pool birthday party

On Wednesday, the boys were invited to a pool party at our pool for one of SJ's classmates.  Since the pool party was to begin at 4 p.m., we decided to go to the pool around 2 o’clock that day.  It was a beautiful day, so I didn't want to miss out on the sunny afternoon. 

The boys swam with their pool friends until it was time for the party to begin.  Most of the usual pool people leave between 3 and 4 o'clock.  Around 3:30, the birthday boy's family arrived and the remainder of the guests arrived around 4.  The boy's mom told the guests that they could swim until the pizza was delivered.

SJ was so excited when the pizza arrived.  He joined all the other guests at the picnic tables to have their dinner.  I was sitting in my chair watching SJ interact with all the party guests.  He was smiling and chatting away with his friends.  This was definitely a moment that he wasn't a kid with PDD.  He was just another 5th grader spending time with his peers.  I love these moments!

After the kids were done with pizza, they had more swim time.  The birthday boy didn't want anyone to sing to him, so his mom skipped that traditional party event.  She did, however, make lots and lots of cupcakes.  SJ had ran over to get a cupcake, but they were vanilla frosted with chocolate or chocolate frosted with vanilla.  Sounds good, right?  Not to SJ.  He doesn’t like chocolate!  SJ was a little disappointed, but he went back into the pool instead. 

At the end of the party, the mom passed out the gift bags and the boys thanked the birthday boy for inviting them.  They were very excited to each get a water ball to play with on other pool days.  What a great gift to put in the treat bags. 

When we got home, SJ told my husband all about the birthday party.  As I listened to him chat away to my husband, I was reminded once again how lucky we are in SJ's progress.  I am hopeful that he will keep progressing this nicely and one day the PDD will be completely invisible!

take me out to the ball game!

On Tuesday, we had tickets to see the Pittsburgh Pirates.  We were given the tickets from the Grand Club area at the Autism Walk (for great fundraising…thanks supporters!).  They were great seats (although there isn't really a bad seat in PNC Park!).  We got there early, because we planned to eat dinner there.  However, we didn't get there early enough.  All the restaurants were packed, so we looked for something the boys would like from a food stand.  We asked a worker if there was pizza nearby.  He directed us to where pizza was located.  Bob didn't want to eat his pizza, so my husband ate his slice. 

We started walking back to where our seats were while keeping our eyes out for something for Bob to eat.  He said he wanted chicken fingers, but they only had buffalo style chicken fingers.  He wasn't going to try them, so we kept looking for anything that he would like.  Finally, he said he would like some fries from Primanti's. 

We made it to our seats and we watched the opening events.  The Pirate Parrot was hitting oversized soft balls into the stands, so my husband encouraged the boys to go down to the front.  Bob being his shy self didn't want to go, but SJ ran right down to the front.  I was a little (okay a lot) nervous for him to be down there alone, but my husband kept reassuring me that he was okay.  When I could see him through the crowd, he had the biggest smile on his face.  What a great smile he has!

When the Parrot was done, I had my husband go and retrieve him.  They got back to our seats and the game began.  The boys did very well throughout the game.  They watched the game very patiently and enjoyed the activities that they have between innings.  We tried to catch the hot dogs and the t-shirts, but they never quite made it up to our section.  The Pierogi Race was also a very amusing activity.  We all voted for the winning Pierogi and Chester Cheddar won.  (I think SJ picked that Pierogi.) 

A few foul balls came near our section, but they landed about 10 rows ahead of us.  That would have been exciting if they would have come closer to us.  The Pirates didn't win the game, but we had a great time.  After the game was over, we joined in with the 34,000 other attendees to leave the stadium.  I had to keep a tight hold on the boys and especially SJ.  He is always in such a hurry and I was concerned he may get away from us.  Luckily, he stayed with us and we walked to where our car was parked. 

The boys were exhausted as we drove home, but they were exhausted from having a wonderful evening. 

fun at the park

On Monday, the weather was predicted as rain.  We decided to not go to the pool.  I called one of my friends, who have kids' Bob and SJ's age, to see if her kids could come over.  She said they were thinking of biking on the trail.  She asked if we would like to join them, but I can't get their bikes in my car.  She said they were also thinking of going to the park for the kids to rollerblade or ride scooters. 

That I could manage.  I told her if they decided to do that to let me know.  She called me back a few minutes later.  They decided to go to the park.  We made plans to meet at 12:30.  I fed the boys an early lunch and we got the scooters and Bob's rollerblades in the car.

We met them at the park.  Our friends were already there.  They were using their rollerblades, so Bob put his own on.  SJ pulled his scooter out of the car and joined the other kids.  The kids kept busy either blading or riding the scooters for well over an hour.  They then moved onto to playing on the playground equipment. 

While the boys were having fun, my friends and I walked on the paved path.  It was great.  We could see the kids while we got a chance to chat away. 

There was only one time that it wasn't so great.  SJ lost a nut from his scooter.  It holds the bar that attaches the handle to the base.  He started getting upset.  I stopped and tried to assist him find the nut.  It was nowhere to be found.  I could feel a full blown tantrum starting to build in him.  Thankfully, one of my friends offered him her daughter's scooter.  "It doesn't look like a girl's scooter, does it?"  he asked her.  "No.  It is just blue," she replied.  Thank goodness!  Tantrum averted. 

Around 2:00, the other kids were getting hungry.  My friends and I met the kids at a picnic table and they had their lunch.  After lunch, we decided to explore the trail in the woods.  I was with my one friend and all the boys.  Our other friend was behind us with the girls.  (They were collecting millipedes.)  We hiked on the trail for about 30 minutes when we turned around.

