All Wet

This boy has hated water on his face since he was about a year old. So much so that washing his hair caused him to vomit. I have put him in swim lessons here and there over the past few years as much for the cheap OT as for learning the strokes. I could teach him that much, I took Water Safety Instructor in college.

He has been working toward getting his face wet, and all of his hair. His instructor is GOLD in my book. She knows him and will push him some, but not over his limit. They also let them wear goggles. :) He also has a little brother who is in Level 1, the big guy is in Level 2. He doesn't want little brother to catch up with him, and I told him the only way to make it to Level 3 is to start putting his face in. And in true Patrick fashion, he did it on his own time. At first he was dunking his head while wearing his "float" (one they use for class). Then after the float was off, he went all the way under with just a hand on the side of the pool. I could have fallen out of my chair!! And this wasn't once, this was repeated at least a dozen times!

Sorry the picture isn't great. My phone doesn't zoom too well, and he wasn't under for super long periods of time either ;) Mine would be the one "belly-down" in the front :D

The light is shining brightly

Today is a day I wasn't sure would come. Today I got to look at The Boy's annual re-evaluation scores. This year he moved up to a harder test due to his age. Last year he still used the Early Childhood test, and still scored 2-3 1/2 years behind his chronological age in motor skills (both fine and gross). This year he did 4 tests. Two for gross motor; two for fine motor. On one of the gross motor tests he scored AT HIS AGE!!! And the other one only 6 month behind. On the fine motor tests he scored 6 months behind on one and 1 year behind on the other. His OT and I were not too concerned about that as when you look at the scores from each-he is in the "average range".  Did you read that? HE IS AVERAGE! :)

INSERT HAPPY DANCE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fists pumping, happy tears, twirling...and all of that!

Okay I am back. And his OT said that we are about to be done with OT. Not tomorrow, but soon. I am thinking less than a year soon....I am hoping like in 6 months soon. Not because I hate OT-much to the contrary, I will bawl like a little kid who has lost her ice cream to a dirty sidewalk on that day. No, I am happy because it will make a world of difference to not write a $200 check twice a month, but also because, IT WORKED! My guy is a fully functioning member of his classroom. His writing is as good as most of the boys in his class, better even.  Not bragging my kid is better-just that for something he has struggled with for so long he is there. He has made it!

I see it in his work this year. I see it in his confidence this year. This is an awesome feeling!

Now, he still has SPD. He WILL ALWAYS have SPD.  It's likely that around adolescence we will need to visit an OT again.  This is a neurological disorder and when the brain goes through major shifts it throws things back off "balance". He's gonna be my picky eater, and he may never color perfectly in the lines or be a star baseball player, (though neither would his mommy or daddy). He's gonna fit right in the middle with the rest of the kids :) And THAT makes me happiest of all :D

Being Involved, but not "Helicoptoring"

So back to school is BUSY! I don't do "fall sports" with my boys because just getting back into school is enough! However, I did sign them both up for swim lessons, weird I know-but I sign up for NOTHING in the summers too! I prefer playtime to structured time, call me old fashioned. And according to a bunch of new studies, old fashioned is on the cutting edge again...but I digress...

So the big boy wanted to join Cub Scouts, mostly at my prompting. He LOVES it! He loves his uniform, he loves the Den meetings, he loves the Pack meetings, he loved the Rain Gutter Regatta we had last weekend. More over, I think he likes being a part of something. He's fully included. Partly because Momma is the Den leader. Now, I came to this position because there wasn't anyone else stepping up. There are only 4 boys in my Den currently, and since they are Tiger Cubs, their parents have to come with. With my teacher background, planning the meetings are fairly simple (at least to me). But I don't have to worry about how someone else is treating him, I am there with him. I don't give him "special treatment". But I am there, and he likes it that I am there.

I am also one of the room mothers for his classroom again this year. I got my first chance to help in his room a week ago and LOVED it! I got to read the class a story and help with an activity while we celebrated one of the teacher's and Clifford, The Big Red Dog's, birthdays. I get to help in his room, but only when invited (yes I can show up whenever, but don't abuse the privilege). And he still likes it when I show up :) I love being there, but I know that I can't be there ALL the time.

It works well for me to sit down with his teacher before school starts and then once school is going I back off and see how things go. I can contact his teacher at any time. My only concern this year has been his lack of eating much for lunch. Tricky thing to learn to eat in 25 minutes while having fun with your friends. However, he has to learn to do it. My only concern was if it was affecting his afternoon learning and behavior, the teacher assured me it wasn't and so we let it go and I pack less in his lunchbox.

You know what I learn? He can do it. If I constantly stand over him, I undermine his confidence. By me being there 24/7, I send the signal that he can't do it on his own. If the end goal is an independent human being, then I fail him if I am there ALL the time. I think the balance is hard for any parent to learn, let alone those parents of special needs children. And I know it will change over time, and I will constantly be finding a new balance as he grows up. But that is my job as mom ;) And it's a pretty awesome job to have!