Gentleman caller

Kitchen window, day 101

When we got home from Kieran's OT session this morning,  I noticed we had a visitor. The neighbor's rooster had escaped his confines and had wandered over to check out the girls.

And then I noticed that one of my chickens had somehow escaped her own confines (did she really fly over a six-feet-tall fence?!?) and was dallying with the rooster in the yard.  

I only hope this doesn't lead to more little chickens running around the yard. Interestingly, the chicken that escaped and was shooed back into the coop actually laid an egg today -- the first time in about a month. Maybe I should invite the rooster over more often . . . .

100 Days

 Kitchen window, day 100

The 100th of anything is a big deal, right? One hundred episodes of a TV show. One hundred days of school. One hundred years of life (although, in relation to the 969 years that Methuselah lived, one hundred years doesn't seem so extraordinary).

Today is the 100th kitchen window post of this series.

And to celebrate, I have some blurry photos that I took this evening without a flash.

After dinner, Seth and Kieran went out for a little walk to check on the chickens and the creek.

And there you have it. Happy one hundred days to me.

Aaaaaaand, he's walking

Kitchen window, day 99

Kieran was a little over 15 months old when he first began walking (check out his cute video here). Cael has decided he's not interested in waiting that long and that he'd rather be registering for a marathon by then. He started walking today.

Writing a letter

Kitchen window, day 97

 Kitchen window, day 98

During the past few months, Kieran has made some big strides -- learning to ride his tricycle, learning to use the potty, learning to put words together in longer sentences. We've also been working with him on writing his name, as have his preschool teachers.

I've been doing a lot of hand-over-hand with him because his fine motor abilities are still pretty weak and drawing isn't a strength in those with WS. They tend to have visual-spatial difficulties (difficulty in recreating complex shapes -- for example, when drawing a house, they may draw a square in one place, the triangle for the roof in another spot on the page, and the rectangle for the door in still another spot on the page) which makes drawing difficult, as well.

We try to have a daily time where we draw and write on the white board my parents got him for Christmas. He likes using that more than coloring in coloring books or drawing on paper. His current favorite thing to draw is a "mixer" -- he's fascinated by KitchenAid mixers and likes to have us help him draw them. Writing his name is a necessary evil, in his eyes. He's not really into writting letters.

So I was understandably thrilled when he climbed on the chair this afternoon, grabbed his marker, and said, "Let's make a K." And then proceeded to write something -- on his own -- that actually resembled a K. He continues to surprise and encourage me.

And the cute vest that I ordered for him arrived today--now I just need to make some bean (or rice) bags to put in the pockets to turn it into a "weighted" vest.

Success

Kitchen window, day 96

This was the view when we put Kieran to bed after having the first accident-free potty-training day. And there was great rejoicing.

"Participate in toileting routine" was one of his IEP goals for this year so his preschool teachers have been working with him, as well, over the past few months. I'm so thankful for Mrs. Karla who said about two weeks ago, "You know, we wouldn't have a problem if you decided to send him in underpants--we've dealt with this for years." I really didn't think it would go well or quickly but decided to listen to her words of wisdom and just do it. One week later and here we are. 

Rest assured I'm under no delusions that there will never be another accident, and night-training is another animal entirely. But I'm so proud of our little guy, who I guess isn't so little any more.

Brushing

 Kitchen window, day 95

I mentioned last week that I'd noticed Kieran was having trouble concentrating and paying attention during circle time at his preschool. After reading the post, my mom (a school teacher) asked some of her fellow teachers for ideas to help him.

The OT at her school suggested getting Kieran a weighted vest for him to wear during the times he needs to concentrate. When I mentioned it to our OT, she suggested purchasing an inexpensive fishing vest and filling the pockets with bean (or rice) bags. So I checked on ebay, found a cute one I think might work, and ordered it. I'm hoping it will be here within the next day or two.

When I mentioned the weighted vest idea to Kieran's preschool teacher, she readily agreed that it would be helpful for him (she's taught children with special needs for 20 years) and suggested that a "wiggle disc" might help, too. So, I purchased two of those (one for school and one for home), and they arrived today. We'll see how he likes them.

This morning, our OT mentioned that she had another technique that she's used in the past with other children: "therapeutic brushing." At the WS conference we attended in 2010, I heard several of the lecturers mention brushing but since Kieran doesn't really have too many sensory issues (which is what the brushing is supposed to treat), I hadn't pursued it any further.

