Notes from a Sunday

It's so easy, too easy, to get "caught up" in the world of Grant - the good, the bad, the unknown. Certainly that's what is expected of us, after all we are special needs parents and that is soooo hard, right? For that matter, we could spend all our spare time researching autism therapies, let alone practicing and implementing them. Even in my writing here, 95% of it is about him and the other 2 kids don't get their fair share.

Sunday was a great example of why we try not to live our lives that way.

Each Sunday, we get to experience Club Kangaroo - one of the most challenging and yet rewarding experiences of our lives. It is our great challenge to provide a place where these kids can come and feel safe, feel loved, have fun, and even learn a little. In addition, we're there to support the parents not only by being there for a couple of hours a week but to give them a little emotional boost as well. Some times, it's just a quiet, peaceful time. And other times, like this Sunday, it's like playing a game of Perfection. The clock is ticking and that box is ready to pop when you are least ready for it. All the while, we're trying to put the right piece in the right slot and when we put it in the wrong spot, the box is almost certainly going to pop up and scatter the pieces all over the place.

There are also times when the rewards are so obvious. For example, the grandfather of a boy in our class walked up to me before service and said, "Steve, I've got a reason to praise God."
"Why is that?" I asked, hoping to hear a good story about his grandson's week.
"Every time I see you, I praise God for you and what you are doing."

What an incredibly uplifting and encouraging thing to hear! I'm not one to remember quotes or famous movie lines, but those words will stick with me forever.

During service, we had a full house in the class. While it was quite exhausting, it was also a great time to reflect on how far each of the kids has come in a short period of time. Each one had a moment which could have resulted in a meltdown, an anger episode, loss of control - you name it. But each one was able to get past that moment, to take just enough control that they didn't lose it. Each one had awareness of the situation and held back before they went too far. At the same time, 3 of them journeyed with us to children's church on a bit of a field trip. Most of the kids have trouble dealing with the noise, the action, the unpredictability, etc. But, we're all slowly learning how to prepare for that time, and how to cut it short when it's clear that it's not going to last.

Those are just a few of the reasons why we try not to get caught up in the world of Grant but instead try to give more than we can take. We have learned so much by working with, playing with, and loving these kids. We are very, very fortunate to be involved in their lives.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! You didn't really think I was going to end a weekend post without some Grant stories did you? Here are just a few from the world of Grant -

-While he was playing in his room instead of getting dressed in the morning, Staci walked in and reminded him, "Grant, after church today we'll get fries. You need to get dressed if you want fries later." He immediately got dressed! His listening ability has come so far; it still shocks us.
-Grant took his longest bike ride ever and he did great! It was really the first time that we've had to ride for and extended period on a sidewalk and he didn't have any problem with it. He's continuing to ride without my hand on the bike - great stuff.
-As we were all getting in the car in the morning, he asked for "book". He had picked out a book the previous night at a school fundraiser, Good Night, Gorilla. He was able to communicate his desire before we left the house; that means no crying and screaming in the car. And he wanted a book!
-At the video store in the afternoon, it became pretty clear that he was going to need the bathroom pretty soon. Rather than just hop around in the potty dance, he used his words all on his own, "I want bathroom."