Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Weekend Update

Okay, this is just plain teasing your Mom ...



James, drawing pictures, his name, and the word "sun," using both hands.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

That Left-handed Thing Again

A YES! moment: James' teacher, aide, and O/T are finally coming around to looking into the possibility that James might be left handed.

We are going to start trying to encourage his left hand for writing. This is totally against conventional wisdom (you are supposed to put the pencil in the middle and let them choose which hand to use), but that is James, who is now having a meltdown fit if I turn left instead of right on the way home (he is that tied to routines). I think that he is choosing to write with his right hand because it's been his routine to do so.

He throws and kicks with his left. Without a pencil or crayon in his hand, he will write with his left fingers. My mom's family is full of lefties. When he grips a pencil with his left hand, the grip is better than with his right one, and while the writing is messier, he can still write using his left hand.

And I would like to clarify that even though this issue has been frustrating me, I still admire and have confidence in his team at school. They are looking at James, not just pushing him through a system, and I really appreciate it.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Puppet Show in a Tent

It's raining and hailing this morning. Again. We're coming off six weeks of someone being sick ... myself twice. Thanks kids, love ya!

Meanwhile the Christmas tree has finally departed and all decorations boxed neatly. Time to bring the play tent out of the garage and turn off the TV! James' sister took charge and started to set up a play area, complete with toys and snacks. Then she decided to put on a puppet show. Oh the fun!


There's a monkey pet ....


And a little Pony Girl, who is sad because her parents tell her they have no money for a pet (cue parental twinges of guilt, but it's true -- we can't afford vet bills at this point). Happily, she thinks to save her own money, and is finally able to buy her monkey pet. Theeeeeeeeeee end.


Both of them are still in here, with big sister driving the story lines and James contributing voices and sound effects. He's really contributing. I think about how nonverbal he's been over the years, how lonely big sister has been because there's been no one to play with ... and to hear the two of them playing together is like an answer to a whole slew of prayers.

Ooops, I can hear an intermission. James said "Let's take a break" and his sister is playing a lullaby on the piano for him while he takes a rest. Truly, I heart my kids.

PS: I got to clean out the spice cabinet while they played. Looooong overdue!