Our OT said that brushing is also good for developing focus and concentration. So she gave me a brush and showed me what to do. And the above was the view out my kitchen window when I tried it out on Kieran when we got home this afternoon.

He didn't seem to mind it -- he likes having his back scratched. I'm supposed to do it 3-4 times a day for two weeks and see if we notice any difference. Now I'm wondering, however, if I should hold off on using the vest and the wiggle disk so that we don't skew the results of this "experiment."

Bubble wrap as OT

 Kitchen window, day 94

Kieran's preschool teacher mentioned a few days ago that she thought the bubble wrap the kids had been doing during sensory time was helping to strengthen Kieran's fingers. That's one of the reasons I'm glad we have him in preschool--the teacher has been great about working with him in so many areas and with so many tools that I wouldn't think of on my own.

When she mentioned the bubble wrap, I immediately began trying to remember if we had bubble wrap anywhere at home that he could play with. We didn't.

Today, the mail lady brought us a package with the contents wrapped in "bubble pops" (as Kieran calls it). And he knew just what to do with it.

 Is there any irony to the fact that the bubble wrap enclosed a book I'd ordered a few days ago about disabilities?

Sleep sitting

Kitchen window, day 93

Sometimes, like today, when Cael is supposed to be sleeping, I'll hear him occasionally fuss every few mintues. When I go into to check on him, I usually find him sitting up but sleeping.

Like this.


 (I laid him down after I turned off the camera.)

In other news, we're making progress on the potty training. Over the weekend, we visited with family so the potty training was put on hold since I didn't think my in-laws would appreciate Kieran baptizing their furniture and carpet.

But even with the pull-ups on over the weekend, there were a few times when he told us he needed to use the potty. And this morning, after we put on his big-boy underwear and reminded him to tell us if he needed to go, he did! He didn't do it consistently throughout the day, but I'm definitely seeing progress. And there was great rejoicing.

No time like the present

Kitchen window, day 92

I've mentioned before that we've been in the process of potty-training Kieran for the past several months. It's not been going well.

So, today I decided to bite the bullet and switch him to underpants (sans rubber lining) cold turkey, with the thought that maybe he would finally realize what he's doing -- and the consequences of not doing what he's doing in the proper place -- and that would spur him into telling me when he needs to do what he needs to do.

Although I'd like to report that he got the hang of it immediately, this was not the case. He did, however, at one point, come to me and say, "I'm a mess." And later in the day, after he'd again gone on the floor and not on the potty, he started waddling like a penguin and saying, "Waddle, waddle, waddle" because he was uncomfortable with his current situation (I had to laugh). So, I'm encouraged that he may be that much closer to wanting to use the potty. We'll see what the next weeks bring.

(Note to the in-laws we'll be visiting with this week-end: I'll bring diapers.)

And these are random pictures that have nothing to do with potty-training but I'm posting because my SIL wants pictures.

You never know what you're gonna get

Kitchen window, day 91

This morning we went for another visit with the OT we visited last week.

The thing about therapists is that you never know what kind you'll get. Some, like the OT we had in First Steps, are great. Very proactive in working with the child, very insistent on the child doing what needs to be done, and very good about suggesting ways for us to work with him. Others, like the DT we had in First Steps, are less insistent about getting the child to work and not as good about getting the family involved.

I was concerned that our new OT would be like the latter. So I was pleasantly surprised with Cindy this morning. She was really interested in finding out how he was doing and in working with him and getting him to stay on task. And I've learned that therapy is as much about getting the child help as it is about our learning what we need to be doing to help him -- a philosophy with which she agreed. She was very adamant that therapy is much more effective when the parent is involved the rest of the week.

So, we're off to another good OT start.

EEG day

Kitchen window, day 90

Last month, we went to our pediatrician to get a referral to the neurology clinic at the children's hospital for an EEG because I suspect Kieran may be having absence seizures. (Wow, that sentence has a lot of prepositions.)

Today was that EEG. I've been talking to Kieran about what would happen, hoping to prepare him so that he wouldn't freak out when the technicians started putting the electrodes on his head.

