School, school, school

Mr N loves school, he is chomping at the bit to get out the door on school days and begs to go to school the days he doesn't have school, even Saturday. He is doing awesome, he is counting to 10 accurately quite frequently, he's recognizing and naming his colors and he recognizes his name. Every time I talk to Lesley, she seems astonished by how well he's doing. I'm so proud of him.

Last week they learned about fire safety, the firetruck went to their school and handed out hats, crayons, coloring books and tattoos. He loved it! This week they worked with pumpkins, cutting them open, feeling the seeds, counting the seeds, making projects with the seeds. He really likes the pumpkins and counted them for me. He is counting really well from 1-10 but when he sees something like the pumpkins he'll say "three pumpkins" then "two, four, six, seven" to count them. So we are still working on getting him to start at one each time he counts. He correctly counts the 3 and knows there are three, but when he counts aloud, he's not always starting at one. So we still have some counting work to do.

Lately, Mr N has been very interested in cooking, no matter what I'm doing in the kitchen he is there to help out. He pulls the chair over, climbs up and watches or helps if it's safe for him to do so. Today we are going to make pumpkin bread, so he will be excited to start that project.

Yesterday he was playing so cute outside with his dinosaurs and cars, so I grabbed my camera and as soon as I stepped outside he said "take a picture of me", like there was some better subject to shoot. I took several photos of him, he'd play for a bit, then look up at me and say "cheese" or just say cheese while he was playing. He really enjoys having his picture taken, he just doesn't always look at the camera.

We finally got the water line hooked up to the refrigerator, which Mr N is really enjoying, he loves getting his own water. It has a setting where we can set the amount to 8 oz and he just pushes a button and it fills his cup. He is so self sufficient and helpful. He insisted on buying another apple slicer the other day and has enjoyed cutting up his own apples (with help). He's also very insistent on helping with laundry, although he doesn't understand the actual process so I frequently find that he's thrown all of the clothes in the washer, or dryer, depending on which one is empty. One day he brought a basket of laundry to me that he dutifully carried up from the basement, it was full of dirty laundry. So I've been trying to let him help out when doing actual laundry so he can learn the process.

Blessings

I have been blessed in so many ways, my amazing husband, my two beautiful children, wonderful family, and true friends.

Today was a rough day, I'll admit it. Mr N had a major meltdown, through no fault of his own, he does not deal well with unfairness. Instead of fighting the situation, I chose to remove ourselves from it. My mommy guilt immediately kicked in when his meltdown ensued, it was I who exposed him to a volatile situation. His meltdown lasted twenty minutes or more, wreaking havoc on my nerves. Not because I was upset with him, but because I couldn't fix the problem. I couldn't make it better, I couldn't console him or convince him that other options would be fun and no amount of bribing was working. He got settled down and we got on with our day, but the meltdown took it's toll, he soon fell asleep then woke up crabby.

How does that relate to blessings? I'll tell you how, Mr N had an incredibly rough day but even in the aftermath, he was thinking of how to make others happy "let's get this for sissy" and "I'll share with sissy" and "sissy will play with this" throughout our shopping trip, he wanted to do nice things for his sister (even though he was getting a toy purchased with mommy guilt). I'm so blessed to know this amazing person, so proud and honored to call him my son, so happy to have the opportunity to be loved by such an incredible little man.

This little boy of mine is kind, considerate, caring, patient, loving, and full of joy. He puts a smile on my face every day and brings a tear to my eye more than I'd care to admit. He certainly makes my heart so very happy. Today he said "I want daddy, I want to hug daddy," out of the blue, no real reason other than he's an affectionate little cuddle bug that wanted to give daddy some love. Daddy's a lucky man.

In other news, Mr N lost his first two teeth!

Losing teeth

When E lost her first tooth, I came to dread the day that Mr N started losing teeth. I was worried and concerned that he wouldn't understand what was happening or being upset over the feeling of a missing tooth. But in July he was eating an apple when he came up to me pointed to his tooth and said "it's gonna fall out". At first I just thought it was cute that he understood he'd lose teeth just like sissy, but then I wiggled his tooth and it was quite loose. He wasn't scared or worried, just proud that he was going to lose a tooth, too.

Last night his first tooth fell out, literally just fell right out of his mouth when he was laying down for the night. We put it in a baggie for him and he slept with it. His new tooth has already broke through the skin, so he won't be toothless for long. He has a second tooth that is nearly ready to fall out, too.

