Special Exposure / Wordless Weds: Belonging

Both kids were invited to the birthday party of a friend's daughter. The birthday crowd was younger, but everyone had a good time together. Yes, including James. One of those times that seems ordinary, but means so much:

As James was still out of school during this time, it was a great chance for social interaction. He surprised me more by going in the jumpy house and being the last one to come out. He helped make sure the little guests stayed safe too.

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               and ... Wordless Wednesday

Something New

We finally checked out a program we've heard a lot of good things about, but never actually joined: Saturday Sidekicks at Sonoma State University.

Oh, I can see why parents love it and their kids have a good time. It's a fairly simple premise, carried out wonderfully well. Parents bring children to a gymnasium, which is filled with mats, Hula Hoops, a climbing board, platform swing, teeter-totter, trampoline, and scoot carts with an obstacle course. They are met by college students who are assigned to a child and become their play/Adaptive PE buddy. Music, scooting, chasing, and shouts of giggling abound. Periodically, everyone is pulled back to circle time for a group activity and song.

James adored it, and his sister had a great time too. I just sat on a chair and socialized with the mom who reminded me it was available and gave us a car pool ride down there with her kids. What a great start to our Saturday!

BINGO Night Out

The whole family turned out for the annual BINGO Night fundraiser at James' big sister's school. I enjoy these events. I remember from my own childhood how exciting it was to go out at night and do something fun. It's another chance to connect with others. We get a break from routine, and have fun. Plus, there's pizza!

I also get a chance to see how James has grown. This year, he lasted the whole event in the noisy indoor gym. He recognized people and said hello to them. When his water bottle ran dry, I was able to send him to fill it from the drinking fountain with just one verbal prompt. I kept an eye on him from my BINGO table. He did very well. He also asked for some popcorn. I was able to give him the money and send him by himself to the food counter to buy it himself, again with myself watching him from the other side of the room. My friend at the counter said he did very well.

Inside I was pumping my fist and cheering these independence achievements. James was happy to have his own bag of popcorn and a full bottle of water when he wanted them. Hooray for BINGO!

Magic Marker Monday: Heart Chart

This project is from last year. I love how he includes himself:

Expression of abstract concepts and feelings is a challenge for James. Not only is this activity appropriate for the coming holiday, it's a good exercise in self-expression.

What would your Heart Chart look like?

For more great masterpieces or to share some of your own, visit
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Frosting Face

Until now, James has liked his cake and cupcakes, but not been interested in frosting (with the exception of his first birthday). That all changed today at a friend's birthday party:

Ohhhhh my!

Magic Marker Monday: Lego Love at Last

This is a not a typical Magic Marker Monday post because James was following directions to build something with Legos.

I decided to post this here today because for James, this is a creative project. Despite several attempts to introduce him to Legos, large, small, and kit versions, he's remained politely uninterested. My bare feet and vacuum were grateful. Last Christmas, he received a pair of cool Lego Star Wars jammies from his cousins and uncle. He liked the fabric more than the design.

Some time over the summer, he started to become interested in Lego Star Wars (I am thinking SW Angry Birds on his dad's phone was his Gateway).James became increasingly interested in both Legos and Star Wars. His godmother gave him an awesome Star Wars Leggo advent calendar for Christmas this year. He loved it, but I had to hide it because all the little pieces were immediately lost in the mayhem that was our house.

Then I found a Leggo book with sotries, Lego pieces, and instruction for building cars, helicopters, and other vehicles that James likes. He got it for his birthday. Yesterday, he asked me to help him put it together.

What a sweet feeling, to work together with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. James was so proud, he showed it off to everyone and spend (for him) a long time playing with it.




For more great masterpieces or to share some of your own, visit
5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.

                            
  

Sunny and Bright

Well, Friday was better, but still had issues. Many were the emails that crossed between the doctor and I. Aside: I like that you can attach files or photos in the messaging system to our pediatrician. Very handy for rashes and showing messy things that should not be brought into a doctor's office.  Friday and Saturday nights, however, were excellent-- full night's sleep for everyone and no more moaning! OMG, the constant moaning does us all in.

Saturday, James was back to eating regular foods. Not his regular amount, but hey, he ate it with relish and it all stayed down. Then came the mystery BM in the afternoon. Neither kid owned up to producing it. After a lengthy parental CSI debate, my husband and I deduced it belonged to James. Hooray!

James was back to jumping on the trampoline and doing more than lying on the sofa with his iPad. I even took him to the gym with me so he could play in Kids' Klub while I worked out, and was told he had a good time. He asked to have his sister's kitten come out and seemed to enjoy the kitten mayhem that ensued.

Today, he is very affectionate, hugging me and having conversations. As I type this, he's doing math and spelling with me on his Magnadoodle. I have noticed that James is talking now, and not largely stimming or asking the same question repeatedly. It's like someone took a lid off and we can see the person inside and interact more with him.  He is being funny on purpose, calling Jack Skellington "Jack Frosting" and renaming challah bread "jolly bread." He's making quiet but thoughtful remarks and requests. We even played together building Leggos, which he's never done before, despite encouragement. More on that tomorrow.