31 for 21, Day 21 - 2012

  More about playdates.

It was good to see Maya playing with her friends. It's still parallel play, but it's getting closer to actively playing with each other. This time when T and G started playing with the doctor set. Maya sat down and also wanted to play. With a little coaching she started to check Jessie's heart with the stethoscope.

Then T brought out the Break the Ice game. One of Maya's favorites. They all helped me set it up by handing me the ice cubes. Ironically this process usually takes longer to put together than actually playing the game. When it came time to play, they did it so well. They took turns and even shared one of the mallets.

When we went outside, the kids played on the little slide and ran around the yard. We changed the level of the slide so Maya was hesitate to go up it, but she did with some help. She also enjoyed watching her friends go up and down the slide. Maya, T and Christina pretended to be airplanes, soaring through the grass. That was a precious moment.

These are the little things in life that I appreciate more than anything. From the time she started to crawl, I've tried to have Maya interact with her peer, Whether in playgroups, classes, or story time. Sometimes it feels like a struggle because the level she is at is not the same as others her age or even younger. It takes time to get her there. It's a daily challenge, something that others might not realize. Whether it's walking, jumping, how to hold a crayon, or learning how to appropriately play with her friends...it take effort. But always the reward is worth it. When I think about the way I am raising Maya, I think it's exactly the way it is supposed to be. It is hard work to bring up any child, and yes, it take a wee bit more effort to do it for someone with special needs. I don't think that it would be much different than if she didn't have Down syndrome though. We all want the same things for our children. Among love and happiness we want them to be the best person they can be. This is all of our goals in the end.

Three doctors working hard.

Break the ice.

Down the slide.

Watching her friend.

Soaring.