exhausted and excited and it's only Monday

I have no idea how I ended up exhausted and excited in one day, but I managed somehow. The day started out with some resistance from my ds but definitely better than it has been in the past. I just borrowed from our library the book on CD The Indian in the Cupboard which we started to listen to on our way to our bb center. After arriving a little early, ds created a beautiful drawing based on what we listened to. This is the first time he has ever produced something with a ground, a sky and figures that were not see through. It was his first complete image that he created from scratch WITHOUT any help or couching from anyone. the indian was complete and grounded. THIS is HUGE!!!!!!
So then by the time I got home I was exhausted and had the task of whipping up something for dinner. Thankfully there was enough leftover that it made it easier.
My spirits were boosted when I received a call from the remedial teacher about this summer. I am so excited. We get to have our own waldorf experience without the extra stuff that would be stressful for our ds.
This summer is stacking up to be a great one!

Camping Experience

My wonderful husband took our son camping for one night. The last time he took him camping, so many things truly interfered with both of them having a good time. I am happy to report that both of my men came back refreshed and happy. Here is what my dh has to report:
* Our ds did not have melt downs. The last time he melted down especially about movies. Since our removal of shows and movies, it didn't even phase him that the six hour car ride would be without a movie.
* Ds was present to the people and his surroundings. The last time he was almost completely lost in his imagination.
* He was cooperative
* He played with the other children
What more can a parent ask for.

in between

Ds just spent another Friday morning at his school before our journey to bb. Due to time, I couldn't really have a long discussion about his morning, but one thing did come up: His conversation about movies/shows has lessoned. This is great! I know that most kids have a sense of relatedness when discussing these topic, but this was my ds's obsession/forte. It was so bad that most people who didn't know how limited we are about the television thought he watched it everyday for hours.
The most interesting thing happened on our way home from bb. I was facing heavy traffic and a very emotional kid (he wasn't his best at the center). Ds calmed down and we talked about the issues. After a mile of silence, I realized he was falling asleep. He was out for the rest of the ride home. The last time he fell asleep in the car was after a 12 hr car ride home from visiting relatives. It was a tough day and my boy worked very hard.
Another interesting thing is that we are starting to see our conversations about behavior is starting to sink in. Before I felt like our coaching was going nowhere. Now, at least at home, he seems to see himself and his behavior. He is also recognizing his accomplishments more.
The joy in his eyes are more about a shared experience, and that is simply wonderful.

Cream Puffs vs Carrots

Now let me start with the fact that I am a sugar FREAK! Yes, I'll admit it. For most of us the access and excess to junk food is our biggest downfall when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Now as an adult, I realize that some of my tendencies that I believed that i could "control" are more in control of me. How did i come up to this conclusion, well my children have followed my lead. Granted my ds has aspergers, he took my lead of the love of media and ran a muck with it. I essentially let him have a choice between "junk" activities (watching television/playing on the computer) and nurturing activities. As much as we read to him EVERY NIGHT, the exposure to media unraveled any benefits that the former had created. The one thing that we always gave into was the love of books and reading stories. With the amount of books that we have and borrowed, you would think the our ds was a prolific reader. Well until a 1 1/2 months ago he was not.
NOW, I can honestly say that with the removal of ALL media exposure, my ds is well on his way to becoming a prolific reader. Does he struggle with reading? Yes. More importantly, has he become a better reader and enjoys it? YES!!! (I hope that you get my drift). This is HUGE! My ds is running around with either a book in his hand or trying to read things around him to figure out what is going on or trying to write about what is going on in his drawings. Granted his resistance to doing his chores/exercises has made things very difficult, the ends results of this new love far out way any obstacle that we have faced as of yet.
Looking back, he had a hard time concentrating, being present, and then of course when he was present he over-reacted to things. NOW, all of his beautiful attributes that glimmered before are now shining. I wish that I had removed the exposure to media sooner. It's truly a wonderful gift.
So cream puffs (television/computers) vs carrots (books) were both on his plate. For this aspie kid, it wasn't until the removal of the junk that he could choose and flourish with what is good for him.

Little things

We've beefed up our bb exercises at home and ds is following through with things he resisted at the center. He's doing very well with the diet as well. One thing that I did notice is that he may have a sensitivity to apple juice. The other day I gave him a cup of apple juice then drank it in one gulp right before we did our bb exercises. His ears got real red and he started to complain so much that it interfered with his performance. True, true and unrelated or is this something more. Needless to say, apple juice was not on my grocery list this week.
Over all I believe that he is coming out of the fantasy world of television. He hasn't really mentioned the tube much. He's been very busy playing, drawing and reading. YES, reading! Somehow we started this reading agenda that goes along with our weekly bribery book. We've always had the magic treehouse books in our house, and we've read the ones we have to him; but this is the first time he realized that it was a collection. I told him that I would be more than happy to continue to collect them if we read them in order. Now ds is requesting to read our latest Magic Treehouse books multiple times a day so he can be done before the next bookstore run.
Another interesting thing we noticed is that without asking or reminding, he occasionally walks down the stairs alternating his feet.
Our biggest battle to date is transitioning from one activity to the next. One day it may be very easy for him, the next is met with resistance. The sour face, the "I don't want to", the whining and complaining could drive anyone over the edge. So what do you do? Well I'm just trying to keep my cool and make it so that he has to move on with me.
This week I will make a valiant effort to have more academic structure. This has been very hard for me to do, but now that my mother is with us, I am very optimistic that we can accomplish a lot. I am looking forward to see what comes up when we return to learning full time.

Improving slowly but surely

We just had another meeting with our BBC Director. I know that the last one was just a two weeks ago, but this was the first opportunity that my dh could come with us. It was good timing because the results of our blood and urine test came in.
The short of it, ds has improved in some areas, but there are a few that remain shows no improvement. So we are working on many new things at home in hopes that it will help.
What is interesting that both my dh and I thought that something must have clicked in the past few days. We saw a change with his concentration, patience, and drawing (will post a couple photos). Ds even is more willing to read. His weakest area academically is math (not a surprise). Maybe with some of the areas that he is having difficulty in sensory motor improve his math will improve.
In regards to homeschooling, we have been a little relaxed. This week, we worked on form drawing, reading and math. He seems happy with the rhythm we have.

Pushing him a little more

My ds knows how to play people that do not know him very well. I am not sure where or why, but he seems to resist new things that many feel uncomfortable pushing him.
Of course I am not one of those people.
This is a consistent issue that I have encountered throughout the years. Example:
When he was taking Karate, his sensei would do the stretches with him. With the butterfly stretch, I knew that he was more flexible than he presented himself in class; even after being told to go farther by both the sensei and myself.
His recent resistance was toward some of the BB exercises at the center. So I strapped on my thinking cap and thought how was I going to help him to do this exercises in a positive way. When all else falls, bribery works. I simply stated that we needed to do these exercises to get better and if he does them without complaining, we will go out to dinner (with my dh coming with us, I was planning a dinner out anyway).
Now I know what you are thinking, why are you resorting to bribery when it comes to getting your child to do anything? I only use this tool as a last resort. For most things, he is willing to change, advance or evolve. Ds has done most of the exercises without resistance. He's even advanced to higher levels of the exercises on his own will because he's interested in getting to do more advance moves that he thinks would be cool to do. The other thing that helps with the exercises is that he sees us practicing what we preach.
By the way, Dr. Melillo's next book, Reconnected Kid, is out. I have just begun to read it and am very excited about it.
Have a wonderful Friday!