Catching Up

Needless to say it is time for an update on your little life!

Lets see where to begin - on Sunday we had your birthday party and you had 14 other children at your side to help you party. You had the BEST time I have seen in awhile. You had a few little ones from you kindergarten class (a nice step since you have been hitting kids in class). the usual gang from the street, and then some from your social skills group, and swim lessons, and a few others. It was such a nice group and everyone seemed to get along extremely well. We were at Rebounderz which is an indoor trampoline arena where the floors and walls are trampolines. It just opened so not many had been there before and they did a great job of moving through the party and helping the celebration. I was a little nervous, expecting the break down, but it never happened it was as if, for those two hours, all the worries went away and your deficits just disappeared. As we set down to have pizza and cake you said "It's my birthday!" and then right before blowing out the candles, which you were able to do this year, you said "happy birthday." I can't help be smile and am very proud of how well you handled yourself.

Since Wednesday of last week you have been "stable." A relative term but a term I love to hear in this household. The only other time we have seen this was over summer and it happily lasted for about six weeks. I take each day of this calm and happy child in stride, never missing a moment of your smile and giggle. I never know when it might disappear again or when I might loss a piece of you again to cycling. It is not that we don't have our good moments even when your mood is struggling a little, but the child I have had since Wednesday and the child I had over summer is such a gift that never misses a moment of what is front of him. That is playful, creative, and imaginative. A child who wants to please those around him, thrives off of his success, and is taking in the world around him. Most importantly a child who captures the heart of those around him. You are interacting with the world around you instead of watching it through a glass window and this is vital to your future success.

Today was the first day that school saw you "stable" and you had absolutely no behaviors. Given you had been hitting students and staff multiple times per day prior to today and to have a perfect day today was the highlight. They were very proud of you as was I. Hopefully you will continue on this path, but even if we have a few hiccups they have now seen the "other side" and all you have to offer.

You teach me so much everyday and we have continued to grow with each other. I have discovered that one of my favorite activities to do with you is go grocery shopping. Those that know me are probably laughing while I say this baby because cooking is definitely not my thing but you get so excited to help when we are in the store. You want to be the one to get the items off the shelf and put them in the cart. We work on counting if we need multiple items and every know in then you pick up food items that you want that I would forget to buy otherwise. For instance when I turned around this week you were putting boxes of gushers into the cart (Thanks to Linda for introducing you to this candy). I take for granted that you get to make these choices, and that you have preferences, and forget to ask and you are showing me these days that you do have an opinion and it is important.

You and I also enjoy watching football together on Mondays. It is funny to watch you cheer for the redskins and do a little dance when they get a touch-down. I sit here now wishing you didn't have to be asleep in bed because it is a late game and I need my little man to be watching it with me.

By the way, you can stop growing anytime now. I included the picture above of you at the playground as you can see how long your body is and that you have definitely outgrown some of the play sets, whether you like to admit it or not. You have grown about 5 inches, if not a little more, since you came home and if you keep this up you will outgrow me in the near future!

Well shorty, keep on trucking I couldn't be prouder of the little man you are becoming and the challenges you are overcoming.
Love
Mom