The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's been nothing but smiles and happiness around here for the holiday season, and the little guy is the main reason. Elijah continues to show great progress, and both Sarah and I couldn't be happier. From dropping him off in the morning at school (where unprompted hellos to teachers, fist-bumps with the principal and smiles for classmates are the norm) to picking him up in the afternoon (when, according to Sarah, hugs from classmates signal the end of the school day), it seems as if first grade is first-rate! Without any help, Elijah gets his lunch each day in the cafeteria and eats with his classmates. (Although we have discovered that his favorite item, the "Deli Sub," is nothing more than a piece of turkey and a piece of American cheese between two slices of white bread. Drool, drool!). For most parents, these moments may not signify all that much, but for us, it shows incredible growth.

School is just one example of how things are different this year. In previous years the holiday season meant as much to Elijah as the start of hunting season .... nothing. Last year he seemed to get the holiday idea somewhat as he asked for gifts from Santa and lit Hanukkah candles (of course the fact that the latter included chocolate coins made it all the better). This year, however, he is in full holiday mode. On Thanksgiving, he devoured turkey at two different settings (at home and at Uncle George and Aunt Julie's) and shared with Grandma Smith turkeys he had drawn. Then, after insisting that the packed-away Christmas tree be brought up from the basement, he proceeded to decorate it like a true professional, or at least like a professional 7 year-old. (Most of the ornaments were on one side, all of them about his eye level, with no rhyme or reason to his pattern.)

Then the menorah was filled with candles, and when I tried to explain that only one candle is used on the first night, Elijah insisted that all eight be lit. It appears as if a new Hebrew tradition is being started in our home -- start with eight candles on the first night of Hanukkah and work your way down to one. But hey, a miracle is a miracle any way you look at at.

Elijah's artistry has taken a new path as he now uses the Paint program on the computer to create pictures that sometimes convey a story arc, but more often are images like the house pictured here.

Add to all of this activity Elijah's happiness to go weekly therapy sessions with "Miss Nicki" and his joy when we go to the gym (he gets hugs and kisses from the girls who work there), and what you have is one very happy and rambunctious little boy, full of life and expressing it both in words and actions. A very wonderful time indeed!

A Lost Tooth, but Not a Lost Cause

It has been a very exciting couple of weeks here as Elijah has FINALLY lost his first tooth, waiting until he was 7 years old. After a few days of pushing against it with his tongue, the big moment occurred while he was at school, which meant he not only lost a tooth, but also gained a certificate, signed by the nurse, announcing the occasion. That night the Tooth Fairy, taking into account the rate of inflation and the tough economic times we are in, replaced the tiny tooth with two dollars and a note telling him to spend the money on anything he wanted. Elijah, being Elijah, used the money to buy a clipboard on which he has been practicing his spelling test words for school. Practical and educational...that's Sarah's genes, not mine!

Losing a tooth was not the only notable event that occurred at school recently. Sarah, concerned that some children were making fun of Elijah, wrote his teacher about it. Since bullying is such a hot-button issue at schools these days, his teacher suggested that a way be found to educate his classmates about Elijah's autism. She asked if there might be a book she could share with the class and help them understand why Elijah acts the way he does sometimes.

Dad took to the Internet and found a couple of titles that could be used. One of them, Looking After Louis, was a perfect fit. The main character, Louis, who is autistic but still mainstreamed at a public school, had many characteristics that were similar to Elijah. Louis has an adult sit with him in class, mimics the teacher and has wonderful artistic skills. He wants to play with the other boys but doesn't seem to comprehend how to do it. The narrator of the story is a little girl who is a classmate of Louis and wants to be his friend but can't understand why the rules don't seem to apply to him. At the end of the story, the children begin to see, through his art, how special Louis is and play with him like they would any other classmate. As a father of a little boy with autism who hopes each day that his son will be accepted by his peers, I admit the ending brought tears to my eyes.

