Grandparents

Friday we departed for a week long visit with both sets of grandparents in Daddy's side of the family. We arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house with a sleeping Mr N on Saturday evening, which resulted in a crabby little boy who only wanted to climb back into the car. Of course, he eventually calmed down and started exploring his new surroundings. E, on the other hand, was full of hugs and love for Grandma and spent most of her time cuddling and being cute.

Sunday morning Grandma made pancakes for breakfast, much to E's delight, then we headed off to do some shopping so Grandma and Grandpa could spoil the kiddos. E periodically enjoyed pancakes throughout the day until she had eaten all of the leftovers, which resulted in Grandma whipping up another batch, E happily finished off that batch, as well. We spent some time each evening at the park so the kids could play.

Tuesday we took the kids to the Wolf center expecting to see lots of live wolves, only to discover they sleep a lot during the day and are primarily viewable in the early morning and late evening hours. After stopping to grab a bite we headed to the bear center in hopes of better luck viewing those beauties. Mr N was done with the tours so I chilled out in the car with him until he fell asleep.

Seeing Mr N warm up so quickly and be comfortable around his grandparents was amazing, seeing then understand at least some of what he was saying was heart warming.

Wednesday morning we packed up and headed to Grandpa and Grandma's house just a couple of hours away. The transition from one house to another was what I feared would be difficult for him to handle. He warmed up to Grandpa and Grandma making our visit relaxing and fun. That afternoon we took Mr N out on his first boat ride, both kids loved it. That night Mr N ate macaroni and cheese for the first time shocking us all.

Thursday we explored a children's museum, then checked out Lake Superior before stopping to get the kiddos something to eat. Mr N again ate macaroni and cheese while E enjoyed some much loved spaghetti. We started back towards Grandpa and Grandma's for the evening when we were rear ended at a red light. Both kids were scared pretty bad but there were no injuries and minimal damage to the vehicle. We stopped for dinner on the way home where Daddy and I asked about how far Mr N has progressed with his behavior in restaurants, it's truly impressive. The meal was pretty uneventful, he was content and calm most of the meal, a dramatic change from previous incidents.

Friday more family came to visit and brought their dog with them, Mr N was beyond ecstatic. He got to pet, cuddle and play fetch with their dog after spending the afternoon playing at the park. Saturday morning we departed for home, stopping at Daddy's friend's house for a few hours to visit on our way. They, too, had dogs that were kid friendly. Mr N played fetch until he wore everyone out before moving inside to check out the toys. He did amazing considering it was the 3rd new house he'd been to in the last week. He was calm and comfortable the entire time, interacting with everyone and even enjoyed a delicious piece of freshly baked banana bread (E horked down 3 pieces during our short visit).

Mr N has progressed so much it blows my mind. It's hard to believe he is able to adjust and adapt so quickly to a new environment and warm up to people so quickly. Watching my little boy sit on his grandparents lap is such a beautiful thing. I don't know that I ever thought that was possible. His speech has improved enough that some of what he says is recognizable by others. I have so much hope for my precious little man.