It's about time

Here in sunny California, maybe it just seems like it has been raining all year. Last week was no different. But it wasn't going to stop us.

Saturday, I had one goal - Owen was going to ride his bike on two wheels by the end of the weekend. We've been playing at it since Christmas when he got his new bike. I had thought he would be one of those kids who hopped on and took off - not to be. The funny thing is - it's not lack of skill or coordination and it's not lack of desire.

It's just Owen being stubborn. Saturday was a perfect example. I tried to get him all pumped up - just me and you Owen! you'll be a big boy on two wheels! this is our project! You know what he came back with? Dad, I just want to ride my scooter today.

I didn't give up though. I was watching the weather and I could tell we were going to have a window, maybe a couple of hours, and that would be it. I kept working him until I finally had him convinced it was his idea - then he was excited! We got out the door and onto his bike - the clouds were there and the window was closing. My little stubborn guy pulled every stunt, but I stayed patient (mostly) and worked at coming up with motivating ideas. He finally seemed to respond to '5 laps around the schoolyard and then 5 minutes on the playground'. Before long he didn't even know I had let go of the bar on the back of his bike, he did a full lap by himself and then he wanted to ride over to the park. He rode all the way over with me running behind him, and after the park, he rode all the way home. He did it! He's on two wheels by himself now - the only things left are mastering starting and stopping. It rained the rest of the weekend and we never got another chance to go out, but he did it!

Grant has been doing fantastic on his bike as well. I didn't take him out this weekend so that I could concentrate on Owen, but Grant has been riding on his own for past 4-5 weeks (with training wheels). I can run ahead of him, or behind him, and he no longer has that need for me to be right there next to him. He is focusing. He's keeping his feet moving. He's staying on the path. I am so excited by this - everytime I think about it, the tears well up in the corners of my eyes. He has come SO far and the progress these past several weeks gives me so much hope.

I was telling Cassidy that with Owen now riding on two wheels, I just might be able to get on my own bike again. Her jaw dropped when I told her it has been 6 years (years!) since I've been able to ride my bike with the kids. Between teaching Grant how to ride, and then most recently getting Owen going on 2 wheels, I've been running alongside a bike for a very, very long time now. The dream - going on a family bike ride - is within my sights. Even 4 months ago, this was still a pipe dream. But now, I know, by summer this is going to be reality. Reality is good, and it's about time.

Just here to help

(has it really been almost a month since my last post? inexcusable...)

First, let me invite everybody (well, everybody who will be in the Bay Area on Feb. 29) to our first Club Kangaroo respite event. All special needs kids and their siblings are invited - we will all be having fun while the parents get to go out on a Friday night all by themselves. Even if you can't come, please do forward this to anybody you know who can use it. It may be easier to just send them this link: http://www.bethel.org/ChildrensMinistries_ClubKangaroo.htm



Today was a great day in Club K - in the way that great days are often the hardest days. There have been many Sundays where we just have a few kids, or even just our own kids, and it's very easy. But even though we often have a good time on those days, we go home feeling like we really didn't do our job.

Today, we did our job.

We had a new boy today; we were all excited about it since his mom had prepared us 'for the worst'. He's on the spectrum and apparently has some of the same issues that our other boy members have - anger, violence, no patience, very little attention span, etc. His mom hung out in the class for the first hour, but we encouraged her to leave him in the 2nd hour. It took a while but she snuck out while he was occupied and he did great! We had 2 other boys with powder keg personalities, so it was 90 minutes that was harder on us than any normal work day. We've recently instituted a very scheduled approach to the class and it has been so helpful. The kids know what to expect and when things are going to change; not only that, but they know when a particular activity is going to end as well. We've been so much more productive this way and it makes it much easier on all of us as well. Cassidy and a few others did a puppet show on David and Goliath - little did they know I had prepared all of the kids with foam balls so when it was time to throw the rocks at Goliath, all of the kids threw the balls! Although there was a lot going on the entire time, everybody did really good and I am just so impressed with the team and with the kids.

Although we love playing with the kids, and it is just incredibly satisfying to see the progress they have made over time, it is even more exciting to see the parents (single, married, grandparents, and every combination you can think of) get a couple of hours of 'me time' to meet people, grow friendships, learn, and hopefully start the week fresh and rested. Hopefully we can do a little more of the same with our respite event.