Hmm
Mali just demonstrated that she knows well over half the letters of the alphabet, with confident articulation. She gets confused between lookalikes like R and A, and some letters are given unique pronunciations (W is "doy-doyee") but...huh. I thought she only knew A, B, and O. Clever baby.
--------
After more rumination, I realized this post is not really about Mali's letter recognition--Iz had the alphabet down at 14 months and could sing the alphabet song at 20. No. It's about the blocks Mali used to show me what she knew. I got them for Leelo right around the time Seymour and I were in active denial about our boy's symptoms. I tried for months to get Leelo to play with those blocks, and he just didn't give a hoot.
Mali loves them.
3.31.2006
PNWing
The girls and I are off to the PNW for a few days. Back 4/5. Think warm thoughts for all my super-stressed friends while I'm gone, and well thoughts for Mali who has been up all night the last three nights with a a fever (which disappears during the day) and a sore throat. We saw the doctor yesterday and as the baby's ears are totally clear (not even fluid), she's approved for travel. This trip should be interesting.
The girls and I are off to the PNW for a few days. Back 4/5. Think warm thoughts for all my super-stressed friends while I'm gone, and well thoughts for Mali who has been up all night the last three nights with a a fever (which disappears during the day) and a sore throat. We saw the doctor yesterday and as the baby's ears are totally clear (not even fluid), she's approved for travel. This trip should be interesting.
3.28.2006
Mali at Sixteen Months
I forgot to mention that Mali turned 16 months old two days ago. I also realized that we've almost no printed photos of our youngest in which she is more than five months old, so my photographer friend JM came over yesterday to remedy the situation. Help me pick a shot from the ones below! There were actually 50 shots; anyone who wants to see the entire session's results can email me.
Let's not forget that Pat the Cat was there as well. And was feeling rather smug about his successful campaign to incapacitate Grace D.
I forgot to mention that Mali turned 16 months old two days ago. I also realized that we've almost no printed photos of our youngest in which she is more than five months old, so my photographer friend JM came over yesterday to remedy the situation. Help me pick a shot from the ones below! There were actually 50 shots; anyone who wants to see the entire session's results can email me.
Let's not forget that Pat the Cat was there as well. And was feeling rather smug about his successful campaign to incapacitate Grace D.
Status Report
Another thing Mali does that leelo doesn't yet do: She will come up and alert me that she's been marinating for too long, with a plaintive "Poo poo! Poo poo!"
She also divides the rest of her inside time between demanding, "Outside? Outside? Outsiiiiide?" and, "Chair? Chaaaaair?" (Meaning sit down in that rocker and give me your boobs, now!).
Leelo is having the shittiest period, behaviorally. He's hitting all the time, even at school. He's only been there five days total, and I hate that this is their introduction to him. He is usually such a sweetheart. Last night he and I had a great time copying each other's silly faces, giggling all the while. But I think he was able to engage with me that long only because it was almost bed time and he was tired.
We talked about his restlessness (he can no longer sit still even for two minutes of a favorite video unless he's exhausted) and unpredictable behavior at the team meeting yesterday. We are working on calmness, predictability, and addressing his currently significant sensory needs through deep pressure and massage, and lots of exercise.
Supervisor M also mentioned that she had showed a video of Leelo working with Therapist L and doing NLP (Natural Language Paradigm) to a class. Leelo was apparently quite the performing monkey in the video, because the students' reactions were basically, "But what about the lower functioning children? How can we use NLP to help them?"
I said that is was funny that Leelo is considered "high functioning" as he was put in the lower functioning of the two preschool classes at ALSO. Supervisor M reiterated that he was placed there because of his behaviors and restlessness, and that these are the characteristics that will make it more difficult for him to succeed in general (and let's get a meds consult already). She reminded me that in all other area's he's doing really well. He is starting to read, and his self care is pretty good. He still has trouble with longer sequences, but that too is probably related to the restlessness and inability to focus.
