A Wonderful New Development

I am soooo happy. Whether he's just giving in because I've pushed them on him, or whether he's genuinely developing a love for them, I don't realy care - this boy is really into books. I've worked hard at getting him to where he wants to be read to. You learn so much from books, and the time spent sitting together and talking about them is invaluable. His attention span is gradually lengthening, which is great. Jackie (EI) told me a while ago they could never get him to look at a book. He's now initiating being read to, bringing books to us to read to him. He turns around about five steps away from us and says, "round" (turn around) and then starts backing up until he bumps into our legs so we can pick him up. He sits on our laps and we read. This pleases me to no end.
Sherman and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary last weekend. We had a cheesecake, which had to be shared of course. Poor little guy though, after he had the cheesecake (and the yogurt I gave in and let him have earlier) he's had a breakout around his mouth. We haven't seen one in a long time, so I'm tightening the reins again and saying no to dairy.

We are still spending a lot of time outside. He's all about the swingset, a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. He goes from one swing to the other and back again. He LOVES to swing and he wants me to sing while I push. We swing when it's warm outside. We swing with hats and mitts on. We swing every day. "Fun," he says.

 

Launching a car.

 

Such a big boy!

 

Sherman got the Thanksgiving pics from the other camera onto our computer so here are a couple.

I love this one!

 

Love that smile and that precious little hand...

 

We bought him a little motorized tractor in the summer, something small that just fits him perfectly now. He's only recently been able to push his foot down on the pedal and keep pressure on it to make it go. Now that he can, he loves it and our backs are healing nicely. He hasn't quite mastered steering though. He usually just sits with his hands on his lap and goes where it takes him. When we get tired of chasing him around to keep him from running into things, we just turn the wheel so he goes around in a big circle. Sometimes he will rest his hands on the wheel but he's really not into steering - yet. He enjoys his ride though.

Just takin' it easy.

"Cheese"

We had two people drop off "Welcome To The Family" gifts this week. One lady brought a sock monkey she had made, as well as a couple of new books.

Taking a minute to relax.

Now he's coming for my camera.

The other brought a bag filled with clothes and toys, his favorite being the heavy equipment dinky cars.

Checking out the new trucks.

All is well here. He's a joy to us and to everyone he meets. Everyone seems to be drawn to him. He has friends at the Save Easy - certain clerks he always looks for - as well as the manager who he calls "Pop". Dale made a popping sound with his finger in his cheek the first time they met and so now as soon as we go into the store, he asking for "Pop, Pop". There are always people who think he means soda so I feel it necessary to explain. I do not give him pop!
Well, I guess that's that.
TTFN. Ta Ta For Now.

MORE ABOUT MOI

I love to play.

 

I love having lotion rubbed on me after my bath.

I still like pushing any buttons I can find to push.

I'm very good at gently pushing in the dishwasher racks and closing the door.

I love feeding Cooper his treat.

I love bubbles in my bath.

I'm a big fan of oatmeal with a banana mashed in it for breakfast.

I can swing on a big swing now.

I always say "tight" when I'm put on the swing because I've been told to "hold on tight".

I really love oranges, tangerines, clementines etc.

I can say some two-word phrases now.

I know which crayon is the black one.

I always say "in" when I see any piece of heavy equipment because I really, really want to get in it.

I really like books.

I like having my hair cut.

I sometimes feel the need to wear my "boops" with my jammies when I help make bread.

I holler, "Hwoe" when I'm eating in my booster seat and I hear someone come in the door.

I love my Mighty Machines DVDs.

I love the Babybel commercial and the theme song for Corner Gas.

I can't stand for the four decorative couch cushions we have to be on the couch and love seat, I really like them on the floor and I don't understand why they keep getting moved back.

I enjoy a good cookie after I eat my supper.

I like when people forget to lock the bathroom door so that I can get in there with them and say "bye bye" and wave when the tiolet is flushed.

