We've been having quite a week. Andy has had camp, and gotten to ride horses, cook, swim, and make new friends. Joey has been learning about the solar system and helping at Grandma's office. We got the baby stuff to Ms. Macy. Ups down, all arounds. Joey is packing for a sleepover at Grandma's. I will tell you all about it when I get a few minutes.
Edit: And to cap it off, I got stung by a wasp. Twice. On the face. I think I need to drink more.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Saying Goodbye to the Little One Who Never Was
When I went to pick up Joey a couple Tuesdays ago from school, his para was coming out of the school with a beautiful surprise: her absolutely beautiful grandchild. And the news that she was going to be taking custody of this gorgeous little girl, and needed things like a crib and a highchair and... well, baby stuff.
My basement and attic are stuffed to the gills with baby stuff. My guys were well-loved, well-cared for, and fully outfitted. Heck, I have three cribs. Three. See, not only were they fully outfitted, they were fully outfitted in two homes, because when Joey was very little and we thought I was headed back to work, he spent a lot of time at Grandma's while I did the Visiting Professor thing. And then Joey wasn't quite out of his crib with Andy came. My wonderful cousin also gave me a lot of things from her own twins, and those things often came in twos. We have a lot of baby stuff.
I kept most of it because I always thought there would be a third. When Andy was revealed as a boy, it was just part of the plan- that whole "try for a girl" thing (what? Have I never heard of "My Three Sons"?). Well, really, just to have that third baby, that new little one, another round of fresh baby head and powder and tiny little clothes and strollers. (No, I didn't forget about diapers and spit up and crying and potty training and being up at all hours of the night. But it was all worth it.) And that baby was going to be a girl, I just knew it. (Of course, I "just knew it" with Andy, too. Nevermind.) I saved the few girl things we got at Joey's baby showers. I have a small box somewhere in the attic with Holly Hobbie plaques to put on her wall, to "girl it up" a little. I have some mermaid fabrics to make her a quilt and maybe a bumper.
And she's not coming.
I sit now in a sea of baby equipment, sorting through bins of baby clothes. I have a small sack of things I just can't get rid of yet. I know I am missing another box of clothes somewhere, there are too many outfits I haven't seen. I have a huge bin of things to take to Ms. Macy- sheets, towels, clothes, cloth diapers (which make great burp clothes), books, toys. I have a bunch of equipment in the van to take. So I say goodbye to these things, and to the little one who never came, and never was. Perhaps it is an easy thing to be in love with a person who never existed, because they can be anything you wanted them to be. They can be all the smiles and firsts and little soft heads, without the diapers and the sleeplessness and the spit. Yet it is stillhard to say goodbye, when you never really got to say hello.
My basement and attic are stuffed to the gills with baby stuff. My guys were well-loved, well-cared for, and fully outfitted. Heck, I have three cribs. Three. See, not only were they fully outfitted, they were fully outfitted in two homes, because when Joey was very little and we thought I was headed back to work, he spent a lot of time at Grandma's while I did the Visiting Professor thing. And then Joey wasn't quite out of his crib with Andy came. My wonderful cousin also gave me a lot of things from her own twins, and those things often came in twos. We have a lot of baby stuff.
I kept most of it because I always thought there would be a third. When Andy was revealed as a boy, it was just part of the plan- that whole "try for a girl" thing (what? Have I never heard of "My Three Sons"?). Well, really, just to have that third baby, that new little one, another round of fresh baby head and powder and tiny little clothes and strollers. (No, I didn't forget about diapers and spit up and crying and potty training and being up at all hours of the night. But it was all worth it.) And that baby was going to be a girl, I just knew it. (Of course, I "just knew it" with Andy, too. Nevermind.) I saved the few girl things we got at Joey's baby showers. I have a small box somewhere in the attic with Holly Hobbie plaques to put on her wall, to "girl it up" a little. I have some mermaid fabrics to make her a quilt and maybe a bumper.
And she's not coming.
I sit now in a sea of baby equipment, sorting through bins of baby clothes. I have a small sack of things I just can't get rid of yet. I know I am missing another box of clothes somewhere, there are too many outfits I haven't seen. I have a huge bin of things to take to Ms. Macy- sheets, towels, clothes, cloth diapers (which make great burp clothes), books, toys. I have a bunch of equipment in the van to take. So I say goodbye to these things, and to the little one who never came, and never was. Perhaps it is an easy thing to be in love with a person who never existed, because they can be anything you wanted them to be. They can be all the smiles and firsts and little soft heads, without the diapers and the sleeplessness and the spit. Yet it is stillhard to say goodbye, when you never really got to say hello.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Beware the Melting Ice Cream
The saga continues: it is Melty Day, and the trigger for today is ice cream.
