Improvement

A long while back, I posted this on my first blog, which I subsequently turned into a blog about my son and his condition. Allow me to paste it in....

I'm so Glad no one says retarded anymore....

Because I'm afraid that's what my son would get called.

No, now they say 'developmentally delayed'. I suppose that doesn't feel like a kick in the gut. But I thought of this yesterday--how when I was a kid, the word used was retarded.
I went to pick up Jairus from preschool and the cutest little girl kept saying 'bye' to him. Of course, Jairus didn't say anything back, didn't even really register any acknowledgement that anyone was speaking to him. Finally I asked the teacher what the little girls name was. I think it was Abby or something.

I said, "Jairus, Abby is saying bye to you".

He looked at Abby and went over and gave her a hug. Slightly embarrassed, I said,

"Oh, look, he's saying good-bye too".

The teacher said something about how nice that was. I don't think Abby concurred.
Then he spotted another little girl behind Abby and started towards her too. Now, you have to imagine this. My little boy tends to drool a little, has Harry Potter glasses that are always smudged, and wipes his nose all over his clothes. Not such a pretty picture. I think this other little girl concurred. Oh, the look on her face.

The teacher quickly said, 'Oh, Jairus, I don't think everyone wants a hug'. I pulled him away.

As we left, another little girl was leaving. Many kids were yelling out goodbyes as her and her mom walked out the door.

She waved.

I can't remember if this was a year ago or two years ago. It was when we were living in Brantford, for sure. So now Jairus--and Honour, go to a couple mornings of preschool at a co-op place near us. They really seem to enjoy it. When I pulled up today, the kids were outside, playing in the enclosed outdoors play area. I gathered them up with their paraphernalia and fastened them all into their seats.

I started to back out and ease my way across the parking lot to leave. A little boy in the same class and his grandma were just heading to their car. They passed along the right hand side of my van as I was inching along, wary of all the tiny ones around.

The little boy looked in the van and saw Jairus in his seat. He waved enthusiastically and yelled "Bye Jairus!".

I quickly turned to bring the little friend to Jairus' attention and instruct him to wave bye and perhaps try to say bye, too.

"Jairus, loo---", was barely out of my mouth before I realized that he was way ahead of me. He had already spotted his friend, and was waving back.

"Gye!" he hollered.

(Happy sigh)