I'm so amazed at how calm and sure he is about the losing of teeth, like it's no big deal and nothing to worry about. I'm so proud of him.

On another note, his last couple of haircuts have resulted in over the top meltdowns. He has been desperately needing a haircut and with school starting next week, I decided last night to get down to business and get it done. He was so calm, not a tear, he even let me use scissors to trim around his ears (first time ever). Afterwards he got his bath and happily showed off his new haircut to daddy. I'm blown away, usually he's sad for days about his precious hair being cut and stolen away from him (or snatched bald-headed like my bestie's mom used to say).

Our Labor Day weekend was uneventful and relaxing, we skipped camping after looking at the rainy forecast but took a couple of hikes close to town. E liked the one we took yesterday so much she wanted to do it again and take along a picnic. It was right along a creek, the trail laden with pine needles underfoot, the smell so refreshing it felt like home. E asked if we could live there, then asked why they couldn't build a town there, which made me wonder, why didn't they build the town 5 miles west? I love mountain towns built along creeks and canyons, little houses tucked into the sides of hills and windy mountain drives. Living at the base of the mountains is certainly far different from living in the mountains. Someday.

Mr N has become somewhat of a backseat driver, whenever we leave the house we tell him where we are going, then he proceeds to give us directions on how to get there, lest we forget. His verbalizing everything seems to have ramped up significantly lately. It seems like for such a long time it was requests, manners, speech fitting a two year old. But now he's sounding more and more like a 4 year old (aside from the enunciation) with the way he just talks like he's been doing it forever, using phrases and sentences so effortlessly.

I've noticed his echolalia has escalated in the last few months, it started becoming more frequent in June, at least that's when I noticed the increase. Last night he was doing it incessantly, to the point of frustration (and my amusement) since he was supposed to be going to sleep. I have been of the opinion that the echolalia is beneficial and imperative in increasing his vocalization and enunciation. Last night his echolalia was so clear and precise. As his speech improves and his echolalia increases, I can't help but think there is a correlation. My favorite thing is when he says "I wanna hug you mom". <3

First Day of School

Yesterday was E's first day of first grade, Mr N did not want to drop her off, so I took her by myself. Daddy said his goodbyes at the front door and away we went. On the very short drive to the school she asked me to stay a while until she wasn't scared. As soon as she walked into class she saw a classmate from Kindergarten, which immediately put her at ease. She settled into her desk with her first project for the day, after putting her backpack & hoodie away.

Upon returning home I began to get ready for field service, Mr N assured me he did not want to go with me. So I set out on my own, leaving him to play alone for the morning. When I got home he played outside for a while, digging happily in the mud by the pear tree. He is quite content to play alone, but seeing him without his sissy made me feel for him. They typically play together at any activity they choose. We went to a quick playdate with friends before picking E up from school. I planned to drop Mr N off at home while I picked up E from school, but he insisted on accompanying me. We convinced Daddy to take a 10 minute break from work to join us in retrieving E from her first day at school.

Once we were out of the building Mr N begged to play on the playground, so Daddy took the car and went home to work while I stayed with the kids so they could play for a while. E played with a new classmate of hers, while I visited with the little girl's mother. Storm clouds moving in motivated us to start walking home for snack time. Of course, E was starving as she was last year when returning home from school each day.

The kids played together the rest of the evening, interrupted only by dinner and baths before bed. E's only disappointment in first grade so far is that they haven't seen the inside of a cat. We haven't broken it to her yet that dissecting is typically a high school science project.

This morning E was much more confident about going to school. Mr N did some more digging in the mud and unearthed two rocks that are now decorating the coffee table, leaving behind scratches and dirt. He helped attach the carpet to the new front step we built, as the old one was fatally injured by the removal of the piano last week. Mr N also helped me make Daddy lunch, constantly stirring the top one inch of pot of pasta as it was cooking.

Preschool for Mr N starts September 8, I think by then he'll be happy to have his steady routine returned, since sissy isn't home to play with every day. He told me repeatedly to "stop singing" as he does not appreciate my vocal talent, it apparently is as amazing as my ability to dance. He frequently tells me not to dance, whether it be at home, in the car, or in public. I never thought my 4 year old would be embarrassed so easily by his dorky mom, by the time he's a teen hopefully he's over it, I don't foresee me being less embarrassing at any point in the future.

