Off on an adventure

We're heading to the Red River Gorge & Natural Bridge in the morning..... a first try at camping with 3 kids. If 2 days is fun, we may try another trip later this fall. I have Raha sufficiently terrified about behaving correctly after last week's headache at Mamoth Cave so hopefully it will be a good trip.

OT with Jane

Our last session at home for a few weeks - Jane is going to go to Aaron at daycare. Today's theme is "sticky" ..... trying to get him to experiment with that texture & sensation.

• This may be one of the more entertaining things I've seen.....hammering golf tees into a styrofoam cooler. Luke was very happy to help. Big goal is the joint compression from hammering or pushing, but also eye-hand coordination & the low frequency sound.
• Jane talked about setting up a ritual for dropping Aaron off at daycare in the morning. (Maybe also get a vibrating toothbrush for daycare)
• Cutting practice - spring loaded scissors from Dollar Tree, and cutting strips of construction paper - strips are good for the satisfaction of watching the pieces fall off - then use a glue stick to attach them to paper. Also adding foam stickers.
• Syrup on a plate - dragging the z-vibe through it, and to our surprise he rubbed the z-vibe on his arm and chin as well as tasting it. He had a wet washcloth available for clean-up as he needed it. He dipped poptart pieces into the syrup, and eventually drew cirles with his fingers and sucked on his fingers.
• Jane will do his next appointment at daycare on Tuesday during their gym time and lunch.

Dinosaurs & Train Dreams

Luke woke up this morning and the first words he said were, "I need to go draw." He's making amazing dino drawings, mostly of a T'rex & anklysaraus in battle. I'll scan one in later today. Lots of armor detail, scary teeth, and even bloody bites.

Aaron is having lots of dreams, which are obvious to me because he wakes me up by talking in his sleep. Sometimes they are nightmeres, "Aaron falling down, down, down!" but he's also dreaming about his favorite Thomas the Tank Engine movie, "Diesel scare Thomas! Diesel bad guy. Percy, Thomas....."

Sunday's Adventure

Today we took a trip to Mamoth Cave at Becky's suggestion. It was wonderful trip and the caves are beautiful. The boys were hard work sometimes (Aaron high maintenence, Raha obnoxious) but did really well walking through the caves. Aaron insisted on walking down 300 steps by himself, with me walking backwards to protect him from himself. After a few minutes when I carried him, he fell deeply asleep and I ended up lugging a heavy, sweet, sleeping toddler for the next half hour walking back out of the cave.

The next stop was Dinosaur World, an expensive tourist trap with a few easy activities for the boys. The boys dug for bones and fossils, and saw some cool life-size dinosaur replicas.

Misc, out of date!

I've taken lots of photos in the last couple of weeks that I've been really slow to post! Here are a few new photos and quick captions.....bed is calling.

Aaron kicked out of an interactive Egypt exhibit at the Indianapolis Science Center, but he's happy to drip cars on a pharoh face.
Luke excavating a dino bone at the Indy Science Center.

Luke ready to dive in at the Louisville Finals for swimming. His group of 6 and under boys took 6th in the 100 meter relay.

Aaron making music with eggplants at the Louisville Center's Wild Music exhibit.

Luke as "Industrial Man," his invented character from a Super Hero camp at the Oldham County Arts Center.

Luke's bad summer camp

Luke is at the Louisville Science Center for a dinosaur camp this week. I am deeply disappointed - It's a really expensive coloring book camp. I've talked to the summer camp director twice. Unfortunately, I wasn't joking about the coloring pages - printed off the Internet, today with a bonus word search. The dinosaur info is very basic so he hasn't learned anything new in the last 3 days. I expected interactive activities and more sophistication, but it's been dull arts & crafts with a dino theme. He learned a lot more in Indianapolis with the ca omputer simulation of dino body construction and their wonderful exhibits.

What a mess. I'll keep monitoring, but I will write a formal complaint to the Executive Director and Education Director of the museum. A friend of mine suggested that we could put together a fantastic dinosaur camp, but I don't think my schedule has a good T-Rex-size gap.

Potty Guy

At the Indianapolis Science Center (amazing!!!), they have family restrooms with toddler size toilets. When I took Aaron in to change his diaper he seemed curious about the toilet so I asked him if he wanted to try it out. His immediate response was, "I can't do it. I too little."

