The circus is coming to town, and in this newly beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying, it was a perfect day for a parade!

Now, the actual circus isn’t for a few weeks, so there were no animals like you’d expect in a circus parade. However, there was music, and there were clowns, and there were lots of those tiny little Shriner cars (since it is, after all, the Shriner circus that’s coming!). Watching the little cars go by, some doing stunts, was a big highlight that both boys enjoyed – and yes, both boys did! For the first time, Danny actually watched, clapped, and laughed along with a parade. Eric, of course, loves parades and had a great time even if they weren’t handing out candy like many parades do.

I think the parade highlighted, for me, just how much AVT has become a part of my life. A few weeks ago I watched a show where a man spoke of having a blind son and how he paints pictures of everything with his words. I couldn’t help thinking that somehow having a deaf child with cochlear implants is kind of like having a blind child. Everything we do is an opportunity to talk and describe and paint the pictures he’s seeing into words. I don’t think I stopped talking for more than 5 minutes during the entire parade. The little cars were so fast – zoom zoom – and the big red fire truck was loud – hear the siren? – and here comes a band, what fun music, let’s dance Danny! I kept my chin right behind his head, speaking softly an inch away from one headpiece so I wasn’t interrupting everyone else, narrating the whole parade.

It was worth it, though, to hear Danny repeat a few sounds back to me as I spoke, and have him so engaged in the parade and enjoying the experience. I couldn’t help remembering back to his first parade when he was only a couple months old, sleeping through the entire thing and showing us he truly was deaf. I think I’ll always relate and compare back to that parade.

Lucky for me, they just keep getting better with time!

P

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