Best Toy Ever...

When Nicolas found out John Michael had Down syndrome, he was most concerned about John Michael not being able to play Legos, ball, trains, etc, with him.



Looking back, we didn't know how John Michael would develop. The medical information available suggested he would be delayed at everything and that he would have all kinds of medical issues. John Michael has taught us to be patient and that he would do all the things Nic was hoping he'd do, just at his own pace.

Fast forward 3 years...

in previous posts, I've written about how John Michael loves to play with balls, kicking, throwing and learning to "theth" (catch). I've also posted on how he loves to play with Legos and build towers and he's starting to build out a bit, too, not just stacking.

This year...


we bought John Michael a train table (not that our living room has room for it!) and brought down the track and trains, mostly Thomas the Tank Engine and friends, from the attic that Nicolas and Anna used to play with.

I can't believe how excited he is -- it's hard to pry him away from his train table! He is having a blast watching the two motorized engines go round and round and attaching extra engines or tenders until there are so many that the engine stalls out or crashes. We also have some cool bridges, tunnels, and accessories to add to the fun. I really shouldn't have bought him anything else. I think this is it for him.



Nic just got home and is now playing with him. I love how this one thing will give them yet one more fun thing to do together. One more reminder that our kids with Down syndrome are "More Alike Than Different."

Wordy Wednesday -- Bathtime Fun

I love the idea of Wordless Wednesday (well, it's Wednesday on the east coast!), but do you know how hard it is not to write something? So, I'll keep it brief...

Now that he's pulling up to stand, it's almost impossible to keep John Michael sitting. His favorite thing to do while taking a bath is to throw toys out of the tub. When he's not bathing, he throws things into the tub. He also has a newfound love affair with trains, especially Thomas trains. I'm thinking I'll have to pull out Nic's wooden Thomas set out of the attic this summer. John Michael doesn't really suck on toys, but I think I'll wait a little longer since there is probably lots of lead paint on those old trains!