So, we just spent a couple of hours outside with Nicholas.  Just hanging around the house, in the backyard, in the front yard, etc.  Boy, is he a different kid!  Usually, we’re outside, running down the street to either walk with him or bring him home.  Or if we’re in the backyard, he’s doing his thing (either in the sandbox or with his toys) and we’re cleaning up the yard while keeping our eyes on him.  Today, however, that child seems to be only a memory.  Today’s Nicholas played in his sandbox for a little while, but quickly joined mommy to help her with her gardening.  I was using the big clippers to trim some shrubs and Nicholas came running over, “scissors, mommy scissors” and I had to let him use the “scissors” to trim the shrubs.  First of all, the Nicholas we knew wouldn’t care what we were doing as long as he was content with what he was doing.  The fact that he was even paying attention to what I was doing was HUGE.  The fact that he now wants to be with US and not off doing his own thing is also HUGE.  The fact that he left playing the sandbox, which he loves, to help me with anything is HUGE.

We spent some time just sitting on the swing, just Mommy and Nicholas having some iced tea.  He wasn’t in a hurry to run off and play, he just hung out with me, enjoying the swing.  He saw Daddy’s iced tea from across the yard, jumped off the swing and went and got his iced tea for him.  I was amazed he even saw it from that distance.  Impressive to say the least. 

So, we left the backyard and around the front of the house and Nicholas came too.  There was no tantruming because he wanted to stay in his sandbox and play, which in and of itself is progress… major progress…  Us leaving our backyard before HE is ready usually equates to Mommy or Daddy carrying a tantruming, screaming Nicholas around the house, through the front door and upstairs to his room so he can calm down. 

He just hung around us and was with US.  We weren’t on HIS schedule, doing HIS stuff, following HIM around.  Amazing.. just amazing.