J starts animal camp tomorrow. I always go back and forth in my mind about these things... Should I show up early and sort of pave the way for him and the instructors, or just show up like everyone else, all the "normal" kids? He says he doesn't want interpreters... he really does, of course, during those moments when he wants to know where the instructor is saying to look for eastern box turtles... I got him interpreters. :) He even hesitantly wears his hearing aids! Ha! He says he wants to just talk, but we all need to sign. But, wait, you don't want interpreters... silly boy! I mostly, really, really hope the other kids don't treat him differently. J loves animals, and this camp has been the most talked about highlight of a summer yet. At almost 8, he's noticing that he's different, and that most people don't sign. This is one of the only parts of having Deaf kids that hurts my heart, and makes me wish they could hear. I suppose, however, if if it wasn't Deafness they were made fun of for, it would always be something else. All of us have something... and, we're all that much stronger after we learn to overcome it. On to camp, J!!