I do wonder if some of his behavior is rooted in the pain from the plantar wart that is not going away despite two months of home treatments. This morning we saw his doctor to consult about the wart's tenaciousness, and the doctor decided to try to freeze it off. Holding Leelo still during that process was, erm, an effort. I am grateful that the scratches weren't deep and that he let go of my hair eventually.
I also got to ask the doctor about our status re: her getting us a meds referral for the MYND Institute. She apparently did not understand that even though she had already called MYND and asked for the referral, and even though she'd been told by her organization that they could not authorize the referral and that I needed to contact my insurance's mental health services directly, which I then did, that the insurance people were wrong when they told me that I was authorized to call MYND directly, because when I did the MYND folks told me that I had to get Leelo's doctor to call them directly not for insurance but for records and consulting purposes. I ask you, how could she not instantly get that? She's on it now, though.
Because this is all so random, I will leave you with my Uncle's image of a moose walking by his house in central BC.
Another thing Mali does that leelo doesn't yet do: She will come up and alert me that she's been marinating for too long, with a plaintive "Poo poo! Poo poo!"
She also divides the rest of her inside time between demanding, "Outside? Outside? Outsiiiiide?" and, "Chair? Chaaaaair?" (Meaning sit down in that rocker and give me your boobs, now!).
Leelo is having the shittiest period, behaviorally. He's hitting all the time, even at school. He's only been there five days total, and I hate that this is their introduction to him. He is usually such a sweetheart. Last night he and I had a great time copying each other's silly faces, giggling all the while. But I think he was able to engage with me that long only because it was almost bed time and he was tired.
We talked about his restlessness (he can no longer sit still even for two minutes of a favorite video unless he's exhausted) and unpredictable behavior at the team meeting yesterday. We are working on calmness, predictability, and addressing his currently significant sensory needs through deep pressure and massage, and lots of exercise.
Supervisor M also mentioned that she had showed a video of Leelo working with Therapist L and doing NLP (Natural Language Paradigm) to a class. Leelo was apparently quite the performing monkey in the video, because the students' reactions were basically, "But what about the lower functioning children? How can we use NLP to help them?"
I said that is was funny that Leelo is considered "high functioning" as he was put in the lower functioning of the two preschool classes at ALSO. Supervisor M reiterated that he was placed there because of his behaviors and restlessness, and that these are the characteristics that will make it more difficult for him to succeed in general (and let's get a meds consult already). She reminded me that in all other area's he's doing really well. He is starting to read, and his self care is pretty good. He still has trouble with longer sequences, but that too is probably related to the restlessness and inability to focus.
I do wonder if some of his behavior is rooted in the pain from the plantar wart that is not going away despite two months of home treatments. This morning we saw his doctor to consult about the wart's tenaciousness, and the doctor decided to try to freeze it off. Holding Leelo still during that process was, erm, an effort. I am grateful that the scratches weren't deep and that he let go of my hair eventually.
I also got to ask the doctor about our status re: her getting us a meds referral for the MYND Institute. She apparently did not understand that even though she had already called MYND and asked for the referral, and even though she'd been told by her organization that they could not authorize the referral and that I needed to contact my insurance's mental health services directly, which I then did, that the insurance people were wrong when they told me that I was authorized to call MYND directly, because when I did the MYND folks told me that I had to get Leelo's doctor to call them directly not for insurance but for records and consulting purposes. I ask you, how could she not instantly get that? She's on it now, though.
Because this is all so random, I will leave you with my Uncle's image of a moose walking by his house in central BC.
More House Design Hurdles
Be warned: deadly dullness ahead.
At the moment, there are two main obstacles to our future house as designed.
The first is that the theoretical house touches what we were initally told was an easement (against which one can build) and which, after designing the house, were told was actually a property line (within ten feet of which one cannot build).