But what would Elijah's classmates think? His teacher, with the assistance of the school counselor, read the book to his class while Elijah was out of the room. (His absence was not an unusual occurrence, as Elijah, who reads at a very advanced level but has trouble comprehending what he reads, goes to a reading skills room at least twice a week.)

According to the teacher and counselor, the class really seemed to understand and wanted to help. (I must give praise to Elijah's teacher whose incredible enthusiasm is only equaled by her and the counselor's empathy for Elijah's situation. They are both doing a wonderful job.) A sign-up sheet was posted for members of the class to be Elijah's "recess buddy" (it would involve playing with Elijah for the first 10 minutes of recess) and it looked like every one of them signed up to do it. Not only that, at the school book fair, at least four of his classmates made a beeline for him to say hello, with one little girl insisting that her mother, who was volunteering at the checkout area, stop what she was doing so Elijah could be introduced to her. And each greeting to Elijah was returned by our little guy with his eyes looking at the person, and if it was a female classmate, a smile from ear to ear.

Sarah and I have often said that we are lucky to have Elijah in the school system he is in, and his progress has borne that out. When we drop him off in the morning and he gets out of the car with a huge smile while running for the front door, sometimes laughing with another student, he looks like any other typical first grader. What more can a parent ask for?

Hold that Tiger

Just like the proverbial Jewish wedding, Halloween seemed to go on forever this year. Because parent-teacher conferences were scheduled for the end of the week, Elijah's school costume party and parade was held on the Wednesday before Halloween. Usually Elijah's costume is something that is bought at the last minute because of a complete lack of interest on his part. Since Star Wars and ninjas are as foreign to him as they would be to a child in a Third World country (no, that's wrong -- a child there would be more likely than Elijah to know who Luke Skywalker is), the costume-selection process this year seemed destined to be futile.

But that wasn't the case. As we went costume-hunting, Elijah shocked me by saying, "Daddy, I want to be a tiger." This was a first. Not once had he ever WANTED to be something for Halloween. My excitement was tempered, however, when I discovered that the only tiger costumes available at any local store were for either infants or women with very small waists and very long legs. Thank God for the Internet! A Google search found a costume store in New Jersey with the perfect tiger outfit, and a delighted Elijah soon had his costume, which he loved wearing and which was big hit with other felines in his class.

That was just the first time that week he wore the stripes. On Saturday, the day before Halloween, our health club held a "Spooktacular" that had all sorts of activities (including face painting, a bounce house, pumpkin decorating and pony rides) for kids. The little guy had a great time.

At last the big night arrived, and after some hugs from a very cute "Cat in the Hat," Elijah was ready to collect candy. Trick-or-treating with Elijah used to be a very quick experience. The first couple of years, it was two or three doors and then back to the house. Then last year, he realized that the more houses he went to, the more candy he would get, so we would go door to door until he would get a large candy bar (usually a Crunch Bar), and then he'd want to go home immediately to devour his gains. This year was different. He was on a mission to get candy, and lots of it.

As I tried to explain to Elijah, first you ring the doorbell, then you say "trick or treat," then allow the person to put some candy in your pumpkin (bag). You don't grab. And you thank them. Well, even the best-laid plans ....

At the first house we went to, our neighbor told Elijah to "grab as much as you want." Though he didn't do it then, the thought stuck with him, and it was a constant battle at every succeeding house as his hand reached out for the bowl brought to the door and he tried to grab a handful of candy. That was the only real problem of the night (if one doesn't include the fact that Elijah would ring the doorbell and say "trick or treat" at almost the same time, which led to many awkward moments of silence when someone finally opened the door. But at least he always said "thank you.")

We went up and down the blocks in our neighborhood and collected lots of candy before the little guy announced he wanted to go home and eat some of his stash. The first thing he devoured when we got home was a large Hershey Bar given to us by one of our neighbors, who also happens to be our dentist. Do you think there is a connection there? As Elijah's chocolate- smeared face shows, it was a good night to be a tiger.

