Ten things loved by a Jude

Jude as a four year old. What a cutie.

He’s a boy of unique taste so I doubt many can relate to the following in it’s entirety:

Granny. Granny, Granny, Granny. I think Granny is requested at least a hundred times a day and if Jude knows Granny is visiting that day, he’ll ask a million times that morning and the night before, what time she’ll be there.

Food. Closely following Granny in Jude’s top ten is most definitely food. Jude loves to eat, he always has done. You can bribe him with food, have elongated conversations about food and win him out of the tail end of a meltdown by asking him what he would like to eat. His appetite is renowned and people who first meet him, know within the initial ten minutes of familiarity what Jude’s favourite fruit/breakfast/vegetable is.

His iPad. Jude has an iPad at the house at school and I’ve brought it home this week for my sanity as much as Jude’s. I know lots of autistic children have games on iPads that they like to play on repeat however I didn’t really get it and a few years ago I was quite against the regular use of these things. Then I saw the light (artificial and Apple produced) and now we take it with us for all potentially stressful occasions. Win:win.

His littlest sister and partner in crime, Emmeline. If these two didn’t drive me quite so mad, I would think it’s adorable. They totally get each other, love the same games and can play for ages in the garden together. Emmeline adores him and is clearly thrilled to see him home again. I have to keep a close eye on them because of how little she is; her attitude is as big as her brother is tall but unfortunately I can’t trust them alone. Obviously, I gauge the situation and work out if they’re safe but I’m always at close range.

Creature comforts. Jude, like many children of his ilk, likes to know what’s going on. I remember about a year ago, I moved his room around and spent absolutely ages “sorting” all his stuff out. Half an hour after coming home from school and it was all returned, if rather haphazardly, to where it had previously been. His face was a picture of absolute horror when he first saw it!

Lines and order. Ahhh Jude and his lining up. My dad has taken to photographing all of Jude’s latest work within their garden and it’s hilarious – have a look here for a post I wrote about it. Quite a workout lifting all those heavy metal chairs. I mentioned recently how he used to put all our shoes in order and for a little while I’d come downstairs in the morning to find shoes balancing on every door handle haha

Lifts. With Jude as a toddler, we rode every lift in town and his reaction was amazing! We even became fairly well known with the lift operator at our hotel on holiday in Chicago when he was three years old. If he hadn’t been so cute then it would have been embarrassing. And what has developed from this lift fascination? His lift game! “Doooooors opening.” I hope you all think of this when you take a lift anywhere 🙂

Talking. To anyone! Jude loves a natter and he loves to quiz random strangers what their favourite fruit is (current most asked question), where they are going, if their car is hot (this is reserved for summer months), what they are doing and for some lucky people, he even asks if they’d like to come for dinner tonight! Most people humour him and return the questions to him which always makes him beam with joy. A few people awkwardly ignore him but meh, there’s morons everywhere…

Water. Water play, swimming pools, puddles, rock pools. Here’s Jude at the age of just turned four in his absolute element. This picture sums up Jude’s absolute love of water. I guess it’s the feel of it, the movement and the sounds it makes that sooth his sensory needs.

And Jude now!

Music. Listening to the radio in his bedroom is really soothing for Jude which is why I made sure he has one at school. Whenever I go to visit him, as long as it hasn’t been taken away (for his own safety) then he’ll be chilling in his room listening to one of his favourite stations. Jude has always loved music; he had music therapy as a toddler in Cambridgeshire and it was incredible for him, he had such fun. They don’t offer this in Hertfordshire which is a huge shame but not a massive shock. Before Jude could talk he hummed nursery rhymes. I remember my mum and me looking at each other in disbelief when we first heard him hum twinkle twinkle little star! It was like a miracle.

I’m sure I’ve missed loads of important ones but these are his top ten things I can think of right now. Can you relate at all with your children?