With Cuyler – it’s all or nothing.
He hates something or he loves it.
Example: He was obsessed with the Wiggles for a couple of years. Everything was Wiggles. Colours were no longer blue, red, yellow or purple. They were Anthony, Murray, Greg and Jeff.
He would line up makers and pretend they were Wiggles. He was always scripting from the shows. And now? Refuses anything to do with them. He can’t even tolerate watching them on tv. Then it was Thomas the Tank Engine for a couple of years and finally now we’ve managed to curb that fixation. (He now likes Webkinz – which is a bit more age appropriate)
He wants nothing to do with something or it’s all he wants.
Example: We couldn’t get him to hold a pencil or a crayon. He wanted nothing to do with arts and crafts. He could barely print his name. That was just last summer. Now we can’t get him to stop drawing pictures and making little books. Everywhere you go in our house you can find his artwork. It’s amazing.
Example: We couldn’t get him to hold a pencil or a crayon. He wanted nothing to do with arts and crafts. He could barely print his name. That was just last summer. Now we can’t get him to stop drawing pictures and making little books. Everywhere you go in our house you can find his artwork. It’s amazing.
He can make me want to rip my hair out or he can melt my heart.
For the past few weeks the wind/weather has been wreaking havoc on his sensory system. He used to wake up in the morning and play in his room, or head downstairs and hop on the computer to play webkinz. Lately he wakes up, looks out his window and cries at what he see’s. Either an overcast sky, a blue sky with clouds or the wind blowing the tree’s. And then he cries for the clouds to go away. And he keeps crying. Sometimes it’s all day.
This is about when I want to rip my hair out. This weekend was especially difficult for him with the blustery weather.
For the past few nights this is how he has fallen asleep – on the couch, crying with his fingers in his ears so he can’t hear the wind.
Saturday:
Sunday:
It’s heartbreaking, really. He is riddled with anxiety and thinks that everything is the wind – the dishwasher, washing machine, cars driving by, airplanes…and it is exhausting trying to keep him calm because it is a constant battle.
But then tonight I hear a little voice from the dining room calling me. “Mom. C’mere!”
“What’s up Cuy?”
“What’s up Cuy?”
“Take my picture!”
“A picture? What are you doing?”
“Take a picture of me and Cody. We’re having our bedtime snack!”
And they were.
Sean made Cuyler a bowl of popcorn for his bedtime snack. Cuyler then decided that Cody needed a bedtime snack too, so he got him 3 chocolate chips cookies.
Melted my heart…
Another awesome post Christine. The extremes are unreal aren’t they. Keep on the patient fight. I spent Sunday with my nephew and Will for the day – My nephew gets put off with raised voices – like really put off. You can imagine what that’s like with a toddler around. It was so exhausting! Then I think of you, my sister and the other parents dealing with it daily and you all blow my mind. He is absolutely beautiful fyi!!!