A quick update

I'm writing this in a hurry, so bear with me.  So much to update on just two days. I'll try not to forget anything...
Friday, Spencer got to play on a space walk at school before I picked him up for our 6 1/2 hour drive to Orlando.  He was in such a good mood!  As you may or may not know, Spencer does not let me use the bathroom.  He refuses to get out of the car, and I don't feel comfortable leaving him in the car.  But that changed this trip.  We stopped at a rest stop in Florida so I could stretch.  I also realized that I needed to use the facilities.  So, I opened Spencer's door.  He willingly got out and accompanied me to the bathroom.  THIS IS HUGE!!! He even used the toilet himself.  Such a good boy!
I called the other guys when we were getting close to the resort.  They met us in the parking lot.  Spencer went with his brother out of the way of the car.  I was watching them exchanging hugs.  They were so happy to see each other.  When we got to the room, Spencer was super excited!  He was laughing and exploring the room. We then got dressed for the pool.  One pool has a pirate ship that has several small slides for the little guys.  Spencer got the hang of it rather quickly.  He would go around to the back of the ship (by himself), wait his turn and then come down the slide.  My husband and I felt bad for him because it looked like he was trying to race other children down the slides, but since he doesn't talk, he couldn't express himself.  It started getting really crowded on the pirate ship, so we decided to join Peyton at the other pool.
Peyton was playing a game with Spencer.  He would count to 3, and then they would swim (Spence to Daddy).  It was so cute!  Spencer had such a smile on his face.  He would swim to his brother.  I loved hearing Peyton tell him "I love you".  Spencer would hug and kiss him in return.  It was a wonderfully normal evening.
Saturday we ventured to the Magic Kingdom.  While Daddy was inside getting Spencer's disability pass, a parade passed by.  Spencer got up and started dancing with the music.  When it was over, he seemed so disappointed!  I wanted to take a picture of my boys.  When I got out the camera, Spencer went to the next bench and sat close to this lady sitting by herself.  Such a Romeo!
I need to wrap this up, because we are planning to hit Hollywood Studios today.  Lots more to tell, but I'll end with the best story of the day.  After riding the Buzz Lightyear ride, we ended up in the gift shop.  Spencer went and looked at the toys.  He couldn't decide between a ball or a bucket of little green men.  He grabbed the bucket, looked at me and signed "Mommy" and then "please".  So, yes we got the bucket! Peyton kept saying all day- "He was communicating!  If you weren't going to buy it for him, I would have."
More stories to come!

Where did I leave off?

I know I haven't posted in a while.  And, the more time that passes, the more I have to write and the potential to forget most of it increases.  So, I wrote down little blurbs to jog my memory.  In no order whatsoever, here is the latest scoop:

• The BEST news:  since Saturday night, Spencer has been sleeping in his own bed, in his own room. This is huge!  And, best of all, it didn't take a lot of coaxing on my part.  All that is required of me is that I sit in the den and read.  He will periodically come out of his room to make sure that I am there, and when I tell him to go back to his room, he goes!  Last night he decided he wanted to put the mattress on the floor.  Whatever!  Here is my little sweet angel :)

• My parents came this past weekend for their monthly visit.  The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we rented a golf cart.  It was so much fun.  Best of all, Spencer was so well behaved.  He didn't try to jump out, he didn't get frustrated because we got lost (repeatedly!), he was so happy and looking around taking in his surroundings.
• It took us 2 hours to get from the rental place to McDonald's to get Spencer a treat (french fries).  My dad went in to get a few things.  When he came out with the bag, the old Spencer would have jumped out of the cart, ran across the parking lot without any concern for oncoming cars, ripped the bag out of my dad's hands and gotten his fries.  New and improved Spencer waited patiently in the cart, smiling, squealing with delight!  He sat properly and waited to be handed his fries, which he ate one by one.  

