Playdates

Well the last two days I have had some playdates for Ethan. On Thursday we had one of his preschool classmates come over to our house. I met his mom randomly at a class the school district was giving a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time. Ethan was his usual wild self (he is especially excited when people enter his domain) but that was OKAY. Today we went to the first play date for a group that has just formed for children (and parents of children) with special needs. It is so much more relaxing to have a playdate with other parents who are aware of your child's issues, and are OK with it. I didn't feel any pressure to make sure Ethan acted a certain way or behaved like a robot. I had a great playgroup in Yakima (hi April, Nicki, and Debbie) but have hit some bumps here in Oregon. I have met up with a few moms and never heard back from them, for whatever reason. Now that Ethan is almost four, the differences between him and "typical" children are becoming much more obvious. He can't really communicate with most people, which is a problem in and of itself, but it also leads to other problems. He can't communicate to say he wants his toy back or that someone is getting too close to him, etc. It makes me feel like I am not alone, to see other parents going through the same struggles as I am. Anyhow, it is a good thing to be making these connections with others, and it is a positive experience for Ethan as well. On a less serious note, Theo got his first hair cut last night (in preparation for pictures this weekend) and he looks so grown up. He looks like such a little man, no more baby curls!