Kindergarten roundup is Thursday. I'm full of anxiety. I don't know how this all will work. I know Mr N will love kindergarten so that's not a big concern, but what should we expect academically? I feel like there are so many unknowns. He can count to 10, but doesn't recognize his numbers, doesn't know his colors, shapes, ABCs. These are all expected in K. What will Mr N be doing? Will he just always be behind? I want him to learn and grow academically but these seem like huge steps forward. He doesn't write, but can hold a pencil or crayon. He doesn't seem to be able to discern how much pressure to apply when trying to color/write. Will he be allowed to use his iPad for writing? Will he have alternate school work?
How will his academic performance affect his social interaction with his peers? His speech is still extremely delayed, he will have another speech evaluation before he starts K so we'll know how delayed. I still think he has low muscle tone, how will this effect him in PE and recess?
We meet with the development center along with the school in a couple of weeks to begin the transition process, I'm hoping that will answer a lot of my questions. However, the anxiety, fear, and stress are taking over. I want my little boy to succeed at school and be happy. He's so sensitive and sweet, I worry. Even at home he'll hide or bury his head into us if he's embarrassed or scared or hurt.
In other news, Mr N broke one of the training wheels on his bike a couple of weeks ago so we ordered him news ones, which arrived yesterday. So he spent part of the day riding his bike around in the house yesterday, he's doing so much better at pedaling. When I picked him up from school yesterday he was on the big trike and was actually pedaling rather than just using his feet to push himself along. I think that bike riding will help build his leg muscles and endurance, with the warmer weather coming we should be doing lots of riding.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
Names
Mr N recently reached one of his social skills goals at school so we met to do an amendment to his IEP. His new goal involves using the names of people he knows, he says "mommy, daddy, sissy, grandma, Gabby" but he's never called our cat by name and he refers to everyone else as "him". I mentioned Mr N not calling our cat by name but calling him "kitty cat", he's always called him that. At some point I mentioned our cat's name is Elephant which is probably why he refuses to call a cat "Elephant".
Yesterday, Elephant came up the stairs to tease Gabby when I referred to him by name to which Mr N replied "kitty cat not elephant". Clearly this is not something he'll understand for quite some time, but does explain why he refuses to use Elephant's name.
Last night at dinner I gave the kids their food and Mr N said "I need a spoon", I asked "do you mean a fork", since they were eating noodles. He said "yes I need a fork". He then proceeded to use the fork, for the first time. Ever. Correctly. Like he'd been doing it his whole life.
Today it was beautiful out, I took Mr N to the park while hanging out with a couple of friends while their mom volunteered at the school for a bit. A classmate of his was also there and another child that I'd never seen before but as soon as Mr N saw him he said "oh hey you're back" so I asked Mr N if he knew the kid and he said yes, the kid referred to Mr N by name, so apparently they know each other. I'm guessing he just goes in for therapy at Mr N's school but doesn't attend the preschool with him.
After playing in the park we arrived home to see the guy still working on filling in the hole he had dug in the intersection by our house, using a backhoe. Mr N was quite excited to see it, so we pulled up a piece of sidewalk near where he was working and watched for a while. He finished using the equipment then got out to get a shovel to get some dirt and rocks off of the curb which was simply amazing to Mr N. The man must have noticed his excitement and talked to Mr N for a few minutes, he was all smiles. The man said "what's your name? my name is Ryan". Mr N was tickled, he gave his name then turned to me and said "his name is Ryan". So the work he's been doing in class to use people's names must really be helping. We watched until it was time to pick sissy up from school.
Once we got home from school we got the bicycles out of the garage, E took off down the sidewalk showing she'd only gained confidence, speed and strength since her last adventure on a bike. Mr N was just as excited to try his out, until he remembered there were pedals. He began to cry as he only wanted to use his feet to walk the bike around but the pedals were in the way so he couldn't. I put his feet on the pedals, told him he was a big boy and could pedal now. It wasn't long before he was pedaling down the sidewalk all by himself. I was blown away. I could NOT believe he was able to do it so quickly after struggling so much last summer and being so frustrated when he started out.
