July 8th Alistair turned SIX. Its bizarre to me that I have a six year old, three year old and one en route. For various reasons I decided to keep his birthday nice and mellow. I use to try and make a big fanfare for him but truthfully it was more for me than Alistair. He still loves his day just as much. He gets his helium balloons, crinkly paper, cheese cake and interactive family.
I won't lie I find the day quite a hard one....still. Francis just had a party and her excitement was beyond belief. She had smiles from ear to ear, big giggles, overstimulation, and total excitement ripping open the wrapping paper to find the gift inside. Where I'm not sure how much Alistair understands that this day if for him. It takes some self talking to be ok that I'm still going to the baby section to find toys with him and I'll be lucky if I can find one that maybe possibly will work. Then the next stop is the pet store to grab him some chew toys that are "non toxic- family safe". Then last but not least I head to the clothing store to grab him some nice clothes. That's probably my favorite b-day stop for him as I can make him look smashing in a neat outfit.
One great gift I was able to acquire for Alistair was this funky "tomato chair" through a grant with Variety BC. It has a sleek mobile base too which comes in handy. The great thing about this chair is we can throw it in the van and head to anyone's house and have him sitting upright interacting with the rest of the world even if their home isn't accessible. He got it the day before his b-day which was ideal! He also got a new specialized gym mat covered by the At Home Program which makes his daily life all the nicer. So those were his too big bonuses. So I'm thinking from now on I should try to do more of that....ie write grants for key items to arrive around his b-day.
If I do look back over the past year though and truly consider how far this little fellow has come he makes me so proud. With all his challenges he continues to make progression at his own rate. His communication has progressed into making some more basic choices. He uses computer programs and large circular switches to tell himself stories or play games. He really enjoyed full time school hours with his classmates. He got invited to endless birthday parties and made a bunch of friends. He gained weight and started to eat some more complicated foods. Plus his affection for his family is continuing to increase and be obvious that he loves this interaction
I am so proud of my handsome man. He's come a long way and he's been strong and healthy this year. I dream that his progression will continue and I'll be able to brag again next year with all his successes!
