So I had to set myself up before writing this post. I had to have the whole mason jar of iced tea, bowl of mixed nuts and the perfect music playing before I could type this out. So many emotions you know like butterflies in your stomach, tugs at your heart and tears in your eyes all at once.
Sister can seriously rock OUT a sand angel!
I will back up. Grace and I met with her therapist, Ellen, this week and we determined that she is one smart cookie but she is not acting like it. She is holding on to her 2 year old behaviors and that is partly due to the fact that we treat her like a 2 year old. Yep, we treat her like a baby. Things are forever changing and to be honest I do not want to let go of my baby but I also do not want her to remain 2 for the rest of her life. We were instructed to put her down and let her do things herself. GASP!!!!! That means she walks to the car, she dresses herself, she climbs up to her chair and the biggie she has to ask (in words) for everything she wants. This is some big stuff but I know she can do it.
So for the remainder of the week she has done just that. She has been encouraged and pushed at times to act her age. She’s on to us…..she gets it, but both our hearts hurt just a bit longing for the 2 year old baby nestled in my arms, safe and close all the time.
Tonight we took her along with the boys to her first minor league baseball game. She ate hotdogs and drank sprite just like the others. She climbed the stairs and demanded to walk the halls. She clapped for all the good plays like she made them herself. As the game was ending she wanted to be carried she was tired and wanted to give up the 3 year old role for the remainder of the night. I held strong and she made it through in her own seat next to me.
There is this wonderful opportunity after our local minor league baseball games. The Thunderbolts allow the kids down on the field to run the bases. My husband and his friend walked their boys to the starting line along with Grace. The idea was that he too would sprint those bases along side his daughter. Well it was a no go. They do not allow the adults on the field for the running of the bases so thinking quick my husband said well she is going so how are we going to do it. In his heart and mind he knew that she was 3 years old and she needed to be treated like a 3 year old so the boy at the stairs stepped up and said he would take her and that he did.
This Pink is Grace and the yellow are here brothers and their friends.
As I saw the boys file onto the field I was looking proudly for all six. I found the first five but could not see my husband. I scanned over the whole crowd of kids and could not find him. I looked up in the hallway and there he and his friend were walking toward me with no kids. NONE. I looked back down and there she was, my girl. She was there on the field bringing up the end of the line with her Thunderbolt’s partner.
The pink is Grace and the blue is DAD! Yep making sure his girl was ok.
I was over taken. I knew this was it. She was a big girl and she was doing it, all by herself. Some might think big deal lady but it is a big deal. She has never been more then 3 feet away from her family and she was out there tonight on her own. She was on the field and loving every second of it just like any 3 year old would. I am so proud of her Daddy for letting her go and even prouder of my girl for going. Life is changing around here. It is hard but it is all good. I am soon to be a mom of 6 amazing big kids. 12 years of babies and here we are. They are all growing up.
Special thanks for the Thunderbolts for offering this opportunity to the kids and to this young man who made not only our day but our daughters!
Happy Monday everyone! Make it great! OXOX
