Recovering Jack

Oh, Jack!

2011-05-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Today I heard that Jack's friend, Hayden, had not listened to his Mom when she asked him to turn off his Wii. Her response was to remove the Wii game and break it in half. Wow! That's a consequence. I shared this story with Jack, hoping that he could benefit from the lesson without having endured the consequence himself.

After sharing the story, Jack said (unprompted about learning a lesson) "Hey! I learned something from that story about Hayden!" "Really? What did you learn?" I asked. Jack replied:

"I learned fractions! I learned one half!!!"

Oh, Jack. You funny boy. (and yes, he totally missed the point.)

A BIG Loss!

2010-08-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Check out what happened at lunch today at school...Jack was SO excited!

He happily sat down, smiled a TON, showed his lost tooth and told the story of how his tooth fell out at lunch. My favorite part of the story was when he said "And you know what I said when it fell out? I jumped up and said "FINALLY! It was taking forever!"

Isn't he cute? He is so proud!

I'd better keep the light on tonight for the Tooth Fairy!

Welcome to 2nd Grade!!!

2010-08-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day! Jack will be in 2nd grade and has the distinct blessing of having his most amazing Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ward, (seen here) as his now-2nd grade teacher!

Today we organized a playdate for all the upcoming 2nd graders at the school's playground. We thought it might be fun to get back into the swing of things by seeing all the old faces as we were learning who was in each class. It was an incredibly hot day (97, heat index 104) but there were lots of troopers who braved the heat to join us!

Lots of Jack's former classmates were there and several of his current classmates, who will join him in Mrs. Ward's class, were there too!

You know it is hot when the kids choose to sit UNDER the playground equipment!

The highlight of the event was when Mrs. Ward came out to see the kids. As soon as they saw her, they all ran toward her like she was carrying ice cream! She is one of the most loved teachers. There was lots of hugging...

There were lots of cuties there! Here are a couple that stopped running with their friends long enough for me to grab a picture!

Vishnu - Jack's classmate for 2 years now! He pushes Jack as one of the best readers in the class.

Niles and his brother, Nicholas, and mom, Andrea. Sweet Niles was in Jack's class last year.

Charlie, little brother to Clarissa.

Clarissa, Jack's friend since Kindergarten. Clarissa claims she and Jack are going to get married some day!

And, my ever adorable 2nd grader! I can barely believe it!

Jack, here we go! Another year to learn, navigate & grow! I'm so glad you have such a kind heart to guide you on your way this year! I'm so proud of you already!

It's NEVER Easy Come, Easy Go

2010-07-01T15:46:00.001-07:00

Summer is in full swing (and my work is as well), and blogging has become a thought that never quite makes it to the keyboard...

So what brings me out of the woodwork to post? My poor baby is losing another friend...to geographical difficulty.

In preschool, Jack bonded with an adorable friend, Connor, and his sweet little brother, Aiden. Mom Michelle was such a help to me when Tyler was born, driving Jack to and from preschool every day during those first few weeks. The 3 boys together had an easy friendship and it was a joy to watch. Living on a busy road with no neighbors his age, combined with a very small sunday school class of his peers, seemed to leave Jack with little opportunities for friendship to blossom. I thanked God for Connor and Aiden and for the friendship that was developing. But Connor and Aiden moved to Texas at the beginning of the summer when their dad was transferred. We were happy that the boys would now get to spend time with their Texas family but were so sad to see them go.

pictured above with Owen (another classmate) and his sister Olivia

Kindergarten began that Fall and one particular boy showed a spark of interest in Jack and soon, an amazing friendship developed. Jayden has an easy spirit and is quite frankly the most polite boy I have ever met. Jack is very fond of Jayden and we have experienced the right of passage of boyhood with Jayden: Sleepovers. The 2 boys love to play, watch movies, play Wii and DS and yet go to bed with ease at bedtime in Jack's bunk beds.

Today I got a call from Jayden's mom, Tawanna. Seems that Jayden's dad has accepted a job in Atlanta, and they will be moving before Summer ends. I haven't told Jack yet...I fear his little heart will break. Rest assured, Jayden, that you will be missed in this Halbert house! Both Jack and Tyler love you so!

Time will heal this wound, and my hope is that a new friend will come in to view soon. Good thing he has his little brother. I hope they remain best friends for life.

Things Change...

2010-05-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I accompanied Jack and his class of adorable 1st graders to the Honeysuckle Hill Farm in Springfield TN. This is a great learning farm, and we were headed there this year to release the baby chicks that were visiting in his classroom. (Side note: The class observed duck eggs for 30+ days in an incubator until the floods came and power was knocked out at the school. The duck eggs must have cooled, which was very detrimental to the ducks. Hence the appearance of the chicks.) The chicks were turned over to Farmer Jeff, and everyone was excited to see the chicks in their new home (which was like Disney World to them, noted Ella on the bus ride.) Jack was excited to have me ride the bus with him but really didn't want me to sit with him! We learned all about photosynthesis and brought home crowder pea seeds in a necklace that we are cultivating now. As we walked around the farm, I remembered that in the Fall of Kindergarten we had also come to this farm and our experience had been a little different. He was so anxious for days about riding the bus (told us he wouldn't...but in the end, he did) and finally declared that he would only be a 'field trip bus rider'. This year he rode the bus home nearly every day from school and happily got on the bus for all of the field trips.

There was also a tube slide, and last year he was unable to make it down alone. It took me climbing the ladder, offering lots of coaxing, and the promise of being 'caught' at the bottomo by his assistant Kindergarten teacher. This year he went off and played happily and was disappointed when the short play time was up. Jack even reminded me that Mrs. Haber had caught him last year at the slide when he was scared.

We had a great field trip day. I didn't 'need' to be there...I was attending just like the other chaperoning moms. I saw a couple of sweet boys who WERE struggling with aspects of attending the field trip, and my heart went out to them.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from yesterday...

Jack and his BFF Elita

Jack, Mommy & Mrs. Stark on the hayride

He did ask for me to sit with him on the way home!

But today was a little different. A strong thunderstorm rolled in right at dismissal time at school. It was absolutely pouring down with major (and close) lightening! Even though Jack exhibits no fear of storms or lightning at home, Jack got upset at the thought of riding the bus home in the rain. I received a call from Jack's teacher shortly after dismissal time letting me know that Jack had gotten pretty upset so she had told him it was ok to be a car rider today. So, Jack stayed at school with his teacher until Grandpa was able to pick him up (I was home with sleeping Tyler and Grandpa was on his way over to our house anyway.) We didn't talk about it much when he got home, but he was back to his old self and ready for the weekend!

Things change. The tide keeps moving. The improvements from last year are noticeable and measureable, even if we still have little bumps in the road like today's dismissal.

The Rains Came Down...

2010-05-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

and the floods came up! In true Old Testament fashion, our community has been rocked to its core this past week. 5 days ago, the rain began and by the time it was over 2 days later, many Nashvillians were left devastated amidst a natural disaster of epic proportions. Today, school is still closed. Roads are impassable and the town has pulled together to help those in need. Here's an awesome video that sums it all up...it is truly something we will never forget. We were ever so fortunate to be spared any damage, but many that we know lost much, if not everything...
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I want to ride my bicycle...

2010-04-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

As Jack approaches his 8th birthday, I am ever so proud to announce that he has become a "two wheeled bike rider!" Wow, what an accomplishment! I don't know if I should admit that I'm surprised but, frankly, I am! Jack isn't exactly a sports-minded dude. He enjoys the activities of the gaming folks. He occasionally heads out to the driveway where he has been totally content to tear down the hill and spin out on his low riding metal version of a Big Wheel. He's become quite confident, but it is VERY LOW to the ground, and he likes it that way.

Summer Fun with Tyler

He rarely rode his training wheel adorned bike anymore, sticking to the security of the low rider.

Easter 2009

But then Mario Kart came along. And he watched his favorite characters ride motorcycles and bikes and somehow it got the pump primed. So when Grandpa suggested that they go out and begin the process of learning how to ride without the training wheels, Jack surprised us all and said "YES!"

It didn't take long...a few weeks, maybe. And now he's gaining confidence every day. He can start from a dead stop, brake and turn. He hasn't ventured past driveways and straightaways yet, but I think by the beginning of Summer he'll be traversing Crockett Park's trails like a pro. And Mimi and Grandpa have promised that he can pick out a new, bigger bike whenever he's ready.

I might even have to get a bike to keep up. Way to go, Jack. We are all so very, very proud of you!

Playdate: Take 2

2010-02-23T12:32:00.001-08:00

Jack invited his "bus buddy" Cal, another 1st grader who gets off 1 stop before Jack, over for a playdate last week. He was so excited to have his new friend come over after Friday's half day. At 10:45 a I received a call from Jack's teacher (which is RARE) saying that Jack was a puddle in her lap. He'd heard some devastating news...Cal had gotten sick at school and was waiting to be picked up by his mom. No playdate would take place and Jack was so very sad. I headed over to the school to pick Jack up as a car rider (so he wouldn't have to ride the bus home alone without his playdate friend) and he expressed his disappointment at the turn of events.

Fast forward to a week later, and everyone at Cal's house is happy and healthy, so we rescheduled our playdate for Monday. The boys happily hopped off of the bus together, quickly shed backpacks, coats and shoes and ran to the den to have some fun with the Wii. Cal had brought a new game (Super Mario Brothers, Wii version) and the 2 boys had a fantastic time playing together.

Not much else to report, as I was completely excluded. No need for silly ol' Mom to hang out...these boys were having a great time by themselves. The beauty of all of this? No prompting, facilitating, worrying took place at all. Cal is unaware of Jack's shortcomings, and so is his mom. She popped in at 5 and quickly picked Cal up, other siblings waiting in the car, oblivious to the importance of this event (for me.) Amazing. Normal feels good. REAL good.

Congrats, Jack, on making friends, having playdates and enjoying the fun of being 7. We are so very proud of you.

2.0

2010-02-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

We had a special celebration this weekend in honor of Jack's big news! He has now mastered the entire first grade reading level at school and has moved up to the second grade reading level in the AR program (2.0 - 2.9.)

A month ago or so I offered Jack a little incentive to help motivate him to the 2.0 level. Jack decided that he'd really like for me to make him a cake, NOT a cupcake but a REAL (GFCF) cake, as his special treat. So, when he arrived home on Thursday with his big news, a '2.0' cake was in order!

We all enjoyed eating Jack's special treat and are so proud of our great reader!

Tennessee Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

We are so fortunate to be able to spend the holidays with all of our family every Christmas. This year, after returning from the big holiday festivities with the Halberts in Alabama, we celebrated again with the Quists in Nolensville. Mimi and Grandpa were thrilled to host their favorite (and only) grandchildren, along with their parents, for a fun Christmas celebration. The boys were showered with many gifts and there was food and fun a plenty! What great ages: 7.5 and nearly 2, the boys both find the holiday magical and the gifts exciting! We are blessed beyond measure. Come share a bit of Christmas with us...

Mimi and Grandpa and their two buddies

Let the gift exchange begin!

Trying out their new toys...

Our sweet boys...

and their evil twins! (just kidding)

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

The boys were up early and happy to see that Santa did, indeed, know exactly where we were on Christmas day (at Meemaw's house.) As you can see, Santa's sleigh was weighed down heavily by the numerous wonderful gifts that the boys received.

Both boys loved all of their gifts and excited played with as many as they could during the morning before we headed out to Aunt Ginny & Uncle Erle's house to celebrate Christmas with most of our extended Halbert family, 23 or so of us, including all the little ones! Jack enjoyed playing his new Nintendo DSi against his cousins Amy and Laura, who both had their own DS handhelds with them, along with Laura's husband, Ross! It was a DS fest! It was a fun day all around. Jack kept talking excitedly about all of his "cousins". You'll have to take our word for it, though, since not a single picture was taken that afternoon (SHAME ON ME!)

We saw a lot of THIS for a few days after Jack got his DSi, complete with his favorite game: Super Mario Brothers (after playing it on Christmas day with Amy & Laura.)

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!

Christmas Eve in Dixie

2009-12-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas was very exciting this year, as it often is with little ones. The excitement of decorating the house, seeing Santa, spending time with loved ones and receiving gifts with little kids warms the heart. And to see it times 2 this year made it all the better!

We spent Christmas Eve with the new babies in the family. What fun to see Meemaw's house filled with the laughter and excitement of 4 little ones this year! We've waited a long time for Jack to have siblings and cousins to play with at the holidays...he had to go it alone for many years. Now the house is full with 3 babies under 2 and he loves them all!! We were sure to get a few pictures of the cousins...

Jack giving Preston some cousin-ly advice.

"He comes in with all those presents from WHERE??"

Jack enjoyed being the Christmas "pro" (and the only reader in the kid group) and handed out all the gifts from under Meemaw's tree.

It was a fun evening with our growing family, though we missed cousins Cayce and Jason, who were celebrating with the Williams family this year. Tyler was fascinated with his very own "fish tank" from Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mike.

The boys were happy to head to bed knowing that Santa was coming soon. Of course, they were not disappointed. Santa remembered that they were traveling to Alabama!

(a parting shot of our boys playing...a bit rough at times these days)

Jacky J and the Funky Bunch

2009-12-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

A shot of Jack's classroom holiday performance during the Holiday party...the kids were singing a rap version of "Jingle Bells". It was AWESOME! Jack the rap star...who knew???

Santa is talking...

2009-12-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming and the countdown has begun. Jack checks our advent calendar daily for a little 'gift' each day (I was informed that today's gift of an ornament was BORING.) We are excited to spend the holidays with family and Jack is, of course, excited for what Santa will be bringing.

Yesterday was our day to go and see the man in the big red suit. Jack asked for a sticky note that was 'tall'. I gave him a list-style Post-It note and he began writing:

a guitar
a DSI
picks for the guitar
DSI games

He then came to me and said that maybe he should think of some more things, as his paper wasn't full yet. I told him that his heart was, indeed, full and that maybe he should allow Santa to bring other gifts to some of the other children that don't have as much as he does. He seemed ok with that idea. Off to the mall we went, where Jack shared his list of 'wants' and informed Santa of where we will be on Christmas Eve, so he'll be able to find us. It was sweet to see his innocence for the holiday is still in tact.

The boys after their visit...and Tyler with his 'bravery' reward.

Today Jack received a special video message from Santa himself! He was glued to the monitor, and nodded and responded right along with Santa. He was very surprised that Santa would talk to him directly and I think he was just thrilled with the personal message. Here's that message...

Santa video

My heart welled up as I watched him understand how special this message was and really believe that Santa knew what a good boy he'd been this year and how well he'd tried in school. 7 is truly a magical age and this is a magical time of year.

Our Budding Actor

2009-12-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

Jack and his best class friend, Elita

Jack can add a new title to his resume: Actor. Yes, our sweet 7 year old excitedly participated in his school's First Grade play "A Penguin Christmas" this week. And, I must say, he did AWESOME!!!

In this year's play, Jack's role was that of a (smart aleck) penguin, complete with his very own short but perfectly delivered speaking part! Mimi graciously created a most amazing Penguin costume for our actor to make his acting debut in.

Waiting for the play to start

There was dancing...

Singing...

and a most perfect delivery of his line!

Several times afterwards we heard "he's a natural! he's found his calling! he should consider a career in acting!" We certainly agree! Way to go, Jack!

More to Say

2009-10-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Some days, like today, I pause for a moment and realize that progress is still being made...

ex:

K: I'm going down to the garage to get some Cottonelle wipes...be back in a minute.
J: For me?
K: Yes. I'm getting them for the downstairs bathroom. Do you need any in the upstairs bathroom?
J: No, we don't need any upstairs. There are still some left up there. I just need them downstairs. You know, the bathroom I always go in? But bring some for later for upstairs, too, Mommy, ok?
K: Ok. Got it. I'll bring some extra!

Unusual? Not in the least. Except that not too long ago, that conversation would have looked much more like this:

K: I'm going down to the garage to get some Cottonelle wipes...be back in a minute.
J: For me?
K: Yes. I'm getting them for the downstairs bathroom. Do you need any in the upstairs bathroom?
J: No.

There just wasn't much dialogue. It's not something an outsider notices, of course, but when you are around other kids you hear how much more they add to their answer. The back and forth. And then one day, we had it too. I don't think I'm quite used to it, as every once in a while it still takes me by surprise. Just an ordinary moment that isn't so ordinary at all.

Don't Poke His Eye Out (well, just this once)

2009-10-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving at the Halberts...gotta love days like these!

First Sleepover

2009-10-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

We're making memories over here at the Halbert house...Jack is currently having his very first sleepover with his friend Jayden. Jayden and Jack became fast friends while in Kindergarten and, though they are not in class together this year, have stayed good friends. They even get to ride the bus home together on occasion, and both think that is a real treat!

So, when I say that the boys were eager to have their sleepover during Fall Break, that might not do their excitement justice. As we picked up Jayden this morning at 9:30 a.m., both boys were beaming from ear to ear. And their excitement never waned today. They played together, ate together, and played some more. They tolerated an interested toddler little brother, rode bikes, played Wii and in general, had a blast.

Lunching and gaming...

This was the view for a good part of the afternoon...no Mommies or little brothers allowed!

After dinner and a little more playtime, the boys changed into their pajamas and went to hang out in the den. Guess who had to be right in the mix? Little brother Tyler, who adores Jayden so much (that he'll poke him in the eye!)

The boys enjoyed being in front of the camera and decided to try out some different looks. Not sure which one is my favorite, but I think I'm leaning toward silly!

Best buddies!!!

After a quick "Cars" story, the boys were headed to bed. Jayden called "top bunk" and Jack was excited to let his friend have his choice.

They were asleep by 9:15 and as of midnight...not a peep! It doesn't come as much of a surprise that the boys are already planning their next sleepover...though Jack admitted he was not exactly ready to sleep at Jayden's yet.

I'll call this a major milestone and proudly add it to the list of Jack's accomplishments! I'm so glad that Jack has a friend like Jayden and so happy for the excitement of little boys and sleepovers.

May I Introduce You To...Wall-E!

2009-10-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

The upcoming holiday, celebrated each year at October's end, is not a favorite of our little guy. Sure, he's participated in most years, but it isn't the holiday that he counts down toward with gusto. So, as the discussion turned to costumes, there was some waffling. I started to think that, perhaps, the time had come to end the ritual of trick or treating for our eldest. What IS the age that it becomes child fodder?

So you can imagine our delight when Jack proclaimed that he thought he might like a Wall E costume. We discussed creating the costume out of a cardboard box but then decided to peruse the internet...and stumbled upon this beauty!

From the moment it arrived, our little boy has been completely enamored with this costume...

And here's the actual costume in action at our church's Trunk or Treat event, accompanied by a sweet little tree frog.

And again on Halloween night with his friend Clarissa and her family and neighbors.

We're glad to see that trick or treating is alive and well again this year for Jack. It was wonderful to see him enjoying trick or treating with friends (he didn't get excited about Halloween until Clarissa invited him to T or T with her!) and we had a long fun night of neighborhood strolling in the near-rain.