To deal with this we are in the process of relocating that non-easement--actually a walkpath--along a route where it will still serve the purpose of letting anyone who wants to walk across our yard. Which no one has ever done. This is the process that requires ten neighbors' signatures. I've got nine, and am hoping that the usually unresponsive, occasionally dickheaded neighbors behind us will be #10. Though it's been a week since I left them the relevant voice mail.
The second issue is that we can't find a place to put the carport. It needs to be in a sunny spot because we want to put the photovoltaic array that will free us from the electric grid on its roof. The ideal placement is over a sewer line--but then, that's not ideal, is it? Here's the email I had to write to the architects after speaking with a very reasonable Public Works person:
Be warned: deadly dullness ahead.
At the moment, there are two main obstacles to our future house as designed.
The first is that the theoretical house touches what we were initally told was an easement (against which one can build) and which, after designing the house, were told was actually a property line (within ten feet of which one cannot build).
To deal with this we are in the process of relocating that non-easement--actually a walkpath--along a route where it will still serve the purpose of letting anyone who wants to walk across our yard. Which no one has ever done. This is the process that requires ten neighbors' signatures. I've got nine, and am hoping that the usually unresponsive, occasionally dickheaded neighbors behind us will be #10. Though it's been a week since I left them the relevant voice mail.
The second issue is that we can't find a place to put the carport. It needs to be in a sunny spot because we want to put the photovoltaic array that will free us from the electric grid on its roof. The ideal placement is over a sewer line--but then, that's not ideal, is it? Here's the email I had to write to the architects after speaking with a very reasonable Public Works person:
Hi,The architects would like us to do #3, which means building over the pipe. What I did not include in the above letter is my and AS's agreement that, amazing and wonderful as our architects are (and they really, truly are), they would not have to live with the consequences of the decision.
I just had a conversation with AS at Public Works regarding putting the carport over the sewer line. They are very much recommending against it, and have mailed us a memo to this effect.
Their reasoning is that even without a catastrophic sewer line-destroying event, they still need to access the line for routine maintenance. Routine maintenance includes line replacement.
She said that our options are:
1) Move carport location
2) Relocate the sewer line itself (I smell major delays...)
3) Assume responsibility for maintenance of the pipe. She stressed that this is a very serious gamble.
AS is still lobbying for #1, but all three are possibilities. I must admit that, as one of the main purposes of this project is to simplify our lives once everything's complete, I am still hoping we can find some magical carport relocation solution.
Thanks,
Squid
3.27.2006
Leelo Good and Bad, Plus Woolfcamplet
Leelo didn't have the greatest weekend. He had lots of flailing outbursts and fits, often out of the blue. I think he smacked every single person responsible for his care both today and yesterday. Last night he went absolutely insane in the bath, repeatedly and almost hysterically trying to climb the tub walls, slipping and falling down again each time. He could easily have knocked himself out, injured himself, broken his jaw. I found his behavior truly disturbing, feelings which were themselves disturbing. No parent wants to feel scared of or about a child.
I got him out of the tub as soon as I could, but course Mali (who had been peacefully playing on the bathroom floor) started screaming when he did, which made Leelo even more agitated.
I am grateful that Iz kept it together amidst the bath chaos, even after Leelo hit her several times during their bath together (pre-wall climbing fits), and before she could escape. However else that girl drives me around the bend, she is an absolute wonder when it comes to being patient with her brother, or the unruly behavior of anyone else she loves. I am working with her on not submerging her feelings about being ill-treated, and on making sure she stands up for herself. Even with people like Leelo who have difficulty reining in their impulses.
Leelo was at his worst and most unreachably spazzy post-Woolfcamplet (when I was solo), which yet again reminds me that rowdy parties at our house in which I am mostly preoccupied can seriously fuck with Leelo's temperamental stability. We will need to keep things calmer or at least smaller until we build the new house with its own separate spaces.
I am consoling myself with the knowledge that Leelo is so frequently, vocally, and visibly happy to see me. He gives me hugs, kisses, great eye contact, and smiles. He returns my smiles, when he's in a receptive mood. I will try to get him to smile and engage as much as I can. These are some of his most wonderful traits, and I will cling to them when I'm desperately craving optimism.
