My kids got to meet their cousins and my nephew, their biological brother and sister. The kids don’t realize who they are. My nephew is 31 and my niece is 15. Yes they are that much younger than them. It was good for my niece and nephew to meet.
We had a small family reunion. My nieces and nephew brought their kids, and I watched Jimmy and Janie interact with neurotypical children for the first time. It was so lovely to see them playing. I could see some of the differences, but my kids kept up and didn’t have too many meltdowns.
One of the biggest problems was soda. I don’t give my kids soda with caffeine, and there was a lot. They drank Pepsi and coke; believe me, they were acting wired out. We had water balloons; they weren’t supposed to get into them and snuck them. We all knew, but it was fun to see them watching them burst.
We still have the screaming issue, and the other kids all stopped to watch them scream and fuss over being dirty and wet, not getting their way, or watching their favorite toys being played with and not by them.
I am glad to have been able to see that they are not so far behind. I can’t wait for Jane to start Kindergarten this August. I look forward to seeing her growth. It was a successful party in so many ways