4th Grade and Pre-k

WOW. I am only like a month behind.

Ok not really. But enough.

Tyler started school this year before AUGUST! It was a dream come true! His casts came off, his new braces were fitted and his clothes were purchased. We had a bunch of new shorts that he got last year at the end of the year so I put them away in hopes of not having to purchase anything. But sitting on your butt eating Totino's pizza and drinking soda and no physical exercise helped him finally pack on a pound or six. And he when we went to button them, they didn't fit!

Lucky for me, I thought ahead and had bought a size bigger in a few new ones so we were all prepared for the first day of school. Tyler went to a new school this year ( again) and had a new teacher ( again) because his other teacher was sick and so a long term substitute was hired ( again) for this poor class to be started with. So we went to meet the teacher, and LOVE the new teacher and hope she sticks around for the year. She is very accommodating and even allows soda in the room with doctors prescription. ( Even though we need one for EVERYTHING else.)

Tyler rides the bus with three kids in wheelchairs from the neighborhood this year. His chair from this summer doesn't work as a transportable chair so he can only use his stroller. He doesn't mind it so much but with the extra weight and the age of the chair, he is almost ready to upgrade a bit.

He has to get up before 7 which is a struggle in this house. No one really wants to, but I do and it isn't a huge deal. We get him on the bus, I hop in the shower and then I TRY and stay awake.

This is the first year that Tyler has not been able to stand on his own for his school pictures. No worries. I cried my eyes out because this year and summer has been SOOOOO hard. 

He has a paw patrol back pack he picked out himself. He loves it. He has a drink container that he only wants sprite in and he loves it and he loves his teachers. He loves school so far and though he has no release for the playground yet, he does have the best sensory room that they could have for him and he gets to pick one friend to go with him in there for recess instead of to the play ground. I don't mind. Inside has air-conditioning. But he has a hard time in the morning because he wants to go with everyone else. He has been allowed on the slide though. Soon a release should be faxed in.  ( Side note to any pediatricians that ever read this blog: Never laugh at a mom who is asking for a release to allow their kids to play on school playground stuff, we didn't ask to have to get one we were told. It isn't funny and it makes us want to switch docs because it makes you look like an ass)

When Ty got off the bus he told me that he had a awesome day and everything was so great and he loved his new school. 

And in awesome news, we sent Grayson back to school too. HOORAY. He goes three times a week to the same place he went last year but this year he does preschool and pre-k. So he does a curriculum and lunch to get them use to longer days and to eat their lunch at a faster pace and to actually eat at school instead of just play. He loves it and he loves his little friends and his little teacher. We love her too.

This is AFTER the whole school day because we were so excited to drop and run that I wasn't going to waste my time in that line with the crying moms. I was going to go get some more sleep! He also has a new back pack with a lunch box and it is paw patrol too. He has batman shoes that he says hurt his feet and we did not spend a fortune for school clothes and just got some new t-shirts for him. This is his current favorite, Super Why and he has a Lego shirt that says " Everything is awesome." 

He loves playing and loves his friends. Hates going to the bathroom at Miss Brittany's house and holds it ALL day. Hates the bathroom in general. Thinks everyone should love him and yet he hates us all. He yells a lot, he screams a lot and he won't sleep in his own bed. He says cute things, gives great kisses and adores his new cat. ( who thankfully has not died at the hands of Grayson, making him a sociopath) He also loves pretending to do anything and he loves Niles of Tomorrow land. 

Hooray for school! 

June went fast!!

We are into July!!!! The hottest month of the year and monsoon season. Oh joy!!

A few months ago our landlord called to let us know that he has decided that he needs to put the house up for sale. We have been here for 2 years. We like our house. We love our ward, we love the school Tyler is in and we are just really comfortable here. It is a commute for Dallas but I do all the other stuff around and we are pretty comfortable where we are. The current neighborhood we live in is hard to find a place to stay. For example, the house next door was going to be vacant about the time we needed to move. Well, it went on the market for 12 hours and was rented.

