It's been awhile since I posted anything so forgive me if I leave anything out.
The boys had an amazing time at the cottage with my parents. Alex swam two or three times every day and would have lived in the pool if a) we let him and b) it was warmer. He also got to go on lots of long walks with his grandfather, who is delighted to finally have someone in the family who is interested in nature walks too. We were told he crashed out just about every night and woke up ready to go the next day. Nathan enjoyed himself, too, discovering a whole new bunch of foods that he enjoys (such as bananas, more on that later) and a new bunch of people to appreciate his charm. Nathan is much more cautious in the pool than Alex, but greatly enjoyed wading in the lake. Now for the banana story. We have tried for a long time to get him to eat bananas but he always refused. But apparently he's more than happy to eat them if you leave it in the peel. He makes happy monkey sounds and eats away. It's quite cute to see.
The boys have found a new passion in their lives. The television show The Wiggles. It's the only one they both enjoy watching. (Alex has been wanting to watch Mythbusters and nature shows on Discovery, Nathan still likes Elmo and Sesame and neither likes the others' programs.) But they are both loving the Wiggles, dancing and singing along with the music. We've even invested in a few DVDs and they are getting well used. We're actually going to try and take the boys to see them in person when they come to Ottawa in the fall. It just seems like too much of an opportunity to pass up. It's so rare that we get opportunities at the same time that they're actually interested in something. So cross your fingers for us. I'll let you all know what happens at the show.
Alex's therapy team is changing. We're losing his lead therapist to another position. We wish her well but we're going to miss her. She's been a favourite of Alex's to work with and he often asks for her by name. She is that rare combination of balanced enthusiasm and professionalism and she is probably responsible for a lot of the progress Alex has made since beginning his program, coaxing him to try new things. He'll be beginning kindergarten in a few weeks and I'm a little nervous to see how things are going to go.
Nathan's therapy team is also changing. Since he'll be starting preschool two mornings a week, we had to shift some of his sessions to the afternoon which means we get someone new. Again, we'll miss the previous therapist. She's been very pleasant to work with. But I'm excited about him starting preschool. I think he's really going to love it and it's going to be great for him to interact with other children his own age.
I think that just about covers everything for now.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Vacation Days
Alex is officially off to the cottage with his grandparents for a week. This is the third year he's gone and he always has a great time. It looks like he'll get some good weather, too. My guess is that he'll spend most of his time in the pool and on the playground.
This means that Nathan gets some quality two-on-one time with his parents. This morning, we were able to go out to the park. It was nice and almost relaxing. The slides were all very wet from last night's rain but that didn't stop Nathan from enjoying himself. At first, I tried to stop him from going through the puddle but then I realized I was spoiling his fun. A little water and dirt wasn't going to hurt him. So I relaxed and he had a fantastic time, even though water was occasionally dripping from his shorts.
He's definitely more adventurous than the other kids his age. We must have hit the right time for two-year olds at the park. Usually it's mostly older kids but this time we had about five different children, all around two years old. Nathan was very social, saying hi to the other children when I prompted him and even being surprisingly patient about waiting in line. But he was the only child to climb the big ladder by himself and certainly the most fearless when it came to going down the big slides.
I have to say that I'm really encouraged by how well he was interacting with the other children. One of the things I love about our neighbourhood is how multi-cultural it is and this morning was definitely a multicultural experience. We heard Arabic, Chinese and Russian (I'm guessing a little, so apologies if I've gotten it wrong). Nathan seemed quite intrigued by all the different languages.
He decided when he'd had enough and told me "All done." I asked him if he wanted to go home and he repeated "Go home. All done." Then he took off down the path to go home. But he did stop and wave good-bye to everyone when I prompted him.
All in all, a good first day of vacation.
This means that Nathan gets some quality two-on-one time with his parents. This morning, we were able to go out to the park. It was nice and almost relaxing. The slides were all very wet from last night's rain but that didn't stop Nathan from enjoying himself. At first, I tried to stop him from going through the puddle but then I realized I was spoiling his fun. A little water and dirt wasn't going to hurt him. So I relaxed and he had a fantastic time, even though water was occasionally dripping from his shorts.
He's definitely more adventurous than the other kids his age. We must have hit the right time for two-year olds at the park. Usually it's mostly older kids but this time we had about five different children, all around two years old. Nathan was very social, saying hi to the other children when I prompted him and even being surprisingly patient about waiting in line. But he was the only child to climb the big ladder by himself and certainly the most fearless when it came to going down the big slides.