The boys really enjoyed the hike.  I was a little nervous, since the trail gets very steep at times.  I had to keep reminding myself that they are older now, but you never stop worrying about them.  When we reached the park, we said our goodbyes to our friends.  It was a very fun way to spend a non-pool day!

brother time

We had a few lazy days after we got back from vacation.  Nobody wanted to do much of anything, so we just hung out at the house.  The problem with hanging out at the house instead of say going to the pool is that Bob doesn't always get his "playing" outlet.  When he is at the pool, he plays with the kids who are there.  They play Four Square or kick board ball (similar to wiffle ball) or swim, of course!

When we are at home, Bob tries so hard to get SJ to play with him.  Whether it is basketball, soccer, wiffle ball or kick ball, Bob is always encouraging SJ to come out and play with him.  However, SJ will resist and begrudgingly stay outside for a few minutes.  Then, he will tell Bob that he is "too tired" to stay outside and comes back in the house.  This makes Bob very sad and he frequently says out loud that he wishes SJ was "normal".  (I hate that term, but Bob is allowed to vent!)

To alleviate some of Bob's sadness and to encourage SJ's social interactions, I have started "Brother Time".  I require SJ to spend a minimum of three 15 minute periods each day.  (If he spends more than 15 minutes with Bob, than that is just a bonus!)  It doesn't matter what they do together.  They can play video games, play outside, do Legos or play a board game.  As long as they are spending time together, it counts as "Brother Time". 

Bob has been so good with SJ his whole life.  I owe much of SJ's progress to Bob's constant role-modeling of typical behavior.  This is why I wanted to do something for Bob.  I felt he needed to be rewarded for always trying so hard to have a typical relationship with his non-typical brother.  And while SJ is still very frustrating at times to Bob (as any brother would be), I can see a genuine love between them.  Thanks Bob!

lake erie vacation-day 3

Thursday was our last day of vacation.  For all of you speech update readers, we had the week off of speech therapy due to vacation.  We started out our day the same as the day before.  It was still overcast and the weather was not looking promising.  We again went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  I decided that the boys weren't going to order fries for breakfast.  I insisted that they order "real" breakfast food. 

After a lot of tears and whining, Bob finally agreed to pancakes and SJ ordered cereal.  We also asked the waitress to bring each of the boys a banana.  I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and my husband opted for French toast and bacon.  For all the complaining, both boys finished their plates and no one died from eating breakfast items at breakfast.

When we left the restaurant, it had started to rain.  We then had to decide whether we were going to the indoor water park at Splash Lagoon or hope the rain stops and go to the water park at Waldameer.  It wasn't raining hard, so we decided to do the outside water park.  Our theory was if you are already wet it doesn’t really matter if it rains. 

The water park was fairly crowded.  The water was cold in the lazy river, but a little warmer in the slide splash pools.  Initially, Bob was nervous to do some of the bigger slides.  Not SJ, though.  He was ready to attempt every slide. 

After a while, Bob was ready to try some slides.  SJ went down first, Bob followed and then my husband and I went down on a double tube.  When we got to the bottom, SJ was nowhere to be seen.  I started to get a little panicky.  My husband told me to settle down that he probably just went back up the stairs.  I took a deep breath and agreed that was the probable situation. 

However, SJ was not at the top of the stairs.  My husband tells me this piece of information and I am now fully in panic mode.  I have Bob go with me to some of the other slides to look for him while my husband looks too.  He wasn't at any of the slides, so I am now ready to notify security.  Just then, I spot SJ floating down the lazy river.  Not a care in the world.  He was having a great time while my heart is ready to jump out of my skin. 

I call his name and tell him to get out of the river.  "You can't just leave the slide area without telling me or Daddy," I scold him.  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said.  Okay, now I know he was okay and he is getting older, but that is so scary when you can't find your child. 

A few years ago when we were at the same water park, SJ disappeared also.  He had left the bathroom while my husband, Bob and I were changing.  He was looking for me, but he didn't bother to tell anyone where he was going.  It seemed like forever, but that whole situation lasted about 3 minutes.  This year's disappearance lasted for about 8 minutes.  Whatever amount of time it was, it was way too long!

After we found him and told him not to leave us, we continued to ride the slides.  Then, the rain started up again.  We were wet, but the rain wasn't stopping.  After an hour of cold, hard rain, we decided it was time to go.  We had to go back to the hotel to retrieve something that I had forgotten.  The traffic was horrible!  If I had known the traffic was going to be so bad, I would have just left it.

We stopped and got lunch for all of us.  Of course everyone wanted something from different fast food places. Bob chose Subway, SJ chose McDonalds and my husband and I chose Chic-Fil-A.  We drove the two hours home in the rain.  It was a nice, short getaway vacation.  If you haven't been to Presque Isle, I would definitely recommend it.

lake erie vacation-day 2

Wednesday was Day 2 of our Lake Erie vacation.  We started the day by going to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  The boys were especially whiny this overcast morning.  They were calling for rain, but we weren't going to let that stop us from doing something fun.

When we got to our table, they started complaining that they didn't like anything on the breakfast menu.  Unbelievably, my husband asked the waitress if they could order off the regular menu.  She said we could as long as it was fried or grilled, not baked.  Bob ordered chicken fingers and fries and SJ ordered grilled cheese and fries.  Great breakfast, huh? 

My husband and I ordered a traditional breakfast.  I ordered French toast, eggs and bacon while my husband ordered bacon and blueberry pancakes.  (Now those are good breakfast items!)  Everything was delicious!

After we finished breakfast, we went back to our hotel room.  We decided we were going to go to Waldameer (their local amusement park) in Presque Isle, but it didn't open until 12 noon.  We hung out in our hotel room until it was time to go.  It was still overcast, so we were hoping it wouldn't rain on us.

