Happiness

Happiness is cuddling in bed with my husband and children, never wanting to let go. Mr N crawled into bed with us at some point during the night, when he awoke this morning he was full of cuddles, sweetness and stories to share. As he lay in my arms he spoke so clearly and said so much, I wish I would have recorded it for all to hear. I came to realize just how much Mr N is talking, just how clear his words have become, and how, despite his delays, his progress is astounding and so incredibly impressive.

Meeting did not go well this morning, as we arrived to find a full house and no empty seats in the main hall. Mr N still does not do well in the back room, so daddy spent the first half of the meeting in the car with him, then we traded places. Sometimes we tend to forget that Mr N still has limitations since we see how tremendously he has progressed in so many areas. Noises, primarily echoing, still are overwhelming to him and must be avoided if at all possible. Large crowds, especially indoors, are still a source of noises, smells, and sights that send him into sensory overload.

I can't help but be incredibly proud of how far my little man has come, he's excited to be starting school in a couple of weeks, he has a best friend (more about that in a minute), he's self sufficient and independent, at times more so than his sister. Mr N has taken a liking to toast, which he makes and gets for himself without any help; he's getting to where he can put his shoes on all by himself, he's wiping his own butt with prompting, washes his hands, gets dressed and undressed (still needs help with buttons), can buckle and unbuckle the chest clip on his carseat, and I could go on about all of his accomplishments.

So back to his best friend, I had an epic emotional breakdown a few weeks ago (see previous post) after a rough day. Mr N gets along great with most other children, playing and sharing without any prompting, but there are the seldom few who bully him and are just downright mean, which breaks my heart into a million pieces. Not because Mr N gets upset or even realizes it, he freely forgives even the worst injuries, but because bullies exist and they somehow single Mr N out as different then pick on him. I was watching my friend's kids a few days after the meltdown and they were all happily playing throughout the house when I hear the 5 year old say "Mr N is my best friend". I could have kissed that dear child! He doesn't see a child with Autism, he doesn't see a child who has speech delays, he doesn't see anything but his best friend, his friend who likes to play with the same toys and the same games as him, he sees his friend. Not surprisingly, his mom is a dear, sweet friend of mine who has taken the time to teach her children to be kind to others, to treat others as they want to be treated. They didn't come by their manners and good behavior by happenstance, they were taught by their parents; and for this I am forever grateful.

Our friends came over this afternoon for a little play time, when they arrived I was inside doing a quick sweeping in the kitchen and living room (yeah I'm one of those who only cleans 5 minutes before company arrives, sorry friend) as the children piled out of the car and friends ran to greet each other and begin playing, the front yard was filled with sounds of laughter, the sounds that make your heart full of happy, the sounds that should fill yards.

It was indeed a happy day.