Christmas Break

Riley is having a great Christmas Break. I was a little worried that he would regress having been out of school for three weeks, but I have never heard him talk more. He’s not just talking, he is communicating with us. He is looking me in my eye and saying words! A lot of these things end with OK? Alan says I am the one that says okay a lot. It’s just so great to hear him ask for specific things instead of scream. His favorites this week have been:

I want lights off
I want goldfish
C’mon, Let’s go...
I want to go
PIZZA! I want pizza
I want, Okay?
I’m stinky
Mommy, I want..... (YES!YES!YES!)
I want hamburger, McDonalds, or french fries
I want music
I want BINGO
What’s that
Who’s that
Draw pizza
Count book
Smell the flowers

I have really been happy with the progress Riley has made from school last semester. I know that it will be really hard for him to go back, especially learning a new clinician and getting back into the routine. We won’t get to see Kristen everyday but she did come over yesterday to visit. I asked Riley who she was and he said, “Kristen!” He was so excited to see her! I told him to go open the door for her and he squealed with excitement! It was nice to see him play with her and use lots of words. We are going to start seeing her every Friday afternoon for therapy. He has such a rapport with her and she is great with him!

Hopefully he will go back potty trained because next week is the week for the dreaded “stay home every day and go to the potty every 15 minutes while wearing underwear” curriculum. I am excited because I know that he is more than ready, yet it will be a hard week of screams and impatience. You can guess if I am talking about me or Riles.

Other than going to bed at 11 or 12 every night, it has been the best Christmas break ever. We have really never seen him so aware and listening to our directions and actually following them. I can say, “Go tell Daddy” and he runs right in there to Alan. It helps because he doesn’t just count on me anymore. He is letting other people into his little world and it is so powerful to see.