We got to the park shortly after it opened.  It wasn't very crowded, so that was good news for us.  Bob was very excited to ride the swings, so that was our first ride.  After that, we rode a few more classic rides, such as the tilt-a-whirl, ride through dark ride and a great old wooden coaster. 

Then, we made the mistake of having Bob ride a Wild Mouse type metal coaster.  He was so freaked out!  He was on the verge of tears and was in complete refusal of riding any more rides.  SJ and I rode a sky ride (like a ski lift) while my husband sat with Bob.  Bob was still grumpy when SJ and I got off the ride.

We decided that the boys' moods may approve if they ate some lunch.  That was the right answer.  My husband, Bob and SJ had a slice of pizza and some fries.  I was still so full from breakfast, so I opted to eat nothing.  After the boys finished, Bob's mood improved greatly.  He was ready to try riding again. 

We then rode the scrambler, bumper cars, and the octopus.  My husband talked SJ into riding the big wooden roller coaster.  Bob and I waited until they got off.  SJ did not look so good when he got off.  He was holding his head and told us he wasn't riding that coaster again.  We asked the boys if they wanted to reride anything.  They decided on the swings.

The boys rode the swings a few times and then we all got on the tea cups.  My husband spun the car so fast that I thought I was going to vomit.  I had to sit on a bench for a few minutes while the boys and my husband rode it again and again.  I couldn't even look at them on the ride.  It was still nauseating me. 

We left the park after that.  We went back to the hotel, so I could rest a while.  I started to feel better, so we went back to O'Charleys for dinner.  Again, we had a great meal.  SJ got a hamburger and fries, Bob got chicken fingers and fries, my husband got a chicken salad and I got Cajun chicken pasta.  SJ wasn't a huge fan of the burgers, but he loved the fries! 

After dinner, we went back to the hotel.  The boys swam in the hotel pool and then we called it a day.  Another full day of vacation fun for us!

lake erie vacation-day 1

On Tuesday, we drove two hours to Lake Erie.  We drove right into Presque Isle, a little peninsula on Lake Erie.  It was a very warm day, so we decided it would be a great day for the beach.  We made it part way around the peninsula and parked near the closest open beach.  It wasn't very crowded and we found a great spot.

SJ was right in the water.  Thank goodness he was over his swimmer's ear.  My husband and Bob joined him a few minutes later.  I sat on our towel and enjoyed watching them play in the lake.  The waves were pretty strong and were pulling the boys down the shore.  They had a great time.  SJ stayed in the water the whole time we were there.  Even the dead fish that washed ashore was not a deterrent for him.

We stayed at the beach for a few hours and then went to check into our hotel.  We stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn.  We had a very nice hotel room and the boys started to explore the room.  It had two queen beds, a nice bathroom, a living room area with a sofa bed and a fridge, microwave and coffee maker.  Standard hotel room, but it was in very nice condition.  The boys were excited that they had a TV in their area and we had one in ours. 

After we unpacked, we went to dinner at O'Charleys.  I am not sure if it is a chain or a local Erie restaurant.  SJ did not want to order anything.  No surprise there.  He ended up ordering a plate of fries.  Bob ordered chicken fingers and fries.  My husband got steak and salmon while I got steak, broccoli and smashed potatoes.  The potatoes were so yummy!  They had bacon and cheddar cheese in them.  Yum! 

After dinner, we went back to the hotel.  The boys went swimming in the pool.  They were there alone for a while when another family joined them.  We let them swim for about 45 minutes.  We went back to the room and Bob still wanted to do something.  (It was only 9 p.m. by the way.)  We decided to take the boys mini-golfing.  The only mini-golf we could find was down on the bay side of Presque Isle. 

It was called Harbor Golf.  It looked like any other mini-golf place.  However, they had a mischief wheel on each hole.  You had to spin it before your first turn.  Bob loved this idea.  (I did too!)  SJ did not love this.  He kept getting mischief choices that he didn't like, such as golfing with the club behind your back. 

It took a lot of talking him out of tantrums on that course, but my husband and I somehow worked our magic on him.  He finished the course and didn't come in last place.  (My husband did purposely mess up quite a few shots, but that is a small price to pay to not have a tantrum!) 

After golf, we drove back to the hotel and had the kids go to bed.  It was a full first day.  This is a typical vacation day for our family.  Have fun until you'll pass out.  And that is exactly what we did!

mom turns 41!

Sunday was my birthday.  It was nothing special, just my 41st.  Bob had spent the night at my parents' house, so that he could spend some time with my nephews and niece.  I drove over to pick him up and spent a couple of hours visiting with my sister’s family.  My mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, nephews and niece sang happy birthday to me.

My mom was going to order lunch, but I just wanted to get back home.  Bob and I left and made our journey home.  I decided to stop for a Subway sandwich for Bob and was going to eat my left over fajitas when I got home.  Bob and I also stopped at Dunhams to get a bigger soccer net for him, so that he can practice being a goalie.

My husband had run out to get some lunch for SJ and himself.  He also went shopping for my presents (not unusual for him to wait to last minute!).  When Bob and I arrived home, my presents were on the counter with my cards.  My husband wanted Bob to sign my card, but he ran up to his buddy's house. 

I told him not to worry about it.  He could sign it later.  I had asked my husband to get me Corn Hole.  The packages on the counter were much too small to be Corn Hole, so I knew he didn't get it for me.  I was a little sad, but I assumed it was too expensive.  (We have been doing home improvement projects, so I knew the extra funds were dwindling.)

My husband called me outside to help him get some wood out of his car.  To my delightful surprise, he had bought me the Corn Hole game that I wanted.  I was so excited!  I really wanted this game, because I thought this would be a great game for us to play as a family.  Any remorse that I had over what could have been in the presents upstairs was gone.  They would just be icing on the cake.

