The Wizard of Has (Oz)

One of Nicky's birthday presents was the Wizard of Ha's a Veggie Tales version of the Wizard of Oz. And he's been watching it over and over...and so have all of us. But it made us realize that the older kids have never seen the original Wizard of Oz movie. They know the rough story and most of the pop culture references.

The reason they haven't seen it is that I can't stand the movie. When I was little, it scared me to death. I couldn't sit still and watch it instead ran around the room. Especially in the scenes where the Wicked Witch of the West steals Toto and those in her castle. For some reason, my mother was frustrated and aggravated with the running around. So year after year we'd watch the stupid movie when it came on tv, I was scared and she was irritated.

It makes me wonder how many things I do as parent just because that's what everyone does that aren't the best ideas

What we did today

Today we set out for Stone Mountain and the Highland Games. Nate was fascinated by the caber toss. M.E. by the fiddlers. But both were disappointed that the blacksmith wasn't there. So, after a while we went over to Stone Mountain Crossroads Village to see the blacksmith there. Nate thought it was cool, Nicky thought it was too loud. Learned that a cobalt alloy is now being used on plough blades. And Kim & I had cokes, Nicky HiC, Nate dippin dotes and M.E. was cold. I should have better pictures, but I keep forgetting to take them.

Catch Up Post #2: Nate hurt his foot

The day after Nick's birthday, Nate was playing outside with friends. A game that involved "fighting with sticks." We're not quite sure how it happened but somehow Nate ended up with several pieces of wood in his foot. The entry was between his 3rd & 4th toes. The first trip to the ER involved X-ray and ultrasound. Wood doesn't show up on X-ray very well, hence the ultrasound. Which doesn't seem to be the most reliable method for determining what's in there either.

The second trip to the ER involved IV antibiotics after infection set in.

This is how it looks today, a month afterwards. We've consulted a surgeon who thinks there is sill at least one piece still in his foot. The spot near his toes is a migration of the initial puncture wound and the spot further back may be a hematoma or a granuloma(?) of the foreign body (piece of wood).

Surgery is scheduled for Thursday.

Nicky to Nick

Another transition in the past year has been from Nicky to Nick. It started with the OT at school requesting that Nicky be taught to write "Nick" since the letters K and Y have diagonal strokes which are difficult to execute. His teachers started calling him "Nick" and we've sort of picked up on it. Nick seems a bit more grown up especially for my big six year old. (she says somewhat wistfully).

Catch Up Post #1: Nicky Turned 6!

Last Month Nicky Turned 6!

Obviously, Lightning McQueen and Woody are still among his favorites (we should have bought stock in Disney)

What an amazing year it's been:

• Nicky finally put it all together and started walking independently.
  
• He can now climb up and down stairs holding onto the hand rail and occasionally uses reciprocal steps.
  
• He is putting together two, three and longer sentences. Some are just words and some are combinations of words and signs.
  
• He can reliably recognize all of the letters and tell you the sound it makes.
• He can write NICK.
• He can count to 5 and recognize some numbers.
• He is starting to use pronouns correctly, although I do miss "carry you".
• He still loves music but is starting to be a critic of family members' singing.
• He knows how to operate the DVD player and can turn on the tv with a remote.
• He can operate the mouse to play computer games.
• He knows animal signs for a vast number of animals and can make the animal's sound.
• He's getting very good at bossing everyone around and ignoring us when he doesn't want to do something.
• He can throw and kick a ball.
• He's just such a love and a blessing.

Catching UP

O.K., so I've totally dropped the ball on the 31 for 21. But, I'm really really really going to try to catch up. I figure if I write two posts per day for the next 14 days I can catch up. Yeah right.

Why I Knit

Most everyone who knows me knows that I knit. Constantly or almost constantly. I've been knitting since I was 18. Mom taught me the summer before college. I knit a lot in college for relaxation and to create things. I knit several "boyfriend sweaters" for the same boyfriend and of course we didn't marry. (The only thing I've knit for my hubby is a pair of cashmere socks that shrunk in the wash). Mostly I followed patterns. After graduation I kept on knitting. About that time I discovered Barbara Walker's treasuries and started making sampler afgahns out of acrylic yarn. In retrospect, most are pretty hideous. But, that's the yarn I could afford.

Went to grad school and knit some. I was too busy in life and my next job to knit much. When I was expecting my first I knit her a sweater and then another after she was born. Lots of friends had lots of babies, so I knit lots of baby sweaters.

After Nicky was born life was chaos. But about that time knitting became very popular and the yarns that were available, oh my the yarns that were available. Started knitting scarves with novelty yarns (eyelash yarn - ugh). Then felted bags, then socks (the ill-fated cashmere ones). I started designing my own bags and socks and sweaters. Now, I rarely follow a pattern and have published a few.

It's interesting how my knitting has evolved from being very product oriented to process oriented. I've gone from being monogamous to having multiple projects in the works at all times. Gone from relying on a pattern and not always understanding what went wrong when it didn't work to designing and viewing patterns as a starting place not a bible.

Anyway, the reasons I knit:

• Maintain sanity
  
• Have something that is not undone five minutes after it's finished
  
• Have something to do at boring meetings
  
• Have wonderful gifts to give (or not)
  
• Play with color and pattern
  
• Drive my husband crazy with projects left lying around all over the place
  

There are many more but the first is the most important.

Start of 31 for 21

Tried to post every day in October last year in honor of Nation Down Syndrome month and didn't succeed. Maybe this year will be different.