I still am overwhelmed with emotions when he speaks in full sentences, when he says things like "I sure do" when he could just say "yes". Just watching him think and speak blows my mind. At one point I thought, if he can just communicate enough to have his basic needs then we wouldn't have to worry so much. Then the other day we had the most amazing conversation. He was sitting in my lap when he said "I don't want to go in a volcano, because then I'd be dead" then went on to talk about many volcano related things and how he didn't want any of his family in a volcano. So we scratched Mount Saint Helens off of our vacation list. But seriously, just listening to him talk about random things is so incredible.
His teachers are very impressed with his progress in the last year, they can't believe how far he's come in just a few short months. They said he leads the class, when the teachers give a direction he's the first one to do it then all of the other kids follow his lead.
Here is a little conversation from the car ride to school last week. We saw two sand trucks with snow plows, I explained that they plow the snow and put sand on hills.
I could not be more proud of my son.
Yesterday, Elephant came up the stairs to tease Gabby when I referred to him by name to which Mr N replied "kitty cat not elephant". Clearly this is not something he'll understand for quite some time, but does explain why he refuses to use Elephant's name.
Last night at dinner I gave the kids their food and Mr N said "I need a spoon", I asked "do you mean a fork", since they were eating noodles. He said "yes I need a fork". He then proceeded to use the fork, for the first time. Ever. Correctly. Like he'd been doing it his whole life.
Today it was beautiful out, I took Mr N to the park while hanging out with a couple of friends while their mom volunteered at the school for a bit. A classmate of his was also there and another child that I'd never seen before but as soon as Mr N saw him he said "oh hey you're back" so I asked Mr N if he knew the kid and he said yes, the kid referred to Mr N by name, so apparently they know each other. I'm guessing he just goes in for therapy at Mr N's school but doesn't attend the preschool with him.
After playing in the park we arrived home to see the guy still working on filling in the hole he had dug in the intersection by our house, using a backhoe. Mr N was quite excited to see it, so we pulled up a piece of sidewalk near where he was working and watched for a while. He finished using the equipment then got out to get a shovel to get some dirt and rocks off of the curb which was simply amazing to Mr N. The man must have noticed his excitement and talked to Mr N for a few minutes, he was all smiles. The man said "what's your name? my name is Ryan". Mr N was tickled, he gave his name then turned to me and said "his name is Ryan". So the work he's been doing in class to use people's names must really be helping. We watched until it was time to pick sissy up from school.
Once we got home from school we got the bicycles out of the garage, E took off down the sidewalk showing she'd only gained confidence, speed and strength since her last adventure on a bike. Mr N was just as excited to try his out, until he remembered there were pedals. He began to cry as he only wanted to use his feet to walk the bike around but the pedals were in the way so he couldn't. I put his feet on the pedals, told him he was a big boy and could pedal now. It wasn't long before he was pedaling down the sidewalk all by himself. I was blown away. I could NOT believe he was able to do it so quickly after struggling so much last summer and being so frustrated when he started out.
I still am overwhelmed with emotions when he speaks in full sentences, when he says things like "I sure do" when he could just say "yes". Just watching him think and speak blows my mind. At one point I thought, if he can just communicate enough to have his basic needs then we wouldn't have to worry so much. Then the other day we had the most amazing conversation. He was sitting in my lap when he said "I don't want to go in a volcano, because then I'd be dead" then went on to talk about many volcano related things and how he didn't want any of his family in a volcano. So we scratched Mount Saint Helens off of our vacation list. But seriously, just listening to him talk about random things is so incredible.
His teachers are very impressed with his progress in the last year, they can't believe how far he's come in just a few short months. They said he leads the class, when the teachers give a direction he's the first one to do it then all of the other kids follow his lead.
Here is a little conversation from the car ride to school last week. We saw two sand trucks with snow plows, I explained that they plow the snow and put sand on hills.
E: wow those guys are really nice to do that
N: those aren't guys, they are trucks
E: I'm talking about the guys inside that drive the trucks, they are super nice
N: those aren't guys, they are trucks
E: I'm talking about the guys inside that drive the trucks, they are super nice
A few minutes later we dropped sissy off at school, I gave her a hug and kiss then got back in the car.
N: did you kiss sissy?
Me: yes
N: that is so nice, I want you to kiss me at school
Me: yes
N: that is so nice, I want you to kiss me at school
I could not be more proud of my son.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
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
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
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
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.
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.
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