Three Little Engines: Christmas 2010

This year we didn't have to put up a mattress at the doorway. Aidan stays in his room until we get up.

Jace was the issue this year.

He climbs his security gate and yells for me to get him out, several times a night. I usually get up around 5am.

So the trick this morning was convincing him to stay in his room without screaming, until everyone was awake at 6:30am.

This is him begging me to let him out of his room.

Now don't worry, as you can see he has a sippy cup of milk. There is also his usual granola bar somewhere there, probably under a bear or dog. I mean, good grief, you can't expect Jace to wait for breakfast too!

With the way Aidan processes things, I wanted to have all the gifts completely set up and just let the boys at them as they chose.

But we had some unexpected gifts given for the boys, from a man who sees Aidan and Jacen everyday.

He runs a local business and enjoys visiting with them when their DT workers bring them to his store for community therapy.

So we started in the kitchen with the set up gifts.

If you look closely, you can see Aidan is upset.

This is how he initially reacts to everything not expected/planned since the regression.

People who don't know him think it's being ungrateful, or snotty.

But he just needs a few minutes to process it.

And then he's okay again and can enjoy the moment.

The more seizures he's having, the longer it takes for him to let go.

This morning was rough.

Jace on the other hand, loves surprises.

And Damon is just happy to be included.

It took at least an hour to cokes (sp?) Aidan into the playroom for the wrapped stuff.

Damon and Jace are my boys that love stuffed animals.

Aidan has no use for them.

But these two could be considered hoarders when it comes to such things.

Now that thing in the green bag is actually one of our family gifts. Didn't set it up because Daddy didn't want to last night. So the first introduction of it was a dud, and he proclaimed they were "too young" for it.

Hm. He'll see.

These were the gifts from their store mgr "santa."

I added one for Damon, and yes, that's construction paper. I told you I wasn't planning on wrapping anything, so I had to make do with what I had.

This one is from our family friend who knows our boys very well. I love Aidan's expression. He's so frustrated he can't get it open. :)

It's a huge roll of Thomas coloring activities. Like I said, knows them well. ;)

This is santa's train all set up and running. Jace wouldn't stop jumping over it, in front of it, straddling it...

W-sitting in the middle of it...

While Aidan was well, a little freaked by it's battery operated movement sound.

He actually loves it. I know you can't tell, but he was insistent we protect it from Jace, so I know he loves it.

He'll just need more time to process the whole thing and not feel threatened by it. It's a sensory thing. They are opposites with that. Jace seeks sensory stimulation to the point of being terribly dangerous. Aidan avoids like the plague.