"We're going to the doctor in a few days and they'll put some things in your hair. But it won't hurt. It will be fun! And you'll get to watch videos with daddy! It will be fun!"

He seemed to believe me. When we got to the hospital, he told everyone who would listen, "It doesn't hurt."

And then, when we got to the neurology area, he told the lady, "It doesn't hurt." And she said, "You're right! It doesn't hurt! We'll just put little stickers on your head." Which I thought was a great way to put it, so I started telling him, "Ooh stickers! It will be fun to have stickers on your head! Stickers don't hurt! Yay for stickers on your head!"

And then we got to the EEG room. And the lady explained what they would do. And then, as soon as they laid him on the table so they could start stickering him up, he began cry uncontrollably. Before they started touching him.

And he continued to cry throughout the stickering process. But once Seth was able to hold him and he was able to watch Elmo's Potty Time on the TV, he calmed down for the most part, with a few occasional bursts of crying just to remind us that he didn't like having to do this.

And we all made it through the dreaded EEG. I took this photo after the EEG was finished. And before he got a wild hairdo thanks to the gel they used to stick the electrodes to his head.

We kept him up two hours past his bedtime last night and got him up earlier this morning so that he would be tired for the EEG (I don't think it worked), so he was pretty tuckered out on the way home.

We'll find out the results in a few weeks.

V-day par-tay

 Kitchen window, day 89

Today was the Valentine's Day party at Kieran's preschool (he only goes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).

Last week, in preparation for the party, we (and by "we" I mainly mean me) filled out the V-day Elmo cards I'd bought and took them in so he could "mail" them to his friends.

Today, I (and Cael) stayed with him since they'd asked for volunteers to help the kids read the cards and I had volunteered. It was enlightening to watch how he did at the various activities.

I've always thought that his attention span was comparable to others his age, but I got a healty dose of reality as I watched him fidget throughout circle time and need to have constant reminders by his teacher to sit on his pockets, to sit up, to pay attention -- all while the other boys and girls were docilely doing what they were supposed to be doing. Is there something we should or could do with him to increase his attention span in a classroom situation? I'll have to look into it.

At any rate, the party was fun and he got to decorate a huge heart-shaped cookie. Somehow, Kieran didn't inherit my sweet tooth, so his cookie went relatively untouched . . . until we got home, that is, when my sweet tooth took over and I, uh, "took care of" the cookie for him.

Nine months

 Kitchen window, day 87

With this weird and wimpy winter weather we've been having, I wanted to make sure I documented that we actually had some snow at one point.

 Kitchen window, day 88

And today, although the snow is gone, Cael celebrated nine months of life post-womb.

He's a funny little guy who likes to laugh at himself, Kieran, me, his daddy, and the rest of the world.

I hope he keeps that up for the rest of his life.

Sssssspider

Kitchen window, day 86

He may not look very excited about it in this picture, but the spider-on-a-pencil is actually one of his favorite things to play with. He loves scaring his daddy with the sssssssspiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddder (said in a scary, spidery voice).

And he enjoyed scaring his teacher with it today at show-and-tell.

A church on every corner

Kitchen window, day 85

This was the view out my kitchen window when I got "the call" from our pastor. The one I've been dreading. I know, I know -- one isn't supposed to dread a phone call from one's pastor, is one? So, let me explain.

We've been attending a small (and by "small" I mean about 20 people) church in our town for about two and a half years. For various reasons, we recently decided to check out another church (or two) in a different town, which means we've been absent from our regular church for a few weeks. Thus, the dreaded call from our pastor to find out if we are ok and to ask about our absence. The one where I have to explain where we've been.

Of course, no pastor likes to hear that members from his church may be leaving and ours was no different. I was hoping that we wouldn't need to have this conversation until we actually made a decision on whether we were changing churches, but I suppose it was inevitable.

We really don't have much reason to stay -- there isn't much fellowship and the teaching could be better. There aren't any children Kieran and Cael's ages and they don't get any Bible teaching while they're in the nursery. Our main reasons for staying are because it's close to us and because I teach a Sunday school class to the (three) youth in attendance.

Should we stay so that we can help the church grow (since we've been there, attendance has actually declined -- no reflection on our presence, I hope!)?

Should we stay because of what we can bring to the church (this isn't said in a "look how great we are" way, I hope, but in a "how can we use our gifts and talents to serve the Lord here" way)?