Ice cream melts if you don't eat it quickly, especially if it is 80 degrees outside and you are in a sunny car. When it melts, and you have it on a cone, it drips. Those drips might get on your hand. And if you still fail to lick the ice cream, it starts to melt faster, and get drippier.
Hence, Mom in all her glory and stupidity bought the boys ice cream cones today. In 80 degree weather. In a sunny car. With no dish.
In the end, I had a child screaming in frustration and panic with pink ice cream from his hair, down his entire face and front, and into his lap. I managed to get him cleaned up, and with a small dish of ice cream in stead of a cone.
The whole reason from my point of view that we were getting the ice cream is because when Joey's tummy hurts, he's been wanting ice cream; the cold makes it feel better. He's bee very off-kilter today, and finally mentioned his tummy was "burning." So I got him ice cream. Unfortunately, when the tummy is uncomfy, we are on hair trigger.
We have a sonogram on June 30. Maybe we can get some answers then. But I don't think I'll hold my breath.
Ice cream melts if you don't eat it quickly, especially if it is 80 degrees outside and you are in a sunny car. When it melts, and you have it on a cone, it drips. Those drips might get on your hand. And if you still fail to lick the ice cream, it starts to melt faster, and get drippier.
Hence, Mom in all her glory and stupidity bought the boys ice cream cones today. In 80 degree weather. In a sunny car. With no dish.
In the end, I had a child screaming in frustration and panic with pink ice cream from his hair, down his entire face and front, and into his lap. I managed to get him cleaned up, and with a small dish of ice cream in stead of a cone.
The whole reason from my point of view that we were getting the ice cream is because when Joey's tummy hurts, he's been wanting ice cream; the cold makes it feel better. He's bee very off-kilter today, and finally mentioned his tummy was "burning." So I got him ice cream. Unfortunately, when the tummy is uncomfy, we are on hair trigger.
We have a sonogram on June 30. Maybe we can get some answers then. But I don't think I'll hold my breath.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Last Day of School
Well, here we are, at the end of another school year. Andy is having a water party today; Monday he starts at summer camp, and will go to Hazelwild five days per week. Joey has next week off. I am making big plans for doing a bunch of space stuff with him. We'll see how that goes.
After today, Joey leaves the first grade, and starts with the second grade. This is unusual; school years in Virginia technically run September-September, so he should be a first grader for three more months. We are putting him in with second graders for the first leg of summer school so he won't get bored and will get used to the new level of expected work. I hope that goes well. He met the teacher already, but I haven't. But what else do we expect from our Excellence in Reading and Excellence in Math boy?
So this is my last breath for a week. I expect to be having a lot of fun with Joey next week, a rare treat, no matter what we end up actually doing. I think I need to repair their pool and make sure I'm ready to go with summer... here at last!
After today, Joey leaves the first grade, and starts with the second grade. This is unusual; school years in Virginia technically run September-September, so he should be a first grader for three more months. We are putting him in with second graders for the first leg of summer school so he won't get bored and will get used to the new level of expected work. I hope that goes well. He met the teacher already, but I haven't. But what else do we expect from our Excellence in Reading and Excellence in Math boy?
So this is my last breath for a week. I expect to be having a lot of fun with Joey next week, a rare treat, no matter what we end up actually doing. I think I need to repair their pool and make sure I'm ready to go with summer... here at last!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wordless Wednesday: So Proud
Yes, those are headphones. He's been having trouble with noise lately. Excellence in Reading and Excellence in Math! That's My boy!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Time
Joey has a very interesting relationship with time. In one facet, he is utterly fascinated with it. Clocks are talismans for him, totems if you will. A room without a clock can be disorienting to him. He has been telling time since he was very small, both digital and analog. He will gladly tell you if your clock is digital or analog. And if the time on it is correct or not.
In some ways, this is very understandable. Joey loves numbers. Number and clocks are predictable; the cycles of the day mostly do not change. The ebb and flow of daylight is slow enough that it doesn't put him off, except for the spring forward and fall back of time changes. Six o'clock is six o'clock every day, and it is time to eat. Analog clocks have the added bonus of moving hands that move in circles, spinning about the clock face at regular paces.
