Riley's Rise and Shine

Riley's Homeroom Class performed a song Monday morning at our school's Rise and Shine (kind of a meeting/pep rally that they have every Monday morning.) His Homeroom teacher is an amazing woman and she has about 4 special needs kids in her class, bless her heart. Riley comes in the afternoon for an hour with an aide (who is amazing as well) and the other 3 stay in the classroom almost all day. I seriously don't know how she does it because I subbed for her last week and I am still tired and a bit shell shocked! :)

She has insisted from the beginning that Riley participate in Rise and Shine with his aide. Alan and I were skeptical about him walking up in front of the whole school, teacher, and parents with his class and performing a song without a hitch, but we gathered up the camera and video and attended in the hopes that Riley would rise to the occasion and wow us all!

We were wowed- to say the least!

While parents and kids were filing into the cafeteria, Riley led his class onto the risers. We saw him  whimper just a bit but his teacher and aide were there right by him telling him that he could do it. They all had matching shirts and looked so cute! Riley looked right at me and for the first time ever, I saw a recognition that I had not yet seen from him. He knew that we were there for him and he wanted to make us proud!

Although he didn't sing the song as powerful as he does in the car or his room, he stayed up there and sang and we are SO proud of him!

I love the song that they picked out and it makes me a little emotional each time I hear it. It certainly applies to us all!