No Tricks...Only Treats

As Halloween approaches and the school year is ending its first quarter, both Sarah and I can say we are happy with Elijah's progress. His social-skills therapy (which took place at, as he called it, "the playhouse") has ended for the time being, and it has, without question, moved him forward in his limited interpersonal relationships. A wave and "hello" at a first meeting are much easier for him, and his goodbyes at school are always punctuated with a hug a proper farewell. There are still mistakes and some awkwardness, but there is no doubt progress as well.

Another example of how far Elijah has come occurred at a local park, where he shared the see-saw with another child (after first asking if he could play with him) and had a very sweet interaction with a baby girl. She had grabbed a tennis ball Elijah was playing with, and when her mother took it from her to return it to Elijah, she started crying hysterically. Elijah, sensing how upset she was, walked over and gave the ball back to her, which put a smile on both of their faces.

As wonderful as that scene was, something even more special happened later that night when we went to our favorite restaurant for dinner. While we were waiting for a table, Elijah walked up to another little girl who had been playing at the park that day and said hello and asked her if she had been at the park. Although her "yes" was delivered with a look that will serve her well 20 years from now when she tells a guy at a bar to get lost, the fact that Elijah recognized her and initiated a conversation without prompting was a major step forward.

Because of the incredible weather, we have been making trips to a park (as well as taking endless walks through various housing developments in our area to view the cul-de-sacs and the basketball goals that populate them) as part of our weekend routine. Last week, a visit to another park (this one by my office) yielded both an attempt at kite flying (unsuccessful) and some down time with Mom. And of course, some time on the swings as well.

During all of these activities, Elijah has been more engaged and aware of both situations and people around him. Even though there is much whining about a variety of subjects, he is quite clear as to what

he likes (listening to "Smooth" by Santana in the car at least twice in a row) and what he doesn't appreciate (the fact that he cannot eat "unhealthy food" for every meal.) These give- and-takes may not seem like much, but compared with our interactions with him even a year ago, they show the incremental steps forward that give us great hope for the future.

Then there are those moments when things don't go as we hope. Last weekend, our health club held its annual Halloween party. We thought it would be a great idea to ask Elijah's friend Janey to join us, and Elijah loved the idea.

Dressed in costumes, the two of them seemed to be

having fun. Elijah got to rock-climb, and he and

Janey played in the bouncy house for quite a while. But then Elijah, being Elijah, insisted they watch a movie and then go play a computer game (a variation on his latest obsession, "Angry Birds") at the child center. Janey, being more patient than any child should be, agreed to this, and when it was time to leave was happy to come back to the house for some lunch and more playtime. Elijah would have none of that! He insisted she go home immediately, and when this demand was denied, he went crying up to his room.

Realizing (as he always does) that this behavior was not going to change anything, he came

downstairs and proceeded to draw with Janey as they watched "Alice in Wonderland."

We later found out part of the reason for Elijah's bad behavior was that he was hoping that another little girl from his school would come over, and I guess he was fearful that the two would meet. That playdate was finalized today, and the two will hopefully have a fun time tomorrow (the little guy has been smiling all day since he got the news!). The fact that he really wants his playmates to come over (after some unnecessary drama) and that these little girls are so sweet and understanding about his quirks, is something very special and couldn't make us happier.

Walking Man

There's been lots of walking around here the past few weeks as Elijah has started a social skills group twice a week that allows Sarah to burn off some calories as she walks around the neighborhood that the "playhouse" (as Elijah calls the therapist's home) is located. That is in addition to the nightly walks Elijah insists we take as he makes his way through every cul-de-sac in every housing development within a 10-mile radius of our home. After these walks, he immediately goes home and re-creates the street we just walked on, drawing the homes and basketball goals he viewed. The nuances of each street and goal are very evident to his discerning eye, but to be honest, neither Sarah and I see the detail he picks up on.

As I mentioned, Elijah has been involved in a new social skills group, and on a recent trip to our local Barnes & Noble, I witnessed a major change in a behavioral situation. As he approached the toy train set in the children's section, he initiated an introduction with a woman there and asked her son if he could share one of the trains. Since both of these actions

were done without any prompting, I couldn't wait to tell Sarah about this new development. The fact that his voice and tone were eerily similar to Eddie Haskell of the "Leave It To Beaver" show was perhaps the only drawback.

