Christmas and December update!

Hello everyone! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas season! We sure did! I wanted to write about Susie's Christmas and some things we did to ensure she had a successful Christmas! But first, I want to share a few big things Susie has done this month.

Susie does not do well in environments where she is expected to 1. Sit still or 2. Be quiet. A few weeks ago we tested her at 2 different events in which she had to sit still, and be quiet. The first occasion was at Sally's gymnastics recital. It was a 3 hour long event and Susie had to go. We were nervous as it was going to be a long time for Susie. However she far exceeded our expectations and made it the entire show, only leaving for about 20 minutes to go to the lobby. That same weekend, we took her to a church Christmas program. Susie loves music, so she did well with listening to the kids sing! She was rewarded with a cookie, or 5! 

   Trying her best to be quiet at the church Christmas Program! 

Susie also didn't do the best with Santa the first 2 times we saw him. I got to thinking that maybe she was overwhelmed by the crowd and the lines. The County Library had pictures with Santa, I went hoping it would be a smaller crowd and we could go at Susies pace. It was just that and Susie did amazing and we got a wonderful picture of her and Santa! 

                  

At Thanksgiving, we did a buffet style table. Susie had a really rough day because she doesn't like to share food and tried to take over the whole table. At Christmas, we decided to have a table dedicated to Susie. We laid out a cheese ball (her favorite) chips, pretzels, and croissants to name a few things! Susie did so well with her own little grazing table and was so happy! 

It is hard to buy gifts for Susie, she doesn't care for many things. However when she likes something, she really likes it. We put a lot of thought into her gifts this year and decided to get her some sensory items that she is familiar with using at school. I did a lot of research and found a sensory swing that would fit in our hallway and Nana bought it for her. Santa also brought her a sequin board and a small trampoline. This was the first time that Susie actually showed interest in her gifts! We aren't able to get many pictures or videos of her, as she has kind of sworn off clothes this Christmas break! However I do have a small clip of her in action on the swing which keeps her entertained for hours!