Shakin' It Off

Gigi's Playhouse is a nonprofit organization devoted to families with Down Syndrome. The programs are free for the families and offer an opportunity to connect and learn. At the National Down Syndrome Conference I learned they had just opened one up in Phoenix a few months before. Since then we've a class or two and even dropped to nurse Leora and give the kids a break on our way out of town.

One of the last times we were there we entered a drawing for tickets to the Taylor Swift concert. Much to our surprise our names were drawn

The organization is funded by donations and they had originally hoped for tivckets from Taylor Swift that they could use in an auction. This video "Everyone Dreams" was created to attract the superstar's attention.

While Taylor Swift didn't respond, it did catch the attention of the Phoenix Coyotes who then offered their suite for the conference to GiGi's so that those with DS might attend the concert with their plus one. Here we are at a pizza party where Howler came to give us the tickets.

Eli wasn't too sure what the fuss was about with all the camera men, but as long as he had his pizza he was extremely happy.

We had such fun that evening. There was food, fun and new friendships made. To show how small the world is, the father of worked with my high school friend at the Phoenix Zoo. We had to send her a Facebook message to show how small the world is. Incidentally it was his daughter that played the main part of the Everyone Dreams video.

Eli was so exhausted by the end of the night, but he was up for dancing when the last song played - Shake it Off. The song played twice while people were getting seated and both times Eli danced his little heart out so much that the suite just to our lower right became his own private audience. This is him tamed down by exhaustion but filled with pure happy!


It's dark but you can see how much he just lights up at the song.