9.30.2007

Good Leelo Weekend

Good Leelo Weekend

From Leelo's daily record spreadsheet. Some really remarkable language and behavior.
Language

Sat
"I want to go for a ride! I want to ride on the hanger!" (and pretended to ride on the hanger; later did the same with a strip of window flashing.) Also, "I want my medicine, please" during bathtime, which is when he usually get his Claritin.

Sun
Came up to me with a stack of books and said, "Read the books!," which we did. Afterwards, he handed me the stack of books, saying, "Hold the books," and walked away.

Behavior

Sat
Tried to ride his bike! Got on it and tried to pedal/steer; I think he would have succeeded if the bike wasn't too small and rusted. The cool thing about this is that it was an imitation behavior from seeing his older sister riding her bike around the back deck all day long for the past week.

Otherwise he was very good (for me; somewhat non-compliant with Babysitter A). Didn't hit/push me at all until the end of the day.

Sun
Held it together without hitting himself or anyone else during 1) a truly (for Leelo) overwhelming restaurant birthday party and then 2) a wild jumpy-house birthday party at our old house. Very grumpy before then as his dad was away overnight camping and we were out of straws; he kept hitting his head and would not be calmed until we got in the car and took a drive to go get some more straws.
Also he put himself to bed last night. Went into his room at 9 PM, got into his bed, pulled up the covers, said, "Good night, Mommy," and rolled over. I shut the door and didn't hear another peep from him until the next morning -- at 7 AM. He slept for 10 hours, without being sick or on any kind of sleep-aiding medication. A mom could get used to that. I don't remember the last time he slept for more than 8 hours, so this was really a fantastic treat.

9.28.2007

Leelo Language

Leelo Language

I think our boy sort of got a joke yesterday (!):

He was sitting in the car next to Mali. She said, "I'm 'A-a'." I said, "Nice to meet you, 'A-a'." She said, "nice to meet you!"

I then asked Leelo what his name was, and he imitated the entire "A-a" exchange. Surprising enough. Then he giggled and said, "Nooooo!", so I said, "Is "A-a" not really your name? What is your name?" He said, "My name is LEELO!" and started laughing. Wouldn't be entirely surprising for our cheerful, giggly boy to have a sense of humor.

Also, today he was using nodding and head-shaking for non-verbal yes's and no's while using the toilet. If it was a coincidence, it was eerie.

Feeling optimistic at the moment.

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9.27.2007

Lizard Floss

Lizard Floss

I recently took our cat Media to the vet, for the reason that a few days previously I had removed and bagged what appeared to be a worm from her bottom. (It actually looked like a wiggling grain of basmati rice, which is why when we were out for a rowdy though enjoyable dinner with my friend Wombat that evening, and he asked me--between Iz's continuous queries to him about rotary vs. piston engines and his Prius and his iPhone, the latter of which he so generously let all of us paw at--if I'd like some rice, I said "No, thank you.")

The vet immediately identified the specimen as a tapeworm. Which meant two things: 1) I feel really bad about yelling at the cats during the past two weeks and saying things like, "What the fuck is wrong with you? I just fed you! You'd think you all have tapeworms!" and 2) That the people who sold us our new house left us not only with a pool that leaks and whose cover no longer works and with door handles that randomly pull off and door hinges that randomly fall off and windows that go off their tracks unless you only open them halfway and shower shelfs that randomly pull off the wall and bathtubs whose stoppers don't work, but also with a tapeworm-infested cat. Cats get tapeworms from fleas, we've been treating her for fleas ever since she came under our aegis, and the vet confirmed that Media is flea-free. Grrrr. Now all the cats need their stool sampled. Party!

Other than the worms, however, Media is a gloriously healthy cat. I told the vet that our new kitty is a good hunter, and that that's how she survived the week during which we didn't realize she'd become our responsibility. The vet said, "Aha! That explains her good teeth. Hunter cats never have tartar--they keep their teethed flossed with all those yummy little lizards and rats!"

I also told the vet that Media's former owners said they had to leave her behind because she was feral. The vet said, as Media nudged her hand for more scratches-behind-the-ear, "Yes, that explains why I can't hear her heatbeat through all the purring. Feral cats purr too much when people pet them and hold them."

