Just a regular Wednesday

It's Wednesday. The house is a mess. There's dishes to wash. Laundry to fold, and wash, and dry. There's toys, and clothes, and popcorn everywhere.

What am I doing though?

Sitting on the couch, listening to Baduka reading, and acting out, From Head To Toe by Eric Carle, for Dizzy.

He's very animated, and there's wiggles, and pointing, and animal sounds, and giggles.

I've heard him reading and acting out this book many times before. I've even recorded it to post to Facebook, so you can all experience the cute awesomeness of it.

I actually recorded it again today. But I won't be uploading it, in all of its cute awesomeness. Are you wondering why?

Baduka is doing today's reading naked.

Anyone shocked?

School's in session!

Last week was April vacation, and I am pretty sure it wasn't that bad, or I drank enough to forget it. I do know that Baduka wasn't nearly as crazy as possible, and Dizzy and the New Kid were probably just regular.

Today Baduka went back to school. We got home from picking him up at 2 o'clock.

In those 4ish hours, there's been running, jumping, yelling, and maybe some tears. From me.

They've also shared in the general noise level.

There has been Legos, Playmobil, markers, crayons, PlayDoh. Climbing, jumping, pushing, yelling, crying, kisses, and hugs.

But the highlight?

New Kid and Dizzy being chased down the hallway, past the laundry baskets, over the dog, around the cat, by Baduka.

Wearing nothing but a shirt.

Ahhh, back to normal.

Let's Play!

For his 4th birthday, when people asked what Baduka wanted or what they should get him, my answer was, "I don't know," "markers," "5t pajamas." He likes books and letters and writing. It's been hard to figure out what toys he wants, because we own/have owned almost everything age appropriate, and he's over it.

Then we tried Legos, and realized he loves the guys more than the putting together. And I really think the putting together part will happen when he's a bit older, and then he will LOVE Lego.

I was telling this to his therapy coordinator, asking how we figure out what a kid who doesn't show an interest in most things, would want to play with. She suggested Playmobil since it's a lot like Lego, but not as put togethery.

Me and Baduka went on a date last night to the toy store. I let him wander, big deal for me, because that NEVER happens, to see what he was drawn to. Mostly the things we already have, a 50 dollar motorized kitten, and the TVs at the end of every aisle, showing commercials for the toys surrounding them. So I took it upon myself to pick a Playmobil dollhouse and playground.

When we got home and set it up he spent over an hour playing. Making the guys talk to each other. Do you know how happy I was to hear, "Hi Friends!"? A kid like Baduka isn't really great at pretend play. Seeing him set up the kitchen and having the parents clink glasses, makes me tear up a little. Putting a boy figure on the swing and saying, "1,2,3, Underdog!" Amazing.

This boy of mine surprises me every day.

Wednesdays.

Wednesdays are tough days for Baduka. He is home from school, and it takes a lot to try and figure out what he wants to do. So he usually spends the day climbing, crying, screaming, opening, closing, jumping, running, falling, and hitting. It's exhausting, and sometimes when Daddy gets home, he asks questions like, "What happened to his eye?!" I answer with things like, "No clue, pour me a drink." That was this Wednesday.

We then thought we needed to cut his hair. It was long, in his eyes, and he was twisting the back into bald spots and knots. That was 20 minutes of screaming and sweating. But he looks so very handsome. Long pieces and all.

Thursday when I picked him up from school, one of his teachers asked if I cut his hair for a medical reason. Umm, huh?

At one point during the day, while he was putting his puzzles together, he burst out yelling, "X-RAY! X-RAY!" Over and over. They had no explanation for it, no one was bugging him, no one was near him.

His teacher then said, "We figured between the patchy hair, and the black eye, you took him for an MRI."

I'm pretty sure these are normal conversations in everyone's household, right?

Daddy Firsts

Tonight, on the eve of Baduka's 4th birthday party, Daddy has succeeded in a first of his very own.

We had been in the kitchen for a little bit, preparing food for tomorrow, and the best boys were in the living room. Freshly bathed, comfywomfycozywozy, watching a movie, with bags of Froot Loops, and cups of milk.

They'd been quiet for a while, so I thought I'd check the damage they may have silently caused. The New Kid obviously poured an entire bag of cereal on the floor. As I was cleaning that up, I smelled poop. A lot of crappy crap, kinda poop.

