SNwRG: Ally

Last week I wanted to post, but was wiped out from our road trip and James' illnesses that hit soon after our return. I was tired, worn out, and low.

There must be something in the air, as I read Sunday's 6/12 post today. I can tell she must be going through a rough time, because for the first time in a long while, there's no new Ryan to grace our Fridays. So I am using last week's image for this week's post:

Put them to bed for me too and I will be forever grateful!

Thanks, I needed that!

Here's a secret: I tell this to my kids sometimes.

And for Sunday, I sure hope you are feeling better soon!

Visas, plane fare, and daily euro allotment included.

Thanks again to Sunday over at Adventures in Extreme Parenthood and Ryan, for making me smile when the going gets tough. Head on over to see more Ryan and share your take on parenting, special style.

Giving Our Spirits a Lift

James and I set out a little earlier than usual for summer school this morning. This weekend a big hot air balloon show is happening in our town, and last year we stumbled on the test launch the morning before the main event and were treated to the sight of many beautiful and colourful ascensions.

This year, we caught the last two balloons to lift off. I am calling them the Panda ...

... and the Purple Thing (which James calls the Cat):

James was so excited, because we could see balloons floating in the sky on our way to school. He talked all the way about seeing the balloons and how they were following him to school. It was very cute.

After all the stress from end of February through last week's illnesses, we needed a lift to our spirits!

Irony Goes to Summer School

The good news is that the summer school program this year is shaping up to be an exponentially better experience than last year's.

• The teacher is from the school he just spent two years attending, as opposed to a teacher from out-of-state. The kids know her and she knows most of the kids. Nice!
    
• The classroom is nicely set up and already had the a/c on, as opposed to last year's dark room that felt like a big broom closet. I had to make a stink to get the a/c turned on for James, and I had already communicated that heat really affects him adversely.
    
• The desks were already clearly labeled and set up for the class, as well as the cubbies. Last year's seating was a bit of a free-for-all and the masking tape with their names soon peeled off the cubbies and were never replaced.
    
• The childrens' worksheets had been already neatly prepared in folders with their names on it.  Last year's programs had sheets ripped out of several different workbooks at the beginning of a work circle and were not appropriate for what James had been working on.
    
• All James' papers and sensory diet items were waiting for him in the classroom the first day of our arrival; only his chair made it last year, and they didn't know it was his until I mentioned it and asked that it be made available for James.
    
• Best of all, the older kids have their own classroom this year, so it's not 1 room for grades K-5.

James no longer cringes from summer school. He'd still prefer 2nd grade, but he's a happy guy going into class this summer. The irony comes in 2 parts.

Number 1: Out of our 2 kids, James is the confident, outgoing one. Everyone is his friend and for the most part he sails fearlessly to new campuses and groups of people. This morning, his 3rd of summer session, after Pink-Eye, a 1000+ mile road trip, and the flu, he raced ahead of me to his class door. I encouraged him to open it, and he was greeted with a chorus of "Hi, James!" In he went, with a big grin. I never made it to the portable's ramp. I think back to the years of struggling to get my daughter to school -- the tears, late arrivals, and severe anxiety and feel a mixture of frustration and wry amusement.

Number 2: James' summer school teacher is THE teacher I'd longed to have for my daughter. I really admired her organizational style and teaching expectations and delivery. My daughter had a different teacher for 1st grade who ended up being the perfect teacher for her. I will be forever grateful for the confidence and zest for learning that she nutured in my daughter. No regrets there, but my daughter never got the teacher who first caught my eye, so to speak. Because this teacher tended to teach at a more advanced level, I never even thought of her as a teacher for James. Yet here she is, redeeming my opinion of summer school and teaching James, not his sister.

Life is funny, I tell ya.

Special Exposure / Wordless Weds: Just Doing It

Our trip last week to Disneyland and DCA was full of Our Favourites and Some New Things. Most things we tried were successes. One of the biggest was James being able to do things on his own: using the boys' bathroom, driving a car, riding in a row all by himself, and really participating in the Toy Story Mania ride:

James adored the Autopia.

James told Roz he loved her. Roz replied "Whatever ...."

James insisted on taking the sombrero  on Alice .. then shook his head and lost the hat on the track just before we could get off. Luckily, another Guest picked it up for us.

This year, James didn't mind the backwards and swinging motion so much. He loved shooting his cannon, but as soon as we got hit with puffs o fair and things flew out at us, he dropped the cord and ducked for cover. We did this ride 4 times, though!

For more images from the heart and to share some of yours,
visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.






               and ... Wordless Wednesday

Autism: Can't Leave Home Without It

We're back! I'll be recovering through next week.