When Bob came home, my husband had him sign my card.  Then the boys and my husband sang happy birthday to me.  I opened my cards and my other presents.  They had gotten me a new golf glove (much needed) and a Wii Zumba game (not sure if I will use it.  SJ did pick it out, so maybe I will give it a try.)

It was getting cloudy outside, but I was dying to play Corn Hole.  We set it up and we made it through two and a half games.  The boys were complaining some, but I gave them a quick reminder that it was my day.  When they continued to complain, I had to take away electronics from the boys for disagreeable behavior.  (Braden was complaining that he was bored and SJ was having a tantrum over us losing.) 

Since they were not allowed to play their electronics, we went inside and watched a video.  It was a great way to finish the day.  I got exactly what I wanted for my birthday:  Corn Hole, brownies and time with my family.

aunty turns 40!

On Saturday, we were celebrating my younger sister turning 40.  My sister that lives in Harrisburg traveled in earlier in the day for our sister’s birthday.  She came straight to my house, so that her kids could spend time with mine.  Whenever she comes, Bob tends to play with the boys and SJ plays with her daughter. 

Since it was their first time seeing our mostly finished basement, two of my sister's kids were busy watching a movie in the basement.  The other boy was outside playing with Bob and surprisingly SJ.  The oldest boy, Gabriel, eventually joined his brother, Cedar, and my boys outside.  They were playing a war game with their Star Wars guns.

My sister couldn't stay long, since we were meeting the birthday girl and my parents at Max and Erma's for dinner.  I had checked the menu earlier in the day to see if there was food that the boys would like.  Fortunately, there were a few items I knew they would enjoy. 

We arrived at Max and Erma's at 5:00.  It wasn't too crowded, but it was crowded enough that I wasn't worried if Bob or SJ got loud.  They sat on the end of the long table with Gabriel and Cedar.  Bob and SJ ordered pizza.  I was surprised that SJ didn't order grilled cheese, but he does love pizza. 

After the food arrived, SJ didn't seem to like the pizza.  He left most of it on his plate, but finished off his fries and some of the adults' fries.  My mom had told the waitress that we were celebrating my sister's birthday.  When our dinner was done, the wait staff brought out a half dozen cookies and sang to her.  She seemed very pleased. 

When dinner was done, we went to my parents' house for cake.  My aunt from California had also made a 40th birthday video of pictures of her life and we all enjoyed watching it.  My sister seemed very surprised that she made one for her, but I thought she would have known it was coming.  (My aunt made a similar video for me last year.)

After the cake and video, we all went outside and watched the kids play.  Bob, Cedar and Gabriel were playing wiffle ball.  SJ occasionally joined them or went back in the house for some IPod time.  When it got dark out, my mom had my husband and brother-in-law assist the kids light paper lanterns to cap off the day.  They had some trouble, but six minutes later the lanterns were climbing into the dark night sky.

We stayed at my parents until after 10.  Bob wanted Cedar and Gabriel to have a sleepover, but I couldn't fit all of them in our vehicle.  Bob asked to stay at my parents' house.  That was fine with me.  SJ, my husband and I drove home. SJ was very talkative in the car.  Sometimes he likes being an only child for the night.  Who wouldn't like to get all of their parents' attention?

friends friday

We get together every few months with my husband's high school friends.  This past Friday, we hosted the get together.  We were excited to show off our mostly finished basement.  They started arriving a little after 7 p.m.  The first friend to arrive came with her 3 kids.  She has a boy, Smitty, who is a little older than Bob and two girls. 

The next friend arrived about 10 minutes later.  She brought her one daughter.  The last friend was going to be a little late since he got home from his work day later than the rest of the friends.  We had ordered the "Big One" pizza again from Fox's Pizza.  We knew how large it was going to be, but it was humorous to see our friends' reactions to it's size. 

The last couple arrived around 8 p.m.  They were even later than they had anticipated since their 16 year old daughter was driving.  (She just got her permit 2 weeks ago and I unfortunately gave them directions on a very windy route.  Oops!)  We all finished up our dinner and then had a nice evening of catching up.  The boys were playing video games with Smitty while the girls were watching a movie. 

Although we don't get to see these friends as often as we like, the kids all get along very well.  Smitty is very accepting of SJ.  He has a school friend on the spectrum, so SJ's little oddities seem to go unnoticed around Smitty. 

My birthday was coming up in a few days, so all of our friends sang to me.  It was very nice.  Everyone started leaving around 10:30.  It didn't seem late, but everyone was tired from working that day.  I always look forward to these get togethers, even if they don't happen often enough.

"pool arrest" = day of family fun

After speech on Thursday, we needed to find something to do.  Since SJ was on "pool arrest" due to his swimmer's ear, I was trying to entertain the boys on a beautiful day.  First, we went to the Circle Store (Target).  I had to return some items and the get a few new ones.  The boys had their wallets, so they were looking for items too.  Bob didn't have much in his wallet, so he opted to get nothing.  SJ still had a sizable amount of money for a 10 year old.  He bought a Lego DC Heroes set, which wiped out most of his funds.

After Target, we decided to stop for an early lunch.  I was going to take SJ to McDonalds after I got Bob his Subway sandwich.  Bob noticed that they had pizza at Subway, so SJ decided to try it.  I know he isn't supposed to have cheese, but he hadn't had it in a while.  I let the boys eat their lunch in the restaurant.  This was a big treat, since we usually just take our Subways to go.  SJ loved the pizza and they were having a great brother bonding time.