Should we go so that we can make sure Kieran and Cael know that church is for learning about God and His Word and not just for playing with toys?

Should we go so that we can sit under Bible teaching that will nourish our souls and encourage us in our walk with the Lord?

These are the questions I've been thinking about for a few months, while asking for the Lord to grant us wisdom in making decisions.

So, let me ask you -- why do you attend the church you attend (assuming, of course, that you attend a church, and if you don't, I'm still interested in knowing why)? Proximity? Doctrine? Fellowship? Size? What are the matters of import that bring you to the church you call your own? And when do you known when it's time to move on and seek another group of people with which to worship?

Another try at OT

Kitchen window, day 84

Delays in fine motor skills are common in those with Williams syndrome. This involves actions such as handwriting, drawing, buttoning, self-feeding, and dressing. So the early intervention services usually include occupational therapy. 

Kieran had an OT from the time of his diagnosis (August, 2009) through last May, when our OT left the First Steps program. Sadly, she was the only OT in our area, so we were left without one through the remainder of our time with First Steps. I've come to realize the value of the various therapies he's been involved in and have been frustrated that we've been without an OT for almost a year. Although we definitely work with him on these areas, the OT was helpful in showing us specific activities and actions we can do to help him master the skills he needs to succeed in life.

To be honest, I've felt like I've been letting him down by not getting him the help he needs. And my mind automatically looks toward the future -- how much farther behind will he be in five years because I'm not getting him the help he needs now?

When he transitioned into the the special education division of our school system, he automatically qualified for speech therapy. And we've been continuing that once a week. But for some reason, his service coordinator won't sign him up for OT or even do an evaluation on him to find out if he needs OT (which he still does). I'm not sure why. I've asked about it but keep getting told that it's not possible.

So, even though his preschool teachers have been doing a good job of working with him on the OT goals in his IEP, I've still wanted him (and us) to work with an actual OT. After pursuing a few options that didn't work out, I finally called our local hospital to find out if they offered pediatric OT and was so happy to hear they did. So I signed him up for an evaluation.

And the above was the view out my kitchen window this morning when we returned from the evaluation with the OT. She confirmed that he's delayed in his fine motor skills and said she was available to start working with him next week. And there was great rejoicing on my part. Here's hoping she's a good OT who will push him (and us) to do what needs to be done.

And this video has nothing to do with OT but since my SIL Bethany requested more videos, I thought I'd oblige with this one of Cael doing his "scary lion" impression.

Nothing much of anything

Kitchen window, day 83

We weren't doing much inside this afternoon while the sun was shining outside. Cael was hanging out in the kitchen, playing with the gears on the refrigerator.

And then decided he wanted the string hanging off the camera I was pointing at him (he's a little overly dramatic in his breathing).

And Kieran was having a little after-school snack.

R

 Kitchen window, day 82

This week's letter was R. Rainbows, robots, and rabbits were on the agenda.

And a rabbit was taken to show-and-tell today.

The grass is always greener

 Kitchen window, day 81

So, you know you live in a holler when your son points out the back window and says, "Horsey."

We don't own horses.

Our neighbor, however, does own horses. And they sometimess decide that the grass is greener on our side of the fence.

Like today.

After Kieran let me know that there was a horse in our backyard, I went out to chase it back to its home.

And then, when I went around the side of the house, I found yet another horse munching on our grass.

Eventually they decided that the grass just might be good enough on their side of the fence, and they headed home.

February Mud

Kitchen window, day 80

A long, long time ago (like, in 1982), I was involved in a mud fight of epic proportions. Our cousins had come to visit and we had decided it would be fun to set up a "mud pie shop" in our woods, selling the choicest of mud pie delicacies to one another. We began to make the mud pies, display them on cinder blocks, and offer them up for those who would dare.

Soon enough, however, the making of the mud pies turned into the throwing of the mud -- at one another. It was an amazingly fun time. But the really significant thing is, my mom let us.

She even took a few pictures of the event so we could remember it. When we were done, she calmly hosed us off, dumped our clothes in the washer, and went about her business. And then later, she had to wash out the washer.

Today, Kieran discovered mud puddles. And I took a cue from my mom and let him. Thankfully, he didn't descend into the muddy pit like we did, but he still seemed to have fun.