The first walk this past week that was actually scheduled was the Catwalk, a fundraiser at Elijah's elementary school. Elijah walked with his para, Ms. Pennie, and seemed (as the picture shows) to have had a great time, not only at the walk, but with a friend afterward.

The other walk this past weekend was when Elijah, Sarah and myself were joined by friends and family at the Autism Speaks Walk at the Kansas Speedway. The weather was perfect, and little guy was excited to see the members of his walk team show up to support him. The arrival of Miss Nikki (who had worked with Elijah earlier this year as part of her graduate work) and her husband brought a big smile to Elijah's face. He was delighted that his friend Janey (and her mother) came to walk with him. As always, the arrival of Uncle George and Aunt Julie brought a smile to his face, as did the arrivals of Ali and April, who have gotten to know Elijah while working at the child center at our health club. But NOTHING compared to seeing another former worker at the club, Kelsey, who left the area to go off to college.

When Elijah saw her, his first words were, "Kelsey, I've missed you," and the ear-to-ear grin

and hug were a joy to see. Elijah held hands with Kelsey and Nikki almost the entire walk, enjoying their company so much he wanted to keep on walking (as long as he got a cupcake from the refreshment area).

After the walk, it was time to say goodbye, not only to our team members, but to all those who have gotten to know Elijah through the years and were at Resource Center at the walk site. This included not only Miss Tiffany, who runs the summer camp Elijah goes to and also teaches him piano, but his new social skill therapists as well (Melissa, Melinda and Eileen), who gave Elijah a big hug and hello.

Once he had said all of his goodbyes to his "older" women, Elijah turned his attention to his friend Janey, and the two of them ran off to the inflatables area and played there until the guys who owned the equipment finally deflated them to go home. (Elijah told me that as the air came out of them, they "looked like the Witch in the Wizard of Oz when she melted.")

Just like last year, it was a great day for the walk, and the support we had made it very special for our family. For those of you who walked with us, supported us with a contribution or did both, I can't begin to thank you enough. From the moment Elijah got there, his smile never left his face. Like any parents, we have good and bad days, but sometimes we seem to carry a burden that Elijah has no clue even exists, so the smile he had on walk day was one that we could truly share and relish in. As Elijah rushed over to give Janey a hug as she left, I thought about how far we had come over the past year and how we should never take for granted those little gestures that can mean so much.

MARCHing Forward

While the last blog posting was about Elijah getting ready to tackle the piano, I can tell you that after just a few lessons, he has shown not only an interest, but some ability in tickling the ivories. Of course, like any child, he may soon get bored and decide that watching "Toy Story 3" for the hundredth time is more enjoyable, but with the efforts of Miss Tiffany (pictured with Elijah) and Sarah to keep him on track, I don't think that's likely.

Speaking of "Toy Story 3," we all enjoyed the Disney on Ice production of TS3 in which the first act retold the story of the first and second movies, with the last act dedicated to what happens to the toys once Andy grows up. Needless to say, the little guy enjoyed the show (though not as much as Mom did) and I'm sure all the fathers in the audience became much more engaged when "Barbie" (in tight blue spandex) became a lead character in the third act. We got away cheap at the souvenir stand (only a $15 program, which came with the requisite Mickey Mouse ears). Requests for every toy in the movie came only after we got home.

Though piano and Disney on Ice have been the recent highlights, a carnival for St. Pat's Day (with numerous SOLO trips on a scrambler ride, although Mom did join him initially) also contributed to our own March Madness. If we can get through April and May with just the normal craziness, a scheduled birthday trip that includes both a cavern ride and a water park visit should make the month of June a fun one for the little guy.

Time Passes Slowly

We're not even a month into the new year, and I really think it's going to be a hell of a year! For those of you who follow this blog (and yes, Sarah, there are more than family among our readers), I have never mentioned either my occupation or my employer, and that's not going to change today; but I will say that I moved on to a new employer (my choosing) and I couldn't be happier. It was as if the clouds parted and allowed the sun to shine through. Combine this news with Sarah's success and happiness with her self-employment venture, and I relish the coming year.

