Fast Forward

It's been nearly 9 years since my last post. Wow, have things changed!

I'm not sure why I stopped posting to my blog. It was most likely a number of reasons. It wasn't until I received an email letting me know a new comment was left that I even remembered I had one! I sat  here reading most of the posts I had written and I was taken back to those dark days.

Wes was three and off to Preschool. Casey was a toddler and my days were filled with so much stress and anxiety. There was still so much of the unknowns and the what-ifs. What if he didn't progress much farther than he already was? What if he couldn't handle school and the extra expectations that came with it? What if he had to live with us the rest of his life?

All that is gone. There is still stress and some anxiety. I won't lie about that. It's been replaced with new anxieties as my sons move up the ladder of life, explore new opportunities, and begin their social circles. Wesley is now 13 and Casey is 11. Both in middle school. MIDDLE SCHOOL?? How did that even happen?

With hard work, determination, and a can do attitude, that's how! Wesley flourished in school. He had an amazing team at his back the whole way. He reached higher than we ever imagined. He participated in so many school activities, including theater! We all worked hard to push him forward and get him to where he is today.

Casey is more amazing than we thought possible. He loves theater, and has entered into the world of sports and girls. Insert wide eye emoji here! He is his brothers biggest supporter and friend. I look back on a post where I questioned whether this would even be possible, and I scoff at my former self. How could I even think that Casey would ever give up on him? It's remarked to Tim and I constantly how wonderful Casey is and how he talks about his brother with such admiration and love. He helps Wesley any and every chance his is needed. I am just so lucky to have the boys that I have.

The boys will be completing their first season of wrestling for the middle school. That's right, my son is a wrestler! Not only that, but he's also a cross country runner and a track and field wonder! He has taken on sports with such gusto and we love that he's included in these activities. Not only that, but he's good! I mean freaking good! Who knew??

As for me, I've changed so much over these 9 years. I started volunteering in the boys classrooms, moved on to substitute teaching and now I'm a para educator in the same preschool my boys attended. The very same one that gave my son the shove forward on his road to greatness! 

I think I'm going to keep up with this blog again, even if no one reads it. I want to keep track of my boys accomplishments because they need to be treasured and it seems these days, writing them down is the only way I remember!

Hello Floor. Meet Nose.

Life with boys is interesting at best and frustrating at worst. Boys are rough, tough, and very active. I'm finding it not easy to relate to their little world. The bright spot is, having a little brother when you have autism is a blessing. Casey will not give up on his older brother when it comes to playing. He adapts to Wes' playing habits and that's not always a good thing.

It was a busy morning Saturday. We were planning on trying to get rid of some old stuff in a yard sale. That didn't go so well. While we were cleaning up, Casey was trying to get in his brothers face and Wes was not happy. He shoved Casey hard and Casey's poor little face met the hardwood floor hard. He immediately started screaming which was a good sign. I scooped him up and noticed his little nose was already showing signs of swelling and broken blood vessels. It was slightly bleeding, but not gushing. Off to Urgent Care we go!

We had no time to prep Wes for what was happening so I should have known what was ahead of us. He was MAD! He threw a huge meltdown outside while Tim was trying to get him out of the car. Meanwhile, I was running in with Casey who seemed too calm for someone who smashed his nose on the floor.

Two and a half hours later and about 4 meltdowns, no broken nose. Just very badly bruised. My poor little man. Do you think that he learned his lesson? Nope. While in the waiting room, he started on his brother, nearly hitting his face again.

When parent's have boys, you should be able to keep a running tab at the Emergency room.

It's been too long

Wow, I've certainly neglected this blog. It wasn't my intention, but you know how life can be. You get so caught up that you forget the little things.

Life has been eventful in the last couple months, I'm not sure where to start..

The milk free diet has been going well. It's still in the infancy stage in terms of finding foods that not only he will eat, but that are dairy free too. Sometimes, when planning meals for the week, we forget to check our normal menus to make sure they are dairy free or can be prepared dairy free. We have not found a milk substitute that he will drink at meals. He will not drink soy, almond, or rice milk, that's any flavor. He will drink his EO-28 Splash so that is helping him with calcium and vitamin D. Wes has had a follow up with the gastro this past week and he was surprised and very pleased that the diet has worked so well with his constipation. We are pleased as well.

