Support Josiah

Happy/Sad Days

Three of our children had a few extra days off from school this past week, and so we decided to plan a family outing. We normally try to include everyone, but occasionally and often as a result of my parent's wise urging, we will plan an outing for just our typically developing children. Our options are very limited when Josiah and Jalen are included in the planning due to their sensory needs and their risk of flight or running away. They have no sense of danger. We are always "ON" in terms of our watchfulness, but taking them out in public requires a level of singular focus and vigilance that often makes it impossible to meaningfully engage with our other children. 

A few of us....

And so we planned some special things for Jalen to do so that Josiah could have the treat of having our home all to himself. You see this is one of the major reasons he needs this therapy building so badly. When we are all home, he becomes   completely overwhelmed. We can whisper, and that noise will still bother him. He is processing everything. Every step, every movement, every noise. And so Jalen enjoyed a trip to LifeWay for some of his favorite DVDs, and he went to the Children's Museum for a little while before he became overwhelmed and needed to leave. And Josiah enjoyed the peacefulness of our quiet home.

Ninja Brothers

Jeremy and I enjoyed our time with our other children so much, but there is a deep sadness to not being able to enjoy these times all together. Something is always missing. SomeOne is always missing. I have to continuously pull my mind away from thinking about Josiah and Jalen so that I can treasure this special time with Olivia, Jack, Judah, and Jason. It's a Happy/Sad Feeling that makes for a Happy/Sad day. 

Does Olivia look more like Dad or Mom?

The therapy room will provide Josiah with the quiet he so desperately needs, and the therapy pool will calm his sensory needs. But the pool will do something else as well. If Josiah is having a good day, his favorite thing to do is to swim wtih his family. What a blessing it will be to be able to access a pool year-round so that on his good days our children can enjoy swimming all together without the dangers that come from taking Josiah and Jalen in public. And those days will just be Happy/Happy Days!  

Jason and Jalen 

Josiah loving on his baby brother Jason