Some needed sunshine

Dalin doesn't go to school on Wednesdays. Rob and Cameron have been in North Dakota since Saturday, and I have been playing single mom. I do not envy those of you who do it on a regular basis. Anyways, I needed some sunshine (it was an unseasonably warm day -- 65 degrees). So I took Dalin to the park. Dalin immediately headed for the swings. He loves to swing! There is a glider-type swing there and he can work it himself. He was on that swing for almost 45 minutes. He was vocally stimming the whole time. There were a few kids at the park. Dalin got some annoyed looks, but he didn't notice (so I tried not to take notice either). He was having a great time! I watched as the other children at the park played together and momentarily wished that Dalin would break away from his swing and go and play with them. But that was my want, not his. He is happy to be doing his own thing. And so I tell myself that as long as he is happy, that is all that matters. When he eventually got off the swing he went and played on the slide. He gathered up a bunch of pinecones and carried them to the top and then threw them down the slide. He sat and laughed and then went down the slide after them. Then he gathered them up again and headed to the top of the slide to start the process all over. I lost count after a half-dozen times of this ritual. I can't believe the things that entertain that child. I wish I could be entertained so easily. When he finally got bored, he headed back for the swings. This time though he got on a regular swing. Dalin hasn't figured out how to pump. We have tried to teach him but he gets too impatient. So, he yelled, "Mom, come push!" I was glad to realize that he noticed that I was still there. Sometimes I think he forgets about me and the rest of the world around him. Anyways, I went over and pushed him for a while – from the front, not the behind, so I could see his face and he could see mine. I asked him questions to get him to focus on me. He answered less than half and not all were coherent, but I was grateful for the few I understood. I think he would have stayed on the swing longer if it had not been for my pestering questions. Dalin tires quickly of idle chit-chat ;). He was soon ready to head for home -- he said he was hungry and needed a snack. As I loaded him in the truck I noticed sand around his mouth. I realized that he had already had a healthy helping of sand. I've given up on trying to keep him from putting the sand in his mouth. It is a regular occurrence when we go to the park. I figure if it hasn't killed him yet... Plus, as the saying goes, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I really have a lot to learn from him.