watch the Olympics I will watch them and smile. All the bother will be worth it in the end.

The Magic of Disney is the Employees

A Trade show in Disney World is an interesting event. When exhibiting our Thumball™ line of products we spent 2 full days and more in the exhibit hall early morning till evening and by the end have only enough energy to eat then sleep. Therefore taking the kids did not make sense. However walking around the Disney resorts without them made even less sense.

Ahhh, the Polynesian a dream of mine from the age of 12. My mother balked at people that would "spend that kind of money for a place to sleep" but I gazed at it from the Monorail ride in 1973 and thought it must be wonderful over there.

So here I am 35 years later staying at this iconic monument and at first I could not adjust, here I was missing the children, feeling surreal as my childhood wish surprisingly came true. But adjust I did and oh my the food was flavorful, the air was balmy, the pool a perfect lagoon with palms and plants and flowers. The trade show turned out well for many reasons. The most important of which was the Disney employees or cast members as they are called.

I can be cynical and corny things annoy me so I was being the wise guy using the expression "Feel the Magic" with disdain. But suddenly it really was magic as everywhere we were greeted with courtesy, offered assistance, provided good food in good time. At the exhibit hall in the Contemporary Hotel we had kind people helping us make copies, mail packages, choose restaurants and give us goodies.

I guess it is a job requirement for "cast members" to ask each guest, so where are you from? but it works each time to get a smooth, unpressured conversation going. Seriously every single person we intereacted with really did exceed our expectations and that we are told is Disney's ultimate goal. That really is where the magic lives being treated well and therefore treating others as well or bettter. I guess Walt really understood The Golden Rule.

Guess what ? We never even visited any of the theme parks. We enjoyed the amenities of the hotels both The Polynesian and Port Orleans- Riverside. There we were greeted with the same hospitatity but even sweeter, southern style. We swam, biked, drove boats, ferried, ate and smiled at every turn where we werre made to feel special and important.

So Thumball was a hit and I grew a bit as a person who still believes in magic.
Thanks Walt for dreaming that big.