One of the REALLY great days...

What a day... what a WEEK!

Matthew has been going to drama camp this week at Wesleyan... with 15 typical middle schoolers!  And guess what??  He's LOVING it!  I told him today that it seems to me like he's learning to blend in with the group (for lack of a better way of saying what I'm trying to say at the moment), and he said, "Yes, this week at camp is helping with that A LOT."  He gets it!  I really think he's so much more aware and invested - it's awesome!

Up until today, all I've gotten out of the drama teacher is that his day was "good" and things were going "fine."  Today, we had a moment because Matthew had to run back inside to get something, and UNSOLICITED BY ME he said, "He is doing AMAZING. (emphasis his!).  Incredible!"  I told him that when I DO ask, I'm really not fishing for compliments, that I really want to hear it all - the good, the bad and the ugly, and he said, "Oh, I'd tell you!  But he's doing so great!"  Even with interacting with the other kids?  "Oh, yes - he's interacting wonderfully."  He said that if Jeff hadn't talked to him ahead of time, everything would've still been OK - that's how well he's doing.  WOW.

Thank you, God... for this journey and how it helps me to appreciate these amazing, seemingly small moments.  Like yesterday - Matthew said he was drawing a 'scene' for their play, and since it was set in Tanzania, he was drawing Dracula's castle.  He told the kids, "Hey, look.  I'm drawing Dracula's castle.  I'm gonna read Dracula next - as soon as I finish reading "Heaven is for Real.""  He said several kids chimed in and said they we were reading it or had read it and how good it is, and he said, "Oh, yes - it is VERY good."

Tulips.  Windmills.  Rembandts.