But the real reason I believe 2011 will be special is, of course, Elijah. Although sometimes it feels as if his autism is dominating his brain (his insistence on telling everyone he meets to"smile with your teeth" is wearing thin), he continues to show growth in all aspects of his socialization process. Every morning, as he bounds out of the car at school, he will greet any adult or classmate he sees. At a Cub Scouts meeting, he interacted with everyone he knew and enjoyed himself so much that we are participating in the "Pinewood Derby" for toy wooden cars this weekend. On the mornings I can't take him to school, he happily catches a ride with our neighbor Doug and his daughter, apparently yakking it up the entire way there.

But to me, the real show of progress was his request (actually, insistence) that two children he played with on New Year's Eve come over to his house for a playdate. A former co-worker of Sarah's who has a boy about a year younger than Elijah (and a little girl less than 2 years old) invited us over on New Year's Eve. Elijah, who had gotten to know Quinn during the past few summers at the local park pool, was very excited about going over to the house and counted off the days until the big event. When we got there, an added surprise, a little girl cousin named Zoey, was also there. After a little bit of getting-to-know-each-other time, the three played all evening long, which allowed the adults (there were eight of us) to relax and enjoy each other's company.

The next day I asked Elijah if he enjoyed playing with Quinn and Zoey, and not only did he reply in the affirmative, he asked if they could come over to our house to play. I could count one hand, with fingers to spare, how many times that has ever happened. Needless to say, I was overjoyed and insisted that Sarah start the process to get this done. When arrangements were finalized we put the date on Elijah's calendar and, as the date neared, he eagerly counted down the days.

Unfortunately, it appeared as if Mother Nature would put a crimp in our plans. Seven inches of snow had fallen a few days earlier, and now the weather forecast was calling for another four to five inches the day our guests were due to come over. Thankfully, the local weather people were as accurate as they always are, and all we got was a little dusting in the morning. Elijah was so excited he climbed up on a chair to move the clock hands, as if that would really make them come any earlier. (He mistakenly turned the hands back rather than forward, so it appeared to Sarah that the batteries had gone dead, and she insisted I change them.) When the young guests finally arrived, it was almost three straight hours of jumping, laughing, playing musical instruments, sledding (our backyard has a hill) and finally, cookie eating. It was a complete success!

These pictures may seem to be nothing but some kids playing together in the snow, but that's what makes them so wonderful to us. That Elijah not only asked for Quinn and Zoey to come over, but actually played and laughed with them, is an incredible milestone, one which I'm sure we'll be repeating soon. Yes, it's going to be a great year!

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.

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!

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.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

The title of this post has three meanings. First, as a homage to one of my all-time top three favorite television series (the two others are "Taxi" and "The Larry Sanders Show"), which returned to the air this week.

Second, for those of you who read and enjoy this blog and want to know why it isn't updated more often, understand we love the fact that you read our meanderings, but with both of us working and taking care of Elijah, the time left for creating these short masterpieces is limited.

Last, the title of this post is what I want to tell Elijah whenever Mary Poppins or an inflated moonwalk is available ...

With that out of the way, I will now bring you up to date.

As Sarah has mentioned previously, Elijah has started kindergarten, and it appears he is doing pretty well. He seems to enjoy his class and the after-school care program he goes to three times a week. Fortunately for us, most of his odd observations and behavior seem to be confined to our home.

As an example, Sarah mentioned to me that one day he announced he had to go to the restroom. Nothing wrong there, but when she thought he had been gone too long, she opened the door to find him standing on the sink looking at himself in the mirror, completely naked except for a strand of Mardi Gras beads around his neck. New Orleans, here we come!!

The bathroom seems to be a source of constant material for the little guy. Another day he told Sarah that the shape of the toilet looked like an arm on each side, which meant the bowl would be the person's head, when one lifted the lid, they would go "pee pee in that person's mouth!" Who knew? And I won't even get started on Elijah's fear of loud toilets, in which a Wendy's restroom off the interstate is in his mind is as horrible as Jason, Hannibal Lecter and Al Capone combined.