I love the glow-in-the-dark stars that Brady put on my bedroom ceiling.

I love looking out the "ninoe" (window).

I sing all the "me" parts in Jesus Loves Me as well as the last "so".

I also love saying the "no" part in This Little Light of Mine.

I like relaxing with the guys.

 

 

I love the "mow" (lawn mower).

I love the string of white lights we have on the fireplace mantle with the fall decorations, they're "pippy" (pretty).

I always say "touch it" when I see a spider but want someone to "get it" when I see a fly.

I love watching and listening to songs with Elmo in them on the computer - especially Elmo and the Ducks (it makes me laugh every time) and Elmo Brushes His Teeth.

 

 

 

I like having my "pupin" in the wagon with me.



I like putting things where people would be least likely to look for them - like the container of leftover fried dough in the trunk with the catalogues.

I'm so good on the stairs!

I need to get "sisses" (kisses) before someone leaves my house - I often bow my head so they can kiss the top of it.

I have a thing for jackets and mustard containers. 

 

 

I enjoy playing with a "boom" (broom), "wate" (rake), "fufel" (shovel) etc.

 

 



I am sooo curious - I just NEED to touch everything.

I know and can point to most of my body parts.

I know the letter "L" and the letter "B".

I can say that I am two.

 

 

Sometimes I just stand still and take it all in.

I am very observant.

I love the vacuum.

I still love "choo choos" (trains) and "boaps" (boats).

And I still like my "nana" (blanket) to be up around my face and head when I go to sleep.

 

"Nie Nie".

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I thought I'd try to get a nice fallish picture yesterday while he was still in his church clothes. I set up the pumpkin, the mums, the cattails.
Yeah, not so much. If he knows you want him to sit for a pic, it becomes a game of "See How Fast I Can Move From Where You Want Me To Be". You get what you get. Lucky for all of us, any shot of this boy is cute.
Ok, so I typically write the blog and then go back and add pictures. Yesterday, I switched cameras (to something I thought was better) to try to get the nice Thanksgiving shot. When I just tried to put whatever I did manage to capture of him on the computer, I can't. It won't go. Hopefully we can figure something out later but for now, there's no glimpse of the boy with a pumpkin. You'll have to settle for him coloring in his towel...

and maybe a couple of him sporting his new hat and sneaker combo...

 

 

We had a delicious turkey dinner and pumpkin pie yesterday at Meemee and Pa's (the rest of the grandkids call my mum Neenee but Meemee is as close as he can get right now). We had relatives here from Florida and from Waweig so that was great. The weather was beautiful so we spent some time outside too.
Yesterday was also my grandmother's 86th birthday. She had my youngest aunt Sally when she was 45 and I was almost a year old. She claims Sally has kept her young and I don't know if that's true or not, but something sure has. She still push-mows her own lawn, does all her own baking - even doughnuts - and goes sliding with the kids every winter on an old double-runner sled. I just turned 42. So here's hoping...
Yesterday was also the one-year anniversary of the passing of my precious cousin and friend, Joan. She died from ALS. She was 15 days younger than me. There was a group of us cousins who were with her on the night she died. She was so special. The way she handled the illness that stole every ounce of her dignity was amazing. She changed many lives because of it. She left behind a husband and three children, her parents, brothers and their families and many friends. I just wanted/needed to add this.

The other day, we made apple crisp and then whipped some cream to go with it. Brady always licks the beaters, and even though we've pretty much cut out dairy, the beaters just had to be shared. As you can imagine, HE LOVED IT! He was a bit perplexed by it and took it quite seiously. It took him a minute to figure out how to get the cream off the inside part, but with some tricky tongue manoeuvring, he managed to lick it pretty clean. Brady and I both got a chuckle out of watching him trying to figure it out.