Wes' behavior has not gotten any better in the last few months either. It's progressively gotten worse. He can no longer tolerate any changes, even those he's been prepared for. Transitions are, once again, very difficult for him. We've gone back to PECS all the time as well as reinforcers to help him get over the rough times. The school consultant also recommended buying the handheld version of the V-Smile that he can work towards when we're out and about and he's having a hard time. So far, it's working, but we still have issues.

Casey has been following in his older brothers footsteps. His behavior has been pretty bad lately too. I know he's just trying to get attention because we've been so focused on Wes' behavior and correcting that. I set aside some time during the week for just he and I to do special things. We go to the library to read books, visit a park we don't normally go to, and have special treats. He will be starting preschool in the fall as well, so that should help a lot. He really loves to play with other kids and we don't go on playdates because they are just too difficult.

Wes will be starting his summer program next week and I've included a playgroup two days a week for him. It's a social skills playgroup. They are ABA trained and will include mainstreamed kids. He's on the cusp of wanting to join in with other kids. He just needs to learn the skills to get him over that first hurdle.

For the moment, that's all.

Sweet relief

I don't know why, but I am still amazed that this is working. Maybe it's because I didn't want to think it would work. I thought the effort would be more then the pay off, but I was wrong. I can just see the relief on Wes' face when he goes. Some days he's going twice! No more stomach distention, no more struggling, and no more constipation! He did have one issue where I found a small streak of blood in his diaper. He had gone earlier that day without a problem. He seemed fine, but was a bit read. While at the playground, he kept grabbing at his rear end like he had a wedgie. I adjusted his pull-up (yes, we're back to those) and sent him off to play again. After 5 more minutes, he came over to me and said "I hurt". He's never said those words to me but I wanted to take him serious. I packed the kids back up and we headed home so I could change Wes. That's when I discovered the blood. I immediately called the pediatrician and the nurse told me to keep an eye out and if it happened again, to bring him in. I know he has to have some irritation left over from the constipation. It could be small hemorrhoids or some left over tears from all the struggling. I just hope my baby is okay.

I've purchased two books and borrowed two from our lending library on potty training. I am determined to have this boy potty trained by the end of summer. My goal, as huge as it sounds, is to have both boys trained by the end of summer. Lord, give me strength.

Things are looking good

I know it's still too early to tell, but things are looking real good. So far, even after the last slip up, he has consistently gone once a day. He did not go on Tuesday because he went late Monday night when he was in bed. Like clockwork, he went the next day. His eliminations still seem to be a bit too hard, but I'm not sure. They could be normal for him. All I know is that he's going and he doesn't seem to be having any gas issues or distention in his belly.
Not sure if this is a coincidence, but his speech has improved slightly. His behavior, however, has not. He hit me the other day and I looked him right in the eye and told him that I would not tolerate hitting and he is to keep his hands to himself. I then turned my back on him. Within 20 seconds he said "I'm sorry. Give me a hug big guy!". I was floored. I gave him a big hug, told him that I loved him and gave him a big kiss. Just today, Casey asked to watch something on t.v. so I turned it on for him. Wesley came up to me and said "I don't want to watch this." Again, floored! He's even seeking me out to ask to go upstairs and play in his room. Like I said, not sure if it's a coincidence or maybe it's something more.
It's still a struggle to find things for him to eat. He's more willing to take bites of foods if there is a reward offered. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but if it gets him to eat a more variety of foods, then I guess it's what we have to do...for now..

Works in progress

It's been an interesting couple of days. Of course, Easter was here so it didn't leave me a whole lot of time to blog. I did keep track of what's been going on with Wes though.

On Saturday, he eliminated twice. Each time was pretty mushy and had a strong odor. On Sunday, he eliminated twice again and this time it was more formed, but still soft. He had had no milk since Thursday. During the chaos of Easter, pizza was ordered. We've given Wes pizza and scraped off the cheese, sauce and any toppings. He seems to be fine as long as there is no dairy in the pizza. Well the pizza that was ordered yesterday contained milk ( I didn't look it up and he was so hungry). So far, he's eliminated and it looked similar to yesterday except maybe slightly more formed. Easily passable though. We'll have to wait and see what the pizza does to him.

His behavior is still very defiant. I talked with the autism teacher on Friday and she seems to think that he's going through the two year old stage that he never went through. He's more aware of choices and his likes and dislikes. It's a good thing, but I still want him to understand that his behavior is not okay and that he needs to use his words to make his choices known instead of tantrums.

In the meantime, we're hanging in there and waiting for vacation next week.

