Soccer

This post was supposed to have been written a week ago, but by the end of the story you'll see why I'm kind of glad I waited.  Last Wednesday our three oldest kiddos got to participate in a soccer program at our new church.  It's fantastic.  They learn the skills and get to play in teams for an hour, then they come in and have a time of worship and learning.  So, here they are:

Spunky in action!

Giggles taking a much-needed break.

And then we have Bubba.

Bubba absolutely fell apart last week at soccer.  At the beginning of the session I went out with the whole group of kids to do warm-ups with him.  Did he stay in one place to do jumping jacks?  No, he ran from child to child, kicking everyone's personal soccer balls and generally upsetting the other kids.  When they split into smaller groups he didn't want to go with the other five-year-olds.  When I walked over to the group another boy groaned and (using his real name, of course), moaned, "Do we have to have Bubba on our team?"  That, of course, made me want to go home and cry!  He gradually got more and more stressed out until he burst into tears and begged to go look at the railroad tracks.  (There are some railroad tracks just a short ways from the church.)  So this was a picture of him hanging out with Daddy, looking at the tracks.

Discouraged doesn't even come close to describing how Ethan and I felt on the way home that night.  We probably wouldn't have brought him back without the kind encouragement of a mom with an older autistic child. But we thought we'd give it a try.

Week two, last night, was a whole different story.  We started Bubba off with a buddy, a teen girl who must have an infinite amount of patience.  I was in a Bible study when Ethan texted a photo to me with the words, "You may not be able to see, but he's kicking the ball into the goal here!"  I thought I was going to jump out of my chair with joy!

By the end of the night, he was doing all the drills with the help of his new friend.  I get emotional even writing about it; it's such a big accomplishment.  This verse from Lamentations has been in my mind all day.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning,
great is Your faithfulness.


His mercies are new every morning!

Sister, Sister

Having never grown up with a sister, it was a huge delight when I discovered our second child was also a girl.  I dreamed of tea parties and secrets between the two little ones.  Friendship that would grow at the kitchen table and in the backyard . . . and last for a lifetime.  So it makes me especially happy when I see things like this:

It may be hard to read, but this was part of a beautifully decorated invitation from Spunky to Giggles.  An invitation to a slumber party, specifically.  It's been just over three months since they've shared a room but they were missing each other.  The invite included a list of things to bring, including a sleeping bag.  However, Giggles was a little put out that her big sister expected her to sleep on the floor!  So, the slumber party was short-lived.  :)

Someday I hope my girls will see what a privilege it is to have each other!