When the boys were finished, we drove to the bowling alley.  There were only 3 cars in the lot and it looked closed.  I called the number for the bowling alley and it wasn't going to open for another 30 minutes.  Should we stay in the car?  Should I just forget the bowling?  Then I remembered that there was a park only a couple of miles away. 

We drove to the park and the boys had a great time on the equipment.  A mom that was at the park said there were monkey bars a little farther down in the park.  The boys and I decided to try to find them.  We never found them, but we did check out the old US Air airplane that is parked in the park.  It was extremely hot that day and the boys were "sweating to death".  (Their words, not mine.)  I checked my phone and it was time for the bowling alley to be open.  We walked back to the car and drove back to the bowling alley.

I got the boys and my bowling shoes and the lady told us what alley to go to.  I had 5 free game passes, so I told the boys we could bowl 2 games each.  SJ did very well during the first game.  Bob not so much.  Bob started to get upset and blamed everything under the sun as to why he was bowling badly.  I told him it didn't matter what score he got.  I just wanted him to have fun.  I think it was bothering him that SJ was bowling so much better than him.  I told him he can't be great at every sport and this is the one sport that SJ excels at. 

I gave Bob the option of not bowling the second game, but he chose to bowl it.  He did much better the second game and SJ did about the same.  I, however, bowled horribly during the second game.  Oh well, no one was calling me from the bowling tour anyway.  Bob wanted to use some of his allowance money to play some arcade games at the bowling alley.  I told him not to waste too much money on it, but he didn't listen.  He spent about $8 on an impossible game.  He is convinced that he will beat it next time (I doubt it), but I wasn't going to squash his dream. 

We left the bowling alley and went home.  We arrived home around 3:00 p.m. after leaving the house at 9:00 a.m.  It was kind of nice to do something different than going to the pool, but I still wish poor SJ didn't have to suffer to make a day like this happen.

summer speech part 6

SJ had his weekly speech session on Thursday.  After his session was over, his therapist had her little update chat with me.  She said he was VERY talkative this week.  He told her all about our upcoming trip to the lake.  He also told her about how sad he was that he wasn't able to go to the pool this week. 

After he was done talking her ear off, they started to work.  She didn't continue with the swimming story.  Instead, she read him a non-fiction story about Kennywood.  (For those of you who don’t know what Kennywood is, it is our local amusement park.)  After she read him the key points, she had him begin to develop a visual diagram.  With Kennywood being the main idea (or center circle as SJ likes to call it), she had him list off broad details of the park. 

He listed rides, food and games.  When she sees him the next time, she is going to have him elaborate on each of the broad details.  This will expand his visual diagram.  Once they are done with the visual diagram, she is going to have him write a story using the visual aide. 

I thought this is a great way to teach SJ to be mindful of the main idea and details.  I am hoping he carries this strategy over to the new school year.

movie day instead of pool day

Since we are on "pool arrest" due to SJ's swimmer's ear, we decided to go see a movie yesterday.  Bob didn't want to go, but I insisted that he go.  We chose to see Madagascar 3.  We had two time choices.  We could see it at 12:05 or 2:20.  Since the boys were not moving too quickly yesterday morning, we opted to go to the 2:20 show.

Bob was still moping as we entered the theater.  "Why do I have to go to a "little kid" movie?" he asked me.  "I see a lot of little kid movies.  I think you will like it," I told him.  "Doubtful," he said.  I paid for our tickets and we walked over to the concession stand. 

I asked the boys what they would like.  "Nothing," said Bob.  SJ told me to get him his usual.  He wanted a lemonade and popcorn.  I ordered SJ's items and water and a pack of M & M's for Bob.  (I knew he would eventually want something.)  I was going to get SJ a medium popcorn, but the theater was having a special.  If you ordered three items, you got a small popcorn for free.  So, that was a nice surprise!

We entered the theater and got our seats.  Bob sat a few seats away from us (since he is so "big").  The movie started and SJ was already enjoyed the previews.  After the movie began, I kept looking at Bob with my peripheral vision.  About 30 minutes into the movie, I could see a slight smile creep up on Bob's face. 

After 10 or 15 more minutes, I actually heard Bob laughing.  SJ was laughing the whole time, but I wasn't surprised that Bob eventually started laughing.  I offered Bob his M & M's a few times throughout the movie, but he kept shaking his head no. 

Sixty minutes into the movie, he asked me for the candy.  (Well, I am either a mind reader or I just know my kids very well).  I gave them to him and we watched the remainder of the movie.  It was a very funny movie and we all enjoyed it.

As we were leaving the theater, I asked the boys how they liked it.  SJ's response was to start singing a song from the movie (a sure sign that he enjoyed it) and Bob told me there were a "few" funny moments.  "You are full of it, boy.  I saw you smiling and heard you laughing," I told him.  "I was barely laughing," he said.  I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. 

We drove home and I actually was a little relieved that we needed to find something to do on a non-pool day.  It forced us to break up our normal routine. Sometimes a change in routine is a good thing!

swimmer's ear = a very sad sj

SJ started complaining that his ear was hurting on Friday night.  He wasn't complaining constantly, but he was complaining.  We went to the pool on Saturday.  It wasn't until SJ was swimming for a couple of hours that he started to complain of his earache again. 

At 3:45, it started to thunder.  We left the pool and headed home.  As soon as we arrived home, the storm rolled through our neighborhood.  The boys were scheduled to attend a birthday party for one of our neighbors at 5:00.  I was concerned that the party would be cancelled due to the storm.  Fortunately, the storm was quick and the weather cleared up.

The boys and I headed to the birthday party a little after 5.  It was down at the river and the birthday boy had a jumpy house.  The party guests seemed to be enjoying the jumpy house, but SJ wasn't interested in jumping.  (This is out of character for him.)  Then, the mom told the kids to eat some pizza.  Again, SJ wasn't interested.  (This is definitely out of character for SJ.)  He did eat one slice and then sat on a swing.

