Full

I don't have a picture for this post, and I'm going to make it quick, but I want to share. This weekend was so, so full. Full of fun, full of wonderful, full of love, and full of friends.

Yesterday, we attended the Abilities Expo, and that was just amazing for me to see. Walking in, I will admit, I was suddenly just overcome with emotion. My eyes filled up with tears as I looked around me and saw so many wheelchairs. I felt overwhelmed. But, that feeling faded after getting in and seeing everything the Expo had to offer. The thing is, most of the products/equipment were really geared toward adults. And, we have NO idea what a year from now will look like . . . what equipment/adaptations Sammie B will need, much less what "adult" Sammie B will look like . . . but just seeing all the possibilities was so, so encouraging for me. Seeing adults in wheelchairs whose chairs were truly just a seamless part of their lives. Seeing videos of adults with physical disabilities scuba diving, talking to a man in a wheelchair about how amazing it feels for him to be in a pool ("to be unencumbered by gravity," which is how I imagine it feels for Sammie B too), seeing a super super cool wheelchair accessible motorcycle, realizing (again) that truly, truly "disability" does not mean "limited."  Sammie B's life . . . however it may look a year or ten years or twenty years from now will NOT be limited by whatever disability she has.

After the Expo, we had lunch and drinks with my new friend and her little family, who had also attended the Expo.   Then, today, I took Sammie B to a birthday party for one of her friends while B hung with Mia, and then we all went for a play date with another little boy that we met through Sammie B's last school.
Just an incredibly nice weekend. Lots of time with my little family, and lots of time with great friends.

Sammie B's friend (M) just melted my heart today. He uses an I-Pad to communicate and today he told Sammie B "I love you. You are nice. Your turn!" (We were trying to get her to say "I love you too," which is why he said "your turn."). The two of them took turns playing games on the I-Pad, we played with a guitar together, and his mom and I had a chance to just connect, and to reflect on how far each of our kids has come in the last year, and how far WE'VE come (it's been awhile since we've seen each other). Just a great time. This is a journey we never knew we'd be on. This "special needs" journey, but wow . . . we've met some truly incredible people --- kids and adults -- along the way, and we are so, so glad to walk this journey with them.

On another note, Sammie and Mia's interactions continue to just make my heart happy. Sam FINALLY gave Mia a kiss! She's always been really sweet with her, but whenever we said "want to kiss Mia?" she'd give a very quick (and strong) "NO," and we haven't pushed. B and I have been really amused by it. Well, Thursday night, just before I put Mia to bed, I asked Sammie if she wanted to give Mia a kiss on her head and she said, "yeah." Tonight she kissed her on the lips. Mia continues to be just enchanted with her sister, and tonight in the bathtub, Sammie B reached over to help Mia stand. Does it get any sweeter than that?

A very, very full weekend.  And, now, I burn the midnight oil to get some work done. Sometimes, that's what work-life balance means.