The "Eyes" have it. . .

Or in our case, the 1-eyed Ugly doll.

My 6-year-old Tasmanian devil came home today from three weeks of respite care with our in-laws. I've really been enjoying the peace and quiet in the house, since we got back from the Grand Canyon. Not to mention the fact that I didn't have to clean up the entire house each night before going to bed.

I really started to miss him though, when my SIL told me a week ago that Taz learned to swim and ride a bike, got his first loose tooth and night-trained himself (at 6.5 years) while he was gone. I guess we all needed a respite to get our Karma back in order.

The good news is he hasn't lost the tooth yet, so we still get the joy of playing tooth fairy for the first time.

He really did mature alot while gone, however. MIL told me that they took Taz and his 5-year-old cousin to a fair and they would not let him on one of the rides, because he was too short. Cousin, who is now taller than Taz, got to ride. Surprisingly Grandma said Taz was really good about it. He sniffed a bit and told the ride attendant "It's not my fault. My medicine makes me short."

If that's not out of the mouths of special needs babes, I don't know what is.

He's been on and off steroids since birth and on ADHD meds. since age 4. The kid can't catch a break, but I'd rather have him stay small, safe and healthy.

As for the Ugly doll, Taz was spinning in circles (as usual) at bedtime, when he noticed the 1-eyed "Wedgehead" from FAO Schwarz in Vegas tucked between the pillows on his bed.

"Mommy, you bought me a MONSTER DOLL!"

Thirty minutes later, after his nighttime dose of melatonin kicked in, he was sound asleep hugging his new monster.

Better a monster in the bed, then under it.

Nianya