December 21, Mariah turned 4. I'm still getting used to the idea of having a 4-year-old. Where does time go?
RAD has robbed poor Mariah of a carefree childhood; I'm still hoping to be able to salvage a few years for her, but in the meantime, I hope she has happy moments.
One of the issues with RAD is the attention she receives from others; another issue is that she gets over stimulated very easily. A birthday is a day full of these 2 things combined. We did our best to de-stress the day for Mariah. She was able to receive gifts from people who love her, but she did not open the gifts in front of them, thus minimizing the pressure and stimulation she felt while getting attention from others.
We had a little party with just our little family. She opened the gifts then and made thank you cards later. I hope it was a good day for her.
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| Mariah had been asking for fruit soup for a long time, so we made some for her birthday lunch. Grandma Orva, Grandpa Paul, and Uncle David joined us briefly. |
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| Looking a little shell shocked. |
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| A bit nervous about the fire. |
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| Singing the song is the favorite part at our house. |
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| Thanks, Grandma Shaunna and Grandpa Jim for the memory game! |
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| Thanks, Grandma Orva and Grandpa Paul for "If You Give a Pig a Party!" |
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| The "Winky Wogs" were a family gift. |
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| Writing thank you notes. |
2 comments:
Just a small gathering with no pressure and stimulation is the best party for any child in my book. Just ask my kids - that's all they ever got.
How fun! Jonathan's birthday is next month, so I've been debating how to make the best birthday for him. Still haven't come up with a definite, but I think it'll involve not too many people, his favorite foods, and lots of bubbles and balls.
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