It Was a Beautiful Day

The words of Bono and U2 couldn't be more apt for the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event this past weekend. From the weather, which was double the temperature from last year, to the turnout of walkers and volunteers, it was a great day at the Kansas Speedway.

Of course even great days with Elijah can have some stress to them. I had left early to help the committee get things ready at the site, so I was unaware that Elijah had informed Sarah he wanted to finish the Microsoft Word project (probably recreating some signage he had seen) he was working on and didn't want to go anywhere for the foreseeable future, even if it was an outdoor party. However, after some arm twisting (verbal, not literal), the little guy and Sarah were on their way.

While all of this drama was occurring, I was helping the volunteers get situated and seeing if the vendors needed any help getting set up. It was a nice feeling to see a constant flow of people coming to the main area, all of whom volunteered to help Walk Now for Autism Speaks. Yes, I knew that some did it for community service credit at school, while others had been asked (coerced) by their company to be there, but whatever the reason, they all seemed happy and eager to be part of the Walk experience.

When Sarah and Elijah arrived I could tell it had been a stressful ride. I told Sarah to go relax and have something to eat, while I took the little guy around. Our first stop was to see Miss Tiffany, who ran the summer camp Elijah enjoyed so much and was a vendor at this event. The second he saw her, a huge smile ran across his face (and hers too!) followed by hugs and even more smiles.

Right after that we ran into two of the employees of the children's center at our health club, Ali and Christian, who had signed up to walk with us. That brought another big smile and a question for them from Elijah: "Where's Kelsey?" Kelsey was the third member of health club contingent, the first one to sign up to join us, and to be honest, Elijah's favorite. (Although for the last few weeks, Elijah has been telling Katie, who works the front desk, that she looks beautiful and he would like a hug from her. When I reminded him that he had told me that Kelsey was his favorite he replied, "I like Kelsey, but I love Katie P.")

After being delayed by traffic, Kelsey arrived, and that brought the biggest smile of the day from Elijah. After the girls made Elijah a bracelet with his name on it (more on that later), we set off with about 8,000 others to Walk for Autism Speaks. All during the walk Ali, Christian and especially Kelsey interacted with Elijah so much that not once did he ever whine or complain about walking. What makes events like these so special for me is to see such a large crowd and know that no one is judging your child as if they were different, but instead understanding your family and what they go through on a daily basis -- that there is a community out there for support. Yet, as wonderful as that feeling was, for me that wasn't the most memorable part of the walk. What I found extraordinary was the number of spectrum kids and their parents who knew and greeted Ali, Christian and Kelsey and the genuine affection that both sides shared for each other. What a wonderful sight to see! It made me very proud to have those three on Elijah's team.

Once the walk was over, Sarah took the little guy home and I helped volunteers and committee members clean up the grounds. Little did I realize a crisis of major proportions was brewing at home. The bracelet that Ali and Kelsey had made for Elijah, the one he had proudly worn all throughout the walk was, as he discovered later, missing two foam letters from his name. The magnitude of this trauma was expressed to Sarah through teary eyes and breathless crying that was more intense than when he got his first shot.

Upon my arrival home, I was instructed by Elijah that I needed to immediately go back to the walk area, find the missing yellow "L" and "H" and bring them home. Obviously that wasn't going to happen, so a "plan B" was devised. A trip to Hobby Lobby to buy a bag of foam letters (along with a chocolate chip cookie) turned out to be our solution. The bracelet was made whole again and the memory of the happiness and joy of the afternoon festivities was quickly restored.

Any day that can have as many hugs and smiles as this one did is truly a beautiful day and one I hope we can wander through again.

Monkey See....