But we were lucky and got a great and amazing house in our neighborhood. A one story!! 4 bedrooms, a small amount of grass,  and a park next door. I am SO thrilled to be in a one story. And we were so lucky to get it.

This is my new house!! It is just across the street in the bigger "estates" from where we are and we are THRILLED to be there. It will be so amazing for us to have a one level. And for Tyler to no longer have any stairs. Carrying him up the stairs is just getting to much for us. 

So as of July 1st we have 15 days to pack before we can start moving stuff in. I have 2.5 weeks to get everything moved over and the old house cleaned. As soon as we get into the new house Tyler starts school. Our summer is quickly coming to an end. Super fast!

I am so excited for this house. I am so thankful for this house. I am so thankful for our ward and that we are on our learning curve to have Tyler be welcomed and things becoming more and more adaptive to the needs that he has. ( And a cute little girl just moved in, in a chair!! I almost ran her mom down with excitement that someone will be there that gets it!) We still struggle getting scouts adapted but we will figure it out.

A HUGE thank you to my dad who is loaning us his truck. Renting a pick up truck was insanely expensive. So he is driving his truck down for me. (With a 12 dozen Butterfingers donuts from food ranch ( I hope) ) He may have to come a day or so early but he will come on sweet big boy's Birthday. ( Yes my baby is 3!!!) and we bought him his plane ticket ( FYI Allegiant air in the summer is DIRT cheap if you don't bring luggage!) to get him back home.  We will keep the truck to work throughout the 2 weeks and then Fly my dad from Provo to Mesa ( seriously ALLEGIANT all the way!!) to drive back home.  Our ward his helping us the day my dad leaves.

We then get to clean and clean, get carpets cleaned and close this door in this summer house nice and tight.

Each new house we move in, comes with new ambitions to get through. My first one is to become organized to start. We accumulate just STUFF but I am learning to be less clutter filled. So we are dejunking and dejunking and selling and donating.

And the hardest and most permanent thing. I won't be taking a crib with me. Not even to store for the "next" time.  We have closed the door on baby hood forever. Moving into a new house, with no baby, but a big boy and his best brother.

Here is to a new place, new start, without starting totally over!!

" I am in the 3rd grade, just like Grandma the old lady"

Arizona and their school system is SO strange. We are out early May but back in school the first week of August. It is already getting hot by the time we are out. If it hasn't hit the high 90's, we are super super lucky.

This year we hit HOT HOT pretty early but we were still able to go outside for a few things. However, inside was where we were going to have to be. So we have been looking for fun activities to do for the summer.

The last day of school Ty was so super excited. He got off the bus and told his super awesome driver that he was so glad that  she was a good driver and then told Miss Maggie, " Miss Maggie Moo, I am a big boy now. I am in 3rd grade just like Grandma the old Lady." I thought Miss Maggie was going to pee her pants!

Tyler is ready to move on and he is super excited to move to third grade. He will have the same teacher, Mrs. Tuttle, in the same class that he was in this year, for the LAST year. He is up to bench mark and will be taking the AIMS ( the standardized test..... Seriously do not ASK why he would be allowed) and he will be given some new technology next year to hopefully aide him in doing some of the things he can't do now. If not, he will be having a full time one on one aide. He will be adding more orientation and mobility next year and will be doing more cane training.

We are thankful he is doing so well. It is hard to accept the realization that prematurity did affect his brain. That he is not going to be "normal" and will not be doing all the things that we imagined he would. To accept the under development and the lack of normal is just something that has come to head this year. He is a great kid. Normal just isn't what we will have.

Here comes summer!!!!

What a LONG month this has been. I have started a ten blogs about the stuff we have been doing and finished none of them. Something always comes up, or I get frustrated or the inner conflict I keep having always seems to make it so I don’t want to push publish.

T’s school year has been going. Not awesome like I had thought it would, but not so bad either. We have had some major complications with communication and major frustrations in trying to figure stuff out.