October 1 is a special day for us because Nicky came home from the hospital after 13 days in the NICU on October 1st, 2002. So, now it's been six years!

School Days

Everyday, after he gets off the bus, I ask Nicky how school was and if anything happened. Usually, he says "bus" since the bus ride seems to be the highlight of the day. Today, he made the sign for Police Officer (the letter C held to your chest). It's career week and the father of another student, a police officer came to visit his classroom. Guess he made a good impression. A nurse also visited but she obviously didn't make as big of an impression.

Nicky can also pick out his name from a list of four names, write an N and an i, and tell you all the letters in his name!

First Day of School Pics

Only about a month late, first day of school pictures.

Nick & Dad waiting for the bus

M.E. & N at the door, a traditional shot

N at school, I took this one to annoy him

M.E. at the bus stop another chance to bug my kids

Letters vs. Numbers

Nicky can recognize all the letters, tell you what sound they make and even tell you some words that start with that letter. He knows that putting letters together makes words and can even recognize a few sight words. But, for some reason numbers are really tough. He can count to ten but if you show him a number he can't make the connection between the number and the word for it. I find it both fascinating and frustrating and for the same reason. He can obviously make a connection between an abstract concept of a written letter and the sound it makes. And the connection between a group of letters and a word and what the word means. But he does not apply the same numbers. With my older kids learning letters and numbers happened simultaneously, why not Nick? Something more to ponder and research.

In the Land of Pooh

Unfortunately, not AA Milne's cute cuddly character but the other kind. Nick's lower GI issues continue. The good news is he's getting lots of practice using the potty. The bad news is he doesn't always make it. This too shall pass..

I love Nick's school

I don't know what the future will bring for Nicky's education, but right now I just love his school. He's in an inclusion pre-K class, something I didn't think would be possible a few years ago. Tonight was curriculum night. Nicky has been sick since the weekend so he hasn't been in school. All his teachers wanted to know how he was doing and said what a delight he's been so far. I had so much anxiety about this placement and in the first two weeks has done well. He's been writing the letters N, I & K. He's learned their routines and is starting to use the potty regularly. And they are ok with the pull-ups.

Sigh

Warning: this a a feeling sorry for myself post...

My next door neighbor is having a party for all the rising kindergartners and it's driving the dog nuts. But, it's not the dog that's bugging me (or at least not most of it), rather that Nicky should be going to K this year and would be if he were a typical kid. Meanwhile, I've cleaned three pairs of poopy underwear in the past hour. So much for potty training which means he'll likely be moved either to the self-contained Pre-K class or back down to the Inclusion Preschool class he was in last year. Sigh. Now, it really wouldn't be moving back just staying in place. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Sometimes, I look at my friends with typical kids about Nicky's age and am so envious of how independent their kids are and how dependent Nicky is. But, we've seen so much growth in the past year. Walking is a huge part of it, no longer having to carry Nicky has made life easier, we even go places without the stroller and he walks. He can feed himself and drink from an open cup. He's working on dressing himself. He's speaking more and understandable to others outside the family. He definitely can make his needs and wants known. If taken to the potty regularly, he's generally dry. BM training is not happening at all at the moment. Unfortunate, since he has between 1 and 3 per day it's a problem. It'll come in time, but I'm still hoping for an instant miracle.

Connections

Nicky's current movie favorites are the Ice Age movies. This afternoon he was watching the movie. I went to unload the dishwasher and he'd disappeared. He came downstairs a few minutes later with his stuffed elephant. He is now watching the movie copying Manny's actions. I just love it when he makes these sort of connections.

Seven Days From Now...

Is the first day of school! Yay! Boo! Never thought I'd say this when the older two were younger but the summer is much too short. Only 11 weeks, it goes much too quickly. Is time speeding up? Or just old age?

Most of what I wanted to happen this summer has. But Nicky still isn't potty trained. He's supposed to be trained for the program he's enrolled in this year. At this point, he's mostly dry if put on the potty at regular intervals. But, he doesn't initiate anything, so I guess I'm the one who's trained.

Still hoping for a miracle.

Why?

Why is it that I obsess about what could have been, or might have been or should have been, instead of what is? Especially since what is is pretty darn good?

And awfully darn cute?

Sorry for the long absence from posting, the end of school and start of summer has just been crazy. Back to semi-regular posting soon.

Encounter

A few weeks ago, I took Nate to urgent care for an ear infection. Nicky came along. While we were sitting in the waiting area, a woman sat down across from us. Somewhat hard to understand, she asked if Nicky had Down Syndrome. I replied that he had.

Then she said: "I had Reye's Syndrome when I was 6 years old. I almost died. Now I can walk and talk. I'm a miracle baby!"

Writing, it doesn't sound all that remarkable, but this woman's joy in her accomplishments and life was so contagious I just had to share. I hope my own miracle baby has as much joy in his life as she did.

You're Weird...

There is a restaurant in our village with a large grassy area in front. After eating their dinners the kids play while their parents finish up or enjoy another glass of wine. Sometimes, I'll send Nicky out with M.E. and others I go with him. He's walking but still looks a little like frankenstein. Last weekend, I went out with him while K stayed behind to pay up.

As we were walking out a little girl, about the same age, ran out of the restaurant next door. She saw Nicky and started running circles around him taunting "you're weird" in a sing song voice. It hurt and made me angry. I know, if something similar had happened to M.E. or Nate the incident would have been laughed off and forgotten. But because Nicky is different it stings and I can still hear "you're weird" running through my head. Also, because 99.9% of our interactions are positive this one sticks out even more.