Not really a step back

So today I started "brushing" my son again.  It has been 2 very busy weeks.  He also is recovering from a cold and has problems with his allergies.  He was very willing to let me start up again, as we haven't done it for 9 months!  Hopefully this will help him over this "hump"

The Law of the Garbage Truck

I saw this in a friend's facebook notes....how true is it?

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Sensory Overload

What a week.....This past weekend we celebrated our youngest child's 3rd birthday and Easter. The beginning of the week saw me with the stomach flu, and then the day before the party my husband got it!  Since I was so sick on Tuesday, I had "P" stay all day (normally a 1/2 day for him) as I didn't think I could drive to pick him up.  He stayed all day on his normal Monday and Wednesday, so that made 3 in a row.  Then I found out at 10 pm on Wednesday night that his Easter party at school was starting at 1:30, which is normally OT time for him.  He is a 1/2 day kid on that day as well.  When I asked him about it in the morning, he wasn't having anything of it.  He went to school, and I packed his lunch, hoping, but alas when I called the school, they told me that he insisted that he was going home.  He wouldn't even go back with me to stay with him :(  At first I was sad for him, then I realized that he wasn't sad.  Why should I be?  I had rearranged OT for Friday and let him have some time at home.  His evenings had been full with soccer practice on Monday-my hubby taking them out for dinner and errands on Tuesday, and me running my errands with them on Wednesday.  He still had soccer practice on Thursday, but did just fine.  Friday saw me cooking all day (and packing everything to move the party to Grandma and Grandpa's house 45 minutes away), a visit to the OT, which only really got his energy out.  He was so volatile!!! Did I mention that it was cold and rainy all day too? :(  Saturday he spent part of the day at a friends house to go to a classmates birthday party. It was a great idea at first as this other friend was going to take him and pick him up and I would have the last 2 hours before party to get ready with one less kid.  I decided that not sending him to the party would do more harm than good, so he came fashionably late to his brother's party.  Sunday was church and Easter dinner back at Grandma and Grandpa's house. 

Had I known what this last week would have entailed I would NOT have scheduled dentist appointments today.  Oh well...not things that are easy to reschedule, so we went.  And kuddos to him for doing well.  He didn't like it, but tolerated it better than I thought he would have!  No cavities!!!  But he grinds his teeth, a lot...anyone have suggestions for that?  There is no way he'd wear a mouth guard!!!!

A fly on the wall

Not everything in life is gloom and doom....THANKFULLY!!!!!  Tonight as I rested in my bed trying to rid myself of my migraine, I had the privilege to listen to my husband put both of our boys to bed.  I love to listen to them, and as much as I can feel grumpy about having to deal with "bedtime"...I miss being there with them when I can't do it.  They are both very sweet little boys.  They are affectionate and super cuddly!  I do enjoy reading stories with them and talking to God with them.  Our oldest, is so literal, and is also so into everything he learns about Jesus.  Our little guy, who is just shy of 3, has some awesome prayers already.  He thanks God for his school (preschool that the local high school puts on for child development classes), and his toys, and church, and Sunday School.  Really, God is Good...All the Time!!!! :D

So I told him...well kinda....

So my husband and I have been trying to find the "right" time to tell our 5 year old SPD kiddo that he is gonna repeat kindergarten.  Well, he kinda asked about where he was gonna be next year and so I had to answer his questions.  I told him that since he did 1/2 day kindergarten this year, he was going to do full day kindergarten next year.  I also listed off some of the kids I know will be going to his school next year and be in his class.  He asked where he will go after next year and I told him about 1st grade and the teacher that he will likely have (small Lutheran school-not much teacher turnover and one teacher per grade).  When I mentioned one little boy that would be in his class, he came back with "we will have 2 "Sammy's".  Well, not quite.  It helps that the female "Sammy" from this year is going to a different school and that is what I told him.  What I didn't say is that she will likely be in 1st grade and he will be in Kindergarten. 

     Right now he is excited to do full day again.  I didn't want to "squelch" that excitement, and so I left it go without explaining that he will stay and the others will go.  We are pretty sure he will be fine as the year starts as he knows some other boys (and is friends with them) and he also makes friends very easily.




Now I just need to convince the rest of the family that this is a good idea too!

Regulating the internal functions-WARNING Bodily functions mentioned!

So I have been reading, what little I can find, about interoception.  The internal sense that tells you that you are hungry or thirsty or even full. It also helps to regulate your toileting habits.  We have long known this is a problem for our little guy, though the "sense" was just recently identified.  Some days he seems to exist on air, and others he eats like a horse.  Now I know that all kids do this to an extent, but our little guy can take this to an extreme.  Add to that, he had been a horribly picky eater.  That part is getting better from the OT and an electric toothbrush.
Our biggest hurdle has been the toileting problems.  Our dear son was 4 and 2 months before he started to "pee" in the potty-and only then because he desperately wanted to go to preschool.  He was 5 before he started to "poop" in the potty-thankfully he never pooped in his pants at preschool! He is the child who will "hold it" FOREVER!!!! To the point that most of his "movements" have to be broken up in order to flush them-mind you he is all of 39 pounds and still 2 months shy of 6 years old.  My only thoughts are to give him daily fiber supplements and whole grain breads and as many fruits and veggies as he will eat.  And some juice, though he no longer drinks apple (once was an easy staple).  Now he ONLY drinks Capri Sun Fruit Punch (juice only, I don't but the "drink" kinds).
So today he went through 4 pairs of underwear before actually getting the "movement" out.  I try to be patient and make it a non-issue and really it is "leakage"-because the movement is so large. But I really don't enjoy cleaning out 4 pairs of underwear, nor cleaning the bottom of my nearly 6 year old :(  I do realize that there are many parents out there that have to clean up after their kids, I guess I am still not over the "my life is different than I imagined" thing :(

If anyone has any good tricks I am willing to try them!