Ants in his Pants

Funny boy

Thank you to everyone who sent me a message about Isaiah's blog yesterday. Your words were really encouraging both to me, and to Isaiah. I have been blown away by his strong bond with Felix, but also by the way he has educated himself about Down Syndrome, and his willingness to share that information with others.  He is so proud of his little brother. He laughs with him, and he cries if he is unwell. I think he worries more about him than Nathan and I do; he's such a Mother-Hen!!

Felix and I went to visit my beautiful friend who lives next door this afternoon. She has a big dog who loves Felix, especially his breath. He doesn't lick his face, but he puts it really close to Felix's mouth and just sniffs. Felix loves it! It looks hilarious to see this really tall dog towering over tiny little Felix. Once Felix decides he's had enough, he just grunts and pushes him away. He can be very bossy when he wants to be.

At one point I noticed Felix touching something which was plugged into the powerpoint on the wall. I quickly pulled him away and told him "No". He went back to it a second time and leaned in towards it a bit before looking at me and shaking his head from side to side (No). I had to try and keep a straight face as he struggled with his conscience; knowing he wasn't meant to touch it, but tempted to touch it anyway. He has such a good level of comprehension and, like any other toddler, likes to check where the boundaries are.

Hiding!

There was actually some sunshine today, so I took advantage of it and went outside to try and make a dent in our long overdue weeding!! Felix hasn't been able to play outside much lately because it's either been too cold or too wet. I took him out to the front of the house with me and sat him in his sandpit. He was so excited to be outside. He sat digging and playing in the sand while I began to tackle the weeds.

Every now and again I would look back over my shoulder to see what Felix was doing. After a while, when he got bored with the sandpit, he made his way onto the driveway next to the car and started to play with the stones (which our driveway is made of). He picked some up and threw them; others he just looked at or put in his mouth to taste them. He was very content to play by himself while I weeded. He enjoys some alone time sometimes, just like we all do.

Enjoying the sunshine

We were outside for quite a while. By the time I was finished (well, maybe not finished...I don't think weeding is ever finished in our garden), Felix had worked his way down to the very end of the driveway where I was. He looked quite happy but I suddenly remembered that there was an ant's nest in the spot where he was sitting. I rushed over there and, sure enough, the poor kid was covered in tiny little ants from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He was tapping at them with his hand but didn't look too bothered by them. I quickly moved him away and stripped off all of his clothes; they were everywhere! I couldn't see any bites on him, which is surprising because those little ants can be nasty. So, feeling like a terrible parent, I took him back inside where he continued to play like nothing had ever happened!  Maybe kids with Down Syndrome are ant proof??? Hahaha!