• Saturday evening, I made homemade pizza, homemade herbed breadsticks and, of course, homemade sauce.  It was a more flavorful sauce than I had been making and I wasn't sure if Spencer was going to like it.  He first ripped off the toppings (which he always does) then he ventured into dipping his finger into the sauce on the slice and licking it off his finger.  He loved it!  Yet another victory for Mommy!!
• I am always amazed at his ability to figure things out on his own.  My parents brought him some little Toy Story figures that have parachutes attached.  He figured out what you were supposed to do with them without a lot of help.  He then brought the toys into his room and played with them.  It was so cute.  A long time ago, I downloaded the Toy Story 3 memory game app to my iPhone to use to keep Spencer happy in waiting rooms, etc.  He never really played it, just looked at the pictures of the characters.  He would never let me touch the game to show him how to play it, I guess he was afraid that I was going to take it away from him.  So, imagine my surprise when I happen upon him PLAYING the game, not just turning the cards over to see the pictures!  It was adorable!  (He looked so serious, too)
• We are going on vacation for Memorial Day!  We will be meeting up with the other two boys in Orlando.  When I told Spencer that we would be seeing Daddy and Bubby in just a matter of days, he got the biggest smile on his face and said something I didn't understand and then Daddy. Awww  I figured out that we haven't seen them since the beginning of April.  Too long.
• But I think I may have gotten Spencer overly excited too soon.  After I told his about going to see Daddy and Bubby, he awoke at 2:30 in the morning, ready to roll.  Ugh.  me, I was so not ready to begin my day.  I had such a full day, I couldn't even manage to squeeze in a nap.  It will be our first vacation with Spencer's new foods, so I am cooking like a crazy woman and bringing a ton of food with me. It is not like the boys can just eat something different from Spence, because Spence will want what they have.  I had my parents bring me my Food Saver.  That is how we do fast food!!
• I am still in awe over Spencer's maintenance of his potty skills. Previously, he would go to the bathroom on schedule and he would use it if he had to go.  It became a habit.  He didn't quite 'feel' when he had to go.  It is quite a different story these days. Granted, he does have some accidents, but for the most part, he uses the bathroom on a consistent basis.  It is wonderful!!! He is so much calmer than he was a year ago.  He also is a better listener.  Just yesterday, he was in his room blaring the music.  I told him it was too loud and he lowered it.  That required a lot of cognition on his part.  I didn't specifically tell him to lower the volume.  He figured out that my complaint of it being too loud, meant that he needed to lower it.  Good job!
• He has been earning stars left and right at Brain Balance.  Yippee for my little man!  He has been tracing the letter S on the white board and doing more core exercises on the exercise ball.  I am so proud of him.  And, I am so glad we decided to pursue the Brain Balance program.  He is making such wonderful progress and the changes are lasting.
• We got together with some other Brain Balance moms and their kids yesterday for a little swim party.  It was wild!  Imagine- 4 adults; 6 Brain Balance kids; 2 neurotypical children.  We scared away anyone who was trying to relax around the pool area. Not that the kids were bad, they were loud!  We had a good time and it was good to hang out with other Brain Balance families.

Now for the decision that has been keeping me up at night. Drumroll, please.  We have decided to stay through the next school year so Spencer can have another round at Brain Balance.  We actually toyed with the idea of opening up our own Brain Balance, but the only viable location would be the Northshore.  I just couldn't make that commute for the long hours it would take to open a business and since I am not familiar with the area AT ALL, I would be at a serious disadvantage.  At this point, I am not even sure when my next visit home will be.

I am sure I forgot some stuff, I always do.  Hopefully, I will do better about the blogging.  Now I've got to start the 'cookapaloosa'.

Monday, Monday

My eye is down from a sharp pain to a dull ache.  I guess that is progress.  We play our own game of "Where's Waldo?" every morning as I try to get Spence ready for school.  However, this morning, he gave away his position.

So, I just had to tickle the toes!!  He woke up laughing and happy.  I can't help but laugh when he laughs.  Last week, a Facebook friend posted that it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to be thankful and that he was counting his blessings.  Then another BB mom remarked after conversations on a plane, just how good she has it.  Then yesterday, they opened the Morganza spillway, saving New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but flooding other areas.  All I could think about was how insignificant my eye injury was to all of this.  I am truly blessed.  My son is not in any pain, his life expectancy is not affected, and he is loved and supported by many.  One of the unsung heroes of this journey would have to be my husband. He is busy single parenting an 11 year old and working to support what amounts to two households.  He also provides emotional support and doses of reality to his neurotic wife.  We will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in 2012, and I hope that we are able to take a trip without the children (I'd be happy with a weekend.) But, we have goals to meet before that time.