Yesterday's BIG Accomplishment

2009-08-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

A kid rides the bus. What's the big deal, right? Millions of kids do it every day. Well, it' a big deal for THIS kid. This kid said last year that he would NEVER be a bus rider. He'd just be a car rider. In fact, it took a lot of convincing that riding the bus to the Pumpkin Patch field trip was a GOOD idea. Whenever the topic was approached, the response was always the same "I will NEVER be a bus rider." So, you can imagine my surprise when Jack told me that he might like to ride the bus TOMORROW, on his way home during the first week of school.

I don't know what happened to change his mind. Bus riders do get to leave school the earliest, and he might have been told (by me) that you get home faster when you ride the bus, but I'd like to think it was one of those moments where you decide to kick the tail of one of your fears. I don't really know. All I know is that I found myself calling to find out where the bus would pick up my 1st grader and, just a few days later, I was sitting at home at dismissal time, biting my nails just a little, praying that he was happy, content, and traveling home at that very moment. I don't know what I expected, as things can go either way with Jack. I figured that either he'd love it emphatically or else he'd find it wasn't what he expected and he'd never ride again. I sure didn't expect the response I got, though, as he arrived at the top of our driveway yesterday...

Double click on the video if you want to see it without part of it missing...

School Days...Welcome to First Grade!

2009-08-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Summer's over. School's in session! No longer at the bottom of the totem pole, Jack is returning to school with a notch in his (proverbial) belt, comfortable with his surroundings and routine on day 1 because he's done this all before...but now he's a First Grader! Woo hoo!

Friday was the official start of school with a warm up consisting of a 3.5 hour day. Just enough to get your feet wet but not a full commitment to the program! Jack and I drove to school, outfitted in a selection from his newly expanded assortment of Standard School Attire (think uniform) and sporting his excellent "rock star" coif.

Though nervous, he put on a brave face and walked confidently on the school grounds that seemed as comfortable as last year's bathing suit at the start of the next summer. A little unfamiliar but still a good fit...

Already mapped out and committed to memory, we found Mrs. Stark's classroom right away. She is a sweet and inviting teacher and made all of the students feel welcome immediately!

We found Jack's cubby, #10, and his DESK (this is new!), where he was seated beside new friend Reid and across from his Speech Teacher's daughter, Natalie. Though no old friends were in sight, Jack seemed to welcome this new experience and sat comfortably, attached his name tag to his shirt and checked out the papers on his desk.

Oh my goodness, textbooks!!!

Mrs. Myers stops by to welcome Jack to school.

His sweet friend Jayden came over from the classroom across the hall and, ever so brotherly, told Jack that he'd be right across the hall if Jack needed him. My heart melted!!!

I stayed for a few minutes longer, soaking up this moment and all of the nervous drama that was NOT occurring (no clinging to my leg, asking me to stay, with big eyes pleading) and then kissed him and assured him that I'd be back to pick him up at the car rider line at 11:30.

That was it! Wow. How easy! What a brave, sweet, big boy! I went to the parents' reception for a moment and then, on my way out, stuck my head in his doorway and peered in the room. I found the class, seated on the floor at Mrs. Stark's feet, captured by her every word. And in the middle, quiet and attentive, was my amazing little man.

The report that followed at pick up was short and positive. It was a 'great' day. He was only nervous for the first part of the morning. He sat with only 1 friend at lunch (because he was at the end of the table). He got to be the line leader on the way to the cafeteria, which he loved. And he received a "Perfect Day" behavior rating from the teacher. He was quick to share with me her scale for the class:

1. Perfect Day
2. Warning
3. 5 minute time out
4. 10 minute time out/note home
5. You blew it! (principal's office)

I am thrilled with the start of the school year for Jack. He has 2 full days under his belt now as well and is still enjoying it. I am so excited to watch him learn and grow this year in a new classroom with new academic challenges! I think it is going to be a great year.

First Grade Preview...Roster Sneak Peek

2009-08-13T21:44:00.001-07:00

Last night Jack and I (with Tyler and Grandpa in tow) headed over to school to see the 1st grade rosters that were posted on the school's front door the same day. Finally we got to see who Jack's 1st Grade teacher will be!

Jack scanned the list and found his name. His new teacher is the awesome Mrs. Stark. She's a perfect teacher for Jack and I know he's going to have another fabulous year! He found his friends names scattered about in other classes and pretty quickly had seen all he needed to see and was ready to head to the new and improved playground!

As we were walking to the playground he said "There are 19 friends in my class!" How ever did he count all those names so quickly? That little stinker!

Today was full of apprehension, as the reality of tomorrow is closing in. He said that he was scared. That he thought he wouldn't do well. He is nervous that the fans will turn on in the gym. So we talked about the fact that there wouldn't be PE tomorrow (it's a 1/2 day), what to do when the fans come on (cover your ears), what we expected the day to be like (my best guess), and how awesome it is that he already knows where his class is, where all the specials are, where the cafeteria is and that he knows 3 kids already in his class. This seemed to calm him a bit, and he enjoyed it when I prayed at bedtime for a great day with no nervousness.

I also reminded him that I will be taking his picture because tomorrow IS the first day of school...and it's a rule. Hee hee!

Good luck, our sweet boy! We know you'll win over all your new friends with your sweet spirit. Enjoy first grade! We are so proud of you!

Chicken Nugget Hiatus

2009-08-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, you know that I grumble about making homemade GFCF chicken nuggets. I make them because I love my child. And, that child will ONLY eat the same homemade chicken nuggets that I've been making since he was 2 or so. That's 5 yrs of weekly chicken nugget making. Surely even Truett Cathy and Colonel Sanders got sick of frying chicken, right? I digress...

It seems that of late Sir Jack grew tired of the same old nugget. But, in his stubborn rigidity and resistance to change, he would eat basically no other dinner entree. We had gotten, this summer, to a success of sampling a bite or two of hamburger here and there, and he would actually eat baked chicken every now and again, but the chicken I was slaving over and offering each evening was going untouched on his plate. So, like all good mothers, I offered an ultimatum: Eat what is on your plate tomorrow night (of chicken nuggets) or I'll stop making them. Well, long story not so long, he refused to eat them on said night and agreed to a week w/o chicken. He really had grown sick of them after all!

So, the week drug on, with a few painfully long nights as we waited up to 1.5 hours for him to eat 4 bites of hamburger...and some better nights of 10 bites of 'white' (baked) chicken. And, surprisingly, at the end of the week, Jack declared that he's "tired of Mommy's new chicken (as he calls the nuggets) and only likes Mimi's new chicken, which tastes just right."

So I suppose I've received a chicken nugget cooking reprieve. He's eating more and more baked chicken but hasn't expanded his dinner repertoire thus far to include any other new entree. We'll keep plugging away at one of the biggest issues we have at this point.

I leave you with a picture of Jack, nearly 3 yrs. old, eating the chicken he has finally grown tired of. I can't even imagine how many days he has eaten that chicken!!

Can You Hear Her? The Tooth Fairy Is Coming Tonite!

2009-07-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

That's right, tooth #2 has finally departed from the sweet smile of my 7 year old. We waiting long and hard for that tiny tooth to vacate the premises! It fell out as Jack was getting his teeth brushed, rather aggressively, from his impatient Mommy!

I love Jack's reaction to this event. Both times he is excited and absolutely petrified at the same time. There was no crying, but his bottom lip quivered ever so slightly as he reflected on the blood trickling down the water glass after a rinse. He didn't want to talk about it much. He said he was tired and had to go straight to bed "so he could get plenty of sleep." He did say that the blood was terrible and was thrilled when I explained that the blood had, in fact, stopped flowing.

Relieved just a little, he happily went to bed, tooth placed neatly beside his bed in easy reach for the Tooth Fairy to make her return visit with his treasure. He hopes for $50, he said. Sadly, not in these economic times, my friend!

I believe that the Tooth Fairy was quite pleased with the location of said tooth, so as to save her from all that wrangling about with the pillow and slumbery boy and all.

Bittersweet moments, watching your children grow up right before your eyes. I just know that in a minute he's going to be asking for my car keys. It makes me a bit weak in the knees, the speed of all of it, to be honest.

Trash Talking

2009-06-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Explaining "trash talking" (we won't even go into why we were having this discussion) to our literal, logical 7 year old is difficult, at best. He walked away with an unconvincing understanding that it is "inappropriate" and not something that you should do.

However, in the process, here's how his attempt at "trash talking" went:

"I think you don't want to, um, I think you don't want to suck something..oh, I don't know." (I think he was loosely emulating the ever popular trash talking phrase of "You suck!") Thanks, Wipeout for yet another life lesson we are having here at the Halbert house, thanks to Season 2.

...another discussion this evening started with "Mommy, what's a "cheap date"? We might have to go back to "G" only programming!!!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

2009-06-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago Jack decided that, just like Nemo, he would now call his Daddy "Dad". And just like that, "Dad" it was. Dad doesn't seem to mind...but I am reminded once again of just how fast our little guy is growing up!

My Dad, by Jack (7)

Daddy is all grown up. I like it when he plays me in chess. My favorite thing about my Dad is that he tickles me a lot and I love that! - Jack

Here are a few of our Father's Day presents for dear old Dad... We love you Dad. Thanks for always showing the boys how much you love them and for tickling and playing crazy in a way that Mommies just can't do!!! I love to watch you and the boys together...thank you for being their dad. We love you! Love, Mommy, Jack & Tyler

Chess Camp - What a SUCCESS!

2009-06-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

This week Jack experienced his first summer "camp". We wanted something that was of interest to him and wouldn't be too big of challenge for him. We introduced the idea of Chess Camp to him earlier in the Spring and were thrilled when he decided it sounded like fun! The camp is a national traveling camp, hosted at BGA, and has the option of a week long daily full day or half day session. We chose the half day, not knowing how it was all going to play out. This was a big test, of sorts. We did NO preparation with the camp...no notification in advance, no shadow/friend to go along, just Jack and his chess skills and some prayer!!!

Jack arrived on Monday afternoon quite nervous, not knowing what to expect. There were 10 other kids in his afternoon session, and his instructor, Matt, was amazing. The kids ranged in age from 6 - 13. Jack was not the youngest but he was certainly the smallest! Skill levels ranged as well, and Jack placed 9th out of 11 in skills at the start of the week. Lots of room for growth, right?

By the end of the week, Jack was really enjoying camp! He had learned a lot and Matt encouraged us to keep Jack involved in chess. He's a natural, Matt said, and he shows lots of promise! Jack is proud to have attended Chess Camp and we are excited to have a little boy with a first summer camp under his belt!!

Our proud chess player with his trophy!!!

The Burden I Carry Is Light...

2009-06-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted of much other than the sweet happenings of our little life. And much, oh so much, of it is sweet. I am enjoying watching the bond grow stronger and stronger between our two boys and I thank God every day for giving me a heavy heart for a second child and for the strength to forge ahead amidst the fear. Tyler is a huge blessing to Jack, and vice versa. They spend many hours in the day together just playing and laughing. They look for each other as soon as they wake each day. And I am happy.

Many days, I must admit, I am blessed to have such a feeling of normalcy within our home. Jack is doing amazingly well. Dare I admit that some days I barely remember that he has autism? It is true. And for this I am also happy beyond measure.

And maybe that is why, on days like today, it catches me off guard a bit, when the autism rears its head and punches me in the gut. A phone call from my parents, keeping the kids overnite, as Mom shares that Jack was uncharacteristically "not himself" and threw a toy at their entertainment center with, seemingly, no reason. He was difficult to engage at times and was, overall, just 'off' for part of the stay. And I'm reeling from the blow.

Then a reminder that tomorrow starts an entirely new program at church for Sunday School. 3 grades (1st - 3rd) together all summer for a Scripture Memory type class along with lots of changes to come on Wed. nights (including a Drama program - drama? Could he even DO drama?) and for the forseeable future...and again, I'm hurled back into our modified life. I have to find someone to attend with him at least for a few weeks (it will be me)...there will be a lot of changes, no warning, I fear the class will be way over his head...and I'm not prepared. What if he can't handle it? There is no where else for him to go...and just like that, I'm back to where I've been so often before. Hello, darkness, my old friend...

In reality, the burden that I carry is light these days. And for that I am grateful. Not happy, but grateful. I'm not a whiner, I do not wish for a life that I cannot have, and I know that my lot in life in general and in specific could be so different than it is. But when it sneaks up behind me and whacks me in my knees, I wish, just for a minute, to blink and have our version of "normal" back, whatever that is. More and more, we deviate just for a minute or two or three, and then back to our normal it goes for a spell. I'm hoping those stretches will continue to get longer and longer as the whacking in the knees never feels good.

I love this boy, and his little brother, more than life itself. Here's one of a million reasons why...how could you not love a boy who loves icing off the beater???

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

2009-05-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on! Just ONE more day until our Disney vacation starts. Jack is thrilled but is currently quite disappointed that he managed to get strep throat just moments before our big trip! He's been medicated for 24 hours now and we're hoping he'll be back to feeling like his old self by flight time tomorrow.

Jack and Disney. They go together like milk and cookies. It is hands down his favorite place to go on the planet. He's been there too many times to count. He had been to all 4 Disney World parks before he turned 1. With Mimi and Grandpa both working at Disney, we were spoiled to have frequent and free access to the parks. But since Mimi and Grandpa's retirement and move to TN, our trips have been much less frequent and, consequently, more sacred. We pack a lot of "Disney" into our trips now.

This will be the first time we'll take little brother Tyler to WDW. It sure will be interesting to see how a nap-needing-want-to-walk-alone-toddler will impact our usually fast paced trip. But Jack is excited to show him the ropes and wonders what Tyler's favorite ride will be. I'm sure it will be the fastest, wildest ride that he's allowed to go on!!! Our little daredevil!

I'm going to need big brother's help on the plane tomorrow. We're both hoping Tyler won't be too wild on the 1.5 hour plane ride!!!

Jack is a veteran air traveler. Has been flying to FL and various other states (CA, MA, IL to name a few) since he was a tot. He's a pro.

Does this look like the kind of toddler that will sit quietly in his Mommy's lap for nearly 2 hours?

Here is a look back at Disney with Jack. I don't have the oldest pictures on my computer, since it was before we went digital. I think I could chronicle his entire life through Disney pictures. Maybe someday that would make a good photo book. I can't wait to see what new memories we capture with both boys this trip!!!

We plan on having an awesome time at our favorite stomping grounds. Jack is ready to show Tyler the ropes of his most favorite vacation place of all time! I hope the park is ready for US!!!!

"See" ya when we get back!!!

The Gift

2009-05-20T22:25:00.001-07:00

Jack's teacher wrote a letter to me sharing her perspective on Jack's kindergarten year in her classroom. A wonderful teacher, I had the pleasure of being the Room Mom in her classroom. As the year was coming to an end, I asked her not to purchase anything for me as a thank you but, instead, to write me a letter as my "gift". And what a gift it is! I'm so thrilled to hear how well Jack is doing as the year comes to a close. I hope that you can share in our joy. Our little boy has come so far!!!

Dear Karen (and family),
What a joy it has been to spend this year with Jack! At times challenging, at other times humorous, at ALL times an adventure – this year has been unique (I know, they all are, but Jack had a lot to do with the “feel” of our class personality this year).
As I look back to the beginning of the year, I remember thinking that Jack was adapting remarkably to kindergarten. A full day with many transitions, eighteen other children, a new schedule to learn, a sensory onslaught in and outside of my room – WOW –he negotiated all of it in his own way.
But as I see him now, in May, I realize how anxious he must have been in September. Jack was scripting nonstop, he would get under the tables on some occasions (usually during afternoon centers), he was playing and socializing in a very parallel way, and would stay by himself during recess. He needed his Ed. Assistant most of the day to scaffold and modify our tasks (especially Writing Workshop) as well as assist with the bathroom. Often he was fearful during PE and I remember that I tracked the daily schedule chart every day because it seemed to comfort Jack.
Fast forward to May – what a metamorphosis (it’s a change, a great BIG change!) Jack is working independently with an occasional prompt or two (no need for timers or lists). His writing is phenomenal – he can get HIS OWN IDEAS on paper (quite the higher order thinking skill). He happily chooses different centers in the afternoon (he was fixated on Tubs at the beginning of the year). Jack is the center of the social universe in our class. He has many friends, plays with others during center time and outdoors, hugs them, and carries on back and forth conversations with friends and teachers. Jack shares his happy news about playing chess and having sleepovers with his grandparents, Wall-E adventures, and fun with Tyler. On our class favorites writing task, almost everyone mentioned Jack as one of their favorite friends. I love the picture of Jack with his classroom family of friends around him during his birthday party!
Classic Jack moments in Kindergarten:
That Jack voice is classic in itself!!!
Walking in the hall – he has his own pace, but he’s coming (I can hear him ☺ - zero zone shmero zone).
He predicted in November when the 100th day would fall – he was right, of course.
When I sing “Ten more minutes” (the warning that clean up time is coming in 10 minutes), he sings in the same tune “No, no, no!”
Jack comes in the door and pronounces the events of the day – “It’s a great day – it’s music day!” or “today is the 163rd day of school!”
Once I say something, Jack never forgets. I said we could change special places when all children were present. As soon as we had 100% attendance, Jack reminded me it was time to change special places.
One winter dismissal, I had a particularly frantic time getting everyone zipped, and gloves and hats on before we made our way down the hall. Halfway down the hall, Jack announced he had forgotten his backpack. We stopped so he could go get it. Then another child yelled that Jack did not have his lunch box. So he went back to get it. Then Jack said he was not zipped – so I made sure he was zipped with hood up and fastened. All you could see were his eyes. We got to the front porch and he yelled, “Mrs. Ward, we have a problem! I can’t breathe!!”
During most of the year, Jack (and many others) were fearful of our loud flushing toilet. The children had it worked out that whoever used the bathroom after Jack would just flush it for him. Just recently, Jack flushed the toilet all by himself and announced it loudly and proudly (and with some sense of surprise and shock). He has continued to flush ever since (and wants to add toilets to each day of our calendar to show his mastery!)
It has been my pleasure to walk beside Jack this year! We are all teachers; we are all learners – I have learned so much from Jack. I look forward to hearing all about his summer and his adventures in first grade. Thank you SO much for all you have given to me and to this class – you have made it a much richer experience for us all.
Much love and respect xoxoxoxo,
Mrs. W.

Here is Jack with his teacher during their class "Celebration" on Monday. Mrs. W. is sharing with the class some kind words about Jack to the class and parents, as she did with each child. He was proud to stand there with her!!

Ready for Wipeout: The Second Season!

2009-05-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Jack often stays up reading in his bed after bedtime. We don't usually say anything since he doesn't seem to stay up too late and it is kind of cute.

The other night I found him sprawled out with one arm on his Wipeout book of memories from our November trip to the set and the other arm on his "Top Secret" book. This book is a series of Power Point slides showing the obstacle order of the first 4 episodes of the upcoming season. I think he's ready for the new season to begin!

