Fall Has Arrived in Doha

A taste of what our lives are like now - everyone in different directions at once . . .

Well, our lives have picked up quite a bit since Aidan finally got independently mobile. Everyone is on the move and has their own ideas about how and when and what they want to do. a few recent stories:

Gavin goes for a ride in the toy box!

We had taken a walk over to the clinic that has opened for our compound to get the boys their followup flu shot. There is a HUGE open space outside of the clinic (there will be a medium sized grocery there soon) and curt was goign to let the boys walk around while we were waiting. Some of the ladies in the reception were entertaining Aidan and Brady and Gavin were having a blast running around. All of a sudden Curt sees Gavin walking toward the side of the GLASS doors. he began to slow down as he approached them as though he saw them and then apparently sped up and BONK! walked right into the glass. OF course he got lots of cuddles, but we couldn't help but laugh a little bit too. poor kid . . .

Brady Boy!

OK, we need some help on this one . .. Brady seems to have some "self-injurious" behavior. In the last month or two he has begun banging his head on the floor when he doesn't get something he wants or when he is upset that something was taken from him. in the last week or so he has escalated things. now, if there something he wants but doesn't get (full water glass, remote control, book, to climb something dangerous, etc) he will hit is head or face several times in a row on something, or he will PUNCH himself in the head while he stares at you. I was changing his diaper the other day (he was upset b/c he had to stop playing to get changed) and he hit himself in the head so hard i could HEAR it - 2 or 3 times. WHERE DOES THIS COME FROM?! The only reference i have seen on self-injurious behavior was around Autism Spectrum Disorders and 1) it didn't define it and 2) he doesn't have any of the other symptoms they discuss associated with ASD, so we just aren't sure what to do. we thought maybe it was for attention because we will see Tess and MArie freak out a little bit when he does it, but we have been with him all week and we try not to react when it happens and it almost seems like it is getting worse. There was one part i read about having to do with self-soothing and head banging - it said 6% of kids do this (the top 6%?:) ) , but this punching himself in the head seems to be 1) not very self soothing and 2) just plain weird. should we be stopping him? ignoring him (what we are doing now)? giving him whatever he wants even if it is dangerous?! any advice will be taken lovingly . . . :)

Brady likes reading!

Brady also is in need of a haircut - he has a SERIOUS mullet going on - business in front, party in back. Curt calls him Billy Ray. but we don't want to get a haircut now since they will be having pictures in a week and a half - not enough time for it to grow out if something happens! The funny thing is we stopped at a place that supposedly focuses on kids cuts and when I tell the woman that they are really wriggly, she says "Oh, no problem. I have a Sri Lanken boy who is very fast. cuts VERY fast!" i just didn't know what to say . . .

Aidan and Gavin enjoy reading in their new easy chairs!

And Aidan. people here say the craziest stuff that is totally rude when they mean it to be nice. This is the second time someone has said to us about the boys that "he [Aidan] is the most handsome/cutest [of the three]". why would you say that even if you thought it?! do you actually expect a parent to agree with you - publicly or privately??? "Why yes, he is the most handsome - the other two had better deveop killer personalities or they will have no chance at finding mates in life . . . " i mean COME ON. at least it is equal opportunity rudeness - i had a woman tell me as a pregnant woman i needed to now wear dresses as pants were unattractive on pregnant women. i was wearing my favorite pregnancy pants at the time. Or they will ask you in the middle of the hallway (or at the pediatrician's office): "My, it looks like you have gained weight - how much?!" umm, none of your frigging business, thank you very much . . .

Aidan the baby rapper . . .

It's finally cool enough for hoodies and socks and shoes! We thought this picture was emblematic of our family - parent trying to get them together while they are trying their darndest to do whatever the hell they want.