The scene above has been common in the Russell house for the past several weeks.  first it was a nasty cold that wouldn’t let anyone go, then I managed to contract a rather serious infection that dropped me like a rock for a full week and a half.  As it stands now the entire house is in catch up mode, from laundry to dusting.  Nobody has had the energy to do it.

It hasn’t just been me who’s been under the weather.  All three boys have been sick at one time or another.  If not they were all sick at once, which makes for a really fun day when you’re a father who’s already feeling like he’s taken a bullet to the leg that’s gotten infected.

Through it all I’ve managed to keep the basics of the house running.  Kids have gone to school, done homework, eaten the best dinners I could give them even though I spent a week sleeping the better part of 18 hours per day.  In short, i soldiered on, but the bulk of the housework suffered.

In that time our lil’ guy has begun speaking more and more.  he’s forming sentences and opinions of his own and, like all three year olds, is pushing for a bit of independence.  It’s life as usual, except that the kid that never spoke is now just the kid that doesn’t speak very well.

As far as his school goes, he’s doing very well.  He’s begun to take an interest in potty training as well, which thrills both me and my wallet.

As for the oldest boy… well, I have my hands full there, but that’s the subject of another post entirely, because honestly I could use some parenting pointers on that one.

Back o the youngest and his school reports.  I’m woefully behind on those, and since his other very much looks forward to them, I’m going to run them down in order here just to get caught up.  he really has made some huge strides over the past few weeks!

2-11-10: Great Day.  got right back into the routine of things.  He told a staff he had to go potty (gave a toilet picture to her). She took him in the bathroom and he sat on the oilet a long time and tried to go.  hopefully toilet training will be soon.

note: he’s been trying on-and-off at home, too

2-12-10: Good day. we’re working hard on getting him to play with peers.

note: Strange that it’s difficult for them there.  He plays fine with all the neighborhood kids, especially the older ones.

2-16-10: great morning. He said “Happy, happy, happy”.  i said, “Are you happy?” He answered back, “happy, I’m happy.”

2-17-10: Head strong today.  Everything was “No.” After short time delays he would do what he needed to do.

2-18-10: Still a few “no’s” but better today.  He talks all the time and verbally communicates with us very well.

note: this is nice-teacher talk for “never shuts up”.  Not that we’re complaining!

2-19-10: Good morning.  Started with “no’s” this afternoon. He looked tired during music time.  He does all the hand motions to the songs.

note: he fell asleep shortly after getting home that day… Hence the photo above.

2-22-10: Great day.  he followed directions very well. he is starting to show more interest in his peers.

note: He was a complete pain in the ass when he got home that day…  Must have used up all his great day vibes at school…

2-23-10: Very much into art today.  He requested dot art, markers, coloring books, gluing. We need more diapers for him.

2-24-10: Great day. Talked all day nonstop.

And I’m surprised by this because…

2-25-10: Loves helping to set up the individual scheduled the students have. He is very visual and will follow the schedule indepenently.

Yep.  loves helping around the house, too.  Especially if it means he has the chance to mess with the trash!

1-26-10: Very good mood.  Still working hard to get him to interact with other students.

I hope they do better with him and his classmates, but he was in a great mood this afternoon, communicated well, then fell asleep at 4:30.  he’s currently sleeping peacefully and I have no intention of waking him.

He’s just too cute when he’s sleeping!

Peace. I’m out.

The past few weeks have been hectic and a little dizzying.  Lil’ B. has been picking up language skills at a staggering rate, which at times is a bit overwhelming.  I’m just not used to him walking into a room, looking straight at me and saying “want pop-tart!”  It’s a 12 on the amaze-o-meter, but disorienting because he asks for a lot of things.

School is going well too.  He’s very much enjoyed the fact that the sun has finally broken through the dismal shadow of the Frankenstorm that has been plaguing Northern California for the past two weeks.  I know that the sun is definitely making me feel better.

The morning greeted us with crisp clear skies and just a bit of frost.  A perfect day for a light sweatshirt rather than a heavy jacket.  Lil’ B. boarded the bus with his usual enthusiasm and the day was off.

The report from school ws encouraging as well:

He was happy we got to play outside.  We were working hard on him pedaling the tricycle.  He wanted to spend the whole time on the bike.

Next thing you know he’ll be wearing a biker jacket and belting out “Born to be wild”.

Wouldn’t that be something!

Peace. I’m out.

