Just like everyone else

What a week.  Monday night: t-ball playoffs.  Tuesday night: t-ball playoffs.  Wednesday: Nathan's last day of K4 (boo hoo);  Wednesday night:  AWANA awards night at church and t-ball playoffs.  Friday: awards ceremony at school and CPR renewal class.  Friday night:  closing ceremonies for ball season.  Saturday:  work at hospital.  Saturday evening:  collapse. 

No.  I didn't forget about Thursday.  Just trying to take it all in.  It has been a big day.  Nathan and I enjoyed a great end of year school party at the bowling alley.  It was nice to watch him have uninterrupted fun with his friends.  That doesn't happen easily. If Luke is with us, too often Nathan's fun is interrupted because I am having to deal with an issue with Luke.  I sometimes worry about how this affects Nathan.  That is for another day, another post. 

Tonight was all about Luke.  His school, Goodwill Easter Seals Child Development Center, held their end of the year program and graduation ceremony.  Luke did not graduate but his class did have a part in the program.  His class sang "Wheels on the Bus" with all the signs and motions.  They also demonstrated things they have been learning this year, like identifying their name on paper and naming shapes.  Other classes performed songs including "If your happy and you know it" and "Itsy bitsy spider". The performances were great.  Luke did fantastic.  He sat with his class throughout the song, performed many of the signs to the song in front of a room full of people and he only came to me once given permission by his teacher after they were finished.  This all may sound simplistic.  For every parent in the room, tonight was anything but simplistic.  A group of children played their part in a program that made no distinction in their disabilities but praised their abilities.  Tonight, they were like other children. I, for one, couldn't have been more proud of Luke. I know every parent in the room felt the same about their child.  I think tonight was as much about the parents as it was for the children.  Cameras were flashing everywhere and smiles were coming from every corner of the room. It is amazing to see your child, who has a disability, participate in something that kids do in every other school.  They are no different.  They are the same.  To see them just be kids, not disabled kids, but just kids is a breath of fresh air.  Parents want to see their children excel, even if it is moving to "Wheels on the bus".  It is all progress.  Thank you God for progress.

Now, to get some rest.  Tomorrow's another busy day.