The New Thing

There is a new thing going on with Shawn. He is being....well, it's hard for me to come right out and tell you this, but the bottom line truth of the matter is that, well, while he is adorable and loving and sickeningly hysterical, he can actually be....quite....b.a.d. There, I said it. He is being bad!

Shawn likes to hit, if he isn't experiencing total bliss in the moment. Now, he doesn't hit me or Joe, and to my knowledge he hasn't punched out any friends at school as of yet. But he likes to hit his brother and the dog. He also likes to make an intentional mess with his spoon and yogurt. And he likes to pull on the cords that operate the window blinds. He enjoys removing every toy after I've put them away, as well as he enjoys eating paper and crayons.

Shawn does enjoy a little romp in the dog's water bowl, and thoroughly basks in the glory of an awesome splash in the bathtub, especially when the water covers the walls, or.... m.e.

Shawn likes to profess that he is hungry by stating "BITE" and then adamantly refusing all options. Shawn enjoys saying "no" when I claim "yes".

Shawn likes to remove the bookmark out of my Bible. (ooooh....that one really irks me!).

All of this to say that I have a head strong little boy who apparantly knows what he wants in life. Given his mental challenges, I find this quite refreshing. I find it to be borderline delightful. I also find it comical to challenge this little one to time out. He does not like the time out chair and mommy's fussy voice. He is not a fan of the words, "Shawn that is B.A.D. behavior". In fact, he shoves a thumb in his mouth, tucks his chin down to his neck, hides his eyes behind his unfashionably long bangs, and pouts like there is no tomorrow." That pitiful sad lip and those painfully remorseful eyes kill me. I look at him and don't really know whether to laugh or to cry. I don't want him to feel hurt feelings for even a moment, but I want him to learn.

He sits there and remains completely quiet until I pose the question, "Shawn, can you tell Mommy (or Asher or whoever) you are sorry? He flashes me a huge smile, everytime, and says something that doesn't even remotely resemble "sorry"....and then we kiss and hug.

I love to be his warm hug after a moment of unpleasant consequences. I love to see that he has such an active personality and a strong character of spirit, and that he can even tolerate reprimand without utterly sobbing. He surprises me. He amazes me. He makes my heart leap.

Looking forward to the next new thing.