Those former owners are such assholes. I also just found out that they'd offered Media to our neighbor right before they moved away. Jerks.

Sweet kitty, though.

9.25.2007

Autism and Facial Expressions

Autism and Facial Expressions

Supervisor M is putting together facial expressions identification exercises for Leelo. She needed material and my laptop has an integrated camera. Ta-da! Guess what emotion this is supposed to be:

Excerpt From Facial Expression Series for Leelo

Seymour and I finally got around to seeing that House episode about autism. While we thought it was a fairly accurate portrayal of life with an autistic child, there was still much pshawing and yelling at the screen, and outright guffaws at the end when the little boy and House had a "special moment."

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L3v3n Thump5*

L3v3n Thump5* **UPDATED**

Hey Fantasy/Sci Fi/YA lit fans! Ready for some bald-faced, nepotistic promotion and a free book opportunity?

The third book in the L3v3n Thump5 series comes out today. My brother-in-law is involved with the series and asked me to help promote it. Because I love my BIL and want him to succeed, I said no problem.

So, here's the dealie. If you bcc: me on a email telling at least eight of your friends about the new book, I will mail you your own copy of said tome. But this is only good for the first three people, as I bought the books myself at retail and they're only available in hardcover. :) Latecomers will get effusive thanks plus their names dropped into this space.

Thanks!

*No, my BIL doesn't read this blog. Hence the 1337.

Later...

It occurs to me that you might not want me knowing all your friends' email addresses. (Although I'm not the kind of person to take advantage of that scenario. Seriously. You could leave your diary face open on my desk and I wouldn't read it. Unless you put it online and made it public, of course.)

Anyhow, Durr. How about the first three people to promote the book on their blog and notify me about it?

He's Gotta Go!

He's Gotta Go!

Today Leelo held it in the car for ten minutes during the girls' morning school drop off. He was wiggling in his seat and grabbing at his crotch. I asked him if he needed to go to the potty and he said, "Go to the potty!" I continuously encouraged him to hold it until we got to Mali's school and told him he could use the potty there. As soon as we entered her classroom he bolted for the potty. And made it! This is what kids do when they need to go, no?

Very proud today.

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9.24.2007

Projecting

Projecting

OMG, you guys, Jennyalice and I totally started a new blog!

It's true. And it's for three good reasons: Leelo's Special Ed PTA needs money if we're ever going to start making a difference in our community; Iz and her friends are starting to play thorny and hurtful mind games with each other; and I get really fucking depressed if I don't have a project.

This blog is going to help solve all three of those problems--if we can get enough help from our good friends both IRL and in the blogosphere. Here is the beseeching spam email we are sending around:
Hello Friends,

Do you remember how the other kids at school made your life hell? Don't you think that story needs to be told? Please?

We're launching a blog today, called Can I Sit With You? The goal of Can I Sit With You (CISWY) is to share our schoolyard horror stories not only amongst ourselves, but also with the children who are experiencing this special form of social purgatory right now. We want them to know that even though what they're going through sucks, they're not alone.

Any proceeds from Can I Sit With You will go directly to our local, fledgling, underfunded, desperately needed Special Education PTA. To that end, we're going to compile the best selections from this blog into a book, which we will start selling in mid-November 2007.

Of course, if you like, you can always donate directly!

Just remember, by sending your stories to ciswysubmissions@gmail.com, you are agreeing to our submission guidelines.
A more thorough plea for submissions can be found in our launch essay. The most important thing for you to know is that we need stories, lots of stories, and soon. We're going to post our first story October 1st, and hope to publish a new one every day.

Please help! We know that you've got the material, as everyone we've talked to about this project immediately got wild-eyed and started jabbering about "This one time in school..." We really believe that CISWY can harness the energy and synergy of the blogosphere for a whole lot of good. You should also feel free to tell anyone you know about the project.

One last thing: CISWY--out of copyright and fundraising necessity--cites some real world names and information. However, CISWY will never link back to this blog, or reference this blog's pseudonyms. I am trusting that my wish to not to expose Squid Rosenberg's association with CISWY except in this space will be respected.

OMG, you guys! Thanks!

