More Bubbles, Please

Evan did well in with his therapist this evening. One activity he enjoyed was the bubbles. She wouldn't do it "more" until he signed it, and boy, did he sign! He must have signed it at least 30 times.

Last week was his first week with this therapist. He did alright, but became frustrated easily and was throwing her toys. Tonight, he endured much longer and only threw toys a couple of times. She had him laughing quite a bit.

After therapy was a quick dinner, and then I headed off to the school with Evan and Kyle. John and Matt had their own errand to run. Wouldn't you know it, soon after we got to the school, Evan dirtied his diaper. I don't have diapers in the classroom, and I also didn't have any in the van. I didn't want him to stay in the diaper too long, because first, that's gross, and second, he gets rashes so easily. I was able to clean him up, because I do have wipes in the room. I only had about 15 more minutes worth of work to do; I thought he'd be alright. Of course not. As soon as we hit the cool air on our way out the door, he wet his pants. Luckily, he was wearing thick corduroys which helped to absorb the moisture! I lined his seat with an extra sweatshirt I had in the van and headed for home.

Note to self....keep a few diapers in the classroom.

Outing

John, the boys, and I went to The Feast of the Hunters' Moon today. "The Feast of the Hunters' Moon is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost in the mid - 1700s."

It was nice; I only wish we had gone earlier. Evan was ready for his nap about an hour and a half after we got there. He fell asleep in his stroller, so John decided to position it so that he wasn't sitting up. That woke him up..not a happy camper...we ended up taking turns holding him as he slept.

Some of the visitors to this event dress-up in clothing from that time period---that wouldn't be us. I can just see the boys going for that one! There were many areas set up that had food, but not things on a typical menu. We got buffalo burgers for the boys, but Matt refused to eat it due to the fact that they were called buffalo burgers. Kind of odd, because he's the one that eats just about anything!

Of course many tents were selling things...a lot of the items made of wood. The boys each got a wooden axe---although Matt wanted a real one----and Kyle got a wooden snake.

We listened to a couple of different drum corps, saw two guys who were awesome jugglers and very entertaining as well (the boys' favorite part), watched a group in authentic type clothing doing dances of the time, and we did a lot of walking.

The boys let it be known occasionally that they were ready to go home, but in usually Kyle style, he announced as we were heading toward the van, "That was fun." Mr. Positive--he felt safe saying that AFTER we left!

Here are some pics

No, he's not poking the horse in the eye!

Relaxing and listening to music

Evan's favorite part of the day....the slight roller coaster feeling during the ride home!

Are You Ready For Some Football?...

...Kyle has been saying that the past few days. Throughout the year, his teacher invites her students to attend different events at the school (so nice of her to do that); this time it was the homecoming football game. It is so amazing how excited Kyle gets about these events. When he was younger, I NEVER would have imagined; he was so not into other people.
Matt was also invited to go. A little different with him. Instead of excitement the past few days, he's been going around saying things like, "There's no way your making me go." Our response, "You're going, so knock it off." Matt-"No way, no how." Up until we actually pulled up, opened the van door, he was still announcing that he was not going to go. But, we told him he was, so he followed Kyle out of the van.
When I picked them up after the game, I could see from the smile on his face that he had a good time. The teacher told me that he talked a lot to one of the other students. As we we're leaving the parking lot, he was telling me the score, and that we won, and that you could still see the score on the scoreboard. Immediately after, he said, "Next time, Kyle can go by himself; I'm staying home." He just can't admit that he had a good time!

Happy Birthday x 3!

Happy Birthday Kyle! (19th)

Happy Birthday Matt! (20th)

Happy Birthday Chelsey! (21st)

For several years now, Matt has not been a big fan of having a birthday, so I'm not sure how "happy" his is! He always wants to "skip it."

Chelsey is home! Yay!

Her e-mail account was stolen a couple of days ago and the bozo sent out one of those completely bogus e-mails about being in some foreign country, helping the less fortunate, bag was stolen, blah, blah, blah. What an idiot. I know, I should feel sorry for how pathetic that person's life is.

Time to start the celebrations! (Actually, it's time to go to the store and buy something for Kyle and Chelsey. The ironic thing is that the one child that doesn't want a birthday is the only one who we already have a present for).

Ready for a Toddler Bed

The inevitable happened; Evan made his way out of the crib last night, and it wasn't exactly a graceful maneuver.

He had been in bed for approximately 30 minutes, and due to the lack of sleep I've been getting recently, I decided to go to bed early. Right after I got into bed, I remembered that Evan didn't have a diaper cover on, which means there was great potential for him taking off his diaper, and then, of course, there would be a need for a complete change of bedding in the middle of the night. He was still awake, so I debated about whether or not I should go in there. Due to my complete exhaustion, I decided I would just go ahead and check on him, because I was most likely going to be falling asleep fast...maybe before him.