You can catch the new season on abc on Wednesdays at 8E/7C beginning in just 8 days on May 27th!

My Mommy - Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

My Mom by Jack Halbert, age 7

An interview on Mom, through a son's eyes...

What is something mom always says to you? I love you so much

What makes mom happy? when I finish my homework quickly and when I'm kind to Tyler.

What makes mom sad? If I get angry

How does your mom make you laugh? She says silly things to me

What was your mom like as a child? she went to school

How old is your mom? 40

How tall is your mom? Maybe 50 inches or 13 feet.

What is her favorite thing to do? my favorite wii game is Wall-E. Your favorite game is WonderWorld Amusement Park. And Make me do my homework.

What does your mom do when you're not around? feed Tyler

If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? for being so special

What is your mom really good at? playing with me.

What is your mom not very good at? boxing on the Wii cuz you get tired.

What does your mom do for her job? making lunch and dinner

What is your mom's favorite food? spaghetti

What is your mom's favorite drink? coffee, you REALLY love coffee

What makes you proud of your mom? when you let me stay up after my bedtime

What do you and your mom do together? homework and play Wii.

How are you and your mom the same? We both have brown hair

How are you and your mom different? our hair (style) is different

How do you know your mom loves you? because you say nice words to me and kiss my boo boos and put bandaids on them.

Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Costco. But you love Disney more.

Ready for First Grade

2009-05-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my sweet graduating Kindergartener.

I remember, back in August, sitting in Jack's classroom at Open House as I read the writings of the previous year's Kindergarten students. There, neatly penned on a paper titled "Why You Will Love Kindergarten!" was a paragraph, written by a Kindergartener to my child, sharing some of his/her thoughts about why Mrs. Ward's class was so much fun. While the writing was undoubtedly that of a 5-6 year old, the composition was impressive. Capital letters, appropriate punctuation, lowercase letters, and properly structured sentences. I know, in that moment, that I held my breath and sighed. Kindergarten was going to be HARD. Jack could barely write his first and last name in ALL CAPITALS after a summer of Kindergarten readiness training. "Well", I thought, "we'll just have to make accommodations for his work. It will be ok. He'll do his best."

This week Jack prepared his "sloppy copy" of his Why You Will Love Kindergarten paragraph each nite for homework. He was quick to decide that he would share about afternoon centers and how you get to choose where you want to go. With some very slight suggestion on how not to get too caught up on what happens when there are too many people in a center and you have to take your second choice, his paragraph took form. One sentence on one night, two the next, and this evening he rewrote his final draft on the official yellow page...and at last the culmination of his effort produced this, which I proudly call A WORK OF ART!!!

It says:
Why You Will Love Kindergarten! by Jack Halbert

At afternoon centers, you can go to lots of centers. You can choose like: blocks, tubs, be a teacher, shelf games, computer center, sand/water table. My favrite center is be a teacher.

It literally brought me to tears tonite as I looked on, so proudly, as he wrote each word, along with his choice of punctuation, meticulously, in what Mrs. Ward calls their "best 1st grade handwriting." I'm proud of the thought involved, his ability to create appropriately structured sentences, his ease with punctuation (he had no help at all on this one) and the ease at which he wrote 35 words in one sitting with no complaint or resistance. It has been an amazing year and I am so thankful to his teacher for being a loving, nurturing guide and instructor who has fostered such a wonderful spirit of learning and quiet confidence in our boy. What a remarkable journey Kindergarten has been.

I faced Elementary school this time last year with great trepidation. Jack was unwilling and I was unsure. However, I'm happy to say that I, along with Jack, look forward to first grade for the adventure that it will be!

A Friendship is Blossoming...what an amazing thing to see.

2009-04-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Watching my 2 boys spending time together each evening after dinner is enchanting. Tyler adores his big brother and Jack loves to make crazy sounds and gestures to get Tyler laughing. They even attempt to play the Wii together. There's a lot of love around here. And I never grow tired of watching them interact together. We are blessed, for sure.

seven

2009-04-24T15:42:00.001-07:00

The Party

2009-04-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Jack's party request was, surprisingly, to return to Pump It Up this year. You might call us Pump It Up veterans as this was his 3rd birthday party at Pump It Up. And, as in years before, it proved to be a success from start to finish. And his requested theme? Why, wouldn't you know it? It was Wall-E!

This year we invited his class of 19 students. It was great to have such a cohesive group attending. Jack really fits in well with his classmates and is comfortable with each one. It was great to see them all playing together at the party. I just love this picture!! I think it speaks volumes as to where Jack is socially now.

Unlike years before, we have now entered an age where parents of the attendees don't always come to the party before the party's end. So, after school, I drove J, I, L and Jack (and Tyler, too) to the party. We stopped along the way at another classmate's house, H, to drop off a cupcake since she was recovering from a tonsillectomy and couldn't attend. The boys were so cute screaming her name from the car and waving and shouting how they love "H". The little girl was so pleased to have a 'visit' from her friends on the way to the party. And Jack was right in the middle of it all, having a blast!

At the party, everyone played together. Even Tyler was tearing down the slides! I actually couldn't believe that our 14 month old was climbing the giant slide by himself and sliding alone too!!! Don't worry, there was close supervision!

Ta dah!!!

Jack and Clarissa - best of friends

Lots of us grownups got to slide too...Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa and Mimi!

Meemaw came up from Alabama. She didn't want to miss the party!

The time flew by and soon it was time to head to the party room for cake. Jack loved every minute of it and wasn't bothered at all to be nearly smothered by all the kids surrounding him as he opened his gifts. Other than a quick "I already have this (Trouble game)" I didn't hear anything but "Thank You's" and delight.

It was a great party. It's so nice to have come to a place where we can enjoy events like his birthday party without expecting any surprises or difficulty. 7 is going to be a great year. I just know it.

Here are a few more pictures from our memorable day...

2 of Jack's great kindergarten friends

His cutie patootie little brother, who hung with the big kids like a champ!

Happy Birthday, Jack! We love you!!!!

Happy 7th Birthday, Jack!

2009-04-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today, our first born woke up as a 7 year old. And he was thrilled to do so! He walked over to his new fish and said, "Hi Eve! Hi Wall-E! I'm 7 now!" He had a jam packed day...his birthday was announced on the PA system at school, he got a special present from the school office, he was the leader all day in his class, he "lunched" with Mimi, Mommy, baby Tyler and his chosen classmate and sweet friend, Clarissa. After school, Mimi and Grandpa came over to celebrate with gifts and stayed for dinner. Daddy came home from work for a few more gifts and playtime before bed. Jack's teacher commented that Jack was so happy today and was thrilled to be the only seven year old in the class!

Mimi, Tyler and Mommy had lunch with Jack today. Jack's friend, Clarissa, and Jack both got special birthday cupcakes with Wall-E on top!

Mimi and Grandpa came over after school and we all had a great time! Tyler wanted to help his big brother open his presents and checked out all Jack's gifts! Jack's favorite gifts were his Wall-E and Eve interactive RC robots. They are really cool! Below Jack is telling Tyler how they operate.

These brothers have a lot of love to share!

Here's our mini cake that we had tonite after dinner. It was perfect for our small gathering. Jack recommended that we cut it into sixths (they are learning fractions this month at school), so we did and everyone got a piece. The boys both LOVE cake! Look closely below and you'll see Tyler pointing to the cake that he was begging for!

Above is a sneak peek at the cake I made for Jack's birthday party tomorrow afternoon...

Me and my sweet boys! They are both growing up so fast! And below is a picture of Jack BEATING his Dad (no longer Daddy, per Jack) on his new mini air hockey table. Anyone want to take on the reigning champion?

Happy Birthday, my sweet young man. You have really matured in the last few months and are ready for all that being 7 brings. I am so very much enjoying watching you grow up, but slow down a little, ok? It's all moving just a little too fast for my liking. I love you to the moon and back, Love, Mommy

Take A Good Look

2009-04-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Take a good look...because this young man is about to turn 7. And I think he'll do nicely as a 7 year old. It suits him.

Group Tennis Lesson

2009-03-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Jack's school offered a group tennis lesson after school for Kindergarten and First Grade students. When asked if he'd like to attend, Jack shocked the family by replying "Yes!" He has recently had an introduction to tennis, along with a few other sports, with the addition of Wii Sports to our Wii library of games. I might add that Jack did say that he wished they were offering boxing lessons instead of tennis, but I think he would have been gravely disappointed had that been so.

Yesterday afternoon was the big day for the lesson. As it turns out, his sweet classmate, Hannah, was also attending, so he was happy to see a familiar face in the crowd. I stayed to watch, unsure whether this would be a great experience or too overwhelming. It could go either way.

Jack loved it. He participated in the group warm up exercises, the skill analysis drills and the lesson. He was grouped with a few others with no tennis experience and was so thrilled when he started to catch on to the exercises they were learning. He cheered excitedly for himself each time he was successful, which was quite endearing. His enthusiasm is contagious at times. The hour went by quickly and soon it was time to hang up the borrowed racket and head home. He was all smiles and said that he'd love to get a tennis racket for his birthday so we can return to the court.

I was so proud. Other than a little extra wiggle in his movement, a little less focus than many of the other kids and being a little bit extra vocal when sharing his excitement about his progress, he was truly indistinguishable from his peers in this event. And it was something he'd never ever done before! What an amazing accomplishment. I'm still in awe...and so very proud.

Please excuse the view from behind the fence...I was trying to remain inconspicuous. And yes, there really were other kids there. 25 to be exact. I was busy focusing on that cute boy in the blue shirt!!

First Lost Tooth

2009-03-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Jack lost his first tooth last night at bedtime. Initially a little creeped out, I think, he warmed up to the idea by morning. Sporting a hefty roll of quarters for his loss, Jack was proud to tell anyone who would listen this morning at church about this great event! He even scored 4 additional quarters at church from friends of the Tooth Fairy herself! Another milestone. Where is the time going? I can barely count the days...

Beautiful Boy

2009-02-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

Here's Jack...just a few weeks shy of his 7th birthday. Hard to believe, honestly. He's definitely an all-out-kid, no longer any evidence of the preschooler he once was. He's adjusted better than we could have expected to elementary school. We just met for an IEP to reduce his Ed. Assistant's hours down to 1.5 hours per day. Amazing, really. Tonite, at dinner, he quizzed us on the 5 W's and what each one's function is in a sentence. You know, Why tells the reason. Who tells a person. How gives steps/instruction. It was so cute! I'm so thankful for everything he is learning and bringing home to share with us from school!

Checkmate! Chess, anyone? And I do mean, anyone?

2009-01-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, while visiting Meemaw in Alabama, Jack asked if he could play games on my laptop. Crusty old mom that I am, I had only the preinstalled games to offer. Jack asked what they were and I stated that I knew Chess was on there because I'd seen Daddy play it once. Jack said "I'd LOVE to play chess!" Sounds great, except you are 6, and you have no idea how to play chess...but I cracked open the laptop and said "Go for it, buddy!" and he did.

The actual "how he learned to play" is a bit muddy, but suffice it to say that neither Scott nor I spent more than 5 minutes explaining chess with him during that weekend and yet he walked away from the weekend a 'chess player'. And a decent one, at that!

After about two weeks of playing on the computer, and winning every now and again (on the easy setting), Jack started asking for a real chess set. With some Christmas money he purchased his very own chess set and was so proud to begin playing real head to head chess with the family!

He also purchased a book, "Checkmate! My Very First Chess Book" and proceeded to read the whole book with enthusiasm unlike anything we've seen in a long time (except for Wipeout, of course.) He loves to 'castle' and even understands en passant! What a budding champion in the making!

So, now it is January, and Jack still LOVES to play chess. He'll challenge you to a game if you come over. And if you admit you don't know how to play? Don't worry, he's more than happy to teach you! Luckily, Daddy, Mommy and Grandpa all know how to play, so there are lots of folks around to assist him with an elusive move that just might help him get checkmate. He has even hinted a time or two that he might prefer to stay home and play chess rather than go to Kindergarten!

If you read about him one day as a Master Champion Chessplayer, you'll know it all started back when he was 6 at Meemaw's house for Thanksgiving!

Wipeout - Behind the Scenes and Through the Eyes of a 6 yr old

2008-12-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

What an amazing trip we had!!! An experience of a lifetime, for sure! It has taken me a while to post about it, because I wanted to give it the time and attention it deserved. And then my friends starting asking when it was going to be on the blog...so here it is! Better late than never, right?

The week before we left for California we were ALL sick. It was rough around the Halbert house. Jack missed an entire week of school for sickness before we took him out for 3 days for our trip! Good thing it's just Kindergarten, right? Luckily everyone at school was so supportive of this once in a lifetime experience. We flew out on Saturday morning and spent the day flying (both kids did amazing!), car rental, grocery shopping at Whole Foods, and then the hunt for our hotel. Much to our relief, the hotel was quite nice. We had 2 adjoining rooms with a kitchen. Jack enjoyed playing the onboard trivia game on the plane. He thought that was fabulous and was quite disappointed when the return flight did not have the same individual screens.

Sunday we went to Disneyland, courtesy of abc. It was disorienting to feel like you generally know the concept (since we live and breathe Disneyworld) but have no clue where anything is, having never been there before. Jack enjoyed the "new" rides but quickly decided that he likes Disneyworld better (and mentioned this loudly often while walking through the park.) We stayed until dark and then headed back to get a good night's sleep before heading North to Canyon Country.

We drove north of LA and found the set location with ease. No traffic either! We arrived just before 11a to an inconspicuous set.

Corbin, the Executive Producer's Assistant, met us and introduced us to Matt Kunitz, Executive Producer and man that made it all happen and Scott Larsen, Co-Executive producer. (They worked on Fear Factor together.)

The qualifier was already in progress, so we were immediately taken over to the set. To be honest, I expected a decent greeting and then some sort of "Sit here, enjoy yourselves and try to be quiet" kind of experience. Instead, the guys introduced Jack to everyone, showed him the qualifier and explained the obstacles, and then grabbed his hand and took off! Tommy, head of Safety, had Jack running all over the set, following the contestants as they completed the course, explaining as he went. He was amazing and kind and Jack warmed up to him, and the rest of the crew, easily.

We watched about 10 contestants complete the qualifier. Most did fairly well, but one had to be pulled out of the water on a backboard (as a precaution) after he complained of pain after falling off the big balls! Here's Jack watching a contestant...he just loved every minute of it and laughed loudly when anyone fell (as did the rest of the crew!)

We walked over to meet Jill Wagner. She was very nice. She was sweet to Jack and really paid him a lot of attention. She had him pose like he had just completed the qualifier. He loved that!

Jack handed out these cards to each of the people he met, as his way of saying Thanks. Everyone really liked the little postcard.

Jill said she was going to put hers up on her refrigerator. Way to go, Jack!

Tommy and Scott Larsen took Jack up to the ramp that each contestant stands on at the start of the qualifier. That was super cool! Doesn't he look adorable? He was having such a great time!

Here are the boys hanging out "wipeout" style. Pretty cool day for us all!

Then we went in the production trailer. That was really cool. Rupert had Jack sit beside him and let him talk into the production mike (I don't know what that thing was called, but they could hear him out there on a loudspeaker.) He counted down the contestants from 5 - 1 and then "go" as each one started the course. Jill was talking to Jack thru her mike into the trailer too. Jack acted like he'd been around this stuff his whole life!

Once all 24 contestants had completed the qualifier, they determined who were in the Top 12. Matt asked Jack to go with him to the contestants' trailer area where they were all waiting. Jack read each name of the Top 12 to the group. He did amazing! Everyone was impressed with this Kindergartener!!!

Then we had lunch, catered by Craft Services, in the wipeout trailer with Matt, Corbin and the Black & Blues. Who are the Black & Blues? They are a team of 2 guys and 2 girls who are crazy enough to try each stunt when it is created. Cousin Kenny, as he's called, was super cool and chatted with us throughout the day. It is rumored that there isn't a stunt that has been created yet that Kenny can't handle! Here's a couple of pics of Jack posing with the Black & Blues!

Scott and Jack got a tour of the Art Department, where every obstacle is made, and then we got a tour of the new Wipeout Zone from Matt. I'd show you this, but I think I'd get in trouble since the season hasn't started yet. Know that it's harder than last year, that's for sure! Matt says that they aim for a 90% fail rate for each obstacle. No wonder everyone falls! Before Jill left the set, we got some pictures with her. You'll see Scott's most prized possession of the trip as well...perhaps a 20 x 30 in his office for Christmas??

Matt took Jack to see the Dizzy Dummy 2.0, a new and improved Dizzy Dummy for Season 2. And, yes, Matt was still with us throughout most of our visit. Did I mention how nice everyone was?? He put Jack on the Dizzy Dummy and spun him, just a little. Jack posed for a few pictures and then went on the obstacle that the contestants are supposed to race through once significantly dizzy. Here's Jack diving through the lower hole. Later Matt and Scott were discussing a safety issue with this obstacle and Scott tried to go through the smaller hole on the bottom. Everyone was cracking up!

The contestants all came out for obstacle #2, which is called King of the Mountain. This replaced the former "Sweeper" obstacle. Here the Top 12 compete for 6 spots. Those 6 head on to the Dizzy Dummy 2.0. and from there the final 4 compete in the Wipeout Zone. The Dizzy Dummy and Wipeout Zone are taped on a second day of filming, so we didn't see those. The contestants were read the rules of King of the Mountain. We got to hang out. Isn't this cute?

They called Jack over after the rules were explained and Jack got to reach into a bag and pull out the contestants' names, one at a time and read them to determine their placement on the podiums of the obstacle. He did amazingly well again! He's a natural born assistant!

We sat at the edge of the obstacle's pool, beside the Black & Blues. The crew would laugh so hard (and so did we!) as the contestants were falling off of King of the Mountain! It took a long time to complete this obstacle...14 minutes or so. There's a lot of editing involved in television! I'd love to show you more, but again I'm not sure what we can show in advance of the airing of the episode next Summer! Finally, the top 6 made it to the top and it was complete! And that ended taping for the day.

We walked back to the executives' trailer and said goodbye to Matt and Scott and their staff. The day ended rather abruptly and we were having such an amazing day that ending it was a little difficult to swallow for Jack. He cried a bit and I think everyone felt bad for him. They said that they had one more place to show Jack and they took him into what was like a "war room" for Wipeout. All obstacles were drawn and hanging on the wall in order by episode. I'm sure a lot of show planning goes on in this room. Someone handed Jack a stack of Power Point style pages. Each bundle of pages is an episode and all the stunts that appear in that episode, in order. He got 4 episodes of these stunt sheets. Jack was told that this is "Top Secret", so we can't show them to you just yet. Man, are they cool, though! We sure do feel special after all of this!

So we headed back to Anaheim to the hotel and Jack reminisced about the amazing day he'd had. Later that evening he said to me, "Do you know what the worst part of the whole day was, Mommy?" When I said that I didn't know he said "the leaving." Such a sweet boy.

