If you know my MaKenzie, then you know what a social creature she is! It is her nature to be "WITH" others. To be close to them, to engage them in conversation, to touch or hug, to involve herself in what they are doing. She is not a spectator--she wants to be part of the action! That includes the various mundane goings on here around the house, too.
When I hand out a list of chores to be done, if I don't give her a job, she will invariably ask, "Mommy, what can I do?" She ALWAYS comes when I am doing dishes. When I get to the silverware, she faithfully reminds me to leave them after I wash them for her to rinse and put in the drainer. And she does a beautiful job of putting those silverware in the drainer, too!
She also loves to fold my washcloths and dishcloths. She is AWESOME at this job. Just look at how she uses BOTH hands--she uses "righty" to get those corners matched up just right! Not only are these jobs therapeutic for her, they get to the heart of what she really craves--she is useful; she's a needed part of our family and household; she's involved in a REAL way.
Today, when MaKenzie heard me say I needed hangers, she said, "I can't reach the top, can I get the ones on the bottom?" Why, of course you can girlie! I heard her fall no less than 4 times trying to get those hangers back out to me. I asked her if she was okay, and she always said she was. If it was me and I fell 4 times trying to get a silly job done, you better bet I'd be calling in the reinforcements! Not her! She's so determined! (Not to mention CUTE in her little dress made just for her by our friend LIZ!!!)
What a shame it is when we overlook the members of our communities who have special needs and fail to involve them in useful ways. Special needs does not equal DIS-abled. It just means DIFFERENTLY-abled! In our family, we are trying to find successes rather than assuming failure for our kids who are differently-abled, and we are finding so MANY things they are GREAT at doing! (Primarily they are super great at keeping us laughing--they are REALLY funny!!!)
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