Yesterday, was the 4th of July, and we got together as a family. Lots of people, lots of noise. I think the "babies" did very well. My sister bought new toys for them. I brought books, puzzles, crayons, flash cards for them. I also brought their little table and chairs, and their "food" (chicken and rice). They ate potato chips and carrots, too. Tori was not able to sit as long as the twins to eat. She would get up to do something, then come back to eat, and asked two more times for rice. So, that was not bad for an autistic child. She was very interested in exploring the house, and found scissors and highlighter markers in the study. This was good time to get all the crayons out and color on white copy paper. The twins were also interested in this activity. Tori loves cutting with scissors. I hold the paper and supervise the cutting. My mother, sisters and I remarked on how well the children did. Tori has made a BIG "jump" in her development. Less than a year ago, she attended a Thanksgiving dinner with a few more people. She was very upset, screamed, wanted to be held, and had trouble settling down. That was when I first saw definite signs of Autism. This time, there was none of that upset screaming. She does use her voice a lot, but this behavior appears similar to what I have observed in other children. All in all, it was a good day!