Scream or Laugh...

Three days ago one of Andrew's meds were increased. Wednesday evening, Andrew woke up in a rage about one o'clock and we spent several hours together downstairs. Last night Andrew was laughing and running around his room and so we took another trip downstairs so the rest of the crew could sleep. While I like insanely happy Andrew better than the mean raging Andrew, I'm hoping for a "regular" Andrew tonight.

Doing chores together!

This morning Andrew helped me fold a load of clothes.  I laughed as he folded towels and T-shirts.  One of Andrew's teachers had told me he could do it and I just had to see for myself.  Later I held Andrew's hand and together we chopped the tomatoes for tonight's chilli.  I got out the tomato juice and the chilli beans and asked my elder daughter Anna to come take a picture of Andrew and I opening the cans however, I must have spoken too loudly near Andrew and he pinched my arm.  (Insert sigh here... )  

At lunch I had Andrew help make his burrito and he loved it!  If only we could have skipped the pinch that left the bruise on my arm. 


Andrew coloring in our basement

The glow to the left is his navity toy that lights up and tells the gospel story.  My mom gave it to him several years ago before she died and Andrew has always loved it.  When I made him a basement play area this summer, I put all Andrew's noisy toys in a big tub.  It doesn't bother me if he makes it play a hundred times while we are down there.

Our talker works again!

Today a new cord arrived for Andrew's communication device! I gleefully sighed for the package and had it unwrapped and plugged into an outlet in under a minute. We watched as it began to boot up and when rhe picture symbols came up on the home screen Andrew smiled and promptly asked to watch Shrek.

:) Color us both happy as we have been working with just a few picture cards since summer school ended more than two weeks ago.

Add in a nice walk to the park, coloring in the basement and nothing more than an unhappy growl when I gave him grapes instead of tortilla chips for snack and you have the makings of a much better day!

Sleepy

I woke up this morning at 3:27. Andrew was awake and making noises in his room. We went downstairs where I put in a video for Andrew and mindlessly played a Nintendo 3-DS game.

At six I went upstairs to get ready for the day and my kiddo ate half a pepper, half a cucumber, several handfuls of spaghetti and three pieces of baloney. (This was all in about seven minutes.)

Later, about eight, My middle kiddo came down stairs and switched Andrew's music video to Toy Story 2. Aparently Andrew was sure this was the worst thing ever. The fit that insued was rather epic.

I talked to the doctor and she is raising one of Andrew's meds. The recent downward turn in his behavior is frustrating as Andrew was doing so well for a while.

The saddest part is that when Andrew is "good" he is honestly a real sweetie. Last night our family went to a local metro park and we had a delightful time. Here's hoping we can even out the mood swings.

Ouch!

My arm hurts. About a half hour ago my son bit me. I guess the joke's on me as I told the behavioral heath specialist at yesterday's meeting that Andrew didn't bite other people when he was upset.

It all started after we put the paint away and Andrew and I were looking at his communication book pictures to choose his next activity. Andrew was choosing the " walk the dog" token as well as the, "bus" picture. Not only do these two activities not mix, but we already rode the bus yesterday and bus adventures are expensive, so we usually only ride the bus once a week.

I was trying to put the dog walk token on Andrew's schedule when he became agitated And started to bite his hand. I retreated across the kitchen and told Andrew it was ok and not to bite himself. In response Andrew ran across the room to grab and headbut me. I put up my arm to deflect the blow and Andrew growled but retreated. I stayed across the room because to exit would have required walking past him and perhaps having him follow me to the living room where Andrew's sisters were sitting.

After Andrew stopped growling, I walked to the other room and got paper and crayons. I have been writing things for him to trace as I sit here recounting the event. Andrew doesn't seem to even remember he was mad.

I am at a loss...

Apparently if I block an attack bitting is now a possibility...

The bruise on my arm hurts... sigh

Will he even notice if he doesn't get to go out today? Would he even make the connection? I think I'm going to email one of his teachers and see what they say. (Andrew's speech teacher works all summer and is very helpful.)

Choose your own adventure

Today Andrew and I hopped on the bus for a ride downtown. Or perhaps I should say I hopped on the bus to go downtown, Andrew had other ideas.
Our ride downtown was unadventful and soon we approched our normal stop and I motioned to Andrew that it was time to get off. To my surprise, Andrew shook his head, "no".
I pointed to the Tim Hortons as we passed, thinking he didn't realize where we were but still Andrew did not want to get off the bus. I chuckled and told Andrew, "o.k.". The trip was solely for his amusement so I figured I'd see where he wanted to get off.
We rode the bus out of downtown and through several neighborhoods, finally emerging in a more commercial area. Seeing a Wendy's off in the distance, I quickly got a picture card with the Wendy's symbol out and convinced Andrew to disembark.

Much later we returned home. I swear Andrew looked rather pleased with himself.

Pushing the cart at Krogers!