I'm done with the heavy stuff, for now.  Spencer has been wearing clothes more often.  This is a good thing!  He used to just get dressed if he was leaving the house.  Both yesterday and Saturday, he stayed dressed for a couple of hours at a time, usually disrobing when he had to use the potty and then not getting redressed.  He also picked out his clothes and I must say, Mr. GQ did a pretty good job.  We didn't bring his trampoline, but he is making do with the bed.  I love how innocent he looks.

I am grateful we found Brain Balance.  I just love to see the changes in him and the other children.  It is not easy, but nothing worth having ever is.  And it works.  I see my son's brain changing.  THIS is my little boy!!!

I have to add this to my blog.  I have been promising Spencer that I would make him pizza for dinner since Friday.  But, since everything has to made from scratch, I just couldn't do it until last night.  he was so happy!  At one point, he took my hand, and led me to the kitchen.  He then looked into the oven window, looked at me and signed "eat".  I told him it still had about 10 more minutes to cook.  He looked at me and I swear he said "eeeee".  Then he kissed me.  Mommy then felt bad that I couldn't just pull it out of the oven right then and there!!

Weekend update

Let's see- this is the quick and dirty recap.  Thursday evening and Friday morning, Blogger was down so I couldn't post Spence's IEP update.  Then, Friday I poke myself in the eye.  (I've got to think of a better excuse, that sounds oh so lame!)  Come to find out, I scratched my eye pretty bad.  I was in denial until I awoke Saturday to a swollen teary eye.  Saturday consisted of an urgent care visit, an eye doctor visit, and the discovery that Spencer has REAL angels as his teachers.  One of them watched him for me to get my eye taken care of.  Now for the details:

IEP RECAP:
It wasn't much different than what I was expecting.  However, it seems in the last month Spencer has gotten lazy with cutting and writing.  Also, he has been pretty defiant (for lack of a better word)  Here is an example.  The teacher would pull out two number cards and ask Spencer to point to the number 2.  He would consistently point to the opposite.  She then tried putting out one number card and an object.  He would choose the object.  Almost like he was trying to spite her.  Then she discovered the ultimate reinforcer, brownies!  (HIS special dietary brownies)  She would give him a small bite as positive reinforcement.  All of a sudden his answers were right.  That's my baby, will work for food!!

They suggested that Spencer repeat kindergarten, not for academic reasons, but they felt he could benefit from more inclusion opportunities.  In kindergarten, those opportunities are more "fun".  I agreed and have been second-guessing myself since then.  I could debate the topic either way.  Part of me thinks that Spencer is not being challenged enough by a kindergarten curriculum (he has had the same curriculum for about 3 years now)  Perhaps he is bored? Perhaps I'm wrong?  Maybe he needs the extra year in kindergarten.  Maybe he doesn't.  I'm making my own head spin....

He qualified for ESY (extended school year) so he will go to school for 6 weeks in the summer, M-Th, 9-12.  Hopefully, this will allow him to retain what knowledge he has.  Pretty sure he will enjoy the bus rides!

FRIDAY, THE 13TH- GINA STYLE
I used to be coordinated.  Really.  So, when a wayward piece of hair landed in my eye, I thought that I could extract it.  Managed to poke myself in the eye.  It started to tear up but I thought in a little while it will be better.  And it seemed to get better. Until I stopped at a gas station to pick up a beverage on my way to pick up Spence for his Brain Balance session.  They did not have the air conditioner on, so there was no relief from the heat.  They had a small kitchen in the corner that was cooking something most foul smelling.  Once the fumes got to my left eye, I could not stop it from tearing up. It was all downhill from there.  I could not get more than a few moments relief before my eye would start acting up.  Spencer understood a little bit that mommy wasn't feeling well, because he let me lay on the sofa with minimal interruptions.  I thought that by Saturday morning I would be fine.