Jack's already asked when can we go back to California to go to another Wipeout. How exactly do you explain to a 6 year old that he just experienced a once in a lifetime event? And one that will be hard to top? I just smile and change the subject, usually.

People ask me all the time, "How was Wipeout?" My most common answer..."It was like Make A Wish without the terminal illness." It was exactly that amazing. We felt special, important, and cared for by people who don't know us from just about any other of the millions of viewers. They made a little boy so completely happy. And for that I am so grateful! Wipeout crew, you are good people in my book! We love you!

Wipeout - from Summer to Halloween and beyond!

2008-11-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

If you've seen Jack since June 24, you know that Wipeout was his favorite summer tv show. The network obstacle course competition aired weekly on Tuesday nights on ABC and September's final week brought the 11th and final episode, AKA "the Finale". Jack has been poised, pajama'd and still on the couch each Tuesday nite at 7pm, anxiously awaiting the next set of obstacles and contestants. To say he likes this show would be the understatement of the year. So, pretty quickly our DVR became filled with this season's shows.

And then one day, as I was up in Tyler's room, I heard a shrill scream of "MOMMY!!!" and I knew exactly what had happened. He had deleted one of the shows on accident. Call to Comcast, but no luck. DVR deleted shows cannot be retrieved (thus TiVo reigns supreme with their 'recently deleted' folder.) There was a lot of crying, but eventually he came to terms with his loss.

Then, not a week later, tragedy struck again as a family member, who will remain nameless but is a retired male figure in our family, deleted a 2nd episode by accident.

That night I went into Super Mommy mode. How can I get copies for him of these deleted shows? I googled folks at abc and came up with the email addresses of the President of Television and the Publicity Mgr. for Reality TV.

I shared, with them by email, my plight, hit "send" and prayed. Here's a little of what I shared:

* he knows every contestant, how far they proceded in the competition, and what episode they appeared on
* he reenacts competitions on our couch, nightly
* he has drawn the obstacle courses, in great detail
* we have created 4 qualifier obstacle courses, complete with contestants, out of Legos
* and he is devastated that he has lost 2 previously aired episodes

Not 24 hours later, Alex Wallau, Former President of Television for ABC, sends me a short, succinct email stating that the episodes will be sent to us and to take care. Success! And, not 12 hours after that, a second response is received, this time from ABC's Media Relations Publicity Director (who happens to have a son with autism, of course), who also graciously offers to send us copies of the shows! A day later, we have a set of the full 7 previously aired episodes on our doorstep via overnite delivery!!! Amazing!

Jack was beyond excited. That was a great day. We needed to express our gratitude to the folks at ABC! But how? Jack wasn't into drawing pictures or signing cards this summer, so we decided to make a video. We worked on it for a few days and, with the magic of my new mac, were able to put together a cute video to thank the network folks for their kindness to a little 6 year old boy in Tennessee! Here's the video, because I'm sure you are curious...and it's quite relevant to the rest of the story (and what a story it is!). Be sure to click 'watch in high quality':

I sent an email to the assistant that had mailed the episodes to us and to the Publicity Director, Virginia Mastroianni, and within a matter of hours there were close to 100 hits on our YouTube video! It was flying around ABC and they were loving it!

Next came an email and package from Wipeout's Executive Producer, Matt Kunitz, of Real World, Dog Eat Dog and Fear Factor fame! Matt emailed to say that he LOVED the Lego course and was sending a slew of Wipeout promo items for his new little friend to enjoy. Jack received Christmas in July with 2 Wipeout Hats, a poster signed by the 3 hosts, a t shirt (in Daddy's size!), and a few additional previously aired episodes. Matt included a personal note to Jack and an invitation to come to Los Angeles to visit the set of Wipeout during the second season's taping later this fall. How amazing!!! Virginia Mastroianni also called to see if Jack would be comfortable appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres show to promote Wipeout!!! This was getting crazy! We did say yes to the appearance, but the timing of her show production and the end of the Wipeout season did not meet up and the appearance never came to be.

School started and things were pretty busy around here for a while. We were still enjoying Tuesday nites as the final few episodes of Wipeout aired in September. We finally were all settled in to our new routine of Kindergarten with its early bedtime and homework, so we busted out the camera and made what we like to call "wipeout 2". Jack was really into making this movie, and couldn't wait for "Mr. Kunitz" to see it. Take a gander...

What do you think Jack chose as his costume for Halloween this year? If you guessed a wipeout contestant, you'd be right!!!

I also made him his very own Wipeout tshirt, which he loves.

He also received the remaining episodes from our new friend at ABC, Alaina Killoch, who was sweet enough to email us while on location in Ohio just to say she'd send them as soon as she returned to the studio. Again Jack was thrilled, as 2 of the final episodes were pre-empted for the Jeff Fisher/Titans show. Explain that to a young fan!

Now it is November. And, much to our own surprise, we are headed out to LA this month to be Matt Kunitz's guests on the set of Wipeout (Season 2, scheduled to air next summer). ABC has also been generous enough to offer us Park Hopper tickets to Disneyland and California Adventure during our stay as well. What amazing treatment we have received! We can't wait to go. I think Jack will be amazed, although he truly has no idea how rare this all is! I'll be sure to post an update upon our return...and if Scott gets to try out the course, you know I'll have pictures and video of that to share!

Why? Or really, why not?

2008-10-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jack and I are riding to school. He's listening to an oldie but goodie "Peep's Animal Homes" story on CD. I had stumbled upon it in the car and popped it in to surprise him. He lost his love for Peep and the Big Wide World (from TLC and Discovery Kids) a year or two ago. But the old favs still warm his heart at times. And this is one of those times. Anyway, so we're riding along and he says, from the back seat, "Mommy, why does Quack wear the same hat all the time?" and I take pause. It feels so normal. It flowed so easily. We banter back and forth with ease. I say, "I guess it is because it is the only hat he has. Isn't it funny that a duck wears a hat?" "Yeah", he laughs, and then says "Why doesn't he have any other hats?" I say that I don't know. We giggle at the silliness of a duck wearing a hat and go back to the story.

But here's the thing. Sometimes you know that something normal is special because, when you experience it, you realize that you never experience that normal thing. It was so noticeable that Jack asked me a "why" question because he never does. Not never but not often. Maybe once every two weeks or so. And I just wonder why. Why does he do it in this moment with such ease and yet not inquire in such a (simple) way on a regular basis? I am baffled. Surely it is in there, or he wouldn't be able to spit it out in times like this. Why doesn't he ask more "why questions", I ask myself. Hopefully, as he continues to grow and heal he will continue to develop this skill. Why not, right?

Jack's Dentist Visit is a Success!!! Way to go, Jack!

2008-10-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Today was Jack's official first dental appointment. Yes, he's 6 (and a half, he'll remind you) but this has been one of those forbidden tasks. We tried when he was 4 with our family dentist but it was a complete disaster, full of screaming, big eyes and clamped down jaw. A failure, to say the least. But we knew we couldn't avoid it forever, so we made an appointment with Dr. Tim McNutt, Pediatric and Special Needs Dentist. Mommy was very apprehensive as she broke the news to Jack in the car on Monday about his upcoming appointment. To my amazement, Jack said "Ok, but they can just count my teeth, ok? If they hurt my teeth, they will fall out and I will throw up." Alrighty then! So we planned a bit of a "look see", and prepared the staff accordingly. If we got through teeth counting, perhaps brushing, we'd call it a success and schedule a follow up. We considered sedation, but decided to just try it first to see where we stood with him and his dentist phobia.

All week he's reminded us that on Thursday he'd be going to school AFTER he met the dentist. Mommy and Grandpa drove Jack to the dentist and he seemed comfortable with the idea. He checked out the fish tank in the waiting room and talked calmly about other things. He was quickly called back and I went with him. I was expecting some panic, but he sat nicely in the chair (we never even got that far at 4!) and Miss Donna brought him a big stuffed alligator, complete with a set of human-like teeth, a giant alligator toothbrush and giant alligator mirror. Jack thought this was great! He showed Miss Donna how to brush and they counted the teeth. The rest of the appointment went just as smoothly! They eased him into the instruments, letting him hold them, use them on "Alli", and get comfortable before using them on his mouth. He was able to watch the Disney Channel above the chair, and the distraction was effective.

Dr. McNutt offered lots of praise to Jack from the sidelines. Miss Donna counted his teeth (20), checked for 6 yr molars (none), checked for loose teeth (none of those either), brushed and used a scaler. Then Dr. McNutt came over, "checked" Miss Donna's work, and used the scaler to further clean Jack's teeth til he had a beautiful pearly white smile!! The entire appointment was 30 minutes long, and Jack never got upset or anxious. They took a picture of Jack with Dr. McNutt and printed it so he could take it and show his class at school. He got to pick a few prizes from the treasure chest for his good behavior and Dr. McNutt told him to come back when he's 7 and to bring his little brother too. Jack said "ok!"

As we walked to the car, all 3 of us proudly grinning from ear to ear, Jack said "I wasn't scared at all!" No, he wasn't scared. He kept his emotions in check and found a way to rationalize what previously had been some irrational feelings about this experience. I am overcome with pride over such a seemingly average experience. But that's all we want...is to just allow him to be like everyone else. And he sure did that today! Yay, Jack!

Time for Birthdays

2008-09-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

September comes in the Halbert house with many birthdays to celebrate. Uncle David on the 23rd, Daddy and Uncle Mike on the 24th and Meemaw on the 28th. We had a celebration dinner for Daddy (just the 4 of us) after work. Mommy made a special dinner for Daddy and Jack helped wrap the presents. We officially had 1 gift for Daddy and Jack was unhappy with that. He insisted that we give Daddy more presents, so he gave Daddy one of his recent drawings and we threw together a few other trinkets for Jack to wrap. He really enjoyed preparing for the "party."

The gift was a black and white portrait of Jack for Daddy's office. We also gave him an IOU for a picture of Tyler. Here's Jack's picture. He looks so grown up now!

Then a few days later Meemaw came to visit and we celebrated her birthday too. Jack made a card to be given to her from "the boys" and wrote her name: Mimal He is very into phonetic spelling these days and insisted that this is the right way to spell Meemaw. We weren't about to correct him. It was so cute!

Jack is becoming very well connected with the calendar. He now has every student in his class along with his teacher and student teacher's birthdays memorized. Funny, since his birthday is still half a year away! He also enjoys talking about what his age will be when he is in "x" grade in school. He's so quick to figure out that type of math in his head!

On the evening of Daddy's birthday party, Daddy gave Jack a very special gift. It was a watch. It is the very watch that Daddy wore when he was a boy. Jack understood the concept and was so excited to have his own watch. He proudly wore it all evening and had me take pictures of it. The next day he wore it to school where the 35 year old watch band promptly broke. So it's back to the watch shop (where it spent all summer being restored!) Hopefully Jack will be back to telling time with it again soon. He really loves it!

Inside Out

2008-09-07T20:12:00.001-07:00

Jack says funny things. A lot. We find ourselves laughing quite often at his interesting perspective or truthful and curly way of putting things. The other nite I was walking by his room and heard him talking. Not quoting some TV show or movie, but talking about his day. So, I stuck my head in and here's how it went:

K: Hey there. What are you talking about?
J: I'm telling my kids in my heart with Jesus about my day.
K: Oh! How many kids do you have living in your heart with Jesus?
J: 52, um I mean, 39, no 11.
K: 11? Wow. Do they have names?
J: NOOOO, Mommy. They are just kids!

Jesus is now a sidekick of Jack's. He is brought up from time to time at the dinner table, such as:

J: Can I be excused?
K: Can you eat a little more chicken first please?
J: No, Jesus is full.

Or:
K: Are you all done?
J: No, Jesus just wants a little more to eat.

Funny, funny boy.

Home Away from Home

2008-08-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

This past year Jack has had the amazing blessing of being able to spend lots of time with his maternal grandparents. They live 8 miles away in their 'retirement' home in a cute, young neighborhood with lots of families. Along with the wonderful time he has had sleeping over, playing in their well stocked playroom and all in all being the apple of their eyes, he has also spent time playing with the neighbor boys. Ethan is 4 and has a trampoline, Lane is 9 and loves baseball and Brody is 3 and is a great buddy for Jack. Before school started, Mimi and Grandpa had Jack over for a 2 nite/3 day sleepover. While he was there, the boys played together until almost dark. Here's a look at that great nite. It's one of those moments when I wish we lived in a neighborhood!

This most recent extravaganza included a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's and lots of play at their house. Jack loves 'doing Wipeout' at home and had set up his course in their living room as well.

Grandpa also took Jack to a Kids' Workshop at Lowe's. Jack built a wooden locker. They both really enjoyed the workshop and Grandpa really enjoyed sharing his love for building with Jack. I love that he wore the goggles!!

Honestly, I'm not sure who gets the most out of it? Me with the much needed and enjoyed break? Tyler with some one on one time with Mom and Dad? Jack with all the love and attention Grandparents can bestow? Or Grandma and Grandpa themselves? We all are blessed...

Kindergarten Week 1 (plus some)

2008-08-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

The first week is in the record books. And it was a great one. For a long time we've all been nervous about starting 'big kid school'. In fact, just before Jack's birthday in April, he was dead set against going. So much so that he declared that he was NOT turning 6, he was NOT having a birthday party and he was NOT getting presents....because he didn't want to go to Kindergarten.

So I was very proud when he was ready to visit the classroom on the "Sneak Peak" day the week prior and equally proud when he actually walked in to the classroom on Monday for his first day, a half day, in Mrs. Ward's class. He was nervous, and he didn't really care to have his picture taken, but he wore his 'uniform' (standard school attire), allowed me to tuck his shirt in, wore his backpack without complaint, and said hello to Mrs. Ward when we got there. He helped me sort all our required school supplies in bins by reading the categories above them and a couple of parents were amazed that he could read so well. Sometimes I forget that many Kindergarteners aren't reading yet!

Tuesday nite, with the first full day of school looming the next day, he cried at bedtime saying that he didn't like the 'big kindergarten day' (the full day). He said that he just liked the 'little' day. I assured him that he would like the full day once he got there, just like he had ended up liking the half day, once he tried it. Sure enough, he enjoyed himself on Wednesday. I know that it is a lot of work for him to keep himself quiet and attentive for 7 hours, and I'm not sure how well he's actually doing that, but he is telling us a lot about his day, so I know he's paying attention! He knows 13 of the 19 kids' names in the class. And he's happy to go each day. No separation issues...I think Tyler is having a harder time with it than Jack is! Tyler is sooooo excited to see his brother each day at pick up. He giggles and squeals when Jack gets in the car. It is adorable. And Jack must first talk to Tyler before he'll give me the time of day. He says "I want to talk to my brother first!" I love watching the two of them together. It's too bad they only have about 4.5 hours each day to enjoy each other's company.

Just when we thought that Kindergarten might be a piece of cake (I'm exaggerating now, for sure!) day 7 hit and we found out that Jack was the first child in the class to grace the Time Out chair. I must say I am shocked. He's never been in time out at preschool in the 3 years he has attended and rarely does he get in trouble at home. He was accused of kicking another student and, quite frankly, he didn't explain himself or try to get out of it. I think it was more of a tap (it happened during circle time when they were seated on the carpet and he doesn't even know who he kicked) but rules are rules, and he certainly won't be scarred for life by it. I, on the other hand, might be though! In his wrong sense of things, he actually bragged a little when he realized he was first to be in Time Out. His silly little head. I guess being first usually does have its accolades. But not today. Time will tell how easy or difficult this year will be for him. But I dare say we're off to a great start, Time Out chair and all.

I hope that by the end of the year we can all have a good laugh over this incident.

First day of school. Daddy and Mommy walked Jack in to his class.

Meeting Mrs. Ward on the previous Friday during her Open Classroom time. Jack said, "I'll see you on August 11th!"

There goes our Big Boy! (sniff, sniff!)

Goodbye, Preschool...Hello, Kindergarten!

2008-08-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Last Day of Judson

Wow. Preschool has come to a close. What a journey it has been. I can only imagine that there will be the same growth and amazement as I look back at the end of Kindergarten. Or at least I hope.

Today I stand as a proud mom, watching a chapter close in my son's life. We are saying goodbye to his wonderful preschool and all the friendly faces there. He walks away without looking back...ready to face all that lies ahead. I'm not sure if he really knows what to expect, but he has come to a place of understanding and resolution that Kindergarten will begin in just 5 more days. And, I suppose that I have as well.

Judson was an amazing place for us all to grow. Jack entered Judson in the summer of 2005, having just turned 3, needing a lot of support, a backpack full of diapers, special snacks (some things don't change!) and lots of comfort, understanding and love. He still had so much growing to do! His first teacher there, Miss Penni, was a first year teacher and was full of compassion and drive to be an awesome teacher for Jack. She asked lots of questions and was always willing to try anything! We went through 3 aides that year until we found Miss Linda, who loved Jack with all her heart. She was the perfect support person for him at that time in his life. It made me feel so comfortable to leave him, even on days when he dug his heels in outside the classroom door, because she truly cared for him like he was her own. I got my first taste of preparing and executing an IEP meeting (s). There was so much to learn!

Four year preschool began with a big bump as Miss Linda left Metro just a few weeks into the school year. I lost my footing for a bit, worrying about Jack and how he would handle so much change. But Miss Tama filled the gap and, in the end, it was the best thing for Jack. It forced Miss Tama to step in and become Jack's primary teacher. That set a precedent that has never changed. Jack began to take direction from his teacher in all situations. He became increasingly social and independent that year. His aide changed often and he handled it with ease!

(taken THIS year with Miss Tama)

5 year preschool was his time to blossom. Miss Pam was amazing. She encouraged us to let Jack fly 'solo' for the second semester without his aide. We were all so proud when that move proved successful and Jack finished the year independent, social and so well liked. He had developed true friend relationships with a few of the boys in the class and they spent time playing together outside of school. It was hard to say goodbye this Spring to that class. The kids were all so wonderful and supportive and the class had a great synergy.

Summer session this year was 8 weeks long on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. Jack enjoyed his teacher, Miss Amanda (Miss Tama's daughter), and had a great time seeing his friends at Judson each week. He will miss terribly the gym, where many a mile was spent racing around on bikes and motorcycles as well as the playground, with the famous hill.

We're armed with a new backpack, new lunchbox, new Standard School Attire, old shoes (his choice), a tiny bit of confidence and a bit more of anxiety over what the new school and Kindergarten has in store for our little guy. He's growing up! Miss Ward called today to introduce herself and to invite Jack to tour the classroom on Friday. She was the teacher we were praying for. She seems like a great fit for Jack's personality! We look forward to a great year with her and the rest of the class.

Boston, here we come!