Because of his fascination with clocks, he also is a stickler for schedules. When we first realized he had a team of 15 teachers and paras at school to deal with, we were concerned he would get anxious with all the changes. The reality is that as long as Joey know where he is supposed to be when, he's good to go. He get anxious when 1:20 arrives, time to go to math, and something puts off going to math.
He has also developed an odd habit of constantly telling everyone the time. When he was very little, and someone asked him a question, he would respond with a color. "What day is it?" "Red." "Where is your coat?" "Blue." "What is the capital of Sardinia?" "Yellow." "What is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" "Green." Now, he tells you the time. "Joey, what happened in the story we just read?" "It's 10:42!" He also announces the time at (apparent) random (though I suspect he has reasons for barking out the time at that moment that we just don't understand yet). You can be going along in a lesson or conversation, and suddenly Joey will burst out, "Look! It's three o'clock!"
So powerful is this connection with time, I talked the tooth fairy into giving him a watch. He straps it on each morning, happy to have his little time-totem close at hand. I thought about getting him a pocket-watch instead of a wrist-watch, but I was worried about it getting lost.
Which brings us to the other facet. As much as Joey loves time, the concept of "past" is very difficult for him. This abstraction of time is something he struggles with, far more than kids normally do at his age. The symptoms of this lack of understanding are not all expected. Yes, he has a very difficult time with history and placing figures and events on timelines, or understanding these people are no longer walking around. However, it also means he has trouble with tense use (what is "past tense" to a child with no grasp of "past"?), trouble recalling events of the day, trouble connecting consequences with actions.
We have been working on this by showing him lots of movies and books of himself in the past. Showing him baby pictures, old video clips, clothes he used to wear. Our next step is to increase exposure to pictures of me, JoeyAndyDad, and Grandma in the past, when we were children, etc. If he can grasp that Mommy was once a little girl, we can start working back from there.
The idea of a past-less existence is one of the more difficult things in trying to understand Joey and his views of the world, at least for me. I suppose as an art historian, the idea of having no history is very strange. I know many cultures did and don't have an idea of historicity, the past is unimportant, the future is no significant, because the now is eternal; but that is not my own culture. We live in a world where Barbie dolls are kept "mint in the box" to be collector's items, instead of given to kids to play with and be destroyed by use. Nostalgia is a marketing tool.
With his close affinity to time, we hope we can use it as a tool to understand "past." Then we can move into the idea of "Once upon a time"... well, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
In some ways, this is very understandable. Joey loves numbers. Number and clocks are predictable; the cycles of the day mostly do not change. The ebb and flow of daylight is slow enough that it doesn't put him off, except for the spring forward and fall back of time changes. Six o'clock is six o'clock every day, and it is time to eat. Analog clocks have the added bonus of moving hands that move in circles, spinning about the clock face at regular paces.
Because of his fascination with clocks, he also is a stickler for schedules. When we first realized he had a team of 15 teachers and paras at school to deal with, we were concerned he would get anxious with all the changes. The reality is that as long as Joey know where he is supposed to be when, he's good to go. He get anxious when 1:20 arrives, time to go to math, and something puts off going to math.
He has also developed an odd habit of constantly telling everyone the time. When he was very little, and someone asked him a question, he would respond with a color. "What day is it?" "Red." "Where is your coat?" "Blue." "What is the capital of Sardinia?" "Yellow." "What is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" "Green." Now, he tells you the time. "Joey, what happened in the story we just read?" "It's 10:42!" He also announces the time at (apparent) random (though I suspect he has reasons for barking out the time at that moment that we just don't understand yet). You can be going along in a lesson or conversation, and suddenly Joey will burst out, "Look! It's three o'clock!"
So powerful is this connection with time, I talked the tooth fairy into giving him a watch. He straps it on each morning, happy to have his little time-totem close at hand. I thought about getting him a pocket-watch instead of a wrist-watch, but I was worried about it getting lost.
Which brings us to the other facet. As much as Joey loves time, the concept of "past" is very difficult for him. This abstraction of time is something he struggles with, far more than kids normally do at his age. The symptoms of this lack of understanding are not all expected. Yes, he has a very difficult time with history and placing figures and events on timelines, or understanding these people are no longer walking around. However, it also means he has trouble with tense use (what is "past tense" to a child with no grasp of "past"?), trouble recalling events of the day, trouble connecting consequences with actions.
We have been working on this by showing him lots of movies and books of himself in the past. Showing him baby pictures, old video clips, clothes he used to wear. Our next step is to increase exposure to pictures of me, JoeyAndyDad, and Grandma in the past, when we were children, etc. If he can grasp that Mommy was once a little girl, we can start working back from there.