THREE HOURS, TWO DOCTORS, ONE TETANUS SHOT
Saturday I awoke to incredible pain in my left eye.  My eyelashes were, in effect, glued shut.  A warm compress took care of that.  I figured at this point that I probably scratched my eye a little bit and I would benefit from an urgent care visit.  Sounds great, but there was no way I could bring Spence.  He wouldn't understand that we were not there for him and it would be hard to keep an eye on him. (no pun intended)  So I reached out to Facebook land and lo and behold, one of Spencer's teachers calls to say she can watch him.  (She didn't see the FB post, another teacher who was unable to watch Spence did.  She informed this teacher of my plight.  Like I said, ANGELS!!)  So, she and her mom come to pick up Spence.  I was able to relax knowing that he was with people he knew and liked and who knew how to handle him.  So I headed to the urgent care.  They examined my eye and suggested that I get a tetanus shot to be on the safe side.  The doctor said my eye had a pretty bad scratch on it and I needed to see an eye doctor.  Her husband is an eye doctor, so she called his office to let them know that I was being sent over.  The urgent care didn't take my insurance, so the doctor decided that I would only be charged for the tetanus shot because she didn't want me to be charged for 2 office visits in one day.  She also found me a sample of antibiotic eye drops so I wouldn't need to buy any.  I was then on my way to the husband's office.  He double checked my eye and proclaimed that I did a number on my eye.  He put a contact lens (with a slight prescription) on my eye to keep it from being irritated every time I blinked.  He gave me some rewetting drops and said he would see me Monday.  He also gave me his cell phone number should I wake up Sunday and my eye is worse.  Say What?  Their credit card machine was down, so the doc said he would just run it through on Monday.  He won't charge me for Monday.

While I was having no fun, Spence was having a good time.  His teacher said he was so good.  They took him for a ride in the golf cart and he had a blast.  He went to a few garage sales, but wouldn't let anyone buy anything!  I was surprised that he didn't freak out going to their house or doing some of these things he has never done.  So proud of my big boy!  The antibiotic drops make me sensitive to light, so I was wearing sunglasses around the house.  So, Spencer decided he needed to wear his sunglasses around the house, too.  Wish I would've gotten a picture of that.  Since he was so good all day long, I decided to reward him with a movie.  I let him watch a movie on the ipod.  He was so excited!

SUNDAY
So far, so good.  The throbbing pain has left my eye and I can keep it open.  That means Mr. Spence's free reign is over! Of course, I was awakened by the ipod blaring "Trouble" by Pink.  Seems Spencer has adopted that as his theme song.  Oh boy!!

If my life wasn't crazy, I wouldn't know it was my life!!

The smell of progress is in the air, and it smells like.....cinnamon?

Yesterday when Spencer and I arrived home from his session at Brain Balance, we went into our normal routine.  He went to the bathroom, then to his room.  I unpacked his backpack and lunch bag.  Then I went to pull the sheets out of the dryer.  I smelled cinnamon waffles.  Since I had made waffles earlier, I thought it was just a residual smell.  After putting the newly cleaned sheets on my bed, I went into the den.  The smell of cooking waffles was stronger.  Did I leave the waffle maker on?  No. Maybe it is just my imagination.  Then I notice a waffle sticking out of the toaster.  Did I put that in there before I left?  (I love those cinnamon waffles, too!) But I don't remember doing that.  Just as I am about to schedule a mental health assessment for myself, in walks Spence.  He nonchalantly grabs the waffle out of the toaster, proceeds to put another one in the slot, pulls down the handle.  Then he walks off to enjoy his waffle.  I didn't even know he knew how to use the toaster!  He is so independent, it is sometime scary.

Apparently, we make a spectacle out of ourselves every morning.  We sit in the back of my car while waiting for the bus.  Tailgating style.  It started because I needed to get him out of the way of cars (it is still dark out at 6:15am when we go wait for the bus), and I refused to hold him.  This morning, one of my exercising neighbors told me how cute she thought it was for us to sit like that every day.  I responded that it was safer and she said that it was still cute and that I'm a good momma.  Wow, that off hand remark made my day.

Today is Spencer's IEP meeting at school.  Pretty sure that I will be making a name for myself (and not in a good way) during this meeting.  But, I only want that which will benefit my child.  You can't fault me for that.  I know what to ask for (and hope they agree!).  I would LOVE to not have an IEP for the rest of his academic career, and that is the goal that we are working toward.  Gotta go get my game face on.  Watch out, here comes Spencer's crazy momma!!

Oh, Momma!!

