Better?

I don't know what was going on last week, but things seem to be better again. In the past few days we've had some good things, and bad things, but overall, Amy seems pretty calm. She's had fewer tantrums, and those she does have she is able to calm down faster. Incidents of note:

1) So we got a puppy. I know -- brilliant timing, right? So far, pup has been doing really well. We were (are) hoping that the puppy will help Amy with some of her sensory issues (she needs to be brushed regularly, played with, walked, etc). So far, Gwyn has done an awesome job at taking care of the dog, but Amy is VERY nervous around her. She is a 3 pound, super calm and gentle Maltese/Shih-Tzu mix. Puppies really don't come much mellower, but Amy gets very tense whenever the puppy comes close to her. It's kind of funny to watch, because she really loves the dog a lot -- she just loves watching other people play with her. Gwyn and Micah are happy to oblige. :) Of course, the question is, what is she afraid of? We can't figure it out, really.

2) It's Amy's birthday week. She has been begging me to tell her what her gifts are for days, because she can't stand the nervous feeling of not knowing. This isn't the same kind of hopeful begging most kids have. It is a tearful, afraid begging. She just REALLY hates surprises.

3) Amy seems like she is doing better, though. She's been playing much better with Gwyn and Micah. One problem we have been having is her sprawling all over the couch, and not giving anyone else space. She didn't like to sit in our living room chair, because the foot rest always slid away. We solved that problem by tying the footrest to the chair, moving the whole contraption to a more central place in the TV room, re-arranging the rest of the furniture (a little awkwardly, but, hey...), and declaring that her spot. I can't believe the difference that move has made! The flow of the family room is not so good anymore, but the peace is worth it.

So, overall, writing this I guess I'm realizing that we seem to be shifting from major problems that clearly need outside help, to normal kid problems. It's kind of hard to know the difference at this stage, and sometimes I feel like because we have had all these other issues that I blow "normal" issues out of proportion (like putting off doing her homework or not putting her backpack away).

Long post to say not much is happening. :)