Christmas time, mistletoe and breakfast!

I'm about to write a sentence that I never thought I'd write without feeling a pang of sadness. The Lodger is extremely excited for Christmas (that's not the sentence, I'll let you know when I write it.) He, as usual, has it all planned out in his mind with the backup plan of "I know things can change.'

The plan has a lot of detail but it's this line that makes me, of all things, smile.

'Mum, after we see what Santa has left. Oooo lego for me, hopefully. I'll go to the kitchen with Dad and help him make Christmas breakfast'

There's the line. 

Help him make Christmas breakfast.

The Lodger is equally as excited for Santa as he is for Christmas breakfast. 

Now, don't get me wrong, all breakfasts and meals are exciting in this house but when I've been talking to the Lodger about Christmas, his excitement for helping Dad make Christmas breakfast is joyful.

I never thought I'd say that. This is The Lodgers seventh Christmas.  

I often think back to the first year of The Lodger and the sadness and guilt I felt through all the celebrations and that realisation when your baby is still tiny that food takes centre place all the time, at every event, everywhere you go. 

Back then, when The Lodger was only a baby and we were still getting our heads around PWS, I definitely didn't ever think that I could be happy for my child who was excited about Christmas breakfast. I think it would've broken my heart. 

'Mum, Dad has a Christmas cookbook. Oooo I know Dad has a great Christmas breakfast planned. I can't wait to help him.'

'Mum, you can play with the lego and I'll let you know when Christmas breakfast is ready.'

'Mum, is it ok that I help Dad with Christmas breakfast?'

Yes, it is. It was an easy question to answer. 

I know it will ease his anxiety to help with the breakfast. 

Usually, at breakfast time, The Lodger tells a story. He walks around in a circle recounting an event in exact detail, stopping momentarily to set the table, double checking that I'm making breakfast correctly and pausing the story while he eats. He'll press play again later in the car to school and pick up where he left off. 

We were talking the other day about as much as we try to make events not about food, for The Lodger events are about food. Food is important, it's vital, a necessity for him. He loves the socialness of events, he adores talking and people but food for him is equally as important. Once the meal has happened we can see The Lodger relax, the anxiety subsides and he isn't as focused on food, for a while at least. 

The Lodger has his rules when it comes to food. At the same time, he is just six years old, so even though he knows the rules, it is up to us to keep him safe and as stress-free as possible. 

Anyway, when the Lodger asked would it be ok to help Dad make breakfast, I even had to laugh a little. It's a very different world we live in compared to that of parents of a typical child. I had to quickly think of the pro/cons and with The Lodgers elephant memory, the new tradition that will be started. 

So this Christmas morning, after we check out Santa,  The Lodger will help make breakfast with his Dad, while I play with lego. It sounds like a perfect Christmas morning to me. 

Flashback to Christmas 2013