I got the best surprise yesterday afternoon.  When I picked Spencer up for Brain Balance, Ms. Kelly wanted Spencer to show me what he had been doing at school all day.  He signed "Mommy" for me!  This is the FIRST time I've been acknowledged as Mom, EVER!  Yes, it was huge for me, and he looked so cute doing it!  He also was signing "Eat" and "please" during snack time in order to get more cookies.  (Special cookies that meet with his dietary restrictions & provided by me, just in case you were wondering!)

I just love the changes in my little guy.  He seems so much more alert and aware of the world around him.  Sometimes I feel bad for him as I watch him approach other children.  I think he wants to play with them, but just doesn't know how to initiate.  It can heartbreaking to watch, but it is progress.  He used to regard other children as nothing more than furniture, obstacles in his way between where he was and where he wanted to be.

I felt like little Suzy Gluten-free homemaker yesterday.  I made homemade applesauce, pumpkin bread, and bacon.  I made picture schedules and an "I Want" board to try to eliminate being pulled and having to figure things out on my own.  I even told Spencer if he stayed still for too long, I might just laminate him!  We had a difficult time getting through his exercises last night, as once he showed signs of fatigue I had to stop.  Poor thing, they must work him really hard at school ! (I know he worked hard at Brain Balance).

Spencer did something unusual yesterday.  He sought out the mini chocolate chips and started eating them.  I thought it was odd that he was in his bedroom with the door closed.  When I walked in, I was greeted by a smiling little chocolate face.  I guess he is my kid after all!  He has also learned how relaxing a bubble bath can be.

Remember Garanimals?

For those of you not old enough (or don't want to admit that you are old enough!) Garanimals were kids clothes tagged for the fashion inept.  Match the tags (purple dinosaur with purple dinosaur) and voila, you have an outfit that matches.  I bring this up because Mr. Spencer picked out his own clothes on Friday.  Well, they kinda sorta matched if you squinted and didn't look at him for too long. (Haha!)  I was proud of him for several reasons:
1. He brought me a shirt and a pair of pants.  He used to bring 2 shirts and then try to fashion one as a pair of pants.  Guess he was reluctant to admit he made a mistake.  (He is SOOO my child.)
2. This showed independence!  Woo hoo!  He is getting his own little personality and not just following mommy's commands like a little robot.

I got my mother's day present Friday that Spencer made in school.  He was obviously told to smile and he has the strangest little look on his face.  See below.

But still, cute as a button!

I have been remiss with some of my posts, so here are a few things I missed putting in my blogs.
Going back to the Brain Balance Anniversary Party of April 17: Spencer was in such a good mood after we left the party.  He was running, giggling, and turning around looking at me on our way from the car to the apartment.  As soon as I said, "Stop running, you are going to (BAM!) fall."  The BAM was him falling.  He fell on the edge of the sidewalk and busted his forehead, cheek, nose and chin.  And he cried.  I ran to him and cradled him in my lap.  He wanted to be held and consoled.  So our really good day ended up not so good.  Well, his crying meant that he now feels pain, which is a positive sign of improvement.  Also, his wanting compassion for his injuries is also a sign of improvement.  I hate to say those were good things, but I think you get my point.
Sent this pic home to Daddy.  Poor guy looks like he was in a fight.

When my parents came to visit on the 23rd of April, Spencer held an iphone training class for them:
(Please ignore the fact that my son is in his underwear.  It could be worse...)

I think I've caught up.  Maybe.  The sun was shining yesterday, so me and the little guy went to the pool area.  Since the water is not heated, it was COLD!  Here is Spencer hanging  out.

I had a nice Mother's Day.  It would have been better if I had all my boys with me, but I didn't send my broom so they had no quick transportation back and forth.  I hear Spencer is still up and at 'em.  He will be a super cranky muffin at 5:50, when I wake him up for school.  Where is his off button?

In search of unicorns, adults and competition (?!?)

