Day 23.

Vicki's got it all in there. And I love discovering it when it comes out! This is why I want to give her every experience that I can, because I know that even if she seems like she is in her own little world, she is in there. And she is quietly observing, taking stock, paying attention. Every experience that she has builds onto the next, creating a wonderful masterpiece in her mind.

She knows exactly what is going on. Today, for example, she knew that we were going on an egg hunt. And her experiences in years past has given her the base for what to expect. So, boy, was I disappointed in myself this year... We always go to a cute little Easter egg hunt that the Jaycee's put on... it's at a park- it has lots of trees, and a hill to climb, and rocks to play on. There's a playground with swings, a slide, and one of those merry-go-round things where one kid runs around the perimeter and spins it really fast then usually jumps on and all the kids either look like they are going to fall off or get sick and I keep hoping nobody falls off and gets stepped on. The Easter Bunny makes an appearance, and there are roped off sections for the age groups to do their egg hunt. That's what she's used to. And we didn't make it to that one this year. I think it got rained out last weekend and we couldn't make the rain date. I guess it's good to try new things, different things. But for Vic, she associated 'egg hunt' with that specific egg hunt. And as we were getting in the car, she kept repeating Easter bunny eggs, basket, trees, rocks, playground. We told her it was a different egg hunt. And we actually went to one in a Giant grocery store... we'd never been to that before, and it turned out really cute... First of all, it wasn't muddy. :)  Second, we were able to pick up a few groceries that we needed. :) And third, it wasn't very busy at all. And that's always a good thing. It was great. They hid the eggs down one aisle in the grocery store. They did the 6 and under group first. And Ally was on her egg game today. She collected 46 eggs and came in first... they gave her a cute little Easter basket that had a game in it, a chocolate bunny, some jelly beans, lots of chocolate pieces and a push pop. She was super psyched. Then it was the over 6 group... The bunny was very nice to Vicki and as daddy was walking along with her, the bunny would give her suggestions and help her look for the colors. She had a really good time. And it was different. And still good. :)  Joey tied for first with another boy and he got a basket too... The bunny asked us to wait a minute and she came back with a beautiful basket for Vicki too. She was very sweet and Vicki was very happy. She counted her 15 eggs and said thank you as she was already biting a piece of her chocolate. :)  What a great experience. Then we left. And on the way to the car, although she liked this egg hunt, she knew that that's not what she thought it was... and she still kept saying trees, playground etc.... So we decided to drive down to the park where we usually go for the egg hunt. We told her the egg hunt was all finished but we could go to the playground. We weren't sure how she would respond, but we thought we'd give it a try, and it was a pretty afternoon... Surprisingly, she was ok when we got the park. She asked for the playground and she swung for a while. They even took out the merry-go-round and put teeter totters in it's place. She kept looking at it. But she didn't say anything. She just kept swinging. Phew. Massive tantrums averted. She was able to communicate what she wanted with us. She seemed happy enough and we did something different. Not bad!

It's funny. The kids were watching The Velveteen Rabbit today and Vicki was snuggling on the couch. Apparently Joey was more antsy than usual, moving around a lot, standing up a lot, etc. He'll stand up, get in front of Vicki, and just stand there and watch the movie not meaning to block her view, just being oblivious. Just being a boy. And Vicki's started telling Joey, 'Joey walking.' And Joey's still oblivious., He'll say, 'yep. Joey's walking'. And just keep standing there. :)  And then she'll repeat it. 'Joey, walking.' And then he'll say, 'yep. Joey is walking' and he'll walk around for a minute and then end up in the same place, blocking her view again. :)  Finally, Vicki starts getting irritated. And I kind of chuckle to myself and think, Vic, you need to be more direct... he's a boy, you are being to polite, just tell him, 'get the he** out of my way.' :P  I step in and tell Vic to tell Joey, 'Joey, move please. I can't see.'  So, she does, and he does. Two minutes later, he's back to his blocking position and Vic asks him again, 'Joey walking.' And his response? 'Yep. Joey's walking.' Oh kiddos... :) 

She had one of those odd, silly, scary moments this morning at breakfast.... She totally knows when she has someone nervous... She was eating her french toast too fast. Sometimes we'll block her hand and tell her to chew first and wait. Sometimes she just sticks out her tongue when she is done and says 'ahhhh'. :)  And sometimes, she will just think it's funny. Today it was one of those days... And she grabbed her Capri sun and started drinking it while laughing, before I could get it off of her, it must have gone down the wrong pipe. But she must have gotten a lot down the wrong pipe. Because I got scared. She started sputtering and choking, all the while still laughing. Then she made some other odd noises, and started coughing and burping, and it freaked me out. I wonder if I will ever feel comfortable when she eats?

Bunny duties still await me, so I must run... How is it that I think I'm so prepared and then still rush around at the last minute...?  Here's hopping (yes, I know that's hopping and not hoping... I'm in super bunny mode right now!) Vicki's ok with coming downstairs in her pj's without showering... so the kids can find their baskets first thing in the morning. It's funny how morning stuff always hinges on Vicki. The other day, Ally asked me if Vicki could get a bath first instead of her. And the answer, for the time being, since Ally still needs me to be around for her, is still no. I need to have Vicki go last so I can watch her the whole time. Sometimes I wonder though... it it really Vicki or is it me, my adherence to certain routines and schedules that I do things certain ways? I underestimate Vicki alot. I feel like Marlin from Finding Nemo, 'you think you can do these things, but you just can't Nemo...' Like last month when we were packing up for our trip to Vic's developmental pediatrician in Baltimore. If the kids are awake and I have to pack, daddy usually watches Vicki in the living room. He was gone that morning for a while, and I decided to try to take Vic up to my room with me so I could pack. It used to be that she wouldn't go up the stairs unless it was to do some therapy or to go to bed. And it just wasn't worth it to me to push it before... I would rather avert a tantrum on the stairs than try to have her go up the stairs with me. But I tried it, and she was okay with it. She sat in my room and followed the directions I gave her. It's always a learning experience for me. Autism is not an excuse. And sometimes I forget that.

I'll leave you tonight with something I came across on the interweb :)  and thought was cute...
ALL I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
Walk softly and carry a big carrot.
Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
There’s no such thing as too much candy.
All work and no play can make you a basket case.
A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.
Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
Some body parts should be floppy.
Keep your paws off other people’s jellybeans.
Good things come in small sugar-coated packages.
The grass is always greener in someone else’s basket.
An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare.
To show your true colors – you have to come out of your shell.
The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.Author Unknown