Everything Axel

Let me tell you about this amazing little boy....

When I took him from his foster home one week ago, he came along with a smile on his face. I'm sure because in his mind he just thought we were going for a ride in a car, which he loves. And besides, these people have fun toys and all the attention was on him! LOL

But over the course of the week, he has cried a total of 4 times! Not once in sadness like he was missing someone or scared, but instead when he fell down and bumped his knee, or got into trouble for throwing something at me. Then today when we were getting ready to go out for a walk he was being too silly, throwing his coat and shoes, and just generally being too much of a pill to even get out the door. Laughing hysterically the entire time, because...you know...he is so funny. Finally I put on my "Mad Mama" face, removed his shoes and coat and sat him on the bed. His little lip came out and he crawled over and pulled the blanket over his face because he was embarrassed. He cried for only a minute before I went over, wiped his tears, and offered to let him try again. He gets the message VERY quickly!

One week ago when I met him, we walked into our hotel and came to the stairs leading to our 3rd floor room. (no such thing as handicapped accessible here.) He was PETRIFIED! It was clear he'd never seen stairs before, and he had no idea what to do with them. That first trip up the stairs took quite some time, and my little boy blue, who is afraid of heights, clung to the railing as if it was a sinking ship. I had to show him where to put each foot, and the higher he got the more bent over he was. By the time he got to the first landing he was bent in half, scared to death to stand up. Going down the stairs was no less labor intensive for me, and scary for him. I wish I had thought to get video of this, because for the past two days he's been going UP the steps holding the rail with one hand and alternating feet, jabbering all the way and joking that he's going to turn around and go back down! Going down the stairs he's still using a step-step method, but when he's not thinking about it he alternates his feet. ;-)

I really do need to thank his foster family. In the 2 1/2 years he was with them, they taught him some wonderful skills!

When he gets up in the morning, he makes his bed.

In case you thought you read that wrong, let me say again HE MAKES HIS BED, and makes it WELL!

Once his bed is made, I lay his clothes out for the day while I get in the shower. When I come back he is fully dressed, and even has an extra shirt on, just in case. LOL

He can take a shower 99% independently. The 1% is me adjusting the water because the hotel water is VERY hot. He gets his hair all shampooed, then shoves his head under the water, and even when the shampoo is all running right in his eyes he doesn't flinch. It's like he doesn't even feel it. Then he proceeds to scrub every square inch of his body, and probably comes out cleaner than any 10 year old I know.

He is able to use a fork, spoon AND knife.

He eats EVERYTHING I give him, no matter what the color or texture. He doesn't eat much though, and what he does eat takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r. because he's busy watching everyone else. This might have to do with why he's a very skinny boy. I don't think he weighs more than 35 pounds because I can easily pick him up. (and he is MUCH lighter than my 50 lb suitcase. LOL)

He now recognizes about 25 signs, and uses 12-15 on his own and in the right context. The little boy I met a week ago who had no language is learning communication.

He is matching letters and numbers on the iPad. I don't know that he's ever seen letters OR numbers before, and certainly not in English.

He puts all of his toys away EXACTLY where they belong. Not in an obsessive way like some kids with DS do, but just because that's where they go, so they do!

When it was time for bed that first night, I laid out his pajamas, when I turned around to close the closet, I turned back to find this:

and the next night this:

He can hardly wait to get his pajamas on!

When he goes to bed at night, my amazing boy pats the pillow next to him, indicating he wants me to lay by him. When I do, he tenderly takes my hand to his chest, hugging it, and gets the biggest grin, and falls asleep with that very grin on his face.

Because, he is amazing!