I spend a lot of time writing about how well Lil’ B. does at school and at home here on this little slice of the web. I think a lot of why I focus on the positives is because that’s what both the school and I focus on the most.  That doesn’t mean that llife with an Autistic three year-old is always fun and games, or that every day is better than the last.

Yesterday was one of the not-so-great-days; both at school and at home:

Hard time sitting still at circle today. Said “no” a lot. He diffidently knew what he liked and didn’t like today.

This was followed by an extremely tired child returning home from school with a chip on his shoulder and a tantrum at the ready for any situation.  A nap would have solved the issue, but Lil’ B. hasn’t napped unless he’s sick since he was just past 2 years old.

Add a new overnight guest to the mix and it was a rather hectic evening right up until bedtime, at which time he was asleep within minutes and a sort of blissful dimming in the chaos of the day presented itself. (Not that is was quiet, there were still three boys in the house.)

As the title suggests, much of the little guys issues yesterday were due in a large part to a stubborn streak as large and unforgiving as a tsunami.  He comes by that stubbornness honestly.  Both his mother and I are just as stubborn, a trait I consider a positive if used properly but rarely a plus if used in the wrong way or at the wrong time. I’m sure he’ll learn to master this trait eventually but yesterday was just one of those “not so great” days.

This morning he’s a perfect angel.  I think he was just overtired.

Peace. I’m out.

I really like the fact that the school sends a daily update of Lil’ B’s progress.  It helps me figure out what the rest of the day is going to be like… At least usually.  If I get a note like the one I got today it usually spells a pretty good afternoon:

Another Great Day. He helps me at circle and music time.  He likes doing the weather.

Most days that would spell a great homecoming.  Today is not quite one of those days.  Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective, but to me Lil’ B. seems crankier than usual today and a bit prone to throwing a fit at the drop of a hat.  I think he’s just overtired, but I can’t prove that theory until after dinner and bed time.

On the plus side, he’s advancing in language skills very rapidly.  when we first heard that he was probably autistic we were warned that he might never speak, but he’s proving the doctors wrong all across the board on that one.  With any luck we’re dealing with an extremely delayed child that will be a very close approximation of normal (whatever that is) by the time he’s in High School.

That’s my hope at least, but then it’s my job to dream big, isn’t it.

For today; Peace. I’m out.

I’ve spent the past few days in the middle of a programming nightmare.  As such I haven’t had as much time as I would like to post here, so let’s do a bit of a recap for the past few days.

The note from the school on Wednesday was one of those that makes me chuckle a bit.  It’s always interesting to hear someone else react to something you’ve already seen or heard, and this is no exception:

Said his name today for the first time. His spontaneous speech has greatly improved.  He is doing such a great job

You see, Lil’ B. constantly says his own name at home. Generally in the same way that his father says it when angry, including all four names with proper inflection.  At other times he just uses his first name, but generally followed by “Noooo!”  He learns well from example, my boy.

I’m extremely thankful that he’s beginning to act more like himself in class and that he’s comfortable enough to say his own name around his teachers and peers.  It shows progress and progress is something I’m always a proponent of.

Today’s message was another one that i could have told them had they asked:

Great day. He loves being a helper. He’ll help both adults and other students.

yep.  he’s my official trash can lid opener, cup picker-upper and trash collector.  he’ll help put away his coat and shoes, happily help put the milk back in the fridge and any other task he can grasp.  He’s just that way.  I’ve known this for years.  Now someone else appreciates it.  It’s a good feeling.

For now everyone, my head is over-full from a day of code gone wrong.  time to veg in front of bad television.

Peace. I’m out.

Kiddo is still doing great.  Spent a lot of time building LEGO’s with his older brother yesterday.  I’d done a nine-hour stint in front of this box and had had just about enough, so I’ll keep it short this morning…

Did great doing his work – he loves doing the centers and keeping busy with toys

And that’s all I’ve got for right this minute.

Peace. I’m out.

There have been troubles in school this week.  Lil’ B. has fallen, gotten scraped, been bitten and had a perpetual cough that he can’t shake.  There have been mornings when he didn’t want to go to school until he saw his bus.  There have been a few tantrums too, all part and parcel of a three year-old’s life.

Today was a very good day for him though:

Great day. Very engaged with staff and watched the other kids intently. A lot of imitating what others were doing. (Smiley Face)

A lot of this mirrors what I’ve already seen at home.  Lil’ B. has been doing a lot of imitating.  He has also begun to initiate interactions with his brothers, myself and the dog. (I was worried about the last part, he missed our last dog terribly and I was afraid he would not get close to the new one.)