Really the title will make sense to you.  Or not.  I'm beginning to think that I would have an easier time finding a unicorn than a good night's sleep.  I don't need a lot of sleep, I need restful sleep.  For some reason, that is alluding me. The Sunday Atlanta paper did an article about the country's lack of sleep.  According to it, "Research suggests that too little sleep for long enough can cause severe cognitive impairment, roughly the equivalent of being legally drunk."  That explains a lot.  After getting only 4 hours of sleep Tuesday night, in 2 hour increments, with 4 hours of reading in between, I was TOAST yesterday.  The coffee, diet coke, and other caffeine sources I availed myself of were not helping.  I couldn't even complete Spencer's exercises because I physically did not have the energy to do them.  Nor the cognitive ability to count.  My poor husband tried to have a conversation with me, but I could hardly put a string of words together into a reasonable sentence.  Last night was a little better.  I went to sleep early (right after Spence, at 9) slept pretty much until 5.  But, I am still groggy.  Spencer, of course, would not sign his grandma's mother's day card, even with hand over hand assistance.  He wasn't being mean or malicious, it was a game to him.  I couldn't help but smile while he was giggling.
I usually catch up on my sleep on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I go back to sleep after my husband's phone call at 7am and rest until about 9.  Not much, but it helps.  I'm still dragging today and could use the extra rest, but I joined a club and am now on the board.  Installation is today.  What can I say, sometimes it is nice to connect with the outside world.  Having a meaningless conversation with another adult is so underrated.  So, for two hours, I get to be Gina.  Works wonders for the Momma.
When I come home, I will make more waffles (Spencer LOVES waffles) and try my hand once again at the doggone pumpkin muffins.  I will tackle this.  I've never been so inept in the kitchen before, I don't like it!  I desperately want to cook items that Spence will enjoy, that we can eat together.  So far, no luck.  But, we're still trying.
I was on the receiving end of an interesting comment this week.  I was asked about competition among the Brain Balance mothers.  As most of you know, I am pretty competitive and always have been.  So I guess it seemed like a natural request.  Not to sound naive, but there doesn't seem to be competition among the moms.  Instead we lift each other up, revel in the success of others, and act as sounding boards for our frustrations.  Our competitor is the neurological condition that we are all battling.  It is us against it.  Our numbers are strong, our belief in our methods unshaking, our work ethic strong.  We paddle toward that light at the end of the tunnel together.  Now, I'm going to get rolling on my busy day!

And the bubble goes POP!

After blogging about my son's remarkable progress report from school, I received some disheartening news today.  Seems that the progress report was in error.  Whoops!  Yep- pretty much all NIs (needs improvement) with the exception of the fine motor skills.  That really is more in line with taking him off of his medication and the difficulty he has had in learning to cope.  But Momma went and opened her big mouth (-or-typed her fingers out) to broadcast her incredible news.  I don't like reality, my delusions are much more entertaining!!

Spencer had another great session at Brain Balance today, earning himself yet another trophy to put on the wall.  So, while it is not ALL good, there is way more good than bad.  And more good is just waiting across the horizon.  I am fascinated by this little person and the capabilities that have yet to be discovered.  Every day is an adventure!

It's all GOOD!

Been doing the happy dance since Thursday afternoon.  That is when I received Spencer's progress report from school.  In the following 'character traits', he went from a NI (needs improvement) to S (satisfactory).  Since those are the only two options for grading these, I was more than pleased.
-uses self control
-respects & responds positively to authority
-demonstrates responsibility
-works well independently
-works well within groups
-listens and follows directions
-makes wise use of classroom time
-stays on task
-demonstrates fine motor skills

What I find truly ironic is that his behavior has drastically IMPROVED since taking off the medication.  Who would have thought that would be the case?  My happy mood was made even better by my 12 week progress report on Spencer from Brain Balance.  While I fully expected him to lag behind due to the absence of his medication, I was surprised by the fact that he did not regress in any areas.  He did maintain in 5 areas, but in the areas he moved, boy did he move.  His fine motor skills went from those of a 3 year old to those of a 7 year old in FOUR WEEKS.  That's right, above his biological age!  His core stability has improved and he is developing his own little personality.

And, we are not done yet!  At the end of his session Friday, Michelle came out with a most excited look on her face.  Spencer said, "dog" and "duck" while she was singing Old McDonald.  I think I pulled a muscle doing the Happy Dance.

Our apartment pool opened today.  While we were outside, Spencer grabbed the towels while he was laying on a recliner.  He said, "Goodnight", pulled up the towels, laid on his side, closed his eyes and made snoring sounds.  He was engaging in imaginative play.  This is HUGE for children on the spectrum.  Mommy is a little worn out and not entirely joking about the pulled muscle.  So, "Goodnight"
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