As I mentioned earlier, Mary Poppins is more popular around here than ice cream, with Elijah singing and dancing along with every song in this two-hour-plus opus.

(By the way, I didn't remember that there was a song or dance every five minutes of the movie, which is important only because Elijah insists we dance with him. Talk about an aerobic workout!)

His fascination with words and a certain song in the movie is evident here and was also written on a blackboard in a classroom at a temple we were attending for a special-needs program. The rabbi was so stunned she took pictures to show the congregation. (The printing on the board was much neater and in a straight line, which made it even more impressive.)

Elijah's love of this movie knows no bounds, and he expresses it in many ways. To mimic the "penguin dance," he will pull his pants down (just like Dick Van Dyke) as well as dance on his knees. The rooftop dance scene with the chimney sweeps is another favorite, with Elijah doing high kicks and a balancing dance step that would qualify him for a role in "A Chorus Line."

But his artistic side is also inspired by Mary. The following are just a few of his drawings from the film:

The hat rack Mary pulls out of her suitcase...

The lamp Mary pulls out next...

and his drawing of Old Man Dawes, who died laughing....

A short time later, another drawing appeared in our den, which I thought was also inspired by Mary Poppins. When I asked Elijah if this was his interpretation of the dance sequence "Step in Time" I was told no, that this had nothing to do with the movie.

"So what is it?" I asked.

"He's going to the restroom!" was the reply, and if you look closely, you can definitely spot the anatomy needed and the action occurring.

But it hasn't all been nothing but "a jolly holiday with Mary" around here. As I mentioned, we attended a program at a local temple with the preparation for the event stressing out Dad as he was trying to get the little guy dressed and ready. And because the little guy loves to remember and repeat songs and phrases that he hears, I probably shouldn't, while frustrated in getting him ready, utter the phrase "God damn it". (Yes, I know that seems mild, but just the previous week, without any warning, Elijah let loose, in an matter-of-fact way, a profanity-laced tirade dealing with spilled coffee. Since neither he nor I drink coffee or work at a Starbucks, it is quite obvious whom he heard it from.)

Sure enough, later that day at the grocery store, Elijah was riding in the large part of the cart drinking some water after his usual free cookie from the bakery, when Dad banged the cart against a display case (please no comments about my hitting stationary objects, even with a shopping cart). That action caused the following reaction from Elijah; "God damn it .... the water's cold!" Now mind you, this wasn't shouted in anger, but said in pure disgust with the situation. And as if to show that this wasn't a short-term memory situation, it repeated itself two weeks later. While he was eating a bowl of carrots in the back seat on the way to the gym, the bowl fell to the car floor as I took a corner a little too fast. "God damn it, the carrots are on the floor!" was Elijah's understated response, and though I know I shouldn't, I had to smile just a bit.

Interesting observations have become the norm for Elijah lately. A couple of examples: One day last week, completely out of the blue, he mentioned to Sarah that "somebody had two babies and six babies on 'Jon & Kate Plus Eight!' " A couple of days later, noticing the difference in height between Sarah and me as we were all walking down a hallway, he commented that "Daddy needs to be taller."

He also is greeting people with his killer smile and saying the right things. (Upon seeing a classroom assistant from a previous semester, he hugged her and said, "Hi, sweetie.")

All in all, it has been a great summer and a good start to the fall. As Sarah mentioned earlier, he loves school and he has already charmed the Y-Care (YMCA after-school program) people and the new therapists he is working with. He is talking more and wants to play with (or at least alongside) the neighborhood kids. There are festivals aplenty coming up in the next few weeks, all of which involve moonwalks, so he should have that big smile on his face for quite awhile. (The picture at the top of this post was from one such festival this week.)

Lastly, as a point of parental privilege, I have bought the items needed for his Halloween costume this year. Just like his daddy was 45 years ago, he will be the chimney sweep from "Mary Poppins." When he puts on the hat and starts to twirl the broom, all I can say is, "God damn it, he's cute!"