Happiness

Happiness is cuddling in bed with my husband and children, never wanting to let go. Mr N crawled into bed with us at some point during the night, when he awoke this morning he was full of cuddles, sweetness and stories to share. As he lay in my arms he spoke so clearly and said so much, I wish I would have recorded it for all to hear. I came to realize just how much Mr N is talking, just how clear his words have become, and how, despite his delays, his progress is astounding and so incredibly impressive.

Meeting did not go well this morning, as we arrived to find a full house and no empty seats in the main hall. Mr N still does not do well in the back room, so daddy spent the first half of the meeting in the car with him, then we traded places. Sometimes we tend to forget that Mr N still has limitations since we see how tremendously he has progressed in so many areas. Noises, primarily echoing, still are overwhelming to him and must be avoided if at all possible. Large crowds, especially indoors, are still a source of noises, smells, and sights that send him into sensory overload.

I can't help but be incredibly proud of how far my little man has come, he's excited to be starting school in a couple of weeks, he has a best friend (more about that in a minute), he's self sufficient and independent, at times more so than his sister. Mr N has taken a liking to toast, which he makes and gets for himself without any help; he's getting to where he can put his shoes on all by himself, he's wiping his own butt with prompting, washes his hands, gets dressed and undressed (still needs help with buttons), can buckle and unbuckle the chest clip on his carseat, and I could go on about all of his accomplishments.

So back to his best friend, I had an epic emotional breakdown a few weeks ago (see previous post) after a rough day. Mr N gets along great with most other children, playing and sharing without any prompting, but there are the seldom few who bully him and are just downright mean, which breaks my heart into a million pieces. Not because Mr N gets upset or even realizes it, he freely forgives even the worst injuries, but because bullies exist and they somehow single Mr N out as different then pick on him. I was watching my friend's kids a few days after the meltdown and they were all happily playing throughout the house when I hear the 5 year old say "Mr N is my best friend". I could have kissed that dear child! He doesn't see a child with Autism, he doesn't see a child who has speech delays, he doesn't see anything but his best friend, his friend who likes to play with the same toys and the same games as him, he sees his friend. Not surprisingly, his mom is a dear, sweet friend of mine who has taken the time to teach her children to be kind to others, to treat others as they want to be treated. They didn't come by their manners and good behavior by happenstance, they were taught by their parents; and for this I am forever grateful.

Our friends came over this afternoon for a little play time, when they arrived I was inside doing a quick sweeping in the kitchen and living room (yeah I'm one of those who only cleans 5 minutes before company arrives, sorry friend) as the children piled out of the car and friends ran to greet each other and begin playing, the front yard was filled with sounds of laughter, the sounds that make your heart full of happy, the sounds that should fill yards.

It was indeed a happy day.

Traveling

At the end of the school year we pulled out the calendar sorted out all of our obligations for the summer and blocked off a week in August for a family vacation. This would be our first family vacation of our choosing since 2007, we were super excited to be able to spend a week doing what we wanted to do where we wanted to do it. We tossed around many ideas and finally settled on camping for a week in the Big Horn mountains, hiking, fishing, swimming, shooting, and relaxing out of cell range. As the summer wore on, our excitement increased as we came to realize how nice a relaxing week would be right before getting back to school for the fall.

We set up camp a day early to ensure we got the site we wanted, our plan was to camp the 7-17th of August with Daddy coming back down the 8th to his final day of work before our highly anticipated vacation started. Thursday, August 7, I made a trip to Sheridan for food and other necessities for our vacation, on my return home my mom called to let me know her mother-in-law passed away. After much discussion we decided that being there for my mom took precedence over our planned vacation. We camped in our vacation location on Thursday night since our camp was already set up, then Daddy drove home to work Friday while I unpacked camp and headed down the mountain.

Friday night we drove six hours down to my brother's house, then joined him on the trek across Kansas the following morning. We stopped frequently for gas, food, potty breaks, etc.  We arrived in Kansas Saturday afternoon with all of our camping gear in tow and prepared to set up camp. An hour later we had the Jeep and trailer unpacked, tent set up and everything situated for the evening, albeit drenched in sweat from head to toe and sporting a dozen bug bites each.

We spent the week sweating and reminiscing our previous lives in Kansas, but tried to make the most of the trip despite the circumstances. We visited my grandma; we got the kids a pool for the campsite; we went to the lake to swim, play in the sand and fish; fished in the creek; did some shooting; went to the fair and let the kids ride the carnival rides; ate at some of our favorite places; saw some old friends; went to a parade and demolition derby. The smiles on the kids faces on the carnival rides was priceless Mr N  rode the Ferris wheel with his older cousin with the biggest smile on his face, the squeals of excitement at the demolition derby are memories that last a lifetime.