Ty had his testing done for second grade and he got 3’s out of 4’s. So he is on task for a 2nd grader in most stuff. Of course the take into account that he can’t write and that he can’t do some of the things he needs to on his own. But overall he is doing really well. Our first biggest challenge is getting them to follow his IEP. Some of the things are being over looked. I am sure not on purpose, but none the less, still being over looked.

We are also working with him on math. He is slowly grasping the concept of it but they are learning touch points and we have had to learn to adapt his ability to figure out the touch points. I tried coming up with a great idea and he seems to be catching on, for the most part.



He has done really well, he just doesn't love homework. Plus he has to do homework after we have him therapy all afternoon after school. Sometimes I am sad he just can't be a kid. We will see how well he tolerates the "normal" activities of scouts that comes after an hour of Physical therapy.



Our success of having his seizures slow down was slow lived and we are back to the drawing board and having to up his meds to a WAY higher dose. It kinda makes me sick to shut the door at night and turn off his shows because I never know if he will wake up in the morning.

We celebrated his birthday this week. I was going to do a birthday post but am going to skip it this year. There are to many private emotions that I don't want out there for others to make fun of me over ( and YES sadly there are people that would do that) and I would rather have them in a more supportive forum where those people are NOT invited to be.

However, he turned 8. Had an amazing time and three days later we are still having birthday activities. In 3 weeks he while have his baptism and we will have cooler temps and Halloween to look forward to.

Overall, we just keep plugging away. I will gain 12 hours more "work" this upcoming month and can't wait to have all my hard work FINALLY pay off. But it will and I am more determined ( thanks to those who aren't all that supportive) to succeed and keep on going. Our five year plan might even be shorter since I am more "complete" than we thought.



Oh and it looks like we will probably be in Utah again in November for a gait study ( for 2 of them) bike measurements and phenol. Then three weeks after that we will be having botox here. Next week we do orthotics and therapy and well baby checks for everyone. Guess that means flu shots all around.

Summer is coming to a close..........

I am SO, so glad that we are starting school in just a few weeks. In true fashion, someone in the house is sick! Just a summer cold but none the less, we are all ready to go.

Ty has grown up so much this summer. Not just emotionally, or socially but also PHYSICALLY! Holy cow, we hit 50 pounds just after we moved to Arizona and we dropped back and forth for a while. At our neurologist appointment on Monday we were officially 57 pounds. He is 4 feet tall. He has a bit of a belly that I LOVE and his cheeks are fully. When we asked him what got him to grow, he answered us “ All the pizza I get to eat!” and boy was he not kidding.

One reason that I love school for Tyler is SCHOOL LUNCH!! Last year I really worried about what he would eat at school lunch. After a few home packed lunches, I stopped. He needed to come home hungry and then he would eat what we cooked him for dinner. Plus they get pizza a lot at school so I know he won’t starve. So we are looking forward to having a school menu on the fridge again.

This year they are asking that I provide him with a daily snack and we are excited to have him ask us for fruit cups. So we are going to bring in different types of crackers and fruit cups. He loves pineapple and all other stuff too. So why not!

We also get homework. So I am looking to see if I can capture his attention in chapter books that we can read a chapter and have a week long book. Or something that is awesome for him to want to read. 30 minutes of reading the same books over and over means we need to take a trip to the library.

We are also looking forward to the schedule that school brings us. This year we have all three therapies out side of school, that we will be trying our hardest to keep into our schedule. We will be having on therapy at the beginning of a school day so he will need me to take him to school. And another day he will have to leave a half our early. And to get an extra hour of all his therapies he will be getting OT at home in the evenings. This is such a well needed change for him to get so much extra therapy.

We have some major testing going on in the month of August for epilepsy/seizures and hospital stays and of course, Med Changes. What wouldn’t a stint in the hospital be without  some major med changes.

But mostly  we are excited for Tyler to go back to school. Where he can be Tyler and be social and be amazing. Like he always is.

We will miss him like crazy, but I am sorta, kinda looking forward to being back with Grayson. We have a lot of changes on the horizon and we have a lot of exciting things that we get to do with Grayson. We have lots of little field trips and learning stuff.