 

He's had his first cold since moving in. Brady brought it home from school and it's now made it's rounds here. Everyone is on the mend. The snot was flying for a bit, though.
We spent a morning this past week at a friend's (Alex's) house for a playgroup. That was lots of fun and he got to meet a new friend, Jay, who is the same age, plus his best friend Keely was there. I forgot my camera so I have no footage but we both had a really nice time. Sweet little Keely left the next day, though, for Halifax to have her kneecap moved from the side of her knee to the front. They had to cut the muscle way up into her thigh so it was quite an operation. We think she is on her way home today so we'll think of something yummy to bake tomorrow and drop in for a little visit. I'm curious about how he'll react to her cast.
I'm going to include some random shots that are pretty cute. These are just some shots of him being a little boy, exploring outdoor and pushing and pulling and doing boy stuff.

This works for transporting trucks as well as groceries..

 

Just one little ride?

 

Sherman was mowing and had his workshirt and boots on - so workshirt and boots it is.

Anyway, guess that's about it for now.

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours :)

Three Months Now...

So, September 29 marked three months since "the big move". One thing that's changed in that time is how big this boy is getting! I can't believe how fast he's growing. It's actually a little sad to me. His feet hang down so far now when he sits in his booster seat. When he first started his visits back in February, his feet didn't really hang at all. He's filling out his size three clothes, except for the pants. He's still in a two in those. His feet have grown and he's now wearing a seven shoe. Those feet are still pretty pudgy though and finding shoes that fit is a bit tricky.

A boy and his dog.

He just can't resist a fuzzy caterpillar.

On the move...

Waiting for Brady (too cute!!!)

Yay, Brady's home! He's a little messy but who cares?

 

A couple of Saturdays ago some of my dearest friends surprised me by showing up at my house with balloons, gifts and food. They threw us a little surprise "Welcome To The Family" shower. It was lovely. I was totally shocked and quite overwhelmed and glad that my house was in relatively good shape.

 

They brought Cookie Monster cake :)

 

We received money and a couple of toys and a special T-shirt from Keely (his very best little friend). Every time he wears it he tells everyone "Keekee" so they'll know who gave it to him. We took the money away with us this past weekend to buy some new clothes.

The drive to Moncton was great. He and Brady played around in the back seat the whole way. Brady is so good with him. He is such an awesome big brother.
 We were supposed to go apple picking with my brother, his two girls, my sister-in-law and her family but it rained and we had to go shopping instead. Dang! But this boy got two new pairs of shoes, a winter jacket, hat and snow pants, rubber boots, some shirts and pants. We didn't find winter boots but we did alright anyway.
When Jackie White came last week, she had answers to a couple of questions I had asked her about certain behaviours we've noticed. These issues are a result of the attachment disorder and we are working on them. I have read and continue to read a lot on it and Jackie is a great source of information too. He has come so far and is gaining all the time but I wanted to be honest and let you know that there are still some things that he needs to conquor and work through and learn how to express and how to handle. We are all working hard toward that.
On a lighter note, we made waffles for supper last night. He thought that was quite a bit of fun - he always wants to cook but he really loved the waffle iron. I have a feeling we'll be eating waffles a bit more often now.


Good waffle. Sporting a new shirt.

After we got home yesterday, I unpacked our suitcase. I've been working on prepositions and opposites with him and the concepts have been a bit tricky. But suddenly, from the next room I could hear him saying, "In. In." So, I went to investigate. Guess what? He nailed it!!! I'll end with these...
 

 

 

 

 

No School For Me!

