Welcome Parents and Grandparents of Kids with Autism

It sounds like you are doing it all the right way. BRAVO my friend. BRAVO.
It's quite amazing how the healthcare system can, and will take advantage of those in your situation. I know first hand.

Keep us updated on the 'holiday show'!
Simply awesome.

Here's something that might be a little fun. My son, who is autistic, is 5 years old. Last year I did something that is now going to be a tradition. I put regular old oatmeal in a ziplock bag, and labeled it 'Reindeer food'.
Christmas eve, right before bedtime, we went outside and spread the reindeer food around the front yard. It was magical.
He was as lit up as a christmas tree.
Keep us updated!
lombozo

reply to post by lombozo


Thanks for the tip about the Reindeer Food. I think that we will do that this year. Gunnar and his brothers will love it I am sure. This Christmas will be so much more fun than Christmas's past. Gunnar seems to get it this year. He is really into the music. Especially Jingle Bells. He dances around as he sings it. His 5 year old brother gets it and can sing all the words. His little brother D'Artanian (Tanny, Age 3), really gets into it too, but he hasn't learned all the words yet, but I am sure he will before their big performance. That is another big question, will they in fact perform, when they have an audience or not ?????????

They are really into "their best friend, Jesus" too. The two younger ones are fighting over who will be the baby Jesus. Today I overheard them talking about it, and Hunter told Tanny, " you are the baby, so you can be
Baby Jesus, and Jesus is MY best friend, so I get to be the man Jesus." I don't know how we will work this out, but somehow we will be enlightened to make them all happy. It is a wonderful process, this making memories stuff. I love it. and cherish each second I am able to spend with them.

I guess Gunnar will be Mary or Joseph. He won't mind, Just so he can be a part of the play, and he loves to hold his baby brother, so I think that we will be in buisness. What better way to learn the faith that they are growing up in, than to enact the stories. FUN FUN FUN!!!

thanks again for the tips. I hope that your little boy will enjoy it again this year, as much as he did last year. I am sure that he will. Everything with these angels only gets better and better. We have been blessed, don't you agree?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. God bless everyone.



From Gunnar

[edit on 21-11-2007 by PORCUPINEPIE]

Happy New Year to all of you wonderful folks.

I haven't posted for a long time. The Holidays are such a busy time, especially when we are fortunate enough to have little ones around. It has really been fun, yet hectic. But everything is getting back to normal, and I have time to get back to ATS. So here is the latest on our saga.

First of all, Jeff, I did your suggestion of the reindeer food, Great idea. Only one problem, the boys wanted to know why the reindeer didn't eat it. I just told them that Aunt Nancy fed them too, and they were too full to eat anymor. What can you do?

And our little Christmas program, well I can only say that it was a sight to behold. We practiced and practiced. We practiced in the morning, evening, and every minute we could. Even in the Van going to the store or where ever we went. I thought we had it down as good as we could, considering they are 3,5 and 6.

We had 30+ people in my home. It was a great Christmas Eve celebration. When the big moment came to put on the show, we gathered everyone in the family room, standing room only.

So I had everything in place and the boys did very good singing Jingle Bells. Then they were to sing Jesus Loves Me. Well, that wasn't going to happen. Gunnar would not stop singing Jingle Bells. And the other two started argueing about who was going to be baby Jesus in the little play we had practiced. They both wanted to be baby Jesus. The plan was that the 3 year old would be baby Jesus, and the 5 year old was going to be Joseph, and Gunnar was going to be Mary. And I was going to be the narrator.

So there we were, Hunter (5yrs) saying he didn't want to be Joseph, because "he (Joseph) isn't the man Jesus, and I want to be Jesus. Jesus is my best friend, and I want to be Jesus". Then the little one, D'Artanian, says "NO! I am the baby, and Jesus is a baby. And Jesus is my best friend, and I am going to be the baby Jesus.". And the whole time, Gunnar is dancing around singing Jingle Bells. He was totally oblivious to the whole pagent project and was grooving out singing and dancing.

During this whole comedy of errors, I am trying to get them to settle down and reason with them. And the house is rocking and rolling with laughter by the 30+ family and friends. After a life time of that, I announced that I thought that it might be time to go back to the tamales, green chili stew and pasole. On one hand, it was a total failure, but on the other hand it was a fabulous memory that will last a lifetime. And I think that Jesus also enjoyed the Birthday Party we had planned.

To top the whole thing off, I had forgotten to designate a photographer.

I did learn that I should leave this type of preparation to someone else with a degree in early childhood education.








[edit on 053131p://0720 by PORCUPINEPIE]

reply to post by PORCUPINEPIE


You have no clue how much I needed the smile you just put on my face!
Thank you!