The idea of a past-less existence is one of the more difficult things in trying to understand Joey and his views of the world, at least for me. I suppose as an art historian, the idea of having no history is very strange. I know many cultures did and don't have an idea of historicity, the past is unimportant, the future is no significant, because the now is eternal; but that is not my own culture. We live in a world where Barbie dolls are kept "mint in the box" to be collector's items, instead of given to kids to play with and be destroyed by use. Nostalgia is a marketing tool.
With his close affinity to time, we hope we can use it as a tool to understand "past." Then we can move into the idea of "Once upon a time"... well, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Andy's Show
Patiently waiting for the cue to go on stage. 
Mom had to help get the star warmed up. 
Then the sticks came out- and Andy was all about the Stick Song! 
Then Andy got rockin' an rollin', and did fine. If I am always going to be that distracting to him, how will I ever be able to see him perform at school again?
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Kindergarden preparedness
Andy had his concert tonight, singing with his class. It was a little rougher than anticipated. The noise was getting on the nerves of several of the other kids.. so you can imagine the state poor Andy was in. I stood with him for the first few songs, coaxing him from the bleachers to his spot on the stage.
Mommy won't be there to coax him in three months. Mommy won't be there to hug him and comfort him when the cafeteria gets overwhelming. Mommy won't be there to get him to his feet and into his place.
I wont be there.
None of the other kids needed to be coaxed, hugged, and have Mom beside them to get them going. And once he got going? He was great. Perhaps not perfect. He didn't seem to know the words the way the other kids did. He wanted to run around more than the other kids did. Getting him to stay in his spot between songs? Oh, right.
How do you explain this problem to people? How do I get the school personnel to understand? Do I really have to slap him with a diagnosis to get them to listen to what i am saying? am I not saying the right things, in the right way? Does it take a label to get people to really look at anecdote and think about evidence?
What do I do if Andy isn't ready for kindergarden?
Mommy won't be there to coax him in three months. Mommy won't be there to hug him and comfort him when the cafeteria gets overwhelming. Mommy won't be there to get him to his feet and into his place.
I wont be there.
None of the other kids needed to be coaxed, hugged, and have Mom beside them to get them going. And once he got going? He was great. Perhaps not perfect. He didn't seem to know the words the way the other kids did. He wanted to run around more than the other kids did. Getting him to stay in his spot between songs? Oh, right.
How do you explain this problem to people? How do I get the school personnel to understand? Do I really have to slap him with a diagnosis to get them to listen to what i am saying? am I not saying the right things, in the right way? Does it take a label to get people to really look at anecdote and think about evidence?
What do I do if Andy isn't ready for kindergarden?
Quick update
We saw the gastroenterologist, took some blood, took some pictures, and he'll call me next week. In the meantime, Joey is on Kiddie Zantac to try to get his stomach more comfy. He's really out of sorts. He hit his aide today. I hope once he is more comfy, these bursts of inappropriate behavior will cease. But I suppose we'll just wait and see.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Circles
Oh dear, is it Tuesday already? The semester has begun again, the boys are going in circles, we have an appointment with the gastroenterologist tomorrow, but the paperwork didn't get here and I have no word on having Joey's test pics to take with me (which may make it a wasted trip to Charlottesville), I'm running about like a chicken without a head, and... is it Tuesday already? I thought of four or five really good posts, didn't write any of them down, and where's my head again? Oh, there it is. Anyway...
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Yet Again
Yes, folks, we have yet another victim of the Blue Bunny. Joey has asked the tooth fairy to bring him a truck. So I am off to the toy store, since all my reserve stuff is cars, not trucks.
Edit: I got him a watch and a matchbox truck, and I'm still under five bucks. Because I rock.
Friday, May 29, 2009
How I Got on the Radar
How did I miss this? I'm famous! But now, I'm also apparently on the radar. I said a lot more to the nice lady who interviewed me, but this looks like the heart of it.
Edit: Hey, look, the quote is all over the place, like here and here. I'm now better known for autism than for South Asian art history.
Is that a good thing?
Edit: Hey, look, the quote is all over the place, like here and here. I'm now better known for autism than for South Asian art history.
Is that a good thing?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Rainbow Days
Rainbows have become associated with autism, mostly because of the term "autism spectrum disorders." The wide variety of children's abilities and needs "over the spectrum" is represented by the range of colors, blending one through another. However, I like the rainbow for another reason. I was brought up with the story of the Flood, and God's Promise.
the details of the story are unimportant. It is the idea of God's Promise: hope, life, and love. that is what is important, especially when you are in the thick of things. The rainbow reminds you, even at the edge of a storm, that there is sunshine ahead, that the sun is there behind the clouds, that no storm lasts forever.
