Last week there was a lot of snow. Over 20 inches of it. Wes wanted to go out. So we did.

He wanted to play in the sandbox, but I wouldn’t let him. Instead, he dug in the snow a bit. This was when the snow was in the early stages of coming down.

We’ve had gifts stashed under our tree for a few days now. Wes hasn’t seemed to notice. Yesterday, when we were playing near the tree, he suddenly noticed the presents and started removing them and stacking them nearby. I helped him put them back.

This morning I emerged from making breakfast in the kitchen to find him in the living room with a pile of presents around him. I helped him put them back.

Later this morning we were playing up in his room. More like, I was reading a book and holding Carissa while Wes dumped his dirty laundry from the basket and put it back in, over and over again. One of his favorite things to do.

After about a half hour of that I went in the other room for a few minutes. When I came out, Wes was no longer in his room. His laundry was gone (although the basket–empty–was in his closet where it belongs).

I went to the end of the hall and peered over the banister to the living room below.

A new look for our tree. Plus, he opened a gift from my folks. At least it was addressed to him AND John and me.

This month we took Wes to the annual Christmas activity for families of kids with special needs in our county. There are a lot of kids with Down syndrome around here.

I remember first attending this event when Wesley was just three months old. We were adjusted to the fact that our son has Down syndrome by then, but I wasn’t ready to consider what Wes would be like when he’s older. It was hard for me to hold my tiny infant son in my arms and look around at the older kids and young adults with DS and see my son becoming them. It was scary to me. A little uncomfortable. I couldn’t process it yet.

Now Wes is three. This year when we attended the party, where there were more kids with Down syndrome in the same room than I’ve ever seen before, I was relieved to realize that I wasn’t uncomfortable or scared anymore. I guess some things take a little time.

Here’s Wes through the years with Santa at the party.

Dec. 2007: 3 months old
Not aware and doesn’t care.

Dec. 2008: 1 year old
A little more aware and willing to care.

We missed the 2009 party.

Dec. 2010: 3 years old
Well aware and doesn’t care.

But he liked the coloring table and spent about 30 minutes there.