Accidents Happen

Wes is in the middle of a constipation cycle. He was given goldfish crackers on Monday and accidentally given cheese on Tuesday. He still isn't eating well on the new foods. I did get him to take a whole EO-28 Splash yesterday so that's good. I took a trip to a natural market in another city and found some cereal bars that are very similar to Nutri-Grain bars that he loved. These are much healthier though. I also found some vegan fake cheddar cheese crackers that I'm hoping to substitute for the goldfish that he's addicted to.

I've been giving him Miralax to help move him along, but we're on day 4 now. I'm dreading when he finally does go because I know it's going to be painful to pass. Yesterday, he was having some gassy cramping. I could tell because his face would scrunch up and then he'd run, hide and sit in the catchers stance until it passed. I feel so bad for him. I wish I could figure this out.

So today, we start fresh. Absolutely no dairy and hopefully that will work. I'm considering starting him on Super Nu-Thera from Kirkman's labs but worried about him getting too much. Maybe we should stop the EO-28 Splash because that's actually a meal substitute. Any advice on that front would be helpful.

Yesterday, Wes had a follow up appointment with the Genetics counselor and he noticed these pimple like things on his chest and his neck. He thought they were something called Molluscum Contagiosum. So off to the pediatrician to double check and sure enough, that's what he has. What else can this child possibly go through! If you've never heard of it, I highly suggest you read it because it could happen to your child.

The ups and downs

It's been 3 full days of no dairy for Wesley. He's on day two of no bowel movement so I think I might give him some Miralax. Not sure what's going on.

We had his IEP review and his Summer Program meeting yesterday. We talked a lot about his behavior lately. He has become very stubborn and stuck. He doesn't want to do what he's told at school and at home. He fights us on nearly everything. I'm not sure what's causing this. Could it be the milk, or maybe it's watching Casey's behavior. Casey is certainly in the terrible twos with gusto. Wes has been watching this behavior and even imitating some things Casey is doing. They have been bickering like brothers do but moreso lately. Wes has even gotten very physical with Casey. I'm not concerned because Casey can certainly hold his own. He doesn't hurt Casey, but makes it known that he's getting on his nerves.

We'll keep on keepin on.

Advancements in Technology

Microsoft funds mobile-phone software for autistic children

By Todd Bishop on April 2, 2009 at 1:43 PDT
http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/42348212.html

With financial and technical support from Microsoft, university researchers are developing software for mobile phones that uses pictures to help autistic children communicate. The software, available for download under an open-source license, lets kids form visual sentences by touching the phone's screen to select pictures and move them around.

The program is being developed by Gondy Leroy of Claremont Graduate University and Gianluca De Leo of Old Dominion University , with funding from Microsoft's External Research Group. It takes advantage of the established Picture Exchange Communication System, which is more commonly used with laminated paper cards.

Microsoft is publicizing the application in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day. But people with iPhones or BlackBerries are out of luck, for now: The application works only on Windows Mobile devices.

Anything's possible

Check out this story in Yahoo News tonight. I am impressed. Another extraordinary kid (and amazing parents) that gives me hope.

Enjoy.

The start of something new

We have started the dairy free diet slowly. I've started eliminating most of the milk products he eats like milk, goldfish crackers (which he lives on) and cheeses. My trip to Trader Joes was helpful, but I felt more confused then before. What I needed was to figure out what exactly Wesley eats daily and then try to find alternatives (whether it be pre-made or homemade) and start with those. I did find some items that will be replacing what he eats now. I also found an alternative to the goldfish crackers for school. They aren't crackers, but they are cookies made without milk. Those should do and he likes them. All I need now is to find or make a bread that has no milk.

Now on to the behavior. I'm not sure what is going on with him. We really are only 2-3 days into decreasing his intake of milk (not 100%) and his behavior has taken a turn for the worse. It's been almost 2 year since he's had a tantrum like he's had the last two days. Screaming, carrying on, going limp, refusing to do what we ask. Our usual ways around this aren't working either. Could he really be going through with drawls on the milk products we've taken away so far? These tantrums have taking us by surprise because we haven't had to deal with them in so long. He's usually pretty easy going when we lay out what we're going to do ahead of time.

He's also starting to use scripted phrases (echolalia) much more then he used to. He repeats the same phrase over and over again. More today then yesterday. Maybe it's his way of coping from the tantrum he just had or maybe something more.