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9.21.2007

Leelo’s Team Meeting 9/19/07

Leelo’s Team Meeting 9/19/07

Home News
Toilet training: accidents 3x per week, including times when Leelo starts pooing and then finishes into toilet. Last few weeks toileting time is shorter, no need for long sessions of reading stories, watching movies. Try casually blocking flusher to prevent serious flushing obsession problems.

Language and social interaction
Leelo playing with Iz in pool: waiting for her so they can count to 3 and jump in together; blew kisses goodbye to Mali; more spontaneous imitation with sisters

Purposeful engagement with toys, activities Leelo is enjoying more games and activities; when he initiates by tapping and calling name, prompt him to request “play with me” and engage him- he doesn’t always really want or need a straw right now.

Schedule use going well at school and in ABA, is very helpful in reducing problem behaviors during transitions, increasing independence; begin at home by November.

School News
Working with Leelo on tapping, independent work stations, picture schedule; staff is learning how to manage straws, prompting breaks during circle, prompting from behind, math 1 to 1 correspondence. New short term sub (Teacher D).

ABA therapy news:
  • Wearing headphones: Has worn them for up to 3 min and 30 sec. Most often still 5 to 10 seconds; try books/stories on tape and CD.
  • Function of objects: Knows toothbrush; working on bed
  • Sorting clothes into drawer: keep sweater and shirt separate (too similar)
  • Making sandwich: work on at kitchen counter; use child-sized containers for PB and J
  • Playdate possibilities: consider structured play with Iz
  • Tapping and calling name: Leelo getting fluent at tapping, doing spontaneously at home, school, with adults and peers; needs to call name also (e.g. getting out of seatbelt in car in order to tap mom).
Focusing in on behavior/Behavior Plan Revision (coordinate with next IEP)

Behavior plan checklist
  • reviewed; still appropriate/relevant
  • Clarifying triggers/antecedents to aggression and escalating sequences of behavior; emphasis this month. TV- keep Leelo seated and at least 8 feet from TV.
  • Intervening sooner to prevent contact and escalation: once we better identify escalating sequences and triggers, we can be more effective in intervening.
  • Supervisor LP taking over QA from Supervisor Andil: we will work with LP on evasion and other tactics for when Leelo is escalated.

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9.18.2007

Time-Saving Stereotype Exploitation

Time-Saving Stereotype Exploitation

As our family of five walked out the door this morning...

Seymour, noticing Mali's exploded bedhead 'do: "Aren't you going to do something about her hair?"

Me: "No, I don't have to. It's okay for her to look like that."

Seymour: "Why?"

Me, sniggering: "Because Daddy is taking her to school today."

Seymour: "HEY!"

Emergencies and Individuals With Impaired Communication Skills

Emergencies and Individuals With Impaired Communication Skills

Brought to my attention by Liz Ditz, who is always looking out for my kids. Thanks, Liz!

From the Woodside Fire Protection District website: http://www.woodsidefire.org/1video

"When Words Are Not Enough"

“An educational tool for Fire Department personnel and other “First Responders"

Communicating with individuals who have impaired communication skills due to various physical, psycho-social, developmental, and or learning disabilities can be extremely challenging to first responders at an emergency scene. In fact, lack of communication ability between emergency personnel and their patients can waste valuable time in initial medical assessments, risk further injury to the patient, require additional personnel to help with individual, and sometimes compromise necessary treatment and or transport

Text Box: Communicating with individuals who have various physical, psycho-social, developmental, and learning disabilities that may be adversely affecting communication.

Program Design: This program is designed as an educational tool for fire department “first responders”, children in special education classes and other individuals who may have difficulty communicating during emergencies because of a disability.

Program Components: Video - Manual - Symbol/Sign Booklet - Poster

The video depicts emergency personnel using the communication strategies and tools described in the manual. There is also a demonstration of each of the basic symbols as an individual hand sign.

The manual with basic information about individuals with various disabilities and communication difficulties a first responder may encounter on a call involving these individuals (in addition to the manual, a one-hour training session regarding the information is available upon request).

A communication booklet to be used on calls when necessary as well as an adjunct to various educational presentations fire personnel provide to individuals with disabilities.

A poster depicting “first responders” as “friends.” The poster will include both signs/icons and illustrations of first responders “in action”. These posters are special reminders when placed in the fire station or n the special education classrooms at schools.

