Normal

We had the D.A.D.S. Family Outing yesterday, at David Farmland. It was really fun. Sofia has absolutely NO FEAR of the animals, and kept demanding to hold the baby goats. She fed any animal that came near her, and begged for more feed from any grownup around. She also "cared for" some of the smaller kids, and had a massively grand time on the playground with her brother and my friend's twin boys (age 7, one with DS, one without).

I had a blast seeing the little ones. I miss that stage, the nearly-two-years-old, still petite, adorably interactive. SOOO sweet!

What was really interesting to me was a feeling I got as I watched Sofia with the other kids. As ever, the children with Down syndrome displayed as much of a range of behaviors as their siblings did. But so much of my time I spend thinking how extraordinary Sofia is. And what I saw yesterday is how utterly ordinary she is, within her chromosomally enhanced peers.

I'm used to her communication style, and in a vacuum, it's just Sofia. But surrounded by other kids with similar challenges, I could see so many of her behaviors in them, and theirs in her.

A few months after Sofia was born, my friend C told me I was still in denial about my daughter's differences. Am I? Am I still?

Or am I just doing my job - expecting the most from her, and helping her get there in her own time?

Heavy stuff. No answer here...

On other notes, we retrieved Sam from my parents on Saturday afternoon, and the boys immediately started fighting. Ugh. And Sam has been fighting with me off and on most of the weekend, too. But he's off to camp today - YEAH! I dropped him off at his ride before 8am.

Micah's home still, doesn't start camp until next week, but hopefully tons of playdates all week. E's coming to babysit this morning while I go to my doctor and see if I can get a different migraine medicine. This weather is killing my!

I need to write my d'var for July 11. Want to somehow use Zelophedab's daughters and Serach Bat Asher to lead into Inclusion... Hmmmmmm....