Thats What Friends Are For

You are still working on pedaling your bike yourself but we have made huge strides.

Yes, that is Anna pushing you with her bike al the way down the sidewalk and you just kinda of hanging out for the ride - but hey, what are best friends for! You live your life for the little crew of three down the street and not sure what you would do without them. They have not only pushed you on your bike but pushed you to new limits everyday in your development. We LOVE Anna, Ellie, and Gavin

Enjoy Baby
Mom

Catching Up

Needless to say it is time for an update on your little life!

Lets see where to begin - on Sunday we had your birthday party and you had 14 other children at your side to help you party. You had the BEST time I have seen in awhile. You had a few little ones from you kindergarten class (a nice step since you have been hitting kids in class). the usual gang from the street, and then some from your social skills group, and swim lessons, and a few others. It was such a nice group and everyone seemed to get along extremely well. We were at Rebounderz which is an indoor trampoline arena where the floors and walls are trampolines. It just opened so not many had been there before and they did a great job of moving through the party and helping the celebration. I was a little nervous, expecting the break down, but it never happened it was as if, for those two hours, all the worries went away and your deficits just disappeared. As we set down to have pizza and cake you said "It's my birthday!" and then right before blowing out the candles, which you were able to do this year, you said "happy birthday." I can't help be smile and am very proud of how well you handled yourself.

Since Wednesday of last week you have been "stable." A relative term but a term I love to hear in this household. The only other time we have seen this was over summer and it happily lasted for about six weeks. I take each day of this calm and happy child in stride, never missing a moment of your smile and giggle. I never know when it might disappear again or when I might loss a piece of you again to cycling. It is not that we don't have our good moments even when your mood is struggling a little, but the child I have had since Wednesday and the child I had over summer is such a gift that never misses a moment of what is front of him. That is playful, creative, and imaginative. A child who wants to please those around him, thrives off of his success, and is taking in the world around him. Most importantly a child who captures the heart of those around him. You are interacting with the world around you instead of watching it through a glass window and this is vital to your future success.

Today was the first day that school saw you "stable" and you had absolutely no behaviors. Given you had been hitting students and staff multiple times per day prior to today and to have a perfect day today was the highlight. They were very proud of you as was I. Hopefully you will continue on this path, but even if we have a few hiccups they have now seen the "other side" and all you have to offer.

You teach me so much everyday and we have continued to grow with each other. I have discovered that one of my favorite activities to do with you is go grocery shopping. Those that know me are probably laughing while I say this baby because cooking is definitely not my thing but you get so excited to help when we are in the store. You want to be the one to get the items off the shelf and put them in the cart. We work on counting if we need multiple items and every know in then you pick up food items that you want that I would forget to buy otherwise. For instance when I turned around this week you were putting boxes of gushers into the cart (Thanks to Linda for introducing you to this candy). I take for granted that you get to make these choices, and that you have preferences, and forget to ask and you are showing me these days that you do have an opinion and it is important.

You and I also enjoy watching football together on Mondays. It is funny to watch you cheer for the redskins and do a little dance when they get a touch-down. I sit here now wishing you didn't have to be asleep in bed because it is a late game and I need my little man to be watching it with me.

By the way, you can stop growing anytime now. I included the picture above of you at the playground as you can see how long your body is and that you have definitely outgrown some of the play sets, whether you like to admit it or not. You have grown about 5 inches, if not a little more, since you came home and if you keep this up you will outgrow me in the near future!

Well shorty, keep on trucking I couldn't be prouder of the little man you are becoming and the challenges you are overcoming.
Love
Mom

Happy Birthday

Wow, you turned 7 today! I cannot believe it as it just seems like yesterday we celebrated your 6th birthday. Tonight we enjoyed a nice family dinner (with Sally the crew and Nancy) and in two weeks we are actually going to attempt a real birthday party. I have some apprehension about this, I worry about your lack of social skills these days but you deserve a party! We will be going to an indoor trampoline place for a two hour party and your usual crew will be there along with a few students from school. I invited the boys from your classroom to join us so we will see how many are able to make it.

I watched you today and took a deep breath. You have now been home with me half of the time you were in your foster home and as of now you have been out of your biological home as long as you were in it. These are milestones and each year is another year of hope, opportunity, and success for you. You were excited today and bounced your way out of bed and down to my room. I got you a new bike, its more like a trike for older kids, so that we could continue to work on pedaling and guess what, you did pedal! You were also exhausted by the time we got to your presents tonight so I am excited to see you on it again tomorrow.

Things have been a little rough for you lately overall. I don't know if we are going through growing pains, if school is to overwhelming, or if it is just another phase but tantrums are always on the cusp, you are hitting the students in your classroom (something that shocks me and I know you love time with peers so I am not sure what is going on), and now hitting and kicking at home. It is hard not to smile though when you attempt to kick because you did not have the gross motor ability to actually kick just a few short weeks ago. It is definitely an off balance attempt but I have to smile as I know it is another developmental milestone. The hitting is probably a milestone too but unfortunately you will scare off children as you go through this so we need to get rid of that one - and fast.

As I look at the pictures above from Great Country Farm this weekend and from your birthday today I see the change in your body. You are stronger and healthier. You are navigating your environment, jumping, running, climbing, and doing your best to keep up with everyone. You grew five inches last year alone and your strength has vastly improved. I watched you climb on top of the jumping pillow this week while carrying an inflated cow (had to have been there) but you could not of even done that a month ago.


With all this though, and as much hard work as you put into life daily, I hate to tell you that this school environment will not be a good match for you for you. You need such an individualized program and one that focuses heavily on language development. We need a team that can use your AAC device and that is trained in PROMPT to continue to push you forward. A team of individuals that can respect your past and how it impacts you today but help you work through your emotional walls to learning. Now is the window and now is the time to push harder. I am researching private school options and also, with a leap of faith, looking at a private school in Ohio that is based around AAC device use. With careful planning I know we can find the right educational environment for you.

Well baby, I am off to bed. I love you
Keep on Truckin
Mom