9.17.2007

Yay, Unitarians

Yay, Unitarians

Seymour spend the weekend partying down south at his 20th high school reunion, with my blessings. But this meant that I couldn't take Iz to yesterday's first Sunday school class of season at our church, because I would have needed to bring Leelo with me, and our church and Leelo are simply not compatible at this point in time. Thankfully Jo Spanglemonkey kindly agreed to let our girl tag along with her, with the understanding that I would pick Iz up when the service was over.

I arrived at what I thought was quittin' time, to find that there were a good ten minutes left (damn chatty Unitarians and their open forum format for announcements!). So Leelo and Mali and I hung out in the nursery with all the tiny kids age three and under until Iz's class and the service were over. During that brief interlude Leelo managed to step on about five kids and knock a stack of waffle blocks over on another, so I took him outside to the forts and swings.

The Director of Religious Education followed me outside. She wanted to let me know that the church was willing to find a 1:1 person to be with Leelo during services, so that Seymour and I could be in the sanctuary together. Isn't that the nicest thing you've ever heard?

I so very much wish Leelo was as dependably non-violent as he is cheerful, sweet, and funny, because I really miss sitting through the services with Seymour. But Leelo being who he is right now, I had to thank the director several times over and let her know that our boy's current specialized care needs require specialized training, and that I wouldn't want to risk hurting anyone from the fellowship. I emphasized that I do think Leelo will improve, and that we may be able to accept the offer in the future, because so much of what Leelo does stems from communications frustrations and he's getting better at letting us know what he wants all the time. But for now Seymour and I will keep trading Sundays.

But still, nicest thing ever!

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9.15.2007

Sometimes It Takes a Good Right Hook... Sometimes It Takes a Good Right Hook

Sometimes It Takes a Good Right Hook...

...or a hard head butt to one's rather costly and fragile dental work to be reminded of one's priorities.

Leelo needs to be in Leelo-friendly environments. If we keep insisting on taking him along with us to restaurants and activities that include few outlets for him to be Leelo, or don't pay enough attention to him while we chat with other people, we can expect behavior like that battering ram to my face. Which sent me into instant tears (I am a pussy plus it fucking HURT) in front of Iz's friend Emma's family, who came out to breakfast with us before so generously taking our daughter to the Cal football game all day today.

I was really desperate for a "normal family outing" and "pleasant social time with adults at a place other than my own house," and so was being selfishly needy and having too much fun when I should have gotten Leelo out of there ten minutes earlier. Or at least remembered that If I'm not going to give Leelo my full attention, then I need to keep a safe distance between me and his head/hands. But he was being so good for so long that I took the vigilance down a notch to grab more social goodies. And now we know yet another family who will regard us with good intentions but guarded pity, and likely will think twice before they let their daughter come over to play. EXCELLENT.

Being assaulted felt particularly awful as Leelo has been such a sweetheart lately. He's been very present, happy, and interactive; he's had lots of appropriate social smiles of real pleasure (especially when we play games he likes, or he sees me coming to take him off the bus); he's been hugging and kissing me a lot; he's been playing with his sisters, holding their hands when walking, participating in silly games of imitate-Izzy-jumping-in-the-pool; he's even been using great language overall, including telling us "No" appropriately and with greater facility. All five of us were rolling and laughing in my bed this morning, for fuck's sake! Happy times and a lowered guard.

Leelo's not-so-gentle reminder of his needs was somewhat welcome in that we are coming up on the season for planning Family Holiday Get-Togethers. And we're going to have to be very careful about the arrangements, because I am really hoping that we can avoid another post-holiday-season, months-long Leelo meltdown.

We already told everyone that we didn't want to travel this year. Unfortunately both sides of our family then told us that they intend to come spend the holidays with us. I don't think this is realistic. I think we'll have to have people visit in shifts. I think I'm going to have to ask my sister-in-law Bree if her extended family (they *always* spend every Christmas together) can perhaps not come here. I think we will have to ask Seymour's parents if they can leave on Boxing Day and host a second Christmas for Bree and her people in the senior Rosenberg's new Las Vegas home. And I am grateful to Ep, who has volunteered to swap houses with my mom for the holidays so that we'll have a place to put any stray relatives of mine. Or perhaps take Leelo, should he become overwhelmed at our place. He still asks to go to Ep's house (our old house) almost every day.

