baby steps

When you have a Special Needs child, whatever his need is, you learn to take joy in the small things that others may take for granted. Acer's needs compared to so many others, are minor, but he still learns things differently and more slowly in different areas than most 'normal' kids do. His gross motor skills are terrific, actually above what most three year olds are able to do. (that combined with his fearlessness has made me get more grey hairs this year;)
It's his fine motor skills that need honing. On Monday in school, Acer stacked blocks on top of each other without being prompted by the teacher. Knowing from my Hadley Class on Learning through play that this is a extremely important skill developmentally, and that he was getting it made me so happy.
Today he was actually playing the zylophone on his drum table, holding the correct end of the stick and hitting notes over and over. His 8 month younger than he cousin Lulu may play better, but he was playing, and hitting and learning and I could feel the joy as he made his own music on something other than his beloved cymbal. Things like this make me stop, look and listen, smile and say 'Thank you Lord.'