2008-07-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

We made our annual pilgrimage to Boston last week. We've been a few times now and each time it has been so wonderful to see our boys and how they've progressed. My friend, Donna, has 3 boys now. The oldest is 6 and was diagnosed on the spectrum before he was 2. Her middle boy just turned 5 and her new baby was 3.5 weeks old at the time of the visit. Jack had a wonderful time, as usual, playing with the boys and interacting with them. He loved playing on the big waterslide with the oldest and playing chase around the house with the younger boy. This visit was the first time that we saw Jack and the younger boy gravitate toward each other, sometimes leaving the older boy out of the mix. It was heartbreaking for us moms to watch. Her eldest, not able to navigate the boys' interactions at times and my son, oblivious to the dynamic of exclusion. They still have a lot to learn socially. But they had moments of greatness and were so thrilled to be together. Here's a couple of great pictures of the boys together from the trip!

Jackisms

2008-07-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Jack is completing "My Book About Me" by Dr. Seuss. In it, the book has lots of questions and fill in the blanks that he completes. In the section about eating it says to choose either "I eat like a bird" or "I eat like a horse." I asked Jack which one was true for him and he said "But I eat like a PERSON!" True.

Jack also said that when he grows up he wants to be either a doctor or a Jungle Cruise boat captain at Walt Disney World. Oh to dream!

Books Are Great - Babies, Not So Much

2008-07-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Jack went to our local branch of the library on Monday with me in search of Shel Silverstein books. He loves The Giving Tree and wanted to check out the books featured on the book's jacket. So off we went on an adventure. Historically it has been difficult to get Jack interested in new books without a common theme, character or plot, but on this day he was an avid book collector. He checked out 15 books in all and as of Tuesday nite, a mere 30 hours later, he has read, all by himself, 11 of them! He also is the proud owner of his very own library card, complete with lanyard and key fob! This is NOT your Daddy's library card!

Here are the titles that were of interest to Jack this week. Perhaps I can get him to review a few of them soon.

The Missing Piece Meets The Big O
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros
A Giraffe and a Half
(all by Shel Silverstein) and...
No Haircut Today
Busytown Collection of Stories
The Baker's Dozen
When Sophie Gets Angry...Really, Really Angry
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing
I Love School
Who Needs Donuts?
Percy's Chocolate Crunch
How Much Is That Doggie In the Window?
No, David!
The Best Mistake Ever and other stories

Then, after reading Mother Cat's Busy Day (from the R. Scarry Busytown Collection) and Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry we talked about how much we missed each other while he was at a sleepover at Mimi and Grandpa's house the night before. I asked him who he missed the most and, of course, he said Tyler. Then he said "I'm so glad that I love my brother. But I really do not want a sister, PLEASE!" Here is a peek at Jack being an awesome big brother to Tyler.

Homework and Swimming

2008-06-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time to be carefree, right? Well, not for our kids with autism. There's therapy all year long. It comes in different forms, and for Jack these days much of it is either incidental or supportive therapy. But he also attends summer PDO at his preschool 2 days a week for social interaction and a 9 week class at Franklin Speech and Learning for Kindergarten readiness called Academic Scholars. Thankfully, Jack LOVES Academic Scholars.

He gets lots of homework from Miss Amy, his teacher there. At first he wasn't too keen on it, but lately he's been much more eager to complete it. Even the handwriting work, which is his least favorite. Here he is working on his upper and lower case letters with the support of the "alligator snap", courtesy of his OT, Miss Shayla, from ESY. Miss Shayla is awesome!! And we are so proud of Jack's compliance these days! It is at almost 100%...and anyone who knows Jack knows that this was an area of great concern as we approached kindergarten!

Today Jack had some good ol' fun with his friend Owen, and Owen's little sister Olivia, at their neighborhood saline pool! Yay for no chlorine! Jack is putting his newfound swimming skills to great use. Tyler got his first dip in the pool as well. Jack was excited to hang out with his classmate, Owen, and thought it was cool that he was there for Tyler's first swim. When Tyler turns 2, Jack's going to give Tyler his floatie ring and get a bigger one, he said tonite at bedtime. What a thoughtful big brother!

Owen and Jack having fun!

Jack taking a lap around the pool, just because he can now!

Clearly the coolest dude in the pool, baby brother Tyler!

Fun In The Sun

2008-06-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today was awesome. No other way to describe it. Jack and I had planned to go swimming today, and hoped that Mimi would watch Tyler so we wouldn't have to take him with us to the neighborhood pool, which has little shade. This is a big deal, as we don't go swimming often.

When I say not often, I mean not often at all. I'm not sure we even made it to the neighborhood pool during the entire summer last year. 1) I was pregnant (enough said) and 2) Jack has a weird response to chlorine. He gets really hyper and silly. We try to avoid it, seeking out saline and other chlorine-free alternatives whenever possible. And, since we swim about 3 times per summer, poor Jack has no water skills. He clings to my neck like a cat and fusses about getting splashed. Good times for all.

But today was different. I suppose I should be getting accustomed to this new change...but it still takes me by surprise every time, in a good way. Ok, back to the story...

Michelle called this morning to see if we were free. Seems the twins, also 6, saw Jack's reading video and wanted to play w/Jack. Cole called up and asked if we could get together. Once the mom's hatched a suitable plan we sprung it on the kids...swimming for all! They were so excited. Jack even cleaned his room in preparation for the boys coming over after swimming! Mimi came to stay with Tyler and we headed to the pool. After about 3 minutes of tentativeness, Jack managed to make it in and was standing in the 3FT section! Within 30 minutes, he was wearing a floatie ring, holding on to a kickboard and was swimming the LENGTH of the pool chasing after water toys! I was amazed! I swam out with him once and that was all it took. He was kicking great and having a blast!

After 1.5 hours, it was time to go back to the house and feed the baby. The twins were, at this point, bored with swimming, as it is something they do every week at the Y. Jack was, admittedly, a bit torn up over the thought of leaving, but I can't say that I blame him. The boys came back to our house, played for a while and watched a video before they headed home. Jack talked up a storm about how much fun he'd had swimming. I required him to soak in the tub for a bit with some Epsom Salts, and then we had an early dinner.

After dinner we headed out to Toys R Us, and then on to Target, in search of the perfect pool toys. We got a boat with a sunshade and swim diapers for Tyler, since I have a feeling he's going to be accompanying us to the pool this summer, and Jack picked out a kickboard, water balls, a blow up ring and a sit on float. He is all geared up for a great summer!!!

As for the chlorine reaction, I didn't see anything, except he got a little weepy at bedtime. That is really unusual for him, but he didn't actually cry. He was disappointed that he couldn't watch TV when we got back from shopping (it was 7:45p) but handled it well. He could have just been tired. Oh, and he had a very short (45 seconds or so) giggle fit over something Daddy said...so we'll have to keep watch for any "cumulative" reaction over the next few pool visits. And, if you have an alternative option where you live (Holly, Trina, Keeley, Amy), please invite us...my little guy is anxious to go swimming again!

Jack is reading like crazy!

2008-06-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Jack has become quite the reader of late. His comprehension seems pretty good as well. He's headed to Kindergarten in 8 weeks, and I think he'll be focusing his efforts in areas other than reading! We're so proud of him...he has picked reading up so easily and enjoys it as well. Enjoy "Father Cat's Busy Day" by Richard Scarry, Part I, read by Jack at bedtime on a summer nite, 6 years old, to his proud Mommy. It's long, so sit back and relax, if you choose to watch it in its entirety! (8 minutes) And to the skeptics in the crowd, no, he does not have this book memorized. It is only the 2nd time we've read it...

My Mental Checklist

2008-06-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

The following have been able to be stricken from my mental checklist in the last 90 days, with the introduction of Namenda. To sit down and write them all out swells my heart. What amazing progress is chronicled here!

professional haircut, without incident
shopping with Mommy, going to as many stores as needed
being involved in baby brother's existence
helping around the house
dressing himself, shirt to shoes
buckling his own seatbelt
going to a playdate unaccompanied
sitting patiently through commercials on TiVo'd programs
talking on the phone
answering multiple questions about his day
spontaneously sharing information about his day (because he wants us to know!)
going to his first day of school, no aide, no supports, and getting a great report
allowing Mommy to go out at night without crying or worrying
doing homework without a meltdown
allowing me to take his picture without complaint (and smiling AND looking at camera)
walking in without incident, participating AND enjoying Sunday School
attending Children's Worship willingly
seeking out peers for play
coming when called 100% of the time
transitioning without protest, even from preferred to non-preferred task
doing homework willingly
problem solving
wiping his bum without assistance!

"Sweet N Sassy's Is the PERFECT place to get a haircut!"

2008-06-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is the statement of the week from my six year old, former scaredy cat of all things hair-cutting related. I mentioned last week to him that it was time for a "real" haircut. Mommy's talent has not broadened nearly as much as I had hoped, and Jack's overall fear meter seems to be registering low. So, I gently broached the subject. "How about if Grandpa takes you to Snip Its?" , the location of his last professional cut a year or more ago (think tears, hunched shoulders, anxiety out the wahoo!). Note that I used Grandpa, the ultimate weapon, as he'll generally go anywhere with him! Jack pondered this and said "maybe". But then he added "I don't want to go to Snip Its. I want to go to the other place from a long time ago." That place is no longer in business, so I was scrambling..."Maybe we can find another kids' haircut place. How does that sound?" Jack said that would be great.

I tentatively called Sweet N Sassy, known for it's glamour girl parties and, sure enough, they cut boys' hair regularly! So Jack agreed to go on Monday.

Monday arrived and off we went. Mimi and Tyler went along too! Jack met Shelby, who was the most wonderful professional ever with my kid, and sat in her chair. No complaint about the cape, or the chair, or the haircut. So far, so good! A little cautious as she sprayed the comb...he made sure to warn her to be careful not to get his clothes wet, but sat and chatted with her and obeyed her direction (Look down at your knees for me). He was more nervous about the clippers but actually touched them with his finger and then agreed that they weren't so bad and allowed her to trim all that she needed to without complaint. I even noticed that hair was falling on his shorts and he was brushing it off! No meltdown in sight!

After the haircut was complete, he admired himself in the mirror and exclaimed that he looked handsome! And, well, he did! As I paid for his haircut, he selected a new Jibbitz for his crocs. Crazy store, had more toys and fun stuff than hair product. They sure know how to sucker punch the parents once you are there!

As we left, I felt myself pulling out my mental notepad...professional haircut without incident, check! I'm amazed at how many things are getting checked off that list lately since the addition of the Namenda (alzheimer drug). It has been nothing short of amazing...

Last night I asked Jack to step outside for a minute to take a picture of him with his new haircut. The sun was setting and the lighting was good. He hopped out right behind me and jumped into the grass, barefooted. I remember years ago him refusing to go anywhere outside without shoes. Times have so changed for the better for us! It really feels like easy street these days. And I thank God every moment for it!

Do you remember when I didn't love babies, Mommy?

2008-06-03T21:17:00.001-07:00

Yes, these words fell from my sleepy boy's mouth recently just before bed as we were nuzzled up together on his "big kid's bed". "Yes," I reply, "I do remember." "But now I LOVE babies. Did you know that?" Um, yes, my sweet pea, I did know that as evidenced by the zillion times a day you are up in your baby brother's face...talking to him, singing songs to him, giving him his pacie, waking him from his ever so short naps, and all around doting on him.

Today Jack spent the afternoon with Grandpa while Mimi and I took Tyler on a shopping spree. We all arrived in our driveway at the same time. Jack came bounding out of Grandpa's car and was running right toward me. I was so tickled that he was so excited to see me....until he whizzed right past me and climbed into the backseat of my truck to greet HIS BROTHER. Yes, I am basically chopped liver. The mommy who hung the moon a mere 4 months ago is now second fiddle to a 14 lb. drooling smiling baby. Whodathunkit?

I'm ever amazed by Jack and his abilities. This new love for his baby brother and his serious response to being the Big Brother amazes me too. Maybe I'm unfair to him for being surprised, but I just didn't expect it so soon. But there is love. Full on brother to brother lifetime love. And it's not just Jack...Tyler's face completely lights up when Jack sticks his crazy antic, loud voice face up to him. It's most certainly reciprocated. Jack can't wait for Tyler to be old enough to sleep in his room with him. And it won't be long before Tyler will want to sleep there too. This is the joy of motherhood!

"Mommy, Tyler's love is forever, did you know that?" "Yes, sweet pea, I do." And I'm so grateful. It is truly a beautiful thing to watch.

The "6's" go on holiday...

2008-05-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mom touted it as the "Sixes" trip. Mom is 66, Dad just turned 66 and Jack is 6. Cute, huh? And corny. That's my sweet mom's style. And I wouldn't have it any other way...

Tyler and I headed out to the airport to greet the weary travelers. That sweet little boy was a sight for sore eyes! This was the first time I'd ever been left by him...it is usually Scott and I traveling with Fort Dearborn each year leaving Jack home. But this time I was the one passing by his dark, empty room each nite. It was great to enjoy our new baby without any distraction or additional responsibility, though.

Jack has a fantastic time. He was "super Jack". Mom and Dad said he was so easy to travel with, he wasn't rigid about how they spent their days, and was an all around joy. Atta boy! He faced his new fear of Splash Mountain only to get pummeled by a giant spray of water. Splash Mountain is back on the "No Ride" list. He enjoyed a 90 minute backstage tour of The Land, one of his favorite Disney rides (located in EPCOT). He especially enjoyed the Sleeping Plant, and proceeded to close many of the leaves as the tour guide talked about horticulture. Mom said that Jack corrected the guide when he neglected to mention that the tomato plant's record for tomatoes was a "guiness" world record. Shame on the dude!

Jack was also smitten with the Jungle Cruise this trip and declared that he might like to become a Jungle Cruise boat driver when he grows up. Oh my! We can add that to his list of adult occupations, which also include doctor and scuba diver. And he was anxious to talk to Crush again at the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction at EPCOT. He was prepared this time with his question...he asked Crush an all time favorite..."Why did the chicken cross the road?" complete with answer..."To get to the other side." Crush wasn't as amused as the audience was!

I'm especially proud of the fact that he ate some baked chicken, cooked especially for him, at the Land restaurant. This would be the first chicken he's eaten in a restaurant in easily 3 years, if not more. While he only ate a few bites, this certainly serves as a noteable moment in his progress! Way to go, Jack!

He even arrived home with gifts for each of us that he had handpicked. I got a nightshirt that says "Not all mornings are magical" and Daddy and Tyler got Test Track key chains with their names on them. It was adorable and he was very proud of what he had chosen!

Overall, the trip was a smashing success. Who would have thought a year ago that this would have been possible? The Namenda medication, an alzheimer's drug, has been an amazing treatment for Jack. I'm amazed at the ease at transitions, the compliance, the lack of meltdowns when disappointed or scolded...it has been one of the integral pieces to his recovery. And what great timing...with the baby and with the removal of his class assistant, it couldn't have come at a better time!

Disney or Bust!!!

2008-05-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Jack headed out on Wednesday with his Mimi and Grandpa to Disney World for SIX DAYS!!! 6 whole days without his Mom (and Dad and baby brother!) He was raring to go on Wednesday morning, when he popped out of bed and yelled "It's Vacation Day!" I was telling Jack what the schedule would be in the a.m. I told him "After you get dressed and have breakfast, we're leaving for the airport. Mommy has to go to Mimi & Grandpa's to pick them up." Jack said, "But I can't be at the airport by myself!!" It was so cute...

So we were a little rushed getting to the airport. The airport traffic patrol was out in full force, and the guy was watching my parked car curbside like a hawk. So, I took a few pictures (seen above) and said a quick goodbye. Apparently, as I drove away, the sand shifted beneath Jack's feet. He started to panic, saying that I was "lost" and that he couldn't find me. This went on through the ENTIRE airport...security, etc. all the way to the gate. I think this was stressful for Mimi and Grandpa, but thankfully this was not a foreshadow of the rest of the trip.

By the time they boarded, Jack was excited to head to his favorite place in the entire world...the land of Disney. He patiently trekked around Orlando as they picked up their rental car, special foods, groceries for the condo, etc. But once they got to the condo and dropped off their luggage, Jack was ready to hit the park! He has spent each day from morning til dark at the Parks. I've been hearing about it in little 4 minute or so phone calls several times each day. It sounds like they are all having the BEST time!!! I can't wait til they get home tomorrow so I can see and hear all about it!! We all miss him and are ready for him to come home! And I am so proud that he's able to do this. What an accomplishment!!!

Taekwondo...but not the REAL Taekwondo

2008-04-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Connor is in Jack's class at preschool. An unlikely pair, Connor stands a head and shoulder over Jack. Perhaps he's a gentle giant, for he and Jack have taken to each other like playdough in your fingernail. Jack loves playing with Connor, and his 4 yr old brother Aidan. Connor's mom, Michelle, has been an awesome friend. She has taken Jack to school and picked him up countless times as I treaded the waters of mommyhood with a newborn again. Last week the boys had an outdoor playdate at Connor's, and Michelle even came by to pick up Jack's new bike! They are an awesome family and, sadly, they are moving to Texas. God works in funny ways, huh?

So, yesterday Michelle picked up Jack from school and brought him to their house to play. Jack informed me that they played Knex. Sounds like fun. Then Connor got into his taekwondo outfit and the 3 boys, Connor, Aidan and Jack were off to Taekwondo. The plan was to have Aidan and Jack watch, but as soon as the class started, or so I'm told, Jack ran into the group shouting, "I want to do it too!" Graciously, the teacher allowed Jack to join in with the students. He participated in the class and was really excited about it when he got home. Michelle said he did good, considering it was his first time and that his motor planning is really slow. Overall, it was a perfectly fantastic outing, and such a normal 6 year old experience. I was just glowing.

Michelle said that the class instructor mentioned a summer two week "camp" that might be a good opportunity for Jack to receive more individualized instruction. I asked for more info, but don't know yet if I have a budding taekwondo master on my hands or not. In fact, he was telling me about it this morning, saying "When I was doing taekwondo with Conor and Connor (both from his school class) and my other friends, we were playing tag during the break. It was so much fun." I asked him if he'd like to go again sometime and he said, "Ok, but not the REAL taekwondo, okay?" I have no idea what that means, but maybe taekwondo will turn out to be a group sport that suits Jack perfectly!

Since I have no pictures from the Taekwondo field trip/play date, I thought I'd include a couple from Jack's recent photo shoot. I think he needs a few lessons and it doesn't help that our new camera is so heavy!

Happy 6th Birthday, Jack!

2008-04-16T23:40:00.001-07:00

Our sweet little man is officially, as he calls it, a "big kid". Timely, as there is a new baby in the house. And, most importantly these days, he is a "big brother" and loving it! Turning 6, however, didn't win him over with the same ease as becoming a big brother. See, Jack has a fear of kindergarten. No, I did not tell him that monsters teach kindergarten, or that he'd have mountains of homework, or that he'd have to walk to school both ways uphill barefooted in the snow, but somehow, somewhere, he got an image in his cute little head that KINDERGARTEN IS BAD! In fact, he recently has offered to kindly "skip kindergarten and go straight to first grade". Uh, ok but NO and bad idea, dude!

As his birthday was approaching, he shared with us that any incoming birthday gifts could be held over until Christmas. He was not going to turn 6 and he was NOT GOING TO KINDERGARTEN. (Stay tuned through August to see how this plays out) We downplayed the entire concept of his birthday and somehow convinced him to choose a party location, which was the always fun for the family Chuck E. Cheese's with his preschool classmates.