As you can see by the picture to the left, taken on the first day of class, Elijah is happy to be back in school. Outside of a couple of problem days early (without going into detail, let's just say I curse the person who thought automatic flush toilets were a great idea for children under 10!), he seems to be moving forward. At the two birthday parties that have taken place so far this school year, he has recognized and greeted classmates, laughed and played WITH them and has been asked by a female first-grader to "tell me I'm gorgeous." Pretty typical behavior, and that's all one can ask for.

Those of you who bought wrapping paper, cookie dough or something else that you probably didn't need are aware that the major fundraising event of the school year is now over. And yes, Elijah did qualify (thanks again to all those who sacrificed) for his backpack monkey, but the story doesn't end there. From the very first day he saw it, Elijah wanted the "big monkey with the blue eyes." I knew that the backpack version of Max was a gimme, with grandparents and aunts willing to contribute, but the "big" monkey was given only to those who sold at least one hundred items. Needless to say, that wasn't going to happen, yet every day, Elijah would ask if I had brought the big monkey home.

So, being the manipulated father that I am, with Elijah's happiness my only concern, I contacted the company that was running the sale and got the local representative's name and number. I then called her, explained the situation and asked if I could buy a large monkey for my son. Yes, she did have a monkey available, and she would be happy to sell it at cost. For a mere $8.50, Elijah could reach the nirvana that only a large, blue-eyed monkey could bring. When I told Sarah what I was doing, I was somewhat surprised she didn't put up more of a fight, but instead agreed that this was a small price to pay for childhood bliss. A check was sent and arrangements were made to have Max delivered to Elijah's school.

It turned out to be a HUGE success. When Sarah went to pick up Elijah at school and presented him with the monkey, his smile was truly from ear to ear. When he walked out of the school with the "big" monkey, other kids were in awe: "Elijah got the big monkey! Elijah got the big monkey!" Of course, the little guy was oblivious to this adulation, as he doesn't have the gloat component in his DNA, but Mom made sure that the truth was known as she told the other mothers that Daddy had bought Max. But the little guy didn't care. He had his big monkey with blue eyes, which he now has named George, and it has been his constant companion since he brought it home. I guess money can buy happiness, if it comes dressed up as a four-foot monkey with blue eyes.

Elijah's Take on the Prop 8 Battle in California

Actually, as you can see below, Elijah re-created an illustration from a new book he received entitled "Library Mouse."

I guess I'm just being, as Sarah puts it, squirrely.

We not only survived, but actually thrived and had a great time

Though it may not be what it advertises itself as (the Magic Kingdom), for three days in August, Disneyland was a joy for Elijah and fun for Mom and Dad as well. From our first ride (Nemo's Submarine) to our last (zooming above California as though we were hang-gliding) a smile or sense of awe were Elijah's constant expressions.

When we arrived at Disneyland we immediately made our way to "City Hall" and received a special pass that allowed us, because of Elijah's autism, to avoid most long lines at rides. This brought down the anxiety level tremendously (except when I was asked to go on roller coaster-type rides) and allowed us, over our time there, to hit every ride we wanted to, some of them multiple times.

My anxiety over Sarah taking Elijah on Space Mountain (an intense indoor roller coaster) was completely unfounded, as the little guy bounced down the runway at the end of the ride with a smile from ear to ear. (I'm guessing now that all the children I saw crying by the exit were emerging from the Captain EO 3-D movie theater nearby -- Michael Jackson can be pretty scary, especially in 3-D). Insisting he wanted to go back on the "indoor spaceship," Elijah rode Space Mountain three times during our visit, which made it, along with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, his favorite.

Notice I said Sarah taking Elijah on Space Mountain. She also took him on the Bobsleds, the Rolling Thunder Roller Coaster, the Indiana Jones ride and the Soarin' Over California (simulated hang-glider) rides as well. Daddy does not do heights and fast rides. (I did go with them on the simulated hang glider ride the second time they went on it, with Elijah holding my hand and telling me not to be scared.) But I was along for all the tame rides (and over the three days that meant just about every attraction) and had a great time.