He’s doing his best to ask for what he wants and pointing when the words fail him.  He’s been doing consistently better with these things and others.  He sings songs, sings TV intro tunes, knows the names of characters in his brothers’ favorite shows. In short, he’s slowly but steadily putting chips and cracks in the glass bubble that’s held him inside himself for his entire life.

I’m incredibly proud of the little guy.  His efforts inspire me to to more myself, to push harder when things get difficult and to strive to break out of the habits I’ve formed over a lifetime.  He inspires his brothers, his friends and everyone he meets.

I could go on of course, I’m his father after all.  But I’m sure that I’m not the only father that has ever stood where I stand now, nor will I be the last for at least a while.

I’d love to hear the stories those parents have as well, so if any of you are listening out there in the bit streams that form up the Internet, chime in.  My sons story is no more important than the stories that you have to share.

Peace. I’m out.

Every child can have a bad day.  Every Autistic child is still just a child, so bad days happen.  In the case of a kid that can’t express themselves in other ways but screaming and throwing things a bad day can be worse than it would be with a non-spectrum child at the same age, but in the end a bad day is a bad day and as a parent you just have to accept it and deal with it appropriately.

but a bad day in a room full of children with various challenges is a different issue altogether.  In that situation just one child having a bad day can affect others in far more tangible ways than it would in a room full of otherwise “normal” (I hate that term, btw…  Normal is a perception, not a reality), kids.  today was one of those days.

Oh, it wasn’t Lil’B. that was having the bad day.  At least it wasn’t today, though I’m sure that will happen.  It was one of his classmates. The packet today contained the following note:

He got bit on the hand (Insert frown-face emoticon here) It was about sharing a toy. We re working hard on trying to get him to say “No” when a student gets in his space. He fell when he got off the bus and scraped up his forehead. (insert another frown-face emoticon here)

Some kids bite.  I get that.  I’m not angry about it.  Most of the kids in my son’s class are also very young.  All are challenged in some way. These things happen.

There aren’t any marks from the bite and only a tiny scrape on his head from his stumble. He’s fine.  In-fact, he’s currently laughing his head off on the living room floor while busily playing with the dog. No worries.

The issue as I see it is that my son is far too giving in some situations.  He doesn’t understand personal boundaries, even his own.  for hi they don’t exist.  If they did he might not have been bitten at all, because he would have understood that the other child was getting too close, or that there was a possibility of conflict.  Lil’ B. doesn’t understand any of these concepts yet, but he will some day.

For now I’m glad that he’s learning, and that most days are closer to perfect than not. As long as that trend continues, I’ll be content.

Peace. I’m out

It was a worry.  There is always a worry when kids, especially young kids go back to school after a long break.  worries that they will have forgotten how to behave.  Worries that they won’t want to go at all.  Worries of fits, tantrums or long, drawn-out fits.

News from the school today:

Great day. got right back into the routine without any problems. Followed directions very well.

I shouldn’t have worried.  Lil’ B., you’re doing just fine.  I’m proud of you.

Peace. I’m out.

It’s been forever since I managed to find time to update here. What with getting ready to move to California and the associated house hunt, all the paperwork that the Military needs us to have completed and the meetings associated with said paperwork and making sure that Lil’ B. still has his sessions with the therapists at the proper times, the thought of blogging is more than just a little overwhelming.

Now I find myself in the middle of about 20 projects, all in varying states of half-done. There are several eBooks in the works, two websites I need to have completed ASAP. materials I should have had rewritten and posted on several of my sites and building excitement/tensions in our home. All of these things make for a less than productive day on my part. It’s not an excuse, just the reality of the situation.

I’m happy to say that Lil’ B. is taking all of this much better than either his mother or I have been. he has been exceeding expectations in therapy for the past three weeks and now has little difficulty with puzzles that used to be major stumbling blocks in his day. some of the simpler toys have been taken out of his therapy regimen. they bored him and have been replaced with more challenging activities.

His vocabulary is growing slowly. “No” is now a common sound in our home, as is “out” and “go”. He’s relating to things in new ways and following directions very well (when he’s not being a rebellious 2 year old, that is.) Just a moment ago I heard him happily follow the directions given by his “Go Diego go” video. (something I recommend to anyone at this point!) he’s doing wonderfully, and we’re trying to keep things normal.

With any luck I’ll be able to post a bit more often over the next two weeks. After that the craziness sets in.

Peace, I’m out.