I could see that SJ was really feeling miserable.  I told SJ and Bob that we would leave as soon as the birthday boy was done opening his presents.  As soon as we left, I told SJ that I would give him some medicine when we got home. 

He had a low grade fever, so I gave him a dose of Motrin.  He put on his pajamas and rested for the remainder of the evening.  The next day he was still moping around the house.  He complained about his ear hurting and he had very little appetite.

On Monday morning, I called the pediatrician to see if I could get him seen.  I was able to get him an appointment that morning.  I had a feeling he had an ear infection or swimmer's ear.  My suspicions were confirmed by the nurse practitioner. 

She told us that he had swimmer's ear.  "Oh no," said SJ.  Then, she gave us the really bad news.  "No swimming for 5 days," she told us.  Immediately, SJ began to cry.  A very quiet sobbing at first and then he built up to a much louder cry.  "Why me?" he asked.  I asked the nurse practitioner if we could put plugs in his ears and she said that was not an option.  She said he could go if he didn't submerge his head, but if you know SJ you know that would not be an option. 

She gave us the prescription and we went to get it filled.  As we were walking through the store, SJ was still crying.  He looked so sad.  You would think the nurse told him he was losing a limb by the way he was acting.  "I hate my life," he said.  I told him the five days would go fast and we would find things to do.  While we were waiting for the prescription to be filled, we did some shopping and tried to rent a video from the Redbox. 

SJ was very indecisive, so we didn't rent a video.  We picked up the prescription and went home.  I had SJ lay on the couch so that I could give him his ear drops.  He finally settled down and lay nicely on the couch for the mandatory 10 minutes. 

It has been three days and he is managing nicely.  Hopefully, the next two days will go as smoothly at least for SJ's sake.

summer speech part 5

Last Thursday, SJ had his weekly speech session.  They took a break from writing this week.  His therapist focused on Inferences and Social Language.  She also told me that she was going to be targeting the following two goals for the next few sessions.

1.      SJ will make inferences about increasingly complex situations with minimal visual cues.

2.      SJ will establish a topic relevant to the current situation and context, and will initiate conversation related to such topics, at least one time during a 30-minute session.

She began with the inferences.  She read him a sentence and told him to try to picture what is happening in his mind.  Then she had him answer the questions.  Out of the 9 scenarios, he was able to appropriately answer 6 of them.  Not too bad!  This is an example of a scenario and SJ's response.

· The lamp was working just a minute ago.  Now the light won't come on.  What might have happened?  Acceptable answers were light bulb burned out, lamp got unplugged or it's broken.

SJ answered the question by saying that "you need a new light bulb or battery".  Bravo!  What an appropriate response, SJ!  

Another scenario that SJ wasn't successful with is the next example.

· Sam worked very hard on his homework.  Now he's upset with his little sister.  What might have happened?  Acceptable answers were that sister drew on his homework, sister tore his homework or sister ruined homework.  

SJ didn't answer the question correctly.  In fact, he gave his famous "I don't know" response.  This is typical for him.  If he doesn't know the answer immediately, he doesn't take the time to think about it.  He simply blurts out "I don't know".  This is something that we have been working on for a long time!

The therapist then moved on to predictions.  She read him a sentence and told him to try to picture what is happening in his mind.  Then she had him answer the question.  Out of the 7 scenarios, he was only able to appropriately answer 3 of them.  This is a definitely more difficult for SJ.  This is an example of a scenario that SJ could answer correctly.

· Marguerite is locked out of her apartment.  What might happen next?  Acceptable answers were she will ask the landlord to let her in; she will stay at her neighbor's apartment until someone else gets home or she will call someone to come and let her in. 

SJ answered that "she can call someone who has a set of her keys".  Good response SJ! 

Another scenario that SJ wasn't successful with is the next example.

· Dan is riding his bike.  He hits a big bump in the sidewalk.  What might happen next?  Acceptable answers were that he will fall off his bike; his bike will wobble, but he won't fall; he will get hurt.

SJ answered initially that "I don't know", but then said maybe there was an earthquake.  What?  Nowhere close to SJ being correct there.  More practice in predicting is what I am predicting for SJ's future!

Last, his therapist moved on to social language exercises.  She gave him situations and he had to tell her how he would start a conversation with someone.  He did fairly well with this exercise.  They did 6 situations and SJ answered all 6 appropriately.  Way to go, SJ! 

Here is an example of one of the situations. 

· Your best friend comes home from a long trip.  SJ said, "How was your trip?"

That was a great conversation starter.  We will finish all the remaining inference and social conversation situations for homework.  I am hoping with a little more practice that SJ will get as good at the inferences and predicting as he is at the conversation starters.

independence day and a little independence

Last Wednesday was the Fourth of July.  We were having some friends over for dinner, but they were not arriving until after 4 o'clock.  I was busy cleaning and getting some patriotic treats made when I received a text from our friends.  They were all heading down to their boats for some river fun.  They invited all of us to go, but I still had a million things to do. 

My husband took the boys down to the river to meet our friends.  They took turns riding in the tubes and swimming in the river.  They had a great time!  My husband and the boys returned home shortly after 4 o’clock.  I had the house ready and most of the food prepared.  The boys were chattering away with stories of merriment that they had on the boats. 

Our friends started arriving at our house after 5 o'clock.  We did some visiting and ate dinner.  After dinner, the kids started playing.  The boys were playing "war games" in the back yard while the girls were busying themselves playing with puppets or practicing gymnastics in the yard.  The kids play so nicely with each other.  These kids are so accepting of SJ.  They never look at him as their "autistic" friend.  He is just their friend and that is why I love this group of kids. 