9.14.2007

You've Been Notified

You've Been Notified

If I see one more woman sporting the suburban choppy version of an inverted bob, I will gnaw off her head! You've been warned, lifestyle lemmings of Deadwood! (Iz's incredible 'do doesn't count because it looks so fantastic, and because I am respecting her choice.)

Also, pedicures -- except for special occasions -- are from this point on banned. I know how to take care of my own damn feet, and I've certainly got better things to do with that cash and precious time.

I am also done with the mincing, faux-supportive shitheads around here who view parenting as a competitive sport. I will try to be more honest and sincere in all conversations about my children, in their successes, their mediocrities, and their failures; but only if asked, or if I have something to get off my chest. I will do my best to listen to people who need to talk about their children, without bringing up my own. And I will do my best to quell any non-essential parenting chat so as to remind myself that there is more to both me and the adults around whom I spent so much time besides the fact that we share our homes with these amusing, ungrateful little people.

(These are all IRL declarations. This blogspace will still be a bitch- and brag-fest.)

What Is That Mysterious Ticking Noise?

What Is That Mysterious Ticking Noise?

What Is That Mysterious Ticking Noise?

There are worse addictions than cheeky t-shirts. I suppose.

9.12.2007

And She's Off!

And She's Off!

This maneuver of getting three kids to three separate places simultaneously, it is doable. Which is good to know. But it is also incredibly stressful as the margin of error on all three drop offs cannot exceed five minutes. This means no chatting at all with teachers, etc., and also that everyone else upon whom I depend damn well better be on time, because the final dropoff is meeting Leelo's bus back at our house -- and that is the one mark I absolutely cannot miss. (The girls' schools are nowhere near each other or our house, but at least they're within our city limits.)

Seymour has of course reiterated that he can help out with the morning relay race however needed. And I believe we should go ahead and split it up, for the sake of the blood pressure of everyone involved, as well as to be fair to Leelo's bladder. The current schedule doesn't even allow time for a pit stop between Leelo's and my return home after dropping off the girls, and the bus's arrival. The moment this morning's bus arrived, my good boy started hopping up and down, grabbing at his groin. I asked him if he needed to use the potty and he said, "Yes!" (!!) I asked the driver if she could wait for a brief potty break and she agreed, which was good as Leelo had a Niagara Falls-volume pee stored up, and I doubt he'd have been able to hold it all during for the fifty minute drive to school.

It's good to know that I can be Super Chauffeur if need be. But I think we should save that role for emergencies, and stick with my secret identity as much as we can.

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Didn't You Totally Go to My School?

Didn't You Totally Go to My School?

Alumni Unite!

9.11.2007

A Really Great Story About Poop

A Really Great Story About Poop

I was in the kitchen giving Mali her breakfast. Iz was in the living room reading The American Girls Handy Book (no relation to this great sucking hole of glossy marketing) and yet again wondering why it was separate from the Boys and announcing that she was going to write the publishers to ask them to combine the two books. Leelo was sitting next to Iz watching (sigh) Teletubbies. Seymour had just assured me that Leelo went to the bathroom recently and shouldn't need to go for another twenty minutes, when Leelo hopped up in the middle of his program and hauled ass down the hall and into the bathroom, pulling down his pants and sitting on the potty. Turns out that his body had had a change in schedule, and he needed to poop right then. He didn't entirely make it, but the damage was limited to a small spot in his underwear, and most importantly, LEELO IS STARTING TO GET GOING TO THE BATHROOM AND CAN DO IT SPONTANEOUSLY AND INDEPENDENTLY ACCORDING TO THE CUES OF HIS BODY!

Oh happy day. Major poop epiphany.

Go Leelo go!

---

He is having a very good time in general lately, being very much more present. This morning he said, "Goodbye" and waved to Mali's teacher when *the teacher* asked him to say goodbye, and without any prompting from me.