Yesterday, he had a huge bowel movement that exploded out of his diaper. This hasn't happened in a long time either. It had a very foul smell and was very loose. It took many wipes to clean up, but I'm sure he felt better. He hadn't gone again since Wednesday afternoon and that was very large and well formed. Again, not sure what to make of it, but something I'll be watching.

I'll be documenting his progress daily on here. Some might not be pleasant to read (like his bowel movements) but I need to keep track and what better place then here so I can get some feedback from other parents!

Got milk? Nope

Wes had another follow-up with his gastroenterologist on Tuesday to discuss any changes since he put him on L-Carnitine for his constipation. At first, it was working okay. He seemed to be more regular and having an easier time going. The the smell of fish began to overpower him. I started calling him Tuna because everything about him smelled of fish. Come to find out, the dose needed to be lowered. He would go just fine for about 4 days or so, and then have 4 days of constipation followed by a movement that was just too big for his tiny body.

After talking with the doctor, it was time to try a milk free diet. He tested negative for the milk allergy but we all know that those aren't acurate. He only drinks one cup of milk a day and not much else dairy wise except those damn Goldfish Crackers! The boy can live off of these. The school uses them as reinforcers when needed and of course, he asks for them for snack. That's going to be the hardest thing to break. The other is the Pediasure. It's a gluten free food, but not a milk free food. It is lactose free. So what do we do now with the nutrician he isn't getting from food. Problem solved apparently. We're going to try switching him to EO 28 Splash. It is milk free and gluten free. The problem is, it's sort of like a juice and Wes doesn't do juice. It is milky looking, but has no milk in it. It doesn't smell that great, but the doctor insists it tastes better then it smells. I'll take his word for it. So far, he isn't liking it too much, but time will tell.

My friend and I are taking a fieldtrip to Trader Joes this weekend to do some shopping. I'm not sure which alternate milk I'm going to try. Either Rice, Almond, or Hemp milk. It will definately need to be a good flavor like chocolate or vanilla for him to take to it. Hopefully, I can find an equivilant goldfish cracker that he'll take to as well. If the milk free diet works, then we try the gluten free too.

Let's hope this works for the little guy. I hate to see him in discomfort when he hasn't gone for days.

Just don't get it

It's been awhile since I've blogged. It's been awhile since I've checked others blogs too. Nothing too major has occured and frankly, I haven't been in the blogging mood. I have to be in the mood to write.

We received another update from the Autism Consultant for the school district. He sent us the update to our email and his first line was "Your son is a superstar!". Wow. That is so great to hear from someone who is an expert and has been around the block with these kiddos. I mean, I can tell how hard Wesley works and through that hard work he's succeeding more then we imagined. There was one section that's always the issue. His social/play skills. He's gone from tantruming when made to do some play skills to doing them and quickly to get it over with. He's just not into it.

I went through this phase of play with him. At first I didn't think I could reach him, then I didn't think I was doing it right, then I came to the realization that he might not ever 'get' traditional play. Oddly enough, I'm okay with that.

I was discussing the report with his para and she said the same thing I had been thinking. He may never get it. He might just be one of those kids who prefers to bury his face in a computer and be on the math league. Now that scares me, but not for the reasons you think. I am so proud of him for everything that he does. I will be proud of him no matter what, but when I think of computers and math, I think of him being picked on more. Couple that with the autism and does this child of mine stand a chance? Will the kids that are in high school with him be more tolerant of kids like him? Will they be just a mean and hateful as the kids I remember going to school with. I don't know if my heart can take the torment that might be in store for him. My heart says to start homeschooling, but my head says that might be the worst thing because he needs the chance to social with his peers. What's a mom to do?

A local father who occationally writes for our local paper made a documentary about his wonderful young son who has Cerebral Palsy. The documentary is about inclusion in our schools. The movie also documents the stories of other children and adults who have various disabilities. During the movie, they interviewed some high school students and they seem to be accepting of this student, but is that the truth? When the camera is off and the stakes of popularity are high, are they still that acceptive?

Wes is only 4. He still has a long way until he's in high school and until we find out just who he will become and what he will face. There's much more work to be done not only for people with disabilities, but for people without.

A taste of success

Today was crack down day. I have Wes multiple weeks of no pressure, no asking, and no comments on using the toilet and not wearing diapers anymore. He was still having overflow accidents and I had had my limit of washing bedding and loads of laundry. I was putting my foot down and today was the day.