     Today after lunch, I needed to get a few things from Krogers so I took Andrew's communication book and put the picture cards for "car", "happy", and "Kroger's" onto our schedule.  Then I used his communication device (which still had a charge from school on it), to show him we would be buying lemons and limes.  We went over the schedule several times and Andrew agreed that he wanted to go.

     When we arrrived at the store, Andrew got out and walked in with me.  I had him push the cart and help choose our items.  Andrew thought it was funny that I wasn't holding onto the cart and smiled when I helped him count out the corn on the cob. 

     At the check out I had Andrew assist me with the U scan station and help me pay.  The only hicup of the whole outing was when I got growled at when I asked him not to throw the bags of groceries into the car.  (Guess I didn't model that one well enough.)

     Later I asked Andrew where he wanted to go and he used the picture cards to tell me Wendy's where he got a small frosty.  =)  Three cheers for my communicating son.

Shrink Art is Fun!

     Though our Katie loves traditional pen and paper drawing best, I've been trying to get her to try other mediums of expression.  I think you'll agree that her shrink art dog picture is adorable.  Shrink art paper can generally be found at craft stores and even in the kid's craft section at Target.  It is not very expensive and I've yet to meet a child who isn't delight be the process.

Christmas in July!

     Yesterday, just for fun.  I declared it to be, "Christmas in July".  We put up our tree while Andrew was gone to summer school and bought presents at Target's One Spot.  When Andrew came home we had lunch and then together we made cookie dough, rolled it out and made Christmas cookies.  After the cookies baked and cooled, Andrew chose the frosting color and I mixed up some icing and put it in a squeeze bottle.  Andrew had fun decorating the cookies.  We shared them with neighbors and family who declared them to be very yummy.  (I was especially proud of the tree cookie Andrew decorated.  You can see it on the far left edge of the foil.) 

Snuggling on the couch...

     Last evening we all enjoyed watching a bit of t.v. together.  Andrew's favorite part was cuddling up to his dad and just being happy.

Where does Andrew want to go?

    Sunday Afternoon my elder daughter Anna and I took Andrew on a ride.  We first stopped at Lowe's and he jumped out of the car after I unbuckled his seat belt.  We picked up some lawn bags and I led the way through the fan and light isle for a bit of fun before we left.  Our second stop was supposed to be the park but, when we arrived Andrew did not want to get out.  No amount of coaxing was affective and I stopped trying when Andrew started growl and bite his hand.  Finally, I tried to stop at the gas station for a cold drink and Andrew did not want to get out there either.  So, I gave up and we went home.  I had to roll down the windows in the car and do yard work for about 45 minutes because Andrew did not want to get out of the car.   Finally, I opened Andrew's door and gave him the rest of my cold diet soda.  I unhooked his seat belt and told him it was too hot to stay outside.  Apparently Andrew agreed as we were able to go in.  I sincerely wish I could figure out what Andrew wanted.  Maybe he was holding out for fast food and was disappointed.  Not sure... it must be frustrating for him.

Where Tracing Meets Painting...

     Yesterday after my little guy chilled for a bit, I got out some paint and Andrew happily traced his name with paint.  Andrew loves to trace his name and loves paint so the two activities go wel

"sad"

I'm standing in my kitchen. Andrew is several feet away watching a Veggie Tale dvd in our living room. My arm has a bruise and one of our dinning room chairs is now broken. Why? I was trying to turn Andrew's talker on and it wouldn't work. I was in the process of taking the battery out when my boy screamed, grabbed my arm and jumped into the chair at the table. We are in the middle of a med change so who knows if it was even the malfunctioning talker that made him so upset. :( I'm going to work on dinner and let him chill a bit. ( Don't worry he's still in my line of sight.)

When I finally got his talker running, (his teacher charged it at school since Andrew's charger is broken), I showed the chair and my arm to Andrew and told him I was mad. Andrew used his talker and told me, "sad".

A happy day...

     After a yummy lunch Andrew and I have headed upstairs.  I turned on the radio and Andrew is happily sitting on the bed looking at books and listening to music.  I am sitting at the computer and have just scanned three pieces of art that Katie made this morning. 


This blue print was made using a foam tray saved from purchased veggies.  I gave Katie a ball point pen and told her to draw our dog Maggie.  When she was finished, I showed her how to take a cotton swab and paint over the surface.  The resulting prints made us both smile.



Later I went to my craft cupboard and took out some leftover shrink paper and asked Katie to draw again.  Here is the end product. 

An Artist, a Scientist and a Nature Lover...

Our Katie loves to draw. I think she's great. Feel free to check out her work and decide for yourself. :)


http://artofkatie.tumblr.com/

The Night Owl

This week is proving to be very hot. Try as I might, I am struggling to dream up places to, "go". Andrew is getting a bit stir crazy. Yesterday night I took Andrew over to my dad's house and had him help me take his trash cans out. Afterwards we went to the gas station to get gas for our car and an icee for Andrew. I knew this wasn't a terribly exciting outing, but what was I to do when it was still over eighty degrees and extremely humid?

When we got home, Andrew refused to get out of the car. I enlisted his dad's help and we wiggled/pushed him out. However, Andrew decided that he was just as happy to sit in the grass and rock back and forth watching the darkness fall around him.

