The Christmas Totem Pole

It’s been a week of Christmas Spirit.

On Monday, Olivia’s class participated in the elementary school “Winter” program. Yeah, I know. They called it the Winter Program and yet there was Santa so, yes, Christmas.

And for the record, Olivia makes a most excellent totem pole. We found this out by watching her NOT perform during her Winter program. There was lots of movement choreographed by the lovely music teacher. Olivia made no attempt whatsoever to try and do what the kids around her did.

She did, however, interact with me and Tom and Alyssa, who were about thirty feet away in the front row of the bleachers, watching the show. She smiled at us, she nodded when we nodded, she grinned when we attempted to do the movements she was supposed to be doing.

Earlier this year, Mrs. F, the music teacher, asked me what I wanted her to do about Liv’s refusal to participate. I offered to have O come sit with us during the program. We planned to do just that. But her aide had other plans. She said it really didn’t matter if she didn’t participate. She felt like it would be better for Olivia to be right there amongst her peers even if she didn’t clap or dance or wiggle or even sit on the bleachers at any given time. So that’s what we let her do.

We let her stand there like the awesome totem pole she is and it was awesome. She had so much fun. She got to stand next to her friend, Delaney Porch, getting the occasional side/one-armed hug and she smiled at her and she watched her peers perform and she was part of it. Kind of. And that was enough for her.

When we asked her if she had fun, she replied with an enthusiastic, “Yes!”

So we’ll keep putting her out there and she’ll probably keep being an awesome totem pole and Tom, Alyssa and I will laugh at her antics, her individuality, her insistence at doing things her own way.

Next up, Alyssa’s band and choir concert was the next night. That was fun too.