He was ready to get outside and wait for the bus. He was talking about all his days ahead but he felt calmer when I told him to focus on today. When he repeats himself I ask him if he knows the answer and if he does to hold onto it because it hasn’t changed. I talked to him about how his mind is amazing and he can get through. I’m hoping to create a calm in the chaos that we are both experiencing.
My pink shoes and pink hat for a long time were not something he wanted me to ever wear but now it’s pure joy and he asks me all the time to wear them. I don’t want it to be another habit or routine we have to break so I don’t wear them often even though the shoes are my favorite.
When we went out to wait for the bus he stopped in front of me and bent over to look at my pink shoes. I don’t exactly stop quickly on my feet and there is no explaining to him that he can’t just stop in front of someone who is walking. He thinks it is hilarious when he stops and I’m not sure what it is that fascinates him about looking at my shoes when I’m walking. He used to do this when he was younger when I would wear different slippers and it is now starting again.
I am trying to get him to work on hand-eye coordination so I am teaching him new exercises. I showed him how to give me five and then point to the sky. I wanted him to look up and say, “Like a rocket ship.” This is a process for him. He has been able to give me five and he can point to the sky but the steps to add them together are hard for him. And then to add the words in will take some time but he will get it.
Every noise is a noise. Right now the heater noise is what we have but he pointed to the air conditioner and said, “No noise today.” The air conditioner is right outside his window and it’s one of the many noises that bothers him. So it’s wintertime but he is concerned about the air conditioner.
When I picked Owen up from school my pink shoes got him again. I told him that if he wanted to we could go to the swimming pool tomorrow. He said no at first but then realized what I was saying. He is now on board to go tomorrow.
He did great at therapy they said. His therapist said he was focused on her clothes but did some exercises that he hadn’t been able to do before. He asked me about going to the pool tomorrow.
We went by the burger boy after his therapy. He was so happy but there was trash everywhere. He wanted to pick it up. There were blue pants on the ground. It’s sad that so many people live out on the streets. I asked him if he wanted a pizza and he said no. I asked a couple of times. We got home and he said he wanted one. I said not unless he wanted to eat it there. He does this a lot when he can’t process or if he wants to get a reaction from me.
When we got home I started fixing his dinner. He was screaming at me about when he was going to the pool. It is so hard to know what to tell him and when to tell him about doing different activities. I told him that we do not scream at people and if he stands at my nose again and screams he will not be going to the pool tomorrow. He quickly changed to talking about wearing his “blue swim trunks.”
He came right back to stand next to me and as he opened his mouth I said you can scream at me and not get to go tomorrow or you can walk away. He actually walked away. This went on several more times.
Bedtime was a rollercoaster but he finally went to his room and was asleep in no time. We learn, we love, we grow, and not necessarily always in that order. He’s making incredible progress and I pray the screaming can make its way out of lives. He has a hard time processing if I don’t answer the same question literally a hundred times. Tomorrow will be a good day. I know it will. Life is what you make it so let’s make it grand. Smiles to all and donut daze!