Starting first thing in the morning, I got Wes out of bed and brought him to the toilet. I sat him down, told him to go to the bathroom and left the room. He sat (not happily), but nothing happened. I decided I was going to take him every half hour if he didn't go, and one hour if he did go with success. I wasn't going to ask him or mention that he was going to the bathroom. I just took his hand and up the stairs we went. The second time went like the first. Nothing, but that was okay. I didn't say anything to him as I pulled his pull-up back and pants back on. On the third time, I left him a little bit longer in the bathroom and then I heard "I am finished." I went in to check on him and I smelled the distinct odor one leaves behind from their behind. There was no way he did what I was thinking. I figured he had some really strong gas. He has his little stick legs glued at the knees so I pried them open and found a small puddle of urine in his lap. I started clapping and whooping it up. Tim brought him a cookie to eat once he was cleaned up. I had him get up from the potty and there in the bottom of the bowl was success number 2 (no pun intended). I still can't believe he did that. I made an even bigger deal and he got another cookie for his triumph.
The rest of the day went without any surprises and off to school he went. Nothing there either, but his para told me she gave him extra water at school so she was sure he had to go. We immediately came home and back up the stairs for another successful elimination. Holy cow! Unfortunately, I got distracted by dinner and Tim needing to leave (he had the day off) so I missed the next round and he went in his pull up and all over the floor.
I really feel like we lost the momentum for the day with that accident but hopefully, we can recover tomorrow and he'll be on his way to being a big boy in underwear.

Model Magic

Another great report came home from school about how well Wes has been doing in school and how well he's been progressing with his program. He's been doing a sight word program at school and loves to read. Santa brought him some flash cards with common items and we've been working on those at home too. He loves for me to read him a book and then reads it back to me. That's my favorite part of our day. The reason for the sight word program is to help with his articulation and to help him increase his the length of his speaking. I've noticed a big difference in his word utterance since he started this program. He still does a lot of echolalia of t.v. programs he's watched, but he's remembering to ask the correct way for things he wants rather then using what he hears on t.v.

Play skills are still an uphill battle for Wes. School has taught him some play activities and tries to include him in as much play with one student as possible, but he still shows no interest. School (and I) have decided to try video modeling. I'm really excited to give this a try because Wes has been copying many things Casey has been doing. From pretend sleeping, to making funny noises alongside Casey. He's really starting to notice his brother and the little things he's doing. Instead of purchasing the videos, I found them at our government resource lending library. We can borrow the DVD's for two weeks and I'm starting with Play. The library has Watch Me Learn. I checked out Teach To Talk, but since it's endorsed and created by Jenny McCarthy, I'm glad to try Watch Me Learn. If the video's prove to be useful, I'll purchase them and then pass them onto the school. The school will be making their own videos using older students which I think is great. These students will open up to others who are different and will feel good about themselves for helping others.

I'll be sure to update after the two weeks.

What's in a name

When I was thinking of a name for my baby, I had always imagined using the name Wesley. It was the name of a character in my favorite movie (Princess Bride) although the characters name was Westley, it wasn't that hard to spell, and it's not a name you hear often. Easy to spell was a big selling point for me. Never did I imagine why that would be so important.

Wes' teachers and I have been working hard on getting him to write his own name this year. His OT wrote a letter of recommendation for his IEP meeting on implements that should be used when he writes. The use of a pencil weight, a finger grip and actually a sweat band were recommended. I'm ordering the pencil weights and the finger grips because school has been dragging their feet and Wes shouldn't have to wait and suffer before they get a move on. Anyway, he's been tracing the letters that are written for him and school as well as his OT have been using Handwriting without Tears to help Wes learn to write his letters. Deep down, I don't think it was that he didn't know how, it was that he couldn't. That's where the implements came into play. His sensory issues were so deep that he needed as much input to his hands (the weights and the arm band) to help him focus on the writing rather then his hands.

I'm proud to say that he came home from school with a paper that had his name scrawled across it in that little preschooler way. The letters were so large, he needed two lines to complete his name. The look on his face when I asked him if he wrote his name was enough for me to know that he was so proud of himself, as was I. He still has some trouble with the S and the Y but by the end of the school year, he'll be a pro at it. Now, whenever we do projects at home, I make him sign his name. Practice makes perfect!

New thing to worry about

I need help from parents out there. I'm really concerned over Wes' new "trick". I apologize if this is too graphic, but I'm at a loss.

