Dec 15 2008
Manic Monday: Candle
Prompt by Mo at Manic Monday
“Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang Happy Birthday.”
~Stephen Wright
Because why try to fight it? It occurred to me that I was going on about this whole Christmas tree thing all wrong. So what if Gus wants to obsessively redecorate the tree during every waking moment? I watched him at it this morning, and he was oddly calm, singing his versions of Christmas carols and just moving the ornaments around. He actually spread them out now so they’re not all clumped at the bottom. I’m not entirely comfortable with him around the lit tree with all that water in the bottom, so maybe I just disconnect the lights at a point where he can’t reach? Or maybe I just don’t worry about it. Maybe I just go find a yoga class, chill out and let it go. I mean, it’s just a tree, right? There’s aren’t even any candles on it to start a fire.
That’s absolutely adorable that he loves to rearrange them. I agree with your conclusion…just let it happen. I think it totally adds to his Christmas magic!
Being the somewhat obsessive compulsive type myself, I’d probably have a hard time watching someone decorate and redecorate the tree constantly but I think you’re right in that Gus is having a good time and as long as the lights aren’t somewhere that can hurt him, maybe it’s good for him to be able to do that. OR just as a thought - perhaps you could get a second small tree that could be all Gus’ and let him have at it? Perhaps something with only a few lights up higher or even no lights at all?
I had this same problem with my two kids and even though our tree is fake we only decorate the top half with the good ornaments and the lower half with plastic balls so they can move them. It’s helped a lot and I make it a point to tell them not to lean on the tree.
Andrea, It’s just a tree, don’t worry about it. Try to let it go. I know it’s hard!
I love to rearrange and sort things: I hear that this is not uncommon with aspies, so as long as he isn’t in danger or damaging anything, the re-decorating is probably therapeutic!
He has, since my posting, broken 2 of our keepsake ornaments, one of which was given to us for his second Christmas. It was only a matter of time.
Andrea - Thank you for the comments on my site.
Jilly decorated our whole tree this year (except for the lights) and it really looks beautiful. . . we’ve gotten lucky in that we’ve only broken a couple of ornaments that were easily fixed with super glue. . . no keepsakes yet. We have a few old, old ones from my mother-in-law and I know that she’d rather Jilly put them up and broke them . . . than us try to keep her from them. So I agree, keep Gus safe, let him decorate and redecorate and threedecorate. . . it’s better than watching spongebob marathons. I think.