Thursday, May 13, 2010

Noah's Birdhouse

Bookmark and Share




I had a beautiful mother's day. It's a day that is extra special to my heart. There were days that I thought I would never get to celebrate mother's day - well not in the sense of having Noah with me. Although our life can be hard, I'm so very fortunate that I get to celebrate it with this sweet little person.

Noah, with his daddy's help, got me a Noah's Ark birdhouse with two bird feeders. It was the perfect Mother's Day gift from him. So very sweet and thoughtful. And his card was just as equally precious. A big picture of Noah glued to the front of a card his daddy helped him customize.

I toured a school for Noah this week, granted he's a bit young still but there is currently a wait list. It is a school that accepts both special needs children and normal developing children which is really nice. However if Noah isn't walking by the time he starts school, I would need to attend with him. I don't mind that idea, in fact it's rather comforting because I'd be right there with him as long as he needed me to be. The classes are a small size with two teachers per class and any parents that needs to attend with their children. The facility was comfortable, warm and welcoming. The staff seemed loving and they knew the names of every single child we came across on our tour giving you the sense that every single child in attendance was important to them.

I liked that everyone was included, not just a select few children. It was a nice idea that Noah could plant flowers, read books, create craft projects and participate in everyway along side other children with or without disabilities. I've always worried that Noah wouldn't be included as he gets older. Almost like the popular Christmas song "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" if you are "different" no one wants to include you - "all of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names, they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games." And you didn't get the feeling that the children or the staff were separated by those who could or those who couldn't. Everyone was equal. If only I could give him that feeling his entire life. It is a comfort that this school exists for little ones like him.

I think our May snow and cold temperatures have made Noah a bit cranky. He is such a nature boy and doesn't quite understand why I won't take him outside in the backyard to study the trees and watch the birds and airplanes in the distance. I love that he's so involved in learning. I can see he's like a giant sponge absorbing everything I tell him about. I know that it is in his favor. He may not sit, talk, walk or crawl but Noah understands everything.

The other day Noah and I were out and about and when we were walking to the car in the parking lot a small boy rolled down the window in his family's white Suburban with tinted windows to holler as loud as he could "Hello Noah." I turned to see if I recognized this loud pint-sized voice, but the child was completely new to me. I had never seen him before. He was maybe three or four, dark curly hair everywhere, with a deeper olive complexion. Noah smiled back as if they knew each other. Their connection is a mystery to me. If the weather had been nicer I probably would have explored why this child seemed to know Noah, but I quickly buckled him his car seat to be protected by the warmth of the car.

It's certainly not the first time I've had an interesting "enigma encounter." Much like last summer when the elderly lady on the bike path and touched Noah and said he's special and here to do great things promising me that I would see her again in the future. Periodically the unexplainable just happens and I just have to go with it, as I don't have the answers. But I remember them all the same as if they are pieces to a puzzle that I'll eventually put together.

Attached is a link to watch Noah's Miracle Network Story: http://www.givemiracles.org/miracles/450

Love,