And just to end the night/day/post with awesomeness. Here are some photos that we have taken the last few weeks with Tyler and Grayson.



We were walking into the Flying fairy school to meet his teacher and we had Ty’s chair. Grayson wanted to ride too. Ty isn’t always a fan, but Ty said he would be nice enough to let Grayson sit on his lap. They were so cute. I wish they made Adaptive strollers for Tyler  to have a rider!




After therapy if Tyler earns something at therapy we either hit up a gas station, the dollar store or another awesomeness, we decided to try out the local new McDonald's with a play area for toddlers, which is usually up BOTH their ally’s. But first,Grayson said “ Mommy prayer? *insert lots of mumbling* AMEN”




We will miss the mornings of watching Tyler eat and play while Grayson relaxes and plays Planes.... right?


We are looking to our second year at the Flying Fairy School. It will be a GREAT year... We can feel it!


This weeks posts:

• Neurology’s second first opinion. 
• Ten things Special needs finds.
• Selective reduction....... is it OK for you, but not for me?

That’s right folks.We are getting back to talking about some random stuff and and somewhat controversial topics. 

IEP... One Without Tears

Last year our IEP was TERRIBLE. I ended up in tears and refused to sign and left. I ended up doing a visit to a school that was not very much further than our house and his home school. I liked what I saw at that school and know that the state law says that he should go to the closest home school. I was pretty confident when I went back into his IEP. I told them what I expected. The teachers still told me that their recommendation was life skills class. I refused. I wanted him in a mixed classroom.

A few weeks later we got a letter from the district saying that he was going to be BUSSED clear across the county. Literally. He would be on the bus for more than 45 minutes. If he were to have a seizure he would be transported and it would take me 45 minutes or MORE to get to my son. As opposed to the school less than 3 miles from my house. To say I was pissed was an understatement.

Soon our landlords decided to be jerks and so we did a little checking and off we left. Back to a state that we got what he needed. We did some research as to what district we wanted to be in. We were fine with the area we lived in before but I REALLY wanted us to be in Higley district. They were smaller and I felt they were able to offer more. And I was RIGHT!

We didn’t have a redo of our IEP when we moved to Arizona because Ty’s was barely done. So I signed on the dotted line and let them use Utah’s bench marker. We had to change and update stuff throughout the year to work for what Ty actually was at, and I was happy with the changes we made.

IEP rolls around and I get ready to go in. Except I know there will be no tears. His team is amazing. We have made a lot of choices this year and have really gone with him getting an education an actually learning. His “team” last year made me feel like I didn’t know my child and so having someone ( and multiple someones) that truly wants what is best.

SO.. What are we doing next year?

NOTHING!! We are staying and doing exactly what we are doing. OK, we are doing a few things different but I think they are for the better.

So, for the new things.

• We are adding more keyboard training. We are teaching him to type out his sentences instead of trying to put the flashcards into sentences. He can’t use his arms the way he needs to so why are we forcing something that isn’t there and letting him be behind? We won’t, so we will teach him something else.
• He is going to start Cane training. It won’t be immediate that he gets it all down. So it will be a gradual thing. He has to figure out left and right and directions. But he can and does maneuver around his school very well and pretty much on his own. He, apparently, just walks around and through everyone where he says "excuse me" and keeps going. So his O & M is going to be in full swing next year. 
• He struggles a little in math and in money especially. Money is so visual, that he has a hard time not manipulating whoever is helping him. He is GOOD. So we have an activity every night of coins and what is it. (I think he also gets a little confused because his brothers name is the same as a coin! That is the only one he gets right!)

He will still be in the cross category class next year and he will be ( hopefully) in the same class. He LOVES his school and his class. He goes to all the specials, in regular but he gets to play with the same ten people. He likes his little world. I like his little world. 

Oh The Places You Will Go.....

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

It seems like only yesterday we had an itty bitty baby. 

The one that had to fight a million battles with Dragons. 

The one that grew up and has moved on to the big stuff.  

Meet the Teacher

Everyone started school this week.