His harness crying fit on the bus yesterday turned into a self-hitting and self-slapping incident that lasted all the way to school, much to the displeasure of a subsequent rider's parent: her child imitates such behavior. But the bus driver is a good one; she asked for patience during Leelo's first day and ran interference as much as she could. I am glad I didn't know about this until today because (of course) I feel for that parent, and would have had stress spasms all night, worrying about Leelo and the other kid on the bus today.

But as I didn't know about the drive-long fit owing to the morning and afternoon bus drivers being different people, today I put on Leelo's harness, put him on the bus, he got strapped in, Seymour, the bus driver, and I all looked at him, and Leelo looked back at us as if to say, "What are you still doing here? Isn't it time to go?"

No indication that there had ever been any issue with the harness. We didn't hear about Leelo's horrible previous bus ride until that point. By which time it was, thankfully and hopefully, completely in the past.

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9.10.2007

From Leelo's Daily Log

From Leelo's Daily Log

I've been neglecting Leelo's daily log this past week, too, which is a fairly good indicator that stress levels are going into the red. Today I did some catchup:
Language
Lots of good cute appropriate instances: "I want to go home" when tired of going on errands with mom; demonstrating good 1:1 correspondence with counting body parts and cheerios up to 5, "Help with shoes, please," or "Help me, Mommy" in general; explaining "I'm skipping!" or "I'm dancing!" when asked to hurry up. Also lots of good receptive language [in terms of understanding]: "Pick up the baby dolls and put them in the crib. Don't forget the one underneath" "You can walk on the fence if you want to." etc. Also the kicker: Mom "What do you want to do?" Leelo: "I want to go on the [school] bus!"

Behavior
Mostly very good, by our standards. Still some hitting and a lot of banging his head on my arms, scratching and pinching when very frustrated, etc., but otherwise very good, probably due to lack of exposure to stressful environments. A lot of cute interacting with mom and other people with his "scatting," especially when we get many sequences in a row correct and he will giggle and laugh and give us big hugs.

Toileting
Very very good. No accidents except due to parental oversight. Very good at extending toileting interval where car travel/errands are involved (over 90 minutes). No accidents on bus so far. A few poops in the middle of the night/upon waking. (However I think that he, Mali, and I all have some mild intestinal something.)

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Bus

Bus

I haven't been writing much as threefold back-to-schooling has been a bit overwhelming. But I will say that Leelo adjusted nicely to taking the bus to school. In fact, when I asked him what he wanted to do after dinner yesterday, he said, "I want to go on the bus!"

However, the bus schedule changed as of this morning. Previously Leelo was the last kid picked up and so had a straight shot from home to school. The morning bus driver assured me that my son had no behavioral issues. Now Leelo's the first kid of three, and so -- because he has so far been unable to sit still during the two afternoons per week when he takes the bus home and is the last kid of several dropped off -- has to wear a harness. Putting it on him resulted in instant tears. It's hard enough to put my sweet boy on a bus, harder still when he's sobbing. Although I do think he'll adjust.

He has not had any potty accidents on the bus in ten days of taking it. Fingers, toes, legs crossed.

Now my only difficulty is figuring how to get the two girls to their two different schools in two different parts of town while meeting the bus with Leelo here at command central, all at 8:30. But I am SMRT, and so believe that it will all work out somehow.


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9.07.2007

Car Talk

Car Talk

I am increasingly amused by my older daughter. When I was in fourth grade, I was obsessed by Greek Mythology, A Little Princess, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Right now Iz is obsessed with:

  1. Cars/Aerodynamics Thereof
  2. The Simpsons
  3. World War II
Here are the books she's checked out from the library in the past week:

We were not able to find anything on how car shape affects aerodynamics, but it was great to see the librarian's face when she asked him to help her research it. The subject is also not covered in her copy of The Way Things Work. (Airplanes, yes. Cars, no.) I've not yet looked for online resources. Anyone?

Iz has asked me to set up a "playdate" with our new next door neighbor, Becky, as Becky is a car nut herself: she owns both a Cayenne Turbo and a Jaguar, and Iz is dying to get closer to both cars and talk about exactly why Becky chose them and how they perform and can she watch the Cayenne get raised and lowered to modify its aerodynamic profile? I think Iz also plans to stalk the Firebird-driving woman across the street.