The only sour note (at least for Sarah) occurred when we went on the "Cars" ride. (Oldtimers will remember it as the Autobahn ride.) The "little guy" loved getting behind the wheel, with Daddy controlling the gas, and driving his sports car. Unfortunately, near the end, the car in front of us died and left us stranded in a traffic jam in the hot sun. As Sarah so aptly pointed out, why would anyone fight gridlock to drive to Disneyland, then get on a ride to sit in stalled traffic? I couldn't argue with her logic, but the smile on Elijah's face made the wait tolerable.

Besides the rides (and the daily chocolate-chip cookie), a major highlight for Elijah was meeting Pooh and his friends. Two trips on the Pooh ride wasn't nearly as exciting as getting a hug from Tigger, Eeyore and Pooh himself.

The California Adventure Park was fun as well, especially for Sarah, as she got another roller coaster ride under her belt. (The large loops even scared off Elijah, who told us he didn't want to go on that with Mommy.) The 3-D ride of Toy Story and the aforementioned hang glider movie/ride were the highlights, but for Elijah, perhaps the biggest sensory delight was the large letters spelling "California" at the park entrance. In fact, days later, he wrote the word California (spelled correctly, which I couldn't do until I was much older, and I lived there!) using the same color scheme that was at the park entrance.

Add to the mix a fun (but cold) day at the beach, the incredible hospitality shown to us by Aunt Kathy and Uncle Marv, the generosity and love given to us by Grandpa and Grandma Nessel, and one would have to say that, for about a week, we were at the "happiest place on Earth."

Nemo would have been proud

As devoted followers of this blog (the handful of family and friends out there) know, Elijah has been hitting certain milestones these past 12 months, and we couldn't be happier about it. Last month we were informed by his camp (a big shout-out to "Miss Tiffany" and Successful Sounds for a great summer of fun and growth) that the little guy jumped off the diving board at the pool during the swim lesson portion of camp.

Today I saw for myself that yes, that was true, as he took a flying leap off the city pool's board, came up with a smile on his face and swam to the side of the pool. As an added bonus, one of the lifeguards at the pool who was involved in trying to teach Elijah how to swim a couple of summers back, was there watching. His smile (though not as large as Daddy's) spoke volumes, and while he gave Elijah a high-five as he climbed out, his statement to me -- "that was awesome" -- summed up my feelings as well.


As I mentioned earlier, camp was great this year. The scrapbooks we received for each camp session show not only a smiling Elijah (especially when music is involved) but also an Elijah who interacts with the other kids and actually enjoys having his picture taken (in contrast to the photos that we get from school, which look more like hostage videos).


So, as we get closer to our initial family visit to the "happiest place on Earth," I already think this summer has been special.

UPDATE

Since this entry was written (but never posted) we have been to Disneyland and had a great time. Furthermore, Elijah attempted to give both Mom and Dad heart attacks by doing flips off the side of my sister's pool. What happened to the little guy who wouldn't even jump into the shallow end of the pool? Blog entry about Disneyland (with photos) will be up shortly.

FURTHER UPDATE

Without any hesitation Elijah jumped numerous times off the high diving board at the pool yesterday including one attempt at doing a flip which caused shortness of breath in both Mom and Dad.

Summer's Here and the Time is Right

Summer has flown by so quickly this year that I can't believe Elijah only has one more week of camp left. It has been a good summer (OK, the weather has ranged from monsoons to steam-room temperatures, so it hasn't been perfect), with the little guy really enjoying himself, be it at camp, the pool or going to a movie. Sarah has done a great job shuffling him from camp to therapy during the week, all the while moving her new business forward. I have seen some real growth in Elijah, both in his verbal abilities and in his behavior.