That is good to remember in the midst of a hurricane.
When you find yourself in the midst of stormy days, it is good to remember and think about the Rainbow Days. We've been in the midst of a storm here. Joey has been having a lot of frustration and discomfort. Andy has been bouncing around like a pinball. I've been having a lot of bad days, especially the confusion about the fall schedule and what classes I may or may not be teaching; and when I am having a bad day, I can Guarantee You that Joey will be having one, too. These boys are very tuned in to my moods, so when my mood fails, everything goes to pieces.
That is when we think about the Rainbow Days. Days when the boys get to go play in the park, and have fun running about being boys. Days when Joey uses a lot of words and draws lots of puppets to cut out and play with. Days when we have pool parties, days when everyone is up for a nature walk, days when we make cookies. When things are clicking along, and everyone is making progress, and life is sunny. Looking through the storm to that sunshine, you can see the rainbow.
Not every day will be stormy. That is God's Promise.
the details of the story are unimportant. It is the idea of God's Promise: hope, life, and love. that is what is important, especially when you are in the thick of things. The rainbow reminds you, even at the edge of a storm, that there is sunshine ahead, that the sun is there behind the clouds, that no storm lasts forever.
That is good to remember in the midst of a hurricane.
When you find yourself in the midst of stormy days, it is good to remember and think about the Rainbow Days. We've been in the midst of a storm here. Joey has been having a lot of frustration and discomfort. Andy has been bouncing around like a pinball. I've been having a lot of bad days, especially the confusion about the fall schedule and what classes I may or may not be teaching; and when I am having a bad day, I can Guarantee You that Joey will be having one, too. These boys are very tuned in to my moods, so when my mood fails, everything goes to pieces.
That is when we think about the Rainbow Days. Days when the boys get to go play in the park, and have fun running about being boys. Days when Joey uses a lot of words and draws lots of puppets to cut out and play with. Days when we have pool parties, days when everyone is up for a nature walk, days when we make cookies. When things are clicking along, and everyone is making progress, and life is sunny. Looking through the storm to that sunshine, you can see the rainbow.
Not every day will be stormy. That is God's Promise.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Screaming Mimis
It has been a rough few days here. Joey is not feeling tippy-top, and his schedule has been thrown to the four winds. Monday was a holiday, and yesterday was a field trip. His aide said he did great on the trip, but he was a screaming mass of child at speech therapy. Today should be a "normal" day, but we'll see.
My work is all screwed up. I usually teach online, but the new person isn't getting much training or mentoring about the system or the class structures. She keeps offering me "classes" that don't exist, or seeming to conflate live with online sections. Consequently, I have no idea what is going on, or what I am teaching, and don't have my fall BlackBoard shells, and it's almost June! Oh, and did I mention I have to redesign the classes because we are going to be using a new textbook?
Ok, this morning's job: find a gastroenterologist for Joey. Yay.
My work is all screwed up. I usually teach online, but the new person isn't getting much training or mentoring about the system or the class structures. She keeps offering me "classes" that don't exist, or seeming to conflate live with online sections. Consequently, I have no idea what is going on, or what I am teaching, and don't have my fall BlackBoard shells, and it's almost June! Oh, and did I mention I have to redesign the classes because we are going to be using a new textbook?
Ok, this morning's job: find a gastroenterologist for Joey. Yay.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Life With Joey and Andy: What I Have Learned So Far
One of the great joys of having children are all the things you learn from them. They can teach you a lot about dealing with life, people, and reality; they bring you a breath of youth and new eyes.
1. People do things for a reason. No matter what you think of another's actions and words, none of it comes ex nihilo. That kid tantruming in the store aisle? That's not random. Is the child tired, hungry, bored, overwhelmed? That adult tantruming in the store aisle? That's not random, either...
2. Don't judge people without knowing those reasons. Overreaction, or inappropriate reaction, makes everything worse. Even the Witching Hour has a reason- tired, overwhelmed kids excited about the day and seeing each other easily turns to bickering, whining, and hitting. Distract and Engage works far better than Yell Until your Throat Is Sore, and is far less traumatizing for everyone involved. Assuming someone is "just spoiled" or "being unreasonable" leads to trouble. This screaming is reasonable to the child; it is our job as a parent to sleuth out the reason and work on the cause, rather than trying to just treat the symptoms.