Then, magically, one night after I had tucked him in he hollars out to me as I am leaving the room "Mommy? How many more days until my birthday?" as my sweet boy just can't resist a good countdown. I do a quick finger count and say "13". "13???" he replies, "Cool! Goodnite, Mommy!" Birthday is back on.

So, he's turned 6. He had a fantastic birthday week, which is my favorite way to celebrate a birthday. He ate his weight in cake (GFCF, of course), and celebrated with family on the 8th after dinner, the 9th with his class at Chuck E.'s and again on the 12th in a combined party with his Grandpa, who is quite simply his favorite person on the planet. Although, I must admit that little bro Tyler is giving Grandpa a good run for his money! His cake of choice, this year, was a Return To Neverland Cake, aka Peter Pan II, and was less than up to my usual extremely self pressuring standards, given my post partum state. Funny how a new baby and lack of sleep can cause you to lower your personal standards!

His favorite gifts? His IPOD shuffle and his new bike. He enjoyed the festivities and was thrilled that all but 2 of his friends were able to share in his big bash.

My favorite moment? A quiet, average moment, I suppose you might call it. We took Jack's annual birthday photo in Daddy's shirt. We've done it every year since he turned 1. And, each of the years 2, 3, 4 and 5, it was awful. A nightmare. He screamed, cried, flailed...and the pictures prove it. Sensory nightmare to be trapped under a huge, overstarched, white mountain of shirt. But this year, as I explained that we do this every year on his birthday, and how one day he will fill this shirt, he smiled and giggled a bit. He put it on, waved his giant shirt arms around and said, "Look at me! I'm a witch!" No screaming, crying, bribing, disappointment...just a great picture of a darling little boy who will one day fill that shirt as he becomes, what I am sure will be a wonderful man. So, this proud mom would like to share this picture with you. Doesn't look like much to some, but to me it speaks volumes. Progress is being made with our little guy...and it is measured in the most typical of moments. Enjoy.

2008! New Year...New Endeavor!

2008-03-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

1/25/08

I am often asked if I will return to the blog. Seems many folks would like a look inside our world of autism recovery and daily living to see what goes on. But I haven’t obliged. I’ve kept busy, attempting to balance the demands of treatment with a bit of normalcy. And it has felt good!

But time ticks on. Jack is just a few months shy of his sixth birthday and we are still working at overcoming autism. Still. Guess I thought we’d be done by now. Might sound silly to those who aren’t involved, but all my fellow warrior parents understand just what I mean. We get the diagnosis and we all sign up for our tour of duty. But your paperwork doesn’t tell you when you’ll get to “return home”, if ever. So we make up a time that sounds reasonable. “I’ll put in 3 years and by then, surely, we will have won the war!” Then, at the end of two years, we see that the conflict is taking longer than expected to resolve. “Hmmm,” we think, “maybe I can stick it out another 18 months. Surely by then we’ll have won!” That’s where I am. I’ve figured out that this is definitely a LONG process. There isn’t recovery at 5 for us. 7 or 8 now sounds perfectly reasonable to me! So, I’m regrouping. Oh, and gestating too. Just 11 days to go until we add yet another element into the mix…the bringing home of our latest family addition, our second son, Tyler.

Amidst the impending chaos, the blog has risen to the surface, crying out to me. Perhaps it will ground me…or keep me sane…in the days and weeks ahead of sure change. I don’t know, but since it calls, here I am.

2007...Plenty to say but no time to say it

2008-03-22T19:44:00.002-07:00

Life was moving at a fast pace...and well, I was pregnant. Enough said.

5/24/07

Summertime, and the living is easy. Or at least we hope. Today was the first day of summer break. We all headed over to Kristi’s for a “waterslide party”. Bathing suit and Nemo towel in hand, we headed over for a great day among new friends and old. We were there from 11 until 4, when we shut the place down. Overall, Jack did awesome. He ran around, tried to engage the kids at times, played alone at times, and had a great time. He did start to cry when it was time to leave, and he said that he didn’t like leaving. I was thrilled that he had so much fun. We came home, grabbed a quick bite and were off to Daddy’s double header softball game. Jack was disappointed to learn that he was the only team kid attending tonight, and got bored easily. He was ready to go after 20 minutes or so, but managed to stick it out for the entire 2 hours. He tumbled into bed tonight, wiped out from a funfilled day. No therapy, no special efforts (other than his gfcf lunch!). It almost felt normal! I watched him harder than the other moms did with their own kids, and I worried when he played alone for too long, but then as the kids began to leave and the crowd became more manageable, he came more into his own. The best interaction of the day was in Kristi’s garage with just 5 kids. He was riding a bike and the girls were commanding him to stop/go. He thought it was great. I don’t think his interaction was age appropriate, but it was good enough for today. He’s made giant leaps…and this summer just might allow us to reap the benefits of all of his hard work.

We talked today in the car about fun things that we could do this summer. He loved the idea of his very own “waterslide party” and offered that he wanted cake and ice cream at HIS waterslide party. We talked about going to two twin birthday parties this month and other fun activities, like a visit to the library, zoo and aquarium. There will be group speech and private OT, and summer school with an aide, but the days of scheduling around nap, aba, potty training and various other autism related events are behind us…perhaps temporarily and perhaps for good. I’ll take either one right now!

I’m determined to figure out the root of his scripting, the evil that sets him apart so strongly in social settings. Without it, it is so hard to see his weaknesses. With it, it’s a 2 x 4. So summer, here I come! I’m headed toward the fountain of knowledge, and I’m coming with a sword. Viral, yeast, or something else? I warned Scott that this is my summer goal. He better put his thinking cap on…

2006 - Has come and gone!

2008-03-22T19:44:00.001-07:00

2006 entries...that never made it here.
Jack’s Journey…and my life as his mommy

January 2006 -

1/7/06

Today was a peek into the future. We have turned a corner. I have normalcy in my sights. Perhaps a day without therapists, special preparation, special everything…today allowed me to believe that this will be a reality. We went to see “Joel, the Singing Cowboy” at Borders. Jack had never seen the show before, but was unphased by its novelty. When Joel had the kids come sit with him on the staired stage, Jack jumped up and wriggled in right between the kids. When they patted their laps, he did too. He didn’t stay seated the entire time, but neither did many of them. Then he went and got a book, came back and asked the boy next to him if he wanted to read the book. There they sat, looking at a book together, each one’s hand on one side of the pages. Kristi was there and she was elbowing me…”He looks great! No one here would even know…” I beamed. I know. What a moment. When we were leaving, he was crying. I asked him why he was crying and he said “I’m sad”. I asked him if it was because he wanted the Thomas book that I wouldn’t buy or because the show was over and he said “the show is over. We come back again?” Sweet thing. This is the first time he has answered a why question, albeit prompted.

We were headed to the grocery, when I offered a visit to Daddy’s office. He was quite agreeable to go see Daddy at work. Once there, he painted a picture and wrote his name on it and gave it to his proud Daddy. Then we headed for the grocery. He informed me that he wanted to “walk in the store”. We even got a balloon, another first! What a great, normal outing. What a great, abnormal day!!

7/20/06

Why did I abandon the journal? I do so love to be able to read the old entries, beaming with pride at the progress our little guy has made. But, selfishly, I’ve kept all those thoughts inside. I wish I’d continued it…But, I’m back now. SO, here goes. Mid June, Jack was doing fabulously. Seriously fabulously. Scott and I were considering taking a vacation, a real destination vacation to the beach, our plans squashed only by the fact that we have no vacation funds. But the point of the discussion was that Jack would enjoy it and, consequently, so would we. Finally. And on a Thursday, Jack had an EDTA IV. This one is rough on him, and the last one he’d had effected him for a week or so, but this one started out mildly. Even through Sunday, he seemed no worse for the wear. Then Monday came and so did a cold. I had caught it too. Never a fever, it was still a nasty cold, assumedly a virus of some sort. I don’t know if the death grip came from being set up poorly by the IV or the recent introduction of Valtrex, but this cold grabbed Jack by the britches and wouldn’t let go. It lasted a good 2 weeks for me. But for Jack, it has been much longer. As recent as yesterday, which was 23 days after the onset of the virus, he had a super screaming fit. He protests everything, and some things rather violently. He’s watching tons of videos (or requesting) and scripting is back again. I so loved when that was gone. It’s hard to have him here, talking about something else, thinking about something else, not listening to you. Especially when this was not an issue just a month ago.

On the plus side of the chart, however, Jack has taken to coloring. He’s been coloring in specific colors on line drawing pictures as well as scribbling on paper with crayons. He’s even requesting to “color”! I’ve never seen him interested in this before. He’s also doing remarkably well in our newest adventure: potty training. He has been in underwears, as he calls them, for a week now, and doing great. He’s able to go longer between toileting, and for the most part is not having any pee accidents. He is currently pooping in his underwear, but hey, one thing at a time. I stocked up on cheap underwear at Sears this week, so it’s ok. And Pull Ups are a thing of the past. Just like that. Gone. Crazy. I’m so proud of him. We started putting the potty out in the den months ago, and then pushed him to go little by little. We worked our way up to a reward system, and he was getting presents for peepeeing in the potty. Then he started to earn tickets, which he put in a silver rabbit bank in his room. He’d get the ticket and bound upstairs to put his ticket in the bank. When he got 20 tickets, he was able to trade his tickets for prizes. That lasted for a while, until we implemented the poopy prize box and pee pee prize box this week for initiated pottying. One morning he managed to squeak out some pee 3 times between 7:50a and 9a to get 3 pieces of a tunnel/bridge for his GeoTrax set. That sneaky kid.

He loves his new teacher, Miss Dana. And, after a small fiasco with his summer EA, we were able to acquire Amanda to attend summer school with him. He had zero issues transitioning into that classroom, even though he’d been in Penni’s room since May of the year before. He still speaks fondly of Miss Penni, saying that he likes her, but he’s quick to add that he likes Miss Dana too. I hope our 4 yr class this fall will be as good of an experience as the last 6 months at Judson have been. I do pray that Linda will come back and be his EA in the fall. I really think that she will do everything possible to fade herself by the end of the year.

For some reason, this month has been extremely tough on me. I’m in a funk. I lost 11 lbs in the Spring, and that made me feel great. Now I’m all yucky and depressed and feel the pounds coming on…possibly the result of what seems like a month long eating fest. It’s hot and I hate hot. We’re broke, with Scott’s sales lower than expected, and money is super tight. Scott and I are in our everything’s ok but it’s not/roommate phase still, and it really eats at me. I want a boyfriend. Specifically, I want him to be my boyfriend. He seems not to need this from me. So we are in different places in our needs for our relationship. I KNOW that money is a concern that feels like a brick on his chest, since our bills don’t stop pouring in, but I know that I would be happier if we had a romantic relationship. I’ve tried to mention this, but it’s just not sinking in. That is surely contributing to my state of mind. And, Jack’s illness this month has been so hard to watch. To know that he’s struggling so much more to get through his day is hard. And, to know that all the progress he’s made is delicately balancing over a chasm of all the old auti behaviors, and that it could all cave in that hole with an illness or some other uncontrollable event is just maddening. You want to believe that he doesn’t toe walk anymore or eye stim or drop toys behind a surface or any of the other things that he “used to do” because he’s “past that”; healthier. Then he gets an insult (I’m thinking virus) and it all comes rushing back. The good skills are still there too, for the most part, but dang! That old stuff was just in the closet, not thrown out with the trash and long gone. I can’t protect him from viruses. I can’t protect him from communicable disease. How vulnerable will he always be?

Mom and Dad called last week after returning home from their 4th of July visit. Mom made a point to tell me what fun she had with Jack while he was playing on the waterslide in the backyard. They took him to see “Cars” also. She said, “I almost took for granted that we were interacting with him and playing with him. Thank you for giving us our grandson. He is so much fun. We are so happy.” What a great moment. Jack is so interactive now. Tonite he reached up at bedtime and grabbed my nose. He pulled and pretended that he had it in my hand. I asked for it back and he said he was going to put it in my pocket (after he realized that he didn’t have any pockets on his pjs). Then he pulled it out of my pocket and put it back on my face. It was sooooo cute. And so typical. He is a beautiful little boy. Some days I try to remind myself that he’s only 4. I notice us all sitting around talking and we’ve all adjusted our recovery goals. Tess, Michelle and I all now say 6 or 7. But really, is 6 or 7 so old if by then he truly does seem just like everyone else? He’s come soooo far since last year. And last year from the year before that. What can we possibly expect in the next 12 months? Donna remarked on the change this summer from last summer, when we were visiting in Boston. At that time, Jack didn’t speak to her, nor did he speak to Wes or Will, he could not answer a Yes question and he scripted constantly. This year he was asking Wes to play with him, speaking to Donna directly, even telling her one day that he loved her, and talking up a tremendous storm. His pretend play is up, he enjoyed bowling tremendously, and even enjoyed Wes sleeping in his room with him. They imitated each other and really seemed to have a good time together. I try to remember these gains, this remarkable progress, in moments like these when the hours are bumpy. The road is still long and straight and heading upward.

7/23/06

Potty boot camp has commenced. Sound the alarm! Actually, it is going quite well. Perhaps that is what happens when you get serious after your child turns 4 and has just transitioned from a six month “ice breaker” into pottying full-on. We went 100% underwear 11 days ago and are not looking back! Up until today, I was doing a large percent of the work. He was essentially scheduled trained for #1, and #2 was an all out disaster. But I found cheap briefs at Sears and was prepared to go the long haul with the BMs in the underwear. Yesterday he had 3 BM accidents in his pants. 3! Whew. Today, we instituted a new policy. His reward for pottying by himself was 2 Peep episodes. Then the video was turned off. It worked great and he pottied on his own to earn his movies. He had 1 accident in his pants late in the afternoon (BM) but it seems like that was the catalyst for change. After that he initiated going to the potty for the BM two times in a row, and the second was monumental (he was mid-meal at dinner!). Great job, Jack!!!

He was also much more like his old self, albeit scripty and a little too protesty. But, all around, he’s much more like his old/new self. Thank goodness. I was really settling into a low state. It is infuriating how my mood ebbs and flows with the tide of his behavior and ability. Poor little guy. He has no idea that he has the ability to swing my mood like a pendulum. If he knew, I’m sure he’d be on his best behavior to allow my best self to be the only presence he has to deal with. My less than best self can be a little unbearable, I’m sure!

11/18/06

Time keeps on ticking. That is for sure. We’ve witnessed an amazing transition for Jack to a “great state of being”. Started in mid September with the introduction of Spironolactone. Jack became a boy with delays. No “issues”, just delays and a rather noticeable love of numbers and time. That sweet boy taught himself how to tell time in little over a week in October. Just did it. I didn’t even see it coming! Sat down with a Dora time telling book each time he was on the potty and before we knew it he was telling time on our Roman numeral kitchen clock! We thoroughly enjoyed the two months or so of all around awesome Jack. And then last Saturday, the protesting returned. Slowly but surely over the week it has become evident of some change. Something is definitely out of whack with his system. If only we had more clues!?! After a predictably rough day at school, which had his new aide sweating, I decided to rotate his antifungals. It feels like yeast. I always second guess my gut, but so many times I’ve been in this place and every time before I have been right with my instinct. So, I took him off of the Nystatin/sporonox combo that he’d been on for 40 days and threw in ketoconazole. I have no idea if this will work. I pray so. Life was so easy and Jack was so happy. Transition was a breeze. Today was day 4 on the keto. I know it takes 4-6 days for a new antifungal to work, so I’m not sure why I’m getting nervous, but I fear that yeast won’t be our culprit and we’ll be in the dark on how to change his treatment. I also dropped his Spironolactone dose from the recently upped 37.5 mg dose back down to the “we know it works” 25 mg dose. I pulled Taurine back a few weeks ago, so to add that back in will be my next mystery play. His teacher and aide were both quite taken aback this week as the protesting raged and, frankly, so was I. The roller coaster is so difficult for us all. How can we get him to such a great place, only to see him take a big step backward?! Poor baby. I so want him to break free of these chains of autism that often bind him. He’s made such great gains…I want it ALL for him. And for us.

Short and Sweet

2008-03-22T19:43:00.001-07:00

Last Entry of 2005...
10/7/05

As I sit down to write, I am saddened by the time that has passed where my thoughts were not captured. Lots has happened during these 3 months. I’ll have to go back and retell it as best as I can. However, since the pizza man will be here in a few minutes, it will have to wait for another day.

Old Musings...Playing Catch Up

2008-03-22T19:38:00.001-07:00

I'm going to play catch up...here are a few entries that never made it to the blog...
7/11/05

The magic continues…Jack’s language “burst” is still a steady stream of activity. At school today, his teacher and aide both commented on how appropriately he is talking! He picked up his art project (a face on a stick) and handed it to me, saying “here you go”. Then he said to me (as I was carrying his backpack) “zip it in the pocket”. He happily hugged his teacher, saying “Bye Miss Penni” and then “Bye kids!” He even tolerated an overpowering hug from his sweet friend Laney. He also sat well during circle time AND…tah dah: rode a tricycle at school for the first time, JUST LIKE THE OTHER KIDS! Woo hoo for Jack! You go, boy! I talked to Jack’s home team ABA consultant tonight and mentioned some of the things he’s been saying. She couldn’t believe the improvement in just 3 weeks since she last saw him. She’s going to come over tomorrow to see it with her own two eyes. It sure is impressive….

Apparently a notice was going around that high chairs are for babies, because now Jack only wants to sit in a “Brown Chair” (our wooden kitchen chair). He started out wanting to sit in “daddy’s chair” but we’ve been able to appease him with a chair of his own in his usual place at the table. So now, if you peer into our kitchen window at mealtime, you’ll see the three of us, happily gathered there, each in our own big person chair. My, what will be next, a big boy bed and big kid underwear? That’s too much to think about!

Jack’s new passion is painting. Not finger painting, of course, for our little sensory guy, but it is exciting nonetheless. Picasso he may not be, but enthusiastic captures it well. He has 10 jars of paint, and loves to use them all. He has a big brush and a small paint brush, and uses them alternating and sometimes simultaneously! Amanda, his school ABA therapist, swears he made a smiley face today while painting, but it just looks too good to believe. I need to see that one with my own two eyes before I declare it an official milestone mastered. We are proud parents around here, beaming with delight as our little boy comes into his own.

Meanwhile, autism has eaten away at my soul. It has taken my easy carefree being and replaced it with a “Mother Warrior”, soapbox in hand, attitude. I feel like I am alienating my friends, and it seems an inevitable destructive path with no alternative route. My occupation has become “autistic child saver” and it has come with a price. I am racing against time, swimming upstream against modern general medicine, and am fighting desperately to keep cynicism and bitterness at bay. I am at peace with our “journey”, and know that I am not weathering this storm alone. As the old saying goes, the footprints in the sand on my journey aren’t mine….for I am being carried. This, I know for sure. Yet, amongst the autism research abstracts, continuous monitoring of Jack’s abilities and weaknesses, and national media suppression of the Truth, I grow a little more tired each day. There is less to give to the other, less immediate causes surrounding me…family, friends, hobbies, even to my husband and, honestly, to myself. I choose to blanket my spirit with other like minds…they know this battle the best and offer support in a way no other can.