But Tyler......

Ok, but the whole school district's kindergartners. He didn't care much UNTIL the bus came to make their route and get times. I took him out to met the drivers and he climbed on, sat down in a seat and when we tried to get him out he cried and cried and cried.

As I got him off the bus he told me that he was so sad because he wanted to go to "cool." He was devastated. I carried him in the house and he sobbed and sobbed. He said he wanted to go see Miss Melanie ( his teacher) and that he was suppose to ride the bus to "cool." That his note told him he could ride the bus.

Wednesday was our day to meet Miss Melanie. She needed to do some testing and see where he was and see how much of our day would be in the transitional kindergarten and how much would be in the traditional. Ty did really well and will be spending most of his social time in the regular class. He will also be in for a few other subjects as well.

Ty did a great job with his letters and numbers. I was glad that he did so well. He is funny and had everyone in there laughing ( as usual) and he was ready to stay and be at school. We headed to the office to sign papers and fill out regular registration papers. This is always an ordeal when we have to hand over a birth certificate. I always get asked if his weight is a typo.

After papers we went to the store. Ty was so upset that we couldn't go to the merry go round. He thought we were going to go see a merry go round. Poor kid, just can't catch a break. I mean really.. A merry go round.

School is going to be good for Ty this year. He will have all the therapy he can at school and we are making some major changes to his braille options. We will be keeping the therapy private as well. He really needs the PT. Poor kid.

As the mom: I can't wait for a routine and only one kid to drag to the grocery store.

School time, Bullies and Just Mean

When I was growing up school was always anticipated and we would get so excited for it to start. We spent the summer working to get our school clothes so we could buy what we wanted and we went shopping for new stuff. As we got older we got to go to the mall. I always thought that was the coolest thing. To know I got all my stuff from the mall. I still remember the dark blue guess jeans I HAD to have and I spent way to much money to have them.

Even when I went back to school some things never changed. I was never really popular ( I KNOW... SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!) I had friends and I had some really great friends. I loved my high school group of friends and I adored my best friend Stephanie. ( who is due to have another sweet boy SOON!)

There were some kids that were teased HORRIBLY. Most of them had things "wrong" with them. One that I remember was teased to the point of cruel was John. I am pretty sure John passed away after high school. No one really knows for sure. But some mean stuff was done.

Last night I was watching the bachelor pad and the challenge was plain out CRUEL. They were throwing eggs at the people who they thought were the ugliest. It kind of made my skin crawl.

Add that to the man that decapitate his sons head and left it outside for the mom to find so she would " feel stupid" it really got my tears flowing. The little boy was mutilated. He also had cerebral palsy and his dad was "tired" of taking care of him.

I do not know what the future holds for us. But I am sending my sweet baby off to school. He is not " normal" by outside standards. He is "normal" for us. But he struggles. He has childish games he likes to play. He doesn't pretend play with others. He doesn't understand guns and war and Indians. Or start wars and start troopers. But he wants to belong. He wants to have friends. He wants to have other people be around him because he is him.

I guess I am asking if you are sending your kids off to school, teach them that there is different and that different isn't bad. That they have great things about them. To find the good and not the bad.

House sick?

I think we are all sick. SICK of the four walls of our house!! It is SO true. I can't find the good key to the jeep ( we are on a quest tomorrow!) but we are in DESPERATE need to get out.

The break has been great. I have LOVED having Dallas home. Our house was filled to the brim many weekends and I loved it. Now that it is all dying down I need a plan. I need to get organized, get the house spic and span, rest and relax and grow a BABY!

Ty is in desperate need to have routine and school again. It gets really boring with mom and dad. Especially when mom and dad have been as productive and MUD PIE! We try but really with both of us home we can share the duty of Ty as a crappy sleeper and me as a morning sickness, need to take a napper!

So tomorrow, we will start the day off lazy and clean a little here and there, probably enjoy some puking time and the afternoon. We are OFF. Time for an adventure.

When is enough enough?

