Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Costumes and Cousins

Tomorrow is Halloween....what will Jax be? Perhaps Kermit the Frog for the 3rd year in a row...hmmm....we'll have to wait and see....

Jackson loves to jump on the tramoline at Aunt Jackies. Tonight we had to go over and visit and he had the best time jumping with his cousin Taylor. Taylor really does a great job with Jackson and has grown closer to him since she went on a long weekend with us. She just seems to 'know' how to engage him. It was heartwarming to see them together tonight...

Monday, October 29, 2007

Super Why

Maybe the post title is misleading. Perhaps it should say, "Super Why".

Super Why is a cute new computer animated show on PBS. Though Jackson isn't able to watch it on TV (as it's on at 9:00 am), he loves the website; and so do I! Yes, it's still a show geared towards kids younger than him, (which means Cal is benefiting from it too!). But, he's playing many of the games on the site including spelling games and vocabulary exercises. He's recently taken to identifying with the main character (Wyatt) "Super Why with the power to read," and maybe, somehow, by the grace of God, Jackson will gain the power to read.

Want to check it out for yourself? Here's a link:
www.pbskids.org/superwhy

Super Why has already made magic in our house: we created an iron on using images from the web and viola Jackson is wearing long sleeved shirts...yes, we've graduated beyond the Bert and Ernie patches.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

How you can tell when:

you've pushed your son too far:
  • he stims on one phrase over and over
  • he returns to a previous stim phrases
  • he easily frustrates/cries/lashes out
  • he repeatedly asks for something he knows he cannot have
  • he does all of the above

"All of the above" would describe Jackson tonight. Today, Dan took him to Science Central (local kids science museum), Wal-Mart for groceries, Home Depot for paint then out to dinner at Chik-Fil-A. Maybe it was just a bit too much for him.

BUT, we all know what it's like to have "just one more thing" to get down. Sometimes in ASD land, one more thing is just enough to push a kid over the edge.

hmmmm....I hope he's sleeping now......

Thursday, October 25, 2007

"2:00 am and I'm still awake....

can you help me unravel my latest mistake..."

So, I'm not Anna Nalick, but my latest mistake was letting Jackson open the gift dvd from Aunt Rainey and Uncle Robbie "Jack's Big Music Show". Well, Jax loves this show and so we were all up at 3 am watching it while he squealed with delight. At least it's a tolerable show...I can't imagine Barney at 3 am and sleep deprived.

He's tired today (so am I); it makes him more mellow. I'm hoping he'll fall asleep early tonight.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Art

Jackson is working on the art badge/pin in Cub Scouts. It was one of the electives I knew he could do without a bunch of help from me. So far we've worked on a color wheel (using paint so he could see how the colors changed using primary colors), and a collage of sorts with cut-outs and stickers of things he likes and does. We also worked on a clay sculpture. The art teacher at school fired it for us. I brought it home and have asked him a few times if he wanted to paint it; "No" emphatically was the answer. Guess what Jackson decided to do this morning? Yep, use the poster paints to paint his fish. Actually, as it dries it looks more messy, but he was pretty deliberate about using different colors and definitely had a plan for how he wanted it to look.

Just once, for even a moment, I'd like to get into that head of his and 'hear' what he is really thinking...sometimes I wonder if he thinks like he talks, ya know? Because, I think like I talk. I hear my words in my head...can Jackson here complete thoughts or is it more random, like his words...hmmmmm....

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Stuck

When Jackson gets an idea in his head about something, many times it's almost impossible to dissuade him. He's literally like a broken record (or a skipping CD in todays lingo).

Today, it's that he wants to go to the bookstore...Barnes and Noble actually. He wants to go and buy another Arthur and DW doll. Never mind the fact that he already has four of each. I think he's decided it's his life mission to hoard all the Arthur dolls in NE Indiana!

This, of course, as always comes back to something I did that backfired on me. When he started 4th grade we decided to discourage taking 'toys' to school. For Jackson, toys are a multitude of Sesame Street characters, Teletubbies, or Muppets Characters. Previously he took up to half a dozen such toys to school everyday in a cinch sack. We decided maybe 4th grade was the time to limit such a habit and replace it with a more age appropriate practice. This was the advent of Arthur. In all my infinite wisdom I decided Arthur was an age appropriate character he liked. So, I bought him an Arthur with a backpack at B & N and told him, that Arthur was going to 4th grade with him. We even took pictures of Arthur with him at school as he visited his classroom before school started.

So, we've graduated to taking 8 characters to school each day in the cinch sack (again) 4 Arthurs and 4 DW's . Each, of course, is carrying a backpack, ready for school.

Sometimes, I'd just love to get inside his head.....

Thursday, October 18, 2007

In Your Face

Again.

I had out all the old paperwork from the beginning of this journey. Back then there were countless appointments and professionals all with different opinions, most afraid to say the 'a' word to us.

Came across the technical medical reports from the child neurologist we drove 2 hours each way to see. As a glance over the reports some of the words still jab at me like a knife:
"abnormal"
"dysfunctional"
"no response"
"delayed"
"damaged"
*Sigh* it's been, what? Six years and these words still take my breath from me. They echo in my mind and bounce off the walls reminding me of all the things my son is not. Making it difficult to focus on all the things he is...
tender
curious
gentle
hesitant
happy, yes, I think so
happy

So, why is it then, that these worn-out words on an old report strike out at me?

hmmmm
autism is a journey, not a joyride.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

"how can his outside...

look so normal and his inside be so broken?" from Rules by Cynthia Lord.

Wow! This is a great book, I'm only half way through but totally recommend it to anyone who knows and loves a kid with autism.

Enough said.

Jackson is 10! He is convinced now that we're headed back to Disney (since I told him we're going to mickey mouses house because you're going to be 10, it's the Disney Double Digit). Yeah, can you say "idiot", AGAIN! I just forget how very literally the kid absorbs things. Now, he gets up in the morning and announces, "It's time to pack your bags".

Broken....

Monday, October 8, 2007

Here we Are

The rash is basically gone, thanks to zyrtec and steriod cream.

He'll be 10 Friday. I can hardly believe it!

We went to Lazer X for his birthday party. It was such a wonderful time. Who would have guessed that I'd survive with 6 boys and Jackson? The boys were all sooo good. I kept waiting for it to get crazy. Granted, my tolerance is probably greater than most; especially for these boys who are so good to Jackson. They agreed to eating cake and ice cream almost as soon as we arrived b/c Jax was starving. Then when we sang to Jackson, he insisted we sing to Arthur (not him). For some strange reason, he doesn't like "happy birthday dear Jackson"...anyway, all seemed to have a good time, Jackson included. Which meant I had a good time.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Poison Something

I got a call from the school today; Jack has a rash on his leg and it's also in the crease of his elbow.

I pick him up, swing by CVS for Benedryl and Calomine gel; then get him home to find it's all up and down his leg and on his rear end! I'm wondering if he sat in something? I can't imagine where or when!!!!

Dan'll take him to the dr. tomorrow.