A Thanksgiving of Firsts

Yesterday we had the best Thanksgiving we've had since we've had kids.
We started out at the Houston Zoo, where the big "first" was that both twins spent most of the time holding our hands and walking (!) Also, we all rode the merry-go-round together, with no tantrums, panic-attacks, crying, etc.-- just lots of smiles and sitting up, and only a little chewing on the merry-go-round equipment. It all felt like a normal, fun family outing, and less like a desperate attempt to have a fun family outing.

Next I made a sweet potato casserole. Making it was fun, but it turned out more like a dessert than a casserole. Not too healthy unless they discover the life-extending effects of two sticks of butter very soon.

Finally we actually went to a Thanksgiving get-together with a bunch of friends from my husband's work. For the last few years we've had quiet Thanksgivings at home, but this year I was determined to change things up. The only other child there also has autism, and had brought many alphabet-related items, so the living room was filled with boys looking at letters for a good part of the evening. It was great to see people I hadn't seen in a while, laugh, eat too much and relax. J. had a nice time with a box of space-shuttle type toys, and also experimented on the piano. I wondered what he thought of the evening, having been the only "NT" child there, but as we drove off he announced, "I had a lot of fun. Let's go back soon".

A Mom Milestone

Last night I spent more than an hour in Barnes and Noble, and did NOT read any books in the Special Needs section! I walked past it and thought to myself, "No, I'm going to go find something else". I ended up with Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan, by Bruce S. Feiler. I've just started it, so I can't say much about it yet.

I also went into the music section and listened to various CD's. It was a nice, relaxing night.

Si se puede!

I spent election day with a lump in my stomach. Living in Houston, Texas, where Obama yard signs were stolen on a regular basis, I just couldn't imagine that the US could elect Obama. Watching the returns, I felt a bit hopeful, and then after they announced Ohio, my husband started celebrating, and my dad called, but I still didn't believe it.

The day after the election I kept getting teary-eyed with happiness. I feel as if I'm still coasting on the good feelings. I know he's got a lot of work to do, but I'm just so, so happy.

"Give Me a Cookie"

Lately we've been listening to CD's from the "Bounce" Collection (Spectrum Connections). The songs invariably get stuck in my head, which I guess is the point, because yesterday G. looked at me and said, "Give me a cookie". That's a direct quote from a Bounce song, and he said it just after I had said, "No more cookies. You just brushed your teeth." I almost fainted when he said a sentence, and you better believe he got a cookie!

Adoption Celebration

For whatever reason, increased focus on the potty has meant decreased blog-reading and blogging for me. B. continues to surprise me with his toileting successes, although I still have to be happy with peeing/pooping in the general potty vicinity. In the morning when he's still dazed, things go where they're supposed to, but once he's awake, it's literally hit-or-miss.

Yesterday was the four-year anniversary of J. joining our family! We took him out to one of those hibachi-table Japanese restaurants. We'd been there with friends, and thought J. would enjoy the silly patter and the showmanship of the chef. Unfortunately, we ended up with the first scary/cranky/clumsy hibachi chef we've ever met. I think he was trying hard, but he kept addressing J. in a gruff voice as "Boy", and J. looked a little nervous most of the time. He still enjoyed it, probably because he rarely gets to go out with just the two of us. He kept saying "Let's talk about Barack Obama and John McCain!" and "Let's talk about the debate!" I think it was part of the fun of being out with the grown-ups. It was hard to keep a conversation about the debate going for long, but he tried.
The first picture we ever saw of J. (at three months old)

J. last month in Austin (we are so lucky to have this sweetie in our lives!):

Potty Training

I don't want to jinx this, but I'm getting more serious about potty training, starting with B.
I put a portable DVD player on the edge of the bathtub, and let B. sit on the potty watching it. Yesterday he peed twice, and today even had a poop! I have to admit, only one of these events actually ended up going into the potty. But it was all very, very close to the toilet, and I'm seeing that as a big step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of life at our house, I end up leaving him alone sometimes, and when I return, things are not always good. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that the DVD player may not smell as nice as it once did.

I'm trying to tell myself that even if this is one of those blips of progress that disappears again for months, it means that someday this really will happen.

A friend of J's generously invited all three boys to her party at the Little Gym. It was so much fun, and completely exhausting. I brought along our sitter, and I don't think I would have survived it without her. I know the entire box of cupcakes would have hit the floor if she hadn't been there, courtesy of G. As it was, he only managed to take the birthday girl's cupcake right off her plate!

Each boy tried all the equipment. The twins actually seemed interested in Duck, Duck, Goose, and really went wild when they brought out the giant parachute. That was the most physically exhausting part for me, because B. wanted to be on or under the parachute at all the wrong times. Our sitter is only twenty, and she looked completely wiped out by the end. She asked me why they didn't provide caffeine for the adults I had a similar thought, but it was more along the lines of a nice glass of wine.