I have to say that I'm really encouraged by how well he was interacting with the other children. One of the things I love about our neighbourhood is how multi-cultural it is and this morning was definitely a multicultural experience. We heard Arabic, Chinese and Russian (I'm guessing a little, so apologies if I've gotten it wrong). Nathan seemed quite intrigued by all the different languages.
He decided when he'd had enough and told me "All done." I asked him if he wanted to go home and he repeated "Go home. All done." Then he took off down the path to go home. But he did stop and wave good-bye to everyone when I prompted him.
All in all, a good first day of vacation.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Nathan Summer Camp and Alex's Evaluation
Today was Nathan's first day at summer camp. It's only a week and run by his therapists for the children who are most advanced socially. They use it to practice social skills between the children.
I admit I was worried. He's been so attached to me lately that I wasn't sure he was going to be able to relax and have fun. But he handled it beautifully. Dave dropped him off in the morning and tells me that once Nathan saw the toys, there was no more fuss. I picked him up and while he was happy to see me, he wasn't desperate. And I saw him playing on the slide, so I know he wasn't sitting and waiting for me. The staff tell me that he had a great time, with only a little fussiness before snack.
When I picked him up, he waved goodbye to all the staff and gave them all kisses. That's my little charming flirt at work. I'll bet that it won't be long before he's the favourite, if he's not already.
Last week, Alex had his annual psychological review for his ABA program. This is to evaluate his progress and see how he's learning to generalize the skills they're teaching him. They got a very productive forty-five minutes out of him but unfortunately it was an hour and a half test. I personally think he did very well since last year he was barely able to follow any of the instructions. It isn't that he doesn't know how to do what's being asked, it's that he still has trouble with the concept of doing things when he isn't particularly interested.
We'll get the report in another couple of weeks. I'm not terribly worried about them but it will be interesting to see how it compares with last year.
I admit I was worried. He's been so attached to me lately that I wasn't sure he was going to be able to relax and have fun. But he handled it beautifully. Dave dropped him off in the morning and tells me that once Nathan saw the toys, there was no more fuss. I picked him up and while he was happy to see me, he wasn't desperate. And I saw him playing on the slide, so I know he wasn't sitting and waiting for me. The staff tell me that he had a great time, with only a little fussiness before snack.
When I picked him up, he waved goodbye to all the staff and gave them all kisses. That's my little charming flirt at work. I'll bet that it won't be long before he's the favourite, if he's not already.
Last week, Alex had his annual psychological review for his ABA program. This is to evaluate his progress and see how he's learning to generalize the skills they're teaching him. They got a very productive forty-five minutes out of him but unfortunately it was an hour and a half test. I personally think he did very well since last year he was barely able to follow any of the instructions. It isn't that he doesn't know how to do what's being asked, it's that he still has trouble with the concept of doing things when he isn't particularly interested.
We'll get the report in another couple of weeks. I'm not terribly worried about them but it will be interesting to see how it compares with last year.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Happy Canada Day
Okay, now we have something to write about!
Our family had an excellent Canada Day, very low key for the most part. We went for a drive in the morning, which the boys always seem to enjoy. We drove out into cottage country and got to see some of the lovely picturesque little towns outside of Ottawa. Nathan drifted off for the last little bit, but Alex seemed quite alert and interested throughout. Then we had a nice lunch and took the boys out for a walk to the park. They were enjoying themselves quite a bit, although I had the thought that we looked like a divorced family, one parent and one kid each, well separated at all times. :) Nathan started to fade after a bit so I brought him back home to nap but Dave and Alex stayed out for well over an hour.
The boys got their supper at their usual time, but neither of them were inclined to settle down so Dave and I decided that we would let them stay up until the fireworks. We'd planned to wake them up to go, but if they weren't sleepy, there didn't seem to be much point in putting them in their rooms. Dave actually did most of the labour on our supper, a very traditional Canadian dish: Old El Paso tacos. :) Nathan surprised us by sitting down at table with us and helping himself to meat, cheese and tortilla chips. He ate a fairly decent second supper and was chatting away with us the whole time. Alex is still quite disgusted at the sight of us eating and spent the time watching his favourite shows without his brother to annoy him.
