Little T Says Hello!

Today was T's first full day at home since summer school began. We've got about 2-3 weeks before school starts up again in the fall so my posting might be pretty light. The little guy is very active, my little Energizer Bunny, and he is going to keep his nana running from dawn to dusk! I got up at 7 a.m. and he was up, too, at the top of the steps and wanting to come down. While it was still cool (and cloudy!) we went out in the back to play. After that, we took an hour stroll around the neighborhood.

T has a great memory. He loves to walk in the neighborhood and he seems to have a photographic memory of the streets. He pointed to let me know which direction he wanted to go whenever we'd get to a stop sign. Walking down one street, some young people came out of the house with a baby and T was very interested in them. Suddenly, he sang out, "Hello!" It sounded more like heh-oh but I understood it! I was so thrilled because it's the first time I've heard him initiate speech and these people were strangers! Okay, usually you don't want your kid to talk to strangers but it's cool because a lot of kids on the spectrum don't socialize well. This was meaningful!

The young woman holding the baby smiled and said hello back and added, "There's a happy little boy!"

Along the way, I pointed out some things I thought would interest him--the pine needles, sound of birds singing and so on. He didn't say another word and I figure his little brain was busy processing everything. Sometimes he cocks his head at an angle and seems to be looking at things sideways. We know now that his vision is okay but there must be a reason why he does it.

Across the street from us is a cul-de-sac with a stop sign and he has a little ritual game he plays. It seems like he is driving a car because he'll walk backwards from someone's driveway to the street, pause, turn his head as if checking both ways and then walk forward to the stop sign. He stops again and then circles back to go through the same routine. He does this about a half dozen times.

When we got home, I got him a cool drink and a snack. I was soaked to the skin from the humidity. Luckily the sun wasn't out or I probably would have fried like an egg and passed out.

Michele (the eldest of the five kids) called from TN and I thought to put T on the phone with her. "It's Aunt Michele," I said to him. "Say 'hello'." And he did! It was the first time, I think, because she was very moved. I talked to granddaughter Taylor and grandson Nikky (he'll be 3 next month!) and told them both I missed them very much.

In the afternoon, I about passed out! The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be!