We chose not to attend the viewing on Friday evening, but Saturday was full with the funeral, graveside services and family dinner. Mr N did surprisingly well with all three events in one day and even ate three rolls at the dinner.

However, Mr N's eating was poor, at best, all week; barely eating a thing many days but chugging lots of water all week long. I'm not sure if it was the traveling, stress or humidity that effected his eating so much but I'm inclined to think it was a combination of everything. The heat wasn't as bad as the humidity, we woke up wet and went to bed wet, dried off with wet towels, and ditched our wet tent after two and a half nights. We spent the rest of the time bunking with my brother's family in their camper, it was a wonderful reprieve.

We began our trip home Sunday morning with two children begging to eat every couple of hours, they had found their appetite once again. By the time we got to Denver we had fed them five meals, we stopped for two more meals in the last six hours of our trip and they both had 3-5 snacks, too. It was unbelievable the amount of food they ate on the return trip, today they showed no signs of slowing down the consumption of massive amounts of food.

Cancelling our vacation had it's effects on our emotions, but we are determined to get something scheduled in the near future.

Patience and frustrations

Frustrations stem from seeing Mr N bullied by other children, it absolutely kills me. I don't understand what prompts a child to pick on and single out another child to bully, but it is at the top of my list of things that piss me off. Sadly, Mr N doesn't do anything about it unless he is seriously injured by the bully, typically Mr N just keeps being his sweet self, trying to play with the bully. It takes an injury resulting in blood or bruising before he gets upset or frustrated by a bully, only then does he make it known to me. Obviously, knowing this is an issue, we keep a very watchful eye when he's playing with other children to help redirect him to play with other children and to tell the bully "no, stop that".

The pain and sadness that I feel, as a result of seeing other children bully my little boy, are beyond explanation. My heart aches for my baby, I weep for him. Mr N is sweet to his very core, he forgives eagerly and freely, he asks to play with children even if they were mean to him only minutes prior. I can't fathom as a parent watching my child bully another child without intervening. We don't allow E to pick on or bully her little brother, we don't allow either child to bully other children, it's simply not acceptable. Am I the only parent that cries when her child cries? Am I the only parent who feels sad and guilty when I see my child be rude to others? Having to limit my child's playmates due to their behavior is frustrating, especially when he asks to play with them. But I simply cannot allow him to be treated in such a cruel manner.

I'm sad, I'm angry, I'm hurt, I'm frustrated. I hate seeing my baby hurting. Thankfully, not all children are bullies and I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention that Mr N has some amazing friends who play with him kindly, gently, and fairly; lovely children who ask and want to play with Mr N, eager to share and include him in their games. It's good friends like these who keep me from losing my mind and losing all hope.

Getting all of that off of my chest feels better.....now onto patience.

My patience has grown tremendously over the last few years, I've come to realize that while some behaviors that Mr N displays are irritating and frustrating, many times he has no control over what overwhelms him and when he gets overstimulated. I am much more patient and more inclined to give him a hug, remove him from a situation and just help him relax. If he's had a rough day or been in a challenging situation, it's becoming easier to just chill and respond to his needs with patience, love and understanding rather than getting upset or short with him.

Little miss is eager to use the computer so off I go to cuddle my amazing little boy with a heart so full of love.

One More Week

Next Tuesday is the last day of Mr N's play group, he'll have a few weeks off before he starts his extended school year. Today when I picked him up they said he did amazing, listened well and followed directions. Words can't explain how proud of him I am, how impressed I am with how far he's come and the progress he's made.

After picking him up we stopped by the park to play, it's right down the street from the development center and he begs to go every week. Today it was warm and the kids from the preschool were there, so he got to have some more social interaction with his peers. He immediately joined in playing with the other boys.

When it came time for the preschool to leave Mr N continued to play until right as they left then he ran to get in line, turned to wave at me and said "see ya later". I kindly reminded him "no not see ya later, but we can go home if you are done". So we packed up then headed home.