Woolfcamplet itself was groovy! I didn't blog or take pictures (other people blogged and took pictures), but had a fantastic time, especially with Jenijen and her partner (code name?)--so very much our kind of people! I can't wait until Seymour gets to meet them. Their youngest boy and Iz spent the afternoon in blissed out co-geekitude, rarely leaving each others' sides. Check out this lovely image (taken by Jenijen's partner) of the two hiking together.
I was also absolutely thrilled that so many cool people came--Badger, Emily, Elkit, Ep(!), Grace, Jenijen + Partner, Jo, and Mary. Thanks for participating, for bringing such great energy into our house, and for leaving behind so much good undrunk wine and champagne.
Seymour arrived home from New Mexico late last night--after the camp, after the bath incident--and found me completely crashed out on the couch. I had wanted to give him a better greeting than that, but alas.
Leelo didn't have the greatest weekend. He had lots of flailing outbursts and fits, often out of the blue. I think he smacked every single person responsible for his care both today and yesterday. Last night he went absolutely insane in the bath, repeatedly and almost hysterically trying to climb the tub walls, slipping and falling down again each time. He could easily have knocked himself out, injured himself, broken his jaw. I found his behavior truly disturbing, feelings which were themselves disturbing. No parent wants to feel scared of or about a child.
I got him out of the tub as soon as I could, but course Mali (who had been peacefully playing on the bathroom floor) started screaming when he did, which made Leelo even more agitated.
I am grateful that Iz kept it together amidst the bath chaos, even after Leelo hit her several times during their bath together (pre-wall climbing fits), and before she could escape. However else that girl drives me around the bend, she is an absolute wonder when it comes to being patient with her brother, or the unruly behavior of anyone else she loves. I am working with her on not submerging her feelings about being ill-treated, and on making sure she stands up for herself. Even with people like Leelo who have difficulty reining in their impulses.
Leelo was at his worst and most unreachably spazzy post-Woolfcamplet (when I was solo), which yet again reminds me that rowdy parties at our house in which I am mostly preoccupied can seriously fuck with Leelo's temperamental stability. We will need to keep things calmer or at least smaller until we build the new house with its own separate spaces.
I am consoling myself with the knowledge that Leelo is so frequently, vocally, and visibly happy to see me. He gives me hugs, kisses, great eye contact, and smiles. He returns my smiles, when he's in a receptive mood. I will try to get him to smile and engage as much as I can. These are some of his most wonderful traits, and I will cling to them when I'm desperately craving optimism.
Woolfcamplet itself was groovy! I didn't blog or take pictures (other people blogged and took pictures), but had a fantastic time, especially with Jenijen and her partner (code name?)--so very much our kind of people! I can't wait until Seymour gets to meet them. Their youngest boy and Iz spent the afternoon in blissed out co-geekitude, rarely leaving each others' sides. Check out this lovely image (taken by Jenijen's partner) of the two hiking together.
I was also absolutely thrilled that so many cool people came--Badger, Emily, Elkit, Ep(!), Grace, Jenijen + Partner, Jo, and Mary. Thanks for participating, for bringing such great energy into our house, and for leaving behind so much good undrunk wine and champagne.
Seymour arrived home from New Mexico late last night--after the camp, after the bath incident--and found me completely crashed out on the couch. I had wanted to give him a better greeting than that, but alas.
3.24.2006
Woolfcamplet Aiiigh
It is set to rain all day tomorrow. During our "We Love Jo Spanglemonkey" Woolfcamplet. Which is going to be at my house. Which is about the size of your smaller thumb.
My three kids will be here along with a smattering of similar creatures. If it really does rain all day, then we'll need to get extremely creative with our space usage. The only thing I can think of right now is that any actual "sessions" can take place in my room, and the kids can run amok upstairs. If we campers want to go upstairs to eat/breathe/drink, then we'll be part of the fray. My room smells musty from some as-yet-undetermined source, but you can just chalk that up to our house's rustic charm.
