Life with Fragile X Syndrome

Christmas? BTDT.

Melissa

We had our final Christmas celebration on Sunday.  This year the holiday season seems to have stretched on for an eternity, I’m sure we’re all glad to be done with it for another year 🙂 

We spent Sunday with Duhdee’s family in New Hampshire.  We had a great time visiting with everyone.  Monkey played very well with his cousins.  There was a bit of a discussion over “sharing” and what exactly sharing involves.  It seems that the definition is open to some interpretation amongst the 2-4 year old set.  Silly Auntie thought it was pretty well established.

I know I’m probably sounding like a broken record but I am still continually amazed when Monkey shines as he did on Sunday.  He played with his cousins, he circulated amongst the grownups, he ate his dinner (mostly) with a fork, he let his Uncle J. hug him, he let Grampy pick him up and touch him, he used his words/signs to communicate, he smiled for his Auntie D. upon request…it was just amazing. 

 Let this be encouragement for anyone who’s little ones aren’t yet doing this.  A year ago he would have hid in the playroom all day.  He would have avoided the adults.  He would have refused to sit at the table.  He would have eaten only standing up and only with his hands.  He would have cried if Grampy, Uncle J. or Auntie D. had tried to interact with him directly…the best we could hope for was that he’d stay in the same room or line of sight of them.  What a difference a year makes.

Back to the grind.

Melissa

After two consecutive three day work weeks (and the 3rd day of each was cut short by two hours thanks to my employer) we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. *sigh*

I expected tears this morning when we dropped Monkey off but he was fine.  We left him happily playing at the sand table with his friends.  He did try to pull the “potty” card on us at one point to stall but it was half-hearted at best, lol. 

Now I need to try to get back into the daily grind!  I’d much rather be home watching The Lion King for the 4,743rd time but I suppose…

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend!

Melissa

We had a very nice weekend here. We were totally, utterly lazy on Saturday. I think the only person to leave the house all day was me when I walked the dogs. Otherwise we just lay like vegetables all day long. It was glorious!

On Sunday morning, we drove Monkey to his Grammy and Grampa’s house for a sleepover.  Duhdee and I had been invited to the wedding of a very dear college friend and we could find no babysitters! 

The drive up was a lot of fun.  I sat in the back seat with Monkey and we made up a game of going under bridges.  I learned that Monkey can say “bridge.”  When I told my mom she wondered how many other words he can say that we just haven’t asked him about.  That’s a very good question, I guess I had better start asking him more often!

Another “game” we’ve made up recently is that I’ll say a word and pause, Monkey will then give it his best shot.  This is how I discovered he can say bridge, lol.  There are two sentances that we’ve been concentrating on for the most part, two sentances that are very appropriate for Monkey.  One is “I love you” and the other is “I am funny.” Lately Monkey has been repeating the first word or two after me and then jumping in and offering the third word without prompting.  I find that very encouraging.   Yesterday I started with “I” and he prompted me with an “am!”  After I repeated “am,” he finished with “funny.”  I’ll have to get his version of “funny” on video because it’s adorable.

After we dropped off Monkey, we drove home and relaxed for a little while.  Then we took a cab over to the hotel where the wedding was being held.  We had so much fun but I forgot my camera!  Argh!  Duhdee even bought me a new one for Christmas that would have fit in my itty, bitty purse.  Bummer because I really wish I could have gotten a picture of Duhdee as he nearly strangled himself while trying to break open the pinata! ((Seriously the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding!))   I will have to see if I can get copies of a few of the pictures because the brides looked beautiful and it’s not that often that there is someone to take pictures of Duhdee and I together, all dressed up even!

Duhdee is off picking up Monkey, he seems to have enjoyed his overnight visit according to the early reports but this is no surprise.  He loves staying the night up there.  He knows where the peanut butter is stored and they have two little doggies who will play “fetch” (as opposed to our medium sized doggies who only play “keep away,” which is not nearly as much fun!)  What more can a boy ask for?

This is not the time for anger

Melissa

but I can’t help it.  Toys R Us, sucks 🙁  We ordered a very special gift for our little guy and paid for overnight shipping and it NEVER showed up.  It was the first gift he EVER directly asked for and I cannot tell you how disappointed I am that it did not arrive.

We will have a great day anyway but it’s still pretty crappy to tell people that they’ll have a Christmas gift if they make the cutoff and pay the outrageous shipping charges and then let them down.  Scrooges.