We have been told that he has tried, and on occasion completely eaten, his prepared lunches at camp, which have included all sorts of fruits and vegetables. He has engaged people in conversations and now talks on the phone with both Sarah and me. He loves the water and constantly wants to swim to the "red line" that is the depth marker for 5' 2." (I have to explain to him that he can do that only when Mommy is with him, not Daddy, for obvious reasons.) He now enjoys 3-D movies, keeping his glasses on the entire time while commenting "this is cool." Popcorn, both at the movies and at home, has been added to his food list, along with watermelon.

Some of his quirkiness still remains. He still is fascinated when he hears or sees children crying, trying to get as close as he can to them with a huge grin on his face. His rote speech of songs, movies or TV shows continues, but he at least now tells us where the words and phrases originated. And, to Sarah's chagrin, he loves to emit all sorts of bodily noises -- but isn't that what little boys do best?

With Sarah trying to get work done, weekends have been Daddy time, but I'm not complaining. It has been, for the most part, a joyful ride with enough ups and downs to equal an (and I'm dating myself here) E-ticket at Disneyland. Which reminds me that it's just two weeks until we take Elijah to the Magic Kingdom for the first time. Stay tuned!

7th Inning Stretch

I cannot believe that Elijah turned SEVEN years old this past week. It has been an incredible journey, and we barely have left the dock. The party went off without a hitch, and everyone seemed to have a good time. The day of the party, there were three occasions when a meltdown by the little guy could have occurred, but I am happy to report he never even frowned.

Early in the day I picked up the cake and it had chocolate frosting, not vanilla, as the birthday boy had requested. When I showed him the cake, the frosting was not nearly as important as the musical notes he had requested on the icing. Frosting color debacle avoided!

Crisis number two involved the guests just showing up. In past years, the arrival of lots of kids asking for him would have driven Elijah inside the house as he insisted, "I want them to go." This year he watched, approached and actually had eye contact with some of the partygoers (admittedly most of those he interacted with were adults, but it was a start.)

The final and I thought the most likely chance for a cataclysmic disaster was when, after some boys played with his mini basketball goal for awhile, Elijah informed me the backboard was broken. As I viewed the cracks on the backboard I knew the crying was about to begin. Instead the little guy asked if I could tape over the cracks, which I told him was no problem, and he was happy. Now THAT was a breakthrough!

Is Hanna-Barbera hiring?

Yes, it's been awhile since my last post, but with Sarah on the computer all the time trying to make a living, my screen time is way down. So far it's been a good summer (spring never appeared here -- we went from snow and 20 degrees to high humidity and temperatures in the 90s in about a 24-hour period).

The Memorial Day weekend was filled with fun family outings that, because of her new schedule, Sarah was able to partake in. The outdoor pool at our health club opened on Saturday with Elijah and I showing up with suits on and raring to go. Within an hour, not one, not two, but three very attractive bikini-clad young ladies walked up to us to say hello and give a hug to.....Elijah. Since I was old enough to be their father, I just smiled at them and insisted that Elijah respond in kind. For the record, two were from the child center and the third was a lifeguard at the indoor pool during the winter. With prompting, all three got a "hello" back from Elijah.

That was just the start of the "Isn't that Elijah" recognition game that played out over the entire weekend. At a hot air balloon rally that night someone else recognized Elijah from a gym class he took years ago. The next day at the park pool, he was greeted by a little girl who knew him from YMCA after-school care this past year. (A boy at the pool later that weekend also recognized him from "Y-Care.") On Sunday night, at an outdoor concert attended by thousands, he was spotted by a young lady who used to babysit him years ago. And what was Elijah's response to all of this attention? Unless prompted, he pretty much ignored everyone, but it made me feel good to see how many people knew, and more importantly, seemed to care, who he was.

One activity on our radar this summer is to get the little guy to ride his bike more. We've already made a long excursion on the trails near our home, and he continues to enjoy riding at the area we call "Goose Poop Park." (A lake in the middle of this park is home to a large contingent of Canada geese and, without using too much of your imagination, I think you can see why we call it what we do.)

