Tristan loves Dad

I apparently posted this on Twitter, but not here.

Anyway, a few days ago, as I was getting Tristan ready for school, he
must have heard his dad talking, and realized he was up.

Because he entered our bedroom, and upon seeing his father in bed,
instead of turning around, knowing not to wake him up, as he usually
does, he looked right at him and said "Dad."

I alerted Neal to this (it was so quick, that if you weren't paying
attention, you might not have realized what he said).

Neal opened his eyes and talked to him a bit, and told him he loved
him. Tristan made direct eye contact with him (to note Tristan will
seek out eye contact on his own terms - so this isn't as major as for
a child who doesn't make eye contact) while Neal spoke with him, and
when Neal was done, He jumped up and down, smiling.

This was something that made Tristan very happy, but also made Neal
very happy as our kids are very much Momma's kids, and if I'm home
will usually seek out affection from me, rather than Dad.

Tristan is not soulless, either

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=682

ga ga ga ga

Lily and I were dancing in the garage last night to music. Tristan
would sometimes come closer to us and dance around us or watch us. (I
observed him doing the same recently when I picked him up from school
- not sure if I blogged it at all, it was encouraging to see him
interacting w/ his peers a little...)

At one point, I started hopping in circles with my arms out and said
ga ga ga ga (a sound he frequently makes when happy - he also
sometimes says "goodagoodagooda")

He grinned and came up to me and danced around me and reached his hand
out to try and touch my hands. then he took my hand and danced with me
a bit. It was a very happy moment.

I Just Love This and recent Trister happenings

I just love this:
"sazriel posted a reply:

in response to soulstealer, but not necesarily the topic:
beaver leader is a fun phrase. try it aloud.
i'd never want to be not autistic, 'cause then i wouldn't have things
like beaver leader, even though i might have friends instead."

This is something someone on one of my Flickr Autism groups posted, in
response to a parent who had commented that she is a Beaver Leader in
her son's Beaver Scouts group, so he can have freedom while she can
still keep an eye on him. I just love it. I feel it really has an
interesting perspective to it.

---------------------------------------------

I woke up this morning to find Tristan curled up in bed next to his
sister, Lola. Yesterday, he'd been on the very edge of my bed when I
woke up and when I got out of bed he slowly moved to be curled up next
to Lily (we're staying in the basement of my inlaws' right now, so
we're all in one really big room pretty much - we'll be moving soon,
to our very own house)

Tristan also had his eyes pretty much glued shut with goop this
morning. Initially thought the discharge was allergies or sinus
infection, but that's primarily because he doesn't open his eyes very
wide. nope. he has pink eye. :( and I'm probably gonna get it cause I
was wiping him off without washing my hands immediately yesterday
evening...

The other day, after a night of not sleeping and repeatedly smacking
or kicking us in our sleep, I brought him into the family room, so dad
and sister could sleep, and I could take a shower and get ready.... I
put him on the couch; he pointed at the TV and said TV (well the v
wasn't clearly pronounced, but it was obviously TV) so I turned on
some cartoons for him. He was asleep by a few minutes of me getting
out of the shower - he continued his crazy running around and hitting
at school, apparently. They'd never seen this behavior. I'm pretty
sure it's a behavior that is exhibited when he is really really really
really tired. normally he's just grumpy and uncooperative when tired,
and rocks on his belly on the floor a lot.

No and Sharing

I got a video of this. when I have the patience for it I'll upload it
somewhere...

anyway, I had Lily sitting on the counter and Tristan sitting at the
counter and I was giving them strawberries, one at a time.

Well, every time I gave Tristan one, Lily would yell "no!" at him, so
I decided to try and get a video of it.

Well, she says no, then she grins because she knows why I'm
videotaping (yes, I know, I shouldn't encourage her) and squeals at
him again. He then, without a second thought, hands the strawberry to
her.

I was floored

and of course got him another one (the last one) since he was such a
good sharing brother.

He definitely gets it

Tristan was playing with a spatula that was used to make french toast
this morning (made by his wonderful Nanna).

She tried to take it away, because it was messy, and he got mad, so
she gave it back.

I said, "Tristan, let me clean that and he gave it right to me." :) I
cleaned it and gave it back.

I was so surprised by the response, especially since it was immediate.
I was expecting to have to take it away have him complain and give it
back after I cleaned it. but nope he gave it right to me. :) :)

Hungry

Tristan slept from picking the drive home all the way till bedtime. He
woke up about bedtime, held his hands together and said "hungr" (two
syllables). We were like wow. He said he was hungry!

:)