B is for Birthday

B is for Birthday.  This year, we opted to combine Apollo and Phoenix's birthday parties together in order to save time and money for everyone involved.  We held it at Pete's Party Castle, which is where we had Apollo's last year. He calls it "Pizza Party Castle" but I would have to say it might be one of his favorite places to go play.  We had lots of last minute cancellations (including his best friends due to a car issue), but he still had fun regardless.  In fact, the only time I actually saw him was during cake and presents.  Other than that, he was in the dragon playground from arrival to departure.  he was so busy, I couldn't even get him to come out to ride the train! He seemed to get along well enough with all the kids who came, including a couple from his soccer team and several of his cousins.  He was disappointed that the cousin he is closest to couldn't make it, but he rebounded well from the disappointment.  And boy was he excited to blow out that "5" candle!  I can't believe my baby is 5! He loaded up on lots of great toys that he is enjoying immensely including Ninja Turtles, Legos, more Thomas tracks (this boys LOVES trains, hence the surprise when he wouldn't go ride one), a Pogo stick and a LeapReader.  He is a very loved little boy and he is showing me more and more each day that forcing myself to have the patience to deal with his autism is worth the effort.  When he's having a bad day, it is hard on all of us, but when he is having a good day - wow, there is no way to describe how a good day feels.  Think something along the lines of warm sunshine wrapped in a hug with a side of chocolate.  Whatever it is, all the bad days don't matter when that sweet little boy curls up on me (a rarity these days, he's not a cuddler) and tells me "I love you, momma."

(This is the daughter of a friend of mine with him.  He let her touch him.  He didn't get upset the whole time that she sat beside him, which was for the duration of the cake celebration.  We are making PROGRESS!)

 
B is for Behavior.  My grandmother (Grandmama) is, without exception, Apollo's best friend.  I think they are simply kindred souls, so they understand each other in a way that nobody else ever will.  Which is great for my little guy.  Over the last four months, he didn't get to see Grandmama nearly as much as he (and she and I) would have liked for him to and I think it really affected him.  Perhaps his missing her was part of his behavior problems, since they started getting worse shortly after Christmas.  Now that tax season is over (she has prepared them for a LONG time, we'll leave it at that), she is wanting him to come over once a week again and he is DELIGHTED.  I usually drop him off for a couple hours to get errands like grocery shopping done - and he is always giddy as a pig in mud when I pick him up.  His has gotten to visit her for a couple hours for the last two weeks and his behavior is markedly improved.  Whether that is Grandmama, his new medication or a combination remains to be seen.  I am leaning towards the latter since I believe the medication is helping, but I KNOW that seeing Grandmama is helping.  It's a win-win so far. He tells me everything he ate (which is usually an inordinate amount), everything he did and just about everything Grandmama said to him.  He is rarely as excited to tell me about his day as he is when he visits Grandmama.  He loves to walk in the woods with her and pretend.  He loves to eat peanut butter and jelly.  He loves to play in water (whether it be "swimming" in the bathrub or endlessly filling cups with water).  Then again, he was always my toddler that was splashing in the toilet.  His absolute favorite thing to do with Grandmama is to read books - an activity he could (and would) do absolutely all day if he were able.

B is for Books.  Apollo is a little bookworm.  Not that I am complaining - not one iota.  I want my children to be well-rounded, well-educated individuals.  My kids love books.  Apollo got a LeapFrog Tag (now known as LeapReader) for his birthday from me, along with half a dozen books I got on deep discount.  He has already run the rechargeable pen down 5 times in less than a week!  And his favorite book isn't even a story really - it's a Kindergarten readiness book I picked up on a whim.  He already knows everything in it, but he reads it cover to cover and does every activity, then starts over. His vocabulary is amazing for his age, but he rarely uses it.  We got a taste of it the other night.  I don't even remember exactly what it was he said, but it was clear and eloquently spoken, unlike the jumbled mumble he usually uses with us.  I can only imagine what he tells his stuffed and imaginary friends when he holes himself up in his room and disappears for hours.  We don't worry about him when he does this.  In fact, we encourage it because it grounds him.  It is his "reconnect" time with himself, which I am told is very important for the introverted.  Apollo, with few exceptions, is very much a hermit and keeps to himself.  Certain situations can pull him out of his shell a bit, but the more he is pulled out, the more he shuts down and inward in the following days.  It's almost like - the more he opens up, the more recovery time he needs.  So we let him be a hermit.  It's good for him - and it's good for us.  He is rarely quietly during that time though.  He is always babbling away every time we walk by his door, which remains closed during his recovery time.  He is quite the little scholar and public speaker when nobody is listening  - my little oxymoron.