Tonight M (my neurotypical son) said, "I want to go to the bank with my piggy bank and get a lot of money to give to you so you can stay home with C all the time and I can play with Mommy all the time." His words stand as a reminder to me: never underestimate how much these little ones pick up, how aware they are of what's happening around them.
A Boy with a Tube in a Tube
On Sunday C asked me to help him climb a ladder on the jungle gym and watch him go down a tube slide, both things he wouldn't even consider as recently as a week ago. Tonight he actually helped vacuum the carpet (parents of ASD kids know how anxiety-inducing the scary vacuum can be).
I'm so proud of my little guy, not just for his achievements, but for his desire to try.
The Moment I've Been Waiting For
Tonight, as the boys were in their beds, C stood bolt upright, leaned over, and said, "I want hug, M. Want hug, M. Kiss!"
This moment was unscripted, unprompted, and impromptu. It is, in my opinion, huge. C wanted an interaction with another child, with his sibling, and he asked for it.
Of course, M had no idea how to react: he stood there and reached out, and C grabbed his hand. That's okay. There's time, and there's hope.
Z-Y-X-W-V-U...
Today my wife observed C reciting the alphabet...backward. He would say a letter, scrunch up his face as he thought earnestly about what was next, and then happily announce it before proceeding to the next one.
We've never taught him the alphabet backward, and I have no idea why he felt the need to try it. Just part of his love of letters, I guess.
And, while one therapist has lightly cautioned us about overly encouraging his obsession with letters and numbers, it's exciting to see him tackling such complex problems, focusing on them with such intent, and taking great pride in showing us his achievement.
Out for a Stroll
C is untethered from his oxygen for a stroll in the brisk weather. What is a little unusual here is that C was leading the way; usually it's the other way around.