Friday nights in our household are Family Fun Nights. We typically play games or rent a couple movies, but last Friday night Steve was invited by one of his clients to attend the Cardinal Idol. The best way to describe the event is a cross between American Idol and a Talent Show for the developmentally disabled. I was excited to meet the clients Steve works with and besides, it sounded like a fun evening!
The event was held at Mayo High School's auditorium and it was packed. One side of the auditorium was reserved for the performers and we ended up sitting there because there wasn't really any other place to sit. The theme of the evening was the 70's, so there was a lot of singing and dancing. Amaya really enjoyed the music and because it was such a laid back setting, she felt comfortable enough to dance in the aisle.
What I enjoyed the most is watching the clients cheer each other on and how excited they were to perform. Plus, it was clearly obvious how much they enjoy spending time with Steve and how much it meant for him to come and watch them perform. I enjoyed watching Steve interact with the clients and it made me realize how important his job is and made me even more proud of Steve for his dedication to these people.
The show lasted a little over 2 hours and at the end, everyone was invited up on stage to sing and dance. Amaya was a little timid at first, but eventually she wanted to go up with everyone. She had such a great time that Steve pretty much had to drag her OFF the stage! We look forward to next year's show!