At the park is one spot where a tree's root has caused the pathway to rise quite a bit. Elijah, wanting to warn people about this impending danger, created a sign that he attached to a Starbucks stirring stick and planted in the ground:

Whenever the little guy does something like this, I am both delighted and amazed by his attention to detail and how his mind works. Yet, just when I think he cannot top a previous effort, Elijah creates something, besides basketball goals and signs, that just floors me. Yesterday he did it again.

Months ago, when he was in a Winnie the Pooh phase, he asked (actually demanded with a plead of "I need...") for a variety of Pooh coloring pages to be downloaded from the computer. Since I haven't seen any of them for awhile, I thought he was done with them until I was the presented the following:

This is the Pooh page I downloaded...

This is how he colored it.....

As he told Sarah and me, Pooh was singing a song (note the microphone and the notes) because he was happy. Forgetting for a moment the story he created for the picture, what absolutely blew me away was the detail he filled in as background. From the pathway from "(R)abbits (H)ouse" to the "Hunny" pot on the ground, it was as if he created his own cartoon cell, a lost art these days with almost all cartoons being computer animation. But I'm not surprised -- it's in his genes. With his mom having worked for years in print journalism (a dying industry) why wouldn't he show a talent and affinity for creating something that, like the newspaper, has just about disappeared in today's society?

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know this yet, Sarah has given notice to her employer and will be doing the freelance gig full time now. I am very excited about her venture and know she will be extremely successful (with her talent how could she not be!) Unfortunately someone in our family is concerned about the future and is making preparations if things don't go well.

Have faith little guy.....mom's going do just fine.

Mother Knows Best

It's been like a MASH unit here the last couple of weeks. Sarah had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and was hobbling around on crutches for a couple of days followed by limping with a cane. Amazingly she didn't miss a day of work, even taking an electric cooler, filled with ice and with hoses that wrapped around her knee, with her to her office. As she tried to put more weight on her leg, she would leave a crutch or her cane leaning against the wall making our house seem like the final scene in either A Christmas Carol or Miracle on 34th Street. Elijah has had horrible allergies causing puffy eyes, constant sneezing and red splotches on his cheeks. I have been taking care of the both of them and, to quote Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, "I'm to old for this shit." (Full disclosure: Waiting on Sarah hand and foot for a couple of days was nothing compared to when I had my back surgery years ago. Sarah did an incredible job of helping me recuperate with all the TLC one could hope to get.)

Unfortunately, as a by-product of his allergies, Elijah was also getting bloody noses every day. No, that isn't right; it was every night, mostly between two and four in the morning. With Sarah somewhat disabled, I would have to clean up the little guy, change his pajamas and sheets, start a load of laundry and calm him back to sleep. (For awhile only Lizzie Borden went through more bloody sheets than we did.)

When I spoke with my mom and told her what was occurring she suggested a swab of Vaseline inside Elijah's nose each night would help. Sure enough the blood spigot has been turned off and all three of us are now sleeping peaceably through the night. I guess mom proved again she must have gained some knowledge from raising the three of us.

Which reminds me of the famous Mark Twain quote: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in seven years." Thanks again mom for not only your love, but wisdom as well.

On the Beach

As I mentioned on an earlier post, we spent a wonderful week at the beach in Siesta Key on Florida's Gulf Coast. Sarah found a great place a hop, step and jump from the beach, and everyone had a great time.

Vacations usually involve eating out, which, with Elijah in tow, can lead to some stressful times. Fortunately Sarah booked a room with a kitchen, so meals were, if not a pleasure, at least no different from what occurs at home. With a barbecue grill right outside our door and a Publix Market a few blocks away, meals were not only cheaper, but much healthier than our normal vacation fare. (The Publix became our second home on this vacation. Each day Elijah would ask to go there as he shares his father's odd obsession with wandering through upscale grocery stores, especially if a viewing of crayon markers or a free treat is on the agenda. With the demographics of the area being elder Jews and Hispanics, each time I went there I thought I was back at a Vons in Sherman Oaks!)

