Stomach Flu and Its Effects

G. has recently recovered from a stomach bug, and B. just came down with the same thing. Their different reactions to it are fascinating to me.

G. stopped signing and talking, and alternated between lying listlessly on the floor or asking (whining) to be held. I held him and rocked him a lot, and tried not to worry about his not communicating. Even after his tummy seemed to be better, he acted listless for a couple of days, and I was getting set to take him to the doctor. He was the twin who had a harder time in the NICU, and has always been a little smaller, so I worry about him. Then suddenly he was back to his old self, and even using a new sign, "play", and a new word, "waffle" (sounds like "ra-ra", but close enough).

B. on the other hand seems more connected when he's sick. He actually held onto me with his arms when I picked him up today. And he noticed my return from the grocery store. More and more, I realize that he shows the most reaction to me when under duress (visiting my in-laws with 6 cousins, at J.'s birthday party, or when he's sick). Just have to work on transferring that reactions to happy times, too.

I've been getting up a little after 6 and taking a walk most mornings, and it's been wonderful. Many birds seem to be migrating through now, and it's been warm and a little foggy. The dog still refuses to get up, but I have to admit I enjoy being completely by myself.

Tons O' Fun

I'm happy to say J's party was fun from start to finish. Six kids and a baby showed up, with their respective adults. The grown-ups were able to talk because the kids basically entertained themselves. B. and G. did their best to ignore the presence of other people, which seemed to work pretty well for them.

Birthday Preparations

This'll be quick, because I'm preparing for our first actual children's birthday party. Up until now it's been just the family, but now that J is turning three, I have found the wherewithal to invite other people and their children into our home/therapy center.

Note to Self: Next year, don't invite ten children thinking that half of them won't come. Not only are most (maybe all?) of them coming, some are bringing siblings. Luckily, the twins don't seem to mind crowds, as long as they can do their own thing. I'm very excited about seeing other adults who don't work for either Early Intervention or for me.

Most of these people don't know that the twins have autism, so I asked my husband if he wanted me to take down the picture schedule and other PECS-type choice boards we have around. I didn't know if he wanted to spend the party explaining things to people. But he's more laid back about such things and said to leave them up.

Movie Note: Impromptu was not as good as I'd remembered it. I've ordered Stranger than Fiction, which looked funny. Wish the previews wouldn't give away so much of the plot!

I have been trying to add pictures to this blog, and so far have not succeeded. Maybe because we have an Imac?

It's the Little Things that Get Me

When I bent down to kiss G. good night, he started fake snoring.

After carrying G. up to bed, I started down the stairs to get B., and met him crawling up to meet me, with a big smile on his face. This had never happened! He also had his bedtime animal, Sprinkles, with him. It's a little thing...he realized it was bedtime, and he was coming upstairs on his own initiative. But it's also a huge thing, in my book.

Quick review of Ocean's Twelve: the most unlikely plot I've seen since Ocean's Eleven, but I still enjoyed it. At no point in the movie did anyone in a dinosaur costume sing or dance, so right there you know it's got something going for it.

Next in the queue, Impromptu.

Un-nerving moment of the day: J (the supposedly NT big brother) has discovered dimmer switches, of which our house has many. As I tried to clean up this evening, he dragged a little chair around and adjusted the lighting in each room until I finally put a stop to it.

Blogger's Block

Haven't felt very bloggish lately.

Recent occurrences:

While being careful to avoid neighbor's kids playing at foot of driveway, backed the mini-van into the basketball goal and removed the side mirror. Made a big impression on J., who has now finally stopped yelling, "Careful, Mommy!" when I pull into the driveway.

Was lent a book about RDI by a friend, and am reading over Stage 1 activities.

Have hubby's permission to turn downstairs bedroom into a sensory, gross-motor play room. Which it unofficially is anyway.

Joined Blockbusters' online movie service, and intend to order as many feel-good, chick-flick movies as humanly possible. So far I have Ocean's Twelve, which I seem to remember getting awful reviews. Okay, not exactly a feel-good movie, but in a purely visual/esthetic/George Clooney and Matt Damon sort-of-way, I think it will fit the bill.

Discovered Double Chocolate Milano cookies.

G. was able to say "please" ("peez") for exactly one day. I'm sure it'll come back eventually. He retained the ability to say, "Ho, ho, ho" whenever we read Spot's First Christmas, which we have out of the library this week.

B. says numbers sporadically when other people are counting, and is still in the increased giggly eye-contact stage, which I'm loving.

J. is as always keeping me on my toes.