3. Let them be in control sometimes. This one is very hard on me, much harder than I was expecting. If you don't let kids have control, they don't learn how to do for themselves. Yes, it is faster and easier for me to make the peanut butter sandwich, zip the jacket, and water the flowers. However, it is important for Joey and Andy to learn to make their own lunch, zip their own clothes, and care for our garden and world. Assuming competence includes allowing them to practice and demonstrate that competence. Oh, and if you let a child have control of a hose, they will spray you. Just saying.
4. There is a whole person in that package. My folks used to say this about babies all the time: "There's a whole person in that tiny little package!" But it is true. Your children are not you. They are their own people. Its one of those lessons you have to learn on your own, no one can tell you (no matter how many times they tell you). These boys are two very different people. As I told the school folks on registration night, Andy isn't Joey, or even Joey's twin; he's a compliment. Joey is laid-back, Andy is a firecracker. Raised in the same house by the same parents. Wow.
Yeah, there's lots more. But it's been a rough week. So take one more lesson: Life is short. Squish your kids often.
1. People do things for a reason. No matter what you think of another's actions and words, none of it comes ex nihilo. That kid tantruming in the store aisle? That's not random. Is the child tired, hungry, bored, overwhelmed? That adult tantruming in the store aisle? That's not random, either...
2. Don't judge people without knowing those reasons. Overreaction, or inappropriate reaction, makes everything worse. Even the Witching Hour has a reason- tired, overwhelmed kids excited about the day and seeing each other easily turns to bickering, whining, and hitting. Distract and Engage works far better than Yell Until your Throat Is Sore, and is far less traumatizing for everyone involved. Assuming someone is "just spoiled" or "being unreasonable" leads to trouble. This screaming is reasonable to the child; it is our job as a parent to sleuth out the reason and work on the cause, rather than trying to just treat the symptoms.
3. Let them be in control sometimes. This one is very hard on me, much harder than I was expecting. If you don't let kids have control, they don't learn how to do for themselves. Yes, it is faster and easier for me to make the peanut butter sandwich, zip the jacket, and water the flowers. However, it is important for Joey and Andy to learn to make their own lunch, zip their own clothes, and care for our garden and world. Assuming competence includes allowing them to practice and demonstrate that competence. Oh, and if you let a child have control of a hose, they will spray you. Just saying.
4. There is a whole person in that package. My folks used to say this about babies all the time: "There's a whole person in that tiny little package!" But it is true. Your children are not you. They are their own people. Its one of those lessons you have to learn on your own, no one can tell you (no matter how many times they tell you). These boys are two very different people. As I told the school folks on registration night, Andy isn't Joey, or even Joey's twin; he's a compliment. Joey is laid-back, Andy is a firecracker. Raised in the same house by the same parents. Wow.
Yeah, there's lots more. But it's been a rough week. So take one more lesson: Life is short. Squish your kids often.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Ups, Downs, All Arounds
We had our yearly check=up today, Andy needed to be up to date for his school health forms for kindergarten, and Joey is looking round again. We left with a fist full of paper, four shots, and lots of recommendations, along with instructions for more appointments.
We are getting an upper GI done on Joey. We are looking into whether his stomach is emptying at an appropriate and consistent rate. We are also interested in sensory issues related to feeling full- does he feel fullness in a timely manner, or does he have some kind of delay?
Andy is headed to the psychiatrist. We are screening for hyperactivity as well as pinning a recognized label on the sensory issues he's having (sensory integration dysfunction isn't in the diagnostic manual yet). Our doctor also wants some more medical eyes on the situation, and documentation for the school. The results of my meeting with the principal haven't been exactly comforting. She also felt we needed to emphasize the need for small group situations and minimizing noise to avoid overstimulation.
So there we have it. They are both pretty healthy, and in the 95% for height. Wow.
We are getting an upper GI done on Joey. We are looking into whether his stomach is emptying at an appropriate and consistent rate. We are also interested in sensory issues related to feeling full- does he feel fullness in a timely manner, or does he have some kind of delay?
Andy is headed to the psychiatrist. We are screening for hyperactivity as well as pinning a recognized label on the sensory issues he's having (sensory integration dysfunction isn't in the diagnostic manual yet). Our doctor also wants some more medical eyes on the situation, and documentation for the school. The results of my meeting with the principal haven't been exactly comforting. She also felt we needed to emphasize the need for small group situations and minimizing noise to avoid overstimulation.
So there we have it. They are both pretty healthy, and in the 95% for height. Wow.
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