Last night at dinner he announced, "Big potty I fall in."

Fortunately his daycare potty trains but he may be 6 before the deed is done.

Music Night at the Science Center

Tonight the Science Center had a Wild Music Night...our kids were happy to participate. They're playing with Tracey and her kiddos Sammy and Fifi. The musician Greg had an amazing variety of instruments made from things you can find at Home Depot, and by chance he'd taught Raha in a camp a couple of weeks ago. Very nice man, and the kids loved working with him to make LOTS of noise!

Qualifier Swim Meet

Luke's relay is slooooooow, but they qualified for the championship meet on Saturday.

Managing Luke

Yesterday Luke had 3 big, nasty tantrums. In all of them, he wanted to play on the Wii rather than go to his activities (swimming & gymnastics). His gymnastics coach was wonderful - talked to me about prepping Luke for transitions and really building his confidence. He's been going to an extra class each week that is with older boys at higher levels, and he didn't understand why he was there, and kept saying, "But it's not my team?!" We talked to him about it being a big compliment to be invited to a higher level class. Tonight at practice he was amazing - on the rings he supported himself with his hands in a pull-up position with his legs parallel to the floor for nearly a minute.

Today he had his first piano lesson. He told us that he wouldn't like it. I used Coach Doug's suggestions for gymnastics, and had a long conversation with him that started with, "Guys who are good with numbers are usually really good with music...." He loved the teacher, loves the idea of getting stickers for practice, and said that he wants to take lessons. Yippee! Rich was very enthusiastic about the teacher as well.

Luke has been my easy kid for the last couple of years, but it seems like now as he's getting more independent we also have to communicate more deliberately. He's such a remarkable kid.

• If you do backbends over a stability ball, you can pick up puzzle pieces AND get great tummy work!
• Forward somersault over the stability ball
• 3 foot horizontal figure 8 on a big piece of craft paper - drive a car over it with left hand 3 times, with right hand 3 times, then two cars to use both hands 3 times
• Criss-cross knee tap sitting on the stability ball - crossing hands diagonally over the body to connect the two sides of the brain. Sitting on adult lap (brought book to borrow "Brain Gym" by Dennison)
• Long strokes on arms & legs, U-shape on back - tactile defensiveness & deep pressure with this amazing plastic brush
• Lots of swinging & crashing into Jane, or stability ball, or fly onto chair
• Party favors - blow outs - sustained or fast breathes
• z-vibe - looks like a hard rubber toothbrush with a high frequency vibration - push on tounge or bite on it - he REALLY likes this - Jane says to get a vibrating toothbrush
• Crayola Sudsy-Mudsy - foaming mud soap, plus shaving cream, plus paint brush
• Ate with Jane (missed morning snack - very hungry!) mac & cheese, watermelon, & apple sauce - trying to convince him to try to switch hand position on the silverware. She noted that he's craving lots of sucking on z-vibe and on spoon with applesauce. Recommended lots of straw drinks that are thicker like smoothies. Freezer stick popsicles. She also brought silverware with a molded handles and a shape at top to help transition to a more mature hand position. She also recommended begining to more heavily spicing food for him (like adding cinnamon to applesauce, try dipping in ranch dressing, salsa, hummus, drizzle vinager or pickle juice on meats, dried fruits and chewy breads for resistance in chewing)

Luke & more science fun

Today we flew paper airplanes & measured how far they went, then found the median distance. A couple of days ago he decided that we needed to see what would dissolve in water. He is SOOOO much fun!

Super Hero

It's Industrial Man!!!

Luke went to a Super Hero Camp at the Oldham County Arts Center - He had a wonderful time and designed his own hero with all his gear.

Plant vs. Toddler

Quiet Box

I'm getting ready to go to a 2 day PD (Cognitive Coaching), so I put together a box of quiet, settling activities for Aaron:

*pipe cleaners & pony beads
*play dough & tools
*dinosaur lacing cards
*pom-poms with straws and tongs
*feathers & straws
*piggy bank and coins
*texture plates, paper, and special pencils

I also put in a stretchy headband and exercise bands for more active play with resistance. He's really on a puzzle kick right now - of course the puzzle he loves is an alphabet train missing 2 pieces which frustrates him. This morning we did some swinging and train in the stretchy fabric, but he wasn't in the mood for the peanut stability ball and I couldn't talk him into letting me turn him into a yoga matt burrito.