Yesterday when I picked him up from preschool he begged to go to the park but I told him we'd go after sissy got out of school. He then proceeded to beg for the next 3.5 hours to go to the park, each time I reminded him that we'd go after sissy was home. So we walked to the school to pick her up then walked to the park. The kids played for a bit but there was a bunch of older kids there, which typically is fine and all the kids do well, but yesterday the older boys were being rowdy and wrestling with each other. E asked if we could head to the smaller park across the creek, so we did.

After playing for a bit at the smaller park it started to sprinkle so we decided to head back towards home, stopping off at the frozen yogurt place for a treat along the way. The kids love getting the frozen yogurt, Mr N likes his plain, while E likes hers with chocolate chips. They have a new orange sherbet flavored yogurt that tastes amazing, especially when mixed with the birthday cake flavor. YUM.

Mr N has invented a new game where he asks for a kiss then right when I go to kiss him he sticks out his tongue then laughs and laughs and laughs. He's gotten me a few times, but I can usually see it coming by the grin he struggles to hide and the ornery look in his eye.

Next Friday is E's last day of school, she has a trip to the library and to the Y. This week is my last week to volunteer in her class, I'm going to miss it. The library has a summer reading program, so E should enjoy that this summer along with many trips to the park and pool. It's hard to believe summer is right around the corner.

Wrapping up the school year

So quickly time passes us by, life pushes on like a time lapse video. We've been in Wyoming for over a year now, the kids are finishing up the school year. E will be starting first grade in the fall, Mr N will be in preschool at the development center 3 days a week. They decided this year to do a preschool program at the development center so he'll get a lot more time with the speech therapist, OT, and Leslie. I'm super excited about how much progress he'll make next year with the increased hours.

We will be doing Mr N's IEP in the next couple of weeks, it's been decided that he'll be part of the extended school year, so he'll have 6 weeks of play group this summer. Three weeks in June and three weeks in July. I'm so happy to know that his progress won't be interrupted by the summer. He's been making excellent progress, especially socially. Leslie (early childhood educator) said that the goals they set for him were supposed to be eased into, but he's made such tremendous progress they didn't even have to baby step him through them. He's meeting his goals, following directions, joining in activities, transitioning between activities, interacting well with his peers and verbalizing much better.

I know I discuss Mr N's speech relentlessly but it's the one thing that separates him from his peers. I always feel like I need to explain when asked his age by strangers who try to interact with him but can't understand what he says. Children don't seem to notice as much, they seem better able to decipher what he's saying. He uses correct grammar and speaks in full sentences, they are just difficult to understand, not just for strangers, we have difficulty understanding what he's saying many times.

Catch phrases seem to be his latest thing, he'll bring something to show me and say "behold.....a movie"or "behold....a car". It's ridiculously cute since he uses "behold" correctly. The other catch phrase he's picked up on is "well, well, well". The mail lady deliver mail a couple of days ago and he typically just says "the mail is here" but this particular day he said "well, well, well, we've got mail mom". Seriously, how cute is that? He's adorbs.

Mr N most sincerely misses E while she as at school, he frequently points at her picture and says "let's go get sissy". Many times he accompanies me when I pick her up because he just can't wait until she gets home to see her. They play so well together, most of the time. E seems to understand what Mr N says a majority of the time, she recently was bragging on Mr N when they were playing with block shapes. She said she knew exactly what Mr N was saying, he was looking for the triangle, then he made the shape with his hands to make sure she knew.

My little man is feeling a little unwell this morning, he's needing lots of hugs and cuddles, has a fever and is complaining about his throat hurting. I guess that explains why he didn't eat his cereal and instead asked for warm, soothing macaroni and cheese for breakfast.

I wanted to dress him in something comfortable since he's not feeling good, it's supposed to be pretty nice today so I was hoping to have him wear shorts, but he still has yet to be convinced that shorts are okay to wear. I've tried, unsuccessfully, over the last few weeks to get him to wear shorts but he is just not having it. Hopefully as it gets warmer he'll realize the necessity and give in for comfort's sake.

Spring is here!

It's officially Spring; however, the calendar and weather aren't coordinating for the long awaited spring I've been envisioning. I'm anxious for sunny days, blooming flowers, evening walks and working on a garden. Instead, we've had snow, snow, and more snow, with a couple days of decent weather. We've taken advantage of the good weather, walking downtown, taking the kids for ice cream, and preparing for many camping trips this summer.

Mr N has had a taste for Spring, spending several hours playing in the backyard. After our latest snow, he was still determined to play outside for a long while, only coming inside after much prodding and frozen hands.

