Felix had the BEST day! |
I hope you had a fantastic World Down Syndrome Day celebrating the lives of the beautiful loved ones in your life, who have Down Syndrome.
I've had a busy couple of months planning a fundraiser for the Early Intervention class at Down Syndrome South Australia, and am pleased to say, it was a huge success. I chose to hold it on World Down Syndrome Day, so we could all get together and enjoy our children, and each other, while we celebrated the day. It was wonderful to see so many families, friends and precious little faces (many, covered in cake by the end...especially Felix's buddy, Liam!) I was a bit worried that nobody would come, so I was really pleased to see so many people there.
What I enjoyed most, was the diversity of the group. Some of us knew each other; old friends and new. There were some family members, but probably most exciting of all was a handful of older people, who saw the fundraiser advertised in their church newsletter, and came along, even though they didn't know any of us. I had some wonderful conversations with them as they asked questions and commented about how 'marvelous' our little ones were. The children certainly changed a lot of pre-conceived ideas yesterday!
You're enjoying that, Liam!! |
One of 'our' parents, Mum to a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome, spoke to the group about her and her daughter's experiences in the Early Intervention class from only a few weeks old, right up until her fourth birthday. She was so easy to listen to and gave such an informative talk about what happens at EI. I'm sure it was just as interesting to those hearing about it for the first time, as it was to me. She also showed a DVD with photos, of her daughter, over her time at EI. It was gorgeous, and brought tears to my eyes. I'd like to publicly thank her for doing such a brilliant job and for being willing to share her story with a room full of people.
Some of our afternoon tea |
Something I noticed yesterday was that even though there were quite a few kids rushing around (one super cute little man was riding his bike), there was only happy noise and no crying. There was dancing and smiling, and excited squeals and laughter. It was so precious to see the kids interacting with each other, and the adults, and having a wonderful time. I was really excited when one little girl, who I haven't seen for months, came rushing straight up to me with a huge smile of recognition...so sweet! It was great to see how much the kids have all grown and developed since I saw them last, and it was fantastic to meet some new parents with their children too. There was a man, in the church office, who said to me as we left, that it was a joy to listen to the sweet sounds coming from the hall where the kids were playing.
Felix with his Granny and Papa |
Thank you to everyone who participated in the day, and helped me in the planning and organisation side of things. It always takes lots of hands to make something like that happen. Thank you so much! To everyone who gave a donation, I am so grateful. We managed to raise over $1000 for the Early Intervention class, which will be put to good use enhancing the learning of so many special little people.
We have had a lot going on in our lives recently, so I have decided to have a little break and set my blog aside for a couple of weeks while I regroup. I thank you so much for reading my ramblings. I am constantly encouraged by messages of support and love. They are greatly appreciated. If you would like to message me privately, please email me at kpaskett86@gmail.com I'm sure I will have many more Felix antics for you when I come back. Much love x x x