Shoehorning everyone into the house should be fine, really. We'll have lots of champagne and wine, and I might even get wacky and mix some cocktails.
I will ask that people please stay out of Mali's room/my office, however. I was going to open it up as an additional space, but just an hour ago Leelo did a stealthy and thorough trashing of the room--complete with breaking my desk's keyboard tray--while I was upstairs nursing Mali to sleep. Silly me, I thought they boy'd actually gone to sleep upon being put in bed, as he strangely did during the past two nights.
It is set to rain all day tomorrow. During our "We Love Jo Spanglemonkey" Woolfcamplet. Which is going to be at my house. Which is about the size of your smaller thumb.
My three kids will be here along with a smattering of similar creatures. If it really does rain all day, then we'll need to get extremely creative with our space usage. The only thing I can think of right now is that any actual "sessions" can take place in my room, and the kids can run amok upstairs. If we campers want to go upstairs to eat/breathe/drink, then we'll be part of the fray. My room smells musty from some as-yet-undetermined source, but you can just chalk that up to our house's rustic charm.
Shoehorning everyone into the house should be fine, really. We'll have lots of champagne and wine, and I might even get wacky and mix some cocktails.
I will ask that people please stay out of Mali's room/my office, however. I was going to open it up as an additional space, but just an hour ago Leelo did a stealthy and thorough trashing of the room--complete with breaking my desk's keyboard tray--while I was upstairs nursing Mali to sleep. Silly me, I thought they boy'd actually gone to sleep upon being put in bed, as he strangely did during the past two nights.
Keep Your Distance
One of the complications of having my partner go a-conferencing for several days is figuring out how to sneak in a shower. Normally Seymour and I trade off showering sessions in the morning: one of us starts the morning child-herding routine while the other gets squeaky clean, then we switch.
I have to be creative when solo parenting. I can't wake early and try to shower before the kids start stirring--Leelo's rising time is too unpredictable. What I have been doing is postponing the shower until after Iz is already dropped off at school (I don't have to get out of the car) and Leelo is safely in the care of his morning therapist. Mali is happy to play on the bathroom floor while I do what I need to do.
Except this morning Therapist L called and cancelled. So, no help with Leelo, no Mali-and-Mommy shower time. I will be a stinky girl today.
Maybe I will take a shower tonight after the kids go to sleep--even though I hate showering at night--so that tomorrow's Woolfcampleteers will be able to come within five feet of me.
P.S. Yes, locals, I am totally fishing. But I will be okay either way.
One of the complications of having my partner go a-conferencing for several days is figuring out how to sneak in a shower. Normally Seymour and I trade off showering sessions in the morning: one of us starts the morning child-herding routine while the other gets squeaky clean, then we switch.
I have to be creative when solo parenting. I can't wake early and try to shower before the kids start stirring--Leelo's rising time is too unpredictable. What I have been doing is postponing the shower until after Iz is already dropped off at school (I don't have to get out of the car) and Leelo is safely in the care of his morning therapist. Mali is happy to play on the bathroom floor while I do what I need to do.
Except this morning Therapist L called and cancelled. So, no help with Leelo, no Mali-and-Mommy shower time. I will be a stinky girl today.
Maybe I will take a shower tonight after the kids go to sleep--even though I hate showering at night--so that tomorrow's Woolfcampleteers will be able to come within five feet of me.
P.S. Yes, locals, I am totally fishing. But I will be okay either way.
3.23.2006
Iz's Position on Gay Marriage
The Proudest Mother in Town
Today was Iz's parent-teacher conference. It went the way these conferences usually go: our girl is bright and does good work when she's interested and crappy work when she's not. Shock.
The "not interested" apparently affected her standardized testing as well--the teacher showed me pages where Iz obviously didn't feel like reading the questions closely and so got them wrong even though the teacher knew that Iz knew the correct answer. Iz also (snicker) frequently decided that she didn't like the available answers and so wrote down some of her own--complete with illustrations.
