Today I get to be a proud mum.
It’s Christmas performance time at school! First it’s Alice at the Infant School. Whilst Alice is in a wheelchair, at school she is fully mobile and gets herself around. This is really important for her own sense of mobility and her independence. So I was very surprised to see her wheelchair handles up and Mrs A pushing her in to the hall. She then spent the whole performance playing about, playing with a script she managed to get from Mrs A, and didn’t really join in with any of the songs.
I couldn’t help myself motion to her to put the script down when I caught her eye. She looked quite sheepish but carried on. At the end of the performance I asked her to push her own wheels and to stop relying on Mrs A to push her. Mrs A said she didn’t know that Alice was supposed to push herself. Alice has been at the school three years – I’m not sure how I kept my cool!
I had a quiet word with the school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) on the way out. I think we need a meeting…
Round two and on to the Junior School. Lauren has a speaking part this year. She has been rehearsing since September. I feel like I know the script. She has learnt it so well that she knows the part of every other child too! She spots me in the audience and fixes her gaze on me. She smiles at me all the way through. She is ten years old and has not yet gone through the phase of finding her parents embarrassing. I am enjoying this time while it lasts. I am enjoying the hugs and kisses at the school gate each morning and afternoon. And I am certainly enjoying her smiling at me right now. We could be the only two people in the room.
My favourite part of an afternoon performance is that you get to take your child home early! Although there is not quite enough time to actually go home before the Infant school pick up, it gives me a chance to have a few minutes chatting time with one child without being interrupted by the other two.
That reminds me – we haven’t had a mummy-daughter date for a while. I am thinking a Starbucks trip needs to be organised asap!
A Family Less Ordinary
