"Hi, Krassi!"

Saturdays in the fall are soccer days for our family. This year three of our kids are playing in the (very well run) city league, and we chase around to all sorts of games on many different fields every Saturday. Yesterday was an absolutely fantastic day to be out watching soccer - lovely sunny skies, temps in the 60s heading toward the 70s - just perfect.

Reuben, Gloria, and I took Owen in the small car to Owen's game. Reuben's becoming a champion spectator. He LOVES the cheering, and will cheer and "woo-hoo" with gusto whenever anyone does anything. ;)

While we were at Owen's game, Matt went with Krassi, Evania, and Leah to Rinnah's game in Big Blue. When Owen's game wrapped up, we drove to Rinnah's field, where Owen jumped out of the car to tag Leah to come jump in to the car so I could run her to her game at yet another field. When Rinnah finished, Matt drove with the rest of the crew to join us.

Upon determining that Leah did, indeed have a double-header, since it was lunch time, I went home in Big Blue with everyone except Matt, Owen, and Leah. As we were getting loaded up to go, Matt was walking toward the parking lot with Krassimir over his shoulder, just pushing his empty wheelchair. (Krassi often prefers to be down in the grass than in his chair when we're out and about like this.) Right as they were approaching the van, a car pulled up and a boy in an orange soccer jersey jumped out and starting running toward the field where his game was about to begin, but wasn't in too much of a hurry to loudly call out, "Hi, Krassi!"

I love it. I have no idea who this boy is. He's got to be either someone who was in Krassi's mainstream room for second grade last year (which he attended for 30 minutes three times a week since he spends most of his day in the special ed classroom), or this year's third grade class, with similar attendance.

One of my main goals for having Krassimir attend public school is that he will have a face in the community. I *want* for him to be able to go out now, in five years, twenty years, and see people who will recognize him and say, "Hi, Krassi!" knowing that they won't necessarily get a reply in return. I want people to see him as the person he is, and when we can be out at a soccer game, and run into a classmate who takes the moment to shout a "Hi" his way, it's great confirmation that it's working. ;)