When the sun went down, the kids were itching to start with the fireworks.  The dads told the kids that they could set off smoke bombs, grounders and bottle rockets.  The moms and I were a little nervous about the kids lighting the fuses.  "Relax, ladies," my husband said.  "They aren't babies," he added.  Okay, they are 10 and 11, but I was still nervous.  There was a dad supervising, but I still had a hard time letting them light them. 

Fortunately, no one got injured and the kids had a great time.  When it got much darker out, the dads took over and set off some of the bigger fireworks that we had.  As the dads were setting ours off, our neighbor, Mr. Parker, was setting off his too.  The rest of our guests sat on our deck and we enjoyed the show. 

When the fireworks were over, the kids returned to the house.  The boys went into the basement to play video games, but the girls wanted to watch a movie.  To keep arguments at bay, I set the girls up with their movie in the playroom.  Everyone was happy! 

The adults stayed on the deck for the remainder of the evening.  I am glad that we let the kids have this independence.  I am sure that the boys will also remember the first time they were allowed to light fireworks on their own.  What a great night with a wonderful group of friends!

saturday bonding with an aunt and uncle

Last Saturday, we were supposed to go over to the newlyweds' house to visit with my husband's relatives and eat some of the extra food.  The boys were still exhausted and my husband wanted to give the newlyweds some privacy on their first day as a married couple. 

We called my brother-in-law to see if they would prefer to come to our house instead of us going over there.  He said that sounded good and we told him to bring my husband's sister too.  Since we weren't going to the newlywed's house, we needed to work out a plan for lunch.  It was still way too hot to cook and no one was in the mood for hot dogs and burgers. 

I decided to bend the "no cheese" rule and order a pizza from our local pizza place, Fox's Pizza.  I looked in my coupon folder to see what pizza coupons I had.  The only one we had was for a pizza called the Big One.  I ordered the pizza and the girl asked when I needed it.  "As soon as it is ready," I replied.  "Okay, 30 to 45 minutes," she said.

I told the boys that we were having lunch soon and we would share any leftovers with my husband's brother and sister when they arrived later.

The door bell rang 40 minutes later.  Oh my goodness!!!  There was the pizza delivery man with the biggest pizza box that I had ever seen in my life.  It was so large that it could hardly fit through the front door.  "When is your party?" he asked.  "We aren't having a party.  We were just hungry," I told him.  I paid him and thanked him.  He told me it was heavy and then handed me the box.  It was really heavy!

I called my husband to help me.  "Hon, it is really heavy.  Can you help me?"  I asked him.  He called from the livingroom.  "How can you need help with a pizza?"  he asked.  Eventhough he didn't think I needed help, he begrudgingly came into our entrance hall.  His eyes got big as he saw the pizza.  "Oh, that is a big pizza," he said.  He then carried it into our kitchen and it took up half of our island.

  We then called the boys downstairs to eat.  "What the heck?  That is the biggest pizza ever.  Look at that box," said SJ.  Then Bob made his way into the kitchen and we got the same reaction.  It was like a scene from Uncle Buck when he surprised the kids with the gigantic pancakes. 

The pizza had 52 slices and it was delicious.  There was still so much left after our family of four finished lunch.  We moved the pizza to the dining room table and waited for my in laws to arrive.

As soon as they got to our house, we showed them the pizza.  My sister-in-law started laughing and made the same observation that I had.  She then took a picture of the pizza and sent it to the newlyweds. 

We then enjoyed the evening visiting with my husband's siblings (his other sister couldn't make it).  We watched some movies and then they spent the night.  I really enjoyed that the boys got to spend this time with their aunt and uncle. 

After lunch on Sunday (yes more pizza!), my brother-in-law drove home to New Jersey.  Since it was still so hot, we decided to go to the pool and my sister-in-law joined us.  We had a relaxing few hours at the pool and then she drove back to her house.  What a nice weekend!  The boys got to spend quality time with their aunt and uncle and we got a great story out of that pizza.

suits, heat and I do's

Last Friday was the wedding day.  We ate a late lunch (I was assuming the boys would not be loving the wedding food) and then we left for the wedding at 1:45.  We knew there wouldn't be as much traffic, but we didn't want to be late. No worries.  We made it in plenty of time.  

As soon as we arrived, we found the groom and started getting the boys into their suits.  What an ordeal!  The boys have never been in dress clothes before, so it was a totally new experience.  The pants were hard enough, but when you add in the dress shirts, the ties, the suspenders, the cufflinks and the vests it was a lot!  It took my husband and me over 20 minutes to get them all suited up. 

They looked so handsome!  They didn't look like little boys.  The suits made them look so grown up!  After they were dressed, I pinned on their boutonnieres.  They were daisies (the wedding flower).  Bob's was fuchsia (like all the groomsmen) and SJ's was tangerine (the same as the groom).  "I don't want to wear a flower," whined SJ.  "I know, I know.  But all the boys are wearing them, so you need to wear yours," I told him. 

We then took the boys outside to join the rest of the groomsmen.  It was so hot out!!!  It was somewhere in the mid 90's.  The boy’s suits were black, so they were absorbing the sun like crazy.  "How much longer?" said the boys.  "A little while," I replied.  I really felt for them.  I was super hot and I was in a dress.

The ceremony started shortly after they were outside.  I gave the boys a courageous thumbs up and reminded them that they could change as soon as the photos were done.  The boys did a great job during the ceremony.  Bob walked the jr. bridesmaid down the aisle.  SJ was to walk the flower girl down after them.  The flower girl refused to walk down the aisle.  SJ sulked down the aisle.  He was upset that he couldn't get her to walk with him.  When he made it to the front, I gave him another thumbs up and mouthed to him to smile.  He gave me the biggest smile and I snapped one of my favorite shots of the night. 

