Happy Thanksgiving

We had a very nice, quiet Thanksgiving. Well, maybe not quiet since Ayden Jane has not been quiet since school let out on Friday.

It started with a nice surprise. Gary worked Wednesday night in the ER but was sent home early since they were not busy. That translated into him getting a good amount of sleep without having to sleep away most of the day. He and Ayden Jane made good use of the time and the beautiful weather. He took AJ and the dogs for a good walk. (We use the dogs as an excuse to walk Ayden Jane pretty regularly.)  After the exercise the rest of us joined them at Dunkin Donuts. Ayden Jane just goes along for the ride there, brings her own snack and sometimes gets a bit of coffee. 

Next on the list was to see if they could find a Christmas tree! They found a great one and by the time they came home, all that was left to do was to get a snack into Ayden Jane and most definitely throw her in the shower!

Holidays can be really rough on families who deal with Prader Willi Syndrome for a few reasons. First up is just the typical excitement that comes with holidays can make all kids a bit crazy. For those children with PWS who get anxious with change or stress, even the fun of a holiday can be more than they can handle. In Ayden Jane this excitement translates into her brain going even more fast and furious. It is both hilarious and exhausting to live with. Kayla asked her the other day about how many thoughts she had in her head. Ayden Jane answered, "Oh, I don't know. Probably about a bazillion."  For us, the key to handling it is getting her out and getting lots of exercise. We all know,or at least we are told of, the connection between the exercise and improved thinking. It is so clear in Ayden Jane. Whether it is getting her out to play before tackling homework or just getting her thoughts to settle and have great conversations during a long dog walk.

Of course, the focus on food is another struggle for many families with Prader Willi Syndrome. We are not completely immune to it, but it is also not a big struggle either. For the Thanksgiving meal Ayden Jane did awesome. She had a little bit of most everything and was thrilled with her giant turkey leg. She managed to eat about half of it and then was full and asked if she could give the rest to the dogs for their 'feast'. Gary and I took Ayden Jane out to the beach because there was a giant full moon and we searched for ghost crabs. It was beautiful and Ayden Jane was sound asleep within minutes of getting home.