When you least expect it

I don’t know how to have a relationship with Alex. While I’ve been the one at home with him, since Jeff’s job ended in late May, he’s been with Alex as much if not more than I have. And I have to say they have a great relationship. Jeff gets a bit madder than I do, yells a bit more, but I think he genuinely enjoys spending more time with Alex.

Photo courtesy of Noahg (flickr.com)

While I find Alex a little… difficult. Watching him this afternoon, after I’d spent most of my day preparing for and then having a not particularly fun medical procedure, I thought how happy he was all on his own. Spinning. Bouncing. Chattering. Using the TV as background (which someone warned us not to do about eight years ago, but which we haven’t figured out how to do yet).

How do you connect — really connect — with someone who is so wrapped up in his own set of sensory experiences? Last night Alex was looking all over for his penguin. When he found it he tapped me on the arm, showed it to me and grinned. He wanted me to know he’d found it. I was glad to know. We smiled at each other.