Hi Santa

Elise has been doing great lately. Yesterday, she had an assessment for the research study that we've been doing the last 10 weeks. Apparently she was upset with it and seemed disturbed that I hadn't said goodbye. I wondered how that would work, but the asssessment went on right after I left from the research session, so there wasn't a comfortable opportunity to say goodbye. We have to do the assessments when we return in January because she became too upset to finish these. That said, she started out great in the part of the assessment I stayed and watched. She was responsive to the tester and was pointing and gesturing "I want". I should have stayed to watch the whole assessment and then I maybe could have helped. However, I'm just so....sick of watching her be assessed. I can tell that Elise is totally and completely sick of being assessed also.

As I was leaving to go into work yesterday, I checked my cell phone voicemail. Thank goodness I did because my boss called to tell me to work from home yesterday. I therefore decided to stay at UCLA all day. It was wonderful to finally participate in things and get to know some of the other mothers. It felt so much less isolating and was a much needed boost of support.

Just before the end of the day, Santa came to Elise's classroom. She was busy eating Goldfish when he entered the room. She looked up and smiled her smirky smile, the one where probably only I and those who know her really well recognize as a happy smile. She then went back to eating her goldfish. Santa called up each child and gave them a gift. Elise received a new doll.

Today, Elise had another good day at school. It was the last day for one of her four classmates. There was a goodbye party. Hubby picked her up and said that she was a dancing queen. She was also giving lots of hugs to the staff. After she got home, we took the kids to a Christmas party at the indoor playground in our area. Santa showed up there and Elise, unprompted, gave him a hug and wanted to be around him. She was so happy to be there. It was full of children and therefore crazy with activity and noise. It didn't seem to bother her much. She'd participate some and then go off and jump in the bouncer. Jumping helps her regulate. Then, she'd join in the fun again. At one point, they played a game where all the kids sat in a circle. I sat with Elise to get her to participate. She loved it and threw a fit when we needed to leave the circle. Who would have thought that Elise would WANT to join in circle time? She's really changing.

Today was also a really good day because my father's surgery to replace his knees was successful. That was a relief to hear and now we're all hoping that his recovery goes as well as possible and that his pain is adequately managed.

I don't know if the change in Elise has anything to do with the meds she started, but the change she's undergone in the last week is fantastic. I hope that it continues for a long time. Once again, I'm filled with hope.