So, I went in there, he hadn't taken his diaper off, I told him good-night, and I headed back for bed. Unfortunately, my brief appearance in his room did agitate him a bit, and he started "calling" me. He wasn't crying, just calling out, and I figured that he would settle down quickly. Nope. Instead, after only a couple of minutes, we heard the big "thud." I ran into the room knowing that he was going to be on the floor. He was flat on his back doing the cry where he was crying so hard, that he was kind of holding his breath. I was almost afraid to pick him up.

I brought him into our room, gave him a good check-over while he cried, and I tried to comfort him, but after about 10 minutes, he was trying to get out my arms and bed. He's not into the whole cuddling thing.

He fell asleep quickly after that, but was up about about 10 times last night! Maybe 10 is an exaggeration, but that's what it felt like.

I've been thinking about it, and I think that the others were in beds by this age (27 months); I know Chelsey was. It's really hard to believe that he doesn't need his crib anymore. It's one of those 3 in 1 deals, so it's probably just a matter of a few screws, and more importantly, a secure gate for the hallway or maybe his bedroom.

Happy Birthday..

..to me!

Overall, it was a quiet birthday. My parents came over for a dinner of shells and meatballs (John cooked---now THAT'S a good birthday!). My mom brought some yummy french loaf bread that we baked in the oven---that provided one of the highlights of my birthday. I was breaking off small pieces of the bread for Evan and having a hard time keeping up with him shoving them in his mouth. At one point, I had stopped giving him pieces, and he pointed to the bread in the middle of the table and PERFECTLY signed more!!! I have been working on that sign for a couple of months now (at least), and this was the first time that what he did really looked like the sign. In the past, he had done something that I wasn't sure was a sign---he would very quickly bring his hands together---and it would almost look like it was only a result of him being very excited. Recently, he has been clapping a couple of times when I asked him to "say" more. It was beautiful!

The boys both picked out birthday cards for me when they went shopping with John. Matt insisted on a musical card---"Can't touch this." Of course, I had to do a little dance (scary sight). I was very impressed with John's shopping this year. He got 3 shirts that I actually like---a lot! He also gave me a couple of pairs of pants; definitely a good effort---I like the color (can't go wrong with black and brown), BUT, I'm not into elastic waistbands, they were a size too big (not his fault, I recently went down a size), and most importantly, I don't wear pants that are labeled "short." It had a tag that had that word at least 7 times!

So, I don't feel any older, there's nothing particularly exciting about turning 38, except for the fact that I get to.

Today's Happenings

Today started off with me sleeping in a bit--8ish. That was after waking up at 5:30 and spending at least an hour trying to get back to sleep. I don't know why I do that, because then when I wake up "late," it feels like half the day is gone.

After a quiet morning with Evan and the boys, I went shopping at Teacher's Delight; I still had a coupon that someone had given to me after I graduated. It seems like the list of things I need (or want) for the class is never ending. I hope that improves as time goes by.

Evan and I walked to the park this evening...somewhat crowded tonight. We first stopped to watch some people playing basketball. There was a little boy there who was probably a little younger than Evan who had a ball; they entertained each other for a little bit. Evan's lack of language wasn't much of an issue because I don't think this boy spoke any English.

After basketball, we went to the playground area and were so fortunate to meet up with a sweet, 5 year old, little girl! She immediately "adopted" Evan. And, just like the last time we met a little girl at the park, Evan did something new! After she went down the curly slide (the smaller one), he scooted that way, too. The first time, I went down with him to see how "scary" it was. Well, my adult size really wasn't a good indication for the scariness, because I basically had to scoot down all the way. So, at least I found out it wasn't very slippery! After we got to the bottom, Evan headed right for the stairs (following the girl), and went right over to the part of the equipment where the slide is. I let her hold him this time...worked well. He then wanted to do it again. This time, I told her to go first so that she could "catch" him. She did, and then he willingly went down!! Her role was more of "help him get off the slide when he gets to the bottom" because of the not-so-slippery factor. This happened a couple of times.

Next, it was on to the swings where after a few minutes, he signed "all done," and we walked home. He's getting really good at that sign. His version is a little different; he crosses his arms and kind of keeps them like that for a few seconds, usually until I say, "You're all done?" Oh, and John said he waved again yesterday... a few times. He took a break for a couple of weeks from that, and now, he'll probably take another break!

2 to 18

It's so hard being away from Evan. I know I would be thoroughly enjoying my new teaching job if it weren't for my desire to spend every second with him. I do enjoy my class---great kids---I'm so fortunate for my first year of teaching! It's just that beautiful little boy keeps tugging at my heart....and keeping me awake at night to voice his disapproval of my absence during the day.

Chelsey seems very happy so far at school...right Chel? I still think your room looks more comfy than your new place!

School

I don't know if anyone had the chance to read my post that existed for about 9 hours last week concerning Matt's adventure into school, but if not, here it is in a nutshell.

This is his first year in high school. He will have one lifeskills class with with Kyle. The rest of his classes are in resource rooms. A schedule has been made to make sure that teachers are sending him to the restroom. They've had a day and a half of school, and he seems to be ok with it...so far.