When we made our surgery appointment and it ended up being rescheduled it really threw our therapy pretty much out the window. We had been up in Salt Lake once a week for the past year. We get all of our therapy at Shriner's because our insurance will not cover therapy services for Tyler. ( The reason: He has a life long condition that won't be "cured") The therapy makes him way more functional so we go.

Therapy at Shriner's is intense. It lasts for a better part of the day. Ty is physically exhausted, he is mentally exhausted and he is frustrated. I am tired, and I get to listen to all the ailments that plague Tyler by ways of his screaming and anger.

After the mess up with the casting we were behind schedule and had on way to fix it since Shriner's is booked. We had all his stuff set up for the correct surgery and nothing for the pushed back so we had to cancel. We then missed the month sign up for July.

So we took the month of July off. In the month we took off Ty is talking. A LOT! I can't wait to take him back to his therapist and have her hear the words we are hearing. I can't wait to get him in to get some physical therapy after his shots. It Sure seems less productive when we haven't had casts but he is still much looser.

So, in August we go up once that month and then start our weekly treks again starting in September. Just in time to get him into school and a routine established.

When is enough enough? When no one wants to do it any more. And as long as that doesn't want to do it any more doesn't last too long. Remember, we are their advocate and it is their life. Yes, it changes OUR life but we do it to make their life better.

So take a break, take a step back. Enjoy the ride for a minute. Take a deep breathe and FILL UP THOSE appointments.

A trip to the Grocery store

The other day on my "FTYM" days ( fake it till you make it) we headed out to McDonald's and then went to the grocery store. We didn't go to the typical grocery store ( aka Walmart) we needed a better quality meat and a leg of lamb. So we headed to Macey's.

( In case you were wondering I ♥ Macey's)

So we got as we got there I decided to REALLY turn it educational for the Toot!

We started at the meat case.

He saw the full trout. I told him what it was, showed him the sign and he said " ISH."

I told him that he was right it was "F...ish" and proceeded to tell him that we EAT and CATCH fish. Gotta teach him the truth right!

Next up!

I asked him what a Cow said. He said "MOO" in his really low voice and I clapped and Said " YES! A cow. The red stuff is COW! And Cow is YUMMY."

He proceeded to say "good" by his good noise and I realized there were people next to us!

We moved on to the Lamb.

You guessed it. We sang Mary had a little Lamb and Ty said " Baa" and I said YES!!

And proceeded to have him put the Lamb in the cart and said we were having Mary's lamb for dinner!

We went through the store and we found a butterfly net. He was TRYING so hard to catch the butterflies that just happened to be only visible to the blind kid! He LOVED it.

Next up we went to the produce section. The oranges and the fruit smelled SOOOO Good. He was walking up to EVERYTHING and putting his face right next and I would tell him what it was.

The Produce dude was a little older and asked me if he had a vision problem, to which I answered yes.

He asked us to stay there for a minute and he came back with an open Orange, Mango, tangerine and plum and a few other random fruits.

Tyler LOVED it. He smelled them and licked them and the man was SO amazing with him. He loved it and loved all the fruit and smiled and shook the man's hand.

Sorry about the quality. They were taken on my phone.

I think Macey's fruit man did a wonderful job of making my kids trip to the grocery store the BEST EVER!

Did I mention I ♥ Macey's!?

Back to Routine

I am so excited to get back to a routine tomorrow. Ty is going back to school. I want to be one of those moms where I love them home all the time but frankly I LOVE him home with me all the time but he gets so bored and really really need the interaction with the other kids. His socially awkward behavior is even worse when he has me FULL time.

Tonight I had my sisters kids over and he was SO tired after all of our activities today that he couldn't handle the stimulation with the other kids. He needs the routine of the other kids.

Today was a good day though and I am sure it was the end result of why we had a few meltdowns. Ty's therapist had a baby so the therapy was canceled so we took a mental health day and we went to the swimming pool. We got there about 10:30 and we didn't leave until almost 1. He was starving and had a food meltdown and then a meltdown for about an hour when we got home. Once he got into a movie I was able to get him to stay un meltdown for a while.