I sat in our doorway and watched Andrew and waited. I don't know why he thought the humid darkness was so fun, but it was a quarter past eleven before I talked him inside.

This morning, as I got him ready for school, I looked him over and I didn't see even one insect bite. :)

Pondering the possibilities...

My son comes home from summer school in about a half hour and I am thinking over what we can do. It seems, at the moment, that we might be able to walk to the park. It's not too hot and though it is cloudy, it is not raining.

My middle daughter will not be happy with this idea however, our pup will be delighted. My daughter Katie is full of personality. Katie is a witty, mischievous, artist who just happens to have autism as well. Katie's brand of autism sometimes makes social interaction interesting. (Once, when my old car stopped running at an intersection, Katie started screaming because we were going to be unable to go to Chapotle. Talk about adding stress to an already bad situation. ) On the other hand, Katie doesn't know a stranger and would chat you up if she met you.

Andrew loves to swing, our Jack Russell loves to walk and we all need the exercise so despite the fact that Katie just removed her shoes in protest, we will be heading out.

People you meet

The other day my two youngest and I were at the grocery store when we were spotted by an employee. I guess Andrew must have been making noise or maybe he flapped his hands, I am not sure what drew this man's attention but something about our motley crew caused him to begin to tell me about his own kids. It was rather nice to find someone else who experienced holes in walls, communication issues and episodes of aggression. After a few minutes we moved along but not before the man suggested we try letting Andrew wear a t-shirt that is too small when he is upset. It seems the pressure helps his boys calm down.

The whole exchange was a positive one and left me wishing that my husband and I had friends with special needs kids. Not the quiet, sweet ones, but ones like ours who were sometimes spooky. People who had patched walls and other issues who wouldn't feel sorry for you if they came over. Who wouldn't be afraid... Someday...

So far so good...

This morning I attempted to open my son's door only to find that he was sleeping on the floor with his feet resting quite firmly on the door. (Andrew has a soft matress however, he often chooses the floor instead.) After a few minutes and some jiggling, I managed to get my hand through far enough to move his feet. I was delighted to see that my son had not damaged the walls in any way since I repaired them yesterday. As this has rarely happened, I am elated. Hopefully they will stay this way and I can begin to think about repainting.

The joys of tracing...



Hands down one of my son's favorite activities at home or school is tracing his name.  Good thing I have stacks of paper with one blank side.  Sometimes this activity also helps Andrew calm down when he is angry and can't seem to snap out of it.



Shaving cream is fun!



Shaving cream is cheap, easy to clean up and my son loves it!  Besides giving himself an awesome new, "do", Andrew likes to write his name in the foam on the table.  Who says preschool kiddos should be the only ones to enjoy this delightful medium of expression?



NO!



Here is my son's response to being told it was time to stop playing in the creek.  (About an hour later he decided it was time to leave.  No amount of pleading could get him out.  This was in early June, our compliance is sometimes a bit better now.  However, all bets are off when the request involves leaving the water.  Andrew loves water, in any form he can get it.)



Coloring




Andrew loves to trace, but coloring he is not too sure about. 

 

Andrew loves to "go"!



Just hanging out at Grandpa's. 



ABC Matching Puzzles are fun!



Here you can see my guy matching the ABC's.  Andrew is getting better with the letters that don't look alike.



Droopy Drawers

My family loves to eat. My two youngest, have trouble with impulse control around food. Happily though my youngest has been raiding the kitchen less now that I'm the sheriff on duty and now his shorts are threatening to fall off his tush. :) progress... Now if only I could drop a few pounds so effortlessly.

Drywall

This morning, while Andrew was at school, I fixed his drywall. This has been an ongoing struggle since Andrew was just a few years old. I have fixed so many holes, albeit poorly, that I wish I had stock in a spackling company. Lately Andrew hasn't been banging at night very often. I can not express how happy I would be if this time the walls could actually stay intact.

Friday

I find myself frustrated by my inabilty to easily upload photos. My computer is "dead" and if I want to blog at the moment I must use my family's Wii. As my eldest would say, This is a, "First World", problem. I yearn to post pictures of my guy at play. He is silly and endearing when he is happy.
These past weeks with my son have been interesting. We have painted, walked, cooked, cleaned and even played in the yard together. Most days my son has been pretty happy and has had angry out bursts only two or three times instead of daily.
I am hopeful that we are headed in the right direction. I dream of a day when I can have our drywall patched and it will stay "hole free". Maybe... just maybe... some day.

A new beginning...

     This past Friday, I gave my boss notice that I would be leaving when my contract ends in a few weeks.  I worked hard to get the license that allowed me to teach and the past five years have been ones I will never forget.  And yet... my family needs me.  My special needs kids are teenagers and have a host of issues that need attention.  My eldest is headed off to college and my husband needs someone who does not bring their job home.  No one asked me to quit.  No one suggested I should.  Rather, it was the end result of a long soul search.  So what is next?  Let's find out together.