Yesterday my brother and his family came over to visit for a while, bringing gifts of dinosaurs and "squishy toys". Mr N was super excited to add to his dinosaur collection, he sorted his new ones and paired them up with his old ones of similar size. They then battled it out, with the rogue elephant maintaining his reign as champion. Whenever one of his cousins would come to reclaim their own dinosaur, Mr N would gently touch their shoulder and hand them the dinosaur he picked out that matched in size.

Watching him be so sweet and kind towards his cousins is so heartwarming. He's blossomed so much, he fills our hearts with so much gladness.

My darlings

I can't even begin to describe the absolute joy my little ones bring me. They have such amazing little personalities (said every parent ever) that never quit. E has quite the sass and so much spunk. The other day I jokingly asked her if she wanted to stay home and let Elephant watch her, she replied "no he doesn't know the password to iTunes". Clearly a pre-requisite for babysitting. This child NEEDS new games for her iPad on a regular basis.

I've been trying to put together her summer wardrobe, in spite of thinking I'd already had it all ready to go. I had bought her some size 6 stuff for this summer last fall when it was on sale. My tiny mite just isn't even close to size 6, so I hopped online and bought her a few dresses along with a couple of skirts as she has plenty of tanks and tees for the summer. After purchasing them I showed E what I picked out, she was not impressed with one of the dress as it was not "beautiful". sigh.

I decided maybe a better option would be making her skirts since I bought her size 4t in hopes that they will fit around the waist, but will probably end up being pretty short. First off, I took a dress that I bought her a few years ago that never really fit despite alterations and is now far too short. I removed the straps and bow in front then voila she has a brand new skirt that is long enough to wear to school when it warms up.

Then I went through my fabric and found some scraps leftover from curtain making. I had enough to make her one more skirt.

I'm super happy with the way the second one turned out. I really want to make her a white maxi skirt but she insists it's not "beautiful", so I'll take her fabric shopping so I can be educated as to real beauty and fashion.

Mr N has been incredibly amazing lately. This evening we went for a walk after Daddy was done with work and he very emphatically told us how his dinosaur smashed his finger which made it hurt. I couldn't believe how easy it was to understand him. He was working so hard to get his words out to be understood. I'm so proud of him for all of his effort to speak.

Last night, I was lying in bed thinking about how frustrating it is that his speech hasn't progressed as rapidly as his other skills. I'm worried sick that he won't be ready for kindergarten for Fall 2015. We haven't heard whether he's been accepted into headstart, I'm anxious for him to have more time getting skills he needs to progress.

Despite being the little brother, Mr N is most assuredly the most considerate, kind, helpful little boy. He is so incredibly sweet, independent, self-sufficient and just amazing. He is so willing to help others out, at school he grabs the ketchup as soon as another child runs out, he wants to help them take their dishes to the kitchen when they are done eating, and he helps them clean up toys when they are done playing.

Mr N is super helpful at home, too. He puts his garbage in the trash can, he puts his dishes in the sink, scrapes his uneaten food in the trash, gets his own juice box or milk. This evening he wanted to play in the front yard but it was getting cool and dark; however, we couldn't get him to come in the house. Daddy said "mommy needs help" he came running, always willing to help. I have him a small chore, which he was only too happy to do.

We've been so blessed with our little man, he brings us indescribable joy. He is incredibly polite, always with the "thank you" and "yes sir" or to me "yes sir, mom". Going shopping is no longer a hassle, he doesn't get overwhelmed, he handles it very well, he's such a joy to take shopping now. I don't dread going for groceries, if we have multiple stops, he takes it in stride. The progress he's made is so promising.

And for a little Mr N gummy bear dinosaur play.....

Kindergarten

Little miss has been doing amazing in school. She's the top reader in her class, the book she brought home yesterday was a grade 3 reading level. She started reading chapter books and found a series she really likes. Her teacher is amazing, she set up a little program for E so whenever E reads a chapter in her book we write down what she learned and what she wonders about what will happen in the next chapter. Then we send the notebook to school where E gets a special reward.

At the beginning of the year E struggled with math, she wasn't behind per se but she wasn't near the top of her class. I volunteer in E's class twice a week for math centers so I get to see first hand where she stands in relation to her class. They also have testing 3 times a year. Her fall test scores put her barely ahead of the goal, her winter test scores put her exceedingly ahead of the goals for the spring test. She is definitely in the top 3rd of her class now based on my observations. There was an assignment they did one day in December and she really struggled with the concept, as did a good portion of her class. A couple of weeks later they had a similar assignment, she didn't even flinch, she had no problems with it at all. It's unbelievable how quickly she learns. I'm so incredibly proud of my little girl, she's a treasure.

