And Now We Return to Regular Programming

2013 starts in a few hours. The world did not end, with a bang or a whimper, on 21st Dec. Whether that's a good or a bad thing remains to be seen.

This year, all things considered, was a good one of many firsts. Little A started PROMPT speech therapy, changed ABA therapists, and has improved hugely in behavioural areas.

Big A and I recently spent two nights together, apart from our son, for the first time since he was born. We went on a crazy shopping holiday in Hong Kong to treat ourselves after all the hard work put into 2012. We also saw a musical together for the first time ever last October.

Work-wise, this Christmas was the busiest ever for the little shop, forcing me to fall off the grid somewhat in the month of December. I barely ate or slept, and did little apart from balance inventory, type up sales reports, and make change. The shopping vacation was a much needed respite from the other side of the retail experience.

Big A, too, was incredibly busy, juggling two jobs this year and not taking a single day off work until Dec 28th. Should next year prove to be just as successful, we will hopefully go on a nice family holiday abroad.

Wishing everyone a glorious 2013!

Frosty the Snowman

October End-of-Term show - tears

December show

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Following Teacher's action instructions

Little A was a bus driver for his Christmas school show. This year, instead of a Nativity play, they acted out the song "Frosty the Snowman," and did a little dance number in the middle.

Unlike the end-of-term show in October, when he cried madly after the dance number due to the applause, this time he was more aware that there would be clapping, so he steeled himself for the inevitable. I'd been working with him on clapping Mummy's hands instead of freaking out, and that had been working, as lately he'd been less prone to flying off the handle when he heard random clapping while we were out and about.

Apart from singing the Christmas carol daily in the days leading up to the show, I found a board book with illustrations to the song lyrics, and the Au Pair found a video on youTube for Little A to watch repeatedly.

Come showtime, he stood on the stage for the entire length of the "play," and swayed in place during the dance, even if he didn't do all the steps. We were all very proud.

Since he'd been sick with a fever and bad cough at the end of November, he's been amazingly behaved. All of his therapists have remarked on the change, and I noticed it particularly in the ten days the Au Pair was away. We're all crossing our fingers that this positive development will also be a permanent one.

What still is to come though, is speech. One school has already told us they have never accepted a non-verbal child, and another has turned him down partly on this basis. There are two more schools I will apply him to come January, but my main wish for the coming year is that he finds a place at a very supportive school. Let's hope those prayers get answered this year.