Pinnacle Picnic and Taco Day!

First of all, to the person who found my blog by searching, "marty moose tattoo," let me just save you some trouble: I don't have any.

This is a big week at Therapeutic Recreation. On Tuesday, Joshua's group went to Pinnacle Mountain to hike. They hike a flat trail at the base, because of physical constraints some of the FRIENDS have. And they had a picnic lunch.

Joshua carries a little nylon back-pack with him almost every day. In it, he packs things he thinks he might need: extra "hankies," chapstick, mouth spray, shades, a cap, bug spray, sunscreen.

On this day, it was 80 degrees and sunny. Some of the FRIENDS forgot to bring sunscreen, and so Joshua went around spraying everyone. They had a great time, but don't worry, They don't exert themselves too hard on their "hike." At the mere mention of a "walk" in the schedule, one of the FRIENDS will come in with a limp and her knee wrapped BEFORE they even get started...and another FRIEND will bust out an "asthma attack" every time they have to do anything that remotely resembles exercise.

Just sayin'.

On Wednesday, they were supposed to go on an outing to this garden, and learn about growing vegetables, but it was raining and the gardens are...well...outside. So...they stayed at the Center, and had a lesson on nutrition. Or, as Joshua called it, a lesson on "nutrients."

They cooked chicken and beef tacos for their lunch. They were divided up into groups and each FRIEND had a chore. Setting up, cooking, grating cheese, fixing the salad (pinching up the lettuce), cleaning up, etc. Joshua said he was in the "salad" group.

On the way home, Joshua told about one FRIEND who said that she was NOT HAVING TACOS, and so she called her mom to come get her.

Alrighty then.

And one FRIEND refused to help wash the dishes. She said that they, the TR leaders, were "treating her like she was at her own HOME..."

How DARE they?

I don't know, but if I had a dollar for everyone who every told me, "oh, THEY'RE so loving," referring to people who have Down Syndrome...well, I'd be living in a big mansion, with other people fixing me tacos and washing my dishes.

Just sayin'.

And then tonight, we watched Diane Sawyer's Sound of Music special. Joshua came down during the "Do, Re, Mi" song around the fountain. He looked up to see Diane Sawyer and a group of people walking around the fountain while they sang.

He said, "uhhh...don't fall in the water, BARBARA WALTERS."

"Do everything without complaining or arguing..." Philippians 2:14