The teacher didn't really have any way to gauge Iz's true reading abilities. Our girl's at least 4th grade in Spanish. In English the resources only test through third grade, and Iz blew the roof off of those measures.
But, yeah, whatever. We all know that Iz is a smarty pants and likes to fuck with or cirucumvent authority.
What made me proud to the point of tears is an Iz essay the teacher handed me at the end of the conference (image below). It is Iz's own take on MLK Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. She didn't wish for a pony or her own Queen Bee book. No. From the bottom of her heart, she wished that gay marriage was legal. *Sob*
My kid has a social conscience. My god. I'll take that over top marks any day.
Today was Iz's parent-teacher conference. It went the way these conferences usually go: our girl is bright and does good work when she's interested and crappy work when she's not. Shock.
The "not interested" apparently affected her standardized testing as well--the teacher showed me pages where Iz obviously didn't feel like reading the questions closely and so got them wrong even though the teacher knew that Iz knew the correct answer. Iz also (snicker) frequently decided that she didn't like the available answers and so wrote down some of her own--complete with illustrations.
The teacher didn't really have any way to gauge Iz's true reading abilities. Our girl's at least 4th grade in Spanish. In English the resources only test through third grade, and Iz blew the roof off of those measures.
But, yeah, whatever. We all know that Iz is a smarty pants and likes to fuck with or cirucumvent authority.
What made me proud to the point of tears is an Iz essay the teacher handed me at the end of the conference (image below). It is Iz's own take on MLK Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. She didn't wish for a pony or her own Queen Bee book. No. From the bottom of her heart, she wished that gay marriage was legal. *Sob*
My kid has a social conscience. My god. I'll take that over top marks any day.
3.22.2006
Mali on Fire
I have been trying to write this post for four weeks now. During that time Mali has gone from lurchy tottering to confident ass hauling. She has gone from not saying my name for a spurt and making me freak out about language loss, to saying "Hi Mama!" incessantly any time I'm even partially in her field of view.
She is a funny looking but absolutely charming, adorable baby. We are so lucky, so blessed.
Here's the mishmashed post regarding the last month's Mali-ness. If you're not interested in reading overly detailed fawning about toddler development, then I suggest you exit now, as there will be extensive documentation of Miss Mali's incredibleness--mostly because I am not taking one whit of it for granted, so it is doubly amazing to me.
So this is what it'’s like to have a typical kid. I had totally forgotten how much and how quickly they learn. Mali is gaining on Leelo in many things, and has surpassed him in not a few. She already plays with Iz more than Leelo does.
Things fifteen-month-old Mali already does spontaneously that five-year-old Leelo won't do at all, or without a whole lot of prompting:
It is wonderful to see her on what looks like a very typical developmental trajectory--but the contrast with her brother truly spotlights his delays, and makes it harder to tell ourselves that he's doing well. Even though he is, by his terms.
I have been trying to write this post for four weeks now. During that time Mali has gone from lurchy tottering to confident ass hauling. She has gone from not saying my name for a spurt and making me freak out about language loss, to saying "Hi Mama!" incessantly any time I'm even partially in her field of view.
She is a funny looking but absolutely charming, adorable baby. We are so lucky, so blessed.
Here's the mishmashed post regarding the last month's Mali-ness. If you're not interested in reading overly detailed fawning about toddler development, then I suggest you exit now, as there will be extensive documentation of Miss Mali's incredibleness--mostly because I am not taking one whit of it for granted, so it is doubly amazing to me.So this is what it'’s like to have a typical kid. I had totally forgotten how much and how quickly they learn. Mali is gaining on Leelo in many things, and has surpassed him in not a few. She already plays with Iz more than Leelo does.
Things fifteen-month-old Mali already does spontaneously that five-year-old Leelo won't do at all, or without a whole lot of prompting:
- Turn to people when asked,"Where's So-and-so?," and say, "Hi, So-and-so!" with great eye contact and enthusiastic waving.