All of the OT work has been wonderful for giving me more ideas of how to play with him, and he's a much more pleasant child now.

Swim meet at Copperfield on Monday

Great location, playground attached to pool so kids very happy.

Luke's relay - his goggles fell off, therefore his brain fell out
Luke 25m. freestyle - 1:05.99 PR! swam with good form half way then fell off the wagon
Raha 50 m. freestyle - 54.13 PR! form so improved
Raha 50 m. backstroke - bad comedy with the goggles - tried to hold them in his mouth then in his hand - the secret to not bobbing up and down is good shoulder rotation, says Coach Cy
Raha 50 m. breaststroke - DQ
Raha 50 m. butterfly - 1:14.48

Football

again. There's a new coach who seems much more attentive & organized, so the kids are constantly working. A friend from swimming is helping coach so I have an easy way to check up on Raha, and the report from today is that he's working really well & getting good feedback from the coach.

New ?

"Doin' Dad?" or whoever else.... Rich answered & asked Aaron what he was doing, and Aaron said, "Aaron eating!" He refers to himself by name all the time.

OT with Jane

Will add photos when I'm on the other computer!

• Moon Sand (SpinMaster is the manufacturer) - weird stuff - looks like sand, but feels damp and can clump together. Dig and drive trucks in it for a more resistant surface, or squish it
• Swinging in the stretchy with 2 people, then spinning in circles with one person - helicopter
• Oval stability ball - have him lay on his back and roll it up and down his body - vary pressure, and also do the same thing laying on his tummy. This looks like an amazing massage
• Stretchy fabric with an Aaron train- head against the knot, facing his engine person. He's covering and uncovering his face and saying "Cocoon, Butterfly." He really likes this today, and it wasn't something he wanted before
• Heavy ball - bowling, including backwards through his legs
• Rolling and pushing - push Aaron's knees to his chest, then he pushes his feet back against her chest
• Texture plates for coloring, plus a new way to pick up a pencil to help him move away from the fist grip

Greenhill Therapy Center for after 3 , when he is too old for First Steps services - he'll continue with Jane, including using therapy horses! Jane says that this is wonderful for core strength & proprioceptive awareness.

Bat adventure

This odd picture is a bird's eye view of a bat in Aaron's little blue wagon, snuggled under a heated towel. We came home from picking up Raha from football practice and he noticed a little critter in the wagon. On first glance we thought it was dead, but then realized it was a tiny baby bat. After LOTS of phone calls and a panic over how to keep the little guy warm (happy and wiggly with hot lentils wrapped in a towel) I found a wildlife rescue organization who, 1. answered the phone after business hours and 2. immediately offered to come pick up the baby if we could meet them at the Shively Animal Clinic where they had another animal waiting. After looking at pictures of bats in KY, I think it is a common brown bat, especially because they have babies in mid-June and this one didn't look old enough to fly. We'll call tomorrow and keep our fingers crossed that baby bat makes it.

Occupational therapy today with Jane

Today's ideas & activities:

• On an oblong shaped stability ball - lay across it on his tummy and do a puzzle that's on the floor, or straddle sit and do a puzzle on a low chair (reach down to floor to pick up pieces) - both give more deep muscle stimulation, balance, and squeezing with his legs. Jane also held piece to either side so that Aaron had to reach & balance to get them. When he finds a piece correctly or isn't sure about a position he says, "A dis goes!" or "A dis goes?"



• 2 person swinging in the big stretchy fabric, with occasional crashes into the stability ball plus singing songs. Tight wrapping "like a hot dog." Hold the fabic tight on all four corners on the floor and Aaron crawls around underneath - tickle, identify body parts, do with both boys - leads to very crazy hair! More whole-body pressure plus pretend play.
  
  
• Blowing with straws - put feathers in the end of a straw and blow out - maybe aim feathers at a target like a bowl. Very challenging with crazy straws.


• Stringing beads and cardboard lacing shapes (also suggested putting pennies in a piggy bank) - coordinative bilateral hand movements, plus soothing & repetitive movements for calming during transitions or to redirect from chaotic play
  
• Chew tube for calming or as an alternative to chewing on non-food items. It's a hollow T shape with texture.



• 6 inch diameter weighted ball (3 or 4 pounds) for general play that required more effort