Just A Normal Kid

Last week our family enjoyed another vacation to Lake Powell. Two families, who had not spent time around Christopher, joined us. After watching Christopher swim with the other boys and girls and surf and go down the slide, one of the parents surprisingly commented to me, "Christopher is just a normal kid." I said yes he is. He loves to play and have fun just like the others, and he frequently chooses to disobey just like other kids, and he has his personal preferences just like other kids. Fortunately, all went well this trip, and there was no life flight ending like the last time. 

Returning to work after a wonderful trip to Lake Powell is not easy, but I managed to make it through this week. Shortly after I arrived home from work this evening, Christopher came to me and grabbed my hand. He does that most every day. He typically either takes me to the computer, to the park across the street, or to the Corvette for a ride. When we go for a ride in the Corvette, after I get him buckled in and sit down behind the wheel, he always takes my hand to the stereo to turn some music on. I usually plug in my phone and play some of my tunes that I think he will like too. 

Tonight, the direction of the Corvette appeared to be his destination of choice. I can rarely tell him "no" after he lets me know what he wants. When he grabs my hand, he invariably gets a big smile on his face like he is about to steal me away for an awesome adventure. I always make him work for the trip by holding one hand and forcing him to balance himself and walk to where we are going. Before going to the garage tonight, he stopped to grab his iPad which still had music playing from the micro speaker in the top. I chuckled as I imagined what must have been going through his mind: "This time, Dad, were going to listen to MY MUSIC." He walked grasping my hand with his right hand and clinging to his IPad with his left. After we got in the Corvette and he immediately took my hand to his iPad signaling that he wanted it plugged in to the car stereo. I complied. And so we drove up Hobble Creek Canyon in the dark rocking out to mostly Christmas music with the windows down, the wind whistling by, and Christopher giggling with satisfaction for getting his way, again.