The Incredible Journey

My little girl is starting her new journey. John brought her to school yesterday...an hour and fifteen minutes away. I went today to "hang out" with her for a while. It's so strange not knowing what she is doing right now. Her bedroom looks lonely when I pass by it. My eyes are swollen. How did time go by so fast?? I remember so clearly....straining to keep my eyes open to look at her after she was born....22 months old....her sneaking out of her bed and trying to quietly walk down the hall....we would say, "I wonder if Chelsey is still in bed,".....we would loudly get off the couch.....we would then hear her little feet run down the hall, and then she would leap into bed, cover up, and close her eyes and pretend she was asleep.....our walks to the beach.....her reaction when we were driving home from the hospital with Kyle after he was born--"It's moving"......countless memories. She's a big girl now--that didn't take very long...not long enough.

The New School Year...Yuck

I went to the school today to register the kids. I'll start with the good stuff, which was the last table we went to. Officer Wes was there handing out a variety of informational things....including info on autism! How cool is that! We are fortunate to have an informed police department due to the fact that one of the officers has two boys with autism. He recognized me as a parent with a child with autism; I'm not exactly sure how he knows. It could be because of the bus accident Kyle was in last year (his bus was rear-ended at a railroad crossing). Kyle wasn't too fond of the whole event! From what the bus driver and aide told me, he was quite upset. When I got there, he and the other boy that was on the bus were in the back of an ambulance all strapped in! They were actually waiting for me, because they knew I was on my way to get Kyle. It was school policy; although the accident was minor, he had to go to the hospital unless a parent was there to say otherwise. I did bring him....just to be sure!

ANYWAY, Officer Wes gave me stickers for the car window from the Autism Society. They say: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY OCCUPANT WITH AUTISM MAY: *RUN AWAY *NOT RESPOND *RESIST HELP. It would be nice if those stickers said "Fragile X" instead of "Autism," but then I guess they wouldn't do much good! He also gave me pamphlets to fill out (to keep in the car) that give more specific medical info, AND, two info sheets for me to fill out about the boys to give to the police department. Good job, Police Department!

After that, I don't feel like talking about the rest of the registration...later...

Childcare

I'm starting my new teaching job next week. The issue? Childcare. Unbelievably, there is no childcare in this town of 16,000+ for children with special needs. Unreal. First Steps provides in-home therapy at a cost, but there is NO group type therapy---none. My child has nobody to emulate. In the county next to us, they have a childcare place where there are children with and without special needs, but that's 40 minutes away--not an option.

I have a good example from THIS MORNING of why he needs to be around other children. We went to the playground, and there were only two other kids there with their grandpa. Evan did his new usual routine; he went up the ramp and sat on the platform that connects the wobbly bridge, a slide, a tunnel, and the bars that one can go across. He likes to sit there and watch kids run around him. Today, a soon to be 1st-grader girl who recognized me from school came over to talk to us. Evan laughed as she ran across the wobbly bridge. She then went up to him and said so sweetly, "Do you want to go down the slide with me?" The slide is a small, double slide. Evan has gone down it before but only with me holding his hand. Even though I have tried to get him to go down by himself in the past, he wouldn't. Right after the little girl asked him, she went over and sat on one side of the slide, and Evan scooted right over and sat at the top of the other side! She then went down the slide. Without hesitation, Evan went down!!! I was on the other side of this piece of equipment, and although I could have ducked and gone under to get to the other side, there wasn't enough time to react. I thought for sure he was going to land on his bottom. Nope, he landed squarely on his feet--a perfect 10!

Unfortunately, he then decided that he wanted to walk over by the animals, but he changed his mind halfway there when the donkey got really loud; he also doesn't like when the sheep get too loud. So we walked back to the playground, and I really think he wanted to play with that girl again, but she was on the swing. He walked halfway to where she was and whined for a while; he never approached any of the playground equipment after that. We then decided to walk home.

I'm so frustrated! I went to the home of one person who does childcare, and she was nice, but I'm just not sure that it's the place for him. Wherever he would go, he would need extra attention; I can just imagine him standing in front of a tv all day flapping away! I called another person who was recommended, and I was supposed to meet with her, but the day after I talked to her she called to say that she was going to be taking care of her daughter's kids. Where's he going? He'll be with my mom and dad again. I don't like doing it this way, because I hate tying them down, there not spring chickens (sorry mom :) and Evan won't have any interaction with other kids, but it's the only situation that feels right. I know they understand him and his needs, and I know they love him!

Tomorrow, a woman from First Steps is coming over. Yep, he hasn't been in any therapy yet. The therapy that this county provides isn't that impressive. The fact that they don't have childcare---or at least group therapy---says a lot. BUT, I figure at least this will give mom a little break, and I'll feel a little more comfortable knowing that specific skills are being worked on. I can't expect my mom to do it all!

Has anyone else out there used home daycare for their Fragile kids???