Ramblings.....

We had another soccer game today at noon. It was rainy and the temps hovered around 60 degrees, fall has definitely appeared. They won 4-2 I think. Did not get any pictures as it was a crappy day out, and we watched the game from the Jeep. We brought Michael and one of his friends home from the game and they played video games for a couple of hours. Michael is now at their house, spending the night. Anyway, at his new school, Michael comes across a lot more handicapped kids than he ever did at his old school. Last week we had a chance to really discuss the fact that he is around so many of them now. Michael told me that he did not like the handicapped kids because they could not use their legs to walk, or run, etc. I don't think he meant that he did not like them, I got the impression from what he said that he felt bad for them. I told him that he could find some other things that he possibly had in common with them, other than playing sports. I told him that "I bet they like video games just like you do. Or the same tv shows". He was trying to wrap his mind around the idea that some kids cannot use their legs. He has seen Dwarfs walking around, and he knows that if he did not have his medicine that he would be a dwarf also. Technically I guess you could say that he still is one, but his form is just treatable nowadays. He told me "Maybe if they used their legs more they could learn how to walk?". "Maybe" I said. "But there are also conditions where they will never be able to use their legs" I continued. Then, I told him that people would consider Nick to be handicapped. "He is not handicapped!" he retorted. "He can walk and run". I then told him that some handicaps you can't see, and others you can. Then went on to say "I don't think Nick is handicapped either, just others might consider him to be." I think being in the mix with all different kids is going to be good for him. I have also recieved reports from him that there is a kid that bullies him. The first I heard of this, I told him to tell a teacher about what happens. The next day he told me the kid had pushed him down again, and he went and told his teacher. If it happens again this week, then I am going to the school to report it to the principle.