Magic Marker Monday: Dressy Best

I was looking at another Christmas tree ornament that James made at a holiday event this year. It reminded me of how he is growing and becoming more independent, as in putting on clothing correctly.

I know he had some help to get the clothes on the gingerbread person so neatly, but he's been very interested in choosing shirts and pants as well as dressing by himself this school year. I am certain he picked out the foam attire for his creation as well.

There are some days where he decides to be Mr. Goofball and put everything on backward, but mostly he has practiced so that he puts his shirts on correctly and makes sure his pants and underclothing are the right way front (which is a relief -- seeing those tags in front just aggravates the mom in me).

He consistently protests having to put things on his feet by putting the heels of his sox on top of his feet and putting his shoes on the wrong foot.

But for art projects? He does it right!

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Salad Spinner

James has become increasingly helpful around the house. It's great to have someone willing to fetch and carry things for me and be upbeat about learning to bus his dishes after meals.

While casting about one night for an activity he could do to help prepare dinner, I accidentally stumbled upon a fantastic one -- the salad spinner!

Oooh ... how spinny! And so great for working those muscles in your fingers and hands!

It's going to be hard to top this one. At least I'll be upping my intake of leafy greens!

I Picked Up the Phone

Here's something I've noticed. When things get tough, it become exponentially harder to ask for help.

I don't know if it's depression, the years growing up in a family that says yes to "can you ...." and no to "do you need ...", or the quasi-despair that comes over me when I try to imagine how to frame my request to people who mean well but have a life without autism issues.

Common sense goes right out the window. I feel like I am carrying weights with me and I can feel my forehead creasing like Roman blinds. I stop answering the phone, returning emails, opening letters. I don't care what I'm wearing and I read about 2 dozen books a week. Re-read them, because I don't go out. Going out somehow evolved into Getting Everything Done Just Right, compiling a major To Do list, assembling half a dozen items into a bag so I can take care of things along the way, and needing to lose 15 pounds before I can put on non-funky clothes and go anywhere. Kind of like those dreams where you run and run, and keep missing trains, dropping things, etc.

And it's not like people haven't noticed or try to help. Like a doofus, I just keep saying "no, that's okay, but thanks." I am becoming aware of just how much time has disappeared into this kind of white fog, and it's unnerving.

So I have started to be better about not thinking and jumping outward more. I pick a project a week around the house and focus on that instead of a book. I sit down and play with the kids a little more. I am going to the gym and working out, even if it means that I'm the only one there sweating my stuff in jeans and a t-shirt & ballet flats (because I can't deal with gym bags at the moment). I've been finding things I'd like to do. Me. I. For me. And then doing some of them. I've made inroads into my backpiled emails.

But by far the hardest thing for me to deal with is the phone. Seriously. I freeze when I hear it and wonder if I am going to pick it up or not. I hate returning calls. I cringe at the thought of calling someone. It's like my phone weighs 30,000 pounds, knows all my darkest secrets, and is waiting to blackmail me. Did I mention that common sense has left the building at this point?

So I am pleased to announce that this holiday, facing time with both kids on my hands and cold, wet outdoors, *I picked up the phone* and called a parent of a classmate of James': "What are you doing? Want to go somewhere?" And yes, they did. And we did get together with our kids and had a good time.

I think I'll try stickers next, to make the phone seem even less intimidating. Maybe Zurg. We have some of those around, I just know it.

Bidding Adieu to Potty Training

We are close! So close I can well, not taste it, but get excited about it.

Oh sure, we've flirted with overnight dryness, but over this past Winter Break, James has decided it's time. Time for no more pull ups. Time for only underpants. His track record over the past few weeks has been impressive. Very impressive!

Not that we're free and clear from working on toilet training matters. I think our last biggest hurdle will be wiping. There's just no delicate way to get around the fact that the proper use of toilet paper has not been mastered. Yet.

But hey, when I think of what we were going through last year, and how toilet training stopped our days and caused many tears (oh. mah. gawd!), and look at how well he's doing right now? I am confident that he'll master this too. And probably much sooner than I think he will.

Special Exposure / Wordless Weds: Playdate!

The Winter Break was tough. I, James, and then his Dad came down with a bad respiratory virus that turned into sinus or ear infection. The weather was cold and it rained continuously. We did get brief breaks when I could take the kids out to the gym or riding their new Christmas bikes, but otherwise we were pretty cooped up.

To cap off the break, James' sister started back to school on Monday, but he was still off. The weather was clear, and I needed an activity for us, so we didn't couch potato some more. I called a parent of James' classmate, and we headed for the Charles Schultz Museum.

Their Museum Monday deal made it easy for us to make our first visit. The museum had the following good points that the boys really liked: it had stairs; there was an outdoor area to explore; it was not large; it was visually engaging; and the hands-on exhibits were fun:

James could not get enough of this crayon/Lite Brite screen. Anytime I missed him, he turned up here.

You can push a button and revel star constellation pictures, but James was interested in writing his name. Once he scribbled a self-portrait face, because his friend's dad drew a nifty cartoon head.

James enjoyed putting on these headphones and watching a short cartoon about baseball and ecology.

What you get when two five year-olds get outside to play.

Eventually they had some parallel play by the holographic water fountains. What's not to love about those?

Zamboni, meet James, your biggest fan!

We had a picnic lunch outside and checked out the ice arena across the street. That was awesome. The boys watched the Zamboni for about 10 minutes, then the all-skate session for another 10, easily. Both go around and around ...

Score!

For more great images or to join in the fun, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.


and ... Wordless Wednesday

Back to School

James went back to school today, after just 2 weeks of being on vacation. That's 15 days of him asking "I go to school today?", a week of recovery from an ear infection, 4 days of riding his Brand New BIKE!!!!

However you slice it, we had a lot going on over the holidays, culminating in a day trip to Half Moon Bay with friends. The trip and our friends were awesome. We had a ramble along the shore & in a garden, watched waves crash, and explored a gnarled grove of bent over cypress trees ... Too much. James punctuated the day with mournful sentences like "we have to go *home* now" and needing some extra time with me in a quiet room.

There were a lot of positive highlights, like James listening to me read "The Velveteen Rabbit" in one sitting. I forgot it can be a long book to read, but oh what a splendid book!

Then there was the day before NYE trip to Trader Joe's for the weekly shopping. It had rained several days straight and the kids had cabin fever. James took this opportunity to smile at everyone possible and exclaim "Hi! What's your name?" One of the store employees asked him if he was looking for something and James replied "Yeah -- SpongeBob!" ... which is pretty funny, if you've noticed a similarity between Bikini Bottom and the whole South Seas decor of TJs.

Speaking of which -- gotta go. James has Squidward on hold on his Handy Manny phone; the call, evidently, is for me. Meanwhile, James is happily back in his school routine and sharing his delight.

Magic Marker Monday: Workbook

James' favourite thing to do EVERY day while on vacation? Practice his numbers and letters.

We worked on some homework sheets and had some fun with a small pad of lined paper, but his special focus activity was this Christmas present:

 

It's one of the few erasable books that actually erases, and his aide says that already she can see an improvement in his letter writing. Thank you, Barnes and Noble!

And yes, he's been growing again:

He's wearing his cousin's size 7-8 hand-me-downs, and his 6th birthday isn't until next week.

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