So, school's back in...
It seemed a bit strange at first, Brady heading off on the first day and me not. I love my job and have been at it for 21 years now. This is the first "first day" I've ever missed. But guess what? I can't think of any better reason not to be there. We're having a blast! After the big boys clear out, we have a leisurely breakfast, watch a little Mighty Machines, do a little baking (we especially like to make bread, muffins, cake and/or cookies), get dressed when we feel like it, go to the library or get groceries or play outside on the new swingset or dig with a shovel or find spiders or other bugs or something equally boyish, hang out our laundry which involves playing with the clothespins (by playing, I mean taking them to various places and hiding them), look at books - which has now become something he loves to do, etc. Oh, speaking of hiding things, I seem to have "misplaced" two spatulas. I thought when I found the canned milk in my sock drawer I might be onto something but I was wrong.
Anyway, after lunch and a snooze we like to hop in the stroller and walk Cooper (our dog) to the mail and then have a little snack on the way back or go the park or visit with some friends. By then, Brady's usually home so that's always "boy time" while I get supper ready. Sherman gets home around 5:00 (until lobster fishing starts) and that's a pretty special time of the day too. After supper, we like to be outside until bathtime. There's always something to water or dig or move or climb. Then it's in the tub, jammies and baba, songs, prayers, kisses for all - yes, even Cooper - and bed usually somewhere between 7 and 7:30. Life is little-boy good.

I LOVE this picture!!!

Something else you may not know is this little guy has learned to whistle. Well, sort of... Brady whistles ALL THE TIME. His teachers tell me he'll be working away at something and start whistling and not even realize it until someone says something to him. As I'm typing this I can hear him in his room playing X-Box and whistling. Well, now we have two whistlers. One who really whistles, one who does this really high-pitched sort of screamy thing to mimic a whistle. It's too funny, especially when they're whistling to each other. The dog just goes under the bed til things quiet down.
Like all little kids, he loves our shoes, especially Brady's. I've tried to get a picture of him with them on but I haven't been successful yet. He also seems to really likes my sandals.

We had a visit this week from Jackie (Early Intervention). It was the first time she'd seen him in a while. We decided to stop all appointments for the summer - we just wanted to focus on him and us and being together and we had a GREAT summer! Anyhoo, Jackie was pleased with how he's doing (she said she could never get him to even look at a book) and she also said she understood and agreed with our decision to just relax and let him be for the summer. There are still things to work on, and we will continue to do that, but we all can see progress and that's the main thing.

As I stated in a previous post, Sherman recently put a window in a wall here where there was no window. That has meant dry-walling, crack-filling, and painting. Our kitchen was yellow. I decided to change the colour to a greenish something-or-other and we had to, of course, paint at night because little hands are drawn to wet paint. So the next morning I brought him out for breakfast and he was so amazed that the kitchen had miraculously changed colour over night, he just looked around and said, "Wow!" It was pretty funny at the time.
Anyway, things are good. We feel like he's really settled into our family and is enjoying his new life. He's happy and growing and learning and trusting and trying and changing. He loves being wherever we are doing whatever we're doing.
We hope this brings some level of peace to all of you.

 

 

Boots and shorts - his "work" clothes.

 

 

 

Even More Excitement...

OK, so just when you thought things couldn't get any better than a really loud motorcycle, Sherman got some work done in our driveway. This required a "diggeur", a "dozeur", and a "roweur", aka roller. Let's just say that those machines are the best babysitters EVER! After going outside to get a close-up look, this boy stood on a chair in the window for practically the entire day. Sherman had just put that window in that end of the house the weekend before. Thank goodness for that or we'd have been sitting outside in a tree in the rain. He'd holler to the driver through the window, "Hello", which sounds like, "Hwoe" over and over. We did manage to sqeeze in two short naps, but when the dump truck came, I just had to get him up because I knew he'd love it so much. I was right.
They were back again the next day and he and Brady went for a ride in the "wodeur" aka loader, which was a huge hit. It was two full days of pure bliss for a little boy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something else I wanted to mention is a game we've been playing here for several weeks now. Its called the "Laundry Game" and its something he invented. It all started when I was folding clothes one day and he started telling me who belonged to each piece of clothing. He was almost always right, even boxers and socks. How observant this boy is! If he does make a mistake I'll say, "Nope, try again," and he always gets it right on the second try. Leave it to him to make folding laundry fun, bless his heart!