I know, I know, someone out there is dying to say , 'Just you wait! The terrible two's are coming' or the 'Trying 3's are just around the corner'.... I can not believe how many times I have heard those things when I proudly proclaim my boys are wonderful and they are well behaved. They are. Truly.
Now, don't get me wrong- we have our moments. The boys are going through a particularly bad biting phase right now. It's not uncommon for one or both of them to have at least 3 bruises at any given time from his brother's teeth. I am trying time out right now. It's somewhat effective.
Also, like typical 2 year old's they don't like to share. Ever. They subscribe to the Toddler Property Laws.
Casey especially believes that ALL the toys in the house are his and his alone. If Connor is across the room playing by himself Casey will quickly crawl over and take whatever it is he is playing with away from him. If Connor resists- Casey bites. On the bright side, they are starting to combine skills- stealing toys AND biting.
They fight sleep, they throw food and cups on the floor at meal times, they pull the dog's tail and ears and occasionally his tongue, too! They have selective hearing, they scream when they are frustrated. They are busy and curious and INTO EVERYTHING! They pull paper out of drawers, dump my purse out, and fight me tooth and nail over diaper changes. But guess what? They. Are. Two. It's all normal boundary testing.
I accept this.
I relish it.
I LOVE that they are so....
TYPICAL!
People assume my life is hard because I have 2 boys with a disability. That's THEIR perception. In my eyes, Casey and Connor are the perfect ones. And, my life is not hard. It's wonderful. My boys are just like any other 2 year old's you may meet.
They love Sesame Street- especially Elmo.
They get excited when they see big trucks outside our house.
They love to read books.
They enjoy soaking the entire bathroom(and mommy and daddy)during bath time while seeing who can splash higher, faster, or more.
They like wrestling with Daddy.
They love toy trucks and making truck noises.
They build awesome towers with their blocks.
They enjoy finger painting and coloring.
Totally typical. COMPLETELY wonderful.
People will always have their ideas about Down syndrome. It is my job to make sure that I inform as many as I can that life with a bonus 21st chromosome is awesome. Yes, we go to speech therapy 4 times a month and physical therapy twice a month and we have an awesome Help Me Grow and Early Intervention team but I don't see these things as a burden or as anything abnormal. Lots of kids and adults use physical therapists and speech therapists- we see them all the time at our appointments. I view our extra things as a bonus- we have an entire support team to answer questions, help us to understand how the body works, how the brain processes sounds, how hard the hands work to grip a pencil. I look at all the extras as BLESSINGS!
We have a great life. I think everyone should be as happy and fulfilled as we are. I never look at my life at the end of the day and wish I were someone else. However, EVERY NIGHT I thank GOD for giving me such a rewarding and love centered life.
1 comment:
Hi, I'm from Brazil. I really liked your blog! Thank you for sharing your experience! My mom has a friend whose brothers are twins with Down syndrome, they are 56 years old. They are really identical! At least when they are not talking... When they talk it's easy to recognize them, because they have a very different personality=) Anyway, it is really fun to be around them and I thought you might like to see their picture. However, I couldn't find an e-mail to send it... My e-mail - matheuscarla@hotmail.com. Best Wishes Carla
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