The ceremony was beautiful and fortunately a quick 27 minutes.  The boys followed the bride and groom down the aisle.  The bridal party didn't have a receiving line, since they were going right into pictures.  Bob and SJ were a little restless while the bride took family pictures and pictures with her bridesmaids.  We kept assuring them it would be "just a few more minutes".  Well, those few minutes lasted a little over 60. 

When the pictures were finished, the bridal party was to be announced.  "Why do they have to say our names?" said the boys.  "It is the last thing you have to do," I told them.  They made it into the reception tent and then I had them go to the cottage house to change while the bride and groom were dancing their first dance as man and wife.  They were able to get out of their suits in record time. 

I told the boys how proud I was of them for doing such a great job during the wedding.  Considering the heat and the suits, they did a great job.  We had promised them a treat if they made it through without too many complaints or meltdowns (that is a SJ objective).  They had both earned that treat. 

When we returned to the reception, the behavior took a turn for the worse.  The DJ was loud (a sensory problem for SJ), the food was not kid friendly and they aren't kids who enjoy dancing.  I was told there were going to be outside games, such as corn hole.  Unfortunately, those things were not there.  So, the boys tried to entertain themselves by playing their IPods.  They couldn't get Wi-Fi in the tent, so they kept going to the rehearsal dinner room for reception.  That was okay for while, but we wanted them to join the wedding guests. 

We had to keep getting them out of that building and trying to get them to be social.  Needless to say, what should have been a fun night for my husband and I was just another night of work for us.  See why I don't like to take kids to weddings.  Now can you blame me?

rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal

SJ had a big day last Thursday.  Not only did he have his speech session, he also had to attend our nephew's wedding rehearsal.  Both boys were asked to be in the wedding.  Bob was a Jr. Groomsman and SJ was the Ring Bearer.

Neither boy had ever been in a wedding or attended a wedding.  I am not one for kids at weddings.  I think it is more of an adult event, so I have never taken the boys to one (even when they were invited).  However, my husband's nephew wanted the boys to be a part of his special day, so I made an exception.

We tried to explain to the kids what happens at a wedding and a rehearsal dinner.  We told them the minister (or priest...I wasn't really sure) would have them go through the wedding ceremony so that everyone would know what to do.

We told them it probably would not take too long.  I approximated that the practice would be 30 minutes.  (I was WAY wrong.  The minister took about 2 HOURS!!!!)  We also told them that we would be served dinner as soon as the rehearsal was over.

My sister-in-law told me she was serving pulled pork and stuffed shells.  I know that the boys don't like either of those dishes, so we stopped on the way to the rehearsal to get them food.  Bob opted for Subway and SJ wanted McDonald's.

My husband had never been to the rehearsal site before.  I had been there for the bride's shower, but I wasn't 100% sure which way we should go.  We turned on my GPS and it was going crazy.  It was telling us to go in a direction that definitely didn't seem right.  My confusion in addition to the GPS craziness was agitating my husband.  (We were running a little late...nothing new!)

We finally got on the right path and made it to the rehearsal site only a few minutes late.  My husband reminded them to be on their best behavior or they would be losing screens (IPods, IPad, computer and video games). 

It was a very hot and as I previously mentioned very long rehearsal.  The boys did extremely well.  They were very patient and listened intently to the minister.  After the rehearsal was over, the bride and the groom passed out the bridal party gifts.  The boys received engraved dog tags with their names, titles and the wedding date.  It was a great gift!  We loved them!

We ate our dinner and then headed home.  We needed to be back at the wedding site the next day by 3:00.  The groom was going to be bringing their suits, so we needed to be there early to get all of their fancy duds on. 

As we were making our long drive home (over an hour), we told the boys how proud we were that they behaved nicely.  We also told them that we expected the same great behavior at the wedding.  Stay tuned to find out if they were able to hold it together!

summer speech part 4

Last Thursday, SJ had his weekly speech session.  His therapist continued working on SJ's writing.  They focused on topic maintenance, main idea, feelings (likes/dislikes) and putting thoughts together in an organized format.  She had SJ continue to add to the story that they had began last week.  As a recap, the story was about the pool.  He wrote about diving.

This session, she had him list things about the playground and the slide.  SJ listed a few key points about the playground. 

· He told her that it was more for "little" kids.

· There is a Four Square grid (a very fun game played with a kickball).

· You have to wait in line for Four Square.

· It is a place to go when it's adult swim.

He also expressed what he felt about the playground.

· He doesn't like Four Square.

· There are too many kids.

· He doesn't like the park.

She soon realized that SJ was not a fan of the playground and she wanted him to write about something that he liked.  She asked him if the pool had a slide.  SJ listed a few key points about the slide.

· It took like a 2 from the front.

· It looks like a 3 from the back.

· Some people go down fast.  Some people go slow.

· You wait in a line.

· The slide is blue.

· It has a lot of turns.

· It is fast.

He then expressed what he felt about the slide.

· It is fun

· I get excited.

· It makes me happy.

This is what SJ added to his story.

     I like to go down the slide at the pool.  The slide is big.  It looks like a 2 from the front and a 3 from the back.  When I go on the slide, I have to wait in line.  When I get to the top, it's my turn.  I like to go down the slide fast!  Some people go down fast and some people go slow.  The slide is exciting!

     My favorite things to do at the pool are diving and going down the slide.  Going to the pool makes me happy.

SJ did a very nice job adding appropriate points to his story about the pool.  Although he didn't include anything about the playground, I am glad he was able to still talk about a non-preferred topic with his therapist.