Really Nice Weekend

Michael and I are finally starting to feel better. Of course, that means that Steve is starting to get sick. It will be nice when all of us are healthy at the same time!

Michael's been extra sweet and cuddly today. Steve thinks it's because I've spent so much time sleeping this past week that he hasn't gotten as much fun time with mommy. And, I enjoyed the extra cuddles, so that's definitely a good thing.

I've been working on teaching him spanish, and also got him the Hooken On Spanish computer program. It was really cool today - when the lesson he was working on showed the narrator painting with the various colors, he wanted to paint too. It's the first time in ages that he's wanted to paint. Now, he only put a dab of each color on the paper and wanted to say the spanish word for the color, but it's progress. And, we both had fun for a while.

Other that that, it's been a pretty uneventful weekend. Michael and I did go to the apothocary yesterday to pick some stuff up. He had great behavior for the whole trip, but then had a meltdown when it was time to come back in the house. I guess he was tired of being cooped up all week, too! I definitely want to take him with us on errands more often, just so he gets used to being out of the house and not on the way to school or therapy. It would be nice for him to get used to small outings being successful!

Why Questions and a Free Chess Game!

Michael has finally started asking "WHY" questions! I know that this can be the beginning of a lot of very difficult/annoying questions, but I am so excited!! It took him forever to start asking any questions, and now we've gotten 3 why questions!

Why can't I?
Why do you like reading?
Why are opposites bad? (They're not until you get them as an answer whenever he's in a bad mood)

I can't tell you how many nights I've worried about when he would start to ask these questions, and now he finally is. I am so excited!!!!!!

And, if your kid is into Chess, today's game giveaway is GrandMaster Chess. I'm not much of a chess player, but I know a lot of our kids are. And, free is good, right?

"Are you alright Daddy?"

I guess it's been a good evening. Even though Michael didn't want to do his homework, he eventually did. I was surprised that he understood the different between goods and services, and volunteering versus working. He's also getting really good at his math work. I'm pretty happy!

Afterwards, Michael was in the family room playing his wii, and Steve was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. Michael was fairly absorbed in his game, but did hear Steve say "Ouch!" when he hit something. Michael immediately asked if he was OK. I was so shocked - situational awareness and empathy! What more could you ask for during Simms Kingdom?

Mommy Temper Tantrum

I wanted to throw a temper tantrum at work the other day. A project was dumped on me with little warning, and I had no idea how to complete it. Being given a huge list of requirements without the technical knowledge to complete the project was very upsetting. My boss happened to be out on vacation, so I had no immediate support. Yes, throwing something seemed like a great idea at the time.

The next morning I really didn't want to go into the office. I hadn't slept well, and my stomach was in a knot. I had no idea how I was going to pull this project off, but knew that I didn't have any choice. I was not in a good mood.

As I drove into work I realized that I was going through what Michael faces almost daily. His teacher occasionally sends home classwork that he doesn't manage to complete in school for him to do at home. Sometimes, it's pretty easy to see where he gets lost and needs help getting started, sometimes it's not so obvious. But, I can imagine him sitting down with a new activity and just being scared and overwhelmed.

I am going to try and take the lessons I learned from my project at work and see if I can help Michael map out a strategy for dealing with project anxiety. As I calmed down and tried to approach the project step by step, things got easier and much less scary. I would love to see him develop the skills to take things slowly, one at a time. I certainly don't want to condone having a temper tantrum in school, but this week, I'm a little more understanding!

Learning to Swallow Capsules

Every day I understand more and more how much easier life is now that Michael can swallow capsules. Before, if we wanted to go away for a weekend, we had to pack a small cooler's worth of his pharmacy. Now, it's just a couple pill cases and two small bottles. So, much easier!

I had read about different techniques for teaching children how to swallow pills, but they didn't really seem to apply to Michael. As with most children on the spectrum, the best way to accomplish anything with Michael is to play to his strengths and interests. He has always loved playing with water, so we decided to make it a game.

· First, we had him practice holding a small sip of water in his mouth, without swallowing it. (This is the part he loved!)

· Then, we had him put a capsule toward the back of his tongue. We were careful to let him do the placing, so he wouldn't get over anxious. We also made sure that he didn't put it far enough back that it would cause him to gag.

· Next, we had him take a small sip of water and hold it in his mouth. He was a little more wary with the capsule, but still loved the game.

· Finally, we asked him to swallow the water. He was distracted enough by being allowed to play with the water in his mouth that he was able to easily swallow the capsule.

Once he realized what he had done, he was so proud of himself! He switched entirely over to capsules that weekend, and hasn't looked back since. He's been suspicious of new capsules and tablets, but has really adapted well.

I realize that this approach to swallowing capsules won't necessarily work with every child. I think the key is to really think about what your child likes, and is good at. Then, take those strengths and try to make a game of it. Sometimes, they just surprise you.