KEEN

I have been meaning to write a post all week about KEEN. It's a wonderful group that provides one to one support for kids with all kinds of disabilities to have two play sessions a month. And, it's a drop off program.

Michael had his first session last weekend. I know he was mostly excited because he saw the elevator, but I believe he really enjoyed the session. He's been talking about it, and telling us that he gets to go back in October. It's great to see him so excited about something new. And, I have to admit, having an hour to myself once in a while is a very nice idea!

Seeing through Michael's Eyes (sortof)

Last night I woke up incredibly nauseous. It's such an unsettling feeling to know that you are about to run to the bathroom, and there is nothing you can do about it. Steve was still in his office working, so I asked him to keep me company while I waited.

I noticed that even though I really wanted his company, I had few words, and looking directly at him was nearly impossible. I guess when you are so focused on keeping yourself 'together', you just don't have any extra energy/focus for things that are normally easy.

At one point, Steve offered to make me a cup of ginger lemon tea. (What a wonderful man!) It took a few minutes for me to register what he was saying and to then get out a small 'yes to tea'.

Thankfully, there was only one episode and the tea was able to settle my stomach after. But wow, it's so hard to explain the feeling of revelation when I realized that sometimes you just CAN'T talk or make eye contact, or anything else. You just need to put all your energy into breathing.

I think I'll be a little more patient with Michael today!

Signs of maturity...

I know that Michael is 8 years old now, and he should be able to do many things independently. But, he just hasn't been able to. I've noticed in the last month or so, he really is making huge progress. It started out with him picking his own clothes for school, and just little things here and there.

Last night, he wanted a bath so he went to his room and got his nighttime clothes ready and brought them into the bathroom. If I give him a time when the bath is done, he can watch the clock and let me know when he's ready. He still can't dry himself off effectively, but he can dress himself after his bath and get back to playing. Baby steps, but it makes me happy!

PANDAS?!

It looks like Michael might have PANDAS. We've had him on antibiotics for a couple days now, and boy is it taking a toll on him. His tummy was so upset and he was so wiped out, he took himself to bed at 7 tonight! I sure hope the antibiotics help, and that he is back to himself soon. For now, I'm just a tad stressed.

So far, so good

This has been a pretty good week so far. Michael is settling into his school routines, I'm settling back into work, and Steve has been getting a lot of his work done. I loved vacation, but it really is nice to feel more settled.

I went to a TACA meeting last night. It was all about the GFCF diet. Even though we have been doing the diet for more than two years now, it was still nice to get a few tips and talk with other parents doing the same thing. It is just so relaxing to talk with people who 'get it' and really understand what you are doing with your child and why.