Arts and Craps

This was yesterday- and blurry, for International Autism Awareness Day!   My bathroom photography skills have not improved in my bloggin' hiatus... I'm just going with the fact that you can't see the blemish on my forehead quite as well in this blurry shot, therefore, the soft focus was so on purpose ;-)

I've been redecorating/Paring down/lightening up for spring! 

 I call this my 'chicky shelf'- the bird pic and 2/3 of wall art are from Target, vase is from my sweet friend, Nell, and the gorgeous pic of my baby chicky girl is from Lacey! The pic on the left is me skin to skin bonding with  my sweet girl the day she was born.... in between puking <--- real life, not so much movie spin! 

Watch out!!! Crafting in progress!! This will soon be a card holder for my SIL's wedding!  Many, many moons ago I was working with a sweet little guy named Jim.  He has autism.... and He is AMAZING.  He taught me more about speech therapy than 6 years of classroom instruction ever had.  He was SO EXCITED to do crafts with me!! He would ruuuuuuunnnnn out of the therapy room to his momma and say 'LOOK!!! We did Arts and CRAPS!!!" and since he was oh-so-very-correct, his wonderful momma and I never once tried to correct his choice of words!  

I am thankful beyond measure for Jim and his family.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they were put in my life as examples- His mom and dad showed me how to parent, how to advocate, how to support and encourage a child with special needs.  I never, never once thought that his parents were anything less than over the moon in love with Jim and his brothers and sister.  I remember smiles and giggles and praise.  I remember calm strength and an iron will to find the very best they could for their son, to shape the world into a place where Jim could thrive.  

It's my hope that I am living a life like they did.  Some day down the road, some one, some where, is going to have a child with special needs.  They're going to cry and grieve and rage.  Then... maybe they'll think of me.  Maybe they'll remember that we were happy and that our lives were full of sunshine, giggles, and praise.  I hope that they'll think of our happy babies, the places we went, the activities we do, the love that we have for each other... and they'll know that they can do it too.