2006-08-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Jack LOVES the camera now!!!

2005-10-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Jack now loves to "ham" it up for the camera! Here he is on his homemade crash pad, courtesy of his Mimi, smiling happily and saying "Cheese!"

Fantastic 4th of July

2005-07-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

7/4/05

Fantastic Nite Under the Stars We had a great night tonight...we loaded up our energetic little boy and drove down to the City’s 4^th of July event at Crockett Park. I don’t know what Scott was thinking but, like always, my hopes were guardedly high. Last year had been a great success, but this was a new year…and things are not always the same for this little guy. I hoped he wouldn’t get frustrated by the waiting (we were arriving 1.25 hours prior to the launch) or frightened by the fireworks themselves. We told Jack at home that we were going to see the fireworks and he seemed excited, saying “Let’s go to the car. Let’s go see the fireworks.”

We arrived at the park, along with the entire motorized population of Brentwood and Jack said “Look at all the cars!” as he gazed out his window to the stream of cars parked along the road. We were directed to what turned out to be the world’s BEST parking spot, in an adjacent church parking lot, atop a small hill (and near the exit – a bonus!). We began to walk towards Crockett Park, when we passed the church’s playground. There was a big kids area (5-12) and a tot lot (2-5), which turned out to be perfect for Jack. Challenging enough, but nothing dangerous enough to warrant the eagle eye parenting I have grown to anticipate at the playground. It was populated with toddlers and their cautious (and not so cautious) parents. Jack was excited to spend some of our “wait” time here. We watched him try out each area of the playground, even eyeballing his new found interest, the sandbox. The weather was fabulous for a Tennessee summer nite, 78 degrees with a breeze, and this was an “easy” moment in our parenting. Jack looked like a typical kid, perhaps a bit on the anxious side, nervously yelling “Mommy!” when some big kids stormed the play area and ran up the slide. All in all, he was holding his own just fine. About 30 minutes before the fireworks were scheduled to begin, the playground cleared out, and we had the whole tot lot to ourselves. It was a neat moment, Scott and I standing, chatting, while Jack climbed and slid and hollered for our attention. Then Ben appeared, 6.5 and friendly. He was alone with his mom, who had set up firework viewing camp in the big kid playground area and was engrossed in a cell phone conversation. Jack took to Ben right away. After a few minutes, Ben was performing for Jack, jumping off the end of the slide as Jack would yell “Do it again!”. The boys really interacted great!!! Jack was following Ben's every move. Ben was standing at the bottom of the slide making a tunnel for Jack, and Jack would slide through and shout "Let's do it again!". Scott asked if Jack always played this great with other kids. I was proud of that moment for Jack and glad that, for once, Scott was getting to see an awesome moment, instead of only hearing about it back at home at the day’s end.

Then the fireworks started and Jack snuggled into my lap on our blanket. We too decided just to set up camp in the big kid playground area, which happened to have the perfect view of the fireworks and easy access to the car! Well, Jack just LOVED the fireworks. He said "More loud ones!" and "I want to see more fireworks!" He was so sad when it ended, but transitioned nicely to the car. Scott got to see him interact with the boy and the mom said she couldn't tell Jack was autistic (God love 'em for their ignorance!) A great family nite for us and a perfect outing! Yay! A 4^th of July for the recordbooks!

Journal Jan - May 2005

2005-06-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

January 2005 -

12/1/04

Lots of changes in the last few weeks. Jack was really doing so well. Late October and November were great. There’s an awesome little boy in there. Now to get him to the surface. We’re banking on the fact that we are going to hit a rough patch that, once beyond, will bring amazing things. I hope we are not disappointed. We’re counting on this!

Jack’s teachers, the school days of the 18^th and 19^th, were beside themselves with praise for Jack’s behavior, compliance and overall “typical-ness”. I am so proud of that! Jack sat in circle time without being prompted, attended perfectly during Flashcards and all around was a sweet boy with a special spark in his eye that his teachers said they had not seen before.

We started TD-DMPS 3 days following the first B-12 shot. Didn’t see anything good or bad. That sounds good to me. Then on the 23^rd, just around the time we arrived at MeeMee’s for Thanksgiving, Jack started screaming more. He was a bit resistant when asked to do some things, like sing, which he had been willingly been doing for the past few weeks. We assume the change is yeast related, as DMPS can trigger yeast growth. We had also dropped the dose of the Nystatin from 8 tsp/day to 1.5 tsp/day maintenance dose. By the time we got home on Sunday, the 28^th, there was no guessing that something was going on and it wasn’t necessarily going to be easy to deal with. Monday afternoon ABA session was ugly, as were ALL therapy sessions Tues & Wed. Additionally, we are seeing more screaming and increased difficulty in transitioning. Meltdowns at bath time, etc. Oh boy. What fun.

Our OATS results show elevated yeast and bacteria. 2 new scripts. Hoping that what we are seeing is yeast related and will dissipate with the Diflucan, but also preparing ourselves for a bumpy ride for 2 or 3 months if this is DMPS related. That would be all of December, January and possibly February until there might be light at the tunnel’s end. If that’s the case, it’s going to be one dark winter. Ugh.

A little note about the B-12 shots. Seems I’m an idiot. Correction: seems I am truly a non-medical not-even-able-to-be-called-an-amateur uneducated idiot. In my defense, the pharmacy sends a vial that says .3cc per day and a bag of syringes. That’s it. No instructions. Nonetheless, we have been dosing at 3 units (the syringe, of course, uses different language). Figured out yesterday, 3 weeks or so into the shots that we are supposed to be giving 30 units. What a big fat duh!!!!!!!! No wonder we didn’t see any magic.

Going to an ENT doc on Friday. Had some nose issues that just won’t quit. The most bothersome is a feeling that my nasal cavity is constantly closed. This may be due to an allergy issue, which would be another doc altogether. Might be caused by the enzymes. It is driving me crazy! I don’t have time to have ISSUES!

NEWEST INTEREST FOR JACK: Dora! Especially the Dora episode with the TRAINS. Go figure.

12/12/04

One month since the start of DMPS. While he hasn’t begun rattling off trigonometry equations, he has not begun biting himself and running up the walls either. Guess I’ll take that. We’ve seen a slow and steady consistent measure of improvement. Is it greater or faster than what we’ve previously seen? It sure is hard to tell. Could this be the greatest placebo trial?? He was a bit more stimmy a few weeks in, but that seems to have leveled off at a somewhat “normal” state.

1/12/05

The ride of a lifetime…every day. Today started out like many others. Busy! Wednesday is our early day: we have to be out by 8a. At 7:05 THIS morning, we were all still tucked safely in our beds with visions of sugarplums. I sprung out of bed and got dressed, foregoing the a.m. shower (again) due to time constraints and lack of desire (we’ve been up until midnight or later each night this week watching Season 2 of 24) and raced to fetch sweet Jack and hurl him gently into our Wednesday abbreviated morning routine. One thing to note: he was awake, but was not scripting. I heard a peep once or twice, but no Dora “blah blah blah” at all. Not sure of what to make of that, so I’ll just note it. He brought his blanket and pacie with him to the rocking chair (also less than usual) and we rocked for a bit in silence until he requested going downstairs to watch a movie (daily occurrence). Cuddling and quiet on the couch, I turned on Sesame Street, which was watched with limited enthusiasm. We rushed through the morning routine and I wondered, for a moment, what the day would bring. OT and ST were very positive experiences. Susan commented on how engaged and happy Jack was today, which I had noticed yesterday all day! So giggly, in an appropriate way. Such big smiles. Such LONG looks. Joy. Since we wrap up early on Wed., I thought we’d dash over to the big park for some recreation. Oddly enough, it is 68 degrees here today. There were only 2 kids at the park, and they looked just slightly younger than Jack. They were chasing each other down the slides, giggling happily, clearly excited to play together. A few times one would cry out to their Mom, “But she won’t slide with me. I want her to!” Jack had a less than peak performance on this day. He chose to run laps around the perimeter of the park on the sidewalk, scripting Dora as he went. Last summer he loved to play on the equipment here and could swing for :30 at a time! Today he barely gave the play area a nod. I finally intervened, to his dismay, and interrupted him every ¼ of the circle and made him swing or climb or slide. Once completed, he could go back to the perimeter. He hated the intervention, and collapsed and screamed each time I forced him to “play”. Other kids his age came to the park, and my attention to his abnormality at the play area increased. Finally I’d had all I could take. I directed him, unwilling to leave, to the car and buckled him into his car seat. On the way home my eyes welled up with tears for the little boy he isn’t. Partly for me but mostly for him. It’s amazing how different I can feel about him and his autism based solely upon what benchmark I am using to measure his progress. At home, I think he’s doing fantastic. I question the need for so much therapy. I imagine him as a normal little school age boy doing everyday school age things. At clinic I see his progress. I see some of his deficits, but he’s talking! I see those who haven’t made as much progress, especially those who are older, and I am relieved that he has overcome so much this year. But then I go to the playground and see him against those he will truly be measured against, the only true benchmark of what is “typical” and I am crushed. Not only doesn’t he care about playing there the way 100% of the other children want to, but he is oblivious to their existence. A truly autonomous presence. The world is flying by and he is unaware. It is moments like this when I do question what gains we can make physically through biomed intervention. Surely it has its limitations. Perhaps his brain is just wired differently and all the effort in the world won’t change that. Moments like these deem days like today HARD DAYS. Yet today is no different than yesterday, which was a good day. But my perspective has shifted. I have caused today to be judged a BAD DAY. It’s me. Perhaps solely within my control. But how?

2/14/05

Valentine’s Day…and I’m ever so in love, with my baby boy. So much has happened over the last 2 months. Gains almost immeasurable! From the benefits of the MB12, to the lows of a massively bad diarrhea combination of Rotavirus and an Antibiotic (13 days of bottom trouble), and a definite casein reaction last week, Jack is in a new place developmentally. He is doing so well. He still does best engaging when it is just the two of us. I am his confidant. Today we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a picnic at the zoo. It was charming. In the 60s, breezy and clear, it was the perfect day to spend some time (mid Winter) outdoors! With a view of zebra and ostrich, we ate our lunch at a picnic table. Jack sat next to me, like a big kid, properly on the bench, with his hand resting on my arm, perhaps for comfort. A few times he exclaimed “Happy Valentine!” and I beamed. We looked like any other family at that moment. We walked around the zoo and played for a bit at the playground before we had to cut our outing short to adhere to our rigid schedule. Nap by 1:30 to be up by 4 to be ready for ABA (session 2 of the day) at 4:15. He has no idea how his days differ from his peers.

3/8/05

Birthday party, take 1. I cried as I placed him in his crib tonight. He was having such an awesome night. He had a birthday party with his Grandparents and he got it. He knew there were presents and he opened them eagerly. He saw his new viewmaster (which he calls a telescope) and peered in. He commented on Thomas and then Dora and said "It's SO beautiful!" as he looked at the pictures. Then they brought out a shiny new tricycle and he jumped up excitedly. He rode it for a few minutes and then was back to his "telescope". He enjoyed his "birthday cake" and had a great time. What a difference from a year ago. What a difference from Christmas, even. Yet, as I tucked him in to bed and said "Bye Bye. See you Sunday." my heart grew heavy. He has no idea that we are leaving and won't know why we aren't here. I'm sure all kids go through this at some point in toddlerhood, but it is painful nonetheless. Hopefully there won't be too many tough moments for the three of them until we return.

3/14/05

We all survived…and with flying colors! Mom & Dad were awesome parent replacements, stepping in without missing a beat. Jack did great. They noted that he seemed a little bit quieter and, perhaps, somber on the last day, but overall did wonderfully! There WAS the little issue of his all out panic attack in the tub, but other than that he has escaped unscathed! And Mommy fared well also. The first night there, I awoke with an emptiness in my heart. As though I had left something behind that I was responsible for. But once I began day 2, I realized that this trip was truly a gift from my parents. Their willingness to take on all of the responsibility of his care should not be received lightly. And from that point on I enjoyed myself to the fullest. Scott and I reconnected, I was pampered, and it was relaxing. I know that these moments will be few and far between for now, so I embraced my freedom. The last day there, Mom had Jack say a few words over the phone. He sounded so little! I had never heard him on the phone before. It was precious. And I missed him even more! The homecoming was sweet, and he was all smiles as we came into view at the airport. We were happy to be reunited!!! And Mom & Dad feel even closer to Jack than before, I suspect. The trip was awesome for us all.

3/18/05

Jack astounded us tonight. We went to Morri Faith’s birthday party at Pump It Up. I did not have great expectations for Jack’s participation there, since he has always adamantly refused to play on any blowup structure for as long as we have been around them: at 18 months at his school’s Fall Festival, this past Halloween at Julia Johnson’s birthday party and just a few weeks ago at playgroup, where a family had a small version of one in their den. But we went anyway, hoping for something good. Jack toured the facility privately before the party, and immediately started saying “No thank you!” as we coached him to try out the equipment. But then the kids came running in and he saw them sliding down the 15 foot slide. His eyes were as big as saucers! I asked him if he wanted to try it and he said “Yes!”. I still didn’t believe he’d do it, but I carried him up the slide. He LOVED it!!! Over the course of the next hour and 15 minutes, he conquered any previous fears of the blowup jumping equipment! By the night’s end, he had tackled the 15 foot slide ALONE!!!! He jumped in the enclosed jumper and rolled off the center mountain! He mastered the 4 ft. inflated rock wall in the obstacle course and was trying to accomplish the 10 ft wall! What an astonishing night! And of course, me without my camera (I thought there wouldn’t be anything to see!). Shame on me and hurray for Super Jack! He was awesome! We were the most proud parents…

3/28/05

Happy Easter! We just returned from our annual Easter trip to Meemaw’s. This year we actually “hid” eggs in the yard for Jack. He had a good time hunting them, thanks to Dora (and Grandma & Grandpa who sent the video) who explained the art of hunting eggs in “Dora’s Egg Hunt”. A current classic. Jack’s scripting is up again, so we are hearing all about the egg hunt with Dora. He did well traveling and really enjoyed having the DVD player in the car. He was disappointed today to see that his “computer” was gone when we went out to run errands.

He is suffering from diarrhea again. I’ve now concluded that he cannot tolerate Vancomycin. We are supposed to be on a 3x day every other day regimen. I have him on either 1x or 2x day every other day and he is still going 5-6 times per day. He’s eaten up with diaper rash and has taken to lying to me when asked if he has poopy pants, since the changing itself is miserable (I guess I don’t blame him). We are going to have to stop the Vancomycin and wait for our consult on 4/18.

I cannot believe we are 2 weeks away from transitioning to Metro. The heat is on. I am overwhelmed with the prospect of singlehandedly fighting the School District for his services. I’m not sure this advocate is helping as much as I need. Why in the world are we expected to represent ourselves against people who do this on a daily basis? If I were to show up in court wanting to defend myself, people would think I was a loon! But here it is expected. It is an absolute absurdity. I pray that our experience defies the norm. Perhaps I’ve built it up to be worse than it will be. I can only hope.

In a last ditch attempt to utilize TEIS’ services, we have a feeding evaluation at Easter Seals on Wednesday. I hope they can assist us in some way. Jack’s food selections are so narrow. It makes mealtime a little bit of a battle, even without any progress! He’s down to eating chicken nuggets or pb&J for meals and, of course, he wants fries. Other than that, or pancakes or waffles, he’ll eat fruit. That is about it. Chips and cookies too, but nothing else. No meat, no alternative bread, no vegetables…I could go on. We need some advice that will work for Jack’s combination of sensory issues and autism.

4/17/05

Ugh. Whew. CALGON!!! This would be one of the darker moments on the journey. We’re in the middle of a therapeutic-custody battle with Metro over Jack’s proposed IEP and services, they are now bringing in the “heavy” for round two (the Spec. Ed. Director) and Jack’s having a bit of a rough spell. It sometimes feels like it is just too much! I went out this afternoon to run a quick errand and found myself, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, tempted with the notion of driving forever! Maybe not forever, but for a good long while to a destination unknown. What is that? Stress to the nth degree? I would actually choose to abandon my family and drive without purpose? This is not a good sign.

Note to self, in my next life, I’m going to set up a system by which all special needs families receive an Advocate, at no cost, to deal with the school system. This is Board of Ed vs. Joe Nobody and Joe isn’t feeling too good about the whole thing.

Jack is off. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but it seems a bit yeasty. Screamy, less compliant, scripting to the point that he doesn’t always hear you speak, constantly playing trains, getting in movie jags…for 2 weeks straight it was only Thomas, now it is Baby Einstein (particularly the original, which features 15 different languages, which is getting put away tomorrow for good!) and an overall demeanor that is worse than what we saw a week or 10 days ago. That was bliss! He was so awesome! Much more typical. I did read tonight that kids who are getting better (typically through chelation) either look ADHD, Tourettes or OCD. And the author claimed that this behavior is transitional as they recover. Once recovered, these behaviors subside. IF this is true, and this is what’s happening, I’d classify him as mostly OCD with a little ADHD. Eloise is here today and she commented that he didn’t seem “right”. Said he seemed hyper and screamy. You know, it’s bad enough when it eats at you all day…but it is just plain over the top when other people, even with the best intentions, point it out.

His birthday was a success. He seemed to enjoy having the kids over, played well outside with them and even chose to sit outside with them over his standard place at the kitchen table! I’m glad I had the party. Funny that I had considered not doing it. Hindsight is an interesting perspective. I wonder what all of this will look like with hindsight glasses on?

4^th month chelation records have come in the mail. What a depressing moment! Nothing remarkable to share. Consult w/Scott Smith tomorrow. Perhaps he’ll shed some insight. I keep hanging my hat on the thought that Dr. McCandless’ granddaughter didn’t excrete until 9 months into the process. Gotta keep having hope. And he’s really a different kid now. Surely the DMPS is playing a role in that.

5/13/05

Medical attention week here on the Halbert Channel! Sunday afternoon Jack had a hard time waking from his nap. Tuesday morning we had the same super-sleepy disinterested little fellow, coupled with blue fingers and ashen lips. A pediatric visit and blood draw found nothing. A consult with his Autism doctor revealed DMPS the likely culprit. We are watching him like a hawk over the next few days to determine any changes in treatment… Then Thursday, in perhaps a peak moment of exploration or boredom, our sweet son shoved a dried black bean up his nose. Just like that…we were off to the ER. This was traumatic for Jack, things like wearing a fingertip pulse occ monitor, enduring a bp cuff on his lower leg…were just the beginning of a tough afternoon, as he was wrapped mummy-style in a sheet, placed on his back on a bed and “tortured” with a nasal speculum and otoscope. All to determine that the bean was no longer lodged in his nose. Yup! The bean turned up at home at the top of the garage stairs. I’m wondering if that will be the last time we make that trip!