Fearing the worst, I checked Baduka, nothing. Dizzy? Nope.

The New Kid. It didn't smell like his brand, so that's why he was last.

I went to take his pants off, and wondered why his pretty fresh onesie was soaked, and I could so easily, and clearly, make out the shape of his boy parts.

Daddy didn't diaper him after his tubby. Four years of tubby time, and Daddy forgot the most important part.

The Crap Catcher.

Autism Awareness

Today is Autism Awareness Day, at the beginning of Autism Awareness Month. Sometimes I don't totally understand the point of awareness anything months. I'm aware of autism everyday.

I'm aware of autism, when I have to unhook the hook and eye lock on the bedroom door, that I hook every night, so Baduka doesn't escape while we're sleeping.

I'm aware of autism every morning I need to sing All the Snowflakes Are Candy Bars and Milkshakes, just to get him to change his shirt.

I'm aware of autism, when I drop him off at his school, and hope he has a good day. And then when I pick him up, his teacher tells me he had a good day, because there wasn't as much flopping as usual. But there was a few full speed runs into the gym wall.

I'm aware of autism, when we drive home, and I can't take that way, because it causes him to instantly cry, and I don't know why. So I have to take the long way, because I don't like to make him cry for no reason.

I'm aware of autism, when we pull into the driveway, and he whimpers and smacks the New Kid in the face. I don't know why he hits him, it's not very hard, but it scares the New Kid every time.

I'm aware of autism, every time we walk into the house and Baduka, runs straight down the hallway crying, then throws himself to the ground. Then gets up and climbs something. Immediately.

I'm aware of autism, when I'm trying to find him something to do and just nothing seems to occupy him. He's already taught himself to read and write, so books are his only interest. Whether regular or electronic. So he spends a lot of time with the Nook.

I'm aware of autism, when I make him a peanut butter sandwich and he only eats the peanut butter, with his finger.

I'm aware of autism, when I leave the room for a few minutes and come back to him naked and poop everywhere.

I'm aware of autism, when without asking he hugs and kisses his brothers. Holds their hands, sits next to them on the couch. Those moments don't happen too often, so when they do you better believe there's tears.

I'm aware of autism every time I look at my sweet, smart, handsome, little boy and wonder with all this awareness, what's next for him?

Progress

We have been part of the Early Intervention world since Baduka was 18 months old. He received services from then until he aged out at 3. He had a speech therapist, and his case worker here, twice a week. We then received services for the New Kid, because of his crooked head, so a physical therapist came once a week to stretch him out. He's fine now, and that was when I thought we were done having people here. It's a lot of floor sweeping, and crazy taming, to have guests.

And then at Dizzy's 2 year appointment his doctor suggested getting a speech evaluation for him, because he wasn't talking yet. In his case, it was a "Baduka isn't talking, why should I?" We have never been concerned with him having autism too. But we started him anyway, just in case. He has a case worker, and a speech therapist, twice a week, and has had them for a while. It's a lot of floor sweeping, and crazy taming.

These two aren't like Baduka's two. I feel like there isn't much progress. Dizzy is very shy, and needs constant high-5's, and "YAY!! You did it!"s, and they haven't fully grasped that about him. But anyway, they've been sick for 2 weeks. And in this two weeks we have worked, and talked, and praised like we always have, but it's working more than ever. In just the past two weeks he's said many new things. Here's a few:

*After giant messy kisses he says, "HUG!" And throws his arms around our neck.

*At the park he asked for, "swin peeease, und-og (under dog)!!"

*In the kitchen yesterday he asked for, "FISH!" And when I said, "you want goldfish?" He answered with a cute smile, and a, "yesssss peeease!"

*Whenever I hand them cups of milk I usually give them the wrong ones, to then get them to tell me who it really belongs to. The other day he said who each of the cups were, after a smile, and a giggle, and a "Momma Nooooo!"

*He has been putting a toy behind his back, and then calling for it. Seeing him hide a toy, then call out, "Gaaaaggggonnn (dragon), wheahahyouuuu?" Then the cutest, most over the top cartoon, hand to his mouth laugh, as he pulls it out, with a "theahyouahhh!" makes me want to hide things til bedtime.

I'm so proud of how far all my boys have come. How hard they work is amazing. And sometimes it makes me think I should go back to school, and become a speech therapist or something. Because watching a kid learn to communicate might just be the best thing a lot of people take for granted.