Smitten

Mr N is hands down the most polite child I've ever encountered, without a doubt. He says "thank you" without being asked, even for the littlest things. He is very helpful and thoughtful, he's eager to please and quick to take initiative. He is an absolute joy.

Words can't express what an amazing little man he is to know. The hugs, cuddles, and kisses are just the icing on the cake. It is unfortunate that many of the people in our lives don't see the Mr N we see every day. He is doing quite well with school, self-regulating when necessary to cope. But meetings are quite different, he is on such sensory overload during most of the meeting that his behavior is less than ideal. Our patience with him during meeting has improved as we are aware of his inability maintain appropriate behaviors for that length of time.

When he is loud, running, flailing, fidgeting, climbing, etc what people don't see is the sweet boy that he is 90% of the time at home; the boy who brings mommy or daddy what he wants so we don't have to stop what we are doing, the boy who's imagination results in amazing play with dinosaurs, cars and even dolls, the boy who clears his plate in the trash can and puts his plate in the sink, the boy who puts the dishwashing detergent in the dishwasher without being asked, the boy who puts his dirty clothes where they belong, puts his clean clothes away, and picks out his own clothes to wear. The boy who rushes to hug his sissy as soon as she gets home from school, the boy who cries when he knows he's disappointed mommy or daddy, the boy who helps put groceries away, the boy who has stolen our hearts and puts smiles on our faces. This boy, my boy, who is so full of love and forgiveness, gives hugs and kisses after his timeout. This sweet boy shouts "I LOVE YOU" as loud as he can.

Not many people see the sweet, amazing boy that Mr N is 90% of the time. Most people only see the struggles that he faces.

At school on Monday, his therapist said he picked up all of the toys that were out and put them away all by himself. Even the toys the other kids had used, if he didn't know where something went, he asked. On Tuesday, he was a bit emotional and probably not feeling super well, we've been battling sickness all winter and the last week has been exceptionally bad. But he still participated in story time, still did the story time project even though he didn't like it and did great playing outside. When I got there another little boy lost his boot and Mr N picked it up and took it right to him. Being sweet is just in his nature.

More school

I've written previously about Mr N needing more school, more hours, more, more, more. Somehow making that call to the preschool was scary and not on my mind enough, but yesterday I mustered up the courage and dialed the number. They advised I come in today to fill out paperwork and see if he qualified, we are over the income requirement, but his diagnosis may earn him a spot.

I arrived at the preschool unsure, apprehensive, and full of doubt. While I love how much Mr N enjoys his one day a week at the children's center, it is much more of a daycare than preschool, I'm not super impressed with the staff and if he didn't have Leslie there with him, I'd not be inclined to let him spend one hour a week there.

I entered the class room where the teachers were putting together paperwork for me to complete, they welcomed and asked about Mr N. As I looked around the room I was happy to see the alphabet, names on chairs, learning tools, as well as the professionalism of the employees. We discussed their program, much to my relief it is an academic program which will enable Mr N to learn the vitals before kindergarten, it is structured and the staff are educated.

Part of the reason for my apprehension is the fact that I'm a stay at home mom, putting my baby into preschool four days a week for 3.5 hours a day, kind of takes my job away. Again, that was put to ease during my conversations with the teachers, they welcome volunteers and I'll be able to be involved with his learning. Being away from Mr N for several hours every day is a bit heart wrenching, much like taking E to kindergarten on her first day. Talking with the teachers, being confident in their abilities and knowing Mr N will progress much more rapidly brings so much relief.

Now begins the waiting process, there are a few more documents we need to get to the preschool before they can submit the application, I'm not sure how long it will take to process the application to see if he's accepted. Then begin the discussions and coordinations with the development center about his services and getting him an aide. I'm not sure when he'd begin preschool, but I'm anxious for him to start as I know he'll love it.

It's certainly interesting sharing Mr N's strengths and weaknesses at this point vs where we were a year ago and two years ago. His progress has been mind blowing. I never thought we'd be looking into preschool at this point, I thought by now we'd just be transitioning him from in home therapy to therapy at the development center. His love for school has shocked us, his ability to transition from activity to activity has become a non-issue, his willingness to try new things is improving weekly.