It’s hard to believe that I haven’t written a post here since May. Incredible! I feel as though my life has just gone crazy in the last several months and I barely have time to think let alone come up with a post. But it’s important to maintain a record so I will try and fill in the blanks!
Over the summer, we joined up with the neighborhood pool. I was hesitant to do it at first because it seemed like a big chunk of change to spend on something but in the end, it was money well spent. The boys took to the water in a way that truly surprised me. Within days they were both swimming and doing really well. Soon they were going off the low-dive, and then the high-dive! It was really amazing to see them accomplish these things totally on their own, simply because it was important to them to do so. Another great thing about going to the pool was, it allowed them to meet and play with lots of other children. They met some pretty great kids, and some not so great but, there was one relationship that really intrigued me. TOwards the end of the summer, we started going in the evening to avoid the intense heat and the crowds. There weren’t many children there at that time but it was ok because the boys were OBSESSED with the diving board and would go off it so many times in a row that the lifeguards would ask them to take a break!! Anyway, there was another family who came in the evenings and they had a son and daughter, twins. The boy had some form of autism that really kept him from speaking. He was 12 or 13 but only had the vocabulary of a very small child, say around 1 or 2. He would swim though, like a fish, and loved being in the water. We knew when he was there because he had some very distinctive yells and whoops that he would make while he was in the pool having a good time. For whatever reason, Iain decided he wanted to be that boys friend and so he set about trying to make that happen. Over the course of several days, Iain would approach Josh and would talk to him, somehow innately understanding that Josh couldn’t communicate in the same way, and Iain didn’t give up. Josh’s sister explained to Iain and Ryan that her brother was a special needs child, although Ryan told me that Josh HAD special needs, which I thought was cute. Anyway, Iain and Ryan both looked forward to seeing Josh in the evenings and playing and splashing with him until it was time to go home. One evening, Josh’s mom came up to me and told me how Josh’s therapist said they had seen a real change in Josh’s behavior and she was so happy about his friendship with Iain. We ended up meeting them in the evenings for the rest of the summer and my boys were so sad on the last day of the pool season. Josh’s mom hugged my boys and thanked them for befriending Josh. I was surprised that my boys actively sought out someone that others would avoid because his special needs might make them uncomfortable. Honestly, I was uncomfortable around Josh only because I had no idea how to interact with him. But Iain and Ryan found a way and made a friend and it was a beautiful thing.
Also over the summer, we took several trips. We took the boys on their first jaunt to NYC and had an absolute blast! We visited the Statue of Liberty, the Natural History Museum, the Empire State Bldg, and Toy Tokyo (which was their fave). THe weather was rainy while we were there but we managed to get out and about and partake in some of NY’s finest tourist attractions, even a carriage ride through Central Park.
We squeezed in a trip to visit our family in PA, which is always fun. AND we went to Disney World in September. We really enjoyed that trip, too, but have decided to try and go somewhere else next year. We think the boys are ready to visit places that might not be considered kid-centric. They really enjoyed NYC so much and we were surprised at the things they wanted to do.
Right now, we’re gearing up for the holidays. Both of the boys are hip to the fact that Santa isn’t real and we’ve really been enjoying getting ready for Christmas as a result. I can’t believe it’s almost here and that 2009 is drawing to an end. I hope that you have had a wonderful year and that this holiday season finds you and your family happy and healthy. Happy Holidays!!
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