Gabriel

This summer has been filled with many great adventures for us. We went to some pretty cool places and spent time with my family. One of the best things we did was spend some time with my mother’s friend, Caroline. She has a backyard pool and her granddaughter, Amelia is Kate’s age. The three kids had lots of fun swimming and playing together. Amelia was in for a short visit.

Carolina and her husband are also raising their grandson, who has autism. Gabriel is five years old and a great little guy. His speech has come a long way since last summer and he loves bubbles, swinging, swimming and riding his tricycle (like any 5 year old) around the driveway following the arrows that Jack and Kate make on the driveway (not like a typical 5 year old). I know I brag about my kids a lot but I have to say they are wonderful with this little guy. They get him to eat his dinner, (he currently eats meatloaf and watermelon and pizza) and he hates to eat. (Caroline makes the meatloaf with ground turkey, grated carrots and broccoli and oatmeal-he WON’T eat vegetables) They get him to talk and interact with them and they were so persistent with him.

He would get off the bus from summer school and hide when he saw them. Sometimes it took ½ hour before he would play with them. After a few days they figured out he loved goldfish crackers and by the last week, he came off the bus, hide behind his grandfather and 2 seconds after a goldfish was playing on the swings or getting them to make more arrows on the driveway. He can count to 100 and wanted to swing and have the kids count with them. At one point, Jack said, “We’ve done this 5 times!” He can also read already (he is entering Kindergarten) and they would write different words on the driveway, “Stop, turn around, go back” When swimming in the pool, he would recite the rule, “Don’t go down there.” And point to the deep end and then try to run down to the diving board. It took all three of us to redirect him to stay in the low end of the pool.



Besides getting to know Gabriel, my mom got to see my kids interact with him. They displayed patience, understanding, compassion and problem solving skills beyond their years. They would ask me questions on the way home from a visit, “Why does he eat so fast?” or make a comment, “Those shows on Boom-a-rang are great for kids with Autism, they repeat things for them so they can learn.”

They are learning to look at the person first and the “disability” second. After the last day the kids and I went there, Caroline told me that Gabriel looked out the window at his swings and said, “Jack, Kate, Ring around a Rosy.” (they played that together too) And that night in his evening prayers he added their names to his “God Bless” list. Caroline said she was so grateful for their friendship and patience with Gabriel. Yet I wonder who gets more from the relationship, Gabriel or Jack and Kate? That is a pretty special prayer list to be on.



Jack's Cannonball!