Wes has been holding in his urine lately and for long periods of time. Yesterday, he woke up completely dry in his diaper. The last time he urinated was the night before bed. His diaper was wet, but not full. Anyway, he woke up dry and didn't urinate until nearly 12:30 in the afternoon. When he did go, it was so much that at least a cup of urine did not absorb into the diaper. It was completely full from front to back. He had at least three cups of liquid (milk and water) and still didn't go until after noon.

I'm really worried about what this holding in is doing to his bladder and kidneys. I've got a call into his pediatrician to discuss this issue and possibly take him to another specialist to see what's going on and if there is any damage already. I don't know if it's behavioral or not. We're still trying the toilet training but with him holding it for hours, it's not really going anywhere.

Has anyone else experienced this? What was your course of action? I'm really lost here.

That's using your noggin

It's official. Casey will be in a toddler bed as of tonight. After putting him in his crib and making sure the side rail was up, he tried to escape with some painful consequences. I was in the kitchen getting Wes' boots, coat, and backpack for school when I heard Ba-Boom! and felt the house shake. I took off upstairs, pushing poor Wes out of the way, and found Casey laying on the floor near his crib with a stunned look on his little face. He turned to look at me and said "Mama, I fell on my head". I scooped him up and make sure there was no blood or broken bones. When I asked if he was alright, he started crying. I felt so bad for him.
So tonight is a big night for him. We have tried using the toddler bed feature on his crib and that turned into a disaster but I can't leave him in the crib and God forbid something worse happens to him when he tries to escape. He's going to have a pretty bare room for a month or so until he learns to stay in his new bed.

What has happened to my child?

I don't know where the Wesley is that I've known. He seems to have disappeared and been replaced with a child who changes everyday. I'm loving this new Wesley, but with it comes new learning from us all. New learning on how to deal with all the changes he's making.

Tim and I took a much needed and much deserved night to ourselves. It was our anniversary and the boys grandparents offered to take them overnight. Casey has never slept overnight at any ones home, but he is comfortable there and loves going to visit so I knew everything would be just fine. Except for escaping the crib there too, the boys had a blast. Casey likes to pretend he's sleeping. He asks us to put this blanket over him and fake snores. He thinks he's hysterical. Wesley has been watching him and jumped on the floor and laid down on a pillow. He said "Help me please" wanting his blanket over him as well. Once the blanket was down, he closed his eyes and started to fake snore. What an accomplishment to mimic his brother and kind of make a funny.

While at the grandparents, Tim called to check on them and Wesley wanted to talk on the phone. Here's how the conversation went

Wes: Hi Daddy!

Tim: Hi Buddy!

Wes: (giggle) Hi Mama!

Me: Hi Angel!

Wes: (more giggling) Hi Daddy!

and on it went for almost 2 minutes, back and forth. Might not be much of a conversation, but he has to start somewhere!

Today, at lunch, I've been really trying not to give Wes any goldfish unless he earns them. That's all he will eat and all he'll ask for at lunch. Today was a yummy treat of peanut butter and fluf sandwich with some apple slices and some baby carrots. I got him to take a teeny tiny bite of apple and one carrot. He asked for some fish. I told him he could have fish if he ate his sandwich. I turned my back to help Casey and when I turned around, the sandwich was gone, in his mouth, and he was chewing it. Oh how motivating goldfish crackers are.

Leaps and bounds lately. Not sure what's happening or what is working but something is. We haven't changed a thing.

Tiny bubbles (not in the wine)

This is huge. Who knew how hard it would be for a child to learn to blow bubbles. It's always been a favorite past time in our home. We always have bubble soap in the house and even have a bubble machine. Casey asked to use the bubbles so I wanted to make a game out of it. I blew the bubbles high in the air and told the boys to jump and "catch" the bubbles. They were both having so much fun jumping up and down (the ulterior motive was to make them tired). Casey asked if he could try so I let him. He was a bubble champ! I was interested to see if Wesley had gained this skill yet or not. Instead of blowing, he makes the F sound with his teeth against his bottom lip. I pushed his cheeks in to form the O with his mouth and success! He figured it out after two cheek squeezes and was so proud of himself, as was I.

We've had some tough days lately with his rigidity with routine. Since the Holiday break, he's gotten worse instead of better. All of the snow days and sick days haven't helped either. I hope this changes soon because I'm nearly at my wits end with him. I've been using this schedule board more now then ever and when we makes choices, I use visual cues to go along with the verbal (usually verbal was enough). He's been making great choices and not being upset by them, it's just when the usual routine has a slight variance that sends him over the edge. I'm just praying for strength right now.