Such progress

I'm sure I'm tempting all sorts of crazy fate by constantly rejoicing in how well Jack has been doing lately, but I feel that I've had years of complaining and sharing our worries about him that I really want to document all the triumphs and fun we've been having.

The last two days marked a couple of unofficial milestones for us. On Sunday, we went to a playground that has historically been difficult for us. It is located very near the airport, and airplanes are constantly taking off overhead. It can get very loud there. It's been so bad that we have actually had to leave playdates there even before they start. I was nervous about taking Jack to this party, because of our past experience.

When we arrived, sure enough, there were planes taking off every few minutes. I could tell that already the noise was starting to bug him. But thank goodness for our friends. Another boy in particular LOVES airplanes, and he was so excited every time one passed over them. His excitement was infectious, and Jack quickly overcame any apprehension and enjoyed the rest of the party without any incident at all.

I was even more impressed with what happened yesterday. Yesterday was his first piano lesson. I had hoped to start him much earlier than this. He was a lot more interested in taking piano lessons before he started golf. Unfortunately, the timing with the teacher I wanted wasn't ideal, and now golf has sort of superseded everything else for him. Regardless, this has been in the works for months, so I felt we should give it a shot.

When we arrived at the teacher's house, my heart sank when I heard what sounded like two very active dogs on the other side of the door. Jack has had such a rocky history with dogs. Again, we have had to leave or avoid playdates with friends who have had dogs because he would be so frightened by them. I can relate, because I was afraid of dogs when I was a kid too. But the thing about Jack is that he always TRIES to like them. He WANTS to like them, but sometimes he is just too scared.

The teacher told us just to walk in the door, and both dogs immediately barked and ran up to us. Violet was terrified and started crying. She calmed down quickly when I picked her up and was happy to give pats as long as I was holding her. One of the dogs returned almost immediately to his bed and stayed there, but the other - a boxer - kept coming up to the kids and licking them. I could tell Jack didn't exactly love all the attention, but he never once complained or cried or screamed. He just said, "That dog is a lot more rambunctious than the other one. He really likes us."

The difference between his reaction yesterday and what it would have been even a couple of months ago is staggering. I just couldn't believe how calm he stayed and just totally go-with-the-flow he was, even more so than Violet. In fact, at one point, when Violet looked like she was going to pet the dog too eagerly, he told her to be careful not to hit the dog, because that wouldn't be nice.

The piano lesson itself was fine. We will see how he does. The other unfortunate aspect of the timing is that he will be starting Little League baseball next month. Three activities seems kind of a lot, but I guess we'll just see how it goes. We'll keep at it as long as he is having fun. If this last weekend's events have shown me anything it's that I should never underestimate my boy. He's able to handle a lot more than I expect. I'm so proud of him.