- Constantly comment about her environment. Although for the moment this commenting manifests in joyful greetings rather than mere labels: Hi bus, Hi car, Hi Kitty, Hi tree, Hi [Name of person]. (She is starting to say her siblings' names, too)
- Point at objects of interest. For instance--and with a frown--Leelo after he's just toppled her.
- React to a puppet as though it's a living being, with hugs and kisses and conversation.
- Imitate from observation: Yesterday after she saw me watering plants with a watering can, she found a kiddie watering can and went around pretending to water the same plants.
- Pretend play. She makes her baby doll wave hi, too.
- Nod yes and shake head no.
- Use "no" as a general negation, rather than as a situation-specific one.
- Repeat actions that make other people laugh (e.g., holding onto the side of the tub and splashing the water with her bottom).
- Demand that people read books to her, and repeat out loud the parts she knows
- Say "all done" when books or meals are finished
- Give clingy, heartfelt hugs and kisses.
- Demand to be with other people rather than play by herself.
- Bite off pieces of food rather than tearing food into bits and then eating pieces.
It is wonderful to see her on what looks like a very typical developmental trajectory--but the contrast with her brother truly spotlights his delays, and makes it harder to tell ourselves that he's doing well. Even though he is, by his terms.
Leelo's Menu
Leelo's new Teacher W asked us about what foods our boy should and shouldn't eat. Here's what I wrote:
Leelo needs to stay away from sweet/sugary foods (this includes fruit juice), anything with artificial colors, and cheesy puffs/crackers & yogurt. None of these foods will make him ill, and small doses are okay, but more than a couple of mouthfuls will make him crazy and give him diarrhea.
We try to keep him on whole grain foods.
Leelo both likes and is allowed to eat:
For documentation purposes, here is Leelo's current supplement schedule:
Morning:
I do wonder if some of the intensive DAN protocol mega-nutrients he used to take were suppressing the sensory issues that are now taking over his life. But, as Supervisor Andil pointed out, Leelo never exhibited this intense sensory seeking pre-diagnosis, either--before he went to autism behavioral and biomedical boot camp.
Speaking of sensory seeking, my least favorite habit of his right now is when he hits me in the face and then immediately says, "No hitting!" Thankfully it's more of a slap than a roundhouse. And it will not last. No no no, it won't.
Leelo's new Teacher W asked us about what foods our boy should and shouldn't eat. Here's what I wrote:
Leelo needs to stay away from sweet/sugary foods (this includes fruit juice), anything with artificial colors, and cheesy puffs/crackers & yogurt. None of these foods will make him ill, and small doses are okay, but more than a couple of mouthfuls will make him crazy and give him diarrhea.
We try to keep him on whole grain foods.
Leelo both likes and is allowed to eat:
- Crackers of any kind
- Cheerios
- Croissants (whole wheat ones)
- "Power rolls" (basically a no-sugar raisin bun)
- Rice bread sandwiches with almond butter
- Bananas (with coaxing)
- Pancakes
- Potato chips (sometimes)
- French Fries (sometimes)
- "Veggie Booty" (not in a few months though)
- Rice milk
For documentation purposes, here is Leelo's current supplement schedule:
Morning:
- Multivitamin, probiotic, calcium powder in rice milk.
- 1/2 tsp cod liver oil.
- Second multivitamin in rice milk.
I do wonder if some of the intensive DAN protocol mega-nutrients he used to take were suppressing the sensory issues that are now taking over his life. But, as Supervisor Andil pointed out, Leelo never exhibited this intense sensory seeking pre-diagnosis, either--before he went to autism behavioral and biomedical boot camp.
Speaking of sensory seeking, my least favorite habit of his right now is when he hits me in the face and then immediately says, "No hitting!" Thankfully it's more of a slap than a roundhouse. And it will not last. No no no, it won't.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)