Jack seemed to improve between that entry, 4/17 and a week or so ago. My guess is that the full two week course of Vancomycin and Sporonox were quite effective. However, a few days ago we went back to the every other day regimen, and now it is a tough time behaviorally for Jack again. Lots of screaming, crying with transition…today he protested vehemently as we turned into the Grocery parking lot, something we do often after school. Seems like he wants to be home…in his safe environment, playing with trains or with a favorite, predictable electronic toy/computer game. Poor baby. Wonder what he’s feeling. Mom & Dad bought him a new pair of sneakers a couple weeks back. He refused to wear them, crying “shoes OFF!” over and over. So, I took them back and bought a second pair, these a little more like the current pair. I put them on him this morning. He wore them for a few minutes until he noticed them. And then we were back to the new shoe protest all over again. It seems like it will be a miracle if he gets better on days like today. He’s pushing, kicking, hitting. I guess he sounds like a typical 3 yr old, but he’s anything but. Yesterday was the school picnic. He screamed to go to the car, had tremendous difficulty transitioning to the picnic scene. Finally agreed to eat ONLY if he could sit in my lap. Thirty minutes in to an hour and a half event, he was begging to go home. Not his best day.

On a positive note, I’m hearing “MOMMY!” often. Sometimes he’s calling me and sometimes he’s addressing me. It’s really great. Yesterday he said “Come with me, Mommy, please.” Previously he would label me, but not call me or address me by name. It sure sounds sweet. A diamond amongst the rough!

Creating a Blog

2005-06-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

A friend asked if I had started a blog. I was puzzled. I have a personal journal of our journey to recover Jack, but I haven't shared it. Why not? Wouldn't other people want to know what we're doing, what works, what our struggles and joys are? So, with Jack in a morning ABA session, I set out to create a blog. Here goes. Hope you like it, whoever "you" turns out to be. Bux, you may be the only one reading! Thanks for your continued support, my friend. I love you.

Journal Sept. thru Dec. 2004

2005-06-11T00:51:00.000-07:00

9/11/04

Today marks 3 years since our generation’s American Tragedy. I don’t often think of it…that tragic day where we realized that this strong country is vulnerable, weak, penetrable. I remember, barely 2 months pregnant, wondering if this was a world I wanted to bring an innocent new baby into. Now we run about in our busy lives, listening to the Republicans defend our position at war, the Democrats scoffing at it, a nation divided amidst the appointment of a new President. Yet, does there truly exist, amongst the American heart, a fear of further tremendous destruction here at home? I sincerely doubt it. Yet, today, as we are so vividly reminded through scenes of that dreaded day, our hearts stop, but for a moment, to worry as mothers, fathers, friends and family for the safety of our own.

We have put our baby through his own “hell”. He has started “school”. Jack has returned to Forest Hills Baptist Church’s Mothers’ Day Out program for his second year. Perhaps his new found awareness of self has made this a bit more difficult. Whatever the reason, I have watched him suffer these last two weeks. To soften the blow, I sent a therapist to his class to “shadow” him each day. I have found that having eyes in the classroom is a blessing and a curse. I am glad to know that someone, solely with his interest in mind, is within arm’s reach of my baby. But, to know that he is lying on the floor, failing to participate, holding his beloved blanket and pacie, moves me to tears. Is this cruel and unusual punishment, masked by the theory of “socializing” him for his greater good? He is a changed boy since that first day of school last week. He demands his blanket and pacie at home at all times and oftentimes soothes himself by saying “It’s okay?” over and over. The reports do show that he is making progress at school, but what will the cost be? The anxiety bothers me greatly. My sweet, usually happy boy. Unsettled by the unsettling of his little life.

His language is building! He is using names to request, when the motivation is high. Yesterday he could not find his pacie. “Wuh wuh wuh blue pacie?” he stated (his version of where is blue pacie). Then he said “Vovvy…pacie!” When I produced his pacie he said with glee, “There it is!”. The makings of sweet conversation!

9/30/04

We’re chugging along at the slow pace of progress and becoming disenchanted with the current pace (which I feel is a good thing). Time to put the pedal to the metal. Jack is 2 and a half. Rapidly approaching three, where he’ll be thrust into Metro’s land of opportunity (sarcasm). Mom and Dad are asking me to pick out a new chandelier for Christmas, and I am suddenly burdened by the expenses of non-material things. We MUST take him to an expert. We must tackle his underlying metabolic/biomedical issues. Correcting the myriad of issues going on biochemically will cure the ailments, not treat the symptoms. That is where true healing takes place for this dreaded disease. And time is fleeting…with each passing day he falls further behind in our race to “catch up”, all the while his brain becoming less and less malleable, neurologically speaking. We need to be moving with lightning speed. Days are turning into months. We’ve been at this formally for 6 months already. What have we accomplished?

10/12/04

Officially on the downward turn toward 3. Yikes! Only 6 more months of all of this generous intervention. And we seem to have some momentum going! Jack is surprising us daily. Today he finished therapy and, while heading for me, was intercepted by Daddy. Daddy scooped him up and kissed him. Jack obliged him with a returned exchange, then turned to me and said “Want Vovvy!” and leaned out to me with outstretched arms. Delightfully delicious.

School has become a respite for me and a tolerable morning for Jack. Teacher reports indicate that he is settling in “nicely” although observational reports seem to reflect a less rosy picture. He is starting to tolerate some peer interaction during play time and has definitely become accustomed to the routine of the day. Naptime is a bit of a struggle. Friday he was put in a crib across the hall from the classroom, where he promptly went to sleep. I’m left wondering if it would be better for all (except me) if I were to pick him up after lunch to avoid the nap fiasco in its entirety.

Jack spontaneously pointed on Saturday night. One might consider this a pivotal moment in his developmental timeline. Seems, if only for one brief moment, that he figured out that a) he needed our attention, b) could command our attention with a gesture and c) picked the correct gesture to summons our attention! Hooray! Something that seems so very simple is such a struggle for these sweet little ones. We have not seen him again do this spontaneously but are now encouraging pointing in general in hopes of solidifying the relationship of pointing to having his needs met.

It seems that I have not journaled of Jack’s new passion: Thomas the Tank Engine. It has been about 4 weeks since we went to the Stansbury’s house for dinner. Tate & Grant have a large train set in their playroom and, during the course of the evening, the boys all watched a Thomas movie together. Jack was mesmerized. By the second week thereafter, all we heard was “Thomas” this and “Thomas” that. Now from the first word of the day to the last (almost literally) we hear: “watch Thomas. Okay!” or “It’s Thomas. Hiya Thomas. Whoo whoo.” “It’s Percy. Hiya Percy. Whoo whoo.” “It’s Jays (James). Hiya Jays. Whoo Whoo.” He talks to himself about the Island of Sodor and quotes lines from the movie (“how dare he say we’ll do. How dare he say we’ll do). It’s typical two and autistical scripting all at the same time. He LOVES to go to Barnes and Noble to play with the Thomas trains there. He now “works” for Thomas time during therapy. It’s sweet and all boy. Christmas this year will bring big surprises for Jack!

11/6/04

We went to visit Grandma & Grandpa in October. We had a great visit. Mom & Dad commented just how “different” he seemed. He was truly a delight. However, mid-trip, Jack went for a swim with Grandma in the pool. He enjoyed himself thoroughly, but we saw immediate behaviors associated with exposure to the chlorine. These symptoms are similar to what we see/have seen when Jack has a phenolic reaction to foods. He was madly giggling, hyper, stimmy…and it lasted for about a week (he went in the pool two days in a row). It was tough to watch what was almost like a regression! Thankfully, most of the symptoms have now subsided (except occasional head shaking) a month later. Phenol sulfertranferese. Can’t explain it…just know that is at the core of the stimmy weird behavior. Hope we can fix it!

11/10/04

One month after we began treating yeast (on a whim, mind you) we have a new little boy with us. Other than his obvious language delays, he is doing remarkably well!!! He is “just one of the kids” at school, participating beautifully in therapy, and an all around delight to have around! His speech teacher observed him in class on Friday. She called me to discuss her findings. She was amazed at how well he fit in and “flowed” with the rest of the kids. Other than seeking out his teacher’s hand to walk to the gym and choosing her lap instead of the floor for story time (perhaps he’s just clever!), he would be hard to pick out by the untrained eye. What great news! And in therapy, he’s doing things that a month ago were impossible (and had been that way all summer). Imitation was a lingering concern as we went into month 5 of his individual ABA therapy. However, in October (month 6), imitation truly blossomed! Now he is happy to imitate you touching your nose, rubbing your tummy, patting your head, or whatever else you show him at a mere command of “Do this!”. What a HUGE developmental leap! At home, transitions that previously seemed “typical two” (But obviously weren’t) are now a thing of the past. No more shrieking at the mention of bathtime, but instead a willing toddler who claims “pee pee potty” as we enter the bathroom. (No, he has no idea about GOING potty, we are taking baby steps!) Now when movies end, he yells “Yay!” instead of crying as though his beloved dog had died. He is chasing the dog and giggling with glee. He is happy to go to the grocery store to ride the train, willing to come inside after a car ride without hesitation and loves to “play trains” in the playroom. Pointing is a regular occurance, and he is now starting to use carryover phrases like “It’s a two” instead of just “two”. The effects of 30 days of yeast treatment is ASTOUNDING!!! We finally feel like we are gaining momentum. So, what’s next? Well, it’s time to rock the boat, of course!

I had a consult with Scott Smith, P.A. at Dr. Bradstreet’s office on the 3^rd. This is Phase II. Now bring in the big guns…cuz we’re fighting the big boys now! Scott thinks that Jack is carrying a significant heavy metal load. He recommended that we begin chelating right away. So, that’s what we’ll do. We will keep most of our protocol the same, with one major difference. We will adjust our Nystatin dosage significantly. Dr. “Crap”delaine was dosing Jack at 1,000,000 units per day. Dr. Bradstreet had a cow when he heard that! The most he is comfortable prescribing is 250,000 units per day. Another nail in Crapdelaine’s coffin. What is he doing over there? Thank God that He directed us to Bradstreet. He’s currently treating 5,000 kids worldwide. What an amazing database of symptoms AND treatment!?! I imagine that we will see, over the next few months, the treatment rollercoaster again emerge. I am ready this time. I know what “pretty good” looks like in Jack, and I can’t wait to see what “Great” or perhaps, “Recovered” looks like. I’m willing to take “difficult” for a time if it gets us to greatness. Perhaps I should bookmark this line, to refer back to in the days ahead!

11/12/04

First B12 injection went super smoothly last night. Mommy was uptight, Daddy thought he was in private practice and Jack was none the wiser. NEVER EVEN FELT IT! What a blessing! I do feel like we are getting a little “alternative”, if you will. Next we’ll be rubbing cow spleen on his backside or some other black magic treatment! No reaction to the B12 and the injection site was undetectable by morning. Hurray for the small victories!

On the way into school today, Jack and classmate Grant were entering the building at the same time. Jack saw Grant and made significant eye contact. I prompted him to say “Hi” and Jack sweetly said “Hi”. Grant said a shy “hi” back. Awww.

12/1/04

NEWEST INTEREST FOR JACK: Dora! Especially the Dora episode with the TRAINS. Go figure.

12/12/04

Journal from August 04

2005-06-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

8/2/04

Today marked an anniversary for Jack – it has been 1 year since he started therapy. It started innocently enough at 15 months, with a referral to our Early Intervention Program by our Pediatrician when Jack had no words at his 15 month appointment. A speech delay, he suspected, citing the remarkable progress his own son had made in speech therapy, “graduating” in just 9 months at age 3. Calls were made, appointments set, an evaluation made, and then the “global developmental delay” term started floating around. I don’t think we were all that worried at first. Speech therapy twice per week and Specialized Instruction twice weekly also. The evaluation cited receptive and expressive language skills at 10 months, cognitive skills at 10 months, adaptive skills at 12 months, gross motor skills at 11 months, fine motor skills at 17-18 months and personal-social skills at 10 months using the Battelle Developmental Inventory (age at testing: 15 months). The Speech Pathologist further assessed Jack’s language skills at that time as receptive language – 6 mo. and expressive language – 5 mo. So, today he underwent an evaluation with the same evaluator one year later. I will receive the results of this evaluation tomorrow. Also, his current Speech Language Pathologist will provide us with an assessment that she has conducted recently to determine Jack’s speech skills to date. I think that we will see some awesome measurable growth from these reports. We have 9 more months to put the pedal to the medal and get as much from the outstanding therapy programs that we have right now. I figured out that TEIS is paying for $575.00 per week of services for our one little boy! That is almost $30,000 per year! I am so grateful to the TEIS program.

And only 9 months until Metro Schools take over. Ugh. I am prepared to battle. I am gathering examples of funded ABA type assistance right now. As always, I will continue to pray that God will put the right people in our path to allow us to take the necessary steps to help Jack reach his full potential. He has done a remarkable job thus far. Our pediatrician, referring us at 15 months, our service coordinator, working to get us all the services we need, Rob, breaking us in to the world of Autism gently, Kristin S, a remarkable speech teacher with a heart for autistic children, Trina, an autism mom and mentor, and the many wonderful parents who have given me advice on diets, therapy, supplementation, and how to parent an autistic child.

8/24/04

Time flies, or so the saying goes. We have just returned from our first official family vacation. We went to Destin, FL with my parents and my brother to celebrate my parents’ 40^th wedding anniversary. Aah, what fine examples of wedded bliss. They are quite cute to watch, most days. We packed up 1/3 of our entire house, including all food to be consumed by Jack, numerous toys, beach towels and the like, along with a stroller, pack-and-play, cd player (for nap music), booster seat, inflatable pool infant boat, etc. Good thing we only have one child! There wouldn’t have been room for a second! The condo was perfect and Jack settled right in. Mom & Dad brought along some of their toys, so Jack had a nice mix of toddler toys to occupy his “condo” time. The beach was a bit of a disaster, as Jack would not allow one single grain of sand to rest on his skin. We dressed him in socks and tennis shoes, placed him on a towel that was spread out over a bed sheet. The first few moments were mildly whimpery, until I couldn’t keep up with the sand. He’d touch the blanket, I’d wipe the sand off. Then he began to get sweaty and the sand began to stick. In two or three minutes he was in a bit of a frenzy. We lasted 10 minutes or so each day. This brought up discussions of how I, as a child, was exactly the same way. Just what you need while you are in turmoil about the emotional wellbeing of your baby! Reminiscent cajoling. Overall, Jack was a delight. He enjoyed the pool and talked up a storm! He has just started parroting – repeating most anything he hears, and some of it in full phrases! He was cracking us up with sayings like “Awesuh” (awesome), “There you go!”, “Hey Everybody” and “Tennessee”. His favorite activity was walking down to the elevator and pushing the button. Then he’d run to your leg for safety. Once inside the elevator, he’d try to push as many buttons as he could before you stopped him and then recited the floors as each one posted on the screen. Several mornings he was at the front door by 7 a.m. saying “door, open, walk!” It was adorable! Mom and Dad were absolutely smitten with him. They couldn’t stop commenting on how much improvement they saw over the last visit, 4^th of July, just 7 weeks ago. They complemented his improved eye contact, joint attention with them, use of language and increased jabbering and overall increased awareness. They said the vacation was perfect. The drive home was a little rough, as we were in the car from 10a to 7 p. When we were about 15 min. from home, Jack started saying “all dee car” (all done). He was truly a trooper.

Kiley came over for a spell today to pee on our playroom floor and to play with Jack. When she arrived, she sat down next to Jack to see what he was playing with (which happened to be these new Elmo and Ernie animated babies). Jack looked over at her and touched her hair and said “oh soft!” and then went back to playing. It was so endearing. He does this to Colby when he pets him and also did it recently to my bare arm as he stroked it. My sweet little lover boy.

Tonight we ordered pizza, as I still haven’t made it to the grocery store. Pizza is Jack’s current favorite dining delight. He loves to watch “Barney’s Pajama Party”, where they sing a catchy little ditty titled “Pizza”. He sings it intermittently during the day. I might mention that since going GFCF he only eats the soy cheese off the top. No crust. Yes, I make him a special gluten free crust just to hold his precious soy cheese while it melts in the oven. Tonight he ate what was on his plate and looked at me and said “more pizza”, just as plain as day. No hesitation between words, no prompting. Progress. Delightful progress.

8/30/04

Today marks the end of an interesting era: “Mumble Man” – Jack has stopped saying any words inside his mouth. Huh? When Jack first started talking, he kept a few words tucked away: Blue, book, balloon, purple and orange. No matter how we tried, he would say these words with his lips closed. Almost amusing. Susan was also locked up in there. But over the last few days, these words have begun to pop out! First he said balloon, then purple and orange, and today, Susan AND blue!!! Hurray for Jack! So awesome!

We sure are enjoying what seems to be another big growth spurt. New phrases, more requesting (“more juice”), appropriate unprompted commenting, and the beginnings of a sense of humor! Jack may turn out to be a funny man! We are watching a little person emerge right before our eyes. We are awestruck with the splendor of it all. Saturday night we went outside to introduce Jack to sparklers. As his eyes got as big as saucers, he let out an emphatic “Cool!” that perfectly described the moment. It truly was a cool moment. Our worlds were one. And it is happening more and more. We are sharing lots of “moments” together. Last night, I got out “The Monster At The End of The Book” to read with Jack. He seemed to be intently listening as I read the words on each page in my special “Grover” voice (the same one my mom used when reading the story to me). Then he took the book from me and went through it himself. As he got to the first page he muttered his version of “what did that say?” and then giggled. Then on to the next page, “Shhhhh!” he commented, along with the text of the second page. Then on to my favorite, where Grover says in a tiny voice “Do you know that you are very strong” while buried under a pile of bricks. Jack used a high pitched voice with perfect inflection to mumble “do you know you very strong?” Then he laughed so loud! This has been going on all day, as well. He “reads” his book, sharing each page with me. I must videotape this. This is one for the record books.

Scott said to me “he’s coming out of it” tonight. Is it too early to get our hopes up? There is such obvious progress that we can’t help but be encouraged. However, I know that he still has such a long way to go. Susan fell down during therapy today and asked (begged) Jack for help. He didn’t even notice and could not be coaxed to help pull her up. Socially he will have to work very hard to maneuver in this life, I imagine. I hear myself say often that we are lucky. Funny! Who’d ever thought we’d say we are lucky, with Jack’s autism? But it seems we are. Why we got the autistic kid that responds so magnificently to therapy/intervention, I’ll never know. Perhaps it’s because we have figured out what to pray for. To ask God to put the right people in Jack’s path, to arm us with knowledge and to lead us down the right therapeutic roads. I would love for my baby to be “normal”, but can’t really wrap my brain/heart around asking God to heal him. I think he’s just fine the way he is (of course with the steady improvements). What would our lives be like if we’d never faced this challenge? How much of Jack and our lives would we have continued to take for granted? God does make all things work together for good.