SOOC Saturday: Life Balance

How techie are we? This week's picture was taken by James' wonderful SHAPE assistant during his PE class at the second preschool. I love it!




His godfather and uncle are both surfers. It's great to see him having a ball, trying this.

Meanwhile, I am trying to balance, well, life. Work, cleaning, volunteering, home and marriage stuff, school things for the kids ... I am almost biting my nails because somewhere in the next two weeks we will hear if they got into the small charter school that I think would be awesome for us all.

Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, I have organized a fundraiser for the fabulous CATS Program, a local autism organization that supports families and provides information for caregivers and professionals. If you will be near Powell's Sweet Shoppe in Windsor on March 16th, download and print a flyer (click on the image below and print at 90%) and stop on by!

Happy to connect with Melody at her Slurping Life's SOOC! Won't you visit too, and share a connection of your own? SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries are wonderful moments of life



-- have a balanced and relaxing weekend!

  

SOOC Saturday: Dino Guy

James woke me up early, yelling "Roar, Mommy! Roar! Roar! ROAR!!!!!!!" Because he was awake, and wanted to quote from his favourite book. Lucky that kid is cute. I turned on his light and let him read, explaining that it was too early to get up. Half an hour later, he actually came out of his room and hunted me down, explaining that "Is morning. Not early. NOT!"

Well, close enough to our regular morning time. I got up. I can't really complain, as this is the first time he's come out of his room in the morning on his own. Also, I like to reward good sentences. He's been full of them and I want them to keep coming.

James is getting much better about dressing himself and playing with others. He loves it when he can join in and be silly or jump around. Potty training progresses. Yesterday, for over an hour hour, he played quietly in his room while his sister made up exciting soap opera drama (and songs) with her dolls in her room. During this interlude, James got up by himself and used the bathroom, flushing the toilet and redressing himself each time.

He is more confident in his climbing and talking. He even asks for things in a dinosaur roar sometimes. Like this morning.

The Slurping Life dusts off and starts anew. Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present!



  

Special Exp./ Wordless Wednesday: Bravery

Sometimes I forget what it's like to be small. With everyone towering over and around you.

I listen to the wind making noises as it whispers and roars through the redwood grove and think that sometime this must be what people around him sound like when they talk.



Look how calm he is. This is one of James' best blessings. He was born this way, and at times his calmness and quiet happiness humble me.

My brave, confident guy. Love you!

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

and ... Wordless Wednesday

Praying for Guidance

Although it's been many years since I was a regular church goer, I pray almost every day. For families, friends, everyone in the same crazy boat as I. Sometimes I pray for patience, inspiration, or to be a better person.

As a parent I pray that I will know enough about what I am doing to raise my children as happy and well adjusted as possible. I know that being a parent is wonderful, frustrating, rewarding, and makes the soul grow ... like a LOT.

As James' mom, I pray for guidance. Am I paying attention to the right things? Am I on the right track? Making the best choices for him? What do I do *now* when confronted with (insert random/favourite issue)? Does it really help if I shout at him? Will he hear me if I don't? How do I best advocate for getting him what he needs? Am I *really* prepped for his IEP?

I ask experts and read material; I sometimes ask James. I find that sometimes praying for guidance and opening myself up for suggestion and ideas can help us find some good suggestions. I hope they are answers. It will be years (or never) while we wait to see.

Right now I am in the throes of kindergarten choices for James. Schools, classrooms, and class types. If he gets into one school that we think will be great for him, I have a whole new routine to learn and he will be in an unfamiliar place on his own for the first time ever. If he goes to the main school I need to find and target a short list of teachers who do well by full inclusion students and James in particular. Because we have chosen to have James in a full inclusion classroom with a full-time aide.

Oh yes, a lot of praying for guidance going on around here right now!

SOOC Saturday: Signs of Spring

When we first moved into this house six years ago, my mother gave me a lot of daffodil bulbs to plant in our new garden. My daughter, who was learning to walk, helped me to plant them. Every Spring they come back as another miracle. Despite the nearby and invasive cacti, potatoes, and now lavender.

The vase is an engagement present. There are rosemary sprigs in there as well. Rosemary is for remembrance.

I need a little inspiration and remembrance of the good things right now. Our family is going through a prickly, hurtful, dry, hard time. We need our little miracles to keep us going to another day.

The Slurping Life is stormbound. Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present!



  

A New Experience

James woke up crying around 10 one night this week. Sobbing. He never does this. Once he's down for the night, he sleeps until morning (unless he is sick).

His dad and I came in, to find him sobbing "It's okay, Wubzy ... it's ooookay!" After rubbing his back and letting him hold on to us, we asked him if he was okay. He said there was a monster in the closet.

Woah!


Our daughter had a good year of monsters and bad dreams waking us up throughout the night. This was the first time James had this experience.

My first thought was "Wow, that is such a cool sentence! Awesome" and the next: "My poor baby!" So I held and rocked him while his dad explained there are no monsters. Then we closed his closet door and he relaxed and went back to sleep.

Since the disaster of frenetic activity from mid-December-mid-January and recovering from the latest bad-ass cold, James has emerged as almost a different child. More talkative. More snuggly. More relaxed and confident. It's wonderful to see.

P.S.: Let me add that both our kids have watched and loved Wubzy for many years. Wubzy = Good Guy.

Special Exp./ Wordless Wednesday: Swinging the Other Way

James used to scream if we tried to get him on or near anything that swung.

When he was a baby, I used to be able to swing him in the bucket seats no problem.

Somewhere around age 18-24 months, swinging became an act of torture for James. He was terrified of losing control and contact with solid ground, I think. The OTs, his Dad, and I tried everything we could think of to coax him onto something, anything that moved. Sometimes we had a little luck with him sitting on a lap while the lap was on a beam. Oddly enough, he loved sneaking into my home office and so he could sit on my chair and twirl himself around.



I think James has swung back to enjoying the ride. Vestibular issues are a mystery to me!

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

and ... Wordless Wednesday