National 4p- Conference and Father's Day

We just returned from the national 4p- conference in Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. We had a great time meeting the 4p- kids and their families from all over Australia. It was a much smaller group than the one in the U.S. that met last year in D.C.; about a dozen families. It was an intimate group that was very welcoming. I got that same warm feeling of connection talking to the parents. I felt reluctant to say good-bye and leave the conference early today (the conference activities continues until Tuesday). Most families that have traveled far are making it a family holiday and staying at least a week and enjoying the sights of the Gold Coast. We attended a meet-and-greet Friday night, the whole day of conference on Saturday, half day on Sunday, and the afternoon at an outing at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary before we headed home. We met 2 families who live within an hour of us and whom we exchanged contact information with. We also made a special connection with a family whose daughter, Rachael, has similar relatively mild symptoms of the syndrome. Rachael is 15 yrs old and walks around very well, speaks in full sentences, asks questions, expresses herself and her sense of humor, and has started reading and writing. I had a lot of questions for her Mom, Chris. She was full of good advice and encouragement. The whole weekend was a very positive experience. We hope to attend another meeting in 2 years before we head home.
Today is also Australia's Father's Day. Lucky Mike was treated to a very special day with the kids after being presented with the kids' handmade and heartfelt cards and gifts. (BTW, Mother's Day here is also in May so I don't get another one this year. What a rip!) I think I saw his eyes mist over as he read Jonah's gift but of course he denies it. But watching ND win their first football game of the season with a shutout to start the day was the icing on the cake. (No, it wasn't on Australian TV... He watched it via slingbox (hooked up to his Dad's TV in Indiana) on his laptop.)
Last week, Jonah attended an overnight camp with all the 3rd graders from his school, which he's been looking forward to since school started. They spent 2 days and 1 night at a camp filled with all-boy fun. I knew Jonah had a blast when I picked him up and he talked, unprompted, nonstop about what he did at camp until we arrived home. Now if you know Jonah very well, you know that's a big deal. He's a boy of very few words. When I met his teacher at pickup, she said, "Jonah had a great time! He was quite in his element. I did something I never thought I would. I had to tell Jonah to stop talking and be quiet!" He said his favorite activity was kayaking. Lucas can't wait to go next year.
I also ran my 10k race last Sunday-- Bridge to Brisbane, with over 31,000 other Australian runners/walkers. It was an interesting experience. The water bottles, portapotties, the lines for the portapotties, people strewn all over the streets stretching and just relaxing, were all familiar scenes on race day. But once I started listening to people speaking with their Australian accents and the scene at the top of the bridge (on the highway) with a clear view of the city over Brisbane river quickly reminded me that this was not a familiar scene for me. I tried to take it all in, all the while making mental commentaries, since I didn't have anybody to verbalize them to. The range of emotion filled the whole spectrum through the race-- from awe at the number of people willing to get up at 4:30 for a race that started at 6:25 to shear annoyance at the number of people in my way as I tried to run my race. I was lost in the masses from the start since I did not have an official qualifying time (from a previous year) to start with the first 2 groups. I tried to dodge all the walkers, kids, parents with prams as I ran uphill the first 3/4 mile on the bridge. A couple things I noted-- 18 wheeler trucks honked their horns in encouragement as they roared by in the opposite direction across the bridge (we were only separated by temporary cement blockades); and people stopping at the top to take pictures of the cityscape. There was another huge hill around the 8k point and the unusually warm weather and humidity didn't make me enjoy the race any more. I think I saw about 4 people getting medical asistance on the side of the road. I had dumped 2 cups of water and walked through a hose spray by the time I finished the race and it was still before 7:30 a.m. Yeah, I'll probably run it again next year...

Our stuff has finally arrived in Brisbane! We'll see how long it takes to clear customs...