James developed Pink Eye and the Summer Flu while we were on the road. While I am thankful there were no horrific constipation issues or ER visits, managing James' testing behaviours and both kids' sensitivity issues while being the single parent/caregiver 24/7 for over a week nearly pushed me past my limits.

For the first night in a long time, I can sit down and get some observations down:

• Don't keep James up past 9pm. It's not pretty the next day, especially if we're headed to some place like Disneyland (good luck with that because fireworks from Disneyland start at 9:30 and can be seen and heard from our "Letter Q Hotel").
      
• While not ideal for getting a good night's rest, it's sweet to sleep next to my buddy (and a good safety procedure, as he can still roll off a bed). He starts off hogging the bed diagonally but can be nudged over to one side. He still looks like my little boy while asleep.
       
• Bring and use more hand cleaner. James still mouths handrails when maxing out from sensory overload. Also? He's now using the boys' bathroom by himself. Hand washing is vague and inefficient, plus we still have that wiping issue.
     
• Writing letters and playing Angry Birds really help focus him, even when he's being a King Stinker. Try to give him these breaks *before* he gets too naughty and lands himself in Time Out in the stroller or facing the wall, wailing and melting down in public.
        
• James loves to help -- let him take bags to help load/unload the van. He's good at it and it gives him exercise. Ditto with cleaning up.
      
• Remember that special attention/time with big sister is more important than ever. Let James watch TV or play a little Angry Birds on my phone while I take time to brush out and style her hair or read out loud to her and ask what she's enjoy doing on vacation.
     
• James' gag reflex is getting worse. Don't try to make him be quiet when he's trying valiantly to not throw up. The anxiety triggers an awful mess. Also? he will always say he's feeling fine, even when producing evidence to the contrary.
     
• Must wrap son with a beadspread like I used to with feral cats. It's the only way I can pin him on the bed and keep his hands and legs from interfering with getting antibiotic eye drops in his eyes.
     
• James will now display behaviours that are more aggressive when he is frustrated/upset.
  -- He screamed so loudly in a food line that he startled people near us. I saw those
      eye rolls and stares.
  -- He bit a small toy in half when I physically removed his hands from the bin
      (where he'd been furiously messing with them in a temper) and instructed him
      to stand still, and
  -- ... he tried to swipe a group of ceramic mugs off a display shelf.
      The sales lady was very nice but he earned that little swat on the rear,
      order to make an apology, and little chat with Mom in the middle
      of the store.
  Not yelling or showing despair were the two best things I could have done and they were effective, but dang! I wanted a drink after. Yes, I am in charge -- don't even *think* of trying that one again, because it's *not* acceptable. Let's go some place quieter and all calm down. 

Do they have Calm Down Bars? They should.
    

On The Road to Family-where

So the kids and I are on the road. We've traveled the routes down to the south many times, between 1 and 4 times a year. We're pretty seasoned van travelers. The worst part for me is prepping for the week I'm not at home, while packing. This is where routine-dependent, picky-eating children come in handy. I know what to pack to relieve some stress of living outside the routine box we call home.

This year, I took on a few extra challenges, such as prepping for the end of school and still catching up from when my daughter was sick (with paperwork and to do lists). Oh, Foolish Mom. Then, 2 days before departure,  the weather turned up to heat (90°) and all the cherries on the tree popped into ripeness. Gah.

This is a different trip, because we are front loading it with visiting family and winding up with a visit to Disneyland. We had a GREAT sleepover our first night -- the kids went nuts meeting and playing with their cousins. That right there made the trip for me. Despite my packing too much stuff and losing track of it, we enjoyed running around, catching up, hanging with the pets, and spending time with family.

James kept his newly graduated cousin (congratulations!) up until almost 1am, playing Angry Birds on his iPhone. Thanks, Dude, that was really sweet you are now his new hero. It took him a while to warm up to the dogs and cats, but he did finally relax and pet one of the cats and oohed at the adorable flop-eared rabbit.

After lunch, we met up with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa and James bonded over Mac gadgets. I remembered to get pictures this year - yay!

Finally, after a few mishaps, we landed in Anaheim, at what James calls "the letter Q hotel." Oh, beds never felt so good! We even got a free fireworks show from the balcony. Today: The beach! And more family -- I can hardly wait!

SNwRG: Best Meds

We're on the road, but I did not forget to pack my Special Needs with Ryan Gosling!

Yes. Yes, he is!

Heh.

Yeah, and SuperMom is worried about re-entry!

I love a man who gets Real.

Thanks again to Sunday over at Extreme Adventures in Parenthood and Ryan, for making me smile when the going gets tough. Head on over to see more Ryan and share your take on parenting, special style.