A Happy October Indeed

October was a great month! Zachary was so excited about being Buzz Lightyear and going trick-or-treating this year! It was truly the first holiday of his 4 1/2 years that he really and truly "got it" and looked forward to it. It was so much fun reliving all the fun of our own Halloween pasts and seeing the joy in his eyes too! We had a neighborhood parade and fall festival, a trip to the pumpkin patch, a play group costume party, a fall festival at school, and then of course the big night itself. Busy, busy!

Zach's social skills are really in bloom right now. He is a different kid around other kids than he is around us. It's like he comes alive when he has someone to play with. So very cool. While he's still a pain in the arse around us, at least he is loving his friends and teachers. He has a new friend at school, a cute little girl named Emily. I chatted with Emily's Mom, letting her in on Zach's autism, etc. And I told her how heart warming it is to me to see Zach playing with and wanting to be around other children these days, and how great it is for him to learn from, etc. She said that she knows for sure that the feeling is mutual with Emily, as her daughter is very obvious about it if she doesn't like another child. So that was just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. It would be great in and of itself if Zach just liked and wanted to be with other kids. But it's FAR, FAR better when he is also liked and wanted for a play friend by that same child. Reciprocity is definitely a good thing in the making of friendships :-)

His speech continues to improve. We have many conversations now. It's not just quick one sentence answers anymore. He is learning the letter blends (like S+H = the shhhh sound) which will lead him to reading soon. His speech therapist and school teacher have both told me that they think he'll be reading by the end of the year. Smart kiddo.

We're still doing well in the potty area, and haven't had many set backs, thankfully. He seems to be coming "alive" more and more every day. There is still a bit of stimming (jumping up and down, flapping, etc) if he's very excited, or very tired. I just think that's going to stick with him for a long time though. It's kind of a release of sorts I think since he can't quite verbalize everything he needs to. And that's fine. I think over time it will become more subtle, like let's say pulling on an ear or something, once he realizes that it does look odd to jump in place or flap his arms. Unfortunately, that lesson will be learned most likely from the other kids teasing him. And oh my how that's a whole heartache waiting to happen for mommy and daddy. We'll hope he sticks with the pretty girls at school like he's been doing, and they will stick up for him until he's able to for himself :-) Emotions are not something he gets at all right now. So that's a big worry too. Long road ahead for sure as kids get older and meaner.

So now we're done with Halloween and Zach's already saying "it's time for santa now, not later". Which just means that we are going to have a long two months :-) But a FUN two months, as once again, this will be another holiday that he "gets" this year. It's so much more fun for us when holiday's and traditions and rituals are not forced on him.