Camp Day #3

Although I admit I was kinda dreading therapy camp, it’s turned out to be pretty fun, aside from the daily chores (yesterday, scrubbing the bath; today mopping the floor).  The other mothers are nice and friendly, and Lilia is having a great time.  Yesterday there was a “festival” at the end of the day.  The children played a couple of games, and then there were a couple of presentations.  The mothers did that boot camp thing. It was like ten minutes of aerobics, and we were all sweating and suffering.  The point was for our kids to see us putting up a valiant effort, and to show that we understand how they feel as they struggle through their exercises.  After that, the trainers (the therapists) performed a few songs.  The head honcho did vocals, and one young woman played the electone.  The other guys were mainly faking it on various percussive instruments.  At any rate, they got a beat going, and one big teenaged kid with cerebral palsy started dancing around.  He was on his knees, flailing his body and clapping, and I thought that in any other place he would inspire pity or embarassment, but there, everyone could see that he was having a good time and it was just normal.  Lilia, ever the ham, went up and joined him.   The therapist in charge of her group said today that part of her training during this camp was to make her do stuff that she doesn’t want to do.  Lilia is quick and strong, and when something came up that she disliked, she would escape.  She’s extremely hard-headed and physically strong, so it’s sometimes difficult to get her to cooperate.  At any rate, the therapist said that having Lilia there brightened everything up.  In addition to being stubborn, she is a very cheerful and silly child.