I have been trying to not get upset or angry at him for anything, keeping in mind that it isn't his fault he can't communicate with me. Stepping back and taking a deep breathe and going back into asking him all the things I can to figure out what is wrong.

So back to the grind of heading to school and back to the grind... housework, book, movies and loves..... what a life!

IEP's

Individualized Education Plan. That is what IEP stands for. If you google it you might find answers that involved a * small* amount of anxiety for a parent. As one site says that IEP's are "rarely" pleasant. Makes you want to sign up and get one huh!

We had Tyler's annual IEP for school on Wednesday. I can honestly say it wasn't so bad. It definitely wasn't the most pleasant thing but it was better than the flu shot or the flu!

Dallas went with me and we met in the office with a lady from the district, the speech lady, OT, Vision and another lady. I don't remember what the other lady was nor what she did but frankly I kinda didn't like her much .

Though the goals are pretty straight forward and I think he is already meeting some of them and or WILL met them pretty quick it was nice to hear that he is participating in class. It is also funny to hear them try to nicely put that he is stubborn and if it is hard for him he will " try" it once and then say he is done. Or that unless it is his idea he doesn't want to do it.

It was nice to feel like when I had a concern it was valid and it was listened to. Except by the lady that I didn't like much. ( I think we name her Helga!)

Some goals we will be trying to reach in speech include using pecs, signs and sounds and to get him to verbalize as much as possible AND to sign and pecs several words together. PECS is a picture exchange system. While we have tried PECS in the past what tends to happen is he uses the picture, finds a gesture that will work or a modified sign and then the PEC gets thrown out the window. Which is technically the order of things but we need him to get the signs down and not just approximations. BUT they are coming.

One thing we suggested was really focusing on the SOUNDS that the letters make. And we have really been working on them at home as well. If we can get first sounds then maybe soon we can get first sounds and follow with second sound.

OT really wants to work on some vertical lines, circles and stringing beads and cutting. Apparently he can cut with modified scissors and cut using big fat kid scissors so we are on the right track. they weren't sure he knew how to identify objects, like circles, triangles etc. That is when we were able to explain that he can identify things like hearts, diamonds, squares, circles, triangles etc. which is awesome since he can't say them. and apparently draw them

Vision is trying to increase what they do know he has and get him more acclimated to school and his surrounds. Helga kept pipping in and saying that Ty should use canes and crutches to better get around .I told her we had a walker but he chooses not to use it. It is OFFERED to him every day as a way for him to get around. He stands at it and says no no and pushes it back against the wall. I explained nicely to Helga but she didn't want to listen so I stopped trying to get her to listen.

We brain stormed ideas and ways to get Tyler motivated to do certain things. They were enthralled at Tyler book collection that is found in my bag and was pleasantly surprised that he can do and tell you so many more things than first anticipated.

Over all a few sentences and suggestions were made, and a suggestion to the nice bus lady to please stop pulling my kids arms out of his socket and allow him the same respect as typical kids to walk up the stairs and get help on the seat.

Ty is going to do well in school this year. I can feel it. Dallas and I are always asking him to say letter sounds and repeat things. Sometimes we get no but mostly we get trying. It is going to be a year of very involved parenting, very involved CP docs, teachers, therapist and mostly we need a very involved extended family to help us.

I guess that is my plea with the IEP , Extended family PLEASE come and help us get him up to where he is suppose to be. Help us teach you what he does, how he can communicate, get him communicating with you and so YOU understand and HE understands. PLEASE

Tyler's first school pictures

We got Tyler's very first school pictures today. What do I think of them? Well there is a story behind the photo. Here it is.

His pictures were taken the DAY OF his shunt malfunction. His Dad nicely let me sleep in that day and his dad had to take care of the outfit and the shoes. Ty was not overly happy that day and the shoes are ones he doesn't like. And that isn't the outfit I would have put him in for pictures but I didn't think about it since I wasn't feeling so well. So this is Tyler. He is still super cute. Hope you enjoy.