The fireworks were lots of fun. We're lucky enough to have found a good spot to watch the Kanata display that isn't too crowded (mainly because it seems to be a major mosquito breeding ground). We arrived ten minutes before the show and were home twenty minutes after it finished. And there was plenty of room for the boys to run around and still have a good view. We brought some glowsticks, which Alex loved. He collected them from all of us, although we stopped him from taking all of Nathan's. When the fireworks started, Alex was jumping up and down and shrieking with laughter and excitment; Nathan was so startled that he sat down on the ground with his mouth open, staring at the sky. But pretty soon Nathan was dancing in place and giggling just like his brother. Alex lost interest halfway through but was very interested in the reflection of his glowsticks in a nearby car window.
Both boys are cranky today from lack of sleep, but I still count it as a good experience. They had a lot of fun, got to spend time with both parents and most importantly, we kept expectations light. It doesn't matter to me if they ran around and weren't looking at the fireworks the whole time. There was a family next to us where Mom was obviously at the end of her rope and threatened to take the whole family home if anyone else complained about the wait. I can't judge, but my thought is that kids aren't perfect and yelling at them only taints the positive aspects of the day. At the end of the day, they had fun. That's the important part.
Oh and one more completely unrelated note. Dave got Seasons 1 and 2 of Titus, an old Fox TV sitcom. Often you watch these things and they aren't as good as you remember. Well, this one isn't as good as I remember, it's better. Kudos to you, Christopher Titus (writer and star). Well done.
Our family had an excellent Canada Day, very low key for the most part. We went for a drive in the morning, which the boys always seem to enjoy. We drove out into cottage country and got to see some of the lovely picturesque little towns outside of Ottawa. Nathan drifted off for the last little bit, but Alex seemed quite alert and interested throughout. Then we had a nice lunch and took the boys out for a walk to the park. They were enjoying themselves quite a bit, although I had the thought that we looked like a divorced family, one parent and one kid each, well separated at all times. :) Nathan started to fade after a bit so I brought him back home to nap but Dave and Alex stayed out for well over an hour.
The boys got their supper at their usual time, but neither of them were inclined to settle down so Dave and I decided that we would let them stay up until the fireworks. We'd planned to wake them up to go, but if they weren't sleepy, there didn't seem to be much point in putting them in their rooms. Dave actually did most of the labour on our supper, a very traditional Canadian dish: Old El Paso tacos. :) Nathan surprised us by sitting down at table with us and helping himself to meat, cheese and tortilla chips. He ate a fairly decent second supper and was chatting away with us the whole time. Alex is still quite disgusted at the sight of us eating and spent the time watching his favourite shows without his brother to annoy him.
The fireworks were lots of fun. We're lucky enough to have found a good spot to watch the Kanata display that isn't too crowded (mainly because it seems to be a major mosquito breeding ground). We arrived ten minutes before the show and were home twenty minutes after it finished. And there was plenty of room for the boys to run around and still have a good view. We brought some glowsticks, which Alex loved. He collected them from all of us, although we stopped him from taking all of Nathan's. When the fireworks started, Alex was jumping up and down and shrieking with laughter and excitment; Nathan was so startled that he sat down on the ground with his mouth open, staring at the sky. But pretty soon Nathan was dancing in place and giggling just like his brother. Alex lost interest halfway through but was very interested in the reflection of his glowsticks in a nearby car window.
Both boys are cranky today from lack of sleep, but I still count it as a good experience. They had a lot of fun, got to spend time with both parents and most importantly, we kept expectations light. It doesn't matter to me if they ran around and weren't looking at the fireworks the whole time. There was a family next to us where Mom was obviously at the end of her rope and threatened to take the whole family home if anyone else complained about the wait. I can't judge, but my thought is that kids aren't perfect and yelling at them only taints the positive aspects of the day. At the end of the day, they had fun. That's the important part.
Oh and one more completely unrelated note. Dave got Seasons 1 and 2 of Titus, an old Fox TV sitcom. Often you watch these things and they aren't as good as you remember. Well, this one isn't as good as I remember, it's better. Kudos to you, Christopher Titus (writer and star). Well done.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
New Update
It's been awhile since we posted. It's been fairly hectic here but we're slowly starting to slow down.
Nathan is doing very well with his therapy, making good progress on his language and social skills. Alex has also been doing well and seems to be enjoying his therapy.
