Carpools are the best!

As with many families, we carpool to school with some family friends. I tell you, kids are an amazing source of information! You can get the scoop on who's "dating" who, which kids got into trouble, more information on the teachers than you really want to know, but sometimes, you can get the really good stuff.

In the last few days, I've learned that Alex is actually participating in his P.E. class. For parents of special needs kids, two of our worst nightmares regarding school are how our kids will handle P.E. class and the cafeteria at lunch time. Generally our children are not athletic, which provides the other children ample opportunity to ridicule and emotionally torture kids like Alex. At least, this is the thought that we just can't ever get out of our heads.

Well after 8 years of these horrible fears and nightmares, of all things, my van full of kids finally put these fears to rest. You see, it just so happens that one of these kids in the back seat of my car is in the same P.E. class as Alex.

Often on the rides home, he would tell me that Alex scored a touchdown or that Alex made a basket. It's not that I dismissed his comments, it's just that his mother is a close friend, and I figured he had sort of been unintentionally trained to tell me the good, the positive attributes of Alex. Of course I always want to hear that, but sometimes, that just doesn't squash those fears that we all have planted in the back of our minds. But yesterday was different.

I don't even remember what sport it was this time. I think flag football. But the description was different this day, much more animated. "The other kids couldn't even catch him. He ducked and missed this one kid! He went the whole way! He flew past a whole bunch of kids that were trying to get him!" Mmmmmm...... This is kind of cool, I thought, "and you know what, he is really pretty good at everything." I'm not sure, but I think I sort of puffed out my chest, more like a proud dad than proud mom. But I liked it!

The thing is... that's not even the best part! The young kid went on,"You know, I have never, ever heard anyone make fun of Alex or his friend. Everybody just plays with 'em. They're kinda cool!"

I Love the carpool!