Sorry to complain

If you don't want to read my whining then turn away now!!!!! 

First I will start off with no complaint but I will warn it it will lead into ranting!!! 

Miles has grown so much in the last 6 months.  I took note because he just turned 3 1/2 yesterday.  He has said more words and singed more words and even signed "fruit-snacks please."  He is more social, he wants to play with other kids and yet he is not sure how to join them still.  Lately I have been able to let him play further away from me on the playground.  I am sure I looked like one of those annoying 'helicopter' parents that never let the kid do anything for themselves... but if I didn't do that he would be gone; the boy can run fast... and he is quiet.  If you did not want to sprint you had to stay as close as you could.  Now he might go farther away but will turn around and come back.

One of the newest things I have noticed is how Miles plays with toys.  If you watch him closely you can see the back and forth conversation going on in his head between two objects.  To an outsider he might look funny since he is playing quietly as opposed to Avery having a strange conversation with himself: "It's time to go into the deep,  that is absurd"  Avery says to himself while playing with two things.  If you think about it Avery's behavior is strange, but it is age appropriate.

Watching Miles makes me wonder about what the therapists he was seeing from age 2-3  would say now.  Since Miles is non-verbal it seems like anything he did or did not do was labeled a red flag for Autism.  If I say Avery did the same thing at that age that didn't seem to matter... because Avery could talk after age 2.  One person said they did not think Miles showed enough emotions and tantrums were age appropriate ... and that was a flag.  Another working with him at the same time said that his tantrums when not wanting to do her tasks... was a flag.  They seemed to be focused on things like the fact that he used his hands instead of utensils and could not dress himself instead of what mattered.  And guess what... he CAN do BOTH now almost all by himself.


CHANGE OF SUBJECT:

I should not care what people think of me, and most the time I really don't.  However sometimes I get upset when I am confused about what people think or if I think their reason for not liking me or talking about me is for superficial reasons.  Right now I am not always happy with my own body image and being overweight.  But I still tell myself that I love me and we are working on that part.  I go to the gym at the rec center 2 times a week and my family goes on 30-60 minute walks almost every day.  At the rec-center--- that is the problem.  I get sick of these super skinny, 'I don't want to get my hair and make up wet in the SWIMMING POOL", teenagers.  I am getting healthy and all they can do is comment on how fat I am.  I am not even making it up on occasion I have heard them talk about me... when I am right there.  Most the time it is before or after we take the kids swimming and I am in the locker room with Miles.  I'm sorry but I hope they get twice as fat and have an even harder time loosing weight after they have kids.  I love my children and my extra weight is worth it for them.


ONE MORE... even though I could go on forever.

Learn how to drive people.... I go the speed limit.... deal with it and GET OFF YOUR DAMN PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Book review

I read the book Late-Talking Children by Thomas Sowell.

My intention was to read another book by Thomas Sowell that the library did not have.  Sowell wrote a book based on a group of people he conversed with through emails, letters and such who all had late-talking children.  These families contacted Sowell after he wrote articles in the paper about his own son John.

The book starts with John's story and other adults who were once mysterious late-talkers.  The book proceeds with the stories of the families who contacted Sowell with their stories and what he knew about them based on letters and parent surveys.  Many of the stories are fascinating.  The book was written in 1997 and I was amazed at all the different parents saying their child was diagnosed with Autism by the school and professionals said "NO WAY!"  I was not aware that the quickness to label children Autistic was going on at this time.

Many of the children reminded me of Avery.  The children had excellent memory, quickness with numbers and letters, went from saying nothing to say full sentences and late to potty train because they just didn't care if they did or not.  The only difference was that compared to these children in the book Avery talking right at age 2 does not make him a late talker.  Most the children in this book did not talk much or at all until they were 4.

Sowell then addresses the similarities between families of late talkers.  This section actually made me feel that if my children were not late-talkers then they would be 'abnormal'.  What I mean by this is Sowell noted the occupations of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  There was always at least one and more likely more than one family member in either, engineering, accounting, science, mathematics, computers or music.
   
                            So my kids have:  Father- science, music, Grandfather - computers, Grandmother - accounting, Uncle - computers, music, Grandfather- architect (I would lump that with engineering), Mother- music, and I would also have to include Grandmother- art
 * music was described as plays an instrument - musical profession

My only problem with this book is that Sowell continues the book with a story of a boy who really is Autistic and gifted.  However, even though the story is wonderful it gave little insight as to why this boy was really Autistic compared to the other children who sounded like they could be and weren't.

Many other reviews of the book on goodreads said they were not impressed since the book only covers children with very high IQ.  That may be true but I found that some of the children were thought not to have high IQ until they could talk... 

First Day of School!

Today both my boys started school.  Strangely my 3-year-old was the returning student and my 4 1/2-year-old was brand new.

I think Miles heard me say to Avery that they were going to school today.  Miles became restless and crabby, however he successfully got the right shoe on the right foot all by himself.  Of course he had not pants on and the shirt he had on last night when he went to bed.  Any way he made the morning difficult because all he wanted to do was go to school... oh and eat cookies I made last night.

Avery's class includes lunch... and Miles' class does not.  So this week we are trying this out.  Avery's class starts at 12:00 for lunch and Miles' class starts at 12:30.  So far we decided that it wont work so we might say we are feeding Avery at home and do so bringing him in closer to 12:30.  He teacher said we could do that and I should have said that is what we were going to do.

Right now the boys are not going to our neighborhood school for preschool.  Miles is in a special communication and behavioral class.  There was an opening in the other preschool class at the same school at the same time for Avery.

To get into Kindergarten a child has to be 5 by October 1... and since Avery's birthday is October 18 he did not make the Kindergarten cut.  I have been told multiple times by multiple people that since Avery is a boy it is good that he will be one of the older kids.  I figure they are probably right and if Avery should have been in Kindergarten than he may someday skip a grade or be in the gifted and talented class(es)... but what do I know.

Miles was so happy to be at school.  He kept giving me the "get out of here Mom" looks.  Avery was also very excited for his first day.  We played with Miles on the playground after Avery was settled.  Miles was more than ready and got bored with the playground.  When it was closer to time to go in more kids had arrived and there was one little boy that was upset and crying.  Miles got a little upset because the boy was crying, however as soon as the door to the class was open Miles was all smiles and also the other little boy had stopped crying.

When we went to pick up the boys Andrew picked up Avery and I picked up Miles.  Miles looked sleepy but happy and they said he had a good day.  When I had walked in the room a sweet little girl that has Downs Syndrome grabbed my hand, she was ready to go home and knew she needed someones hand.  After I grabbed Miles' backpack she grabbed my hand again so I had to let go of Miles hand to readjust the bag and then the little girl also had let go and she grabbed Miles' hand.  He seemed a little shocked but did not pull away.  Then he walked around her to look at her face and gave her a "Miles hug".  Sometimes Miles gives big hugs and sometimes he has this funny one arm hug that I call a Miles hug.  It was so sweet.

Avery told us he learned about germs and washing hands.  He read a book with the teacher, he had to color before he got to eat apples for snack and they got to play outside.  "We went outside, and guess what? Miles was outside too!" he said.   He also said he is ready to go back for the next day!  Then I realized after Avery's bath he had picked out LEGO underwear in the morning, a LEGO shirt and had his LEGO shoes. :)