Special Exp/ Wordless Wednesday: Talk2Me

I am taking a parenting class series. The first night I heard a lot of information that I've already picked up before. But one statement hit home and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Even though not all our kids are verbal or eloquent, they will find ways to communicate with us, trying to tell us what they need.

I think of the running off, grabbing & throwing of things best left alone, the verbal stimming. Then my son will look at me like in the picture above when I try to talk with him. Goes nowhere fast. Very frustrating.

That class really turned on a light for me. Talk to me, James, I will try harder to listen with more than my ears.

For more great images or to share some of your own, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.


and ... Wordless Wednesday

   

Fear & Loathing and Potty Training

Let's see, what is you that you loathe the most? Or: how badly does Mommy need to get you to go? AKA: motivation with toys and food is for the other guys.

James hates getting his hair washed. Okay, "hate" is too passive a word. I can only say that the thing he hates even more that getting his hair washed is having to hear the hair dryer. Kick it up a few powers of ten and that's how much he hates to have his own hair blown dry.

Confessions of a very human parent: I have used this as a means of last resort when he has refused to pass BMs and potty training (and his well-being and my temper) is headed into ugly meltdown territory.

• Fact: James can hold onto this stuff for up to three days, and that's with added fiber (Miralax) and a suppository already added into the equation
• Fact: Starting Day 2 he gets cranky and by day 3 he can't settle down for anything, cries at meals, and is really, truly unhappy (and still refusing to poop)
• Fact: toys, books, and food will not motivate him to go

James' SHAPE assistant helped enormously by discovering that he'd still for a while on the toilet while playing a game on her iPhone. After about *20 minutes* he'd deliver the goods. Yay, so I ran right out and bought 2 $1 electronic, handheld video games at WalMart. Occasionally, he used his dad's iTouch. And all was serene for about month.

Then the motivation stopped working, and so did the potty training.

On day 3 of another standoff, at my wit's end, I told him (in as calm a voice as I could muster) to pass some BMs or he'd get a shower, with hair washing and hair dryer. He called my bluff and said "I want the bath tub". I turned on the taps and swung him off the toilet and over into the tub.
- "No!! I don't wanna!"
- "Okay, go poo-poo."

Back onto the toilet, and 3 seconds later, he had produced a magnificent specimen. Water went off and I gave him a hug and told him he'd done a great job.

This so goes against everything I've been told. Why do we keep going there?

I am happy to report that after a couple weeks of the shower/hair dryer ultimatum the BMs are getting easier for him to pass on a daily basis. He even does it on his own some days. Not every day, mind you.

Oh no. That would be too easy.

Sweetie, if you ever remember this period in time, please also remember that I love you very much and could not think of anything else.

SOOC Saturday: Coach

James is here with one of his first therapists. Like some of the people we've worked with, she's become a friend, and has watched James progress from being nonverbal and smiling at nothing in the distance to talking and interacting with his peers and others.

Look at this picture, for instance. He tried to get her pink phone, but she's got his number and held it just out of reach. Look what he's grabbed instead ... James smiles when he sees her. I hope he remembers some of the fun they had together, rolling balls and playing with gears and monster truck parts.

She's taught us a lot about working with James and hanging in there as a parent. She is one dedicated woman who gets out the word for programs and helps fundraise for the groups that really get out there and help the kids. I can personally attest that she is a lot of fun to be with on a team, fundraiser, or coffee break!

Thanks for being there, Ronnie -- and all that you do!

The Slurping Life knows that a little vino (& a lot of love) can keep la vida from getting too loco. Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present. No cropping or fixing -- it's life, straight out of the camera.



  

More pictures from the walkathon ... James practically hopped and skipped his way up that first big hill. Then he got exhausted, caught his second wind, and began leaping and running some more ...

More of the pony girls and their pony. So sweet! And I could practically hear the cooing from 200 yards away (their admiring crowd):

We had our own cheering squad, about every tenth of a mile along. They were well-needed and threw their hearts into it!

James got a lot of support and motivation from his big sister, as always. She can always get him to learn and try new things, as well as become motivated to play and talk. She also keeps an eye on him and helps him stay a little more in control.

Special Exp. / Wordless Wednesday: Hi 5, ST-style

The Storm Troopers at last weekend's Autism Walkathon were awesome! After we crossed the finish line, they were there to meet and greet the crowd. As we came up to them, a bunch of the kids were hanging back. Did this bother James? Heck no! He went right up and gave the nearest trooper a high 5!

You know I am going to say it: "The Force is strong with this one!"


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



and ... Wordless Wednesday

Magic Marker Monday: Feathers

Remember the art project with feathers and glue? It's dry!

I could not tell which James enjoyed more: squeezing the glue out onto the paper or picking out his feathers and laying them *just so* on the paper. I have rarely seen him so focused on a class project. Maybe it is time for more projects with glue. Those feathers are pretty fascinating.

James would check the feather's position carefully before putting it on the glue, sometimes nudging it into better position. This one is going up on his wall!


Visit 5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.
    

 

Postcards From the Walk

That's some big hill! Reminds me of the line from Ghostbusters: "where do these stairs go?" "They go up!" There were 3 of these big suckers (not counting the 2 flights of up & down stairs) and the kids walked all of the first and half of each of the following ones. The double stroller is still doing yeoman's duty!

We had lots of animals keeping us company! Herds of sheep watched us go by, as they rested in or ate the hillsides of grass. Companion dogs on leashes trotted along gamely. We even had this little sweetheart, who was surrounded by many admirers.

Luckily, James was ready to walk. He has not done a straight 2-mile course with hills before... and I was proud of how well he did. The stairs and tunnels at the end definitely helped!

Tunnels? No one said we got to go through tunnels! And these tunnels went right under the main racetrack at Infineon. That made the day for the kids right there, I tell you.

It made my day to see so many people out there walking, and so many people supporting our efforts. Truly, it was uplifting!