One of the best playdates she's had recently, from an unknowingly-amusing-her-mother perspective, was when her cousins Danielle and Elise came over to swim. Danielle and Iz spent a good half-hour discussing what they remembered from their previous lives. Danielle was a competitive swimmer. Iz was a British Jew who was also a spy during World War II and she got caught and put in a concentration camp but she escaped. She says she's going to write a book about what it was like. I will try to remember to get her World War II timeline poster up on her wall, as per her request.

She is getting really good at drawing The Simpsons characters.

I am delighted to see her pursue her interests with such gusto. I am learning a lot, too.

First bit of computer time in ages. Must go update Leelo's home record for the past few days.

9.05.2007

Postscript

Postscript

The tone of the previous post was not intended to be so much "Oh poor me," but rather "Holy fuck, can you believe this crap? I believe it's time for a beer!" And that is exactly what happened when Ep and Clyde walked in, post-table-shattering. They helped me clean up the mess, too, though in my haste I forgot to save any of the glass dust for sprinkling into the food of mine enemies. I don't know where my head is these days.

9.04.2007

Some Funny, Some Not

Some Funny, Some Not

Funny:
  • Iz agreeing to eat asparagus just so she could see if she has the gene to make and smell stinky asparagus pee.
  • Mali hopping all the way down the stairs on one leg with her other leg fully extended in front of her.
  • Leelo singing "I've been working on the railroad" with the entire Dinah section clapped in double time.
Not Funny:
  • Leelo helping himself to a bottle of Claritin. Childproof caps? RIGHT. He wrenched that fucker right off. Turns out that, according to our friends at Poison Control, Claritin is so well tolerated by most people that a two-year-old could drink three bottles before risking adverse side effects. This knowledge did not prevent me from having to remind myself to breathe for the remainder of the evening, nor did it help Leelo while went off on a drug-induced tantrum until 11 PM. Note to self: Leelo knows where we put EVERYTHING that has anything to do with his routine.
  • Leelo skirting us and disappearing, and us finding him on top of the pool cover. This was yesterday evening. Probably this, and Signora Blog's recent experience with her son Bro, resulted in:
  • Me getting shocked awake and then hyperventilating from a vivid dream in which Leelo bolted, got hit by a car and died. I was too slow, I didn't catch him in time, and it seemed so real that even as I was telling myself it wasn't possible I could see it was Leelo by the way his underwear always bunches out of the top of his pants.
  • The gong-like noise of an antique glass tabletop shattering in the living room while I was down the hall talking Leelo through a successful BM. My first thought was that Mali had finally wiggled through the second floor railing and taken a dive. Turns out she had dropped one of Leelo's weighted OT balls from the second story. Turns out the acoustics in our house make "kid squealing in the living room" and "kid squealing in the hallway above the living room" sound identical. Turns out that Seymour's grandmother's table from back in the day was not made with safety glass. Turns out Mali had the living shit scared out of her and likely won't be doing that again.

9.02.2007

A Mostly Good Day: Excerpts From Leelo's Home Record 9/1

A Mostly Good Day: Excerpts From Leelo's Home Record 9/1

Diet
Cod liver oil, PB&J, fruit smoothie, 1 vanilla cookie (reinf.), cheezy puffs (reinf.), croissant, madeline, white croissant, refused more than a few french fries. [Lots of all of these except the cod liver oil. No wonder he is so tubby despite all frequent exercise. Once we're over the potty training hump we'll need to work on his compulsive eating. IMHO much of it has to do with being bored and/or eating being a pleasant task involving socialization (he has to ask for his food, after all) which he has mastered.]

Language
Both with Babysitter A: "I want to go work!" when he was downstairs, meaning go upstairs and work, also "I want to be with the girls" when he was on the toilet, meaning he wanted to go be with his sisters. [Both utterances unprecedented examples of increased language generalization, facility, and comprehension.]

Behavior
Very good mostly. Still a lot of hitting Mom while [he is] on the toilet. But also a lot of imitating other children and wanting to be around them, especially in the pool (sitting the way they sit, jumping in after them, etc.). Also a lot more extended independent and imaginative play (pushing car puzzle piece around like actual car, etc.).

Toileting
Woke up with poo at 7:00. Another BM in the morning. A few more bits throughout the day. No accidents. Toileting interval 45 min - 1 hour.

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