Wow today Princess made some amazing achievements! For most NT (Neuro-typical) kids these might be no big deal but for my sensory challenged, focus challenged drama queen they are huge.
The day started out innocently enough. We were invited to a birthday party in the morning, had plans to go visit the doctor for a flu shot (Only I didn't tell Princess about this until I absolutely had to.) and were going to end the afternoon with a visit to the tdoc (therapist).
On the way to the party, the thought occurred to me that I could possibly leave Princess at the party for an hour. I had an errand to run at the pharmacy. (In case you're wondering, they do know us by name.- I'll write more about this godsend in a future post.) During a break between songs on the radio, I asked Princess what she thought about being left at the party for about an hour. She responded affirmatively. We talked about what to do if she had any problems. She knows the hostess very well and had been to several of her child's parties before. A few minutes after arriving at the party, I politely excused myself but not before making sure that someone had my cell phone number in case an emergency arose. Upon my return an hour later, I found Princess smiling and happily engaged in a friendly game of Capture the Flag. It was brought to my attention that my daughter had a mild injury while I was gone but chose to keep playing even though there were no band aids. Yippee! Score one point for attending a party without mommy or daddy there the whole time. Maybe next time, I can leave her the whole time.
Near the end of the party, I told Princess that she was going to get a flu shot today. I told her that if she did a good job that I would take her to get ice cream. In the past we have had major meltdowns over blood draws and injections. I can recall at least twice where I had to physically hold her with the assistance of 3-4 medical professionals. Today Princess asked me not to discuss the shot with her as it made her nervous. When we got to the doctor's office, my daughter did well until it was time for the actual shot. Then she covered her arms and hid her head. With a little coaxing from me she finally gave the nurse access to her arm. I encouraged her to look at me, not the needle. That (and a lot of prayer on both our parts) seemed to do the trick. For the first time ever she did not cry while getting vaccinated. Yippee again! Score another point for bravery at the doctor's office.
After a visit to the local ice cream shop, we went to the tdoc's for her weekly visit. We finally headed home for what I thought was going to be a relaxing evening. Princess has other plans. I had reminded her that she needed to pick up all of the clothes on the floor of her bedroom before starting any new activity. Typically she will just stuff the clothes in either the hamper or back in the drawer. Not today. Today she decided to go through her clothes. A purging of sorts if you will. At the end she had more room for her new clothes from Christmas. She also folded up her clothes neatly before gently placing them in the drawers. What's pretty incredible here is that I usually sort through her clothes when she is not home because she has difficulty parting with things. We can end up witnessing a meltdown or she and I can have an argument. Either way it is not a pretty thing. The fact that Princess was willing to go through her things on her own is a huge step for her. Yippee times three for this feat!
As I reflect upon today, I am reminded that a lot of people helped make today's successes happen. I am grateful for our village whether they be doctors, therapists, friends or family. We are blessed that so many individuals are uphold our little girl in prayer as well. These accomplishments might be short lived (and that is OK). For today I am proud and grateful.
Just a side note: If my memory serves me correct, this is the first children's party that Princess has been able to attend much less been invited to for a variety of reasons. You can read more about my thoughts on birthday parties here
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