Dear Noah: A visit to grandma's AND a sleepover!

We decided to go see your grandma and grandpa L. Saturday as your aunt Melissa and cousin Audrey were there visiting and your other aunt Becky and aunt Margaret. SO off we went. Nice drive. Got there...had a nice visit. You had a nice visit and watched some cartoons on TV while there......

SO SERIOUS!



you snuggled up with Aunt Margaret for a partial rest/snooze:





YOU ARE SO LOVING


There were JELLYBEANS:



AND FAKE FLOWERS:



AND A KITCAT CLOCK:



YOUR AUNT BECKY'S MOUTH:



Cousin Audrey wanted us to come back to her house to spend the night. I could not because I had a tiny bit of work at the very least to finish up here. SO I suggested she come to our house and spend the night. She wanted to but was not packed and it was not planned. Needless to say she got very very upset and was really starting to cry. YOU really got upset and was crying because she was crying...trying to do different things to help her stop crying.

THIS IS HUGE for you. YOU NOW RECOGNIZE sadness and when someone is crying and you cry. BUT it is a SILENT CRY. The tears are very real and roll off your face....and anyone can see you feeling the pain that person is......you hurt...you cry...but silently. NO SOUNDS...your stomach is heaving...you tried offering Audrey a donut....thinking she was hungry and needed to be fed. Then you told grandpa maybe she was crying because she did not want to play with you. It was so sad to see all this happen. You came to me and I was brushing your tears off your face....and telling you it was okay that Audrey was just very upset. AND YOU cried some more....everyone was crying. Grandpa said that is what OLDER people do NOT have kids! haha. Anyway...I told Audrey to sit down. I then said if she could calm down and go home and pack her bag we would follow them over to her house and pick her up and take her back with us to spend the night. She calmed down...all was well...you finally stopped crying too once you knew she was okay...but you had a bad headache you said. I imagine you did.....a huge tension headache trying to keep all those emotions in check.

Later back at home Audrey found your CALM DOWN book and asked what it was. I told her that it was a book I made up for you when you used to get very upset. We would grab the book and have you work through the book to help you calm down. Inside it is filled with little square pics I drew up and laminated. I put Velcro on the backside of each little square. Basically you start out saying how you feel....and then go from there....counting.....taking deep breaths...working through the short book and steps till you are more calm. AND then are ready to do the activity you wanted to do. Audrey grabbed the book and wanted to show how she felt earlier in the day at grandma's house when she was crying. She chose the picture of being MAD....but you grabbed the book and said "NO....that is not right. You were not mad you were UPSET!" and replaced her MAD pic with an UPSET PIC. THIS AGAIN IS HUGE FOR YOU.....to recognize the emotions and appropriate ones....and to empathize with them. Have compassion for someone else. Now to teach you how to work through that and release it or to help someone else feel better so you also do not get so wrapped up in feeling their pain and emotions too. BUT......this is HUGE HUGE progress for you.

The other day I was crying. I rarely let you see me cry. This upset you. You came over and hugged me...laid your head on my shoulder....and started to cry too. AGAIN...SILENT cry. BUT...... I will never forget the feel of your stomach heaving against mine in silent crying very real tears rolling down your cheeks. I felt horrible! BUT.....again......huge progress for you to recognize the emotion and to empathize appropriately with it.

SO...to top it all off...your cousin Audrey came home with us to spend the night! YOU two are a blast. I really enjoyed the visit so far. We watched part of the Kids Choice Awards since you both wanted to. We played school...we played trains....we played store. We ordered pizza. You two got ready for bed. Audrey is a gem. She sits and talks like an adult half the time and you sometimes forget she is only 7 years old. She said she did not want to go home tomorrow...she is a sweetie. You two did not get to bed till 11:00 p.m. We had quiet time together...you drawing while Audrey and I did an I SPY book...then RACE CAR KISSES for you both. Audrey giggled and laughed so much....so did you..covers were flying. It was really funny...(we now do entire length of body race car kisses through the blankets....starting at the toes.....up the legs......body....face...circling back around and down the other side....ending at toes...at which point you want me to bite your big toe through the blanket). You told me I had to give Audrey and you BOTH race car kisses so I did. SO you both enjoyed them.

Audrey decided to share your bed and I will be in there too if I can later though I think you will be fine and I will likely end up on the sofa so I can hear you both better.....she went out like a light. You were still awake watching her sleep. You have longed for someone to be sleeping with you in your bed for some time....but have gotten used to sleeping alone with just your teddies to snuggle with....but you could not sleep on the side she assigned to you as it was not your normal side of the bed for sleeping. SO you had to switch back...you did....you leaned over and kissed Audrey on the forehead....grabbed your bears.....and you were out too. Now that you are both in there together though..I am thinking you are rethinking sleeping with someone....LOL...looks like you are needing more extra space. I took this photo while you two were asleep....the flash and sound of the camera did not make either of you flinch or move at all:

IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT BUT THIS IS A QUEEN SIZE BED:


Tomorrow not sure what all we will do. If it is not raining we will play at the park for a bit. IF raining we will end up at a play area inside. IN FACT....you have both already decided you would like Burger King tomorrow morning for breakfast and they have a nice play area.

till then...I need to work a bit....then sleep...

love you both. XX