During the process of getting all the photography done with Bodie modeling the new Snugfits colors, Gavin has become intrigued by cameras. He's just thrilled by the idea of capturing an image and keeping it, going back to it and looking at it again and again. He and Garrett got their own little kid digital cameras back at Christmastime, but right now the interest is really booming. I think he's seeing the practical use of the camera, as he "sits in" on Bodie's photo sessions. To be honest, Gavin can't just sit in on anything. He has to be smack dab in the middle of the action, so he gets his little Mickey Mouse camera and starts snapping away! He actually helps the process because Bodie is distracted by him, and Gavin can always make the baby laugh.

The camera is great. It's the red Disney one sold at Target for $56, not the "Discovery Kids" camera sold at Kohls. We bought that one first because it was on sale for $26, from $80. We thought surely it must function a lot better than the less expensive Disney camera, but it was terrible! The screen was so blurry you literally couldn't tell where the camera was aimed other than color and shape. It didn't have an automatic shut-off, so it went through batteries like Garrett goes through a box of Dunkin Donuts. That camera was a real piece! The kids were pretty bummed.

These Disney cameras, however, are incredible. Most importantly to me, they don't drain batteries on a daily basis. The pictures are mostly well focused, and the kids can even add graphics to them! They really get a kick out of taking my picture then adding honeybees buzzing all around my head. They're pretty durable too. Bodie has proven that, as he treats most objects he gets his hands on as either a hammer or a projectile. At least he hasn't tested the camera's buoyancy yet. (Knock on wood)

Scrolling back through the shots on Gavin's camera is hilarious. He's got about 30 pictures of various street signs and traffic lights, lots of different colored Jeeps, tons of his brothers, another couple dozen shots of his favorite t.v.  show, Peppa Pig, and then a few of Sara and me working around the house. I notice that I look angry a lot. I need to be more camera wary, and less "scowly".  There's one random shot in there of a huge "number two" floating in the toilet. He must've been pretty proud of that one, nice tapered ends and all. Its a shocking and repulsive image, but to him its something to take pride in, I suppose! Being potty trained is still a big achievement in this house, and something to be commemorated!

Yesterday there was a bulldozer clearing a lot near our home, very loud and violent work. It was a huge machine, mowing down 30 foot trees and pushing them into a gigantic pile by the street. Gavin (of course) wanted to get a snapshot of it, so we walked up the street to see it. As we neared, Gavin became more and more nervous, covering his ears and grinding his teeth. "DADDYDADDYDADDY" he kept repeating, and I knew he was really thinking about turning his tail and bolting back to our house. But he didn't. We found a good vantage point at the edge of the street, Gavin uncovered his ears, raised the camera, and took one quick shot. Then he turned his tail and ran back home. I was pretty proud of him for that act of bravery! Overcoming autism is all about pushing the limits as much as possible.

This blog post has sort of turned into an unsolicited review/endorsement for the Disney cameras. They really do work well, and because of that Gavin's new passion for photography is starting to flourish. It's like a unique little window into his brain. He's a kid with autism, and he's pretty quirky, and sometimes a real challenge to keep up with. This camera has been an exciting, creative outlet for him to show us the world through his eyes.

Yes, we cut Gavin's hair! He is growing up. He has started kindergarten and the party is over. Does he miss his long, wavy mane? Well, judging by the photos, one might think so. In exhibit A: He looks looks like some mischievous kid who may have just cut class to sneak into a Backyardigans concert. In mugshot, er, exhibit B: He looks like a common five year old, mired by the humdrum, wearisome duties of Kindergarten life. He looks 3 years older to me as well.

The truth is that he loves his new haircut. He was excited, although hesitant, when we breached the subject with him before we went to the kids' barber. It is a big milestone for him! He's been a little boy with long hair for as far back as he can remember. The actual cutting wasn't too scary, even for a boy with autism. He sat still, stiff as a board, cringing the whole time with his face contorted in a mixture of fear and excitement. There were no tears. He watched his long locks falling to the floor through little slits in his tightly scrunched eyelids. After about twenty minutes, the transformation was complete.

The first few hours post-haircut, he did express some "barbershop remorse". I asked him if he wanted his long hair back, and he said "Yes, can we put it back on?"
I said "No, it takes a long time to grow."
He said "Like the grass?"
"Well, yeah. Kinda."

However, by the next morning he was completely enamored with his new look. He leapt out of bed and ran to the mirror, just beaming and giggling. I guess he had to see if it had all been a dream! The haircut was still there, and it hadn't changed his sparkling, buoyant personality a bit.

Now he (and Garrett) both refer to their hair as "haircuts". For example, "Garrett hurt me on my haircut!" It makes sense, I suppose, since Gavin just had hair before. Now he has a haircut. 

Last weekend I took the terrible trio to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, which is a pretty magnificent place. We go there quite a bit. Its a cheap date - only 8 bucks! They've got a huge tank full of all types of the local sea life, and at 10:30 on Saturdays divers swim around in there and put on a show for the kiddies. These boys love it. Every time, Gavin wants me to go in there and help the divers. He says "You can have a diver suit, daddy. Just like a diver!" And every time, I suggest to him that he might like to swim in there with the sharks. He looks at me wide eyed, gets a little panicky, and we quickly move on to see the octopus.

The aquarium is great. When you first walk in, you're greeted by a huge (and very realistic) stuffed alligator with mouth agape. Very intimidating, but apparently not to a 2 year old. See photo! My favorite part is the Cape Fear Conservatory which is like a huge greenhouse filled with all the local reptiles, birds and fish that live around here. The harmless critters are allowed to just roam freely, while the more lethal variety are obviously penned up. Gavin and Garrett love the alligators, who mostly just float motionless. Bodie is content just to study his brothers as they gawk at the animals.

Here's Gavin asking a silly question "Who's in the water?" He's funny with his questions. He knows I love to hear him ask questions, but he usually asks a strange one that he already knows the answer to. Its a funny little quirk of his. So I'll give him a silly answer, like "Those are big green beans in that water." Then he gets serious: "NO daddy. Those are NOT green beans. They are alligators." For a boy with autism, this kind of dialogue marks a great milestone in his development. I am just so glad he can interact with me in a meaningful way. An even better question came this morning. I was making breakfast and had the eggs sitting on the counter. He came up and looked at the eggs and asked "What is inside the eggs?" I told him yellow yolks are inside. Then he asked "Who put the yellow yolks in the eggs?" He really knocked my socks off with that one! I told him chickens make the eggs. He said "Yes. They do that at the farm." ...NICE! I love these conversations.

It's ironic that the best part of the aquarium visits for these kids is the bridge over the little turtle pond. They spend a good 20 minutes there every time just looking down at the native turtles, oohing and ahhing. You would think after seeing all the exotic sea creatures, a few little box turtles would seem pretty mundane. Not to Gavin and Garrett. They've become expert turtle watchers, counting turtles and labeling each as "big or little". Important stuff! Somebody has to keep track of those turtles. I would love for these guys to grow up to be marine biologists someday. They've got a good start!