thinking positive

I've been feeling a little low lately, but here are a couple good things from last night:

The new session of gymnastics classes started for Tommy. Each class starts out with all the kids in a circle to warm up. During the spring session, Tommy would sit on my lap the whole time, his eyes wide, watching, but not participating.

Last night he hopped right up and mirrored every move the teacher made! It was pretty cool to see the difference a few months can make. He has gained a lot of confidence between 2 and 2 1/2.

One of Henry's therapists from preschool was there with her son, the same age as Tommy. It was nice to visit with her. Ironically, her son stayed on her lap almost the entire class, and cried when the teacher tried to talk to him. I've sure been in that position- the mom with the kid who is traumatized. It's a funny feeling to be the mom with the well-adjusted kid! (Knock on wood. I've probably jinxed us and now he'll have a tantrum next week.)

Bill did something so smart last night. I'm sure I've written before about how Henry picks his food apart. If I haven't written about that it's because I don't even notice it anymore- it's just how he eats. He eats EVERYTHING with his fingers. I mean even yogurt and cereal with milk. I kind of half-heartedly suggest that he use a spoon, and he usually responds "I already used a spoon yesterday!"

Even foods the rest of us eat with our hands, like pizza, get extra-torn-apart by Henry. It gives him some kind of sensory comfort to pick his food apart with his fingers, rather than take bites. It's gotten to the point where Tommy tattles on his brother: "Mommy, 'Enry is picking his food." Which is kind of strange because I don't usually scold Henry for doing that, but I do usually praise Thomas for using his silverware, or for taking bites, so I guess he thinks that by pointing out Henry's inadequacies, he'll get more praise?

Anyway, last night the boys were having chicken patty sandwiches and corn. Except Henry didn't want the bun, and was just picking the breading off his chicken patty. Bill started playing this game that he had told me about before, but I had never witnessed: he thinks of an animal that "chomps", and gives the boys clues such as I'm thinking of an animal that lives in the ocean and has a head shaped like a hammer. You can tell that both boys are really thinking about it, and then one of them will shout out "a hammerhead shark!" And then Henry will chomp his food like a shark. Brilliant.

He ate 2 chicken patties that way and even some of his corn!!!! And the best part is you can tell both boys are really having fun. After each bite, Henry will say "Daddy, please think of another animal!"

Just when I feel like I don't know how to "think outside the box" anymore, my husband comes to the rescue.