Once a year, Nicholas school does an all school play. Several grades participate and all students in those grades are given separate parts of the overall play, music or presentation and then all the students congregate on stage to perform in sequential order the overall theme. Every year it was a different theme. The most memorable were the Musical Show and the American Theme. When Nicholas was in kindergarten, the school used the musical theme. The background story was a traveling turtle around the world and the kids would sing different silly songs about the turtle’s travels. The presentation was in the school auditorium that held about 200 parents and a similar number of children.

A magical time of year for kids; the ability to hide in a costume and navigate the neighborhood looking for the best treats. The challenge with the activity is that if you are sensory challenged and don’t eat sweet treats; then it’s not as much fun. The selection of costumes for Halloween was both easy and hard in our household.

I don’t attend many of Nicholas’ school day functions. I was able to attend a special one in second grade. The second grade classes in the school were all practicing plays in which the students would have to get up in front of about 40 kids and 20 parents and read their lines from a play. The plays were silly knock-offs from traditional fairy tales. Instead of the story of the squirrel that hid nuts for winter while other animals watched, only to teach the lesson of procrastination– there was a story of a lazy dog, a lazy cat, and a lazy mouse that didn’t want to make a banana split, but wanted to share in the treat when it was done. No costumes to hide behind. No music to talk over. Just 6 kids. 6 Chairs in the front of the room. 40 kids watching. 20 parents watching. And Nicholas.

Much like the all school play, when Nicholas was in 2nd grade, the all school activity was to present an American tribute through the alphabet. Each letter stood for an important figure in American history, or an important event or location across our country. To emphasize the connection of the letter to the person, place, or event– each child was given a line or two to deliver at a microphone when the proper time came. Nicholas was selected for “L” and Abraham Lincoln.

When Nicholas was 3 ½ years old, we moved from Columbus, Ohio to Phoenix, AZ. Our course to Phoenix was a rather strange one. The time of year was September and as we coordinated our move of worldly possessions across the country in the middle of summer we ran into the reality of the relocation package. The movers would move anything, but would not guarantee safety of valuables.

Once a year, Nicholas school does an all school play. Several grades participate and all students in those grades are given separate parts of the overall play, music or presentation and then all the students congregate on stage to perform in sequential order the overall theme. Every year it was a different theme. The most memorable were the Musical Show and the American Theme. When Nicholas was in kindergarten, the school used the musical theme.

Nicholas will be 14 years old in April; he was just out playing football with his dad and brother. Now he’s off to video games and later piano practice. Sounds like a pretty typical kid, don’t you think? Nicholas is not a typical kid at all. He has a depth of character that you see only on occasion in a 13 year old boy.

Today is April 5, 2005. It’s Nicholas’ 9th birthday. Nicholas has Autism. I have things I want to say to him. It is part of the gift I would like to give to him. Nothing compared to what he gives all of us. I read a short book of quotes on the meaning of life and came to the realization that Nicholas and my other children Paige and Drew “get it” much better than we do as adults who try to fit the molds society creates for us. At the risk of losing what I think is a great book title; I want to tell you a story.