Except for a day trip to the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, we spent almost all of our time on the beach. Although Sarah and I enjoyed the aquarium, Elijah seemed bored by the idea of looking fish that don't talk they do in the Nemo films. One of the few times he really seemed to be enjoying himself was when he was viewing a tank that contained clownfish, or "Nemo fish" (and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, when he saw the "traffic signs" in the gift shop.) But his biggest smile came when we debarked from a tour boat. "Look Daddy...over there," he said excitedly, and joyfully pointed out a basketball court someone had constructed behind one of the docks.

The beach was wonderful. The sand, like no other I've seen, stays cool to the touch and, like the tourist brochures promised, truly does feel like flour. And as one got closer to the water, the sand became home to sea shells by the thousands, prompting beachgoers to comb the area from sunup to sundown looking for the perfect shell.

Although colder than normal for this time of year, the weather, except for rain on our last day there, was great. I got a laugh when I went out to get a paper one morning wearing shorts, a T-shirt and flip flops and encountered a gentlemen out for his morning walk bundled up in a sweatshirt, jacket and gloves. I doubt he would even leave his home during winter if he lived anywhere near us. (The warmest day of the trip coincided with the day that SEVEN inches of snow fell back home.)

Our last night coincided with the traditional drum circle event on the public Siesta Key beach. Lots of congos and bongos, hula hoops and flowers, with people encouraged to join in and dance to the rhythm. Of course our little guy jumped right in and showed the crowd his best steps.

Just like we felt about our vacation, he left the crowd wanting more!

A Quick Break from Spring Break

Yes I know I promised to post more photos from our trip to Siesta Key along with details of the little guy's beach escapades, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. In the meantime here is some new artwork that is gracing our walls that was inspired by a trip to the Sarasota Aquarium.

Once we got there Elijah had little or no interest in seeing dolphins, giant squids, pelicans and blow fish, though a tank containing a real Nemo and Dori did get his attention; but the gift shop with its various "traffic signs" (i.e. manatee crossing, a picture of a shark with the words Dead End) pique his curiosity. That interest waned however until today when, in a burst of creativity, he recreated the shark sign and added to it a variety of crossings we should be on the lookout for when we take to the highway. I don't know about you but being stuck in tape or glue and getting blindsided by a quart of milk is not my idea a joy ride.

Spring Break

For those of you who have been wondering why there hasn't been a new post lately (I'm guessing ten people, including family members) here's a few pictures of where we've been with more details to follow.

What is this s**t?

With Elijah, sometimes a crisis is nothing more than a DVD freezing or wagon wheel pasta that isn't cold enough. Other times, like last night, it's a bloody nose that drips on his shirt and prompts a demand for new apparel. (Not too long ago, the blood coming out of his nose would have been the cause for alarm, so I guess this is an improvement.) This morning, however, the cries of "Daddy come here!!!!" coming from the bathroom were for a problem I haven't dealt with before -- bright blue poop.

For any parents reading this blog, such a moment probably doesn't register high on the angst meter, but for Elijah, the anxiety was overwhelming.

"I don't want my poop to be blue! It needs to be brown!"

My mind went back to a birthday party he attended yesterday in which the Star Wars theme cake was layered in "dark side" black frosting, and I assumed this was was the culprit of the bowel mystery. A quick call to a nurse hotline confirmed this (after she got a good laugh) so the panic level in the household has subsided dramatically.

Sort of gives a new interpretation to the phrase "let the force be with you."

The Shin Bone's Connected to the.....

Taking his cue from a certain well-known former Governor, Elijah recently decided to write some notes to himself on parts of his body. Now I don't know if the reason for his anatomy cheat sheets was an upcoming exam on body parts in kindergarten or if he just wanted a reminder for himself but, as the old saying goes, it all came out in the wash.