Christmas is over for another year...

Isaiah did very well. We went to KC to visit my family and there were about 25-ish people there, including three cousins younger than him. Isaiah was very tolerant of the over-exuberant hugs from cousin Aiden (absolutely too cute, too) and was really pretty good about not wanting what the others were playing with. I only had to really get onto him once.

He has really grown in the past year with his speech and his social skills. He still has challenges but he's much better at being able to listen to us explain things (even if he's not happy about what we're explaining because we're not going to do something "his" way) and overall, very much improved.

He was being entertained last night while the adults were playing our Dirty Santa game; my nephew had Isaiah and his nephew, Ian, gathered around him while he showed them something on his iPod. It was totally cute.

Isaiah got each of us gifts at school through the "Santa's Workshop" program they have. Amy sent $30 and a list of who he needed to buy for. He was very meticulous and really picked out things that he thought would be appropriate. He bought me a ring holder for when I take off my jewelry to put on lotion, bought his mother a "mom" picture frame, bought his Crampa a flashlight that has tools with it, Uncle Keith a K-State mini-football, Rex a KU mini-football (which is funny because Rex is a K-State alumni), and bought some stuff for LeCole and her kids. He said he wanted everyone to be happy. Were we happy? You bet. He did a great job. He got Crampa the flashlight because he didn't want him to fall in the dark any more. That was sweet.

Isaiah is already planning for next year. So am I!

Wordle

I picked this website up from someone else's blog. It's really cool. It's http://www.wordle.net/ so go visit and have fun. I did this from just putting in Isaiah's URL.

12 Days of Christmas, Isaiah Style

Isaiah has his own way of singing and he will always tell us that he is a good "seener," which we know to be true. This morning he started in on the 12 Days of Christmas but his version is a bit different than the normal version. Some of the items changed as he was going back down from the higher numbers. I have those changes in parentheses.

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... A par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Two turtle ducks and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Three (Christmas trees) French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Four (ginger carrots) calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Seven (hawking birds) golfing birds, six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 8th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Eight Julie and Collins, seven golfing birds, six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Nine swinging barrels, eight Julie and Collins, seven golfing birds, six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Ten twinkling callings, nine swinging barrels, eight Julie and Collins, seven golfing birds, six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Eleven lamps a lighting, ten twinkling callings, nine swinging barrels, eight Julie and Collins, seven golfing birds, six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.
On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Twelve moms and dads, eleven lamps a lighting, ten twinkling callings, nine swinging barrels, eight Julie and Collins, seven golfing birds, six talking wings, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French chins, two turtle ducks, and a par pair Christmas pair of trees.....

The "twinkling callings" are telephones ringing (had to ask him). No clue on who or what "Julie and Collins" are. And, when singing the song, you absolutely have to use the correct inflection when singing "Five golden rings..." Otherwise, he will stop the song and correct you. "No, no, no - it goes wike dis..."

Oh Christmas Tree!

A former co-worker knows how much Isaiah loves Star Wars and Darth Vader so she brought in a Hallmark ornament from 1997 that has Darth on a platform, light saber in hand, and talks when you push a button. It's really James Earl Jones' voice, which is pretty cool.

I was talking to Isaiah on Friday about his day while Amy sat quietly just holding the box. Suddenly, he realized she had something so he walked over to see and, in mid-sentence, just stopped and stared. He was speechless, which was hysterical.

We asked him if he wanted it on the tree, and when he said he did we took it to hook it up. He was amazed that it talked and when he heard Darth Vader say, "Luke, you are not a Jedi yet," Isaiah exclaimed, "He is, too!" He was very indignant on Luke's behalf. He had to listen to the comments over and over.

I really wish I had a video of him listening and imitating the voice coming out of the speaker. He made us play it several times and then said, "Push it one more time so I can say what he says." To watch him and listen to him was absolutely hysterical. Amy and I loved it. In perfect "Darth" voice, he said the words as best as he could keep up. He didn't say exactly what the figure said - or at the same time, even - but he did do his very best Darth imitation and had us highly amused.

He refused to say that Luke wasn't a Jedi, though.

Two new stories

Amy is in charge of certain big event at work every year and part of the requirements to participate is that you get your reservation in on time, and if you're bringing a guest you get the guest registered. This big event happens right after the income tax deadline in April. In April 2008, one of the managers needed to add her guest at the last minute. Because she didn't make the reservation on time, she told Amy that she'd make Isaiah a blanket for his bed. Amy got the blanket today. It's a quilt that has seams you have to trim to make it a "rag" quilt.

Amy was sitting on the chair with the scissors doing the trimming and Isaiah walked up to her and said, "Mommy! Stop - you're breaking my blanket! You're going to ruin it."

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Ron watched Isaiah today because there was no latchkey and no school. We were a bit nervous about it but he did have Star Wars, Power Puff Girls, peanut butter and jelly, and cereal. We figured he could handle it.

About 3:00, I got a phone call - "I need you to come home. I'm really sick and I might need to go to the hospital." It's a 20 minute drive, so I shut down my computer and headed out as quickly as I could. Ron had a visitor this afternoon from a friend's church but he had never met the man. He felt really bad that Garry had to be here while he was having issues, but I was glad there was another adult here. Isaiah did not understand that Crampa was having a low blood sugar and other issues.

I got home, asked him if he still needed to go to the hospital, and when he said he did, I called an ambulance. I cannot move Ron when he's in that condition and needing help. Before they got here, he decided that he would not go and that he was feeling better. His sugar was back up (had been 44). So, I cancelled the ambulance but about five minutes later, they were on the doorstep anyway.

Isaiah and I went to the door and he said, "Are you the aliens?" I think they thought he said "ambulance" so they said they were. They checked Ron out and carried on a conversation with Isaiah, reassuring him that they were here to help his Crampa. Isaiah has had a couple of very traumatic experiences with EMS, including the time he got burned and another time when he had a minor head injury. The sight of them usually is enough to send him into hysterics.

As they were leaving, he asked them if he had been brave. They assured him that he had, indeed been very brave.

New "Isaiah-isms"

When I get bigger, I'm going to call mommy "Sweetie" because I think she's sweet.

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One of Isaiah's "things" is that he comes into the bathroom when Ron is in there. I don't know why, but he says he wants to keep him company. "Can I just sit on your lap, Crampa? I love you and I want to be with you."

It's kind of hard to get him to understand that just because he wants someone in the bathroom (or near the bathroom) when he's in there, doesn't mean everyone else wants an audience. With Ron's recent surgery and such, he has more "issues" in the bathroom than usual - which was substantial before the surgery.

The other day, Ron was in his usual position in the bathroom. Isaiah came in and noticed Ron's pained expression (he was in dire pain), patted him on his stomach and said, "Are you having a baby, Crampa?"

Ron had to stop what he was doing so he could crack up instead.

Four balls

Catchy - isn't it?

Last night, Isaiah asked me, "Who is the man with four balls?"

I was speechless, trying to figure out what he was talking about and, better yet, who he was talking about.

"You know, that man on UP with four balls on his cane."

Oh... that makes perfect sense. Too bad I couldn't remember who it was fast enough to give him an intelligent answer.