Day 5

Never one to conform to the crowd, Josiah prefers to seek solitude among the masses. With hundreds of special education students, teachers and aides, in addition to hundreds of typically developing high school students enjoying a fun filled field day in the park, Josiah preferred to play with some beads.

Yesterday was the annual APE (Adapted Physical Education Day) Field Day. High School students volunteer their time and talent to create interactive games and entertaining activities for Special Education students throughout the entire school district to enjoy. It all takes place at a huge county park with music, dancing, snow cones, bounce houses, dunk tanks and even a fun run.  Most of the participants wear matching t-shirts, provided free of charge to the students and teachers. It’s heartwarming to watch high school students pair up with their disabled peers, showing such kindness and compassion.  Everyone has a great time.

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Day 4

Too bad this boy wasn’t born in the 60’s. He would have fit right in. Bare feet, beads and all.  I promise you we do put shoes on Josiah before his bus pulls up.  He pulls them right off.  We check the toe of each shoe for misplaced socks which may have gotten shoved down there, making the shoes uncomfortable to wear. We loosen the laces, we pull on the tongue.  We stretch out the heel and we put the shoes back on again, tying them just a little tighter this time.

He doesn’t even bother to stand up to give us the satisfaction of thinking we won.  He stays there on the floor and rips them off a 2nd time, a 3rd time and a 4th. How long can we possibly play this little game?

Eventually, Josiah wins. Eventually, after enough consistency on his part, we stop trying.  Shouldn’t it be the other way around?  Shouldn’t it be after enough consistency on OUR part, Josiah stops trying? Aren’t we the ones training him?

I’ve always been one to love a challenge.  You have one?  Bring it on!  I’ll figure out a way to get around it or over it or through it if I have to.  Guess maybe that’s why God gave us Josiah. Keeps us on our toes and always learning; never bored, that’s for sure.

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Day 3

This is Josiah sitting comfortably at the kitchen table. Every so often he picks up a foot, casually drapes it over the back of his head and rests it there. For the life of me I can’t figure out why.  How is this even possible? If there was a circus traveling through our town Josiah could be a side show. Seriously! I think people would pay money to see all the ways he can contort his body.

I’ve seen both legs up behind his head multiple times, kind of like the way you or I might nonchalantly cross one leg over the other, only Josiah hoists both of them up over his shoulders like a pretzel boy. Yoga instructors have nothing on this kid.

When Josiah was much younger I snapped  many pictures of the various positions he would fall asleep in.  It always amazed me any of them were remotely comfortable. Imagine easing down into a split position on the floor with both legs splayed out at your sides, lean forward, rest you chest on the floor and sleep. Could you do it? I know I couldn’t.

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Day 2

This boy wakes up smiling!  To have such joy each and every day is truly a blessing.

Welcome to the 100 Day Project; a challenge to celebrate the process of encouraging others to participate in 100 days of making! Anyone can join in on the fun. The process is simple; choose an action you want to perform for the next 100 days, starting today, April 6, 2015 and ending Tuesday, July 14, 2015.  Share each instance on Instagram so others can join along.

I chose 100 Days in the life of Josiah. Every day with our sweet boy is different.  You never know what challenge or adventure awaits. So, each day on Instagram, I will highlight a picture of our little man being his incredible, amazing self.  You can follow along.  I will be posting daily on Instagram at #100DaysofJosiah and also posting the pictures here on the blog.

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