There's not a whole lot to report. Life continues its grind. We're starting to realize that the trip in November is coming more quickly than we realized and it's time to start making more plans and making sure we have what we need.
Nathan is doing very well with his therapy, making good progress on his language and social skills. Alex has also been doing well and seems to be enjoying his therapy.
There's not a whole lot to report. Life continues its grind. We're starting to realize that the trip in November is coming more quickly than we realized and it's time to start making more plans and making sure we have what we need.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Starfield for Nathan
We've always felt bad that Nathan didn't have a special touch to his room the way Alex has with his mural. So Jenn got the idea to put stars up for Nathan. Originally we were going to paint something, based on the color and speckle layout on the back of one of Alex's toys, but getting that together never happened. While out last week, Jenn found some glow-in-the-dark stars and planets, and we figured we would give that a try. To get a reasonable layout, we used his Star Turtle, a light-projector which projects pseudo-constellations and gives a good density (click pictures to enbiggen):
These pictures were taken with our mini camera, which performed way better than I expected it would. Naturally, long-shutter photography inspires play with an available laser pointer:
But one quick trip back to the mall to pick up a small number of stars to fill out the ceiling a bit more, and we get the result:
There are around 120 stars plus some planets up on his walls and ceiling now. We hope he likes it. I think it turned out really well.
These pictures were taken with our mini camera, which performed way better than I expected it would. Naturally, long-shutter photography inspires play with an available laser pointer:
But one quick trip back to the mall to pick up a small number of stars to fill out the ceiling a bit more, and we get the result:
There are around 120 stars plus some planets up on his walls and ceiling now. We hope he likes it. I think it turned out really well.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Roadtrip
Our latest trip to Toronto for the sibling study went quite well. Memee kept Nathan awake through the morning and early afternoon, so he crashed almost as soon as he was strapped into the car. And he woke up about ten minutes before we reached the McDonald's Playplace that I was planning to stop for dinner. It's been a long time since I had McDonald's and I think it'll be a long time again, but Nathan enjoyed it. He very carefully helped himself to all the little ketchup cups and grabbed my milkshake. He still doesn't know how to drink from a straw but he made a good try of it. And he got to have a good run around which made him much happier to get back in the car for the second half of the trip.
Nathan did a lot better staying in the hotel with me. I think he liked having my undivided attention. And being able to fall asleep in front of the TV. Nathan had a grand old time running around the room, playing with his toys. And eventually he climbed up on the bed and snuggled up until he fell asleep.
He woke up bright and early the next morning. Unfortunately, he didn't like the French toast that I ordered him for breakfast so his birthday breakfast was a bottle of milk and a cup full of Cheerios. But he was a real hit with all the hotel staff. They made faces at him and he just lapped up the attention.
His assessment went well. I think having the appointment in the morning and a reasonable night's sleep the night before helped a lot. He still ended up falling asleep in my lap two thirds of the way through. They saw a lot of improvement in his eye contact and verbal skills. His receptive language has gone from an 11 month level to a 15 month level in the last three months.
The trip home went fairly well. Nathan didn't sleep so we took more frequent breaks. He is definitely the darling of the roadside Tim Hortons along the 401. Once they found out it was his birthday, he got a free chocolate chip cookie at one place, a free Timbit in another and a free bag of pretzels in another. All in all, I think he had a good experience. And so did I.
Nathan did a lot better staying in the hotel with me. I think he liked having my undivided attention. And being able to fall asleep in front of the TV. Nathan had a grand old time running around the room, playing with his toys. And eventually he climbed up on the bed and snuggled up until he fell asleep.
He woke up bright and early the next morning. Unfortunately, he didn't like the French toast that I ordered him for breakfast so his birthday breakfast was a bottle of milk and a cup full of Cheerios. But he was a real hit with all the hotel staff. They made faces at him and he just lapped up the attention.
His assessment went well. I think having the appointment in the morning and a reasonable night's sleep the night before helped a lot. He still ended up falling asleep in my lap two thirds of the way through. They saw a lot of improvement in his eye contact and verbal skills. His receptive language has gone from an 11 month level to a 15 month level in the last three months.
The trip home went fairly well. Nathan didn't sleep so we took more frequent breaks. He is definitely the darling of the roadside Tim Hortons along the 401. Once they found out it was his birthday, he got a free chocolate chip cookie at one place, a free Timbit in another and a free bag of pretzels in another. All in all, I think he had a good experience. And so did I.
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