Friendship to Cure

Aren’t playdates wonderful for our kids?  Either a friend comes to your house and your child is entertained by their friend until it is time to leave.  Or your child goes to their friend’s house and you have some quiet time, or one less child for the afternoon.  Either way, it is pretty nice to have this time to yourself!.  Well, what about when your special needs child wants a playdate with her friends, but can not tell you?  Or you know she wants her friends to come over, but how will the play date work out?  This is what happens in our house very often.

Anna Cate sees Betsie and Eli’s friends running in and out our front, back, and side doors like we are a fast food restaurant.  And so often when I look at her smiling at them I know it is because she wants to go with the kids and be one of them!  I know her friends bring her so much joy and she eats up the attention from them, like a bear likes honey!  However, when Anna Cate has a playdate, it immediately also becomes my playdate.

Last summer I started Camp Amica for Anna Cate, so she could attend a camp and be around her typically developing peers she goes to school with  and who live in our neighborhood (and yes Camp Amica will be back this summer!).  Every school year, I hope and pray there will be “friends” for Anna Cate to invite over for playdates and girls (or boys) who truly are interested in her.

Third grade has been amazing for Anna Cate both educationally and socially.  Once I realized that there was a good amount of “interest” in Anna Cate and friends truly wanted to be her “friend”, I was ready to start the having playdates for her.

Anna Cate’s friends are truly genuine girls!  As I mentioned in an earlier post about them, they truly care for her.  One Sunday, Anna Cate invited her friend Kyla to come to the pool with us for the afternoon.   The smile on Anna Cate’s face lasted for hours!  Kyla brought such joy to Anna Cate that afternoon and it was one of those beautiful moments you want to remember forever.

Two weekends ago, Anna Cate had a play date with FIVE friends from her class…yes FIVE!  We had so much fun!!!  Alexis, Ellie, Kyla, Madison and Susie arrived at 11:00am and stayed until 1:30.  Betsie wanted to stay and play too and Anna Cate said it was ok!

First the girls made a video about their friendship with Anna Cate.  They called it, Friendship to Cure.  Did I mention these girls are amazing?  They wanted to film it in Anna Cate’s room….why not, that is where girls hang out when they get together anyway, right!  I loved hearing all their responses and what they love about Anna Cate. They wanted to show everyone that Anna Cate is just like them--she has a favorite color, a favorite movie, etc.  It truly melted my heart!!!

Then we played spin the bottle….ok, not that bottle….the nail polish bottle!  This is the second time Anna Cate has played this game with friends.  I love it because it is EASY, FUN and Anna Cate can participate!!!  Everyone sits in a circle and then at one end we have all the nail polish colors lined up.  The person who is picked to go first (you can pick this person however you like), will pick a color and then spin the bottle in the middle of the circle.  Whoever it lands on, THAT person has to paint one nail the color that was spun.  And then this person goes next.  And so on and so on, until ten toes or ten fingers are all painted!
The girls had so much fun helping Anna Cate pick which color she was going to chose by holding up two options and letting her point to one.  And they LOVED painting her toes.  Honestly, I don’t know who enjoyed it more, them or Anna Cate!

For lunch I made the girls one of the popular lunches we made at Camp Amica, ham and turkey kebobs with fruit.  They were a hit again!  Madison’s mom LOVES to bake, so she made a special treat for all the kiddos (and I was so happy there were leftovers!).  Cupcakes with frosting and then a chocolate cookie on top…yummy!!!

After lunch the girls wanted to take turns playing Just Dance on Wii.  Anna Cate loved watching her friends be all silly and this is one of her favorite games to watch because she enjoys the music.  While Anna Cate’s friends waited for their turn to play, they all sat next to Anna Cate and talked to her.  It was so cute!

While the playdate was work for me as I had to “play” too, there were definitely times when I took a step back and let Anna Cate be alone with them.  I wanted her to feel like she was a ten year old typical girl without her mom around.  I hope as she gets older, I will be able to take more steps back when her friends come over and they or Betsie can help her a little more.  Maybe one day I can be in the background the whole time!  But until that day, I will try to be a “cool” mom and help her to have fun playdates with her friends.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing a smile on Anna Cate’s face and knowing that she is truly happy!

I was able to sneak downstairs and catch them on the camera in Anna Cate's room having "girl time"