Tuesdays were ferret visiting days for Sean's special ed classes at his school. Some children are haunting, others unforgettable for differing reasons. We all had our little rituals it seemed when I visited. It was a regular thing for me to come in, place the carrier with the ferret down on the floor with a cover on it (so the kids are not over-stimmed at first). I would then speak to the teacher before turning towards the children to get them situated. Every Tuesday, I would feel a tiny tug on my shirttail. Every time I looked down as if I didn't know whom it was. And every time I acted surprised to see the little sunny face. ::tug tug tug:: I'd look down to see a teeny pint size little girl grinning away at me. "I got a boyfriend", she'd say. "Oh Emily, I didn't see you here. Wow, how are you?" "I got a boyfriend and his name is Austin, but he's not the Austin in this class, he's a different kind of Austin, he's the Austin in another class, and I love him", I was captivated by Emily. She was a petite little thing but healthy looking, with long silky light brown hair. She was absolutely hugable. Her family adored her and it showed. It showed in her dolled up hair, her carefully dressed manner, and in her secure personality. Now... it's a stereotype that Down's Syndrome kids are loveable. But from my experience with my nephew, and others, I can tell you it's true! Her smile was as huge as can be, and it never failed to make me grin. Some kids really benefit from the regular ferret visits. There are some that I believe "need it" also. But Emily didn't fall into either category. She had a ball in any case, and I loved seeing her with my babies. She was the gentlest soul in the class and a wonderful role model. She was the first one I trusted to hold a ferret with my help. She reached out for them without hesitation, and then kissed them even if they licked her back. She loved everything and anything about them. She was the perfect little student also. And the children really responded to that. They looked to her for an example of how to behave around the ferrets. She had good past experiences with kitties and that helped a lot. I couldn't wait each day to put a ferret in her arms to see that huge toothless grin (she had lost her front teeth), and that unconditional love. She usually was the first person to spend personal time with the ferrets because it set up such a great example to the class of how to sit patiently, how to be quiet, how to be still, and how to gently hold an animal. She has no wants environmentally, and no sensory issues to deal with whatsoever. However it is fact, that no matter how mild a Down's child is, they can't have enough stimulation. The more the better, it helps them intellectually and emotionally. So I hope that the ferret visits at least did that for her, so that she got something from them. After all, we all have benefited from what she has given to us over and over -- joy, pure and simple. Wolfy Please visit: http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/ for information on ferret deafness: http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html [Posted in FML issue 3700]